Hi, and welcome back to the awfully quiet podcast. I am so glad you're here and a special welcome to anybody who's new to the show. These past couple of weeks have been mind blowing for me. I have not only seen a lot new listeners to the show, a lot more downloads than I've previously seen, but what's also starting to happen is real time conversations that I'm having with you.

Like people reaching out with feedback or saying that one of the episodes resonated with them. And most importantly, and what I absolutely love is I'm starting to receive questions. I'm starting to receive topics that you would like me to cover. And this is where it really starts to feel like we're becoming a community.

It's becoming a two way street. This is not just me in front of a microphone speaking into a void and Whenever you send in a question or whenever you share with me a challenge that you're currently facing in the workplace, this becomes so much more meaningful to me. It becomes so much more tangible and targeted.

And I know that whatever I'm covering today is going to really resonate With you and hopefully help you. So today's episode really is inspired by one of the questions that I received this month. And this question is how do you handle work tasks that feel unfulfilling, you know, like the boring stuff, the repetitive, the mind numbing tasks.

especially when you're early in your career or stepping into a new role. And I really, really liked this question because I think we need to acknowledge it's a really common scenario, especially if you're an introvert. And trust me, I have definitely been there. I have been the one stuck with those.

Massive periodic performance reports, the endless Excel sheets that nobody else wants to touch, or trying to make PowerPoints look good for senior leaders. I am honestly doing that one until this day. And, um, I think the thing though, Is it's not just a newbie problem. It's not just this thing that you need to overcome early into a new role.

It's obviously a classic when you're just out of university, when you're just, you know, trying to break into a new field. But honestly, this can come up time and time again throughout your career. And for some of us, especially introverts, It's a constant challenge. You feel like you have to prove yourself over and over again, build that visibility and reputation before you even get trusted.

With the more exciting work, with the more exciting stuff. And, um I think to begin with the one thing I want to land is it's not just about doing a few boring tasks here and there, I think we can all appreciate that every job has them, even your dream gig or the dreamiest of dream jobs will have its fair share of routine stuff.

And, and we all acknowledge that we all know that I think in an ideal world, we'd be. Trying to achieve that 80, 20 percent split, like doing 80 percent of work that feels fulfilling, that feels meaningful, that feels like we're really moving the needle, we're achieving something. And then 20 percent of things that, you know, are just necessary, they're part of the job and they have to be done.

I think that's just something that I want to lay the ground for, is that That's probably what a realistic example looks like, especially in corporate life, but this is not really what it is about it's where it gets interesting is this question actually came from a Q and a that was specifically for.

INFJs, you know, the MBTI introvert types and INFJs are quiet, visionary types who crave meaningful purpose driven work. Routine, repetitive tasks just don't sit well with them. And honestly, I think that is true for a lot of introverted types. When a task feels pointless, it's really hard to motivate yourself, right?

So, what do we do about this? In today's episode, I want to offer a bit of a two part approach here. First, I want to talk about what I believe to be the ideal solution to this. So, But I have to say this is a bit of more of a long game. It takes time. It takes intention. It takes effort. But I think at the end of the day, this is the real deal.

This is what you really need to do to make a meaningful change and to drive a difference. in the long run. But secondly, what I also want to give you and provide you with is a little bit of a short term fix to this, like something that you can instantly do when you feel like you're drowning in tedious, boring, repetitive tasks, and you just don't know how to get out of them.

I want to offer a little bit of a shift in perspective and give you some really tangible advice here and actually a real life example of something that I did early on in my career when I faced this exact situation. Now, at the end of the day, I don't think that you should just be accepting these tasks, but you need to start to become strategic with them, intentional, and There is always a subtle introvert friendly way of tackling these things.

And I hope that there is something in this episode today that you can take away and feel motivated by, inspired by, and yeah, can really make a difference into how you tackle this moving forward. Now, before we dive in, One quick little thing. If you've been finding this podcast helpful, if you are enjoying the show, I would like if you take three seconds to leave a quick rating.

A five star rating. If you feel up for it, it literally takes a couple of seconds on Spotify, but really wherever you listen to this show, if you want to rate review, it helps us so, so much. It helps us reach more introverts like you. And it shows me that you're resonating with what we're doing here. And it's that quiet way of spreading the word and it always, always.

Makes my day. All right. So let's get to the good stuff. Let's dive in.

So I want to paint a little bit of a picture for you here. Imagine you land a new job or make a big shift into a new field, a new career, and instantly people are already treating you like the high performer you are. Someone with serious skills and experience. Someone who's definitely going to do amazing work.

