00:00:00 You are listening to the Scaling to Freedom podcast and if you are an online coach or course creator, you are in the right place. I’m your host, Christina Bernhard. I’m an Ads agency owner that gets an inside look every day on what’s working and what doesn’t in the online coaching space. I’m here to share with you what we see works in our agency as well as what we see happening and changing in the industry.

00:00:21 Stay tuned to up level your coaching business to have the freedom you want. Let’s get started. You are listening to episode 180. And today I have a special guest. Her name is Lindsay Maloney and we are going to be talking about building and scaling a business as an introvert. And I was really excited about this conversation because I am very introverted. And the things that come with being introverted were some of my biggest struggles at the beginning of my business.

00:00:54 Being able to show up have to network, show my face, be on video, you know do lives, things like that were my personal struggles, and I was able to overcome those struggles. And I feel very comfortable networking and on video and things like that. But I loved how we talked about the powers of being an introvert and how it’s not a disadvantage to business and just like the differences between introversion and extroversion. And so I thought it was a really great conversation. So I think that you guys will enjoy it.

00:01:28 In the show notes are going to be everything about Lindsay and how to work with her. So definitely check that out. And here’s the interview. Okay, so today I have Lindsay and we are going to talk about something I’m so excited about because I am really introverted. And so I think that this topic is really important for me specifically and I’m really excited to dive into it.

00:01:51 But also, I think a lot of people can relate to this because as a business owner, it feels like what sells and what really attracts a lot of people is being loud and especially on social media and TikTok and stuff, all the dancing and things like that, that introverts may not be as excited about. And so it always feels like you have to be that. And so I’m really excited to talk about being an introvert but still scaling and growing a business, not being that kind of person. So Lindsay, how about we get started and you just tell us more about you and yourself and your journey and where you are now. Yes, well, thank you so much for having me.

00:02:34 I’m excited to talk about this. It’s one of the most popular topics that people come to me for. And it always makes me giggle a little bit because I talk about being an introvert all of the time. And to think I have how far I’ve come from being the shyest child ever to talking about being shy and growing a business alongside of it. I have to start with who I help first.

00:02:59 And I help busy coaches reclaim their time, serve with ease and scale in 5 hours a week. But maybe I should add to it without dancing and lip syncing and doing all these things because when you are online and growing your business or just even starting, you’re going to notice the loudest voices, right? And because that’s just natural, we’re always going to hear the loudest things and we see the loudest things. Especially now, we think that we need to be these people, that it’s totally not us. And we hear step out of your comfort zone and all of these taglines, but we’re like, I am because I’m starting a business.

00:03:37 But now what do I do? Do I have to do what she’s doing? And it can feel really hard. So I built my business really doing things my way because when I started many years ago, the voices I had in my head was start doing video, step out of your comfort zone, quit your job, do all these things. And every single one I thought, that’s not what I want.

00:04:04 That doesn’t apply to me. That doesn’t apply to what I want. So I really had to go against the grain the whole way and I did it in a way that felt good for me and my family. So my voice right now is to help female coaches really dig into what they want as they grow their business and how they want to do this and make sure we do it and we master it so our business can grow and breathe and be successful in our own way. Yeah, I love that.

00:04:33 And I love how you said you even just mentioned your journey from being so shy because I completely relate to that as well. When I first started my business, like you said, those loudest voices are just so they just attract you. And it felt like I felt like I had to be that and I’m just not. But I was also just terrified to even do a Facebook Live or something. And so now it’s just natural and it’s fine.

00:05:04 And another thing too that I want to ask you about also is sometimes now because I’m not super shy like I used to be, but I’m still very much like my introverted self. And sometimes I meet people and they’re like, you’re so outgoing, how are you introverted? And I feel like there’s just a misunderstanding of what introverted means. And so how about we start with you describing how to know if someone is an introvert.

00:05:37 So I didn’t know what an introvert was for 30 some years of my life. And one day I stumbled upon an article. I don’t remember how I found it and it was like it was written for me. It was about, okay, so you’re the person who people might claim is really shy and standoffish, but when you are placed in your comfort zone, we can’t get you to stop talking. You are the person who is always thinking of what to say and listening to everybody else.

00:06:08 You are the person who is in the back of the room analyzing everybody and then deciding carefully when you will make your move or when an introvert starts talking, you better be quiet and listen, because they’ve been thinking about it for a long time. And so I thought, okay, maybe I’m not so weird, maybe I’m not so shy because I was always kind of put in the box of Lindsay is too shy if Lindsay would speak up if she reads too much, and blah, blah, blah. And it’s like, well, that’s just who I am. I can’t change that. I’m a social person.

