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.

Ep71: The Key to Entrepreneurial Freedom? Catch and Release (Blogcast)

For those on the deeply personal journey of entrepreneurship, we can begin to identify too closely with our work. How do we keep healthy boundaries? In this first "Blogcast" of 2015, I share my personal experience with separation of self and business, as well as a suggestion on how to develop positive distance from your work.

This podcast is an audio version of my first blog post of 2015. Thanks to my virtual assistant's excellent suggestion, I'm going to record each blog post (I'm calling these episodes my "blogcast"), enabling you to listen at your leisure. I hope you enjoy this new addition to the podcast line-up!

Here's the link to the original blog post (opens in new window): http://theintrovertentrepreneur.com/2015/01/09/the-key-to-entrepreneurial-freedom-catch-and-release/

Ep62: Caring for Your Introvert with Jonathan Rauch

One of the very first articles I came across when I officially began gathering resources for my business was Jonathan Rauch’s “Caring for Your Introvert.” Published in 2003 in The Atlantic, the article really hit home in its directness about what it meant to be an introvert. I also loved that Jonathan used humor and an ever-so-slightly snarky edge to get his message across. It was refreshing and intelligent, and spurred such a big response that follow-up articles were written over the years. 

It’s really a pleasure to welcome Jonathan to this edition of The Introvert Entrepreneur podcast, where we catch up on what’s happened since that article ran in 2003. He is a contributing editor of The Atlantic and National Journal and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. We cover a lot of ground in a short period of time, including what he thinks about the evolution of the introvert revolution, whether introverts and geeks are synonymous, and using humor to communicate the introvert message.

The Introvert's Way with Sophia Dembling

Some people are able to say what everyone wishes they could say. My guest today, Sophia Dembling, is one of those people. She's the author of the recently published, "The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World."

Our conversation includes tips on self-promotion based on her experiences as a writer, what she's learned from writing "The Introvert's Way," and why people who don't realize you're an introvert might think you're a b-i-t-c-h!

In addition to “The Introvert’s Way,” Sophia is author of "The Yankee Chick's Survival Guide to Texas" and co-author of "The Making of Dr. Phil: The Straight-Talking True Story of Everyone's Favorite Therapist" and "I Can Still Laugh: Stories of Inspiration and Hope from Individuals Living with Alzheimer's."

Her essays and articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide as well as in such anthologies as "Cat Women: Female Writers and their Feline Friends" and "P.S.: What I Didn't Say." She also writes a popular blog for PsychologyToday.com, The Introvert's Corner.

Her next book, "100 Places in the USA Every Woman Should Go," will be available in September 2013.

Quiet Courage: A Conversation with Mary Anne Radmacher

One of the gifts of producing these podcasts is that I get to talk to interesting, heart-centered people who are blazing a trail in their own introverted fashion. I learn something from every conversation, and this edition of The Introvert Entrepreneur taught me many things. I learned about the gift of bright shiny objects, how being an introvert affects how we show up – and not show up – and why letting our work speak for ourselves only gets us so far. I also learned a gentle way to tell others what we need as introverts, an exercise for being a better writer... and more! My guest is Mary Anne Radmacher; she is an artist, poet, author, introvert and entrepreneur. Mary Anne is the author of 11 books, among them HONEY IN YOUR HEART and LEAN FORWARD INTO YOUR LIFE. Her work has been quoted in the Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations, hangs in Oprah's headquarters and in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mary Anne's work is available for purchase here. You can find her books, alongside other personal growth and introvert-centric resources, here: introvertislandbooks.com/bookstore