This is a follow-up interview with Laurie Macpherson, who first featured on ‘A Fine Balance - The Blog’ in July 2021. https://a-fine-balance.com/2021/07/04/finding-balance-on-her-own-terms-single-by-choice-childfree-by-choice-lauries-story-on-doing-what-suits-you/. Laurie is a career coach and mentor who owns her own business, The Grow Consultancy, advising people on career choices and job applications. Before becoming self-employed, Laurie worked for many years in the retail sector and also travelled all over the world working as a holiday rep and on cruises. When she featured on the blog, Laurie was keen to impress her perspective of finding balance as a single woman with no children: “I’m single by choice and childfree by choice”, she told me straight off, adding: “that doesn’t mean I want work to be my only ‘thing’”. “It’s not just working parents that have to worry about their work-life balance“, Laurie argues, a point she not just preaches but practices too, through her self-imposed "ground rules" as well as her business practices. She advocates that “single people have a right to feel proud about prioritising their life over work”. Contrary to previous guests on this podcast, Laurie claims that she doesn’t have a people-pleasing bone in her body and her philosophy is to “do what suits me”, backed up with the mantra “just do it”. So, if you’re sitting on the fence with a decision at the moment and need some encouragement, this podcast is one for you!