Productive Introvert Community with Mariella Franker, PhD: Recent Episodes
Mariella Franker
Welcome to the Productive Introvert Community Podcast. Helping ambitious entrepreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world to really thrive in their work.
I'm Mariella Franker and I'll be sharing with you what I'm learning as an introverted entrepreneur, a natural productivity coach, and a mom while I build my business online and take care of my family and myself.
In this podcast, you'll learn about the mindset and the practical steps you need to make space for your unique strengths as an introvert so that your work can have the impact you always wanted it to have.
Unexpected news this week. For this Sept update, I'm coming live to you from Suriname after hearing that my father is ill. When you're a cross-cultural introvert and you live abroad, these situations are tough.đ§ Sign up for Exploring Introvert newsletter: â thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ â â
đ Visit my website: â â thefrankermessage.comâ
â đ§ Email me: â contact@thefrankermessage.comâ )
đ Find me on â LinkedIn â or â Instagramâ : @mariellafranker
In this intimate monthly update, I'm sharing the evolution of my coaching practice and this podcast as we head into summer. While I'll be taking a podcast break in August, I'm excited to continue working with clients and developing new programs that better serve our community of thoughtful explorers.
Last month's Habit Building Basics taster sessions revealed how powerful it is when introverts build habits aligned with their natural energy patterns. We explored the fundamental differences in how introverts process information internally before sharing ideas with others, and how this understanding can transform our approach to creating sustainable habits.
As an introvert myself, I'm currently in what I call the "connecting the dots phase" with my business - that nervous energy when you sense things coming together in your mind, but can't quite articulate them clearly yet. This reflective process takes time and can feel frustrating, but it's essential to honor this uniquely introvert way of processing and integrating information.
After months of careful reflection, I've clarified my mission: I help cross-cultural introverts build sustainable habits so they can grow and find fulfillment in their careers without exhaustion or guilt about how they spend their time.
My focus is now specifically on supporting introverts who navigate multiple cultural contexts - whether you're working in multicultural environments, have relocated internationally, or professionally engage with diverse cultures. I've worked with literature scientists amplifying marginalized voices, diplomats transitioning between countries, and academics adapting to new cultural settings.
The habit-building approaches I teach are designed specifically for the introvert mind, recognizing our need for deeper processing time, meaningful connections, and sustainable energy management. By working with your Natural AdvantageÂź rather than against it, you'll discover how to create lasting habits that support your growth without burnout.
The podcast will return in September. In the meantime, you might see new content formats as I experiment with different ways to serve this community.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Remember that as introverts, our strength lies not in forcing ourselves into extroverted systems, but in creating thoughtful practices that honor our unique processing style.
Connect with me via email, Instagram, or LinkedIn before the next episode. Have a wonderful summer of exploration!
IntrovertHabits #CrossCulturalIntroverts #HabitBuilding
đ§ Sign up for Exploring Introvert newsletter: thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ â
đ Visit my website: â thefrankermessage.com
â đ§ Email me: â contact@thefrankermessage.comâ
đ Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram: @mariellafranker
Hi there, explorers! This month has been all about getting things ready for the Habit Building Basics Tasters that are happening next week. Most of my time working hours has been going towards that.
You can sign up here: â https://go.thefrankermessage.com/welcometobacktobasicsâ
On a personal note, we're doing some small renovations and it's pretty messy in our home. Our son has a tent going on in the living room, he calls it his secret laboratory...
My son and I are also participating in the five-kilometer, four-day walk (avond 4 daagse). It's a big thing in the Netherlands. 5 km is a lot for a little kid â it takes us about 2 hours. But itâs actually a lot of fun and the whole neighborhood comes out, people stand along the sidewalks to give candy to the kids and cheer you on. Today is the last night, wish us luck!
Instead of our usual monthly update, weâre revisiting a previous episode this time.
Iâve been talking to a lot of people about Building a Second Brain(BASB), the book by Tiago Forte.
This is a topic that a lot of people are interested in. It's one of the most popular episodes of the Exploring Introvert, so this topic is definitely going to come back!
Letâs revisit the previous episode where I tell you all about Tiago Forteâs system and maybe it can give you some ideas of how BASB could be helpful to you.
â Join Habit Building Basics: â https://go.thefrankermessage.com/welcometobacktobasicsâ
đVisit my website: â thefrankermessage.comâ
đ§ Email me: â contact@thefrankermessage.comâ
If you found this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend! I'll be super grateful and your friend will be happy that you thought of them too đ€
In todayâs podcast episode weâre talking specifically about cross-cultural introverts.
Whatâs a cross-cultural introvert? A cross-cultural introvert is an introvert who navigates multiple cultural. Theyâre people who move between cultures whether youâre working abroad or youâre bringing your multicultural perspective to your work or professional role.
Whatâs unique for cross-cultural introverts is that you need to balance your natural introverted character with the demands of navigating multiple cultural contexts.
When youâre âin betweenâ cultures like that, itâs normal to feel a little out of place.
A lot of introverts I know have a similar experience when it comes to being an introvert. You feel slightly out of place because, letâs face it, the world is still geared mostly towards extraverts, especially in Western cultures. A lot of introvert are told that they need to change themselves in order to be accepted, appreciated or successful.
I've learned that actually the opposite it true.
In this podcast episode you'll learn why and discover what actually works to manage your energy well and feel confident as an introvert, no matter how circumstances change.
Youâll also learn about the taster sessions Habit Building Basics for cross-cultural introverts. 5 days, 5 topics, 15 minutes a day to help you rethink your habits and figure out what actually works.
Sign up for Habit Building Basics here: http://go.thefrankermessage.com/welcometobacktobasics
00:00 the Exploring Introvert monthly update
00:44 what's a cross-cultural introvert
02:23 when youâre not really a local (anymore)
03:37 feeling out of place (in between cultures and as an introvert)
04:08 what does this have to do with energy management?
05:09 why most traditional advice doesn't work
08:23 why you need personal pillar habits
10:04 What I've been up to this month
10:59 Habit Building Basics: 5-day taster for cross-cultural introverts
12:05 what exactly is a taster?
13:27 get a personal focus session worth âŹ150,- for free
13:59 Habit Building Basics: 5 days, 5 topics, 15 minutes a day
15:26 recap of the main take aways
Sign up for Habit Building Basics: http://go.thefrankermessage.com/welcometobacktobasics
Related episodes:
đŠ 010 Are you a "low energy personâ?
đŠ 054 Introverts lack discipline and have no energy...?
â Follow the podcast: Exploring Introvert with Mariella Franker, PhD
â Contact me: contact@thefrankermessage.comâ â
â Visit my website: â â thefrankermessage.com
Breaking a Bad Habit: An Introvert's Journey from Social Media Exhaustion to Mindful Language Learning
Ever found yourself doom scrolling through social media when you're exhausted, only to feel more drained afterward? As an introvert and certified habit coach, I discovered one day that I was spent 6 hours on Instagram reels.
It was a wake up call!
What started as a way to "relax" turned into a vicious cycle of exhaustion and procrastination.
In this video, I'll share my personal experience and the science behind breaking a bad habit.
You'll learn:
- Why the 21-day habit building rule is actually a myth (but can still be useful!)
- How to use the science of habit loops to transform your habits
- A practical example of how I replaced social media doom scrolling with more productive activities
- Why consistency matters less than you might think
If you're an introvert struggling with energy management and finding yourself caught in unhealthy habits, this video will show you how you can start to change that.
Plus, discover how I went from 6 hours of reels to learning Spanish, getting better sleep, and feeling more accomplished at the end of each day. This isn't just about breaking a bad habit - it's about creating sustainable changes that work with your energy needs as an introvert.
Subscribe for more insights on habit building, energy management, and productivity strategies specifically designed for introverts.
00:00 This month I dove into habit formation and breaking a bad habit
00:43 My experiment to stop doom scrolling on IG reels
01:41 When relaxation turns into a bad habit
02:53 Truths and myths: How long before a habit become automatic and how important is consistency really?
03:15 Three elements of habit building: CUE - BEHAVIOR - REWARD
04:30 Whatâs the 21-day rul?
07:30 You don't need to repeat a habit every day for it to be effective
07:49 Even though it's a myth, the 21-day rule can still be useful
09:07 How important is it to be consistent?
10:47 breaking a bad habit: replacing doom scrolling with language learning
14:03 What can you learn about habit building from this?
đ§ Sign up for The Exploring Introvert Letters: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
đ Visit my website: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
â đ Follow me on LinkedIn @mariellafranker
Too busy or too tired? Here are 4 habits to stay sane.Hereâs a question that I get all the time: what habits do you focus on when things are really hectic and you have no time?This month has been just that, so I thought Iâd take you on a walk today and we can talk about it. What has made this month so hectic is that Iâve taken on a project that I knew from the start was going to be a difficult project. It involves a lot of different people and thereâs a lot of emotions and even some conflicts. I decided to take it on because I know that Iâm the right person to help right now. But itâs a difficult situation and I knew really early on that this project was going to take a lot out of me. Now, if youâre working in a team or organization, you may not always be able to pick your projects. So maybe youâve been in a similar situation where you have a project where you immediately know that itâs going to be hard. What can you do to still do a good job and keep your sanity at the same time?Come with me on my walk today and weâll talk about 4 habits to keep your sanity in hectic times.00:00 Habits for hectic times00:49 Tricky project this month01:34 4 habits to keep your sanity with a difficult project02:19 Accepting that it's going to cost more energy03:18 Habit #1: how to set boundaries05:05 Habit #2 & #3: process and recharge07:07 Habit #4 Peace of mind habits09:17 Focus on what's most meaningful---đ§ Sign up for The Exploring Introvert newsletter: thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ â đ Visit my website: â thefrankermessage.comâ đ Follow me on LinkedIn @mariellafranker
January was a hectic month for 3 reasons: 1) My partner moved his gym to a new location, 2) We started the year off with a very sick little boy, 3) I worked on aligning The Exploring Introvert.
Despite needing to clear my schedule for part of the month to care for our kid and to manage logistics at home with the gym move, I made good progress.
The new home page of my website is out (have a look here)
And you can now find The Exploring Introvert on all my social channels.
Although Iâm only active on LinkedIn at the moment, I aligned all my socials to make them consistent. Of course, Iâll still be tweaking things here and there (I love to tweak things) the âred threadâ is there and I love seeing it all come together!
Despite making good progress under the circumstances, my inner critic did flare up.
Criticizing everything from my parenting choices to my work attitude.
âShouldnât you take your kid to the hospital? Why are you even working? You should be here 100% for your child. Youâre such a bad mother.â
âWhy didnât you get more done for work this week? Yes, your child is sick but youâre a business owner and you should be getting after it.â
âLook at that post, that person is doing so much better than you. I knew it, youâre never going to make this business work.â
Have you noticed that when youâre especially tired, the inner critic becomes louder?
The inner critic can get downright nasty. Comparing you to others and pointing out all the tiny mistakes that youâre making. Like a bully blasting an annoying song on repeat.
The critic can hold on to old patterns (one of mine is to forgo rest and to give everything that I have, only to run on empty). The critic can suck up the little energy that you have left. It will try to push you to do things that make sense on paper but that typically take you farther away from what you really need.Proper mental rest.
Thatâs why I believe that knowing how to pace yourself is an undervalued skill, especially for introverts. Learn more in this monthâs update.
00:00 My biggest lesson this month: knowing how to pace yourself is an undervalued skill
01:18 Moving my partner's gym
03:01 Combining family and career
05:42 Further aligning đ§ The Exploring Introvert
07:38 Building a support network as an entrepreneur
08:54 Learning to pace myself
11:04 âIf you only have 40% and you gave 40%, then you gave 100%â - Jim Kwik
11:40 If youâre an introvert with a strong inner critic
đ§ Sign up for The Exploring Introvert newsletter: thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ â
đ Visit my website: â thefrankermessage.comâ
đ Follow me on LinkedIn @mariellafranker
Between the busy-ness of the Christmas Holidays, my partner getting injured and a big (first time) project for my business, this one is full of ups and downs.
In this podcast, I tell you about what has been happening behind the scenes in my business, why I was absent from the podcast for 3 months and the lessons Iâve learned.
Youâll also learn how you can get exclusive behind the scenes access to how I organize things in my daily life as a work-from home mom, business owner and fellow introvert.
