and I didn't die

In this first voice note, I share how doomscrolling until 3 a.m. was a tough reminder on the importance of stillness and boredom. I normally enjoy calm and quiet, but the more helpless and hopeless I feel, the more my autopilot brain would rather distract and stimulate itself than to sit still with the discomfort. If you’ve also been reaching for distractions you don’t even like, maybe it’s time t...

Making new friends as an adult can feel risky, emotionally and physically. What if it’s awkward? What if you don’t click? What if they kidnap you in the desert? But also what if it all goes right?  In this episode, I share the story of visiting my friend Reiko, someone I’d only ever seen on Zoom, and what it taught me about receiving care, hospitality, and friendship without feeling like I had to...

Making new friends as an adult can feel awkward, intimidating, and sometimes downright impossible. But it doesn't have to be. In this episode, I share how I used my own framework to make friends as an introvert, my mind drama along the way, and how having dinner with 5 strangers on a Wednesday night worked out. I talk about choosing friendship instead of waiting to be chosen, and how to keep the p...

This is as straightforward as it gets. You asked for the speech, and here it is! With some unscripted commentary ;) Ahh this is literally from the archives of my life since I wrote and delivered it like 15 years ago. As always, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send me a DM on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ .

I was elbow deep in Dungeness crab, and I hadn’t planned to say it, but I did. I told my mom to seek the help of a therapist instead of venting to me. And thankfully, none of my worst fears came true.  In this episode, I share what led to that scary moment that stresses me out just thinking about it and what happened after. I reflect on the unspoken emotional labor in immigrant families, and how w...

I thought becoming valedictorian would feel like a win. Instead, it felt like a quiet defeat, involving an unchosen rivalry with a white boy, a speech I didn’t want to give, and an achievement that created some of the loneliness moments of my life. In this episode, I revisit a chapter of my life where I did “everything right” on paper, but still felt invisible. I reflect a bit the model minority m...

What starts as a story about missing highlighters quickly unfolds into something deeper... resentment, family dynamics, and the invisible pressure of being the eldest daughter In this episode, I revisit a childhood moment that left me confused, silenced, and questioning right and wrong. I unpack how resentment shows up, why it’s often misunderstood, and what it actually has to teach us. If you’ve...

After two years of Ask an Introvert , I did something that scared the sh*t out of me... I rebranded the podcast. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of why I changed the name and how and I didn’t die reflects the version of me I’m becoming. I share what I was afraid of (like saying the wrong thing, outgrowing an identity, and disappointing loyal listeners), what shifted in me, and what’s...

The chaos and uncertainty of the outside world is impacting my mental clarity and productivity. What's keeping me rooted in a life I love is my latest vision board. In this episode, I share personal examples from my vision board and share scientific insights on why vision boards work. I also invite you to my upcoming workshop :) -- Join us at the Vision Board Into Action Workshop: https://lu.ma/r6...

Spilling the tea on my luxurious birthday celebration held at a chef's home in San Francisco. I share what I was anxious about leading up to the event, how it went, and how I felt and feel now that it’s all over. And of course how I made it more me and made it quintessentially Jennifer :) (00:34) What I Was Actually Afraid Of (04:30) The Week Leading Up to the Party (08:50) The Big Day and My Big...

Sharing my experience with planning an audacious birthday celebration for myself. My goal was to be bolder and grow my comfort zone in how I practice self-celebration. I put myself through a ton of mental gymnastics and practiced self-coaching and leadership to be able to claim what I wanted and to celebrate this way. (00:26) The Concept of “JENNuary” (01:41) Planning the Celebration (03:23) Overc...

In this episode, I play the Self Love version of the We’re Not Really Strangers game in real time, exploring past, present, and future versions of myself. Reflecting candidly and openly, I share insights on and stories about my journey of self love and cultivating my dream life to set the stage for the new year. -- Contribute to the "advice column vibes" and make your ask at https://byjenniferho.c...

I recently re-entered the dating world, and it is a total mindf*ck, in the worst way. Self leadership has helped me stay aligned with my intentions and continue to trust myself on this journey. November marked the first chapter of my return to dating, and in this episode, I share my personal experiences including considering a casual “relationship.” (01:25) Navigating Modern Dating Norms and Unspo...

