Are you wondering how you can use social media to form real relationships, online and off? If you want to hear the woman who formed the most popular group on Biznik and has a growing and dedicated following on Facebook, this show is for you. My guest is Lynn Baldwin-Rhoades, owner of Marketing Shebang, founder of The Power Chicks, and successful introvert entrepreneur. Lynn shares … [Read more...]
Don’t Tell Me To Step Outside My Comfort Zone!
In the world of personal development, the phrase "step outside your comfort zone" (usually proceeded by the words "you have to") shows up so much, I've decided never to use that phrase again. After all, why would I want to step outside my comfort zone? My comfort zone is filled with dark chocolate, naps, kitty cats, my BFFs, spending a quiet evening at home and reading in my comfy chair. It's a … [Read more...]
No Introversion, Denied!
How often do you find yourself saying, "Part of me wants to this, but another part of me wants to that"? This and that might be stay home or go out, order dessert or "be good," find a new job or stay put. And how often does saying or thinking that way leave you more than a little frustrated? That internal tug-of-war actually serves a powerful purpose in your life. There are literally parts of … [Read more...]
Give Your Fear the Finger!
OK - you're probably thinking, "Beth, really!? The finger?!? Seriously?? That's so not... YOU!" I blame this one on my friend, Leif. He's my partner-in-crime for our "Improv for Introverts" workshop. This blog's title was one of several possible tag lines we had brainstormed for the workshop. Rather than decide on the tag ourselves, we offered up a variety of ideas for feedback from our first … [Read more...]
Lady Gaga, Introvert Icon?
Last week, there was a post online speculating that Lady Gaga was an introvert. You might be thinking, "If Lady Gaga's an introvert, then I'm the Queen of Sheba." Here's what the post's author had to say, And we thought that she is an out and out weirdo to adorn those strange head gears! But the poker face singer has revealed that she has a solid reason being her strange wardrobe. You might … [Read more...]
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
If you've ever put something new out into the world - something creative or entrepreneurial, for instance - you can probably identify with the words of one of my fabulously talented friends: "I'm afraid of being seen. I'm also afraid of not being seen." How can those two feelings coexist? For many, there's a part of us that wants to perform. We want to be noticed, acknowledged and applauded. Do … [Read more...]
Hi Honey, I’m Home!
On the front porch of our house, there's a welcome mat that I cross every time I come and go. It's a great spot to wipe the wet Pacific Northwest weather off the bottom of my shoes before coming back inside. Other than that, I rarely notice it. A client session yesterday - and the memory of a great article written by creative self-development coach Jamie Ridler - brought up the idea of a welcome … [Read more...]
The Secret Life of Introverts
Painfully shy. Low self-esteem. No self-confidence. No social skills. Afraid of people. And yes, a loser. How do I even survive in the world, if this is what people think of introverts!?! These were just a few of the words a good friend used to describe an "introvert" when I asked him to define one. He even referred to it as something that may need to be "fixed." Now, I love my friend … [Read more...]
Leadership Coaching Gordon Brown
Two great synchronicities have happened in the past week: I refined my niche of life and leadership coaching for introverts, and a drama played out on the world stage with Gordon Brown, introvert. Those two things combined connected me with a reporter who writes for The Coaching Commons. He asked me to provide thoughts for an article, which I did. I'm pleased to share the resulting story here, … [Read more...]
I Am Introvert, Hear Me Roar!
Yesterday I announced on my Facebook Fan Page that I was rolling out a new focus on life and leadership coaching for introverts. Right out of the gate, a woman asked a question that gets at the heart of why I chose this specialty (actually, it chose me, but that's another story!). She shared that she is an introvert then asked, "what are some tips for becoming more extroverted?" The question … [Read more...]