00:00 This monthâs update
00:17 Christmas busy-ness
01:37 A business that runs without me
03:37 Setting up The Exploring Introvert
04:03 World Introvert Day
05:15 Behind the scenes
08:12 Community
08:56 This month's lessons
10:15 Get exclusive insider access
11:10 What to keep and what to let go
âš Sign up for the exclusive insider series: go.thefrankermessage.com/insider
đ§ Sign up for The Exploring Introvert newsletter: thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ â
đ Visit my website: â thefrankermessage.comâ
đ Follow me on LinkedIn @mariellafranker
I choose the resources below out of my own interest and I share them with you to give you context. Iâm not affiliated with anyone mentioned in this podcast episode.
đ https://www.introvert.day/
Iâve been a bit absent from the podcast but a lot has been happening behind the scenes. A short chapter today to update you on whatâs been going on and whatâs coming for the podcast. Weâre talking about one word that ties this community of introverts together and the NEW NAME OF THE PODCAST!
Weâre also taking on a new format for the podcast: fewer but more regular updates once a month. New monthly updates will be released now every first Thursday of the month. Weâll look back at the past month and what Iâm currently researching, experimenting with, and what Iâve learned.
If you want a little bit more or prefer written summaries, sign up for my newsletter đ§ THE EXPLORING INTROVERT for my best eye-opening and empowering lessons for introverts in your inbox twice a month: thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ
Iâm excited - and a little bit nervous - about these changes. Iâm working hard to improve the podcast and Iâll do my very best to make it worth while your attention.
Thank you for hanging out with me today, have a great Christmas, and Iâll see you again on January 2nd đ
00:00 Update and whatâs been happening behind the scenes
00:28 The Exploring Introvert (new podcast name!!)
01:26 Tying it together
02:19 Whatâs going to happen?
03:37 New chapters once a month
04:49 Sign up for The Exploring Introvert newsletter
05:40 See you again on Jan 2nd!
Sign up for đ§ The Exploring Introvert newsletter: â thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ Visit my website: thefrankermessage.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
Taking longer periods of time off from work has been a long standing dream of mine. I never thought it would be possible for me and I was always happy to get the rare 2 weeks off per year. Usually, I barely felt refreshed after 2 weeks off and the cycle would start again.
When I started my coaching business, I realized that I had the opportunity to make this dream a reality. I decided that if I really wanted to take a couple of months off per year, that I would start practicing.
Iâve taken 2 months off work during the summer holidays for the third year now, reducing my workload to 1-2 hours a day and spending the rest of the time with my family and traveling.
You could say that, at the moment, this is my version of Bill Gatesâ famous think week: a week with no distractions that Bill Gates spends in a cabin in the woods to think about his professional and personal decisions.
In todayâs chapter, Iâm sharing with you why a âthink weekâ is an invaluable way to check your compass and to step away from the busy-ness of every day life so that you can do re-focus on the things that are meaningful to you.
My âthink weekâ didnât exactly go to plan and initially I was frustrated. But, even when things donât go according to plan, they can still be valuable. Iâll tell you about how I was able to change my mindset around my failed plan and the valuable lessons I learned from this years think week.
00:00 Here we are again! (Off to a nervous start)
00:21 When you prefer to be behind the scenes but you host a video podcast
01:11 taking 2 months off work every year had been a dream of mine
02:25 My version of Bill Gates' famous think week
03:17 Reducing my workload to 1-2 hours a day
04:18 When you get caught up in the busy-ness of everyday work
06:02 Things that don't go according to plan can still be valuable
08:51 From frustrated to focused
10:41 When excitement meets fear
11:58 Life is more than just your work
Go here:
âĄïž To read my blog about my experiments with taking 2 months off work each year: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog/2-months-off
â To follow the podcast: â â Follow the podcastâ â
â To contact me: â â contact@thefrankermessage.comâ â
â To visit my website: â â thefrankermessage.comâ
After a 2 months break, we are kicking off season 4!
This podcast chapter takes a look back. I'm sharing clips from the two most popular chapters from last season.
These chapters are all about energy and energy management for introverts.
From a personal perspective, struggles with an energy rollercoaster for a long time led me to believe that I was just "sickly" and "couldn't handle" as much as other people could.
I kept telling myself (and others) that I was a low energy person and it became a barrier for me to go out and to do things I wanted to do.
I tell you more about low energy in the first clip.
Introvert hangover was one of the reasons for my energy rollercoaster, although I didn't know that at the time.
Introvert hangover (or getting peopled out, overstimulation, social drain) is when introverts become extremely tired or even ill after a really busy time or from too much social interaction.
I tell you more about some of the science behind the introvert hangover in the second clip.
If you found this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend!
Go here for:
The full podcast chapters
âĄïž â Are you a low energy person?â
âĄïž â Everything you need to know about introvert hangoverâ
Other resources mentioned in this podcast chapter
âĄïž â 12 signs you have an introvert hangover on Introvert, Dearâ
âĄïž â Is dopamine really "the happy hormone"?â
â To follow the podcast: â Follow the podcastâ
â To contact me: â contact@thefrankermessage.comâ
â To visit my website: â thefrankermessage.comâ
This podcast episode is a bit different from the usual chapters. Iâm doing a life update today. Iâm going to share with you whatâs been going on in my business, offers that Iâm working on, and whatâs coming up for the podcast.This is the final chapter of Season 3 as I'm taking a 2-month break over the Summer. I'll be back mid September with the first chapter of Season 4!Thank you all so much for sticking around through these many changes. I know I have a long way to go to make this podcast something really interesting. I hope that you'll stick around for what's coming next.00:00 A special life update episode00:53 Why did I slow down the podcast?01:52 Creating a business that's sustainable03:14 Managing my own inner critic around not being consistent03:49 Accommodating life as a parent04:34 What's up next for the podcast?05:29 About Google podcast06:00 Taking 2 months off work07:23 Methods Iâm using to develop a new offer08:48 Next round of win-win feedback calls09:30 About the mailing list: habit research, stories and tips, especially for introverts who work from home
â
â¶ïž Suggest a topic for a future episode: â https://forms.gle/tNjvPHBJBF4JucCn6â
â¶ïž Sign up for the mailing list: an email every 2 weeks with habit research, stories and tips, especially for introverts who work from home: go.thefrankermessage.com/freeâ¶ïž Blog and client stories: â â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â â
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Today, weâre talking about another common habit bottleneck: the chaotic routine.
This is a familiar one. Probably everyone can recognize the feeling of having a really chaotic day. Your day is running away from you and you feel like you youâre a side character in a dramatic play that you didnât audition for.
Usually, at the end of the day, youâre exhausted and even though you may have done a lot of things and you were running from one place to the next, you donât feel like you accomplished anything.
But I want to encourage you because establishing a routine that works for you can be done and itâs less complicated than you think.
In this chapter, weâre doing to talk about why chaotic routine is a common habit bottleneck and what makes this hard for introverts in particular. Weâre going to talk about 4 reasons why being disciplined to stick to the same routine every day isnât the best strategy for everyone and weâre going to look at a few examples to help you create a routine that works well for you.
I identified âchaotic routineâ as one of the common habit bottlenecks because I get a lot of questions related to this. A LOT of people struggle with feeling chaotic throughout their day.
People will ask me things like:
I want to learn a new language or I want to pick up an old (or new) hobby but how do I possibly fit that into an already packed schedule?
or My life is so chaotic right now that I feel like I donât have any time for myself
or From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, Iâm just running. I hardly have time to catch my breath.
My clients work from full time or part time home and in the office and for them, feeling chaotic with their day is very common because theyâre handling work, family, house chores, birthday parties and what not all within the same time windows.
It can be hard to come up with a routine that works for you and for allows you to do your work well and be there for your loved ones.
Related chapters: 044 | Introduction to habit styles: https://link.chtbl.com/whats-your-habit-style
â¶ïž Enter the 2024 giveaway! Iâm looking for volunteers to give their feedback on 2 pages of text about my new coaching program. As a thank you, youâll get a free 20-minute consultation worth 150,- Email âfeedbackâ to contact@thefrankermessage.com before June 23rd, 2024 at 23:00 CET to reserve a spot (calls will take place later this year).
â¶ïž Suggest a topic for a future episode: â https://forms.gle/tNjvPHBJBF4JucCn6â
â¶ïž Get on the waitlist for the free gift bundle âSuccessfully planning your day for introverts:Discover a willpower-free way to learn healthy habits easily - no matter how busy or overwhelmed you areâ: go.thefrankermessage.com/waitlist
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â â
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Maybe youâve experienced this before: You were doing well with your healthy habits but now things just feel hard. You start skipping a day. Then another day. Then another day. You start to feel guilty. You start slipping back into old patterns and unhealthy habits you wanted to change. Itâs probably not the first time this has happened either and you start wondering whatâs wrong with you and why youâre just not disciplined enough. A lot of people struggle with this situation. In fact, in a survey that I sent out, across platforms 44% of people said that falling into old patterns is the #1 reason why they canât seem to make their healthy habits stick.This is related to the habit bottleneck that weâre going to talk about today: the off-the-wagon misunderstanding. And Iâm not talking about drinking alcohol, as this expression is often used. Everyone has run into this habit bottleneck in their lives. Itâs when things feel really chaotic and itâs really hard to stay on top of things. The off-the-wagon-misunderstanding can happen when youâre trying to learn a new habit, when youâre circumstances have changed or when youâve done something thatâs really drained your energy and youâre trying to keep everything together.In this chapter of the podcast, weâre going to talk about how this habit bottleneck can get in the way of managing your personal energy and what introverts can do to remove the off-the-wagon bottleneck.
00:00 Falling into old patterns is a common habit bottleneck
01:55 Welcome to productive introvert community
02:29 Feeling like you've fallen off the wagon?
04:25 Shifting your focus
06:32 Figuring out your Peace Of Mind area
09:08 Recharging your energy is key for introvertsâ
â¶ïž Suggest a topic for a future episode: â https://forms.gle/tNjvPHBJBF4JucCn6â
â¶ïž Get on the waitlist for the free gift bundle âSuccessfully planning your day for introverts:Discover a willpower-free way to learn healthy habits easily - no matter how busy or overwhelmed you areâ: go.thefrankermessage.com/waitlist
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â â
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
When I decided to coach introverts working from home specifically around healthy habits, I thought I had a good idea of what a habit is.
But as I started to talk about this with people, I realized that there are many different ways that people think about habits and that I really didnât understand what habits are as well as I thought I did.
After working with 1-1 clients as a productivity coach for a few years, I realized that if we paid attention to a few key habits for my clients, it brought them much more joy and peace of mind, and that ended up achieve what they wanted more easily.
Thatâs when I knew thatâs what I wanted to focus on for the foreseeable future.
But, as I started to explore, there were also a lot of questions about habits.
Iâm going to make a series to explore all these questions in different chapters of this podcast. Iâll create a playlist on YouTube with all the habit related chapters as I go, so check that out if you want to know more about sustainable healthy habits for introverts who work from home.
For example: Is a habit really automatic? Are some people just not disciplined enough to form habits? Why do we get stuck in bad habits? Not to mention, how long does it take to form a habit and whatâs the best way to learn a new habit?
Today, weâre going to start at the beginning: what is a habit? weâre going to talk about how habits can help you to conserve energy, especially if youâre an introverts. And why we get stuck in a bad habits.
â¶ïž Suggest a topic for a future episode: https://forms.gle/tNjvPHBJBF4JucCn6
â¶ïž Join my mailing list for research and tips about healthy habits to improve energy and focus twice a month - especially for introverts who work from home: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/free
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Have you ever noticed that after a meal, you feel really tired and sleepy?
I used to think that this was just normal and that you feel sleepy after eating because your body was digesting food.
I also thought that feeling tired all the time was just what it was for me because I was an introvert and therefore I just had less energy than more extroverted people.
I couldnât have been more wrong.
It turns out that high blood sugar was at least part of the reason why I felt tired all the time and why I had a lot of dips in my energy and my mood.
Iâve had issues with high blood sugar for some time.
When I was 24, my doctor told me that I was prediabetic and that it was only a matter of time before I got type 2 diabetes. At 27 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with pregnancy diabetes and needed to take insulin injections to protect my baby.
Thinking back, eating unhealthy food started in childhood for me and it wasnât until my late 20s that this slowly started to change.
Iâve done quite a bit of research over the years about blood sugar, inflammatory disease like diabetes and healthy nutrition to try and get my blood sugar under control.
Itâs a journey that Iâve been on for a while and one that Iâm still very much still on.
Today, Iâm going to share with you 3 things that I learned so far about blood sugar and eating healthy that helped me to have more energy, to have less mood swings and to have better concentration and focus.
At the end, Iâll give you two simple tips that you can use today to reduce spikes in blood sugar and improve your energy.
Topics:
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Why is blood sugar important?
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What is diabetes (difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes)
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What does this have to do with energy dips, especially for introverts?