Imagine skipping that whole phase where you have to prove yourself or people aren't quite sure yet whether you're any good at all. And right from day one, senior leaders introduce you to the team saying, We're so lucky they joined us. They crushed it in their last role. They did amazingly in the job interview.

Just imagine that. And honestly, this is not so far off from the truth because deep down, I think you know that you've got the skills, you've got the experience. You can be that person who comes in and slays it. in their new job, in their new role, even if it is a new field. You have done this in the past.

You are the person who quietly impresses, who delivers consistently. But the challenge is getting seen that way before you even have to prove it. You know, often that brilliant reputation you have for doing great work doesn't really break past your immediate team. And that's a very much an introvert thing that happens.

And it happened to me as well in my career where I got recognized for being, you know, a high performer within the team. Like the people I worked with definitely knew what I had to offer, what my strengths were, what my, you know, the value I added was. But beyond that, I think people were always kind of questioning whether I'm any good at all.

But you know what, there is a way around this. It's a tool, a strategy, and most of all, it's introvert friendly. It gets you noticed without all the extra noise. And it helps you build that quiet reputation. So when you step into the room, people already know what you bring.

Now, what this tool is, what this strategy is, And you will have heard about this before is building a personal brand. Now, do not roll your eyes at me just yet. Personal branding isn't just for social media influencers and entrepreneurs. This is not about becoming Insta famous. It's about owning what people know about you, what they remember about you and what they're saying about you, especially in the workplace.

Personal branding. At its core is your professional reputation. It's the memory you leave behind after meetings. It's how you made people feel and it's what others say when you're not around. But here's the thing though. Most of us have no real idea what others actually remember or say about us. And even if we did, it might not exactly match what we'd want them to remember.

But at the same time, there's only very few people who are actively shaping this. It's often a big missed opportunity that can make all the difference. In how you're being seen, and I feel especially for introverts, there's often so much of a clash between who we really are and what we have to offer and how we're being seen and perceived in the workplace.

Now, corporate doesn't exactly hand you a playbook on this. Sure, they'll say things like, you need to be more visible or have coffee with senior stakeholders. Be a little louder. But what they won't tell you is what to do or how to get more visible and what to actually say in those coffee chats with senior stakeholders.

And here's where it seems like extroverts have it easy. They are naturally more expressive about who they are, what they want, and how people can help them make that happen. It's in their DNA. And they'll shout it from the rooftops. They'll do personal branding naturally. So when opportunities come up, senior leaders know exactly what the extroverts want, what they're after, who they are, and how well they are positioned towards that.

And obviously, That's who they're going to think of for promotions, for opportunities, for high profile projects. And that's the dilemma right then and there. But here's the good news. Personal branding is not just for extroverts. You don't need to be loud to show what you want in your career. You do not need to be outgoing to articulate your strengths, what you're good at.

what you do really well, and you do not have to overshare to stand out. If you approach it right, personal branding can be that subtle, intentional, introvert friendly, quiet tool, but still incredibly powerful. So now that I've hopefully got your attention, let's get into the how. I really want to cover how you can go about building a personal brand that fits you and that helps you in, you know, getting more of a reputation and being seen as somebody who can handle.

The more interesting, the more meaningful tasks at work. And what I'm actually super excited about is I'm putting together an online course on personal branding and subtle self promotion, all tailored for introverts. And this episode is a little bit of an opportunity for me to dip into that content and to share a little bit of a sneak peek with you.

So I want to dive into the three core steps. That help you start shaping your personal brand right now, knowing that there will be a lot more content out there. And I'm obviously building this course right now, but I really wanted to bring this to you because it caters so much to the question I got on like, how do I avoid, or how do I reduce unfulfilling tasks that I'm facing in my job right now and personal branding and becoming more intentional with this type of work.

is really going to move the needle here for you. So I want to share with you the, what's at the core of personal branding. And it really comes down to three things. Number one is who you are. That's your unique personality and what sets you apart from the crowd. Number two is what you do best. That's your key strengths and expertise, the value you bring that nobody else quite does.

And number three is where you're headed. Those are your goals, the direction you want to take, and the opportunities that you want to attract. Now we'll dive into each of these step by step, and I'll show you how you can start. working them out. And this is really going to set you up for success here. I'm hoping that this is something that you can take away that you can actively start working on and then stick around because after that we'll cover some quick wins you can start using today to handle those tedious unfulfilling tasks you want to get rid of.

Now, without further ado, let's look at those three core elements of building a personal brand.

All right. So let's dive into the first core element of building your personal brand. And that is all about who you are, your unique personality, those little things that set you apart. Now, this is one of the areas that a lot of introverts totally underestimate. And you might be questioning Why would my personality really matter in hiring decisions or when it comes to career opportunities?

