How Long Are You Going to Be an Introvert?
I’m triggered.
I can’t listen to a single piece of business development content without a loud and proud proclamation “I’m an introvert.”
No, you’re not.
Our internet culture has coddled you into believing that you are because the opportunity to earn a living from the “peace and safety” of your living room wearing under-roos is all too prevalent.
Social skills. Interacting with real-world people. Overcoming personal weaknesses by conquering external challenges is its own reward.
Not anymore.
“How can I win without having to courageously confront my dark, deep-seeded issues head on?”
Public schools enable kids to sit in a corner, stay to themselves, and not bother anybody allowing bullies to bother them.
Our broken school system allowed you to stay you.
That is until you leave the padded classroom's comfort, forced into a world that beckons for your survival.
Yet many people want to regress to their grade school days — happier times doodling in a notebook embracing their emerging introvert confined to a corner.
Except now that space is a home office where the ball and chain is a laptop adapter or iPhone charger, wrapped around your ankles with no escape as bright screens captivate your attention and dopamine addiction.
Rich Jones, a financial entrepreneur, appeared on The Side Hustle Show, hosted by Nick Loper, to discuss his first passive income experience.
And it was a good listen until I heard the “i” word. See what the gentleman says in this podcasts clip:
The following excerpt is transcribed from the audio clip starting at 01:30–03:35
So, I have a few first with side hustle income.
I felt excitement as a blogger, freelance writer, and podcaster, but my very first side-hustle income was as a career consultant.
At the time, this was about 2008, I was working as a corporate recruiter. I got really good at looking at resumes, cover letters, and figuring out what hiring managers wanted.
And I realized I can take this skill I was using by day and turn that into something that can benefit others by night. I already been helping people with their resumes as favors, but realized they were getting interviews and jobs, I was getting a “thanks”, so them money, me none.
It’s not always about the money, but hey. If I’m going to spend hours doing something, I might as well get paid for it.
I realized I can charge per service, set up a website, and create a contact form. I remember telling a potential client $200 when they inquired and I thought they were going to reject it when I didn’t know anything about pricing.
But they accepted with no questions! I was blown away with something that came so naturally to me can be turned into a revenue stream.
I eventually learned that the service based business model didn’t work for me given the demands of my day job. I’m an introvert and my job is to talk to people all day. My nights and weekends are sacred.
But before scaling down that operation, I did work with other clients, some more than $300 for various levels of consulting services.
There are a couple of lessons here:
- It’s important to think about how skills you are using by day can be turned into side hustle skills by night
- Set up a business that works well with who you are.
I talked about being an introvert earlier, but the business was really draining on my energy. If you chase money you may end up setting up a business or service where you can’t deliver and get burned out.
This will affect the quallity of your products, the quality of your service, and it’s gonna ultimately impact your brand.
I have to ask: is he proudly claiming to be an introvert because he’s had success online and feels empowered to embrace that status honestly? If his consulting experience helped break through the social barriers necessary for his success, why not claim the “e” title?
The ratio of introverts to extroverts online feels like it’s 10/2.
From Rich’s experience, it seemed his consulting endeavors pushed him out of his comfort zone confinement. I’m confident he stepped into the extrovert territory to speak to different people to conduct business.
Yet, Rich wanted to retreat under the security blanket of anti-socialism that had kept him warm for so long.
The internet has entered the chat, and smiley face emoji’d people into believing the hype: “Never leave your house. Make money from the comfort of your home. You’ll never have to see anyone you don’t want to for the rest of your little existence. Good-bye bosses, hello beachfront!”
Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, wrote about Lloyd Banks, a rapper he took under his wings during G-Unit’s come-up, in his book Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter.
In the following excerpt, he discusses how Lloyd Banks had an unhealthy mix of introversion and cockiness when approaching music success. It brilliantly characterizes people online who shout from the rooftops the introvert gospel.
This is a transcription of the YouTube short, which adapted the audio from Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter into a video.
Lloyd Banks wanted things to come to him as opposed to going out and getting it for himself.
That’s not me trying to assassinate his character. The guy has “Lazy Lloyd” tattooed on his arm. He literally wears his laziness on his sleeve.
He’s always projected an unhealthy mixture of being both introverted and cocky at the same time. The type of person most comfortable being a big fish in a small pond.
If Banks was hanging out in a studio with a bunch of unknown MC’s, He’d be very confident. He’d enjoy being the center of attention.
But if I [50 Cent] suddenly showed up, he’d feel like he got demoted. He’d be bitter. He didn’t feel like the center of attention anymore.
I get it. I can take up a lot of the air in the room. The problem is that he’d never fight to get some of that oxygen back which is exactly what a star is supposed to do.
People today rely heavily on the shield of anonymity, behaving and carrying the same attitude as Lloyd Banks.
Sure, they may have found a little slice of the internet to establish a brand as a little god among men. That is until a higher power overshadows whatever little light they think they're shining.
But with such power and potential the internet wields its user, they fall victim to that cockiness. Suddenly they have adopted mantras such as “I’m unemployable,” “I’ve never liked working under a boss,” and “I’ve always been an entrepreneur.”
No, you have not.
Working under a boss was required until the internet’s maturity to operate as a 24/7 make-money-while-you-sleep system. But the digital goddess has awakened to whisper sweet dreams in your ear:
“You mean I can make money without ever having to deal with another human being in person? Sign me up!”
You never knew how to be an entrepreneur. Most of us create digital things, throw a price tag on them, and sell it everywhere on the world wide web.
Voila! You think you’re an entrepreneur now.
But the truth is you’re selfish. You don’t want any employees. You are only trying to take care of yourself. The internet reduces living souls to vanity metrics and email addresses.
And if you can successfully convert that data into monetary riches, I understand the temptation to pound your chest and boldly announce, “I’M AN INTROVERT!!!”
Before you do, I challenge you to think about these questions:
- Are you putting others' needs before your own?
- Do you only see people as numbers rather than living human beings?
- Is your success by any means necessary the most important thing?
- Are you obsessed with achieving the lifestyle of your dreams at the expense of others?
If you can answer the above questions selflessly, you may not be so much of an introvert.
