In this episode of The Expansion Room, Shervon Laurice is joined by Elizabeth Elson and together they explore the hidden strengths of introverted leaders and entrepreneurs and the unique challenges we face in a world built for extroverts.
Drawing on Susan Cain’s groundbreaking book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, and new research showing how introverts often outperform extroverts in certain leadership roles, Shervon and Elizabeth offer soulful insights on energy management, authentic leadership, and practical ways to prevent burnout while staying true to your natural rhythm.
If you’ve ever felt drained by “being on” all the time, this episode will help you reclaim your quiet power and lead from your center.
Elizabeth Elson is the founder of The Department of Clarity, a social media messaging studio that creates custom strategies enabling thought leaders to measurably grow their reach. A 20-year veteran of award-winning documentaries and podcasts, she’s known for her “clarity radar”, the ability to make complex ideas unmistakably clear and shareable.
An introvert herself, Elizabeth’s strategies favor depth over volume: helping clients batch, script, and repurpose their content so they can show up with calm authority online and sustain a rhythm that reflects their energy, values, and voice.
You can find Elizabeth Elson at: elizabeth@departmentofclarity.com
The first segment of The Expansion room begins with Shervon introducing todays guestElizabeth Elson, founder of the Department of Clarity, to discuss the misconceptions surrounding introversion and the unique challenges introverted leaders face in visibility, networking, and marketing. Together, they reflect on personal experiences—from overstimulating workplaces to the pressure of self-promotion—and how understanding introversion as an energy dynamic rather than shyness can shift the way introverts navigate business. The conversation sets the stage for a deeper look into the science behind introversion and how introverts can thrive authentically in their work.
During the second segment Shervon and Elizabeth explore what it means to navigate entrepreneurship as an introvert in a culture built for extroverts. They discuss research on overstimulation, burnout, and the “always-on” expectations that challenge introverted business owners, especially in the post-pandemic landscape. Shervon and Elizabeth share personal strategies—such as meditation, solitude, time-blocking, and intentionally structured workdays—that help protect energy and support sustainable success. Their conversation highlights how understanding introverted needs can lead to healthier routines and more effective leadership.
The third segment begins with, Shervon and Elizabeth exploreing how introverts create collaborative environments by inviting input rather than directing from the top down. They highlight the strategic, measured thinking introverts often bring to leadership, as well as the importance of giving them time to process ideas before brainstorming. The discussion also touches on how introverts can find authentic, sustainable ways to show up on social media without conforming to extroverted norms.
The Final segment begins with Shervon and Elizabeth exploring practical ways introverts can protect their energy in both social and professional settings. Shervon shares strategies like creating white space in your schedule, setting limits on social events, and designing a workday that includes ample solo recharge time. Elizabeth adds her own insights, emphasizing the value of clear systems, authentic communication, and redefining marketing success in ways that honor introverted strengths. Together, they highlight how introverts can thrive by embracing their natural rhythm, setting boundaries, and leading with intention.
00:01:09.350 --> 00:01:23.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Hello, and welcome to the Expansion Room, where inner work meets impact. I'm your host, Siobhan Larisse, and this week, we are going to be talking about a topic near and dear to my heart.
00:01:24.570 --> 00:01:30.879 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Introversion, and the power of an introverted…
00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:42.939 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Business owner, an entrepreneur, in a world that is super loud, and oftentimes expects everyone to be an extrovert.
00:01:43.540 --> 00:01:58.730 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And today, my guest is Elizabeth Elfin, and she is a friend of mine, and is an introvert as well, and founder of the Department of Clarity, a social media messaging studio.
00:01:58.730 --> 00:02:05.980 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That creates custom strategies enabling thought leaders to measurably grow their reach.
00:02:06.260 --> 00:02:17.790 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And today, I think our conversation's going to be fun, and hopefully informative for the audience. One of the reasons I wanted to talk about this is that
00:02:18.320 --> 00:02:24.980 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I see it in the clients that I work with, whether therapy clients or coaching clients. This…
00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:28.840 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Need to be out in front.
00:02:28.980 --> 00:02:36.610 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… Trying to be as loud as the loudest person in the room, which is oftentimes exhausting.
00:02:37.980 --> 00:02:42.140 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: when I worked for the federal government, I found myself…
00:02:42.590 --> 00:02:56.659 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: being in that space, we had what you call the open floor plan, and no real wall… no real walls, no real doors to speak of, and…
00:02:56.890 --> 00:03:00.830 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: there were days that I would put in earpl… ear,
00:03:00.940 --> 00:03:20.939 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: earpods in order for me to, like, tone down the noise that was in the office, as well as to tune out some of my coworkers. And when I was there, I realized in the last couple of years that I was working in that department.
00:03:21.610 --> 00:03:27.090 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: that I, because I was so quiet, I was looked on with suspicion.
00:03:27.830 --> 00:03:30.300 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Which I found fascinating.
00:03:30.430 --> 00:03:40.339 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, we'll leave that there for now. I might come back to it. So today, we're going to start with just what is it like
00:03:40.550 --> 00:03:59.939 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: for an introverted leader or entrepreneur to move about this world where they have to be on at all times. So, I invite you, Elizabeth, to unmute. You can say a little bit more about yourself, and then we'll dive into the questions.
00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:09.189 Elizabeth Elson: Great. First of all, thank you so much for having me. It's good to be here, and it's fun to talk about this, because I think
00:04:09.190 --> 00:04:27.559 Elizabeth Elson: you know, in our earlier… our previous conversations, we were talking about some of the myths of being an introvert, and I'm looking forward to getting into that and hearing your experience on that. Just a little bit about me, I… I work in social media marketing, I have my own company, you've heard that from Siobhan.
00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:44.669 Elizabeth Elson: I took the long way into this career. For a long time, I thought I was going to be an artist, or get my PhD and just do a lot of research, both of which are somewhat perfect for an introvert. But after I completed my master's, I realized that
00:04:44.900 --> 00:04:50.130 Elizabeth Elson: Neither one of those were probably going to be the… a very practical career for me, so…
00:04:50.150 --> 00:05:01.039 Elizabeth Elson: I was kind of floundering, what am I gonna do with my life? And I was dating somebody at that time whose mother was working in documentary film and needed a researcher. She said.
00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:15.539 Elizabeth Elson: hey, you've been to grad school, you're good at research, right? And, you know, that was my big break. So one thing led to another. That job led to a 25-plus year, TV career. I've worked in public television, cable, streaming.
00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:26.109 Elizabeth Elson: augmented reality podcasting, and I've always been project-based. I've never really worked for a company, and so I've really had to
00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:41.720 Elizabeth Elson: examine my own mind, in a way, and figure out how to survive in an industry that seems like it really rewards an extroverted person, going out and getting jobs, and networking, and…
00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:51.430 Elizabeth Elson: you know, going out into the field and meeting new people, talking to them all the time, and yeah, here I am. That's a little bit about my background.
00:05:51.640 --> 00:05:52.480 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Nice.
00:05:52.850 --> 00:05:56.679 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah, that, that networking, I forgot about that.
00:05:56.680 --> 00:05:58.060 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, networking.
00:05:58.060 --> 00:06:11.939 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: talk about that, because when I did decide to, like, open my practice full-time, that was one of the things I really had to step into, was, like, talking to people about myself and what I do, and I was just like, oh my god.