But the truth is it matters a lot. Every workplace is at its core a people business. People make people decisions and they're naturally drawn to others they trust, feel comfortable with and genuinely want to work with. You know, I've worked with hiring managers at the beginning of my career and know just how much hiring decisions are down to personality, sometimes more than skills and experience.

It's about whether the hiring manager sees themselves working with you. Whether you would be a great fit to the team, whether you would be adding something that the team is currently missing. And please know that, that something they are missing could very well be a quiet, calm, introspective personality who compliments the extroverts on the team.

So your personality plays a big part in your reputation and how people connect and resonate with you. But here's where a lot of introverts go wrong. They either make the mistake of sharing very little about themselves personally at work, or they try to be perceived as something that they think other people want them to be.

And that creates an image that is just not authentic to them. Now, both of these are a problem when it comes to personal branding. If you share nothing about yourself. You're just always that quiet, closed off character that feels distant and cold. And if you pretend to be someone you're not, it's fake, inauthentic, and likely not memorable at all.

But still, I very much get it. I get where you're coming from. And if this is you, either of those two things, I can tell you that That was me too for a very long time. I think as introverts, we are naturally selective about what we share with others. And if you are anything like me, you also like to be, you know, you like to keep a little mystery and it might take some time for you to open up.

And that is completely fine. I am exactly the same way. Um, I would often feel self conscious when. People talk about their packed social weekends, you know, on those Monday morning calls where everybody is sharing about what they did on the weekend in that first team's call of the day. And most weekends.

Mine was quiet and low key. It's, you know, nothing wild, very little socializing, and that's just who I am. And I remember only about two or three years ago, that would make me really nervous on the weekends. And I would often think about what can I do to have something fun, exciting to share on Monday. I mean, this would sound so ridiculous to any extrovert, but that's just what it was.

Do something fun because you're expected to be fun. The extrovert kind of fun, which I am clearly not. But with time, and especially nowadays, instead of making up something more exciting to fit in, I will often just say, you know what? My favorite weekend plans are no plans at all. I might mention that I went to a cycling class, that I walked the dog, that I got a fancy coffee somewhere, that I enjoyed a nice dinner out with my husband, and that's it.

And you know what? That's become part of my personal brand. People know me as that low key recharge on the weekend type, and that's cool in its own way. And surprisingly there will always be someone on the call who would say, you know what? That sounds like the perfect weekend to me. And so these become my people and I become more tangible to them.

And that creates a connection when you hide your true self or try to fit into an expectation. you completely miss the chance to build real connections. In the same way, when you don't share anything at all, you can come across as, you know, hard to relate to or almost invisible. Now, I'm not saying you need to be an open book far from it.

Keep that little mystery. It's fun. It's our kind of fun, but I want you to keep some things personal if that feels right for you, but think of just a few small things you're comfortable sharing. And make those your go tos. Maybe you're into baking sourdough on the weekends. Perfect. That's something people can easily remember about you. Or maybe you're a coffee enthusiast with a fancy espresso setup at home grinding your beans each morning.

It's a small but relatable detail that makes you feel more real to people, like a human. These small things give people a way to connect with you, especially because as introverts, we can sometimes come across as a little bit distant and unapproachable. And just by sharing a few small, authentic things that can make you seem warmer and more approachable, that helps build trust and connection.

So I want you to think about Who are you? What are those small authentic things that you are comfortable sharing? And start working those into your conversations naturally. Watch how people start to feel like they know you better and they see you as that real relatable person that they really want to work with.

It's simple, but powerful.

So the second key to building your personal brand is all about your signature strength. You know, that thing that you do really, really well and want to be known for. Now you probably have a few things that you're good at, but we're really talking about those one or two strengths that you'd actually love to do more of.

And that takes a bit of reflection to really get to the bottom of. I've broken it down into three steps for you to make that strength clear and visible without feeling like you're overselling yourself, without feeling like you're stepping too far out of your comfort zone. Step number one is identifying your signature strength.

Think about what you're naturally enjoy and what you'd love to be doing more of in your job. It could be something like simplifying complex ideas, organizing the chaos or diving deep into data. And if you're not totally sure, here are two quick ways to get to that clarity. Number one is you could ask a colleague that is close to you and just say something like, Hey, if you had to pick one thing I'm known for around here, one thing that you feel like I'm really, really good at, what would it be?

