The Flourishing Introvert Talks

In this episode, Joanna welcomes guest, Prof. Heidi K. Brown. Heidi is a graduate of University of Virginia School of Law, an Associate Dean for upper level writing at New York Law School, a former Litigator in the construction industry, and the author of a number of books including The Introverted Lawyer, Untangling the Fear of Lawyering, and The Flourishing Lawyer.   Tune in as Joanna and Heidi...

Diving deep into the topic of 'Bravery,' Joanna was guided toward a natural conclusion - it is far too costly to keep playing small, to keep our bravery hidden, and to allow our potential to go unrealized. So in this episode, Joanna explores what these factors mean for ambitious introverts with great dreams and plans out there. She uses a well-known verse by Marianne Williamson, which has long bee...

Joanna recently came across a post online that offers advice on "How to become the most interesting person in the room." After years of being labelled as 'boring' or 'dull,' the idea of being viewed as 'interesting' would have been too appealing for Joanna to ignore. But in this episode, our host describes how fundamentally changing her perception allowed her to show up more authentically, hence;...

A common misconception about introverts is that we are inherently timid, cowardly, and scared of our shadows, mostly because the word 'bravery' is typically associated with extraverted behaviour.   In this episode, Joanna shares what bravery means to her and explores different interpretations of the word. And, as introverts, how we have unique talents and abilities that mean we can be courageous i...

While around 50% of the population identifies as an introvert, there is still significant bias in society and the workplace that favours extraverts. We introverts frequently struggle to navigate educational institutions and corporate cultures that do not value inclusivity; as a result, this impacts the possibilities for our advancement in the workplace and negatively affects our well-being, self-e...

Have you ever struggled with the notion of letting go? The act of letting go or stepping into the unknown may not always be the easiest thing to accomplish because, as humans, we are programmed to grasp onto what is familiar. And sometimes, this is what prevents our growth and development. In this episode, Joanna shares some of her experiences with letting go, her thoughts on how being an introver...

There are times in life when things don't go to plan and/or we're not at our best. In those times we can feel despondent, listless or even powerless, in other words in the doldrums or the valley rather than at the peak. This is how Joanna has felt for a while and at just the right time, she was asked this brilliant question: "Do you have a process for getting out of the valleys?" So in this short...

As Joanna was recently exploring the future of her business with her accountability buddies, she was asked an interesting question: "How does it feel to flourish as an introvert?" Her business has been operating under the name 'Flourishing Introverts' for a few years now, so she figured that people might be tired of hearing about it. But Joanna realised there is still so much more she can share. S...

Joanna recently contributed to The Quiet Rebellion Conference and one of the things she was asked to speak about were the qualities one must possess to cultivate an unwavering self-trust. As she pondered her stance on this question, she felt a little uneasy and only later realised that this stemmed from her false perception of what self-trust truly meant. So in this episode, Joanna shares her thou...

Joanna recently read an article offering tips for overcoming the challenges we face as introverted leaders. Most of the advice is pretty standard and then comes the advice that incenses Joanna.    Given the strong extraversion bias in our environment and years of being told to be different, we Introverts may have been persuaded to believe that we needed to change who we are to fit in, which is far...

How readily do we step into the unknown amid all the uncertainty in life? Like Joanna, at some point, you may have believed that by adopting a certain approach or process, achieving certain expectations was all but guaranteed. But considering the uncertainties and possibilities, Joanna realised that none of it was really true. In this episode, join our host as she dives deeper into the idea of emb...

Ep 172 Introverts - How Do You Invest in Yourself?  Joanna believes that one of the key components of leading a fulfilling life is pursuing personal and professional growth. However, introverts who derive their energy from within often face unique obstacles making it a challenging endeavour. In this episode, Joanna explores the challenges and associated factors that make it difficult for introvert...