00:06:12.140 --> 00:06:17.890 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, yeah, we'll talk a little bit more about that. So…
00:06:18.180 --> 00:06:34.539 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As an introverted business owner, what have been some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in this world that really rewards extroversion, right? Especially when it comes to visibility, networking, marketing, all that kind of…
00:06:34.660 --> 00:06:36.030 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: front-facing.
00:06:36.280 --> 00:06:37.270 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: activity.
00:06:37.660 --> 00:06:47.090 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, that's a good question, and when you very graciously told me that was going to be one of the questions you were going to ask me, I really had to do some thinking about it, because
00:06:47.340 --> 00:06:58.909 Elizabeth Elson: I… honestly, I hadn't really thought about it, before. I just kind of adapted over the years, and the thing that I think that I came up with was that,
00:06:59.530 --> 00:07:07.199 Elizabeth Elson: You know, It took me a long time before I realized that I actually am an introvert.
00:07:07.340 --> 00:07:19.280 Elizabeth Elson: Because I am a very confident person, I have decent social skills, sometimes better than others, and I've also been in leadership positions for a long time, so…
00:07:19.420 --> 00:07:20.820 Elizabeth Elson: you know, when I…
00:07:20.950 --> 00:07:34.800 Elizabeth Elson: first started working at a higher level on TV, I'd find myself on set leading a crew of, like, 20 people, or showing up in a place to interview some, you know, big person that I hadn't met and had a lot of prickly handles.
00:07:34.900 --> 00:07:51.080 Elizabeth Elson: you know, kind of a high-pressure situation, and I was always very comfortable and confident stepping up and smiling and orchestrating the situation, but then at the end of the day, everybody else would want to go out for a drink to celebrate the day.
00:07:51.110 --> 00:08:10.289 Elizabeth Elson: And I would just want to disappear in my hotel room and sit in a hot bath and order french fries, you know? So, I was like, what, like, what's the deal? Like… and I was talking to a friend about it, and she, you know, a very wise friend, and she said, well, that's probably because you're an introvert.
00:08:11.030 --> 00:08:12.780 Elizabeth Elson: And I was like, what?
00:08:13.860 --> 00:08:23.080 Elizabeth Elson: I never thought of that, you know, because I'm pretty outgoing. And she said, well, you know, there's a difference between being an introvert and being shy.
00:08:23.080 --> 00:08:23.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yes.
00:08:23.750 --> 00:08:24.125 Elizabeth Elson: Yo.
00:08:24.610 --> 00:08:28.210 Elizabeth Elson: So, you know that as a therapist, that was news to me.
00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:31.960 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Oh, I found out years into being a therapist that that was.
00:08:31.960 --> 00:08:32.520 Elizabeth Elson: Oh!
00:08:32.520 --> 00:08:46.139 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I always thought shyness was introversion, and so I was surprised to find out that I was an introvert, and it was on reading Susan Cain's book, Quiet.
00:08:46.260 --> 00:08:52.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… I was, like, reading it dumbfounded. I was like, oh…
00:08:53.810 --> 00:08:58.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's why I'm exhausted after a day of talking to 6 or 7 clients.
00:08:58.510 --> 00:08:59.130 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah.
00:08:59.140 --> 00:09:05.569 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Or why being in an open floor plan office does not work for me.
00:09:07.070 --> 00:09:14.800 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So it was her book that made me realize. And then, of course, I called my mother immediately, because I grew up in a family of extroverts.
00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:17.400 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so I was like.
00:09:18.870 --> 00:09:21.060 Elizabeth Elson: What did she say?
00:09:21.420 --> 00:09:24.130 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And she kind of knew it, but…
00:09:24.130 --> 00:09:24.780 Elizabeth Elson: What!
00:09:24.780 --> 00:09:28.550 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Her parenting never changed, really.
00:09:29.630 --> 00:09:32.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Maybe Siobhan needs more time by herself.
00:09:32.910 --> 00:09:37.239 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's what I definitely knew growing up. I loved my books.
00:09:37.420 --> 00:09:37.930 Elizabeth Elson: And bye.
00:09:37.930 --> 00:09:43.729 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: own bedroom. Luckily, I was the only girl, so I didn't have to share a bedroom.
00:09:44.740 --> 00:09:59.590 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So yeah, it was a surprise, because you're also social. I mean, I've known you for years, you're a very social person, and you don't come off shy at all, and people probably are surprised when you say to them that you're an introvert?
00:10:00.350 --> 00:10:05.499 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, yeah, that's what I realized after talking to my friend, is it's an energy thing.
00:10:06.160 --> 00:10:17.620 Elizabeth Elson: It's not, like, a shy thing, because she was explaining to me, you know, introversion is, like, where your energy comes from, so you need that time to recharge through solitude and reflection.
00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:18.280 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's right.
00:10:18.280 --> 00:10:27.719 Elizabeth Elson: You know, and then shy… if you're shy, that's a fine thing. Lots of people are shy, but that's more about fear or anxiety about social judgment.
00:10:27.870 --> 00:10:32.839 Elizabeth Elson: That's right. You know, and I don't really have… I don't really have that, so…
00:10:33.180 --> 00:10:38.150 Elizabeth Elson: That was… that was really interesting, to me. And then…
00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:46.680 Elizabeth Elson: You know, I'd say the other discovery for me about being an introvert was about marketing myself.
00:10:47.250 --> 00:10:57.519 Elizabeth Elson: you may have had that experience, too, because I know that at one point when you started your business, you had to go into… like, we both have had to go into these, like, marketing
00:10:57.790 --> 00:11:07.800 Elizabeth Elson: yourself type things, right? And for me, that was, quite a different way of doing things, because
00:11:07.970 --> 00:11:22.679 Elizabeth Elson: sure, I'd been working as a freelance independent contractor person for about 20 years, but I'd never marketed myself. It was just word of mouth. Like, that's more or less the way that business works. People work with you.
00:11:22.680 --> 00:11:28.779 Elizabeth Elson: You get along with them, they refer you, and next thing you know, you have this giant network.
00:11:28.790 --> 00:11:38.179 Elizabeth Elson: like, I never had to market myself to look for a job. I might have to have a conversation about the project, or the timing, or whatever, but…
00:11:38.760 --> 00:11:46.649 Elizabeth Elson: I never had to do that, and since I started my, social media company, it's my own company, so…
00:11:46.850 --> 00:11:51.519 Elizabeth Elson: you know, I have to go out and market myself, and I thought, ugh!
00:11:51.700 --> 00:12:02.639 Elizabeth Elson: Oh, no! How am I gonna do it? You know, just… I had a… I think I had a strange idea of what that actually means.
00:12:03.540 --> 00:12:06.230 Elizabeth Elson: And…
00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:23.420 Elizabeth Elson: yeah, I didn't… because I never really had to do it, I had all these stereotypes of it, and I sort of saw it as something that was more performative, and not authentic, and I would have to kind of, pretend to be somebody I was not, and it was…
00:12:23.710 --> 00:12:35.239 Elizabeth Elson: making me feel that, that was not going to be aligned with my integrity. Of course, now I realize I don't really have to do that, but it was a journey. I don't know, did you have that type of thing?