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3 things that helped me to eat healthy and to have more energy & focus
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Experiencing the positive effect of healthy nutrition
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Changing my environment to change my habits
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Starting small vs going all in: what works better for you?
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2 tips from Jessie, the Glucose Goddess, that you can start today to reduce spikes in your blood sugar
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Veggie starter
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Vinegar hack
â¶ïž Vote for your favorite topic and receive the new training for free: https://forms.gle/ByHcSXrNCGU3zfys7
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â
Resources mentioned in this podcast (Iâm not affiliated with any of the resources that I share on the podcast, I just share them out of personal interest and to give you context about these topics)
â
đ Jessie InchauspĂ© - Glucose Goddess https://www.glucosegoddess.com/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
We all know that sleep is important. If you donât get enough sleep, it impairs your mental ability, your ability to learn and remember things, it affects your mood and your bodyâs metabolism and immune system.
I got a request to talk about how to sleep better without sleeping more. So, letâs talk about that today!
Iâve had my share of sleep issues too. When I was in my teens and early 20s, I struggled with depression. Back then, sleep was an escape for me and I easily slept between 9 and 12 hours a day.
A few years later, the reverse happened: I started sleeping only 3-4 hours a day due to stress and that was one of the reasons I burned out when I was 27. My ability to focus and my energy levels plummeted and it took me years to build them back up.
When I had my first child, sleep became a whole new chapter and it was a challenge to get enough sleep with interrupted nights and nightly feedings.
Iâve tried a lot of sleep tips to try to get my sleep back under control and to sleep better.
A lot of introverts think that if they could only sleep more, they would stop feeling so tired all the time, but sleeping more is only one piece of the puzzle. If you want to get better sleep, there are a few other things to think about.
Today Iâll share 5 things that Iâve learned about sleep that have helped me to sleep better and to feel more energized during the day without actually sleeping more hours.
Why is sleep important?
Why a lot of introverts struggle with sleep
Number 1: Simply focusing less on sleeping more
Number 2: Training myself to fall asleep quickly
Number 3: Keeping a regular sleep schedule
Number 4: Paying attention to what I do during the day
Number 5: Intermittent fasting
âRelated episodes:
Everything you need to know about introvert hangover: https://link.chtbl.com/068-introvert-hangover
âResources:
đ Want to Fall Asleep Faster? Military Pilots Use This Hack to Sleep Anywhere in 2 Minutes or Less by Melanie Curtin on Inc.com: https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/want-to-fall-asleep-faster-combat-pilots-use-this-hack-to-get-to-sleep-in-2-minutes-or-less.html
â
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call to discover a will-power free way to have more energy and focus, no matter how busy or overwhelmed you are: https://thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: â go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
There are a lot of studies that show that the placebo effect is real. âFakeâ treatments can actually make you feel better. Interestingly, they can also make you feel worse. The nocebo effect is also real. Is this all just perception? Is it the power of the mind? Or is there something else going on?â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: â go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â
âResources mentioned in this podcast (Iâm not affiliated with any of the resources that I share on the podcast, I just share them out of personal interest and to give you context about these topics)đ https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/3196007/Langer_ExcersisePlaceboEffect.pdfđ https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2019/11/20/you-know-medicines-placebo-effect-now-meet-the-nocebo-effect.htmlđ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9399436/đ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/rethinking-placebo-in-psychiatry-the-range-of-placebo-effects/48E57FE6798A75E5C019B0CAC3213B38đ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6176716/đ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/rethinking-placebo-in-psychiatry-the-range-of-placebo-effects/48E57FE6798A75E5C019B0CAC3213B38đ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/210854â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
In todayâs chapter, weâre talking about time blocking. Weâre diving into how to make a plan for your day to help you stay focused and energized, especially if youâre an introvert.
If you're interested in time management, or if you're struggling with procrastination, you might find time blocking helpful. Time blocking is like making a plan for your day. You plan your day by setting aside certain times to do certain things. Like saying: âIâm going on a call from 2pm - 3 pm, then Iâm going to read a book from 3 pm -4 pm.
But thereâs more than one way to do it.
I've tried time blocking many times over the years, and it was tough to find a method that worked for me. One that helped me make the most of my time and energy. As an introvert who runs a business from home and has a family, managing my energy is really important.
But time blocking can be hard to do.
Some of the introverts in Productive Introvert Community that Iâve spoken with say that they start using methods like time blocking and feel good at first because they're getting things done. But after a few days or weeks, they find it hard to stick to their plan. It takes up a lot of energy. They feel tired all the time and they start procrastinating on important things. Then they think time blocking doesn't work and they stop using it.
Often, the problem is that they're being too strict with how they plan their day.
They make a plan for the day and force themselves to stick to it no matter what. Or they try one way of time blocking and if it doesn't work, they give up planning their day all together.
Today, Iâm going to tell you about 3 ways to time block to help you feel more focused and energized, especially if youâre an introvert.
The 3 time blocking methods are: activity time blocking, energy time blocking, and theme days.
I use these methods myself and they work great for me. But remember, what works for me might not work for me. Thatâs okay!
I'll also give you tips that can help you to plan your day in a way that works for you.
ââ¶ïž Book a FREE call to explore if one of my coaching programs for introverts is a fit for you. I'll help you identify the habit bottleneck that's getting in your way right now and show you the best next step for you so that you get focused in the next 3 months: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for a summary of new podcast episodes right to your inbox twice a month: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
Resources mentioned in this podcast (Iâm not affiliated with any of the resources that I share on the podcast, I just share them out of personal interest and to give you context about these topics)
â
đ Time blocking 101 by Jo Johansson (covers basic time blocking, day theming, task batching, time boxing, Elon Muskâs 5 minute time blocking, Eisenhower matrix & Pomodoro technique: https://resourceguruapp.com/blog/time-blocking
đ Time blocking by Laura Scroggs (covers task batching, day theming & time boxing): https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/time-blocking#what-is-time-blocking
đ How to boost your productivity with time blocking by Rachel Hakoune (covers traditional time blocking, pomodoro technique, time theming, energy management time blocking & batch time blocking): https://monday.com/blog/productivity/increase-your-productivity-with-time-blocking-a-step-by-step-guide/
đ Elon Muskâs 5-minute rule: Block your time like Teslaâs CEO by Timeular: https://timeular.com/blog/block-your-time-like-elon-musk/
đ Why theming my das has made me a better dad by Mike Vardy: https://productivityist.com/theming-days-made-better-dad/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
This week weâre talking about dopamine.
I feel that there's a bit of confusion about this topic. Maybe youâre wondering what does dopamine do? How does dopamine make you happy? How can I increase my dopamine? And is too much dopamine bad for you?
It's really normal to be confused about this topic.
If you search online about dopamine and how it influences us, you might find things describing how dopamine makes you happy, how to hack dopamine to be more disciplined and motivated and how you can boost dopamine to be happier.
But you may also find resources saying that weâre addicted to dopamine, that instant gratification is ruining our lives and that you should go on a dopamine detox or a dopamine fast and delay gratification.
So, yeah⊠If youâre confused about this topic, youâre not aloneâŠ
I want to demystify this a little bit for you today to help you better understand how the brain works and how you can stop fighting and instead start working with your natural processes more.
Calling dopamine the happy hormone is a bit misleading and Iâm going to tell you why.
There are two sides to this:
- what is dopamine and what does it have to do with happiness? and
- what do we humans actually need to be happy?
âResources mentioned in this podcast (Iâm not affiliated with any of the resources that I share on the podcast, I just share them out of personal interest and to give you context about these topics)
đ All in the mind podcast: Pleasure, pain, dopamine and the brain with dr. Anna Lembke: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/allinthemind/pleasure-pain-dopamine-and-the-brain/14043764
đ Everything you need to know about introvert hangover (what is it, the science, and how to recover): https://link.chtbl.com/068-introvert-hangover
đ Veritasium: What the longest-running study on happiness reveals: https://youtu.be/vSQjk9jKarg
â
Learn more from me about healthy habits for introverts
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: â https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-styleâ
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: â go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Have you ever wishes that you could remember things better? You might read or see something really interesting and you get an idea but by the time you sit down to write down your idea, you forgot what it was. Itâs frustrating when ideas slip away from us before we can do anything with them. Or when you canât recall a key piece of information that youâd like to build on.
Thatâs where a second brain comes in.
A second brain is a database of all the things that you find important and interesting. Itâs there to help you to use your human brain for what itâs best at: coming up with creative ideas.
I started experimenting with how to build a second brain a year ago and I want to share with you what Iâve learned so far.
In todays chapter of the podcast, Iâll tell you about my personal experience with building a second brain so far, what Iâve learned this book: building a second brain by Tiago Forteâs, and why this system might now work for everyone.
The core system of Tiago Forteâs method to build a second brain is the acronym CODE (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express): the four steps to remember what matters.
But first, what is a second brain and why should you care?
âResources mentioned in this podcast (Iâm not affiliated with any of the resources that I share on the podcast, I just share them out of personal interest and to give you context so that you can make your own decision)
â
đ Building a second brain by Tiago Forte (available on amazon): https://a.co/d/55NjJEY
â
Learn more from me about healthy habits for introverts
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-style
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: http://go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Visit the blog and read client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Todayâs chapter is a little bit different than the usual episodes. Iâm going to share with you small ways in which weâve add more meaning into our life as a family. This chapter is Christmas themed and Iâm going to share with you Christmas tree journey - Iâve tried all sorts of different trees over the years - and why we stopped having a traditional Christmas tree.Iâm also going to show you our special memory ornaments. This started as a silly idea a few years ago and itâs now grown into a tradition that I really love. Instead of putting regular ornaments in our tree, I started decorating our tree with memory ornaments. These are small items that weâve collected throughout the year. Theyâre holiday souvenirs from travels and that weâre gotten from people, theyâre hand made gifts and pictures. The memory ornaments make decorating the Christmas tree and looking at the tree during the Holiday season even more meaningful and joyful for me. If youâre catching this on the video podcast on YouTube, youâll be able to see some of the memory ornaments from my family that Iâll share with you. So, I invite you over to YouTube if you want to see, Iâll leave the link underneath wherever youâre finding this podcast. If youâre on audio only, Iâll do my best to describe some of these to you!
â
Learn more about healthy habits for introverts
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: â â https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-styleâ â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: â â go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Today, we're diving deep into a phenomenon that many introverts experience but may not have a name for: the 'Introvert Hangover'. This is a state of physical and mental exhaustion that can occur after being in a highly stimulating environment, often involving a lot of social interaction.
We'll explore how to know if youâre having an introvert hangover (for example you may be extremely tired, feeling unwell, have headaches, and have trouble concentrating). We'll also discuss why this happens often happens to introverts after activities involving lots of socializing or stimulation and what the science says about this.
One of the key topics we'll cover is the relationship between introverts and extroverts and dopamine (also known as âthe happy hormoneâ).
Dopamine is associated with pleasure and reward and it affects introverts and extroverts differently. Introverts are more sensitive to dopamine, which could explain why they get overstimulated more easily than extroverts.
But itâs not all about the challenges. We'll also delve into energy management strategies for introverts. We'll discuss how recognizing the situations that overstimulate you and taking micro-breaks during these situations can help manage your energy better.
Iâll share practical advice on how to prevent or recover from an introvert hangover, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting your own energy needs. Remember that understanding your energy needs is the first step towards effective energy management and time management.
I hope this podcast gives you insights and inspires you in some way to learn how to naturally excel and how to develop healthy habits that support you as an introverted solopreneurs.
â
Resources mentioned in this podcast (I have no affiliation with these sources and share them with you just because they helped me when I researched this topic)âđ According to Elaine Aron (who coined the term highly sensitive person HSP) 70% of HSPs are introverts: https://hsperson.com/faq/how-do-i-know-for-sure/
đ 12 Signs You Have an âIntrovert Hangoverâ (Yes, Itâs Real) on Introvert, Dear: https://introvertdear.com/news/introvert-hangover-signs/
đ Background information about dopamine from Harvard Medical School: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure
đ About dopamine sensitivity in introverts vs extroverts "On the Psychobiology of Personality: Essays in Honor of Marvin Zuckermanâ, edited by Robert M Stelmack: https://books.google.nl/books?id=swhd33LCBqcC&lpg=PA409&ots=E2xBnGII6r&dq=dopamine%20sensitivity%20introverts&lr&pg=PA411#v=onepage&q=dopamine%20sensitivity%20introverts&f=false
đ Book âIntrovert advantageâ by Marti Olsen Laney on Amazon: https://a.co/d/a5goagk
â
Learn more about my work
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: â https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-styleâ
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: â go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blogâ
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
I do a lot of research, read loads of books and online sources. Iâm also Iâm a certified introvert coach, I work with private coaching clients, Iâm an introvert myself and Iâm the mom of an introverted child.