In this episode, Joanna welcomes a special guest, Casey Lightbody. Casey - an Open Introvert, is a business growth strategist and marketing mentor for quietly powerful, impact-driven women. She is an experienced entrepreneur who has grown multi-six-figure businesses over the past ten years and has personal expertise in what it takes to achieve success that is both sustainable and exponential.   Ca...

Having finally decided to attend her organization's networking lunch, Justine decided to read an article she thought would be helpful for just such an occasion - "Conversation Starters for Introverts." But, the more she read, the more aghast Justine became. The article was really no help at all.  Listen in and find out what is in the article Joanna provided as an example of where even expert advic...

Have you ever experienced situations that leave you tearing your hair out, playing small, or that have you retreat in despair? And how do you respond if and when it happens? In this episode, Joanna shares an experience that leads her to reflect on things that frustrate us as introverts. Our host goes through a list of frustrations shared by her clients, some of which may be familiar to you. Listen...

We all have times in our lives when we feel as though nothing is moving forward and that we are stuck. For Joanna, the more difficult something feels, the more exhausted she feels and the lower energy she has to get unstuck which makes her less motivated to push through. In such circumstances, pottering may seem more enticing. Listen to this episode as Joanna shares how she overcomes the challenge...

With our overstimulated minds, we Introverts are more likely to overthink, hence we sometimes tend to take things quite literally. The feedback from last week's topic about navigating life's ups and downs combined with Joanna's bout of impatience are the catalysts for this episode. This gave her the space to explore the things she can take too literally.  In this episode as our host goes through s...

In this episode, Joanna revisits one of her favourite definitions of  " Flourishing" by Dr. Lynn Soots, a positive psychologist, as she focuses on the peaks and valleys of life we all experience.  The question is, do we ride them or tolerate them?   Tune in as our host uncovers and challenges what a quiet life for an Introvert genuinely entails and what it personally means for her. Although life w...

As we begin to feel the sun's warmth and watch the flowers  bloom, Joanna creates this short episode to welcome the spring season.    We are all eager to build a life we enjoy that gives our loved ones what they need. This can prove challenging given everything going on in the world. Listen to this episode as our host shares the importance of putting a spring in our step and her seven ideas for ho...

Joanna has observed a polarizing effect on introverts pursuing personal development. Some people shun the idea because they feel forced to be more extraverted, and others recognize that they have plateaued and are striving to advance without compromising who they truly are. The important thing is to figure out how to move the needle on your dial. Every one of us has a different route to take, so i...

In this episode, Joanna gives us a glimpse of another book on her shelf that served as her source of inspiration, The Four Agreements: The Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. Tune in as she explores the powerful set of principles written in this book, which speaks to a way of being that enables us to feel happy with a sense of fulfillment as we engage with life.   As an Introve...

Most Introverts have a think-say-think communication process, which does not always suit today's fast-paced environment where everyone is in a rush, struggling to find time for quality thinking. But what can result from pausing, breathing, and discerning the flow of our thoughts?   In this episode, Joanna explores how we can make the most out of our preference for thinking - without overthinking,...

It was quite simple to let ourselves dream when we were young. Opportunities are boundless, allowing us to believe that we can do anything. But, why does visualizing our ideal lives get harder as we get older? What hinders you to dream?   In this episode, Joanna looks into the reasons why people tend to stop dreaming about having a fulfilling career or life and why we should start again. Listen in...

Given the level of interest in the previous episode, Joanna continues to explore the "learning edge."    The desire to explore a learning edge is typically ignited by having a clear sense of purpose, direction, and aspirations.    Listen in as Joanna navigates the journey of rising to the learning edge with a dash of magic by viewing it through the lens of one of the most remarkable children's sto...

Being purposefully curious and inquisitive, Joanna crafts an episode that focuses on exploring the whole notion of learning edge. Join our Host and tune in as she helps us better understand what learning edge truly means for we Introverts, especially the ambitious among us, without reaching burnout. Also, you will learn some guidelines for identifying what your unique learning edge is and how to u...