The Introvert Entrepreneur

Ep72: The Authentic Entrepreneur: A Conversation with Brad Feld

One area I’ve not explored very much is raising venture capital. So I’m attempting to remedy that through my conversation with Brad Feld, co-founder of Foundry Group. Our conversation has a few twists and turns, and we talk about his experience with depression, why authenticity is so important for entrepreneurs, and how meditation can help introverts manage their energy. Of course, we also talk a bit about what it takes to successfully raise money from investors.

Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars.

He is active on the board of several nonprofits, and is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. Brad writes the widely read blogs Feld Thoughts, Startup Revolution, and Ask the VC.

Ep70: Insight Selling and What Sales Winners Do Differently - A Conversation with John E. Doerr

What's your favorite part of being an introvert entrepreneur? My guess is, it's doing what you do best, making a difference and having freedom to create the life you want. I also think it's safe to guess that it's NOT sales! Implementing a sustainable sales process is often – not always, but often – the most stressful part of being an introvert entrepreneur. Most introverts I work with and speak to don’t consider sales a natural strength. What they often don’t realize that many of their natural strengths are actually integral to an effective sales process. That’s what we’re going to explore with author and sales consultant John E. Doerr in this podcast conversation.

We look at what behaviors and beliefs make the difference between winning or losing someone's business; how the Insight Selling model is ideal for introverts; and how technology and social media have changed the sales process.

Co-President of RAIN Group, John E. Doerr  is co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation (Wiley, 2011), Insight Selling: Surprising Research on What Sales Winners Do Differently (Wiley, 2014), and Professional Services Marketing, second edition (Wiley, 2013). In 2011, John was named the Top Sales Thought Leader by Top Sales Awards.

Ep68: A Conversation with Pamela Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation

When I started down the entrepreneurial path, one of the first books I turned to was Pamela Slim’s “Escape from Cubicle Nation.” I wasn’t necessarily escaping from a cubicle; rather, the book captured the spirit of adventure I was feeling and provided a roadmap for action in those early days.

While Pamela is a self-proclaimed extrovert, she has insights and wisdom that will give even the most introverted among us food for thought. Pamela is an award-winning author, business coach and speaker. In 2005, she started the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog, which is now one of the top career and business blogs on the web.

Pamela's first book, “Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur” was released in Spring, 2009 and won Best Small Business/Entrepreneur Book of 2009 by 800 CEO Read. Her new book, “Body of Work,” gives a fresh perspective on the skills required in the new world of work for people in all work modes, from corporate to non-profit to small business.

In our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss what we introverts need to know about our essential selves and social selves; how a niche leads to sustainability; how to ask for support; and what we can do if we suffer from success dysmorphia.

Websites:  http://pamelaslim.com/ and http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pamslim 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamslim

Amazon.com Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Slim/e/B001N27YW6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

  

Ep65: The Introvert's Guide to Success with Lisa Petrilli

When introverts learn more about themselves and then discover others like them, there’s one overwhelming response: I am not alone.  My guest today writes about that how to use that awareness to your advantage in her eBook, “The Introverts Guide to Success in Business and Leadership.” She writes, “Acknowledging and understanding the real meaning of this simple statement is a key tenet to succeeding as an introvert.”

Lisa Petrilli is Chief Executive Officer of C-Level Strategies, Inc. She is passionate about visionary leadership and true empowerment. This podcast focuses on another of Lisa’s passions: helping introverts succeed in business. Through her eBook, “The Introverts Guide to Success in Business and Leadership,” Lisa shares what she discovered about how to use her introversion to her advantage. 

Our conversation focuses on the transition from corporate life to the entrepreneur life, as well as self-promotion and introverts as strong leaders.

Special Podcast Note: this interview was recorded in the winter, hence the opening reference to snow!

Connect with Lisa:

Website:  LisaPetrilli.com
Twitter: @LisaPetrilli
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheIntrovertsGuide
eBook: www.lisapetrilli.com/the-introverts-guide/

Ep60: An Introvert-Friendly Approach to Networking with Sandy Jones-Kaminski

When an introvert thinks about networking, dread is often – but not always – the first emotion that comes to the surface. Yet networking is an important social activity, whether we own our own business or work for someone else. Since we have to do it anyway, how can we make it easier and more enjoyable? My interview with networking expert Sandy Jones-Kaminski helps us to redefine networking into an activity that’s ultimately satisfying and even energizing. And if following her advice also leads you to more business, so much the better.

Together we talk about

• how a pay-it-forward attitude can be applied to networking
• the process of building social karma
• how to spot every day opportunities to practice our small talk (also known as “get more bang for your buck when you go through the drive-through at the coffee shop”)
• why exchanging resources is more important than exchanging business cards

Sandy Jones-Kaminski has more than 20 years of experience as a communications and business development professional. She is a networking and LinkedIn expert, Inc.com #1 Business Book Wish List author, bylined columnist, keynote speaker and self-described “connector.” Her book is titled, “I’m at a Networking Event: Now What???: A Guide to Getting the Most Out of Any Networking Event.”