00:12:35.300 --> 00:12:45.580 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It definitely felt that way, in the beginning, but over the years, I realized, yeah, I just can be myself. I'm a social introvert.
00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:56.999 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Which Susan Cain talks about in her book, the several different types of introversion, and so you have the ones that are more shy, and kind of stay to themselves, and are a little more anxious.
00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:01.539 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But then the social introvert can get out there and do the thing.
00:13:01.670 --> 00:13:11.580 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It's just that they have to have ample downtime afterwards. They will hit a wall, we will hit a wall of overstimulation.
00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:23.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I learned that the hard way. I didn't know what that was before I read her book, where I could be at an event, or a party, or networking, or something, and…
00:13:23.500 --> 00:13:28.789 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I could be there for whatever number of hours, and then all of a sudden, this feeling of exhaustion…
00:13:29.520 --> 00:13:30.500 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: come over me.
00:13:31.540 --> 00:13:34.559 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And when I read her book, I realized, oh…
00:13:34.930 --> 00:13:42.989 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I need to set some boundaries around my ways of being and interacting in these spaces, which we'll talk more about the boundaries
00:13:43.030 --> 00:13:55.499 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In a later segment, but then… then I got really good at it. I would hang out with friends, and I knew I'm gonna be here from this time to this time, and then I'm gonna go home to a quiet apartment.
00:13:57.320 --> 00:13:58.180 Elizabeth Elson: That's right.
00:13:58.180 --> 00:14:07.109 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You know, if I was going to a networking event, or some sort of collaboration type of event. Even when I go to conferences, I love…
00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:14.509 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: being at conferences where there's a hotel involved, and I could go back to my room.
00:14:14.510 --> 00:14:15.110 Elizabeth Elson: episode.
00:14:15.110 --> 00:14:15.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: point.
00:14:16.040 --> 00:14:19.509 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Just to get that quiet recharge time.
00:14:19.630 --> 00:14:29.080 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You know, local conferences are harder for me to do, because then I'm there, it's all day, I will not get any downtime until I get back to my house.
00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:30.410 Elizabeth Elson: All or nothing, yeah.
00:14:30.410 --> 00:14:31.150 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: all or nothing.
00:14:31.150 --> 00:14:31.660 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah.
00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:48.039 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah, so we're about to take our first break, and when we return, we'll talk a little bit more about the science behind, introversion and introverted power in the workspace. So come on back.
00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:49.159 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Hello, and welcome back to the Expansion Room, where today we are talking about introversion in entrepreneurship in a world that is designed for extroverts in a lot of ways, and my guest is Elizabeth Elson, and…
00:16:49.920 --> 00:16:57.450 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: One of the things that I love about this topic is that the research evidence has
00:16:57.590 --> 00:17:15.760 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: caught up with what a lot of introverts have known all along, right? And Susan Cain was the first person who I, knew of, and I think her book, Quiet came out… it's gotta be more than 10 years old now. And…
00:17:16.260 --> 00:17:21.000 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: when I saw that she was tracking
00:17:21.550 --> 00:17:26.459 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Even… even kids, there's this research where they're tracking kids
00:17:26.780 --> 00:17:36.059 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: from, I think, birth, or at least infancy, through a certain age, and they could tell by whether they…
00:17:36.260 --> 00:17:45.670 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: cry a lot, needed to be held a lot, whether they were going to be introverted or extroverted. Like, it goes all the way back, right? And…
00:17:46.170 --> 00:17:48.950 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: She looked at the different types
00:17:48.980 --> 00:18:06.090 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: of introverts and kind of their special powers, so to speak. But one thing was key, or several things were key, that I'm going to talk about here, and that some of that has been updated as well. So the research mentions
00:18:06.090 --> 00:18:11.390 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Overstimulation, or this arousal theory.
00:18:12.010 --> 00:18:20.180 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: throughout every piece of research, I think, that I've seen. And it comes at this effect of always having to be on.
00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:25.459 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so it used to be that you always had to be on at work.
00:18:25.600 --> 00:18:44.010 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Now, it has spread into people's personal lives. I think especially since the pandemic, because now so many people still actually work from home. I'm mostly working from home. And so there's this always-on effect that is tempting.
00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:58.520 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It's kind of alluring. So they talk about that, this non-stop work, high-frequency meetings, this kind of sense of overstimulation when there's no boundaries on the engagement.
00:18:58.520 --> 00:19:13.550 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then, of course, they talk about the over… the open floor plan, and that was one of the things Susan Gain laid out in the book, that that is a bad idea. But yet, it still remains in a lot of spaces. And then…
00:19:14.150 --> 00:19:19.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In office spaces, or in meetings, there's the extrovert
00:19:19.760 --> 00:19:30.769 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That always is louder than everyone else, or talking more than everyone else. And so the person who is introverted will self-silence.
00:19:31.320 --> 00:19:41.579 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so that, therefore, if they're working for someone else, it… it narrows the opportunities for them, because…
00:19:42.350 --> 00:19:47.769 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When people are thinking of promoting people, they often think of the loudest person in the room.
00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:59.839 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so that… that's… those were the things that have come up in the research that I'm like, yep, I've seen it and or lived it in my own life. I think burnout is another one.
00:19:59.840 --> 00:20:14.450 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's talked about fairly often, and I've met introverts who have been in front-facing kinds of jobs of leadership, couldn't understand why they were starting to feel burnt out.
00:20:15.050 --> 00:20:20.119 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And we would have to talk about, well, how are you spending your work days?
00:20:20.320 --> 00:20:23.550 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And it's in back-to-back meetings, or…
00:20:23.970 --> 00:20:32.009 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: having to talk… when I worked for the federal government myself, I was in the court system, and I would have to go to court.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:50.830 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And man, I would sweat out blouses, because I would have to get up and publicly speak to the judge, you know? I was like, why is this hard? I couldn't understand why it was hard until I got more information. And so, as we think about burnout.
00:20:51.300 --> 00:20:55.359 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: in this world built for extroverts.
00:20:55.660 --> 00:21:10.499 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: what does burnout look like for you, Elizabeth? And have you experienced burnout, as an introverted entrepreneur, and how have you learned to recover?
00:21:10.780 --> 00:21:13.270 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: After expending so much energy.
00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:27.759 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, those are… those are all such relatable points. Everything that you brought up is just so incredibly relatable. I mean, first of all, the 24-7 culture, especially, you know, like us.
00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:33.030 Elizabeth Elson: Or anybody who owns your own business, You know, the…
00:21:33.370 --> 00:21:52.409 Elizabeth Elson: tendency is to feel like you want to be always available, or receptive, or, you know, supporting the people, because both of us are in support, you know, support positions. You're supporting people's mental health, I'm supporting their marketing, which sometimes feels like their mental health, you know, and so…
00:21:52.430 --> 00:21:55.969 Elizabeth Elson: You know, you really want to be there for people,
00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:01.190 Elizabeth Elson: So, yeah, the 24-7 culture is a huge thing. You know.
00:22:01.360 --> 00:22:09.379 Elizabeth Elson: I think we're close to the same age, and, you know, you probably, like me, remember a day before cell phones.
00:22:09.580 --> 00:22:15.019 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yes! In the good old days, you know? Indeed!
