League of Extraordinary Introverts

Whether you’re an internal processor, an overthinker, or a little indecisive, it can be difficult to decide your next step. It might be a business decision, quitting your job, or a myriad of other micro decisions during the day, if you’re a more introverted type, there’s a good chance that you spend a lot of your energy just trying to work out what comes next.

In this episode, I talk about 10 tips for finding motivation and energy for your business in the midst of lots of other things happening. Come and join us in the League of Extraordinary Introverts FB group to take part in the conversation!

In this episode, I'm sharing 3 easy, introvert-friendly steps to finding and connecting with your people to grow your business and find like minded friends!

In this week's episode, Katherine talks about how introverts, empaths, and highly sensitive people in business can use social media to share their work with the world, connect with new people, and do it in a way that is both energising and joyful.

As you may know by now, energy is at the foundation of just about everything I do an talk about. Being in flow is, I guess, another way of being in alignment with our own truth and our soul's desires. But in a world that has conditioned us against listening to that innate inner knowing, finding our flow isn't always easy. In this episode, I'm talking about ✨ What most keeps us OUT of alignment (and why that feels safe); ✨ One simple thing we can do to come back to our flow state; ✨ What happens when we commit to this every day - even when it feels hard.

Katie Vaz wrote the book The Escape Manual for Introverts and has so many insights and thoughts about going against the grain as a creative person and graphic designer to carve out her own quiet life and business in Upstate New York. It's so refreshing to hear her talk about trusting her intuition and doing what felt good, even though she wasn't sure about it at the start. In this episode, we also talk about: // Following your inner voice to make decisions in your career or business that might look different from others; // Not following the crowd or what everyone in your industry is doing - even if that feels scary; // Creating a business that's quiet and in alignment with more introverted traits, whilst balancing the more outgoing parts of business, making a deeper one on one connection instead of going to networking meetups; // Doing your work and putting it out into the world, so that people find you; // Being committed to the long term game in your business, it takes time for your work to get known; // Creating art that helps people express themselves; // Where the idea of The Escape Manual For Introverts came from - making being an introvert playful and funny; // Creating a book that gives funny and useful excuses for getting out of situations when people still don't really understand introverted types; // How to promote work or be part of bigger project and managing your energy as an introvert.

When she moved back to Queensland, I thought our friendship would be one like so many others in Sydney  - for a short time, not a long time. But when I moved back to my home town of Brisbane, Claire and I got to reconnect and journey together in a whole new way.  In this episode, we also talk about: // Introverted types being drawn to deeply immersive 1 on 1 work; // How there are many things - including mental and emotional pain - that contribute to our physical health and wellbeing; // The stories we have adopted from social conditioning and past experiences and how that boxes us into what we can and cannot do; // How we cut off from our own magnificence; // Questions to ask to better understand the stories we're telling ourselves and how they're affecting us; // Claire's personal embodiment practises; // What happens when you find your own true self.

Jo ChunYan and I have been connected for many years in the little coaching community we are in - but have never had a chance to properly connect. Her work caught my attention when I saw she did the most beautiful rebrand for my old coach and podcast guest Megan Dalla-Camina and the beautiful design and packaging for my favourite jewellery brand, Love Is Your Compass. And that was before I even knew about her work as an intuitive coach and creator of the Intuition Journal. We had so much to talk about, we could have chatted for hours (in fact we did, but we kept the good stuff for the episode!) In this episode, we also talk about: // Following the breadcrumbs to finding a business that is aligned instead of rushing out of the gates; // Learning to trust and develop your intuition by discovering what feels right; // The importance of stillness and silence as a daily practice to cultivate intuition; // Some great tips to getting grounded and back into your body to really earth the higher energies into real life; // Making decisions based on your intuition and how to bring intuitive work into your day-to-day life; // The difference between following your heart and your survival system (and the chemicals in your body) and your intuition so you can make decisions from a higher place; // Cultivating intention and intuition as a daily practice, instead of an end goal focus; // Using intention and rituals in day-to-day business life, especially when holding space for clients; // How to use intention and intuition as a creative person to go against the traditional ideals of 'bleeding for your art' and the tortured artist; // The layers of uplevelling even in new business branding;