00:06:38 So I always thought there was something wrong with me, but then when I read this article, I thought, you know what? I’ve been working from home for almost at that time, probably ten or so years, and I thought, is that how I am keeping myself safe? And then I thought deeper about it, and I thought, well, no, this is how I thrive. I thrive being in my comfort zone. And then I thought, oh, my gosh.

00:07:03 So coaches who identify as an introvert can really thrive from home because they’re in their comfort zone. I pray you’re in your comfort zone if you’re at home. And so I thought, okay, well, I’m not going to let anything stop me. And so I kind of released all of the old thoughts and stories that I had written about me by myself or someone else, of how there’s no way you could do this, there’s no way you could get on camera and talk and write and then think people are going to pay you for what you do. I erased all of that, and I thought, I am operating from my comfort zone.

00:07:35 And I think introverts get labeled incorrectly because she’s shy and she’s quiet, and that’s kind of the basis of where people kind of pull that from. And I really don’t think that introverts are shy. I think introverts are just not eager to speak up because they don’t like small talk. And introverts are uncomfortable. I’m very uncomfortable with small talk.

00:07:56 Like, let’s just get to the point. And so I don’t believe that labeling anybody is necessary for anything. So I never talk to somebody and say, oh, she’s an introvert or she’s an Enneagram five, or whatever it is. We’re just ourselves. We’re just busy being ourselves, for sure.

00:08:12 Yeah, I love that. And so with those different characteristics, which, as you were explaining, all of that was like, nodding. Like, yes, that’s me, that’s me. How can you use that to your advantage? Well, you have to decide what you want, and you have to stop paying attention to everybody else, even the loud voices. And whether that means you have to unfollow people or you have to just lay off of making everything mean something about you, you have to take responsibility for how you’re going to do this. So if you’re going to start a business, how do you want to do this? Really? If we’re sitting at a table together and I could just design how you’re going to make this happen, what would it look like?

00:08:54 Because there is no one way to do this. It’s how do you want to do it? And that’s so uncomfortable for us to think about because why, I don’t know. I’ve never done it. And so then you got to start trying stuff. What do you like doing? And start small and start taking those baby steps. The reason why online business can be so confusing is because there’s a trillion ways to make this a success for you. And we think we need to do everything, and if we’re not, then we’re doing something wrong.

00:09:26 And really, it’s like if you’re walking down an aisle, you could pick up things like, okay, I’m going to post every day on Instagram. This is how I’m going to do that’s, how I’m going to connect with people on social media. And then I’m also going to grab this because I feel like I could make a podcast episode every week. And then I’m also going to create an offer suite because I can just create classes all the time and you’re just picking up things and putting them in your cart. Like, this is how I’m going to do my business.

00:09:54 This is what’s in my cart, and this is how I’m going to make it happen. And you have to take, like I said, responsibility, with yourself and say, whatever I do is going to work. I trust that it might take a year, it might take more, it might take a few days. I have no idea, but I trust it. And I’m excited to just go try it and see what happens.

00:10:14 That’s kind of really the best way to grow your business. It sounds kind of fluffy and like, no, I need solid one, twos and threes. But it doesn’t work that way. It just doesn’t. Yeah, I love that because like we said, just wanting or always feeling like you have to do what everyone else is doing.

00:10:31 And maybe you don’t have to necessarily always do in person events or speaking on stages or things like that if that’s not something you want to do. But a podcast can be just as effective. And there’s so many different journeys to growing. How would you say that you can claim your superpowers as an introvert? Because I know there’s like books about it and stuff like that.

00:11:01 And I’ve heard so much about using your own superpowers specifically for introversion because it always, like growing up for me, when I was in college, I got a psychology degree, so I knew what introversion what introverts and extroverts were and what the differences was. But I always felt like, and this might just be my perception of it and how I kind of absorbed things, but I always felt like extroverts were kind of superior to introverts, and that’s just how I always felt, maybe just because I was introverted and it was like a confidence thing. But there has been way more talk about that introversion is its own superpower also.

00:11:45 So how can someone actually claim those superpowers as an introvert? I think that we have to stop caring. I know you’re listening to this because you identify as an introvert, or maybe you’re learning about somebody who is. I think we really have to stop using it as an excuse because that you’re not doing something. I don’t go live on Instagram because I’m an introvert and how do I build a program because I’m an introvert?