00:22:15.020 --> 00:22:19.819 Elizabeth Elson: When you could just shut your phone, or, like, nobody could really reach you, they weren't…
00:22:19.820 --> 00:22:20.700 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's right!
00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:22.739 Elizabeth Elson: Slinging and all this stuff, and…
00:22:23.110 --> 00:22:38.400 Elizabeth Elson: you know, there's a lot of convenience to cell phones, obviously, so I don't want to be a total neo-Luddite, but yeah, so anyway, I totally 100% agree, like, protecting and managing your energy is absolutely 100% crucial.
00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:49.219 Elizabeth Elson: For me, the first thing is my meditation practice. I really had to double down on that. You know, I tried a lot of meditation.
00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:53.629 Elizabeth Elson: I finally found one that works for me, which is chanting mantras.
00:22:53.700 --> 00:23:06.300 Elizabeth Elson: It doesn't really matter what your meditation practice is, whether it's moving meditation, breathing meditation, sound meditation, whatever. I just think, you know, it's helpful
00:23:06.300 --> 00:23:14.260 Elizabeth Elson: for me and a lot of people I know, and who are also introverted entrepreneurs, to just have some time to yourself to, like.
00:23:14.340 --> 00:23:17.719 Elizabeth Elson: It's kind of like a palate cleanser or something, I feel.
00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:18.460 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yes.
00:23:18.860 --> 00:23:19.500 Elizabeth Elson: You know…
00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:20.980 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Way to talk about that, yeah.
00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:31.359 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, it feels like a walk in nature, you know, whatever it is, just something to kind of be… give yourself some mental space to kind of…
00:23:31.530 --> 00:23:46.610 Elizabeth Elson: not be as task-oriented, but just kind of unwind and be creative. The other thing that I do that I've found in the last, maybe, like, 10 years that made a huge difference is I actually don't multitask.
00:23:46.710 --> 00:23:47.620 Elizabeth Elson: Because…
00:23:48.120 --> 00:23:50.240 Elizabeth Elson: That was,
00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:57.939 Elizabeth Elson: really stressing me out, because I felt like I had to be available for everybody and everything at all times.
00:23:58.710 --> 00:24:11.969 Elizabeth Elson: And that was just, you know, because there's so many things to do all the time, especially as an entrepreneur. You always do feel a little bit behind, even if you're not, there's always more to do.
00:24:12.410 --> 00:24:32.039 Elizabeth Elson: And so I just took this, what was, for me at that time, a very radical step of, like, you know what, I'm just gonna do one thing at a time, and if somebody wants to get ahold of me, they're just gonna have to wait. So I actually put my phone in the other room, I scheduled blocks of time, and…
00:24:32.040 --> 00:24:32.730 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Nice.
00:24:32.730 --> 00:24:37.890 Elizabeth Elson: It really helps to have my energy not splayed out like that.
00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:40.830 Elizabeth Elson: You know, have you ever tried that?
00:24:41.130 --> 00:24:49.619 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I've not done it that way. I have set up blocks of time, though, and what I'll do is I will turn my phone on silent.
00:24:49.620 --> 00:24:50.550 Elizabeth Elson: Yes.
00:24:50.550 --> 00:24:58.020 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: face down, and whatever I need to get done will then get done. I love doing things in blocks of time.
00:24:58.390 --> 00:25:03.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I love having segments of my day.
00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:09.220 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, I don't usually see my first client until 10 o'clock.
00:25:09.340 --> 00:25:20.769 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But I am an early riser, also a meditator. And so, normally I'm waking up somewhere between 4 and 5 in the morning. So when I wake up, I get up.
00:25:20.910 --> 00:25:24.520 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And from that time to 10 is mine.
00:25:24.810 --> 00:25:29.710 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? And that is… that allows me to kind of
00:25:30.290 --> 00:25:44.859 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: think. That's the other thing that I loved about the research that I've come across over the years about introverts. We are thinkers. We need space and time to just kind of work through things in our minds.
00:25:44.860 --> 00:25:57.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And that's my time of day to do that, is first thing when I get up. It's almost like it's problem-solving time, or, you know, just pondering, thinking,
00:25:57.300 --> 00:25:59.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… then…
00:25:59.930 --> 00:26:07.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: my forward-facing time is meeting with clients, having other kinds of meetings, and then I have a hard stop.
00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:14.230 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: to my day, usually, so that the evenings are things that I choose to do.
00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:24.989 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That are not oftentimes work-based, if I can help it. So these segments of my day are really helpful for the way my brain works.
00:26:25.800 --> 00:26:35.429 Elizabeth Elson: That's good, that takes discipline, I think, too. You know, it took discipline for me to just set those blocks and be like, you know what, this is… of course, if it's an emergency or something.
00:26:36.250 --> 00:26:36.810 Elizabeth Elson: You know…
00:26:36.810 --> 00:26:39.940 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And, you know, you can roll with it.
00:26:39.940 --> 00:26:44.210 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, for some… for some reason, I… I… I don't know, I think I've just…
00:26:44.230 --> 00:27:03.880 Elizabeth Elson: had to get over the idea with 24-7 culture that taking time for myself and taking downtime isn't actually self-indulgent. No. It is not. It's a necessity, and actually, you know, if I'm just going to be practical about it, it makes me perform better.
00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:04.240 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely.
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:05.610 Elizabeth Elson: It worked, you know?
00:27:05.610 --> 00:27:08.660 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah, it'll prevent you from burning out.
00:27:08.660 --> 00:27:09.200 Elizabeth Elson: Yes.
00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:23.989 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And one of the things that, you know, there are, like, the three S's, like, stimulation, because engaging with other humans is stimulation, the workday is stimulation, but then you know when to take solitude.
00:27:23.990 --> 00:27:24.560 Elizabeth Elson: Mmm.
00:27:24.560 --> 00:27:35.820 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? And even when you're partnered, like, I… I was married when I found out that I figured out that I was an introvert, and I was like, oh, great!
00:27:38.250 --> 00:27:46.520 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: There were definitely, like, when he had to travel for work, or when he was at work, I relished in the empty…
00:27:46.970 --> 00:28:00.849 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: of the apartment, and just… just… I just loved it. And then I made sure I took an alternate work schedule when I was working for the federal government so that I was off every Friday, which means I got much of that day to myself.
00:28:01.750 --> 00:28:05.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, I just built in solitude.
00:28:05.340 --> 00:28:08.470 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Into my life. And then, strategy.
00:28:08.830 --> 00:28:12.490 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And we'll talk a lot about strategy in the, in the fourth…
00:28:12.610 --> 00:28:17.730 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: segment today is, like, strategy. How do you structure your day? And…
00:28:18.250 --> 00:28:23.089 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I… when I left the federal government, I was like, oh, well, now I have to set my own schedule.
00:28:23.850 --> 00:28:25.370 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: What does that look like?
00:28:25.510 --> 00:28:31.680 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… I had to go with feel of it, like, what does it feel like?
00:28:31.790 --> 00:28:44.699 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I knew what I liked. I hadn't worked on a Friday in a long time, so I kind of kept that. I'm having an alternate work schedule at the last two jobs that I had had.
00:28:44.900 --> 00:28:59.679 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then, kind of, how would I want to work my day? And most people would be like, well, you start at 8 or 9. I know therapists who literally start seeing clients at 7 AM. I'm like.