Che Johnson is a soulful Copywriter who supports big hearted female entrepreneurs to spread their message and make an impact.  We've crossed paths over the years in the online business world and it's been amazing to watch Che's journey to discovering her true alignment and creating a business that supports her to shine as a quiet soul. In this episode, we also talk about: // Finding pockets of time in the day to create space and quiet; // The strengths of being an introvert and having an online business and being able to create your own life around it; // Learning to honour the ebbs and flows of your energy as an introvert, to tune in and feel what's going on; // The joy of the online business world to be able to create flexibility in alignment with our strengths and what we need; // The quiet strengths of introverts to create businesses that support others and contribute meaningfully and find success on our own terms; // Turning away from replicating formulas and methods others have had success with because it's not aligned; // Switching between creating content for clients and creativity in your own business; // Constantly checking in with what we're doing and how we're doing it, to change and evolve in ourselves and our businesses; // Needing to control what's going on in our business and energy as a way of predicting or controlling the outcome; // The importance of creating stillness through meditation to calm your mind and your energy.

In this episode, we talk about: //Walking the line between the 'side hustle' and deciding to go full time in business; //Acknowledging that there's no such thing as overnight success and the work that has gone into the opportunities that she has now in her business; //Creating a business that's aligned with your experience and expertise to make the transition from 'day job' to 'solo business' so much more natural; //Checking in with the offerings that no longer feel aligned, and changing services to be more suitable for our needs - instead of doing something just for the money; // Taking a leap that feels uncomfortable but feels right, and being supported by that; // Starting out in a new business, starting with what you know; // The unspoken of struggle (even for introverts) of working from home and feeling quite isolating; //Finding the energy to have a full or part time job AND a side business and not to add an extra burden or more to do when current commitments can feel too much already; // Finding your Motivated Skills Zone and spending as much time as possible in that area (not just the things we're good at but don't enjoy) // Being super honest about having work or someone who can financially support us while we build and invest in our businesses;

In this episode, we talk about: :: Learning to create safe spaces for ourselves and our clients; :: The life changing discovery Kemi had reading Quiet by Susan Cain; :: Free trait theory and doing work in alignment with your strengths and values; :: Learning to ASK for what you need, and why women have started to believe we need to 'go it alone'; :: Learning to receive and why it's so important for EVERYTHING; :: Being the 'good girl' and, in particular the 'good black girl' growing up and trying to unravel that over time; :: The importance of uncomfortable conversations and how they connect us;

Well l can't believe this! I thought after season two, that was going to be the end of the League of Extraordinary Introverts podcast, but here it is. Over the past six months, so many people have asked me if I'm bringing the podcast back and I didn't think I would, but things change, hey? And here it is. Someone also asked why I've never shared MY story on the podcast after so many episodes of asking other amazing introverts about their work, I decided that Season 3, Episode 1 would be my one and only solo ep. It's weird talking to yourself and not getting to hide behind asking the questions, but I hope that you find it helpful. In this episode, I talk about: What it was like in my television career as a quiet, sensitive soul and when I decided to leave that to start my own business; Being an accidental entrepreneur who never planned to start a business; Starting my business and finding myself burnt out and worrying how I would be able to sustain working with clients and ever grow my business beyond what it was; Running away and hiding behind my partner's business for the past 3 years, and feeling shitty about giving up my momentum to be a support person. Yet again. The silver lining in my business; How to deal with overwhelm as a quiet, sensitive soul; How to put yourself out there in business, especially in the noisy online world; How to manage your energy as an introvert and learning to fine tune your intuition and get clarity, instead of looking externally for the answers.

