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Do You Have Traits of an Introvert?
What's an introverted entrepreneur, and do they make horrible business owners? In fact, there's no lack of very successful entrepreneurs who are introverted. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet both identify themselves as introverted. Many online entrepreneurs self-identify as introverted – it's probably more common than not. 
Introversion is commonly defined as gaining energy from being alone rather than in crowds. If you're introverted you probably place value on ideas, concepts, and working independently. You might get drained in a crowd.
One question I get often is about marketing. Actually, what I hear is, “I'm introverted, I just can't market my business.” That's an excuse, not a trait of being an introverted entrepreneur.
One of my subscribers asked if I would talk about business management tips specifically for introverted entrepreneurs. So I created two videos about this topic – but the video below is the more honest one.
Tips for Introverted Entrepreneurs
If you are introverted and own your own business, these tips will be helpful for you.
There are two ways to think about your business if you are introverted.
- How can you manage your time and business systems so that these support you?
- How can you see yourself first as an entrepreneur, and secondly as introverted, rather than the other way around.
As I mentioned in the video, there are 4 things you can do if you're an introverted entrepreneur.
- Always work with your ideal clients because this will energize you rather than drain you
- Manage your time to take being introverted into consideration, using time blocking
- Make sure that you have respite during the day
- Participate in networking activities that play to your strengths – more than likely smaller groups rather than large crowded events.
Think of Yourself as a Business Owner First
If you look at the larger picture of being an entrepreneur, worrying about whether you are an introvert doesn't even matter. Entrepreneurs have a set of tasks that are intrinsic to owning a business. Those tasks include:
- Deciding who your ideal market is
- Getting very clear about your brand (brand clarity)
- Knowing what your offers are going to be
- Knowing what your pricing structure is going to be
- Knowing what you're going to do to generate leads into your business
- Knowing how you want to work with social media to increase your visibility.
All of those things (and more) are things that every entrepreneur has to do. If you identify yourself first as an introvert instead of first as an entrepreneur, then chances are you're using being an introvert as an excuse because you are not confident about going full steam ahead in your business.
In the end, being an introverted entrepreneur doesn't matter. In fact, it's probably the norm. Your task is to quit defining yourself in terms that limit what you do toward your business.
What matters far more than being introverted or extroverted is that you are willing to do what it takes to have your business grow and succeed, because it is really, truly what you want for yourself. It is your desired life. When you are motivated to have your most desired life, you don't spend time thinking, “But I'm introverted, so I can't do these things.” You just work at building your business and doing all the tasks that must be done.
No matter who we are, or how we identify ourselves, we will find things in owning a business that push us out of our comfort zone. How much we are willing to be uncomfortable is a measure of how well our business will do. It's the same for introverts as for extroverts.
You can find 5 tips specifically for marketing and networking in this article if you'd like to know more. And if you've got a tip to share with other introverted entrepreneurs, please leave it in the comments.
So many awesome and practical tips here, thank you for this thoughful and helpful post! I think many people don’t even realize that they have some ‘introvert’ which can create puzzling dilemmas. I could talk in front of a thousand people if I knew exactly why I was talking. Put me in a coctail party and I feel like a complete social dud! Paralysis makes me want to find my car keys and slip away. Your article here makes a lot of sense. Re-positioning our identification with introversion can open up tons of possibilities!
You’re welcome, Judy! Yes, if we think of ourself as “introverted AND” it opens the possibilities.
I love the way you’ve reframed this, Sue, and I feel sure it will enormously helpful for those entrepreneurs who might have felt their introversion was holding them back. I agree completely that your four tips are appropriate and useful for any entrepreneur. I am an extrovert, but I still don’t like walking by myself into a large group of people and have to start networking. Looking for smaller groups or finding opportunities to share or present to small groups is not just more comfortable for me, but it’s more effective in making meaningful connections. We should all play to our strengths, and that’s why I include Self Knowledge as one of the four essential keys to unlocking the Heartspoken Life. We have to know ourselves—our skills, our weaknesses, our likes, and our dislikes—before we can perform best in our business or our life.
Thanks for stopping by, Elizabeth. I like the idea of taking what we think of as “weaknesses” and reframing those as “differences” that are open to change.