00:12:12 I don’t ever use that word, you guys. And that’s why I always giggle when people want to talk about this with me, because I never talk about it. And it’s so funny because if you carry on any kind of label that’s going to hinder you, that’s going to be your thing, like you’re just going to say, well, I can’t do that because I’m an introvert. Well, I can make up a million reasons why I couldn’t do something, because I really didn’t want to. Why don’t you just get in tune with what you do and what you don’t want to do?

00:12:39 But if you’re looking at your superpowers, just because you are an introvert doesn’t mean we all come with a blanket statement of superpowers. We are our own person. So for me, I had to look at what made me unique, so I had to take a look at what are my special qualities, which is such a hard thing for people to do. I don’t have a list of, like, why Lindsay is amazing, but I do know that I am a very random person. And so whenever I come up with a new idea, it’s never in my office.

00:13:14 It’s always like when I’m doing something I enjoy or just mindlessly washing the dishes, I have to move with it. I used to come up with an idea and put it away for a rainy day, but now when I have an idea, I move with it. And that makes me feel like I’m generating something to help other people. I don’t hold back on information. I’m always wanting to show you.

00:13:35 So I think that one of the things that a characteristic of an introvert is they love to research stuff and they have to find out everything. Like, if I hear somebody sick or they’re dealing with something, I need to know everything about it and how I can fix it. And so that’s what I applied that to my business. I know that you’re hurting with this. I know that you’re struggling with this, I am going to find a way to help you.

00:13:58 And so that’s kind of how I operated my business is I know your pain points because I lived them, I’ve gone through them. But I also know that there’s a way out. And that’s kind of how I’ve built everything that I have. I didn’t hold back because I didn’t think it was good enough. I felt like if this idea came to me, I’m going to act on it. Because if you stop acting on bright ideas and light bulb moments, they’re not going to come to you anymore. And I also know that we’re very thoughtful in what we do, right? We’re not going to just throw something out there for no reason because everyone else is doing it. And I think that’s why we feel like our nails are being on a chalkboard when we’re going on social media sometimes. Because it always feels like people are telling us what to do and they’re telling us what mistakes we’re making.

00:14:46 And doesn’t that get old when you go on social media and like five things you need to do and you’re brushing your teeth wrong, you’re walking your dog wrong, we’re doing everything wrong. Literally everything. So I decided a long time ago, I’m not approaching social media like that anymore because it doesn’t feel good. When people come to me on social media, I’m going to make people feel so good about themselves and empowered and motivated to move forward. But how can I do that without throwing up some mushy little quote?

00:15:17 Well, what I’m going to do is I’m going to change the way I speak to people. I’m going to empower people. I’m going to say, if I sat down at the table across from you and you wanted to know, how do you work 5 hours a week? How is that even possible? I wouldn’t say, well, here are the mistakes you’re making. Because I would put them down. I would say, here’s how I do this. And then they would grab their piece of paper and they would grab their pen, and they would write down everything that I’m saying. I want you to sit across from me on social media while I tell you how I did this. That’s why so much of my content starts out that way, because it makes them feel like I’m talking to them and lifting up.

00:15:56 So that is how I have used my quote unquote superpowers to not only grow my business with my products, but to make people feel really good when they come into my world. Yeah, I love that and I love hearing also you just list out the specific things because I think even hearing you list out the strengths of an introvert, I was just like, yeah, that’s totally, I relate to that. But I think anyone who is an introvert and listening can also relate to those things and just remember it too, because they are really amazing things. Like even the research thing that’s so valuable because a lot of people don’t want to go and do all of that research to figure out how to solve their problem. And we’re willing to do that and love it and can really just dive into that and simplify it.

00:16:47 It’s one of my favorite things to do is be able to simplify things for people. I think it’s really helpful. With that, and also having where like you were talking about coming up with the specific things that work for you based on what your strengths are. What are some ways that people can show up in their business in a way that works for them? Well, you have to know the ways that are possible and that’s just doing the research.

00:17:23 And then now you get to play, now you can do research. What are all the possible ways that I could do this? And you can do it any way you want. I think the next important thing is to find somebody who is doing it in the way you would want to do it in a year or five years from now. Find that person and sit at their feet and learn from them, get to know how they operate day to day and then find that person should also be very transparent with how they run their business when they’re not in their office.