In this episode, Cameron and I chat about: Understanding identities and the binaries between introverts and extroverts (as well as gender and sexuality binaries) Knowing your identity for your own self awareness and then being able to embrace the fluidity of those identities; Finding your own definition of what it means to be introverted, highly sensitive, empathic, instead of what society and social media defines these identities as; How our patriarchal society affects everyone and doesn't allow any of us to be who we are; The way highly sensitive people are misunderstood in our society and how showing emotion is something that we're taught we shouldn't express; How parents want to protect their children who are highly sensitive, queer, non-binary, etc but how it can cause bigger issues; That everyone struggles with gender - even if you don't question your gender; Navigating being sensitive to people who have experienced oppression and how to engage with people who hold marginalised identities; Listening and being really mindful of the language we use; The importance of self care as a highly sensitive person.

Real talking Katie Dean talks about anxiety and fear and doubt with a no BS approach (wait for a shit storm analogy that is gross, but so apt). She takes such a pragmatic approach to understanding fear and embracing the messiness of life, knowing fear is definitely along for the ride but isn't taking the wheel on her watch. Her refreshing honesty about her life as a single mum, author of the book Becoming Brave, and embracer of feeling all the emotions shows up fully in this episode. We also chat about: Listening to the messages your body is sending you; Reframing anxiety as a superpower and learning to understand your emotions; Undoing the belief that fear is bad; Anxiety showing up when we're trying to control and protect ourselves from unknown future outcomes or past experiences; Changing the conversation around 'living without fear', when fear is a huge opportunity for growth; Not labelling our life, day, emotions, or ourselves as 'bad' but just acknowledging that we are feeling not so great; Why we're so judgemental of our emotions; Plus some practical tips to really become aware and mindful of what's going on in your body and emotions. Self care as a way of being able to show up in your relationships and support yourself better.

The first time I met Sora was at the Crystal Castle in Byron Bay, in the middle of the Goddess Road Trip with a group of my most favourite people (Julie Parker, Jade McKenzie, Johanna Parker, Tahlee Rouillon, and Sammie Fleming) and she has the most beautiful energy. I've met her a few times since then, and every time I do, I feel more and more connected with her. I'm so thrilled to have this conversation with her on the podcast, and for you to get to know her more as well! When she spoke at the Soulpreneur conference in Brisbane in February, she mentioned about having been incredibly shy growing up and I had to know how this beautiful soul navigates her energy when she holds space in circle and ceremony for hundreds of women every year. We also chat about: Creating a multifaceted online business that takes her all around the world; How to show up at events and in circle and maintain your energy; Overcoming shyness and shame by showing up more and more and learning; Turning habits into sacred rituals; Using rituals to hold space for clients and in your day-to-day relationships; Embracing the duality of masculine/feminine, introversion/extroversion, light/dark within ourselves and others; Why women in the Western world are returning to women's circles; How sitting in circle is nourishing, sacred, and energising for introverted and highly sensitive people

I met Yvette at her Soulpreneurs conference earlier in the year and loved walking into a flowy, spiritual event hearing Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson playing on the PA. We have many mutual friends and so it was about time that I had her on to talk about being a Soulpreneur and how to find the balance between the introvert and extrovert sides of our business, such as the introspective practise of writing a book mixed with the extroverted need to send it out into the world.  We also chat about: Finding your own version of your success in your business; Knowing what works for you and what lights you up; Saying no to things that drain you or don't feel aligned, even if they're great opportunities; Having the introvert/extrovert requirements of diving into writing a book and then having a huge book launch and conference with hundreds of people; Giving yourself permission to go into your creative cocoon and take a break from the world; Finding some fluidity between introvert and extrovert, yin/yang, etc; The importance of recharging in a way that really feels good to you - not what looks good on social media; Bringing all aspects of yourself and all your different interests together to give your story depth and set you apart from others in your industry; Not denying who you are because you think it won't make you fit into the health, wellbeing, personal development world.