In this podcast, Iâm going to talk about things like energy management and time management, how to stay focused and gain clarity about whatâs important to you, how to leverage natural discipline, and how to make meaningful contributions to others and find fulfillment in the things you do.
And weâll drill down to what this all means for you on a daily basis: what lessons can you take from all this research to develop healthy habits so that you have the energy to work on your goals without daily routines that feel forced or that last only 2 weeks.
Today, weâre talking about the book Surrounded by idiots by Thomas Erikson.
This book is about the four types of human behavior also known as the DISA or DISC profile.
If youâve ever wondered why there are some people who just donât seem to understand you and some people who you just canât seem to get through to, then spend the next 15 minutes with me for some insights & inspiration from this book.
--
Resources (I have no affiliation with these resources and just share them with you if you want to know more about these topics)
đ Surrounded by idiots by Thomas Erikson: https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectively-Communicate-ebook/dp/B07J4YT2HB
đ DISC Profile of Barack Obama & A Surprise Introvert by Human Performance Technology: https://blog.hptbydts.com/disc-profile-of-barack-obama-a-surprise-introvert
--
Learn more about my work
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-style
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Hi there, introverted solopreneur đ€
If you work solo most of the time like me, it can get tough to stay motivated. You may have asked yourself: âHow do I stay motivated?â or "What should I do if I'm not motivated?â
My answer: focus on the small wins.
Especially in the midst of the holiday season, thereâs so much pressure to do this or that. Itâs a busy time and one person might be telling you to slow down and take a much needed break while another might be urging you to make this your most productive month this year yet..!
Whether youâre in a season of slowing down or ramping up⊠focusing on small wins is a great hack to boost motivation and to show you the progress that youâre making.
You donât have to wait for the end of the year to appreciate how far youâve come either.
In this video, we'll delve into the power of celebrating small wins, an important way to maintain motivation. Even with the distractions and challenges of solopreneurship. Itâs often overlooked but these small moments of progress are key to staying motivated.
Iâll share with you how I made celebrating small wins a regular part of your routine to give you some inspiration how you can boost your motivation levels consistently.
Celebrate your introverted solopreneur journey. It's about understanding that motivation isn't a constant state, but something that ebbs and flows. And most importantly, it's about equipping you with the tools to navigate this journey with confidence and resilience.
Join me to talk more about these topics. Let's keep the motivation alive and continue to build the businesses we love by celebrating every small win along the way.
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-style
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
âI lack focusâ
âI just donât know what to focus onâ
If youâre feeling like this around your business or even your life right now, then this episode is for you.
In this episode, we delve into the power of small changes and how they can create a massive impact on your life and business.
We'll explore the 80 20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, a concept that suggests 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. This principle is a game-changer for solopreneurs, helping you focus on what truly matters and maximize your productivity without burning out.
Next, we'll discuss the concept of âeasy habitsâ or âsmall caps.â These are small, manageable changes you can incorporate into your daily routine. They may seem insignificant at first, but over time, these habits can lead to profound changes in your life and business. I'll share a personal anecdote about a small habit that completely transformed the way I experience biking in the rainy Netherlands as a practical examples you can relate to (and potentially implement the next time you happen to go on a bike ride in the rain đ).
This video is a must-watch for introverted solopreneurs looking to make the most of their time, energy, and resources. Join me as we explore these powerful principles and discover how small changes can lead to big impacts to create a more productive, fulfilling, and successful entrepreneurial life.
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-style
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
When our son was younger we loved playing with Duplo together as a family. Weâd dump a big pile of blocks on the floor and start stacking. We could spend hours building and playing like that.
During one of our Duplo playtimes, I noticed something interesting: we each had a distinct way of playing with the Duplo blocks.
It reminds me of Your Habit Style: your natural style to help you build habits for an easy and effective daily routine.
In working with one to one coaching clients, I discovered three different habit styles: the Painterâs palette, the Builderâs mortar and the Chefâs cookbook.
Insight into the habit styles explains why some people thrive on structure, while structure can completely stifle others. And why sudden changes in daily routine can stress some people, while others welcome the playful flexibility.
Sometimes we'll see a lot online or get well-meaning advice that has been tailored to one habit style. If you're noticing that it doesn't work for you, you might just have a different habit style.
If you want to know what your habit style is, book a free call with me and get a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-style
This is the last of the five minute letter series and next week we'll have our normal ten minute episode. If you want to see the other 5â letters published on the podcast, click on the links below.
I send a weekly letter to my email community with insights and inspiration for introverted solopreneurs who want to develop healthy habits and have the energy to work on their goals without those daily routines that feel forced or only last two weeks.
You can sign up here if that sounds good: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
OTHER 5 MINUTE LETTERS
đ Are you a low energy person? https://open.spotify.com/episode/0f24V45ultND7CaETJrE3D?si=eaa1dbc9aad546b5
đ For perfectionistic introverts who feel stuck right now. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7wJF8HAGGkWV4FhUjVMhXS?si=ecca52cff6c941d4đ A short story about potatoes. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fCPYDNKbNWgQQbP89rMC1?si=2b91f5bf9f284af8
đ A short story about proposals and expectations. https://open.spotify.com/episode/12rIpgyzfHOT6MI5NBevNL?si=654a0f49579d41cb
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://calendly.com/thefrankermessage/reveal-my-habit-style
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Loads of my introverted friends are booklovers. Itâs one of the activities that recharges a lot of introverts and helps them to feel inspired.
Thereâs even a popular phrase out there that most billionaires read between 50 and 70 books a year.
Maybe youâre a book lover but you canât find the time to read lately?
Or maybe youâve never quite taken to reading books but you would like to read more, then keep listening.
Either way, If youâre looking for a way to get (back) into reading but canât find the time, then this might help.
Here are 3 habits that helped me to read one book a week + a bonus reading tip if youâre struggling to get through a book.
â
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
This is a reading of one of my weekly emails. Would you like to get weekly stories and insights into what introverts really to develop healthy habits without daily routines that feel forced?
Sign up for the newsletter: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
What started with one moldy potato turned into long boney potato root fingers trying to claw their way out and itâs now become a full stench of potato in various states of decomposition.
This didnât happen over the span of a couple of days either.
Nope.
It easily took a couple of months to get here.
Every day I thought: Iâll get to it later. Iâm busy. Ugh, Iâm exhausted⊠and Iâd quickly close the cupboard door.
At first, the reasons were certainly valid. I was busy that day. And I was exhausted the day after.
But it quickly turned into active procrastination.
Do you currently have a moldy potato in your life thatâs threatening to grow into a potato cupboard of hell?
You don't have to live your life in the stench...!
â
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
One of the biggest struggles when youâre a solopreneur is prioritizing a healthy lifestyle. Youâre wearing all the hats in your company and youâre covering all the angles of the business. If youâre working from home too like I do: home tasks and work tasks can bleed over in each other and it can get chaotic in terms of what actually gets done.
How do you prioritize a healthy lifestyle when youâre wearing all the hats and working all the angles?
Of course there isnât one answer to this because there are a lot of moving parts to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But hereâs one thing that Iâve found can be very helpful, especially for introverted solopreneurs: using a personal energy metric to assign priority to tasks.
Iâm going to explain to you exactly what a personal energy metric is, why itâs important for introverted solopreneurs to have a personal energy metric, and Iâll give you the exact formula that I use to calculate mine.
Creating an objective metric for energy and treating it like a business metric, can help you to create sustainable healthy habits so that you can have a thriving business AND a healthy lifestyle.
Whatâs your take on this? Do you track metrics in your business and have you ever used something like a personal energy metric?
Is it something that sounds interesting enough for you to try or you you think that it wouldnât work for you to have a more healthy lifestyle?
â
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
My new website is live! .. and there are at least 10 things I still want to change đ©
Perfectionism kept me from launching a blog site for years. Any perfectionists in the room? â
Lots of introverts get stuck because of perfectionism. Their work feels ânot good enoughâ and they keep micro-editing to get to 100%.
Itâs important to realize that introverts have a different process when it comes to making decisions and taking action. âJust do itâ - although well meaning advice - can cause more anxiety than real progress for a lot of introverts.
In this next episode of the 5 min productive introvert letter series, I share a letter that I wrote to my mailing list about shedding those perfectionistic tendencies and feeling confident about your next step.
Check out my new website: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
â
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Hi there, itâs Mariella. We have a few new people in our growing community and I wanted to (re)introduce myself to you đ€
Instead of a regular introduction, Iâm going to answer 7 questions that I get asked all the time, especially when people meet me for the first time.
Iâve been asked these at parties, at social g2gr, thereâs one that I was asked during an interview on another podcast and at the end Iâve included one that a close friend asked me recently.
If youâre new to this community, I hope that youâll get to know me a little bit better today and if youâve been with us for a while already, maybe thereâs something in here that you didnât know about me yet!
Here are my answers to the 7 questions I get asked the most:
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Where are you from?
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When did you move to Europe?
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When did you find out that you were introverted?
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Do you regret leaving science after 10 years?
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What has helped you to find yourself as an introvert?
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Where do you find clients?
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Do you think youâve found your purpose?
ââ¶ïž Related episode about if I miss being a molecular biologist: https://link.chtbl.com/miss-being-biologistâ
â¶ïž Follow for new episodes each week!
â
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a FREE call to reveal Your Habit Style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Every romantic movie Iâd ever seen: uber romantic wedding proposals where the man drops on one knee and declares his undying love.
My own wedding proposal on the other hand, was far less romantic (I donât remember the movie proposals featuring empty take out boxes and shrugging shouldersâŠ)
Itâs not strange that I was a bit confused by my own wedding proposal. Afterall, most of what Iâd learned about love and marriage came from movies.
The biggest decisions in life are oddly cloaked in obscurity, because we rarely talk about what itâs really like to make big decisions. But they donât have to be!
In this 5 min episode, I share a letter that I wrote to my mailing list about proposals and expectations and that, after 14 years together and married for 6, Iâve learned that the uber romantic declarations of love often happen in the little mundane moments in life.
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Join Productive Introvert Letters for weekly insights from a certified habit coach for introverted solopreneurs: go.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â
â¶ïž Book a free call to reveal Your Habit Style: go.thefrankermessage.com/freecall
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
The reason why people say that time is your most valuable asset is because itâs the only non-renewable resource that we have. Time however is something that we can never get back and never can get more of.
It makes total sense why so many of us are looking to improve our time management skills. The idea is that if you manage your time better, you get more out of the time that you have, you achieve more and you can live a more fulfilling live - whatever that looks like to you.
As a habit coach, I get a lot of questions about time management:
How do I make time to exercise when I already have a really busy schedule? How do I find a daily routine that works for me when my kids are keeping me up at all hours of the night? How do I make time to work on my own business when Iâm still working a 9-5?
Recently though Iâve been asking myself if time management really is the thing to focus on. Is time really our most valuable asset?
Letâs talk about it. Iâll share my viewpoint as a certified habit coach for introverts and introvert myself and why I donât believe that time is our most valuable asset anymore. Itâs attention.
Free Resources
â
â¶ïž Book a free call to reveal Your Habit Style: https://forms.gle/q3MX6HAnAw5Mgg41A
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
Itâs been a dream of mine to take off 2+ months a year. After I spoke about this in one of the previous episode, I learned that other people share this dream too.
In this episode, Iâll tell you more about my first experiment with taking a 2-month break from work and 2 essential habits that helped me with time management and energy management.
Are you wondering how you can make taking a 2 month break a reality in your life? Iâll share some practical advice how to approach this yourself. Watch the video for insights drawn from my own experiences and my role as a habit coach for introverts.
Discover why the magic lies in transitions â how we shift from one activity to another can make or break our ability to embrace change, whether it's a lengthy break, a new job, or transforming your dietary habits.
I'll share two powerful examples of habits from my life that can inspire you to identify a critical area in your own life and cultivate 1 or 2 key habits that will bring you peace of mind. Plus, I'll provide essential tips for creating a morning routine that truly works for you.
If youâre an introvert and you feel like you have no energy, youâre struggling to find a morning routine that actually works, or youâre looking for ways to improve your energy management and time management skills, then this episode is for you.
Catch part 1 about the 2-month break experiment: https://link.chtbl.com/2-month-break-experiment
Free Resources
â¶ïž Book a free call to reveal Your Habit Style: https://forms.gle/q3MX6HAnAw5Mgg41A
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
A lot of introverts struggle to manage their energy and their time and wish that they had better time management skills. But no matter how well they try to organize their calendar or their morning routine, theyâre still feel tired all the time.