00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:00.780 Elizabeth Elson: Wow.
00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:01.630 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: What!
00:29:02.070 --> 00:29:11.219 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: they want to get in before they go to work? I'm like, well, I wouldn't want… no! I'm up that early, but I don't want to interface with humans!
00:29:13.860 --> 00:29:25.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: No! When are you gonna get your time? You know? So yeah, so it's really that strategy of how you set your day, you set your week.
00:29:25.690 --> 00:29:36.610 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You know? So, we're about to take our next break, and then when we come back, we'll talk a little bit more about that and the science, and…
00:29:37.220 --> 00:29:42.360 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We'll leave the rest to the tips for the fourth segment, so come on back.
00:31:15.260 --> 00:31:21.940 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Welcome back to the Expansion Room, where today we're talking about the power of introverted entrepreneurs.
00:31:22.020 --> 00:31:41.399 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And there was one thing I definitely did not want to forget to talk about, before we move forward, and that was something in the research. There was a recent study that came out with Adam Grant, Francesca Gino, and David Hoffman, where they noted that introverted leaders
00:31:41.530 --> 00:31:45.429 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Excel with proactive teams.
00:31:46.520 --> 00:31:52.040 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: While extroverted leaders excel with passive teams.
00:31:52.860 --> 00:31:58.929 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I thought that was fascinating, but I've noticed that in my experience, that that has been true.
00:31:59.300 --> 00:32:09.830 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That an introverted leader seems to invite… Import.
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:13.690 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And problem solving,
00:32:14.850 --> 00:32:24.459 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: invites the team to work on things. What do you think? What is your idea here? Does anyone have a solution for this?
00:32:25.050 --> 00:32:36.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… in extroverted, leadership, there tends to be maybe more passive teams, because the extroverted person either
00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:43.339 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Puts out, you know, tells people what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, and…
00:32:43.590 --> 00:32:50.599 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: is not always expecting, or rather, inviting feedback. Has that been your experience?
00:32:52.700 --> 00:33:01.670 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, it's actually super interesting. As you were speaking, I was reflecting on… My experience working with teens.
00:33:01.670 --> 00:33:07.520 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You know, because I have worked with creative teams basically my whole career.
00:33:07.520 --> 00:33:11.450 Elizabeth Elson: And… I do think that…
00:33:12.380 --> 00:33:26.920 Elizabeth Elson: a lot of times, introverted people do have somewhat of an advantage working collaboratively, just because of that very, thing that you described. You know, my experience is that
00:33:28.060 --> 00:33:30.200 Elizabeth Elson: People who are introverted.
00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:42.269 Elizabeth Elson: you know, I don't want to make these broad generalizations, but just generally, you know, they do tend to be collaborative in the sense that they tend to listen.
00:33:42.560 --> 00:33:46.420 Elizabeth Elson: You know, before they speak, perhaps?
00:33:46.550 --> 00:33:49.460 Elizabeth Elson: I think that's a superpower, really.
00:33:49.460 --> 00:33:50.529 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yes, indeed.
00:33:51.770 --> 00:34:03.869 Elizabeth Elson: If people can do that, you know, it does take a different type of personality, but it's a communication strength, because you're responding to what someone actually has said.
00:34:04.090 --> 00:34:10.479 Elizabeth Elson: Rather than what you thought they were gonna say or have already predetermined.
00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:10.870 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Hmm.
00:34:10.870 --> 00:34:15.290 Elizabeth Elson: So that's one thing that I've noticed. I was thinking there…
00:34:15.810 --> 00:34:17.590 Elizabeth Elson: You know, in a lot of these
00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:21.589 Elizabeth Elson: introverted teams that I've worked with
00:34:21.949 --> 00:34:26.539 Elizabeth Elson: People tend to be fairly sensitive
00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:32.669 Elizabeth Elson: To other people, which is, you know, another… another superpower, really.
00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:33.219 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely.
00:34:33.219 --> 00:34:43.989 Elizabeth Elson: And because they have empathy, and certainly when you're doing a creative collaboration with people, I think that's an essential component of success.
00:34:44.169 --> 00:34:57.659 Elizabeth Elson: is being able to listen, being empathetic, trying to understand what somebody is communicating. They may have a different communication style, but you still have the desire and the interest to
00:34:57.949 --> 00:35:05.749 Elizabeth Elson: appreciate and understand that style. And the other thing I would say that it made me think of is
00:35:06.779 --> 00:35:10.919 Elizabeth Elson: I've noticed that a lot of people who are introverts
00:35:11.279 --> 00:35:16.429 Elizabeth Elson: Generally, are interested in things that are,
00:35:16.939 --> 00:35:25.059 Elizabeth Elson: I don't know how to say this, but maybe a little more… Substantial, or lasting, or…
00:35:25.559 --> 00:35:39.179 Elizabeth Elson: contemplative, you know, when I was interviewing people, I've interviewed so many people, and I found that a lot of people who were really amazing leaders, whether it was
00:35:39.179 --> 00:35:50.799 Elizabeth Elson: you know, in the military, or in science, or in arts, whatever it is, they actually were pretty introverted people, and I think one of the reasons why they
00:35:50.809 --> 00:35:58.049 Elizabeth Elson: were so successful was, you know, the other things I've mentioned before, but they were actually contemplative.
00:35:58.279 --> 00:35:59.889 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And…
00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:05.009 Elizabeth Elson: They thought about things, they measured them, they were strategic.
00:36:05.230 --> 00:36:05.890 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yep.
00:36:05.890 --> 00:36:11.119 Elizabeth Elson: And they also, you know, kind of…
00:36:12.850 --> 00:36:19.650 Elizabeth Elson: they attract people because of that. You know, those are, special qualities.
00:36:20.080 --> 00:36:38.169 Elizabeth Elson: In a world where people are trying to clamor for attention, you know, a person who can listen, who can have empathy, who can be contemplative and take their time about things. Those are actually very, very powerful leadership traits.
00:36:38.170 --> 00:36:39.500 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely.
00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:40.490 Elizabeth Elson: Don't you think?
00:36:40.490 --> 00:36:52.840 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely. I agree. I remembered seeing that Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Einstein, Nikola Tesla, all were.
00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:53.550 Elizabeth Elson: introvert.
00:36:55.880 --> 00:37:03.930 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? And so, that contemplative piece, and I think that's the part that oftentimes gets missed.
00:37:04.240 --> 00:37:09.939 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In a business or office space where
00:37:10.060 --> 00:37:18.490 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Brainstorming is this big thing that Companies, businesses love to tout.
00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:29.950 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But brainstorming sessions is not oftentimes where an introvert shines, unless they have time beforehand…
00:37:30.360 --> 00:37:33.359 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: To have those contemplative moments.
00:37:33.570 --> 00:37:45.599 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Maybe they already know what the topic is going to be, that we're going to be brainstorming, or these, the problem that needs to be solved. If they know that in advance.
00:37:46.110 --> 00:37:47.630 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Then they take time.
00:37:47.750 --> 00:38:06.220 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: to think about it, and then they're ready for that brainstorming session. But if you just round up an office full of people, you will find that the introvert might be the quietest person in the room, because they need time to have that inner dialogue for themselves.
00:38:06.690 --> 00:38:07.810 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You know?