I recently re-entered the dating world, and it is a total mindf*ck, in the worst way. Self leadership has helped me set boundaries and personal standards to manage my energy as I navigate online dating. Tune in for practical advice and mindset tools for intentional introverts looking for love (or tea lol). (00:17) My Personal Journey and Dating Insights (03:53) Embracing Self-Leadership (06:38) Na...

Join me as I practice self-leadership and honestly reflect on my progress towards my 2024 goal of producing 24 podcast episodes. Despite feeling pessimistic and overwhelmed by this goal, I navigated through all the muck in my brain, revisited my original intentions, and developed a three-step approach for dealing with unmet goals. (00:15) Reflecting on 2024 Goals (00:38) Facing the Reality of Unme...

Look back on my "funemployment" period between jobs with me. Back in June, I took two weeks off after leaving a heavy work environment. I answer community questions about my approach, sharing insights from my break, how I managed finances, and what I did to prepare for a new work environment. (00:56) Defining Funemployment for Me (02:00) Navigating Social Dynamics (04:41) The Joy of Unstructured D...

I explore the dynamics of being a 'third wheel,' especially for introverts. To navigate feeling left out, I share about reframing your role from being an “extra” and offer advice for both single individuals and couples on nurturing inclusive friendships, emphasizing open communication and self-awareness. No one’s relationship status defines or undermines their worth. (00:34) The Third Wheel Dilemm...

I took this chance to defy my Capricorn tendency of having conversations in my head by truly going off-the-cuff and yapping away about my evolution since 2021. I’ll read from an old journal entry and comment on the 5 reasons I adopted for living an intentional life , and share how community, self-celebration, and embracing myself has led to my dream life. (00:00) Overriding My Capricorn Tendency (...

People are still asking me about my new job and how I got it, so I sat down to record this once and for all. I'm breaking down my one week-ish job search back in May. Most of this is not going to be tactical advice because where I put my focus had less to do with tactics and more to do with my mindset and energy - energy as in my presence and how I show up, not as in source of power or the cap...

Dive deep with me into my recent struggles with being consistent with this podcast. This is my candid share about how I went from discomfort to decisive action, exploring the mental roadblocks and self-imposed rules that held me back. Simplifying my process, redefining my podcasting identity, and setting realistic goals that make things easier for myself gave me a renewed sense of commitment. -- (...

In this episode of the Ask an Introvert Podcast, I'm returning after an unofficial 81-day hiatus. I share a heartfelt story about a listener who inspired me to start recording again, and I outline this pod's new mini-series called "Catching Up in Public," where I will reflect on four pivotal months of my life in 2024. Listen in for an overview of my travels and personal milestone...

Meet Jess. Jess is my client from the group program, Making Friends as an Adult Introvert. Jess shares about her growth and insights on friendship that helped her release the pressure she was putting on herself. While she prioritizes her roles as a wife and a mom, she found that investing in her friendships: 👀 does not take away from her priorities but rather lets her be more whole 👀 allows her...

Meet Brittany. Brittany is my lovely client from the 2nd cohort of the Making Friends group program. She shares many profound perspectives on friendship in this interview, and my favorite highlight is that working on your friendships now is preventative care. "Like you're not going to wait till you're older to build like strong bone density. Like when you're like 40, like it's...

This episode was originally recorded for the Thought Leader Club podcast (then known as the Side Hustle Club podcast) in January 2023. My good friend and coach Cheryl Lau interviews me on the dream life for introverts. Some highlights from the conversation include: Creating your own dream life as an introvert Stop trying to fake it and squeezing yourself into an extroverted box  Tips for content c...

You’re likely very introspective as an introvert, always in tune with your inner world, but what about with how you spend your resources in the real world? Time and money audits can help you uncover observations and patterns to inform you of what changes to make in order to get to your dream life. March 5, 2024 Workshop: ABCs of Boundaries -- Work With Jennifer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Take Root 1:1 Coaching Pro...