In this episode, we talk about an unexpected source that causes many introverts to feel low energy: an internal struggle with the inner critic. You know, that little voice in your head that likes to point out all the things youâre doing wrong.
I was recently reminded of the force of the inner critic when I explored what it would be like to take a 2-months break from work and⊠all my plans came to a grinding halt!
We rarely talk about the inner critic and can quickly feel like something is wrong with us for having negative thoughts. But, the inner critic is completely normal. Not just for introverts, both introverts and extroverts have negative thoughts.
Watch now to learn more about this. Iâll also share how I decreased my workload so that I could take a 2-month break off work (and how I plan to make this a regular thing), what went well and what didnât, and what you can do to release guilt and stop negative thoughts when things donât go according to plan.
Free Resources
â¶ïž Book a free call to reveal Your Habit Style: https://forms.gle/q3MX6HAnAw5Mgg41A
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
After a 2 month break, we're back with season 3 of Productive Introvert Community Podcast! If you're new here, welcome! If you're back after season 2, thank you so much for sticking around and for hanging out with me again đ€
In this episode, we're revisiting the 2 most popular episodes from last season. Maybe you missed these episodes or maybe you're happy to have a little recap. I hope it's helpful!
---So many introverts wish that they had more discipline and more energy. Stuck overthinking or overwhelmed by a huge pile of work and feeling tired all the time.If you're an introvert who feels like something is wrong with them for lacking the energy or the discipline to do what needs to get done, then watch these 2 short clips or go to the full episodes below:If you think you're not disciplined enough â¶ïž https://link.chtbl.com/PICpodcast-not-disciplined
Are you a "low energy personâ? (for introverts who struggle with having no energy) â¶ïž https://link.chtbl.com/low-energy---
Free Resources
â¶ïž Book a free call to reveal Your Habit Style: https://forms.gle/q3MX6HAnAw5Mgg41A
â¶ïž Blog and client stories: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog
â¶ïž Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
It's time to announce the winner of the giveaway. Who's the lucky one to win a custom Habit Style Starter Kit?
I also have an extra surprise in store!
--- links mentioned in this video ---
âŽïž Big change for the podcast (making your business work for you): https://link.chtbl.com/xsPr1KZb
--- free resources ---
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: your weekly PIL of inspiration: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Did you know that PIC podcast is also on YouTube? Find it here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTr3ciQDgGWDjmLHJ5vdWw?sub_confirmation=1
â¶ïž Are you on LinkedIn? Iâd love to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
PIC podcast was in the top 20% most shared globally last year and today there are listeners from 28 different countries tuning in. Isn't that mind blowing?!
For today's episode, I wanted to share some achievements with you from the podcast and some comments that people have sent me about how the podcast is impacting them.
Also, today is the last day to enter the free give away to win your *custom * Habit Style Starter kit.
Your habit style is a blueprint that can help you to understand why certain habits and productivity techniques work for you and why others don't, and it makes it easier to make changes in your life that you wanna see without feeling like you have to force yourself to do things.
Click on the link in the description to enter the giveaway. Good luck, I hope that your name comes out of my hat!
--- links mentioned in this episode ---
âŽïž Enter to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6
âŽïž Big change for the podcast (making your business work for you): https://link.chtbl.com/xsPr1KZb
--- free resources ---
â¶ïž Enter the give away for a chance to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters, your weekly PIL of inspiration for introverted solopreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world and want to do this on their terms: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Did you know that PIC podcast also comes in video? Find it here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTr3ciQDgGWDjmLHJ5vdWw?sub_confirmation=1
â¶ïž Are you on LinkedIn? Iâd love to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
I want share something with you today about a decision that I've made and that will influence the podcast and how often you hear from me. Don't worry, I'll say right away that the podcast will continue. But there are going to be a couple of changes.
I've decided to take a long summer break this year and I'll be taking time away from the podcast for two months. Itâs a bit deal! I donât think Iâve taken such a long vacation, well, everâŠ
It was always part of the plan when I started my coaching business. It was always one of my wishes that the business could potentially grant me: to be able to take extended periods of time off - at least 2 months a year. This year, Iâm doing a âsoftâ version of that.
In this episode, Iâll share with you what I mean with a âsoftâ version, why now, and how this will influence the podcast moving forward.
links mentioned in this episode:
âŽïž Building my podcast in 6 weeks: https://youtu.be/zH_CkiknBEg âŽïž What are the 3 habit styles: https://youtu.be/8HY1cfnTFp8 âŽïž Enter before July 6th, 2023 to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6
â¶ïž Enter the give away for a chance to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters, your weekly PIL of inspiration for introverted solopreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world and want to do this on their terms: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Did you know that PIC podcast also comes in video? Find it here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTr3ciQDgGWDjmLHJ5vdWw?sub_confirmation=1
â¶ïž Are you on LinkedIn? Iâd love to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellafranker/
Are you feeling tired all the time and do struggle to tap into creativity in your work? In this podcast, we explore the interesting concept of rhythm in our lives and how you can use your natural rhythms to better manage your energy and boost your creative process.
I recently listened to the BBC Earth podcast "Rhythm." that talked about different examples of how natural rhythms influence living things. From the Moonflower that only blooms under the full moon, to the natural cycles of the Arctic ice caps, rhythms shape our world. Even in our own creative processes, rhythms play a crucial role.
Discover how different rhythms, such as the circadian and menstrual cycles, can impact our energy levels and creativity. Whether youâre an artist (like a painter or content creator) or even if you do work that isnât classically seen as creative work, you bring a certain level of creativity into your work in how you connect whatâs in front of you with your experience.
We talk about how synchronizing your energy rhythm with your creative process can help to stop feeling tired all the time and to deliver on your promises. We talk about the three stages of the creation process: exploration, connecting the dots, and action. Gaining insights into your unique creation process and developing supportive habits and systems that align with your rhythm is one of the most effective ways to have more energy and to stop feeling tired all the time.
Also, don't miss your chance to win a free Habit Style Starter Kit designed specifically for you! In celebration of the 1-year anniversary of Productive Introvert Community Podcast, you have until July 6 to enter the giveaway.
Click the first link below to answer 1 question and your name will automatically be entered in the âhatâ to win! There are even multiple choice options and - if you want to share your thoughts but you donât want to enter the give away - you can also share your answer anonymously đ
â¶ïž Enter the give away for a chance to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters, your weekly PIL of inspiration for introverted solopreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world and want to do this on their terms: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
[Quick note: I'm (temporarily) switching back to audio files because I've been getting a bug with uploading new episodes. Hopefully it will be fixed soon. In the meantime, you can listen to the audio here or hop over to YouTube for the video version]
One of my clients asked: How do you know if the fear that youâre feeling is a healthy fear? We were talking about a new project hat sheâs starting and she noticed that she felt exciting about it but also nervous and a bit afraid.
It's very understandable that you feel afraid or that you have doubts when you're doing something new, especially when it's something that you've never done before. By definition, when youâre starting something new, you donât know if you can do it. On some level, thatâs scary. On a deeper level, you kind of need to figure out how to âbeâ in this new direction and, on a practical level, you need to figure out how to actually take action on this idea.
The same is true with doubt. Itâs very normal to feel doubt when youâre making a decision. Some people have a really clear vision when theyâre embarking on something new but a lot of people actually donât. You may have a sense of it but you may not exactly know where it is that you want to go. So, feeling doubt around making big decisions is really okay.
These are exactly the things that we look at in my coaching programs by connecting with your natural advantage, your unique process.
The important thing to know is that fear doesnât always mean that something is wrong or that youâre not doing it right. It's just a signal giving you information about your own process.
In this podcast episode, we talk about understanding the "clues" that fear and doubt are giving you and how that was for me when I first decided to change my focus to habits and habit building.
We also talk about how you can enter the give away this month to win a free Habit Style Starter Kit, as we're getting ready to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the podcast on July 6th!
â¶ïž Enter the give away for a chance to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters, your weekly PIL of inspiration for introverted solopreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world and want to do this on their terms: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
[Quick note: I'm (temporarily) switching back to audio files because I've been getting a bug with uploading new episodes. Hopefully it will be fixed soon. In the meantime, you can listen to the audio here or hop over to YouTube for the video version]
I have something exciting and fun to share with you today! On July 6th, we're celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Productive Introvert Community Podcast đ„ł I want to celebrate this milestone with you and what better way to celebrate than to organize a give away đ I'm giving away a free Habit Style Starter Kit completely custom to the winner.
Answer one question to get your name in the "hat" to win: Whatâs the one thing holding you back from learning habits that last?
You can enter to win by answering that one question in the form below. Just click on the link "Enter the give away" and you'll be taken to a simple google form to submit your answer. Send me your answer by July 6th and you'll be entered for a chance to win your peronal Habit Style Starter Kit
This is a completely new kit that I will create for you based on your personal Habit Style. I believe in this personalized approach so much because you are unique and your situation, your personal goals, and your life (as it is right now) are unique too!
Most of what you'll find out there about habits follows more of a one-size fits all approach. Sometimes you'll strike gold: you'll try something that has worked well for someone else and it will work for you too. It's an amazing moment! Unfortunately, it doesn't happen often.
What I see with most people is that they'll try an approach that they read about or see online but it won't stick or it will feel really, really hard to put into practice. They end up feeling like they're failing or that there's something wrong with them. And it breaks my heart! Because that's not the problem. There's nothing wrong with you. It's also not because you lack discipline. What I've been discovering is that most of the time, it's because the technique that they're using simply isn't a match for their natural style.
So, I thought, what would happen if you factored in an introverts natural style and the way that people * easily * form habits? And the custom Habit Style Starter Kits were born!
Enter the give away to get your hands on your personal kit and learn a framework that you can use over and over again to not only make your habits last but to make them easier to learn as well.
PS. I know that some of you may want to engage but you don't really want to send me your details. I completely respect that and I've made it so that you can also fill in the form anonymously. However, You will need to submit your name and email if you want to be entered in the give away (because otherwise I won't know where to send your kit âșïž) but I still really appreciate you for sharing your thoughts and I want to thank you in advance for submitting the form!
â¶ïž Enter the give away for a chance to win a free * custom * Habit Style Starter Kit: â https://forms.gle/LuEo6VkzfMxmDhMC6â
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters, your weekly PIL of inspiration for introverted solopreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world and want to do this on their terms: â https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeâ
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
In this podcast episode, we talk about the concept of consistency and its relevance in various aspects of life, particularly in content creation. Being consistent is often emphasized, but life can be unpredictable at times and requires adaptability. I share my personal experiences (I do not adhere to a strict consistency schedule with my podcast and newsletter).
I've testing different days and times that work best for my audience, as well as making space for unexpected life events. Feeling guilty about inconsistent output is common but I really want to challenge your definition of consistency what it's significance in the things that you do. Consistency in content creation is advised because of the abundance of content available, and being consistently present helps maintain top-of-mind awareness.
But, I really want to encourage listeners to define what consistency means to them personally. Consider your own approach to consistency and find a balance that works for you.
â¶ïž Introvert, dear blog "12 Signs You Have an âIntrovert Hangoverâ (Yes, Itâs Real)": https://introvertdear.com/news/introvert-hangover-signs/
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters and get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
In this episode, we're talking about discipline and how it often creates a sense of struggle for many introverts. Many of my introverted coaching clients feel that they lack discipline or wish that they were more disciplined. They tend to get caught in overthinking, analysis paralysis or "research mode", where they constantly research and consume information without taking action. But there's an interesting contrast between how they perceive their own discipline and their actual behaviors: while they don't think of themselves as disciplined, they are really disciplined when it comes to activities that they're naturally interested in, sometimes spending hours honing their skills or knowledge. We often have negative associations with the word "discipline". Most people immediately think of punishment or being forced to do things that you don't enjoy. This is not surprising at all! But it's not necessarily true.Instead, let's explore the idea that discipline doesn't have to be hard or forced but can align with your natural interests and strengths. Let this podcast encourages you to reflect on your own associations with discipline and to reframe it in a more positive light. You can find ways to apply a natural discipline to your work that allows you to make progress and to create meaningful outcomes.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters and get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
In this podcast episode, we're talking about getting out of your comfort zone. I share my perspective as an introverted solopreneur and habit coach and my personal experience of believing that failures were due to my own shortcomings. I felt constant pressure to push myself out of my comfort zone. However, I discovered that this approach doesn't work well for introverts. My mentor taught me a different perspective, emphasizing that it's not necessary to constantly be outside of your comfort zone. Don't get me wrong, working hard and being invested in something is essential if you want to have an impact but doing that for something you love is different from pushing yourself in areas that don't align with your values. Constantly being told to get out of your comfort zone often can cause introverts to block or to deplete their energy. Although, I acknowledge the intention behind the phrase "get out of your comfort zone" as a motivational tool it's important to understanding your own needs and to find a balance (or better yet, a harmony) between challenging yourself to learn something new and giving yourself permission to make it feel easy.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters and get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
As I was working 1-1 with introverts and questions that they had about improving low energy, I noticed a common thread that was keeping them stuck: their habits. I discovered that there are 3 different habit styles: the Builder's Mortar, the Painter's Palette, and the Chef's Cookbook. In this episode, I'm gonna give you a short introduction on the 3 habit styles and why itâs important to know your habit style for example when you're working on a morning routine. Are you having trouble to adopt a morning routine or to make a habit stick beyond 2 weeks? Schedule a free call with me to reveal your habit style. In this 30 minute call, weâll reveal your habit style and you'll get a 1-page summary of your habit style with a framework for your personal habit building process so you can stop feeling like you're forcing yourself to stick to a habit and to make it feel easy instead.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters and get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Lately, Iâve been struggling to stay motivated for the podcast. Itâs not surprising, really. When we start a new thing, weâre excited and motivation is high. After a while, motivation dips and things get tough. Thatâs the moment when you need to make a decision: Will I keep going? Or will I let this thing go.
