Sometimes, we just have to suck it up. If you've been part of The Introvert Entrepreneur community for a while, this statement may surprise you. You know that my fundamental message is that there's nothing wrong with being an introvert. We don't need to be fixed, and we don't need to become something we're not in order to fit into society's extrovert expectation. (See "Related Posts" below for … [Read more...]
Envy and the Entrepreneur: A Tale of Pies, Prayers and Redemption
In the Beginning... It was 15 years ago, while I was in my second “grown-up” job, that I realized I had a problem. We were having a team meeting in my boss’s office, all sitting at the round table sharing our progress on various projects. There was a new member of the team, I’ll call her Amy, whose energy was bubbly and all smiles. When Amy finished her reporting, my boss praised her up one side … [Read more...]
Living with Entrepreneurial ADD
In my recent Ignite Seattle 12 talk, "5 Reasons Introverts Rock the Business World," I called out different strengths that give introverts an edge. Of course, not all introverts possess all five, and some extroverts share them, so it wasn't a one-size-fits-all characterization. One of the strengths I chose to highlight was "depth over breadth." Introverts generally have a special ability to stay … [Read more...]
What “The King’s Speech” & “Black Swan” Have in Common
Note: This post contains no spoilers, nor do you have to have seen either movie to "get it." :-) As I sat in the dark theater last Tuesday night, enraptured by "The King's Speech" and emotionally engrossed in the stuttering troubles of King George VI - or "Bertie" - one line of dialogue jumped out at me. Speech therapist Lionel Logue (embodied superbly by Geoffrey Rush) said of Bertie, "It's like … [Read more...]
You Miss Every Shot You Don’t Take
How long does it take to build a business, or do anything at which you want to be successful? It depends on how many shots you're willing to take. My business development action plan includes some activities that are well within familiar territory: Write blog posts and articles. Produce podcasts. Coach clients. Give presentations. It also includes stuff that feels unfamiliar and a little scary: … [Read more...]
How to Create a Cycle of Success with Julie Fleming
Sometimes in business – as in life – we get stuck. We find ourselves spinning our wheels or just not making the progress we want. The key is to move from the Cycle of Failure to the Cycle of Success. My guest today, Julie Fleming, shares a few tips on how to do just that. Julie works with small business owners who love what they do but don’t love marketing. Julie helps them learn how to … [Read more...]
Resistance Is Futile
Do you ever "push" when the door says "pull"? A few weeks ago, a client made the very astute observation that when it came to finding his calling in life, it felt like he'd been pushing on the door that said "pull." How often have we done that ourselves? We encounter a door and we push and push, wondering why it won't open. We decide it's the door's fault and feel momentarily frustrated before … [Read more...]