About Joanna
In my quietly gutsy way, I’m rattling cages to shake out the extraversion bias in business and education whilst being a reliable advocate for the unheard introvert.
I stand for you, so that you may stand for others.
The potential of the Stem and professional services clients I worked with in my professional life remained largely untapped. They seemed to be routinely overlooked for promotion and passed by for interesting projects, whilst their less talented but more extraverted colleagues gained advantage.
Frustrated but curious, I began to recognise
the uncomfortable truth of the extraversion bias.
To compensate for this injustice, many introverts pretend to be more extraverted, but end up unhappy as they really dislike feeling inauthentic. Recognising that there is a better way to step up into more senior roles is a pivotal moment in an introvert’s career.
Stepping up is easier with The Way of the Flourishing Introvert, a hub of resources I put together that offers pragmatic options so introverts can play to their strengths and be valued for who they really are. These are all resources that I wish existed when I was progressing in my career.
The shift in confidence introverts experience by using these resources is remarkable, and being alongside them as they apply for that next big role is a privilege.
I began to understand my introversion in my 30s
All this did was show me how to be more extraverted, so I knew how to fit in & be accepted by my peers and managers. Eventually, the pretence took its toll, as it does for many introverts, and I emerged post-burnout ready to forge a new path.
I knew things had to change and I was ready to create a practical path to change that enabled me to play to my strengths and rebuilt my sense of enoughness.
I founded Flourishing Introverts
I founded Flourishing Introverts when I finally got mad enough at continually seeing the quiet ones being overlooked and undervalued. I made a public declaration to shift the extraversion bias through my TEDx talk in 2019 and I dared to dream.
This is my vision!
I imagine a world where the inherent qualities of an introvert are understood, valued and encouraged in the education system, in the workplace and in society. This vision inspires me every day prompted my enduring mantra “Purpose Plus Passion Trumps Fear”.
I believe it’s time to acknowledge this aspect of neurodiversity to unlock the potential of introverts and enable them to play to their authentic strengths.
Clinging on to and perpetuating the extravert ideal is damaging individuals, organisations and society.
The best thing about working with Jo was finally meeting Pedro, my inner advocate. He was quite a surprise, but a good one! I can now clearly envision my campfire talks with my other inner archetypes/sub-personalities before going into potentially challenging situations.
If you’re thinking of working with Jo, I’d say ‘Do it!’
That path I forged was initially unclear and overgrown, and is now well-trodden by the introverts who’ve been before you. Some took the Introvert Emerging programme, and others decided that working with me 1:1 was their preferred option. Some have gone on to successfully apply for more senior roles, some have found the confidence to be themselves without apology and others have harnessed the power of their inner & outer networks.
The feedback from all of these clients added to my own experience has enabled me to create pragmatic resources so that introverts can find their ideal path.
My Approach
My approach to flourishing is unique because of 5 key ingredients;
- Practical experience; I have decades of experience designing & delivering personal and management development programmes around the world.
- Qualifications; My MSc in Change Agent Skills & Strategies enables me to really understand how individuals and organisations grow & change, whilst my certificates in Executive Coaching and confidence building I also happen to be a certified Myers Briggs (MBTI) practitioner.
- Intent; I have a clear vision of what a future free from the extraversion bias looks like and this guides everything I do with Flourishing Introverts.
- Personal experience; I am an introvert and whilst I know that label offers useful categorisation, I am not defined or constrained by it. I do not use it as an excuse.
- My values; Courage, Independence, Curiosity, Thirst for learning, Practical, Kindness, Integrity & Authenticity. These shape my business values and I’m proud to be held to them.