This sums up the social media dilemma for me... I met this week's podcast guest on social media, and since forming a friendship online, we now send voice notes (aka mini podcasts) to each other about how much we hate social media. I never would've connected with Melissa if it wasn't for social media, yet a lot of our conversations are about how social media is negatively affecting our mental health.  In one of our voice note convos, Melissa said she'd had the realisation that her mental...

Today I'm chatting with my friend Lachlan Beaton, a mental health professional who decided to make a series of radical life changes to live the life he always wanted. The journey to where he is now wasn't linear. It didn't all happen at once. It took years and years. And a lot of hard work. His story is so inspiring, and it shows that it's never too late to take a new path. He shows us that you can have a radical change in outlook, and step by step, you can move towards a life that feels...

2021 was a bad year. I could blame COVID, but that would be a lie. I had been single for a very long time. It had been fun and fancy-free... Until it wasn't anymore. In 2020, I admitted I wanted something more serious... but ALAS... It seemed that everyone on dating apps wanted ethical non-monogamy. I was not going to be on dating apps FOR A DECADE. No way. So, what was a monogamous girl to do?? I decided to run away to Thailand. I grieved for the life I'd never have... My frozen eggs...

A very special episode with one of my good friends, Shanthi. Here are the questions we answer in this episode: My sister calls what you did "blowing your life up." You ended your engagement, quit your job & packed up your apartment to go travelling. Why did you decide to make such a drastic life change? What was it like becoming single again after 7 years? How has dating changed? What have been the highs and the lows? I've seen you have a lot of success on dating apps. What do you put...

We don't talk a lot about The Business World on this podcast, but after reading Erika's blog posts about building her brand, I just knew I had to interview her!! Here's an excerpt:  "I was involved two businesses/brands that grew quickly and warped my idea of reality when it came to status, wealth, success, and values. 5 years in, I chose to leave a brand that just announced a 100 million dollar valuation, and start again. I too, sometimes wonder if I’m crazy." The questions we answer on...

IT'S OUR 69TH EPISODE!! So that calls for an episode about s.e.x.  Today I'm joined by sex coach Georgia Grace to answer your questions on libido.  The questions we answer on this episode:  What actually is libido?This was actually a listener-requested episode - someone wrote in and wanted this topic covered: "Guys who have a low sex drive... It's really common." Is it a myth that all men have high libidos? Is it a myth that women have lower libidos?Does your libido go up and down? Are...

I want to tell you a story... A few years ago I discovered a box of my great-great aunt's love letters. They were written by a Danish ship captain. The letters spanned a 13-year period. 13 years!!! Imagine persisting with someone on a dating app for 13 years? You’re lucky if you get a 0.13-second glance. In one letter he wrote: If only you and I could meet there, it would be vonderful. Aren’t love letters just vonderful? Ugh... let's bring them back! So, this episode is all about...

Someone recently messaged me saying, "I'm in a complete life rut at 29… single, which I never thought would bother me but I feel very lonely."  She asked, "Where’s the real shit?" She said a lot of the content out there is all about finding yourself and loving yourself, but that’s not very practical and it doesn’t really solve the problem.  So let's get to the real shit... The questions we answer on today's episode:  What is loneliness? What does it feel like?What are the stats on...

Dee Salmin is the host of Triple J's The Hookup podcast, and she recently wrote this article about why hot, successful women aren't getting any matches on dating apps: https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/the-hook-up/why-you-might-not-be-getting-matches/13901508 AND SO I HAD TO ASK WHY! So we sat down to get to the bottom of it.  You can find Dee on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/dee.salmin

Before we get into this week's episode... WE'RE ON PATREON! We'll be releasing bonus episodes on the Single Minded Private Podcast every fortnight. You can also leave us a very much appreciated tip to help us continue to produce free episodes. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/singleminded Someone sent me a message on Insta recently saying that I was glowing... And I said it was because I was "happily unmarried". It caused quite the stir! So this week, I'll be unpacking why I'm so happy...

If you're over hookup culture and want to build a deeper connection with someone, this is the episode for you! Today I chat with Love & Relationship Expert, Dr Lurve about how to sloooow down with dating so that you can build a connection first.  The questions we answer in this episode:  What are the pros & cons of modern dating (dating apps in particular)?It seems that dating has become a bit of a numbers game - should we be looking at quality over quantity? What is the "slow...

