The Introvert Entrepreneur

Latest Episodes:

Ep85: Mike Goldman on Secrets to Performance Breakthroughs Jul 29, 2015

Show notes

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a company of 1,000 or a company of 1: Culture matters. It’s an energy that sends a message about who you are and what you stand for. And it’s key to whether your company experiences performance breakdowns or breakthroughs. Our guest today is an expert in defining company culture and taking a strengths-based approach to growth. We talk about ways businesses large and small can shape their culture, as well as how we can shift the way we see “engagement” so that it includes all types of communication styles, introverted and extroverted.

Mike Goldman is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant and author of the book Performance Breakthrough: The 4 Secrets of Passionate Organizations. He has over 25 years consulting and coaching companies from the local entrepreneur to the Fortune 500.

Throughout his career at Accenture and Deloitte Consulting, he helped companies like Verizon, Disney, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Kmart, Dillard’s, Liz Claiborne and Levi Strauss.

In 2007, Mike founded Performance Breakthrough to help mid-sized companies achieve dramatic business growth. He does this by working with leadership teams to ensure they have the right people, strategies and execution habits for growth.

Connect with Mike

performance-breakthrough.com

passionateorganizations.com

Performance Breakthrough: The 4 Secrets of Passionate Organizations

Facebook: facebook.com/passionateorganization

Twitter: twitter.com/mgoldman10

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mgoldman10

Ep84: Building a Freedom-Based Business Model with John Warrillow Jul 08, 2015

Show notes

Many people enter into entrepreneurship with the intention of creating more freedom in their lives. Freedom to choose their own schedule, create their own services and products, express themselves as they wish and earn the income they desire.

And yet... we often get stuck in a time-for-money business model that deprives us of the freedom we seek.

In this episode, I speak with John Warrillow, who shares with us a few ways to create a business that enables you to have freedom without sacrificing your bottom line. We primarily explore the subscription-based business model, which he explains as being viable for a wider range of businesses than you might think.

John is the creator of The Value Builder System, a statistically proven methodology for improving a company’s value by up to 71%. He is the author of the bestselling book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You, which was recognized by both Fortune and Inc Magazine as one of the best business books of 2011.

John’s new book, The Automatic Customer: Creating A Subscription Business In Any Industry was released by Random House in February 2015. John has been recognized by B2B Marketing as one of the top 10 business-to-business marketers in the United States.

Connect with John:

Website: inc.com/author/JohnWarrillow

Facebook: facebook.com/BuiltToSell

Twitter: twitter.com/JohnWarrillow

Ep83: An Introduction to Mind Hacking with Sir John Hargrave Jun 29, 2015

Show notes

Before I started The Introvert Entrepreneur, I called my coaching business “Intentional Talk.” It was my way of saying “empowering language” which is basically about choosing our words – especially in our self-talk – carefully. So instead of “I should” we say “I want” or instead of “I’m no good at that,” we say “I’m learning to become better.” Our words have power, and nowhere is that more true than the words that originate in our minds.
In this episode, we dive a bit deeper into how to shift the way we think and the words we use to talk about our situation and ourselves. Our expert is Sir John Hargrave, CEO of Media Shower, the world's premiere content marketing company. His new book "Mind Hacking: How to Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days," about how to reprogram your mind and change your life, is available from Simon and Schuster's Gallery Books in January 2016 or as a preview ebook at www.mindhacki.ng.
Connect with John:
Website: mindhacki.ng
Website: mediashower.com
Book: amazon.com/Mind-Hacking-Change-Your-Good/dp/1501105655
Facebook: facebook.com/sirjohnhargrave
Twitter: twitter.com/sirjohnhargrave
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhargrave

Ep82: Playing to Your Introvert Strengths with Casey Lightbody Jun 08, 2015

Show notes

If you've been a listener or blog reader for a while, you might know that I'm not a fan of all this "step outside your comfort zone" stuff. At least, here's what I'm not a fan of: shaming our comfort zones and acting as if they are hotbeds of laziness and stagnation. So that's why I love this conversation with Casey Lightbody of Cloud Marketing Services and the Empowered Women Revolution. She talks about our comfort zone as a place to operate out of, to let our strengths become even stronger. We also touch on the power of developing your personal brand, letting go of perfectionism, and how she sees herself as moving from being more extroverted to being more introverted.

Casey Lightbody supports women with small voices but big dreams to step up and fulfill their extraordinary potential. She is the founder of the Empowered Women Revolution, an organization whose mission is to help sensitive and quiet women find their voices, rock their businesses, and love their lives.

Connect with Casey:

Empowered Women Revolution: http://www.empoweredwomenrevolution.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredwomenrev

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EW_Revolution

LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/caseylightbody

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK8gwAOIXIyfw-KH2ot-a3g

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/empowered_women/

Ep81: The Power of Perserverance: A Conversation with Pat Willmot of Great Pretenders May 28, 2015

Show notes

It’s not every day I get to talk to the leader of a company that has a growing global presence and is in the midst of lots of organizational change. So when Pat Willmot reached out to me about Great Pretenders, I was immediately interested in her story.

