The Exploring Introvert with Mariella Franker, PhD

3 habits for introverts to find energy, joy, and calm in their work (and life!) For my last free training this year (I did 9 of them total!), I’m combining two topics that were the most voted struggles in Productive Introvert Community: energy management and habits. In this episode, I talk about why I created this training and some of the highlights that we’ll be discussing. The live training take...

Have you ever wondered if you're an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert?  In this episode, we talk about where these terms came from and they mean. If you've ever been unsure which one you are or if you want to a quick one sentence test to figure it out, then this episode is for you.  What you'll learn in this episode:  ✅ What an introvert, extrovert, and ambivert is ✅ One qui...

What's the deal with quiet time? If you identify as an introvert, you probably know what quiet time is. And you probably feel like you're not getting enough of it... We often feel like quiet time is a luxury. It's something that we indulge ourselves in and that we really shouldn't need. A lot of introverts feel like something is wrong with them for wanting quiet time. In this episode, we talk abou...

Some people love social media and the mind blowing ways it allows us to connect (introverts and extroverts alike). For others, social media can be extremely draining. I discovered by accident that social media was one of the biggest energy drains in my life and I now have boundaries in place to manage my energy when I’m interacting on social. Social media drain can be quite subtle and difficult to...

▶️ Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA  ▶️ Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe  ▶️ See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker  🎵 Andrés Rodríguez   What you’ll learn in this episode:   ✔️ How a fun trip with my son turned into a screaming mess...  ✔️ How i...

What you’ll learn in this episode   ✔️ The main difference between an introvert and an extrovert   ✔️ Why a lot of introverts feel like they’re “low energy” people   ✔️ Understanding your own energy needs I used to think of myself as a “low energy person”   It was a little disclaimer I used to let people know that I wouldn’t be staying after work for drinks. That I wasn’t going...

Do you use to-do lists to improve productivity? Honest question: Are they working for you?  I used to be all about to-do lists and I was really proud of how organized I was! But, after a few years of fine tuning my own productivity and helping other to do the same, I don't believe in to-do lists anymore.   In this week’s episode, I’m talking about the 2 main problems with classical to-do...

This impromptu episode is about the “bad day” I was having, about triggers and ups and downs - that don’t ever really go away! - but that you can learn to manage so it’s less overwhelming. ❗Heads up❗I talk about mental health issues and my sweaty armpits in this episode… so if you’re not ready for that, feel free to skip this one 😉 In this episode you’ll learn: Why you should stop feeling bad a...

Do you ever feel your attention pulled so strongly to something that other area's of your life slow down to a halt? Like forgetting to brush your teeth when you're working on a new design? Or feeling guilty for spending less time on your business when you're working on your personal development?  In this episode we'll talk about why "standing still" from time to time isn't a bad thing and how...

In this podcast episode, we’re talking about why starting where YOU are is so important in any stage of your business (and life!) What you’ll learn in this episode: ✅ Why I felt overwhelmed when I was starting this podcast ✅ Being mindful of who your comparing yourself with (and why it’s unfair to compare) ✅ Why starting where you are is so important whether you’re trying to make a change busin...

Better time management is the holy grail of productivity. Or so I thought… All through college and my early career as a scientist, I tried my hardest to get more done by cramming things into every nook and cranny of my day. I thought that if I could just manage my time better, I could achieve my goals faster and be more effective. So, I read articles on my commute to work, checked email on my brea...

Visibility is one of the things that the introverts in my community tell me they struggle with the most. Anything from: "I'm not consistent when it comes to being visible for my business" to "I just don't even wanna do it!" This is so recognizable! And I’ve had (and still have) my issues with visibility. At several times, I've had anxiety about being visible for my business. In this episode, I’m t...

Channeling your thoughts and creativity into a finished “thing” can be stressful at times.    Where do I start?   I don’t feel ready!   I don’t have enough information to start.   I think I bit off more than I can chew…   Uh oh, it’s not going according to plan, what now?   These are just some of the thoughts that may be going through your head when the word “dea...