I'm joined this week by comedian and podcaster Bianka to chat about the sexual awakening she had when she got sober 3 years ago. We also touch on ethical non-monogamy, sober dating, being lovesick, and embracing those first-date nerves.  Bianka's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biankaismailovski/ Bianka's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/damsel-undistressed/id1535867660 Thanks to Novo Shoes for being our sponsor. You can use the discount code SINGLEMINDED20 at...

I've always wondered how I'll explain my "existential night terrors" to my future life partner. As someone that suffers from death anxiety, I briefly spoke about it on an episode & had an outpouring of DMs from people who feel the same. So I chatted to Dr Rachel Menzies who is a clinical psychologist based in Sydney about how to manage death anxiety. She specialises in treating fears of death, anxiety and depression using CBT. Her website: https://rachelmenzies.com/ Her book:...

Meeting IRL... A thing of the past? Well not for the listeners who sent in their stories of how they met their partner IRL.  Linda and I are summarising all the ways to meet someone IRL, but also some tips for striking up a conversation, without feeling the pressure to be flirty. 

This week I am joined by my American friend Malia, who moved to Australia for love. She has one of the best meet-cute stories I've ever heard. As someone that is currently navigating a long distance relationship, this did kinda turn into a personal therapy session for me. YOU'LL ALSO GET AN EXCLUSIVE UPDATE ON THE CANADIAN!  

I'm joined by a very special co-host today to talk about ALL THINGS WORK.  The questions we're answering are:  - Why did you decide to quit your job after lockdowns? - Why did taking a 2 month break from work help refresh you? - Why you've decided to try a career change? - How did you negotiate a 4-day work week?

Just when you thought you'd given up on dating... you go to Thailand and meet a mysterious man.  Today, Linda is asking all the tough questions on my holiday romance.  We also discuss dating post-pandemic, and why I'd all but given up after YET ANOTHER flakey guy on a dating app. 

BUT ARE YOU HAPPY?! Today I'm joined by Lachlan Beaton who simplified his life to find more joy and happiness. He got everything he thought he wanted (big house, big salary, etc) but found himself miserable. Then came the breakdown, or what Brene Brown calls "the awakening". It. Is. Inspiring.  The questions we answer on this episode:  You sent me a really great quote on Instagram called "Old Happy" - can you explain what this is all about?Do you feel you had an awakening to the whole "Be...

BUT WILL WE?! Today I am joined again by Rav to chat about body image and how dating (and in her case, marriage) has affected the way we feel about our bodies.  The questions we answer on this episode:  How did you feel about your body growing up?How did the media influence how you felt about your body?How did dating and relationships later influence how you felt about your body?Do you only date when you're at your "goal" weight?What's your relationship like with your body now? How has it...

Thank you everyone who sent in your questions!!  The questions we're answering on today's episode: Any solo travel tips for a 38 single mum going to Noosa for a mini vacay?How did Linda keep her identity and independence after having kids?Dealing with realisation your best friends are lovely but so not aligned (they are all married).How to deal with coupled up friends always thinking being single = doomsday Tips for gal wanting to solo travel but anxious of solo in foreign places. Conflict...

Ta-da. The first episode dedicated to the I Don't Give A F**k Club (IDGAF). The club where we make our own timeline in life, despite what society expects of us. If you haven't been across the IDGAF Club on my Instagram, you can catch up on the content in my story highlights (there's a part 1, 2 & 3): @hannahfurst The questions we cover in today's episode:  Do you ever regret working so hard? What made you decide to have kids so young, and why did you have three?Do you think your...

This week we're joined by researcher (and fellow Single Minded listener) Zoe Callis to talk about emotional intelligence (EQ) and the role it plays in romantic relationships. This episode covers:  What's the difference between IQ and EQ?What are the qualities of someone with high EQ vs low EQ?Is it possible to improve your EQ? Do we rank high IQ and high EQ as attractive qualities? The research paper Zoe conducted isn't publicly available, but you can reach out to her direct for more info....

On today's episode, I'm joined again by fellow single gal and podcaster Rav Randhawa to talk about the highs and lows of being single and what  freedom means to us. We cover our favourite single things like not having to share a bed, the butterflies before a first kiss, along with the lows of living life on your own and the big question, is my soulmate out there? Rav's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravkr_ Fight Like A Girl Podcast: https://linktr.ee/flikeagirl

My friend and life coach Bonne Chance is back again to talk about New Year's Rituals. The questions we answer on this episode:  What's the difference between setting new year's resolutions and setting an intention for the year?We did a burning ceremony in Thailand 2 years ago - can you run everyone through what we did?How can people do their own ritual ceremonies this year if they want to reset / redefine what's important to them?If people listening want to make big changes but don't know...