You know, sometimes other people see strength in us that we don't fully recognize. It's that blind spot we have, that Others are very well aware of, yet they assume that we know about it, but it never really comes up in conversation. And so it never really occurs to us. I know this task can be a little cringe asking somebody else, you know, what am I good at?

But it can be super, super valuable for you. It can really uncover things that you were absolutely not aware of and can really make a difference. Now, secondly, or in addition to that, you could also think about what other people are always coming to you for. You know, are they asking you to double check data, to brainstorm ideas?

What is it that they come to you for? What is it that they ask you of time and time again? What are you the go to person for? These are all signs of the strength you're already recognized for, even if you aren't noticing it yet. You want to be sure to give this exploration a little bit of time. Honestly, you can go back and forth on this one.

And, , yeah, it, it, it just takes a little bit of time to really get to the bottom of what that signature strength is. And that is absolutely okay. This is what you want to spend a little bit of time on because you want to get it right. Now, when you've done that, step two is about starting to showcase that strength.

And this is where it becomes a little bit, you know, uncomfortable for us, but bear with me. You want to make that signature strength visible to others. You don't have to be loud to do this. You just need to be intentional. And here is how you could look for ways to casually mention it. You know, if you're talking about a project, you could say something like, I really enjoyed working on this because I got to use my strength in data analysis, for example, to, you know, help the process, or I love the strategy part of this project.

That's where I think I can add the most value. It's really simple, right? But these small mentions reinforce what you're great at and what you want to do more of. It shows your excitement and passion. Another little tip is to make your strengths really come through in the way you work. You know, if you want to be known for bringing clarity, make a habit of summarizing actions after meetings or clarifying next steps, repeating things for stakeholders, or making sure everyone is clear, being known as the person who brings clarity.

Or if you're a details person, go a little bit of an extra mile to make sure that That comes through in the way you talk about and present data. Make sure that everybody understands so that people start associating you with that kind of precision and reliability. Now, step number three is to ask for development opportunities.

This is to really solidify your brand around this strength and look for chances to grow it even further. You're aiming to become not only good at this strength, but known for it. And here's what you can do. You can have a conversation with your manager and say something like, I'd really like to build my skills in, you know, insert your strength.

And I'm wondering if there are projects or resources where I could develop this even more. You know, just by asking, you're reinforcing that this is your area of focus. This is what you want to become better at. This is what you want to be known for. Or if there's an opportunity to volunteer or lead a project that lets you demonstrate the strength, jump on it.

For instance, if you want to be known for, say, strategic thinking, offer to take the lead on a small project that is going to come up in your team, or if you're focused on data analysis, propose a new report that helps your team grow. Access data more easily. I think if you're a data geek, there are so many ways to really make a difference because most people aren't and they will always appreciate fun, entertaining ways of, you know, getting data across or for somebody to really think about.

What is a great, easy way to make this more accessible to others? And if that's a strength that you have, there is so much room for you to showcase that and become known for it. You also don't want to underestimate the power of mentorship. You know, if you know someone who's great at what you're working on, this is who you want to have a coffee chat with.

And it doesn't feel disingenuine because You actually have something to talk about with them. You want to ask them how they've honed that skill over time, how they became good at what you really want to become good at. And they might have tips and little tricks that help you, you know, fast track your own growth, but it also builds that connection with them.

And I'm pretty sure that they have wisdom and insights that could really help you hone in on that strength that you're looking to build and become known for. So, you know, by following these steps, identifying your strengths, showcasing it and finding ways to grow it, reinforcing it. That's how you create what I like to call that memory structure in the minds of those around you.

People will start seeing you as the go to person for that signature strength, for that skill that you have. And when opportunities come up, they'll think of you first. And that's what it's all about. All right. So to recap quickly and orientate you where we are in the episode, we've covered two key elements of your personal brand.

Number one, who you are, that killer personality, and number two, what you want to be known for, you know, that signature strength. And now number three is all about being really clear on where you're headed in your career. your career ambition. Now, again, this is another one that tends to get underestimated, but it's so important.

The thing is when you're stuck doing tasks that feel tedious, or you're not getting the chance to work on higher profile projects, it's often because leadership doesn't even know what you're aiming for. If they don't know what kind of work you want to do more of, or where you see yourself in the future.

They can't possibly help you get there. They can't give you the right development opportunities or throw your name in the mix when bigger opportunities come up. So you need to make it crystal clear what your longer term ambitions are. Now, I'm not saying you need a rigid 10 year plan because honestly, who knows where we'll be in 10 years, right?

But you need some direction. For example, I will always say, you know, I'm a brand manager and I will always say my ambition is to grow as a senior leader in marketing, or maybe I want to be a brand builder for CPG brands. Those are clear enough directions for my managers to understand, and they give them something to work with when opportunities arise.

