Send us a textMy guest on the podcast this week is the brilliant Pooja Venkatraman.Pooja is a double Harvard graduate, ex-management consultant, and former stressed-out over-achiever turned life coach, who helps high-stress, high achievers get clear on what they want to do next, take the next steps, and create the lives they actually want. She is also a member of my Thrive Solo membership.Pooja lives in New York City and is single and childfree.Topics that we cover are:how she has always been a high achiever;how she has always had a strong internal sense that she didn’t want to have kids;how despite knowing she didn’t want children, she assumed she would have to have them;how it took Pooja 30+ years to realise she could choose to remain childfree;the vision she always had for her life that involved a romantic partner;the conclusion she came to that there aren’t that many men who she would be excited to be with, and that she might never meet one;how she’s started to get to a place where she’s happy with — or without — a relationship;how Pooja’s friends still insist on ‘helping’ her date despite her telling them she’s no longer dating;why she’s come off the dating apps;her great love of writing, and how it makes her feel connected;how Pooja ended up becoming a life coach;the framework of her coaching and why it’s so important;why circumstances don’t have any inherent meaning, only the meaning we project onto them;why it’s so important to distinguish between thoughts and facts;becoming aware of the various ‘circuits’ in our brain and how they are, or are not, serving us;the ways in which our brain can work for or against us;Pooja’s thoughts on manifestation;her take on what it means to thrive solo.Check out Pooja’s website: https://poojavcoaching.com/Follow Pooja on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poojav.coaching/Sign up to her email newsletter: https://poojav.substack.com/Listen to her podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4115SuxkOtcIAXhVblhi4qListen to her podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/p7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Support the showCheck out my YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSuCiCzcPlAvxzQyHDrLoag Book a FREE 30 minute coaching 'taster' session HERE: https://calendly.com/lucymeggeson/30minute Fancy getting your hands on my FREE PDF 'The Top 10 Most Irritating Questions That Single People Get Asked On The Regular...& How To (Devilishly) Respond'? Head over to: www.lucymeggeson.com Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Follow me on LinkedIn: Lucy Meggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!!!