The Introvert Entrepreneur

Introversion, Perception and Reality with Alice Boyes

For many people, discovering where they fell on the introvert-extrovert spectrum didn’t come at an early age. So they grew up with a set of perceptions about who they were that may or may not have been reality. This is especially true for introverts; for instance, I grew up thinking that I was socially unskilled and not a good conversationalist.

I hear similar stories from my clients and the people I’ve spoken with over the past three years. From this one piece of information - knowing they're introverts - they can start the journey of learning how to be their most powerful selves.

My guest is New Zealand psychologist Dr. Alice Boyes, and she was fortunate; she learned that she was an introvert at a very young age. But it was only recently that she started to appreciate her introversion, rather than see it as a personal fault.

We talk about her journey from feeling ashamed of being an introvert to feeling at peace with it. We also cover a wide range of topics, including

• Taking what could be perceived as a negative trait and becoming more comfortable with it
• How lessons from traditional work places help inform making the transition to entrepreneurship
• Distinguishing between introversion, anxiety and lack of confidence
• Identifying your “tracks of avoidance” that could hold you back
• What's really behind our fear of success

PS: One of her recent Psychology Today articles was featured on Lifehacker.com and has gotten over 100,000 views (read the original article).

The Traveling Introvert with Stephanie Yoder

Over the years, I’ve discovered how much fun it is to travel to new places. They don’t even have to be exotic, just simply places I’ve never been.

And what about travel and the introvert? Taking a trip with someone is one of the fastest ways to learn about yourself and your relationship. How do you manage your need for alone time when you’re with someone 24/7? And how do you create an experience that works for you, that isn’t based on what other people expect?

My guest today is Stephanie Yoder, and she’s a girl who can't sit still. She has been traveling on and off for the past 6 years, through Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. She started Twenty-Something Travel three years ago as a way to convince other Generation Y-ers to get out and see the world.

I found Stephanie through one of her blog posts, "The Introvert's Guide to Travel." We chat about her experiences traveling alone, as well as with her extroverted fiance, and and her best advice about making travel easier than you think.

The Power of the Professional Accountability Partnership

Since The Introvert Entrepreneur is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month, I've been reflecting on the ways the business has evolved and what's made that evolution possible. One of the keys to success in my business has been who I have surrounded myself with. We know that as introverts, we often expend more energy than we gain from interactions with other people. That's why it's so important to be intentional about who we bring into our lives. We have to make sure it's worth that expenditure of energy. Today's podcast is a slight departure from the norm, because I'm using it to highlight one of the relationships that has been worth the energy. You're about to listen to a conversation I had with my Accountability Partner and fellow introvert entrepreneur, Arden Clise of Clise Etiquette. Together, we share how our partnership came into being, what personal and professional benefits we've experienced, and things to consider if you want to find your own accountability partner.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts with Susan Cain

When people hear the word "introvert," they almost always think "shy," or picture someone with his nose buried in a book, or with noise-cancelling headphones as her constant companion. And it's true - we do like our solitude. We not only like it, we need it. But on the other hand, if we're called to bring an important message to the world, we're almost required to balance that solitude with celebrity, with putting ourselves out there and being more in the public eye. Now with the publication of her book ("Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"), a highly successful TED Talk, and a whirlwind of publicity, when people hear the word introvert, they're just as likely to think of Susan Cain as they are to think of the word shy. Susan has had to learn to walk that tightrope between solitude and celebrity, and I'm excited to share this conversation we had about her experience and advice for introverts who want to fully embrace their introvert personality. Susan shares with us:

• How she worked through her nervousness about public speaking
• What introverts can do to feel at ease in uncomfortable situations
• The benefits of being aligned with your passion
• Why understanding introversion is so important to the next generation

Cut the CRAP: Get More Done in Less Time with Pam Weatherford

If there's one complaint I hear over and over again, it's about how we all have so much to do, and so little time to do it. As introverts, our energy is our most precious asset. We have to be intentional about how we spend it and when it's best to save it. Knowing how to do that is not always easy when we're being pulled in a million different directions. So why is it that some people seem to get so much done while others get bogged down, overwhelmed, and further behind with each passing day? It is possible to focus your energy in such a way that you are more productive without feeling burned out. Bruce Lee offers us one approach; he says, "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own." Today's podcast guest, Pam Weatherford of D3 Seminars, offers another approach that's similar to that advice, but uniquely hers. She calls it "cutting the CRAP," and her intention is to give you tools that allow you to get more done in less time. You'll learn

• Why less is more when it comes to working towards your goals
• How the 80/20 Rule applies to time and energy management
• The art of saying "no" gracefully (and why this is super important to introverts)
• What Pam has identified as the Habits of Highly Efficient & Productive People