I first came across Leesa's work when her Expressive Writing Prompts for White Fragility and Spiritual Bypass were shared in a group I'm part of.  Her work opened my mind up to questions I had never considered in my life and I was so excited to get to chat to her about her work.  And do you ever meet someone (even online) who you just click with and instantly love? Leesa and I spent about 2 hours talking and she is just an absolute joy and her work is SO important and so necessary. If you're new to expressive writing, I know this episode is probably going to blow your mind because it's so relevant and such a perfect tool for introverts and highly sensitive people.  We also chat about: + Creating spontaneity within the structure of writing every day; + How expressive writing is so suited to introverted and highly sensitive people; + The importance of getting up early to connect with the quiet and the divine;  + Creating boundaries and advocating for ourselves so we can advocate for others; + Expressive writing to get clear on your thoughts before sharing with others and not get drained as much by others; + The curiousity of being introverted and using writing to delve further into that; + What the 'art of self enquiry' is and why it's so important for introverts and highly sensitive people to review our internal programming; + How to do activism on your terms by working out what we're really passionate about and putting our time and energy into that; + Using our words and writing to inspire and advocate for a cause.

Andréa Ranae is a coach and social justice advocate leading the charge in the personal development space at a time when we need those two areas to intersect more than ever. I came across Andréa's work last year when I was looking for a way to make a more meaningful contribution in my life and business, and her course Coaching As Activism kept appearing in front of me. It's one of those areas where the more you know, the more you realise you don't know and I love Andréa's attitude that we all need to keep learning, speak up, and stand for something. In this episode we talk about how she does the incredible work that she does and how she takes care of her introverted side when holding the space to lead others into this work. We also chat about: Starting out questioning the world and getting into personal development from a young age; The importance for Andréa in creating boundaries as a woman of colour and doing this work; // The recent social change that has woken white people up to what people of colour in America have been dealing with for hundreds of years, and finally making space to listen; // How to get involved in conversations that are difficult when you're worried about saying the wrong thing; // How to understand our identities, our privileges, and how that shows up in our lives; // The internet helping younger people accept their identities and opening them up to accepting the differences in others; // How to be an activist as an introvert.

I came across Sarah's work when her TedX talk early in 2018 and was blown away by her Craftivism movement and her message around gentle protest and why activism needs introverts. When she agreed to be a guest on the podcast, I was so excited to talk to her about the extraordinary work she does and the impact she is making on the world by finding her own way to change the world. We also chat about: :: Where Craftivism came from and why gentle protest can be more effective than more traditional forms of protest; :: How gentle protest is difficult and takes the ego and anger out of activism; :: Asking powerful questions whilst crafting to step back and look at how you can come up with the most effective approach; :: The many facets of Craftivism - from critical thinking and quiet reflection, research, creating something to give to someone in a position of power or start conversation, plus putting your thoughts and energy into something you're making with your hands, and then sharing it in a way that is gentle. :: Using vulnerability and open minded conversation to support people in positions of power to encourage them to make the right decision; :: How Craftivism brings introverts AND extraverts together; :: How to work out where to start when there are so many issues to support and finding the balance.

Melissa and I have been bouncing around the same circles for a few years now (we trained at the same life coaching academy and even live in the same city) but have never had the pleasure of meeting. Last year, I was looking for a way to better manage my energy and signed up for her Energy For Abundance course and have just been blown away by how much I've learned from her about energy and soul work. And that was just the beginning! But before I go into more details about that, tune into this amazing episode to hear just how deep Melissa's passion goes. We chat about: :: How to process and understand the fear of being seen and not being seen in life and business; :: The idea of embodiment - what it means, how to do it; :: The importance of understanding your energy and looking after it; :: Why doing the 'inner work' is important for your own life but also to be able to help and serve others; :: How to embrace your sensitivity and use it as a strength.