The Introverted Entrepreneur

Not every entrepreneur is a extrovert as most people are shy and or don’t want to be pushy when it comes to selling their product or service. But in reality you have to be ok with putting your business out their for consumers to be able to buy from you.

Don’t think I’m right? Well I’ll prove it to you… 

Most famous start up companies have been created and founded by introverts.. not extroverts which is what you’ve probably thought in the past. Some of the biggest startups such as “Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & Instagram have been founded by some people who you would think just because they have created this multi billion dollar company that they are extroverts.. not the case.

Lets thank technology for a minute because for us introverts we don’t really like mingling with tons of people all in one room, we’d much rather do one on one interviews or meeting people that way. As it can be overwhelming for some to be in large rooms with lots of people and the chaos just adds to it. Even in the business world introverts can use technology to connect with people and make business connections. As face to face is no longer standard but eventually you will need to interact with people face to face daily if your creating a business.

DRIVE AND FOCUS – Call it ambition, drive, Type-A personality, or anything else, but introverts can buckle down when things get tough. They thrive off of recharging alone, which means powering through that last-minute proposal is where they thrive. Some may think we are anti social but in fact we are just driven and can focus on our own for hours at a time which means more productivity.

Be Conscious of Your Energy! Yes, time is valuable, but your energy is even more valuable. Identify the things that drain you. Long phone conversations, unnecessary meetings, lunches, etc. In fact, look for specific people in your life that drain you. Eliminate as many of these energy-suckers as possible. As an introverted entrepreneur you must be aware that you can only do so much and take into account how long you can last around people without having to re-charge yourself and be alone. Try and accomplish as much as you mentally can handle before having to put yourself on your own to recovery from all the human interaction.

As I said above you should try and accomplish as much as you can but also should try and push your boundaries and prepare and teach yourself your ok and to set small goals for your self to try and accomplish.  Push Your Comfort Zone! Just because you’re an introvert, it doesn’t give you an excuse to be invisible. Flex your extroverted muscles when it’s profitable for you.

“ Don’t worry about impression, worry about results.- People want to know how you can make their lives easier, so that should be the first thing you talk about when you’re marketing yourself and your product. Figure out how you can help them before you start worrying about how many likes or views you get on your content.”

The hardest part about being an introverted entrepreneur is that we worry about the impression we make on people. As Entrepreneurs we package up our mind and skills and sell them to the public in exchange for an income. To earn a passive income you must be able to give the public exactly what they need to make their lives better.

Not shy or  Anti social on purpose – Being comfortable being alone—and thinking before acting—can give introverts a leg up as they formulate a business plan or come up with new strategies once the company is launched. We can spend hours alone and accomplish a lot in a short amount of time rather than being with a group of people and working with them. An introvert will spend countless hours locked away with no communication with the outside world and create e-course, e-books… etc and be absolutely ok with that.

Partner with Others Who Have Different Skills Than You , in some cases it might be best to partner up with an extrovert and gain some knowledge into their world. They  can even bring out a better side to you, a more fun and open one.

They know when to call it quits. Give yourself time limits as that can help you stay organized and not flustered at a conference or in situations with lots of people. If you have a set order of things you need to do its best if you don’t rush and give yourself a time limit to complete it in.  Such as at a conference.. give yourself 20-25 minutes to get a coffee, sign in, get your badge and meet 1 new person.  Some times all it takes is a few minutes of mingling to settle down and then you’ll feel more relaxed and will be ok to stay longer.

Don’t be down on your self if you think you need to be extroverted to run a multi million dollar company. Introverts are sometimes the best people to run those business.. so #JustBeYou