We talk about the evolution of her journey with Great Pretenders, what it was like in those early years when they had big dreams and little experience, and how they've grown into a company that serves customers worldwide. And of course, we spend some time talking about what role introversion has played in Pat's professional life.

Patricia Willmot is currently the president and CEO of Great Pretenders, an award-winning children's costume organization. Great Pretenders was started in 1989 and is an umbrella of Creative Education, an organization that is committed to promoting child education and development through pretend play.

Website: www.greatpretenders.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/grtpretenders

Twitter: twitter.com/grtpretenders

Instagram: instagram.com/grtpretenders

Pinterest: pinterest.com/grtpreteners

Blogcast #5: The Perfect Job for Any Introvert May 20, 2015

Show notes

The audio version of my May 19, 2015 blog post, "The Perfect Job for Any Introvert."
What kind of businesses are suitable for an introvert entrepreneur? The kind that have autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Ep80: Yes, And and Beyond: A Conversation with Improv Pioneer Bob Kulhan May 06, 2015

Show notes

Stand up in front of a group. No script. No prep. No rules. This is improv in a way. Its not quite as scary as that, even though that set-up is likely to send many an introvert running in the opposite direction. And in fact, what looks like a completely spontaneous improv situation actually DOES have rules, and there are ways to prepare yourself. Sure, theres no script, but life doesnt have a script, so who needs one?

Ive spoken several times over the years about the power of improv and how it can be a transformative tool for introverts. In this episode, I talk to one of the first people to put the principles of improv together with the world of business.

Bob Kulhan is an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration for The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University as well as an Adjunct Professor of Business for Columbia Business School, Columbia University. He also is the CEO of Business Improvisations. BI is a world-class leader in developing experiential learning programs for businesses.

Bob and I start by defining improv (it might not be what you think!), then talk about how it has grown to be an exciting alternative to traditional professional development offerings. He also offers some basic improv principles you can use to make networking more enjoyable, as well as tips for getting yourself off the mental hamster wheel.
CONNECT WITH BOB
Website: BusinessImprov.com
Facebook: facebook.com/businessimprov
Twitter: twitter.com/bizimprov

Ep79: Keys to a Successful Product Launch with Betsy Talbot Apr 15, 2015

Show notes

How does a solitude-loving introvert launch a new product? And what if that product is in a new-to-her category that requires vulnerability and high creativity?

That's the place Betsy Talbot found herself when she accepted the challenge to write her first romance novel. She committed to not only writing the first novel, but quickly found that she had a series on her hands! I met Betsy about five years ago, just before she left Seattle with her husband to embark on a world traveling adventure. Even though our introduction was brief, I was instantly inspired by her energy and go-for-it attitude. So it’s with great pleasure that I welcome her to the podcast for a conversation about the latest twist in her entrepreneurial journey.

Betsy Talbot is a 40-something traveler and author. When she’s not traveling or penning books about love, adventure, and self-discovery, she is hiking, learning flamenco dancing, and drinking wine in a tiny whitewashed village in Spain.

Betsy is the coauthor of four books with her husband Warren Talbot, and they also co-hosts of the popular weekly podcast, Married with Luggage. (side note: I interviewed Betsy and Warren together in 2014 – look for episode 66 on my website).

Her latest project is The Late Bloomers Series, a 5-book romance series about women in their 40s. Because women with experience make the best characters…in life and on the page.

CONNECT with Betsy

Website: http://www.BetsyTalbot.com

Wild Rose: Book 1 of The Late Bloomers Series: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T9VLK8W/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betsygraytalbot

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/betsytalbot

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsytalbot

Pinterest: http://www.Pinterest.com/betsytalbot

Blogcast #4: Are You Establishing Boundaries or Erecting Walls? Apr 06, 2015

Show notes

An audio version of my April 6, 2015 blog post

Ep78: How to Procrastinate on Purpose with Rory Vaden Mar 13, 2015

Show notes

If there’s one thing I hear over and over again from my clients, it’s that they want to overcome procrastination. The web is overflowing with posts, podcasts and X-step programs to fix the procrastination epidemic that's running rampant.

But what if the answer wasn't to "fix" it, but to find a way to shift our relationship with it? My guest is Self-Discipline Strategist Rory Vaden. His book Take the Stairs is a #1 Wall St Journal, #1 USA Today, and #2 New York Times bestseller. As an award-winning entrepreneur and business leader, Rory co-founded Southwestern Consulting™ and is founder of The Center for the Study of Self-Discipline (CSSD). His latest book is called Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time.

Rory is the world’s leader on defining the psychology around modern-day procrastination, called Priority Dilution™ - in fact, he coined the term. He speaks and consults on how to say no to the things that don’t matter, and yes to the things that do.Rory and I talk about the secrets of time multipliers, getting over introvert overthinking, and making friends with procrastination once and for all.

Connect with Rory

Website: roryvaden.com

"Procrastinate on Purpose" on Amazon: tiny.cc/puggvx

Facebook: facebook.com/rorywvaden

Twitter: twitter.com/rory_vaden

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/roryvaden

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/rvaden1