Thinking about where this barrier is coming from can help to make this decision. Do you really lack motivation or is something else going on? And is lack of motivation really the problem here..?
Most podcasts donât last beyond the 1-year mark and, what do you know, weâll be celebrating 1 year of Productive Introvert Community podcast in July! Itâs really fitting that right around this 1-year mark, I start struggling to show up for the podcast đ
In this episode, I share about how Iâm navigating the decision to keep going with the podcast or to let it go. Youâll also learn about a written behind the scenes series that Iâm sharing with my mailing list Productive Introvert Letters.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letter and get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Follow Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
I've been struggling a little bit with actually coming on the podcast every week. It's a part of life. I don't know many people personally, who also host a podcast, but like other things in life, I imagine it's like this right up and down, up and down and that there come times when you kind.You fall out of love with something for a little while, and you have to re-find your rhythm.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
This week on Productive Introvert Community: Why busy does not equal productive + 3 of my favorite productivity boosters.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
A lot of the times when we feel stuck, we think that motivation is the problem. It causes us to either sit there and wait until we feel motivated or until inspiration hits and we do nothing (procrastinating, sometimes overthinking). Or we're all over the place, doing lots of stuff but never feeling like we're actually accomplishing anything ("business", sometimes overthinking đ).
In today's podcast, we're talking about why overly relying on motivation is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make that keep them stuck. We'll talk about why overly relying on motivation isn't a very helpful long-term strategy and why it's more effective to focus on habits and systems instead.
I'll also give examples of 2 area's in my life where habits and systems have helped me a lot to feel more energized and productive.
âłïž Introducing more quiet time into my workday
âłïž Getting delicious and nutritious meals on the table for my family every day (as someone who doesn't like cooking!)
Related episode: What's the deal with quiet time?
Related episode: Do you feel unmotivated?
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
In this podcast, I share with you why I'm changing the focus of my coaching program to habits for introverts. The first little puzzle piece of the puzzle that I can give you is to reveal your habit style using a simple, short quiz. Book a free call to reveal your habit style and walk away with a 1-page pdf about your personal habit building process: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
This episode is released later than planned due to technical issues with the editing software. Thank you for waiting! Today, weâre talking about one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when theyâre trying to decide what next step to take: they create âfake conditionalityâ between different actions. Surely in 80% of the situations when I see people do this, thereâs really no conditionality at all and fake conditionality keeps them stuck and procrastinating on the things they actually want to do. As for me, Iâm in the middle of some exciting changes and restructuring things in my business and at home. Especially in times like these, I also need to remind myself to avoid fake conditionality and to focus in on doing the most important things. Time and energy are limited resources after all and we need to be respectful and intentional about how we spend it!â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
You have an exciting idea but then something unexpected comes up.
But when you finally have time to work on it again, you draw a blankâŠ
If this happens to you regularly, check out this episode. We're going to talk about a simple habit that you can use to quickly get that focus back and to continue making progress on your exciting idea over time, no matter how much time (and life!) happens in between.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
"What you do now is so different from what you did before, do you ever miss your old job?"
I get asked this question regularly by people who have known me a long time, especially family.
The short answer to this question is no.
The long answer is in this podcast episode đ
I trained for 10 years as a molecular biologist and I used to spend my time either pipetting in a lab or behind a microscope. Even though, I enjoyed working in the lab and also the roles I had after, people are sometimes surprised when I tell them that I donât miss my old job.
The simple fact is that we all go through a natural evolution in our lives. Embracing this natural evolution in yourself as well as your roles in your work, leads to a more fulfilling and joyful life.
What may have been right for you 5 years ago, may not be right for you anymore in the next 5 years. And that's very normal!
Weâre often held back from making changes because we think weâll disappoint people or that having a fulfilling life just isnât in the cards for us right now.
Iâm here to tell you that it is. Itâs closer to you than you think to live a meaningful and fulfilling life and itâs simpler than you think to get there from where you are now.
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Why you need habits that are tailored to you? To tailor your habits to your personal situation, your personality and your life at the moment? Â
There is A LOT of information out there about habits and deep down we all know that our habits have a big influence on our lives. The tricky thing is that when we look at people we admire and try to implement their habits into our lives, it doesnât always work because we forget to translate it to where we are right now. What works for someone with 10 years in their business and a team of supporting staff at their headquarters doesnât always work for a solopreneur working from home. Â Â Your habits create an experience of how you move through your day. And you are the boss of that experience. You are ultimately the one who is in charge of how you organize your time and where you place your attention at any moment of the day.
â¶ïž Free call to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice":  https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Procrastinating is not the same as needing to take a break. Just in case there were any doubts, I want to call that out right now.
Those two things are not the same thing. There are clearly different signals when youâre either procrastinating on something or when youâre tired and you need to take a break. If you pay attention to themâŠ!
I learned this the hard way after I burned out and in todayâs episode, Iâll share the signals I use to distinguish and how you can tell if youâre either procrastinating on something or if you just need a break.
Itâs one of the things we look at in my coaching program, the Joyful and Impactful introvert system.
Related episode: Do you feel unmotivated?
â¶ïž Apply and book a free call to learn how the Joyful and Impactful introvert system can impact your life: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice":  https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Today's episode is about how you can go from doubting your contributions to having an impact with ease.
I'm going to be telling you about the Joyful and Impactful introvert system: my new signature program that has taken 2 years of development and training and countless years of research and experimentation.
I've gone through this program myself - in a quite literal way - and it is now helping other introverted solopreneurs from around the world.
In the next 15 minutes, I share 3 of the major shifts that this program has created and give you a few examples from my clients who have changed their lives using this system.
What youâll learn
- Major shift #1: Understanding what motivates and drives you on a deeper level
- Major shift #2: Clarity about what impact you want to have and which actions to take in your daily life that align with that
- Major shift #3: How the âunspoken, effortlessâ things are often the things that light us up and that make your life more fulfilling in the long run.
- 2 examples from clients who have put this system into practice
- How to learn more about the Joyful and Impactful introvert system and how it can impact your life
â¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to learn how the Joyful and Impactful introvert system can impact your life: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
I used to think (and say) that I was a low energy person. I also used to think that all introverts were low energy people.
This is not true.
Through experimenting in my own life and coaching other introverted solopreneurs, Iâve seen that making a few key changes can actually skyrocket your energy.
Iâm not a low energy person and neither are you. You may be a person experiencing low energy right now and you can change that.
In this episode, we talk about the 2 biggest reasons why managing low energy might be hard for you if youâre an introverts:
- Youâre not recharging enough or in a way that suits you.
- Youâre not doing enough of the things that feel fulfilling to you.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice":  https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Technical issues this week, so bear with me on this one! The audio is a little bit wonky and isnât synched up halfway through the video, so youâll probably see some funny faces đ *and hear a bit of static here and there. Sorry about this! Working on fixing it for fixed next week.*
I work with a lot of introverted solopreneurs and a thing that comes up a lot is feeling more motivated to do certain things in your business and feeling really unmotivated to do other things.
Like spending hours on your new website, but not sending out messages because you don't want to feel pushy. Or always going above and beyond for your clients but never looking at your expenses and leaving your tax return to the very last second.
Especially when youâre a solopreneur, you donât have a team (yet) and you are the one doing everything in your business.
Youâre also the one making the decisions. Thereâs no one there that youâre accountable to. Thereâs no one there to say: âHey, this needs to get done today.â
Thereâs no one there to help you decide whatâs the most important thing to do on a day to day basis.
Thereâs great freedom in that and probably one of the reasons why youâre an entrepreneur in the first place is to have that freedom and to be able to make those decisions for yourself.
But it can become a problem when you constantly find yourself working on things that donât actually impact your business.
When the most important things never seem to get done, when youâre always putting out fires, or when youâre keeping yourself busy to the extent that you never have time to think about what you really want out of life.
In this weekâs episode, we talk about what can you do about this. Weâll talk about why there probably isnât anything wrong with your motivation, that many people talk about motivation when they really mean discipline, and youâll learn a practical exercise to gain insight into what motivates you.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Book a free call with Mariella to reveal your habit style:: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Get Mariella's free training bundle "From stressed to focused introverted entrepreneur with this simple daily practice": https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with Mariella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
And then there was silenceâŠ
Have you ever thought about that moment when youâre in a conversation with someone and it suddenly becomes completely silent..?
Yikes, ackward..!
A few years ago, those were my first thoughts too.
Afraid of the ackward silence, as soon as I caught a glimpse of it, Iâd quickly try to make a (bad) joke (that no one got) in an attempt to escape it.
Or the opposite: Iâd be waiting -eagerly - for a silence to show up so I could finally step in and add something to the conversation but the silence never came and then the moment passed.
How can something so small we donât even think of it as a thing create such a mix of emotions?
This weekâs podcast episode is about âthe silenceâ.
Silence in a conversation can do very different things for the natural communication style of introverts and extroverts.
Although seemingly unassuming, this âsmallâ thing - in my opinion - is at the heart of the biggest misunderstanding between introverts and extroverts.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Book a free call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Do you feel you have harmony between work and home?
I didn't have a real plan for this episode and decided to share some of the things that were on my mind. Lately, it has been a struggle to find a new rhythm between home life and work life. It had me thinking a lot about this idea of balance - or better yet - harmony between the different aspects of your life.
If you're looking for support to find a better harmony in your life and how you can use your strengths as an introvert to achieve it, then schedule a free call with me. I'll help you come up with a tailored action plan to take your first steps.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Book a free call for your tailored action plan: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez Â
I recently joined my very first panel discussion that was broadcasted live on LinkedIn. While decompressing at my dining table the next morning, I was thinking over some of the things that are helping me to feel good about âputting myself out thereâ as an introvert.
Iâll share 4 of those with you in todayâs podcast episode.
- Preparation is key but now in the way you may think
- Trust your gut and give yourself permission to make it safe
- Share your process rather than being the expert
- Baby steps: building up slowly
At the end of the panel we were all asked: Whatâs one technique that you can share for introverts to be more productive?
My answer: incorporate some kind of daily reflection practice.
A daily reflection practice will help you make the best of your natural self-reflective process and to get the most important things done each day.
If you want to get started with a mini version of this practice, accept my free gift to you: the training bundle âFrom stressed to focused with this simple daily practiceâ
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Get your free gift here.
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call with me: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Related episode: When you struggle with visibility as an introvert
â¶ïž Watch the panel discussion on LinkedIn (available for 2 weeks after it was aired)
â¶ïž Visit IntrovertU
"People do not decide their futures. They decide their habits and their habits decide their futures." - Frederick Alexander.
Iâm curious, what do you think about this quote?
As a productivity coach, naturally, I think a lot about habits. Which habits help us to be more productive, which things keep us distracted, cause us to loose focus or drain our energy. And there are hundreds if not thousands of resources out there about how to break a bad habit, how to get organized, and how to hack your brain to boost productivity
After testing a lot of things on myself - from nutrition to health apps - and after working with dozens of introverted entrepreneurs, Iâve realized one thing:
If you want to stop low energy and boost your productivity, you need a habit plan thatâs unique to you.
In this episode we'll talk about what a habit plan is and why it's important to have one that's tailored to your needs.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
This may be a controversial opinion: I donât believe in new yearâs resolutions.