00:38:08.020 --> 00:38:10.379 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, and just, and just sort of think it through.
00:38:10.380 --> 00:38:12.230 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: there. Go ahead.
00:38:12.810 --> 00:38:15.360 Elizabeth Elson: I was just gonna say, yeah, just think it through.
00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:16.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely.
00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:19.870 Elizabeth Elson: Rather than just reacting to it.
00:38:19.990 --> 00:38:20.990 Elizabeth Elson: you know…
00:38:20.990 --> 00:38:23.740 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely, absolutely. So, yeah.
00:38:24.110 --> 00:38:34.330 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Are there other, other unique advantages that you can think of that introverts have?
00:38:34.450 --> 00:38:38.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In the business space, in the leadership space.
00:38:40.350 --> 00:38:53.740 Elizabeth Elson: I think a lot of other good qualities, in my opinion, fall under… fall under those things, you know? The empathy gives them, the ability to
00:38:54.010 --> 00:39:09.550 Elizabeth Elson: connect with people, you know, and kind of meet people where they are, to understand different communication styles, and, you know, not everybody's the same, everybody's kind of got their own trip, and, you know,
00:39:09.880 --> 00:39:16.050 Elizabeth Elson: the contemplative, I think, is super important in terms of strategy, because…
00:39:16.340 --> 00:39:20.989 Elizabeth Elson: If you're not contemplating things, it does make it hard to
00:39:21.310 --> 00:39:31.550 Elizabeth Elson: to come up with a strategy, and I think that my experience has been that if you're always just reacting to external stimulation.
00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:37.879 Elizabeth Elson: You're not really gonna be in control of your own path.
00:39:37.950 --> 00:39:55.980 Elizabeth Elson: And so, it's kind of hard to lead other people down that path if you're just sort of reacting to all these things and not willing to take a step back. You do have to also have some level of confidence in order to do that, so you can't just be, like, an introvert with no confidence.
00:39:55.980 --> 00:39:56.300 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's…
00:39:56.300 --> 00:40:02.560 Elizabeth Elson: You know? Totally. You have to have some confidence in your ability to… to tell…
00:40:02.740 --> 00:40:07.289 Elizabeth Elson: Maybe your boss or your team, like, hey, let's take a step back.
00:40:07.580 --> 00:40:09.990 Elizabeth Elson: And get them to do that.
00:40:10.250 --> 00:40:11.540 Elizabeth Elson: What do you think?
00:40:11.540 --> 00:40:15.810 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I think so. Confidence, definitely, or at least…
00:40:17.050 --> 00:40:23.450 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That in the space you're in, that when you do speak up, They listen.
00:40:23.800 --> 00:40:24.150 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah.
00:40:24.150 --> 00:40:33.109 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I remember reading an article It's a couple of years after the financial market crash of 2008, 2009.
00:40:33.510 --> 00:40:43.780 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And it was written by an introvert, I think, and they said, The alarms were being sprung…
00:40:44.240 --> 00:40:52.419 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: By the introverts in those offices, like, in those financial institutions, But no one was listening.
00:40:53.210 --> 00:40:54.210 Elizabeth Elson: Oh, man.
00:40:54.210 --> 00:40:54.920 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah.
00:40:54.920 --> 00:40:55.575 Elizabeth Elson: Oh.
00:40:56.230 --> 00:41:05.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Some of the quieter people knew it was coming, and they were trying to reel them in, and no one wanted to hear it.
00:41:06.290 --> 00:41:07.230 Elizabeth Elson: Oh, man.
00:41:07.230 --> 00:41:08.550 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Like,
00:41:11.230 --> 00:41:14.209 Elizabeth Elson: Listen to the introverts!
00:41:14.210 --> 00:41:16.469 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah, because when we do speak.
00:41:16.790 --> 00:41:20.140 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That means we actually have something to say. Yeah.
00:41:20.140 --> 00:41:22.199 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, that's a really good point.
00:41:22.200 --> 00:41:22.770 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right.
00:41:22.770 --> 00:41:27.679 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, we're not just… Talking for the sake of talking most of the time.
00:41:27.680 --> 00:41:38.030 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Indeed, indeed. And how have you helped your clients, the people that you've worked with, to be able to do the same for themselves?
00:41:39.890 --> 00:41:40.770 Elizabeth Elson: Well…
00:41:40.910 --> 00:41:50.010 Elizabeth Elson: You know, it's interesting, because with social media marketing, a lot of people really do have the idea… you know, there's…
00:41:50.800 --> 00:42:04.750 Elizabeth Elson: listen, there's pros and cons to everything, and I think social media marketing gets a bad rap. There's a lot of amazing people, really, that are service-oriented.
00:42:04.890 --> 00:42:06.100 Elizabeth Elson: And…
00:42:06.550 --> 00:42:16.990 Elizabeth Elson: finding great audiences for their messages on social media. But I think there's this perception that you have to do things.
00:42:17.070 --> 00:42:22.500 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: in a way that is extremely extroverted. I come… people come to me and they're like.
00:42:22.610 --> 00:42:42.119 Elizabeth Elson: oh my god, I have to post, like, every day in order to get the algorithm, or I have to have more behind-the-scenes content, or I have to do trending audio and memes, and I'm just not a trendy person, or have a lot of selfies, because people like to see faces, and…
00:42:43.280 --> 00:42:53.730 Elizabeth Elson: you know, none of that is really true. The thing about social media that I really like is that it really rewards authenticity.
00:42:53.730 --> 00:42:54.560 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right.
00:42:54.560 --> 00:43:02.120 Elizabeth Elson: You know, and because, you know, if you want to be an influencer, that's fine, like a typical…
00:43:02.420 --> 00:43:11.029 Elizabeth Elson: You know, stereotype of an influencer, but if you want to have influence, you really need to find a way to be yourself.
00:43:11.560 --> 00:43:16.920 Elizabeth Elson: And so, that's… that's the main thing I would say that,
00:43:17.210 --> 00:43:20.590 Elizabeth Elson: I have to work with of people is, you know.
00:43:20.710 --> 00:43:37.880 Elizabeth Elson: who are you? What do you want to say? What is your message? What is your, you know, we do a competitive analysis, we do a deep differentiation. What is your message? How are you different? What is unique to you? Who is your audience?
00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:46.990 Elizabeth Elson: You know, and once people start to think through those, because again, a lot of introverted people are contemplative, so they enjoy the process.
00:43:46.990 --> 00:43:55.709 Elizabeth Elson: They just haven't really been guided that way before, because they're just thinking, throw it out there, we'll get a bunch of likes, they're not
00:43:56.110 --> 00:44:01.100 Elizabeth Elson: Not necessarily thinking in terms of, like, no, you want your target audience
00:44:01.330 --> 00:44:16.819 Elizabeth Elson: you want to share your unique point of view, and then there's got to be a way to measure it on the other side. How are you connecting with these people other than likes? Yeah. So, once you kind of break it down for people, I find that, you know, because
00:44:16.940 --> 00:44:19.770 Elizabeth Elson: Introverted people do tend to be strategic.