00:17:53 I think the most important part of running a business, especially as somebody who mentors people and coaches people, it’s not so much as like what you do on screen as who you are off screen and you need to find somebody who you, like I could not only learn from this person, but I could also sit and have coffee with her because she makes me happy, makes me feel good and find those people and put them on your radar. You don’t have to work with them, you don’t have to invest in them. I’m not saying you have to do all these things, but you can find so much about somebody just by following them online and seeing what they do through their stories, how they show up in their feed and like I said, sit at their feet and learn. There’s so much information out there.

00:18:39 But I think finding those one or two people who are like, this is my girl, I know I can always go to her just to feel good, to learn something, to get inspired. You got to find those people for yourself and then you be that person for somebody else too. Yeah, I love that. Especially following them, like you even mentioned before, unfollowing people that don’t make you feel good about yourself, which has been a bigger topic more recently, which I love. I love that we can kind of curate our feed to put us in a certain mental space.

00:19:13 So I love that. Is there anything else that we haven’t covered that you think would be helpful that the listeners should hear about or anything you think we missed? Well, one thing, that confidence is huge. That’s why I have the Confident Coach Club because I believe knowledge is and knowledge is going to make us go forward. So that’s why I always put in new things every single month to help you grow in your confidence, in your business.

00:19:44 Because people are attracted to confidence. They’re not attracted to a person who’s like, I hate everything I do, everything I do is terrible. People aren’t going to want to work with somebody like that. So the confident coach club is where I put all that stuff. But then take it one step further, that’s where I’ll leave you, is being brave.

00:20:02 It takes a lot to do what we do every day. If you think about the day before you started your business, you weren’t doing any of this. You weren’t listening to podcasts and going on interviews and writing content and thinking about what you’re going to do tomorrow and the next day and the next. You weren’t handling the amount of money that’s coming into your bank account every month. You weren’t doing any of this the day before you started.

00:20:28 Right. Acknowledge how brave you’ve been since day one and pull from that bravery to keep moving yourself forward. People are really attracted to, yes, the visuals of how you did this and how you can help them. But what’s really attractive is somebody who’s just brave and goes for it. They don’t care how long it’s going to take, they’re just going to do it.

00:20:51 They’re brave, they’re confident, they’re brave, they’re knowledgeable, they’re wise, they’re mastering every aspect of their life. And that’s what is an all encompassing process in being a highly successful coach and mentor. I love that. I so agree. Do you have any special offers for our listeners?

00:21:15 Of course. I have lots of things on my shop page. I am kind of known for my digital product suite. I have products at every single price point you could imagine. I have my doors open as wide as possible for coaches to come in and learn from me.

00:21:30 So I have things from five dollars to one thousand dollars. And then I love to promote my Confident Coach Club because it’s my $5 membership. And this is where you can get dozens of trainings and master classes on how to grow your business every single month. We have a great community aspect to it and then I pop in new trainings every single month as well. Oh, that’s so amazing.

00:21:52 Yeah, we’re definitely going to put links in the show notes too, for everything. And even though we’re going to put links in the show notes, where can people connect with you? I know that you also have a podcast, so definitely would love to hear about that and where you would prefer people go to? Yes. So my podcast is called The Book Your Dream Clients podcast and you can find everything that I have on Lindsaymaloney.com.

00:22:15 And I spend most of my time if I’m on social media, it’s on Instagram. So I like to post what I’m doing during the day and then of course, I live what I preach and I take my feed seriously and I make sure that when you stumble upon it, you’re going to want to stay and binge all of the content and I’m just Lindsay_Maloney easy to find. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I think this is so good.

00:22:39 And again, I love this topic because I’m also a fellow introvert. But also, like I said, I really did feel especially starting my business. I mean, starting my business was probably the biggest trigger of it, but even just my whole life always felt a little like extroverts were kind of superior. And then whenever I had to start my business, it felt so defeating. I remember wanting to be this loud extrovert at that time because I just felt like, well, it’s easy for them because they’re so extroverted.

00:23:11 But I love that we went over and talked about how you can make things carve your own path, which is essentially what I did. And it also just got easier and easier, as you said, just being brave and building that confidence. And you really can find your own way. And you do not have to be anyone but yourself. So I love that.

00:23:31 Really appreciate you coming on and we’ll definitely put all the links in the show notes so people can find you. Amazing. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for listening to the Scaling to Freedom podcast. If you are a seven figure coach looking for ads management with an agency that partners with you to get your work out into the world and amplify your impact, see if we are a good fit by applying for a spot in our agency@christinaburnhard.com. Apply, find the link in our show notes.