The Shy and Mighty podcast is on a softly spoken mission to help shy people be more mighty.
Shy people don’t need fixing. We don’t need to change who we are.
In a world filled with noise and hot air it’s time for us to speak up and stop hiding!
Meet your host, Nadia Finer and find out what the Shy and Mighty podcast is all about.
It’s a big day here. I’ve been meaning to launch Shy and Mighty into the world for a while now, but as you can imagine I’ve been a bit shy about it! Finally, I’ve got the guts together and I’m really happy to talk to you about shyness and to be launching this exciting new project into the world.
I know it’s going to help a lot of people. And there’s a lot to say on the subject, but the irony is, us shy people, don’t often speak up in public. You don’t hear from us very often and because of that, it feels like is there a lack of quieter voices out there in the world.
We’re hiding.
I know I hide, a lot. I have lots to say, but when it comes to actually saying it out loud in front of other people, I hide away, so you don’t often hear from me.
Today marks the beginning of something really special and I’m really glad you’re here.
A bit about me:
I’m Nadia Finer. I live in the UK. As I record this, I’m sitting in my house in St Albans; a Roman city near London. I live here with my husband, Robin, and my son Jacob and my dog Bobby, a Cavapoo, who looks a lot like a furry teddy bear.
When I’m not working on Shy and Mighty I’m a business coach. I work with entrepreneurs all over the world to help them really own their business so that they can make more money and help more people.
How Shy and Mighty was born
Recently, I was invited to give a talk at a conference for girls. I was there to inspire the girls with my story of my journey from being shy and self-conscious to publishing books, hosting a podcast and running a successful business.
It was a huge event. Hundreds and hundreds of girls filled the hall at Chelsea Football Club. And I was scared!
I was sitting there on the panel looking out onto a sea of faces and as I reached for the mic, all I could hear were the little voices in my head telling me to run away and hide.
I probably should have been concentrating (!) but my mind was whirring. And it struck me that the voices we usually hear are not the voices of shy people. Whether you’re listening to the radio, watching TV, or You Tube, or listening to a TED talk, the people speaking tend to be confident and filled with conviction.
Plus, as a shy person, being spoken to about confidence and bravery by people who are already brave and confident, is a big turn-off! It rankles me if I’m honest, because I think, well, what do you know? You don’t struggle like I do; so, don’t stand there and lecture me on being brave!
And so, at that conference, in that moment, it hit me. I realised that I have to do something! It was like a lightning bolt came down, and boom, I had an epiphany. I understood then, that I’m in a rare position. I’m a shy person, and I am now able to talk about being shy, in front of lots of people. Hearing from someone who gets it, who’s been through similar things, who manages their shyness and hopefully also owns it – that could be really powerful.
A safe place for shy people to shine
And that’s when I decided to create something that would give shy people like me the opportunity to come and get the support and the inspiration they need from other shy people.
Now I’m not saying that shy people need fixing. I read a lot about shyness being a problem that needs mending, that we are somehow flawed. I’ve even had it described to me as some kind of disability, which strikes me as really inappropriate!
We don’t need fixing
Shyness is part of who we are. And I for one don’t want to change my personality. I like the way I am.
There are lots of reasons to celebrate shyness. We’re great at forming deeper connections with people and an empathising with them. We don’t rush in, shouting and interrupting people. Instead, we observe and take things in before we contribute.
But…
Really, shyness is only a problem if it holds you back from achieving the things that you want to achieve.
If your shyness stops you from attending events, speaking up in front of other people, saying yes to opportunities or promoting your work, and if it’s stopping you from being seen as the successful person that you are, then there’s an issue.
I know that personally I find it difficult to be seen. When people are looking at me, it makes me anxious, self-conscious, awkward and uncomfortable! I worry about messing up, or looking silly, or that I won’t be good enough. And because I have all these worries, I hide. And because nobody can see me, I’m often overlooked or underestimated.
It can seem like success is for the loud people
We see confident, extraverted, self-assured people leading teams and organizations and even countries. They are the successful ones. And on the outside, at least, they seem to be comfortable with themselves and with self-promotion and visibility.
And because we shy people are not like that, it can feel like we’re not cut out for success. This version of success doesn’t represent our vision of success, which can be alienating and disheartening.
And that, is a big fat shame.
It’s time for us to speak up
If shy people continue to hide, if we don’t speak up, the only voices we hear are the loud ones. The world needs balance and variety, so we need to find the confidence to share our points of view and our ideas.
It’s time for us to overcome our blocks and limiting beliefs so that we can stand up and speak up. Because, the world needs to hear what we have to say.
And that’s why I created Shy and Mighty.
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