00:44:19.890 --> 00:44:27.349 Elizabeth Elson: they do tend to be contemplative. Like, they really like it, because they can understand the process, but,
00:44:27.770 --> 00:44:42.499 Elizabeth Elson: you know, I think a lot of people are going for social media because somebody told them they have to do it, and they, you know, know that it'll help them scale their message, but they don't really want to do it, and they're kind of bummed about it. So, you know, a big part of my job is just
00:44:42.750 --> 00:44:59.759 Elizabeth Elson: Helping them understand the way it really works, and getting in the mindset of, no, this is a form of personal expression, we can be strategic about it, we can be resourceful about it, it's not going to take over your life, and this should be, you know, ideally, kind of fun.
00:45:00.410 --> 00:45:01.840 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You would hope.
00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:02.370 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah.
00:45:02.370 --> 00:45:10.160 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah, it took me a long time. A long time, like, doing this podcast.
00:45:10.860 --> 00:45:20.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: when I met my current marketing person, I met him over 2 years ago, and he said to me, oh, you should be doing a podcast! Absolutely not, I was like, no.
00:45:21.700 --> 00:45:23.300 Elizabeth Elson: Why not? Why not?
00:45:24.360 --> 00:45:30.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I just did not want to be on camera this much. I was just like, no!
00:45:30.860 --> 00:45:31.900 Elizabeth Elson: And here you are.
00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:42.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Here I am. And it became something this year that I was like, you know, and it was exactly how you explained it. It's about…
00:45:42.790 --> 00:46:00.590 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: being myself, and I don't have to do all the… what I thought were the wild things that you have to do when you're doing a podcast, or when you're on social media a lot, or just trying to share your message. I'm like, oh, no, I can just do it my way.
00:46:00.990 --> 00:46:02.390 Elizabeth Elson: Yay!
00:46:02.390 --> 00:46:09.649 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Which is great, but yes, I was a hard no for a long time on these kinds of social media things.
00:46:09.780 --> 00:46:27.389 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Alright, so we're going to take our final break, and when we return, we will be talking about strategies that you can put into your place for your own life if you happen to be an introverted leader here in this extroverted world. So, come on back.
00:48:00.770 --> 00:48:17.809 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Welcome back to the Expansion Room, and so in this segment, we're going to be talking about how to protect your energy, which is my favorite subject. I will never forget, years ago, I was working with a therapy client who was
00:48:18.610 --> 00:48:27.999 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: She complained of always being exhausted, and she said she had just too much to do, and her calendar was full.
00:48:28.410 --> 00:48:31.019 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I was like, how do you mean? Like.
00:48:31.460 --> 00:48:44.530 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Do you not get breaks? And so she pulls out her cell phone, pulls up her calendar, and it was literally full. She had, like, everything was color-coded and so forth, but there was no white space.
00:48:45.300 --> 00:48:54.789 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I was like, oh no, absolutely not. And we had already figured out she was an introvert. I had given her homework to read Susan Cain's book and her research.
00:48:54.790 --> 00:49:09.990 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so I was like, you've got to change that. And so that has been something that I have worked on for many years now with introverted clients who are overextending themselves, and overstimulated and on the verge of burnout.
00:49:10.040 --> 00:49:19.829 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, I hinted earlier at one of my strategies, is if I'm going to an event, or a party, at some sort of…
00:49:19.950 --> 00:49:26.700 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: people-facing activity, I know that my max is usually about 3 hours.
00:49:27.270 --> 00:49:45.690 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I could stretch it to 4 if it's not a large group, but 3 hours is usually pretty good, and I like to get to events at the beginning, and as it fills up, I'm the one who slips out at my 3-hour mark. And then I go home and chill.
00:49:46.270 --> 00:49:57.619 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So that's a strategy… a social strategy that I have. And then my other is how I structure my workday. I'm up very early in the morning.
00:49:58.080 --> 00:50:16.740 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I don't see first client until 10, so I usually get in my meditation, walking time, thinking time, coffee time, and then shower, get dressed, and all of that kind of stuff. All of that time is for me.
00:50:17.290 --> 00:50:28.370 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: and then I feel like I'm ready to interface with humans. And then at night, in the evenings, I… my phone goes on dark at a certain time.
00:50:28.370 --> 00:50:41.489 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I'm answering no more emails, I don't care if I see it come in, I'll check it in the morning, I'm good. So those are the ways that I set up my work days. How about you, Elizabeth?
00:50:42.800 --> 00:50:51.489 Elizabeth Elson: all those resonate with me. I am really that geeky person who's, like, the first one at the party to, hello! You know? I like it!
00:50:51.490 --> 00:50:52.979 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: setting up?
00:50:52.990 --> 00:51:01.200 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, exactly! What can I do to help? You know? It's nice, because you get to chit-chat with that person a little more one-on-one.
00:51:01.200 --> 00:51:02.839 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: True. Very true.
00:51:02.840 --> 00:51:18.600 Elizabeth Elson: You know, because I'm… I have to say, I am a little more, I enjoy the one-on-one time a little more than, like, the big group time. It's when the party kind of gets into the whole big group, and you can't really have a conversation, because you can't hear. I'm like.
00:51:18.600 --> 00:51:19.749 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I have been.
00:51:19.750 --> 00:51:25.230 Elizabeth Elson: Grandma's going home. Now, I'm not that old, but I've always been that way, you know.
00:51:25.510 --> 00:51:26.590 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Me too!
00:51:26.830 --> 00:51:42.230 Elizabeth Elson: So, that's… that's definitely a strategy. I like your meditation strategy, I like your time for yourself, your energy management strategy, and, you know, I would say, for me, a big thing is just…
00:51:42.350 --> 00:51:52.399 Elizabeth Elson: honestly, just not even really comparing myself to extroverted people. They just do things differently. Like, my husband actually is a huge extrovert.
00:51:52.530 --> 00:51:53.030 Elizabeth Elson: He's…
00:51:53.030 --> 00:51:53.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: 17.
00:51:53.440 --> 00:51:57.809 Elizabeth Elson: He gets really jazzed by, like, you know.
00:51:58.160 --> 00:52:06.930 Elizabeth Elson: teaching a big group of people and doing things in person, and he gets really excited and energized. He comes home, he's all hyped up and everything, and…
00:52:06.990 --> 00:52:22.069 Elizabeth Elson: you know, that's… that's great, and he… yeah, he just has a totally different way of doing it, and you know, we would go to a party, and of course there was always that, he's happy to stay there forever, and I'm like, oh my god.
00:52:22.790 --> 00:52:24.139 Elizabeth Elson: fully had enough.
00:52:26.600 --> 00:52:27.320 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You've probably been.
00:52:27.320 --> 00:52:29.259 Elizabeth Elson: seen that, right?
00:52:29.260 --> 00:52:46.780 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yes, I've been in trouble with partners, people I've dated in the past, who were more extroverted than me. And I now know, like, and I've said this to at least one or two clients, if you're going to a party with your extroverted partner, how about you take two cars?
00:52:47.110 --> 00:52:48.400 Elizabeth Elson: Mmm…
00:52:48.400 --> 00:52:50.740 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When you're ready to leave, you can go.
00:52:51.540 --> 00:52:53.690 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You take the Uber and let them keep the car.
00:52:54.180 --> 00:52:55.190 Elizabeth Elson: It's a good idea.
00:52:55.190 --> 00:52:55.980 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah.