Granted, a new start can give an incredible boost in motivation. A new calendar year, a new quarter, the start of a new week. Sometimes itâs just that little bit of extra juice we need to start moving. If the new year is one of the things that gives you a motivation boost, then grab onto that and use it.
But be aware: don't leave it on the page as a resolution.
In this episode we'll talk about getting started after the holidays and some changes that I'm making in 2023.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Related episode: Setting priorities
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Get the free training: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
What would help you to ease into your week?
Especially after a break, a weekend, a holiday, it can feel hard to get started again. Blue Monday doesnât just happen once a year...
It took me a while to embrace it but starting my week in a relaxed setting makes a huge difference for me. Thatâs why Iâve been starting my week on Sunday for the past couple of years.
In this weekâs episode, I share a bit more about that and how you can identify what can help you to ease into your week.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
When you feel like you have no control over your day and you kind of rush through itâŠ
In this weekâs podcast episode, we talk about feeling rushed in our workweek but it also applies to the busy Christmas time.
We talk about mindset and a few things to help you shift that rush to calm.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Whatâs a special Christmas tradition that you enjoy? Â
One of ours is decorating our tree with âunusualâ Christmas tree decorations. Â
In this podcast episode, I take you into my home and share a bit of our Christmas preparations. Iâll show you some of the unusual Christmas tree decorations this year and what this tradition means to me. Â
Hope youâre enjoying the Christmas vibes this year too!Â
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
âAre you in a sauna?â
People regularly ask me this the first time we have a call or when they see one of my videoâs.
Although my little office cabin looks a bit like a sauna, it most definitely doesnât feel like one in these cold winter months  đ
In this weekâs podcast episode, I talk about why I choose to work in an uninsulated cabin even in freezing temperatures and what that has to do with focus.
If youâre curious about priming habits and creating the conditions to do focused work, then watch this episode.
Book a free exploration call and I'll help you discover how to create the conditions you need to do focused work.Â
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
I first shared about my âfailedâ course launch with my mailing list and now Iâm talking about it in this podcast episode.
After months of preparation, several dedicated articles, episodes, social posts, and weeks of talking about nothing else, my online course âEnergy management for ambitious introvertsâ got 0 (yes, thatâs right, zero) sign ups.
Was it hard to get that no? Yes.
Did I feel like a failure? Yes.
Did I do nothing but feel sorry for myself for a couple of days? Yes.
Itâs human to be disappointed. Itâs human to complain about things that donât go our way. Do what you need to do to get that out of your system.
And then come back and take another step. Because, in the end, itâs how we choose to move on from our struggles - and how we treat people along the way - that defines us as a person.
In this podcast episode, I share how zero sign ups for my online course turned into fully booked with 1-1 coaching clients within a monthâs time. How talking about the course actually helped me to get fully booked now and why you shouldnât let a no this time discourage you from moving forward.
Remember that a ânoâ today can turn into a âyesâ tomorrow.
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Today, weâre talking about the third thing that that will help you to stay focused and motivated when youâre taking on a big new challenge.
Celebrating small wins and connecting with your deeper values.
I get a lot of questions about deep values and core values. How do you know what your deep values are? How do you find your purpose?
I think this is one of the misconceptions that we have around deep values and purpose is somehow we think that it's something that we will find outside of ourselves.
It is something that is external to us and if we can only find it things will be magically fixed. For example, one day youâll see the perfect job and suddenly it will click: yes, that's what I'm supposed to do.
For most of us this doesnât happen. And we keep searching.
After all my wandering and now connecting to my natural advantage and helping others connect to theirs, Iâve seen that itâs not when we look outside of ourselves but inside of ourselves that we connect with our deeper values.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Related episode: 019 Staying focused: Morning reflections
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Related episode: 018 Staying focused: Business energy assessment
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
There are 3 main techniques that have had a huge impact on my focus and motivation to work on my business. Last, week I talked about the first one: the business energy assessment.
This week, Iâm taking you through my morning reflection process (or better named start-up reflections).
Where the business energy assessment is amazing for long-term adjustments, this one is key for day-to-day navigation and to make sure to stay focused and to keep making progress.
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Related episode: Business energy assessment
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
How do you decide which activities to focus on when you can go in any direction with your business?
As a young entrepreneur, the idea that I can go in any direction I want can be both liberating and overwhelming. Itâs very easy to loose focus and to start drifting. You may wake up one day and realize that youâve been doing less and less of the things that really spark that joy in you. The things that got you excited about running your own business in the first place.
Today, Iâll take you through an exercise that has helped me to decide which activities to focus on and to stay on track in the first years of my business. I call it a business energy assessment. In it, you assess the activities that you're doing on a day-to-day basis and how much energy and joy they bring to you in your work.
What youâll learn:
â What is a business energy assessment and why is it helpful
â How to get started if this is the first time youâre doing a business energy assessment
â An example of how I crossed off 12 out of 14 (almost) daily activities off my list in a recent assessment
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Iâm writing this as Iâm watching the sun rise.
Soon, ships the size of a small flat, will start to make their way back and forth along the river in front of me. Hauling their cargo to and from the port in Rotterdam.
Weâre celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. Weâre staying in a little house appropriately named âGo with the flowâ.Â
In this episode I talk about how I've landed at a new crossroads. It's time to refocus again and to ask for help.
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
âÂ
Today, I wanna tell you a bit more about my online course, Energy Management for Ambitious Introverts. Who is it for and what makes it different from some of the things that you might have learned before?
In this episode, you'll learn
â Who this course if for
â Why most of what we learn isn't tailored to the introvert's natural process
â Why this is the last time I'm offering this course
Related episode: 015 Three habits for introverts to find energy, joy, and calm in their work (and life!)
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Sign up for Energy management for ambitious introverts: https://courses.thefrankermessage.com/energymanagement
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
â
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
â
3 habits for introverts to find energy, joy, and calm in their work (and life!)
For my last free training this year (I did 9 of them total!), Iâm combining two topics that were the most voted struggles in Productive Introvert Community: energy management and habits.
In this episode, I talk about why I created this training and some of the highlights that weâll be discussing.
The live training takes place on Friday, 21 October 2022 but you can still sign up and get the recording until 21 November 2022.
What youâll learn in this episode:
â About my holistic approach to productivity
â Why I created this training
â The 3 habits that weâll be discussing in this training: setting boundaries, supporting your for self-reflective nature, and how to use quiet time for reflection and recharge
â¶ïžâ¶ïž Sign up for the free training: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/nextmasterclass
â¶ïž Book a free call to unleash your innie superpowers: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Have you ever wondered if you're an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert?Â
In this episode, we talk about where these terms came from and they mean. If you've ever been unsure which one you are or if you want to a quick one sentence test to figure it out, then this episode is for you.Â
What you'll learn in this episode:Â
â What an introvert, extrovert, and ambivert is
â One quick sentence to figure out which one you are
â How knowing more about this can change your life
Related episode: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/blog/time-management-introverts-different-approachÂ
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
What's the deal with quiet time?
If you identify as an introvert, you probably know what quiet time is. And you probably feel like you're not getting enough of it...
We often feel like quiet time is a luxury. It's something that we indulge ourselves in and that we really shouldn't need. A lot of introverts feel like something is wrong with them for wanting quiet time.
In this episode, we talk about what's the deal with quiet time. Why do introverts need quiet time (no, there's nothing wrong with you!) and what you can do if you feel like you're not getting enough of it.
In this episode youâll learn:
âïž What quiet time is and why introverts need it
âïž Why quiet time isn't a luxury
âïž What you can do if you're not getting enough quiet time
â¶ïž Book a free call to identify the biggest energy drain in your life right now: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Some people love social media and the mind blowing ways it allows us to connect (introverts and extroverts alike). For others, social media can be extremely draining.
I discovered by accident that social media was one of the biggest energy drains in my life and I now have boundaries in place to manage my energy when Iâm interacting on social. Social media drain can be quite subtle and difficult to recognize, so listen to this episode if you're wondering if this is you.Â
In this episode youâll learn
âïž What social media drain is and why it can be difficult to recognize
âïž Why itâs important to set boundaries around social media behavior
âïž How I balance connecting on social with my energy as someone who isnât a big social media person
â¶ïž Book a free call to identify your biggest energy drain: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafrankerÂ
â¶ïž Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamfranker/
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
â¶ïž Book a free exploration call: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMAÂ
â¶ïž Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribeÂ
â¶ïž See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafrankerÂ
đ” AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez Â
What youâll learn in this episode: Â
âïž How a fun trip with my son turned into a screaming mess...Â
âïž How insight into energy management has helped me to guide our sensitive, introverted toddlerÂ
âïžHow quiet time is helping my son to manage overstimulation at daycare at age 3
What youâll learn in this episode Â
âïž The main difference between an introvert and an extrovert Â
âïž Why a lot of introverts feel like theyâre âlow energyâ people Â
âïž Understanding your own energy needs
I used to think of myself as a âlow energy personâ Â
It was a little disclaimer I used to let people know that I wouldnât be staying after work for drinks. That I wasnât going to be at the party past 9 pm. And that I probably wasnât going to join the activity-packed 3-day networking event. Â
âYeah, Iâm just a low energy person, you knowâ Â
â
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguezÂ
â
Resources
- Book a virtual coffee with me: https://forms.gle/XpVZp4LMPcBQGoVMA
- Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
- See more of my life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
Do you use to-do lists to improve productivity? Honest question: Are they working for you?
I used to be all about to-do lists and I was really proud of how organized I was! But, after a few years of fine tuning my own productivity and helping other to do the same, I don't believe in to-do lists anymore.
In this weekâs episode, Iâm talking about the 2 main problems with classical to-do lists and what you can do instead to be more productive and make the most of your time.
What youâll learn in this episode:
âïž 2 reasons why classic to-do lists donât work
âïž 2 options to try instead
âïž How to get my free training: From stressed to focused
--
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
--
Get the free training đ https://go.thefrankermessage.com/free-training
--
See more of my life on Instagram đ https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
--
Sign up for Productive Introvert Letters đ https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe đ 2 emails a week for introverted entrepreneurs who feel deep down that they can add more value to the world and want to do this on their terms! Youâll also receive the free video training: From stressed to focused with this simple daily practice âDon't sign up if you're looking for quick tips and hacks to 10x your output overnight and if you're uncomfortable talking about uncomfortable things đ Oh, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
This impromptu episode is about the âbad dayâ I was having, about triggers and ups and downs - that donât ever really go away! - but that you can learn to manage so itâs less overwhelming.
âHeads upâI talk about mental health issues and my sweaty armpits in this episode⊠so if youâre not ready for that, feel free to skip this one đ
In this episode youâll learn:
- Why you should stop feeling bad about your ups and downs
- About mental health issues and asking for help
- 2 things to help you manage ups and downs
Remember that we all have ups and downs. And that getting triggered by minor events is more common than you think so, if youâre going through this right now, youâre not alone đ€
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez Resources
- Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
- Get the free ebook: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/stressedtofocused
- Join the free masterclass: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/nextmasterclass
- Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
- My website: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
Do you ever feel your attention pulled so strongly to something that other area's of your life slow down to a halt? Like forgetting to brush your teeth when you're working on a new design? Or feeling guilty for spending less time on your business when you're working on your personal development?Â
In this episode we'll talk about why "standing still" from time to time isn't a bad thing and how it can even be a good thing to make faster progress later.Â
What you'll learn:
â Why it's okay that things slow down from time to time
â Why multi-tasking is a mythÂ
â Why it's useful to recognize your "stand still for a bit" phases
â 2 examples of simple systems that can help keep things moving when you take a break
In this podcast episode, weâre talking about why starting where YOU are is so important in any stage of your business (and life!) What youâll learn in this episode:
â Why I felt overwhelmed when I was starting this podcast â Being mindful of who your comparing yourself with (and why itâs unfair to compare) â Why starting where you are is so important whether youâre trying to make a change business, learn a new habit, or find a healthier work-life balance.
Better time management is the holy grail of productivity.
Or so I thoughtâŠ
All through college and my early career as a scientist, I tried my hardest to get more done by cramming things into every nook and cranny of my day.
I thought that if I could just manage my time better, I could achieve my goals faster and be more effective.
So, I read articles on my commute to work, checked email on my break, and reviewed drafts and proofs on the way back home. Proper breaks were left to vacation time (where I just couldnât sit still because I was so used to being busy all the time)
Hereâs the thing though:
Busy does not equal productive.
In this episode, weâll talk about why focusing only on time management is flawed if you really want to be productive long-term.
