3 ways to (authentically) shine your light as an introverted entrepreneur, by Tanja Gardner

Ever felt turned off by the idea of having to “shine” in your business?

Sometimes the language of marketing can be… well, at best offputting, and at worst intimidating… for spiritual, heart-based introverts in business.

Constant exhortations to “stand out from the crowd”, “let your freak flag fly” and “boldly shine your light” can leave you wanting to run for cover.  In fact, if you’re like many introverts, it can leave you wondering whether you’re really cut out for this whole business thing in the first place.

But there’s no one right way to do anything, and there’s far more than just one way to shine. Many of those ways have nothing whatsoever to do with the loud, flashy, hype-y marketing that’s such an anathema to most of us introverts.

Here are 3 techniques to shine in a way that feels totally authentic for you…

A big part of what puts many introverts off when they’re told they need to “shine” is the belief that doing so means they need to become someone they’re not.  Well-meaning extroverts can sometimes give the impression that only by using skills that feel like pulling teeth to develop can you ever have a successful business.

The truth, however, is that you’ll shine brighter by being your authentic self than you ever will trying to cram yourself into someone else’s ill-fitting mould.  Here are three specific ways you can shine while being 100% totally and completely true to who you are.

1.Draw on your own unique skills and strengths, rather than focussing on your weaknesses

Growing a heart-based business demands many, many different skills. And even the most successful six-figure entrepreneurs out there haven’t mastered all of them.  In fact, most successful entrepreneurs would tell you they got that way by focussing on what they’re good at, and either outsourcing or letting go of the rest.

There’s a whole set of skills and talents that tend to be stronger in introverts than in extroverts. You probably won’t be great at all of them – no-one is – but you’ll likely find at least 2-3 that you know are strengths for you.  Rather than frustratedly beating yourself up about your weaknesses, identify your unique strengths and look at how you can use them in your business.

The confidence you feel when you connect with those strengths will shine through as you talk about what you do.

2.Love what you do and then express that love when you communicate with your perfect people

We introverts have an undeserved reputation for being quiet, reserved and unenthusiastic.  The actual truth is that if you start most of us talking about something we’re genuinely passionate about, we often find it hard to shut up again!

So take a moment to ask yourself why you started your business in the first place.  What did you want to achieve with it?  Who did you want to help?  What difference for the better did you want to make in the world? And why did you want all of that?

Remember that enthusiasm doesn’t need to be loud, brash or abrasive. Reconnect with the passion – quiet or otherwise – that you first felt back when you were starting up.  Let it  bubble up inside of you when you’re talking about what you do to the folks you’d like to be able to help.

You’ll feel it shining through you… and so will the people you talk with.

3. Make sure you have the energy you need to shine available when you need it

No-one tells us, when we start off as entrepreneurs, how much freaking energy it takes to run a business.

If you’re like most introverts, the constant interactions of everyday life leave you operating with your energy tank half-full at the best of times.  Add to that the energy it takes to figure out who your ideal clients are, how to connect with them, and how to create offerings that perfectly meet their needs? It’s no wonder so many introverts find trying to grow a business exhausting.

And none of us can truly shine when we’re feeling flat, tired, drained and overwhelmed.

The answer here is to learn to proactively manage your energy, so that you have it available when you need it.  And doing that – at least the way I teach it – involves a 3-step process in which you:

1. Get crystal clear on the things in your business and life that drain you
2. Get equally clear on the things that re-energise you
3. Use your knowledge of #1 and #2 to proactively plan your business and life to ensure you have the energy you need, when you need it

Learn how the 3-Step Energy Management Process can help you shine in your business

The 3-Step Energy Management Process is at the heart of the work I do with my 1:1 coaching clients.  It’s a way of taking control of your energy levels and deciding what YOU want to spend your limited energy on… instead of simply responding to the energy drains life throws your way.

And on February 3^rd (2^nd in the US and UK), I’ll be running a 4-week programme that shows you step-by-step how to implement the process in your unique situation.

CLICK HERE to find out more about Energy Management for Introverted Businessfolk  and see whether it’s right for you.

Tanja Gardner is a deeply introverted (but not even *slightly* shy!) heart-based entrepreneur who started out as a copywriter for difference-makers.

Then she discovered that what she really wanted to do was help fellow introverts build their businesses without exhausting themselves.  So she started Conscious Introvert Success: a treasure-trove of introvert-friendly resources, information and coaching.

To connect with Tanja, follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Or you can check out Conscious Introvert Awesomeness: her free community for introverted business owners to connect with and support each other.