00:52:55.980 --> 00:52:57.240 Elizabeth Elson: I never thought of that, but…
00:52:57.240 --> 00:53:05.489 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I was like, when you're ready, you should just go home, because then you're the grouchy person in the room.
00:53:07.400 --> 00:53:13.650 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah! Any other strategies that you… either you use, or that you would tell your clients?
00:53:13.650 --> 00:53:15.860 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah, for my clients,
00:53:15.900 --> 00:53:40.239 Elizabeth Elson: you know, I'm really thinking about this social media marketing. It really is strategy and systems. I feel like having systems like the one you talked of for yourself, you know, how you structure your day, or even having, like, a system for your social media is really protecting your energy, because you know what you're gonna do, you're not having to think about it every day, you're not having to engage with that every day.
00:53:40.480 --> 00:53:50.460 Elizabeth Elson: You're protecting your time. You know, redefining success, as clarity.
00:53:50.460 --> 00:53:52.519 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Rather than volume.
00:53:52.520 --> 00:54:11.660 Elizabeth Elson: Yes. You know, in terms of your communication, how clearly am I reaching people? It's not a matter of wanting to go viral. That's actually not even that helpful. You just really want to get the people that really need to hear your message, you know, so it's…
00:54:12.710 --> 00:54:18.250 Elizabeth Elson: picking platforms that fit your communication style.
00:54:18.700 --> 00:54:26.019 Elizabeth Elson: And, like, knowing that you can really lead with ideas rather than personality.
00:54:26.020 --> 00:54:26.590 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Yeah.
00:54:26.590 --> 00:54:32.210 Elizabeth Elson: and… the reason I think these are important to mention is because a lot of the
00:54:32.560 --> 00:54:38.219 Elizabeth Elson: Advice that you do get for social media marketing is made for extroverts.
00:54:39.160 --> 00:54:58.279 Elizabeth Elson: And so, you do kind of have to, as an introverted person, especially if you really want to get your message out about your service or your business, you do have to think of a different way to approach it. And you do have to understand that it's going to be different for you, and that's…
00:54:59.090 --> 00:55:12.770 Elizabeth Elson: great! You can still have a ton of success, but what's gonna work for you is… is gonna be different. You know, you're gonna be thinking of marketing as sharing your message and expressing your authentic
00:55:13.050 --> 00:55:27.710 Elizabeth Elson: message unique to you more than, like, self-promotion. You know, that's a big mind twist for a lot of people. Marketing's not a dirty thing. You want to get your message out. That's why you're passionate about it. It's a service, so…
00:55:28.080 --> 00:55:31.910 Elizabeth Elson: I think… Things like that have been really…
00:55:32.370 --> 00:55:34.859 Elizabeth Elson: helpful to me, and also just…
00:55:35.500 --> 00:55:45.790 Elizabeth Elson: get into it! Be an extra… be an introvert! It's cool! You're contemplative, you're thoughtful, you're empathetic, you know?
00:55:45.790 --> 00:55:46.140 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Own it!
00:55:46.140 --> 00:55:50.079 Elizabeth Elson: relate to a lot of different types of people. Those are wonderful things, you know.
00:55:50.080 --> 00:55:51.240 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely.
00:55:51.240 --> 00:55:52.899 Elizabeth Elson: We all have our gifts.
00:55:52.900 --> 00:55:54.320 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Own it.
00:55:54.320 --> 00:55:54.840 Elizabeth Elson: Yeah.
00:55:55.610 --> 00:56:04.819 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Absolutely. I think I would also add to this, because I keep hearing about the endless days of meetings.
00:56:04.820 --> 00:56:06.050 Elizabeth Elson: Mmm, yes.
00:56:06.050 --> 00:56:13.190 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And if you're a leader, you can set the tone on the whole meeting situation.
00:56:13.190 --> 00:56:13.660 Elizabeth Elson: Yep.
00:56:13.660 --> 00:56:21.359 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? Number one, you don't have to have back-to-back meetings. You don't have to have what we used to call in the federal government, meetings about meetings.
00:56:22.200 --> 00:56:27.199 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Which drove me bananas. Like, you could have sent me that in an email!
00:56:27.440 --> 00:56:42.199 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And consider using email. Like, do you have to meet face-to-face, either in person or over Zoom, when you could do an actual email outlining what it is you needed to convey?
00:56:43.390 --> 00:56:46.040 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? So, just like this…
00:56:46.140 --> 00:56:59.429 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: meeting conservation, meeting energy conservation, setting boundaries around meetings, I think, can be very helpful, and when people have a little bit more space in their day.
00:56:59.460 --> 00:57:10.199 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: They feel more energized, more of ability or capacity to be creative and problem solve, but the constant meetings really drains people.
00:57:10.410 --> 00:57:13.530 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Really drains people, especially introverts.
00:57:13.690 --> 00:57:19.520 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So we talked about solitude, and we talked about leading with your authentic voice.
00:57:20.150 --> 00:57:23.279 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And creative recovery time.
00:57:23.870 --> 00:57:25.819 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Anything else you can think of?
00:57:27.380 --> 00:57:32.910 Elizabeth Elson: No, I just love that music that you played before we came on, that song about the cosmos.
00:57:32.910 --> 00:57:33.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Oh, yes.
00:57:33.860 --> 00:57:40.800 Elizabeth Elson: Stars, and it kind of made me feel contemplative, and somehow seemed quite related to this conversation.
00:57:40.800 --> 00:57:51.300 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Indeed, right? It was a song put together by clips of a bunch of scientists, like Neil Lagrasse?
00:57:51.590 --> 00:57:52.460 Elizabeth Elson: Tyson? Yeah.
00:57:52.460 --> 00:58:05.249 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Thank you. Him and several others, and so they have these music artists took clips of their voices, and then either slowed them down or sped them up.
00:58:05.440 --> 00:58:19.449 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And made a song. It's beautiful. It's pretty cool, yeah. It was one of my favorite songs, so yeah, that we get to hear before this show. I don't know if it happens before all of the shows, but it happens before mine.
00:58:19.450 --> 00:58:20.740 Elizabeth Elson: Love it.
00:58:20.940 --> 00:58:33.639 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Wonderful. Well, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, Elizabeth, for joining me on the show and sharing your wisdom from the space and from the lens, that you have.
00:58:33.640 --> 00:58:49.630 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: On this work as an introverted entrepreneur, working mostly, it sounds like, with other introverts, which is so wonderful in this world where we're all being asked to be more front-facing, especially in social media.
00:58:50.340 --> 00:58:53.050 Elizabeth Elson: Thank you, Siobhan. It was really fun to talk to you.
00:58:53.050 --> 00:58:56.020 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Thank you, thank you, Telhari I said hello.
00:58:56.020 --> 00:58:57.040 Elizabeth Elson: I will do that.
00:58:57.040 --> 00:59:12.600 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And to the audience, if there's anything that resonated in this episode for you, I definitely, would hope that you start to look into how to shift things for yourself.
00:59:12.680 --> 00:59:25.579 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And put boundaries around your energy, or if you know someone in your life who is a quiet leader, or leans more introverted, definitely share this episode.
00:59:25.580 --> 00:59:35.610 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I invite you all to like and subscribe on whichever platform you're watching or listening, and join us next week here on The Expansion Room.
00:59:35.610 --> 00:59:36.450 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Take care.
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