The Introvert Entrepreneur

Having Heart-Filled Holidays with Sandy Fowler

As surely as Christmas happens on December 25 every year, stress levels seem to skyrocket during the holiday season between just before Thanksgiving to just after New Year's. There is pressure coming from all sides: to be happy, to attend parties and family dinners, to feel connected to the "reason for the season" while also running around like a crazy person, shopping, eating and socializing. This is exhausting for most people, and doubly so for the introvert who needs lots of time and space in the midst of the joyful chaos. How can we navigate the holiday season while honoring the needs of our hearts, minds and spirit? How do we stay sane through it all? Author Sandy Fowler shares how we can take some of the stress out of the holidays and stay connected to what's most important. Sandy shares with us

• How introverts can not only survive, but actually enjoy, all of the holiday socializing
• Why you should take a "no excuses" approach to the holidays (it's not what you might think!)
• How to stay centered in choice
• What you can do to make traditions your own
• The most important word to have in your holiday vocabulary
• Why the holidays aren't the right time to try to have this, that and the other.

Creating Introvert Pride of Ownership with Beth Buelow

When I witnessed a recent claim - and subsequent retraction - of "I'm an extrovert" by an introvert, it got me thinking again about how we introverts sometimes negate that part of our personality. We think it's a curse. We think it needs to be changed. We think we need to hide it, because we get messages that our introvert traits are not OK. The less our personality is affirmed, the more we disown it in order to be socially acceptable. In this podcast, I share some thoughts on what happens when introvert strengths are turned inside out, why we often feel an internal tug-of-war between our personal and public personas, and how a method called Voice Dialogue can help introverts reclaim "pride of ownership" of their innate personality. PS: The post picture is a recent photo session I held with my "gremlins," or parts of myself that clamor for my attention or razz me. You can get your very own gremlins at Archie McPhee's.

Saying "Bye Bye Boring Bio!" with Nancy Juetten

One of the most commonly shared laments I hear from introverts is "I don't know how to talk about myself!" We are often so focused on our business or work, or creating magic behind the scenes, that when someone says, "tell me about yourself," we often clam up and stutter and aren't even sure where to begin. This goes for when we're asked to talk about ourselves, as well as when we have to write our bio for social media and networking profiles, webpages and proposals. My guest on this edition of The Introvert Entrepreneur podcast is Nancy Juetten, a storyteller, workshop leader and author who shows business owners how to get seen, heard, celebrated, and COMPEN$ATED in their own backyards ... and beyond. Join me to hear about...

• Nancy's journey from shrinking violet to tall daffodil
• Learning to lean into your energy
• Making your bio a "painkiller"
• Why a one-size-fits-all bio won't cut it
• Little details to rock the house every time
• The four cornerstones of every great bio

Avoiding Random Acts of Marketing with Maria Ross

In the world of business, we toss around words like marketing, messaging and branding with wild abandon. We talk about how we need a clear brand message or marketing strategy... but do we really know what that means? Do we know what goes into creating an effective brand that moves our business forward? And how do we make sure we're going deeper than just tossing around marketing buzz words? Maria Ross is the founder and chief strategist of Red Slice, a branding and marketing consultancy based in Seattle. In my longest podcast yet (stay with me; there's a chance to win one of two books at the end! Plus, Maria offers great insights all the way to the finish line), we talk about:

• Making promises you know you can keep
• The 3 C's of thinking through your brand strategy
• Lessons from Virgin America
• The biggest marketing mistakes people make (and how to avoid them)
• Dealing with "niche resistance"
• How to know when it's time to move from DIY to hiring the (right) expert

Two special offers are mentioned at the end of the podcast... we'd love to be mailing YOU one of two free books!

Blogging for Business with Judy Dunn

Between 2002 and January 2009, the blog search engine Technorati had indexed as many as 133 million online blogs. With the estimated number of blogs doubling about every six months, some sources that index blogs report numbers as high as 400 million - and that's in English language blogs alone. Since the first blog debuted in 1994, the medium has evolved from the virtual diary read ‘round the world to an indispensable communications tool for small businesses and entrepreneurs. With that many blogs out there, how do you make yours stand out? What makes some blogs blah and others bold? Whether you have a blog right now and are interested in attracting more attention and readers, or you're just now setting up your blog and wondering how to make the most of it, Introvert Entrepreneur Judy Dunn can help. During this wide-ranging discussion, Judy and I discuss:

• Being an introvert entrepreneur and an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person)
• What happens when you leap and trust that the net will appear
• How to use your blog to build trust, credibility AND business
• What we can learn from Nike about writing success
• How to get the blog post out before the fire goes out