Do you ever have that feeling of arriving at a crossroads? Like something isn't quite right anymore? Or that you’re itching to do something new? For me, it shows up as feeling a bit frantic and unfocused. It's when I start putting off work or looking for things to keep "busy" rather than doing the things that are important. A strong sign is that I haven't enjoyed the things I'm doing on a daily ba...

Did you know that the official definition of introvert is “a shy person”? I was shocked to learn that most dictionaries still carry that definition. I believe we’re in need of an update 😉 In this episode we’re starting with the pink elephant: What does it really mean to be introverted? We’re talking about some of the misconceptions around introverts and why quiet time isn’t a luxury but it’s a ph...

Week 6 is here!! At the end of each project, I always ask myself 2 questions: Did we finish it? In this case: Was I able to build a podcast in 6 weeks? What was the ride like? 😆 These past 6 weeks have flown by. Not everything went according to plan and I’ve learned SO many lessons from this experiment. I’ll dedicate an entire episode later on to talk about the lessons I’ve learned in these 6 wee...

Welcome to the Productive Introvert Community Podcast. I started this podcast because a lot of people think that the words "introvert" and "productive" don't really belong in the same sentence.  Obviously, I disagree ;-) What you'll learn in the next 10 minutes: ✅ Who this podcast is for ✅ Why "introvert" and "productive" do belong in the same sentence together ✅ About work-life balance as an i...

I have been completely absorbed by building this podcast the past weeks 😆 and happy to say that we're making some progress, yay! From the bigger picture that I shared in the first couple of episodes we’re funneling down to the details now: The music, intro text, and editing the audio for the podcast! In this episode, I'm sharing some of the tools I'm using that are helping to make this process as...

There’s a lot going on at the moment for me, both personal and professionally, so I need a moment to regroup 😅   This time, I’m taking you through my process I do at the start of my work day to refocus.    I work about 24 hours a week on my business, so I pay attention to how I start and finish my day so I can get focused quickly.     If you have a lot of different t...

Sidenote: Who has ever recorded something without hitting record? 😆    Sometimes, things don’t go exactly according to plan, like when I was recording this episode and forgot to press record… But you dust yourself off, have a good laugh at yourself, and just try again 😊   In this episode, I talk about those little disclaimers we sometimes make, like:   “[I can tell you 1000s...

3 weeks left to go!    In this episode, I briefly explain how a podcast “hangs together” and the absolute minimal things you need to get it out there.  If you’re thinking of starting your own podcast someday, then watch these 10 minutes.    First of all, thank you to everyone who sent me their comments! It was super helpful to point me in the right direction and I could ta...

Confession: I know nothing about audio...   Yes, I listen to audio. And I know you need decent quality audio for your podcast. But that's about it...    So, the next week will be all about figuring out what goes where in the podcasting world 😆    I'm planning to publish the podcast on Spotify and.. uhm, the Apple place.. 😆 (obviously an Android user here, so Apple users,...

Ever stop to think WHY?  Starting a podcast probably isn't something you'd do on a whim. And it may not be the best thing for everyone.   Aside from the practical things of actually making the podcast and wrapping your head around that, it's more important to take a hard look at WHY you'd want a podcast in the first place.   In this episode, I share the reason why I'm starting my po...

Where do you start when you're creating something like a podcast?   WHERE TO START is something that so many of us get stuck on.  We feel like we're overthinking while at the same time never feeling quite ready to take the step.   In this episode, I'll share the first question I ask when I get to work on something and why that's my starting point.   What you'll learn in this 10...

And... we're off! Over the next 6 weeks, I'll share my process as I build my podcast from scratch. I'm a total newbie when it comes to podcasting. Yes, I've done some research (plenty of it but to my innie mind I'd still classify it as "some" 😆) Do I feel fully ready to take this step? No. Do I know exactly what I need to do? Yes. That's my signal to move. Even though my inner critic shows up har...