What youâll learn in this episode
â Why busy and productive are not the same thing
â Why energy management is the missing link between time management and productivity for introverts
â How you can start to focus on energy instead of time
â Why quiet time and taking small breaks throughout the day is crucial for introverts if they want to work at their best
â How to join the final round of my energy management course before it gets a major reboot next year
Iâm curious: if you could wave a magic wand, whatâs the one thing youâd change about how youâre managing your time right now?
Leave me a comment with âIf I could wave a magic wand, then IâdâŠâ
Remember that big changes rarely come overnight though, most of them have grown out of small practices that we do every day.
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Resources
- Energy management course for ambitious introverts: https://courses.thefrankermessage.com/energymanagement
- Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
- Get the free ebook: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/stressedtofocused
- Join the free masterclass: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/nextmasterclass
- Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
- My website: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
Visibility is one of the things that the introverts in my community tell me they struggle with the most.
Anything from: "I'm not consistent when it comes to being visible for my business" to "I just don't even wanna do it!"
This is so recognizable! And Iâve had (and still have) my issues with visibility. At several times, I've had anxiety about being visible for my business.
In this episode, Iâm taking you a bit along my visibility journey.
From my first company (youâll be hard pressed to find evidence that I owned that company because I was closer to being INvisible with that company) to now, sharing publicly on YouTube and all the different podcast apps⊠We're also talking about what you can do to manage anxiety if you struggle with visibility.
What youâll learn in this episode:
â That it's okay to take it slow when it comes to working on your visibility
â Why âgetting out of your comfort zoneâ doesnât work for most introverts or sensitive people
â I share a recording of an experience that triggered my anxiety around around visibility at the start of my business
â Why small steps matter to manage overwhelm and anxiety
â How to bring down anxiety and still take a step
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez Resources
- Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
- Get the free ebook: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/stressedtofocused
- Join the free masterclass: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/nextmasterclass
- Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
- My website: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
Channeling your thoughts and creativity into a finished âthingâ can be stressful at times.
Where do I start?
I donât feel ready!
I donât have enough information to start.
I think I bit off more than I can chewâŠ
Uh oh, itâs not going according to plan, what now?
These are just some of the thoughts that may be going through your head when the word âdeadlineâ flashing in front of your face.
All these thoughts flashed through my head as I was working on getting this podcast out.
I shared a bit of my process in the pre-podcast series before. In this episode, Iâm taking you behind the scenes again and sharing a few lessons that I learned from the planning and development stage of this podcast.
On August 11, Iâm giving a free masterclass where Iâll talk about this in more detail and, more importantly, weâll talk about things you can look out for when working on a (creative) project to get it done on time and without completely stressing yourself out.
Sign up here to join: https://courses.thefrankermessage.com/masterclasses
What youâll learn in this episode:
â How to take steps even when you donât have the full picture yet
â How you can make quicker progress to get it done in time
â Why itâs important to revisit your timeline as the project changes
â That itâs okay when things donât go according to plan
â How you can join my free masterclass âLessons from building a podcast in 6 weeksâ
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez Resources
- Sign up for the free masterclass: https://courses.thefrankermessage.com/masterclasses
- Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
- Get the free ebook: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/stressedtofocused
- Join the free masterclass: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/nextmasterclass
- Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
- My website: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
Do you ever have that feeling of arriving at a crossroads?
Like something isn't quite right anymore? Or that youâre itching to do something new?
For me, it shows up as feeling a bit frantic and unfocused. It's when I start putting off work or looking for things to keep "busy" rather than doing the things that are important.
A strong sign is that I haven't enjoyed the things I'm doing on a daily basis for too many days in a row.
That's when I know I've lost focus.
In this weekâs podcast episode, weâre talking all about focus.
What does it mean to be focused on something? And is it one of those things that you just have it or you donât have it or can it be trained?
What youâll learn in this episode:
â Why itâs not strange that so many of us struggle with focus
â Finding focus in your work and on a daily basis
â Why not everyone has a clear image of where they want to go, and thatâs okay!
â Can focus be trained?
â Finding what works for you
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Resources
-
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
-
Get the free ebook: https://go.thefrankermessage.com/stressedtofocused
-
Get the free masterclass: https://courses.thefrankermessage.com/masterclasses
-
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellafranker
-
My website: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/
Did you know that the official definition of introvert is âa shy personâ? I was shocked to learn that most dictionaries still carry that definition. I believe weâre in need of an update đ
In this episode weâre starting with the pink elephant: What does it really mean to be introverted? Weâre talking about some of the misconceptions around introverts and why quiet time isnât a luxury but itâs a physiological need for most introverts!
What youâll learn in the next 20 minutes:
â Why there are so many misconceptions about introverts
â The difference between introversion and shyness
â The main difference between introverts and extroverts
â An unseen and powerful trait of introverts
â Why quiet time isnât a luxury but itâs a physiological need for most introverts
Get the free ebook "From unseen to empowered: 10 powerful introvert qualities": https://go.thefrankermessage.com/ebookintrovertsuccess
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
Week 6 is here!!
At the end of each project, I always ask myself 2 questions:
- Did we finish it? In this case: Was I able to build a podcast in 6 weeks?
- What was the ride like? đ
These past 6 weeks have flown by.
Not everything went according to plan and Iâve learned SO many lessons from this experiment.
Iâll dedicate an entire episode later on to talk about the lessons Iâve learned in these 6 weeksâŠ
But for now, Iâm celebrating (and taking some time off at the end of the week đ) because
Productive Introvert Community Podcast with Mariella Franker, PhD is out now!
You can already find it on Spotify and Apple podcast and it will be on Google Podcast, Amazon and Stitcher soon.
So, please celebrate with me and follow the podcast on your favorite platform.
And if you prefer video to audio, I got you covered, because Iâll continue to publish the coming episodes on YouTube as well!
This is the last episode of the pre-podcast series: Building my podcast in 6 weeks.
But itâs not goodbye.
Every Thursday, Iâll release a new episode.
Every week, Iâll choose 1 topic around being an introverted entrepreneur, combining life with your business, the lessons along the way, and questions Iâm getting from my clients.
So, if youâre an introvert who feels deep down that you can add more value to the world and you want to know how to really thrive in your work, then follow the podcast now and letâs take the next few steps on this journey together đ€
What youâll learn in this episode:
â Was I able to build a podcast in 6 weeks?
â One of the lessons I learned
â Whatâs next
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Welcome to the Productive Introvert Community Podcast.
I started this podcast because a lot of people think that the words "introvert" and "productive" don't really belong in the same sentence.Â
Obviously, I disagree ;-)
What you'll learn in the next 10 minutes:
â Who this podcast is for
â Why "introvert" and "productive" do belong in the same sentence together
â About work-life balance as an introvert
â A bit about my background
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Music credits: AndrĂ©s RodrĂguez
I have been completely absorbed by building this podcast the past weeks đ and happy to say that we're making some progress, yay!
From the bigger picture that I shared in the first couple of episodes weâre funneling down to the details now: The music, intro text, and editing the audio for the podcast!
In this episode, I'm sharing some of the tools I'm using that are helping to make this process as smooth and quick as possible (and giving you a sneak peak at the music and some of the graphics đ)
What youâll learn in this 10-minute episode
â Important (but simple) tools that Iâm using to create my podcast
â Why allowing some extra time in your planning for âbumps in the roadâ helps with productivity
â How doing âtest runsâ takes the scary out of doing new things
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Thereâs a lot going on at the moment for me, both personal and professionally, so I need a moment to regroup đ Â
This time, Iâm taking you through my process I do at the start of my work day to refocus. Â Â
I work about 24 hours a week on my business, so I pay attention to how I start and finish my day so I can get focused quickly. Â Â Â
If you have a lot of different things going on, taking a moment to refocus like this before you start your work can be very helpful. Listen to this episode to hear how I do this.Â
In this 10-minute episode youâll learn: Â
â How I quickly refocus to make the most of my 3-day workweek Â
â How I plan my week so I donât spread myself too thin Â
â How leaving a thread and deciding your one most important thing for the day can help you to make fast progress Â
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Sidenote: Who has ever recorded something without hitting record? đ
Sometimes, things donât go exactly according to plan, like when I was recording this episode and forgot to press record⊠But you dust yourself off, have a good laugh at yourself, and just try again đ
In this episode, I talk about those little disclaimers we sometimes make, like:
â[I can tell you 1000s of details] but Iâm really not an expertâ
or
âI donât really know that much about it [but hereâs exactly how this process goes from A-Z]â
Do you ever catch yourself doing that?
When I started this pre-podcast series, Iâd been working up to it for about a year. Still, to my innie mind I still classified it as "Iâve done some research" (I literally said this in the first episode).
So, letâs talk about this classic innie complain:
I donât know enough to get started (and at the same time I overthink things)
What you'll learn in this 10-minute episode
â A lot of innies tend to underplay things when theyâre already halfway to being an expert
â What Iâve done to prepare for this podcast over the past year
â Why gently exploring is also taking action
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
3 weeks left to go! Â Â
In this episode, I briefly explain how a podcast âhangs togetherâ and the absolute minimal things you need to get it out there.Â
If youâre thinking of starting your own podcast someday, then watch these 10 minutes. Â Â
First of all, thank you to everyone who sent me their comments! It was super helpful to point me in the right direction and I could take some fast steps thanks to your kind replies đ€ Â
So, now that I know that âthe Apple place for podcastsâ is Apple Podcasts đ (I agree, itâs silly that I couldnât come up with that myself and thank you again for letting me know!) Â
And thanks to YouTubeâs answer to âHow do I publish my podcast on Apple podcastâ, I got a bunch of great tutorials about publishing your podcast on any platform. Â
Hereâs what you'll learn in this 10-minute episode: Â
â How a podcast âhangsâ together: Hosting and publishing to Spotify, Apple podcast, etc. Â
â How your website fits into the mix (and why you donât need a website to have a podcast) Â
â The 4 minimal things you need to publish your podcast Â
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Confession: I know nothing about audio... Â
Yes, I listen to audio. And I know you need decent quality audio for your podcast. But that's about it... Â Â
So, the next week will be all about figuring out what goes where in the podcasting world đ Â Â
I'm planning to publish the podcast on Spotify and.. uhm, the Apple place.. đ (obviously an Android user here, so Apple users, can you please help me out? Where do you listen to your podcasts, I have no idea! đ) Â
I've also seen Anchor coming by a few times but no idea what that actually does in relation to Spotify and the Apple place. I know some seasoned podcasters watching this know the answer, so please stop laughing and point me in the right direction đ Â
Plenty of specific questions to answer the coming week! Â
In this episode, I talk about why this is the next area I'm focusing on and what I'm using as a starting point to build from there. Â Â
What you'll learn in this 10-minute episode Â
â Where I start whenever I create something new and why I'm focusing on audio next Â
â A few steps that I go through to take imperfect action right now Â
â Turning a question into a starting point you can build onÂ
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Ever stop to think WHY?Â
Starting a podcast probably isn't something you'd do on a whim. And it may not be the best thing for everyone. Â
Aside from the practical things of actually making the podcast and wrapping your head around that, it's more important to take a hard look at WHY you'd want a podcast in the first place. Â
In this episode, I share the reason why I'm starting my podcast and some of the things I explored along the way. Â Â
What you'll learn in this 10-minute episode Â
â Why taking "time to think" boosts productivity (especially when you're an introvert) Â Â
â Getting clarity about the role that your podcast plays in your business Â
â Taking small, imperfect action to get things done Â
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
Where do you start when you're creating something like a podcast? Â
WHERE TO START is something that so many of us get stuck on.Â
We feel like we're overthinking while at the same time never feeling quite ready to take the step. Â
In this episode, I'll share the first question I ask when I get to work on something and why that's my starting point. Â
What you'll learn in this 10-minute episode Â
â Where to start when building your podcast Â
â Choosing the channels to share your podcast Â
â Repurposing content for your online business Â
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe
And... we're off!
Over the next 6 weeks, I'll share my process as I build my podcast from scratch.
I'm a total newbie when it comes to podcasting. Yes, I've done some research (plenty of it but to my innie mind I'd still classify it as "some" đ)
Do I feel fully ready to take this step? No. Do I know exactly what I need to do? Yes. That's my signal to move. Even though my inner critic shows up hard from time to time (he even did in this short 5 minute video đ ) I know how to recognize him now and he doesn't get in my way nearly as often as he used to.
So, the share my process series has begun! đ
What you'll learn in this 5-minute episode
â Getting results as an introvert without stress or overwhelm
â Not letting the inner critic get in your way
â Sharing my process as I build the "Productive Introvert Community Podcast " in the next 6 weeks
Join the community for introverted entrepreneurs: https://www.thefrankermessage.com/subscribe