It gives that direction. Even, you know, if my path completely changes down the road, being clear about my ambitions ensures that I'll get the support I need right now. Just by putting that out there, you know, compare that to someone who doesn't know where they're going or who aren't really sure they're never going to be supported because it's so much easier to support the person who is clear on the direction and knows what they want.

So here's a key takeaway. You need these three things. to set yourself up for success in the long run and build your personal brand. One, let people in on who you are. Don't hide it. Be proud of what makes you unique. You know, being your true introverted, awkward self, trust me, that sells way better than pretending to be someone you think they want you to be.

Two, hone in on your strengths and make them visible. This is totally introvert friendly because it's not about promoting yourself. It's about promoting the work you want to do and the ideas you want to bring to the table. And three, don't be shy about sharing your ambitions, your direction, and how you want to be supported.

That is what personal branding is all about. It's the foundation that sets you up for success. Now, I know that some of this might sound easier said than done, and it takes a little bit of time, To really get down to who you are, what your strengths are, and then what you really want to do in your career, what the direction is.

I get that. And that is why I wanted to create something that goes a little bit deeper than a social media post or even a podcast episode. Something that takes you through the whole journey of uncovering who you are, what you do best and where you're headed. And also gives you the tools to actually build that influence, articulate those things and position them in a way that builds a reputation that works for you.

That does the heavy lifting for you. I am actually running a beta group right now, testing out the content for the online course that I'm building to make sure that when I launched the course, it really delivers everything. I've promised and drives meaningful change. So if you've listened to this episode today and you have questions where you didn't quite get something or would love more info, please reach out to me.

It really helps me make the content better and potentially dive deeper or double click into one of those areas in an upcoming episode.

All right, so we've covered a lot of ground on all things, personal branding and the three steps that I want you to take when it comes to uncovering who you are, what your strength is, what you do really well, what you want to become known for. But I also promised you that I'm going to give you a little bit more of an instant short term action so that you can, you know, instantly change the way you feel about some of those tedious tasks that you're left with and move from doing something that's boring and unfulfilling to you to something that's more exciting and fulfilling.

I want you to think about one of those tasks that You currently have on your table, like something that feels just like boring, tedious to you, something that just doesn't spark joy. And we all know those kinds of tasks and it can often feel like, you know, there are no big skills required. It's just kind of something that you need to get done.

But here's what I want you to consider. What if you could put your own little Spin on it. What if you could approach it differently and change the way this task has always been done? And I promise you, this is where the magic happens. I did this early in my career when I found that corporate life just kind of loved creating these long 90 slide PowerPoint presentations that went nowhere fast.

I am talking massive slide decks with so much info that. Could have been sat in a fraction of the slides. And every time I came across one of these, I challenged myself to distill the key messages into a one pager, one page, just the essentials. Now let's be honest, this wasn't exactly the most glamorous work.

It was essentially, you know, secretary level stuff. And honestly, it could probably be replaced by AI these days, but back then. It was a game changer. People loved it. Senior leadership started sharing my one pagers and I became known as the one pager queen. Now, do not get me wrong. I didn't want to be known for that forever, but it did help me stand out at that time.

It was a different approach. It showed extra effort. It was my personal spin on something that was really boring. It demonstrated my communication skills, my ability to simplify complex things. And that's a huge leadership trait. So if you're stuck with one of those tedious tasks and you can't delegate them right now, don't just dread it.

Look for the opportunity. Ask yourself, how can I make this my task? What's a fresh take that I can bring? How can I make this more me? And just like that, what felt like a boring task could become a way to show your value and get the visibility you deserve. Bring across your personal brand. Who you are, your uniqueness, what you do really well and what you want to be known for.

So I hope after listening to this episode, you're feeling a little more confident. You didn't get those tedious tasks because you're not good enough or because you did something wrong. You have an opportunity here, an opportunity to position yourself in the short term as someone who brings fresh perspectives and solutions to the table.

And in the long term, you're positioning yourself as a badass, unapologetic introvert who knows exactly what they want and has the skills to go get it. I really hope you enjoyed this episode. You want to really stick around if this topic resonates with you, because we've only scratched the surface today when it comes to personal branding and subtle self promotion for introverts.

There is so much more coming your way in the next few weeks, and I hope you're excited about it. And. If this episode resonated with you, I would love for you to leave a five star rating wherever you listen to this podcast and potentially share it with someone you think could benefit from it too.

Remember, you are best when you're awfully quiet. This is where your strength comes from and I hope I'll hear you next week.