Have you ever noticed that while most people consider bragging a “no-no”, that there is still stigma attached to even quieter forms of self-promotion?

It’s true. 

And somehow you’re still supposed to know how to effectively self-promote, while walking this tight line without sounding like you’re bragging.

It can be really boring to listen to other people talk about themselves and the last thing you want to do is be considered boring or braggadocious. 

But if you don’t talk about your accomplishments, you’re gonna have to rely on others to do so for you.

Which can leave you feeling powerless and disappointed, not to mention invisible. 

Sometimes it really does feel almost impossible to be authentic and engaging while still promoting yourself.

While it’s super important for others to recognize your gifts and contributions, first they need to see your value and know what you’re up to.

Which can feel incredibly challenging to an introvert. 

I want to clear up some myths about self-promotion….

First of all, it is absolutely possible for you to be a nice person, be authentic and still promote yourself.

It’s also possible to promote yourself without bragging OR begging.

You can also do so without stretching the truth, talking someone else’s ear off or pushing.

You don’t have to be self-centered to be good at self-promotion.

And you also don’t have to be an extrovert to do it well. Instead, you can learn how to let your quiet strengths shine through and do it your own way.

And that’s what I am here to help you do: help you find your own way to effectively share your gifts with the world. 

The world needs you and what you have to offer. I promise. 

If you’d like to chat more about this and how I can help, let’s talk. 

I am grateful that you are a part of my community and I am here to support you however I can. 

Stay safe and be well.

In Healing,
​Kate

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to promote someone else than it is to talk about yourself???

At least as an introvert it sure is…

It’s nothing to fight for other people, earn them accolades and promotions but when it comes to yourself, feel sooooo much more challenging to make the case on your own behalf.

Ever wondered why this is true?

Well...there’s not as much of “you” on the line when you try to sell someone on someone else than there is when you try to sell others on you.

It’s much, much easier to accept defeat, rejection (this one is a doozy!) or ridicule on your friend’s behalf than it is to accept and deal with on your own behalf.

Believe me, I know.

Avoiding defeat, rejection and potential ridicule is a behavioral loop that’s easy for me to get stuck in- as if “not putting myself out there” eliminates any possibility of EVER feeling these things.

Although that might work in the short run, it’s not a very effective way to move about the world.

I’m usually the first one to jump up when it comes to promoting someone else’s value or work- but when it comes to making the case for why I might be up for a promotion, it becomes incredibly challenging. 

Introverts are often heard thinking, “It’d be so much easier if my good work just could speak for itself”.

Although there is merit for dancing your dance and naturally drawing those interested in what you have to offer, the world needs what introverts have to offer. 

On a bigger scale.

I’m pretty sure that Margaret Mead was talking about when she said:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Don’t wait for others to figure out your gifts on their own. It’s up to you to find a way to share your potential and your passion with the world.

If you’d like to chat more about this, let’s talk. I can help.

I am grateful that you are a part of my community and I am here to support you however I can. 

Stay safe and be well.

In Healing,
​Kate

The other day, I talked about how counterintuitive it is for introverts to consider “putting themselves out there”. 

We are just not naturally wired to self-promote in all the usual ways.

You know, we have the tendency to give credit to the group over credit to ourselves.

What’s this about? Well, some of it is definitely attributed to our wiring as an introvert.

We are intrinsically wired to dive deeply into our inner world, sometimes getting lost in our tasks, mental meanderings and musings.

Some of this though, is also about how much we were encouraged to be big and powerful in our past.

If humility was considered a virtue in your family or past, chances are you were encouraged to “not brag”, “not boast” and not “draw attention to yourself”.

You add this hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) messaging to the introvert equation and bam….!

If this sounds like you, chances are you’d rather eat mud than draw attention to yourself. 

I get it. Sometimes it feels really difficult to be an introvert in an extroverted world.

I want you to know, though, that promoting yourself does not require that you suddenly become an extrovert through osmosis… there ARE things that you can do.

Here’s some super easy ideas for jump starting your visibility: 

• Balance the time that you spend doing with time that you spend talking about what you’re doing. Practice this with a safe friend. Like anything, the more you practice, the more natural it will feel.
• Keep track of all the things that you do well- write them down in an “atta-boy” or “atta-girl” file. Include glowing performance reviews, congratulatory emails, testimonials and positive feedback from other people who value you and your work.
• After meetings, write follow up emails and messages to others confirming your contributions and points, as well as to acknowledge those of others.

​And if you are interested in really getting out of your comfort zone…

• Put yourself on the agenda for a meeting to begin to build a platform for your ideas.

Now there’s an idea! 

As I’ve said before, what you have going for you as an introvert, is the ability to deeply commit to learning how to do this with depth and intensity.

Don’t wait for others to figure out your gifts on their own. It’s up to you to find a way to share your potential and your passion with the world.

If you’d like some help with learning how to do this, let’s talk. 

I am grateful that you are a part of my community and I am here to support you however I can. 

Stay safe and be well.

In Healing,
​Kate

I’ve seen you before… you’re the one eating lunch alone. Or the quiet one in the meetings as your louder colleagues and friends get noticed over you.

I get it. That’s me too.

You just keep waiting for there to be an opening in the conversation or someone to ask you about your ideas, hoping that someone will discover you…

Given the current events happening in our world as well as the tough economic and job situation right now, I wonder… 

How long are you going to have to wait?

If waiting isn’t an option any longer, then you’re going to want to hear what I have to say next.

Being an introvert, you tend to want to think before you speak. 

And often (again, as an introvert) some weird logic prevails about how others should figure out your gifts on their own. 

I mean, really- have you ever felt this way?  As an introvert, I sure have. 

And guess what- in this day and age, if you’re not willing to “put yourself out there” and do a little self-promotion, you probably won’t get noticed, at least not as much as other people.

I want to share something now that might challenge everything you’ve come to know about yourself as an introvert:

Just as there is no one “right way” to promote yourself, there is also no one “right” self-promotion goal. 

There are lots of ways to gain visibility in this big wide world, especially in the area of online business.

Gaining visibility is definitely a big challenge for introverts. We often immerse ourselves in our tasks, diving into the depths of our inner worlds.

Sometimes we neglect to come up for air to take credit in discovering new worlds and ideas.

Yet, it’s not all a lost cause if you’re striving to find a way to make a mark on the world in a visible way.

One of the greatest myths about promoting yourself is that you are supposed to be out there talking yourself up to everyone about everything. 

That’s not what it’s about. 

A very simple yet powerful tip that you can begin to practice as an introvert is to experiment with using the word “I” instead of the word “we”.  

This doesn’t come naturally to an introvert because we typically like to give credit to the group. 

However, when an idea is truly yours, you might consider saying something like “I came up with the idea” rather than “we came up with the idea”.

Give it a try. It’s scary and exciting at the same time. 

One of the things that introverts do have working for them is the ability to stay the course and approach learning how to do this with depth and intensity.

It’s up to you to find a way to let your passion and potential bubble out of you so that you can share them with the world.

It’s going to take practice, discipline, getting out of your comfort zone, along with some good ‘ole fashioned trial and error.

The thing is, it’s almost always worth it. 

If you’d like to chat more about this, let’s talk. 

I am grateful that you are a part of my community and I am here to support you however I can. 

Stay safe and be well.

In Healing, 
​Kate