Today, I am going to show you how you can overcome the struggles you face as an introverted solopreneur and leverage your Quiet Power by mastering the things you are best at.

In a world and business environment made by and for extroverts, I am going to walk through a more introvert-friendly approach. And this approach is based on your strengths (and they are a lot, trust me) and not on what your mind only perceives as weaknesses,

By focusing on your unique superpowers as an introvert and leveraging them to grow yourself and your business, you can transform your life from isolation, misery and limits to one with meaning, purpose, and enjoyment.

The problem is that most introverts’ perceptions and mindsets focus on negativity - what they can’t do - instead of how they can turn their different nature and uniqueness into a superpower that will allow them to flourish personally and professionally.

Up to 50% of the general population are introverts. That number is higher among solopreneurs.

Although there are no official numbers on the percentage of the population who identify as introverts, estimates show that 30% to 50% fall on the introverted side of the spectrum. You read right — almost half of the population.

If you examine your family and social circle more closely, you may find that up to half of them are introverts (to a greater or lesser degree). 

This number is even higher among solopreneurs. Introverts tend to want to work independently more, and their inherent traits and preferences align more with the demands of solopreneurship.

That doesn’t mean solopreneurship is a perfect fit for introverts, nor is it a perfect fit for extroverts. Both face challenges and struggles; they are just different.

Here are the 5 most common struggles you can relate to as an introverted solopreneur:

1. Feeling uncomfortable promoting their business

2. Struggling with networking

3. Managing multiple roles and multitasking

4. Doing everything themselves

5. Negative emotions and limiting beliefs

Don’t lose heart. They are absolutely normal behaviours because of your biology (more on that later on).

And thankfully, there are also these 10 things you are best at and can leverage to overcome those challenges and flourish as a solopreneur.

1. Deep thinking and reflection.

2. Sales skills.

3. Observation skills.

4. Self-awareness.

5. Thinking before acting.

6. Learning and source of wisdom.

7. Creativity.

8. Strong work ethic.

9. Independence.

10. Leadership skills.

Focusing on your superpowers as an introvert matters most because that’s how you can navigate life and work confidently and gracefully.

First, let’s touch briefly upon introverts’ biology and how the most common struggles relate to how your body functions. 

If you don’t like science, feel free to skip the next section, but I highly encourage you to read it. It explains a lot in simple terms and helps with mythbusting introversion.

Introversion is no condition to be cured. It’s just a different biology.

Being introverted is not a medical condition. Many introverts falsely believe that they are flawed in some way. That’s a feeling triggered by the fact that our world has been made by and for extroverts. So, how you behave feels off compared to the other 50% or so of the population.

The reality is that your brain’s chemistry and structure influence your behaviour along with environmental factors that determine if and how introverted you will be.

The human body is an incredibly complex system primarily composed of chemical substances (like oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and calcium). It also produces and transmits many other chemical substances, each of which plays a specific but significant role.

In the context of introversion, let’s focus on neurotransmitter dynamics, specifically dopamine and acetylcholine. Dopamine is associated with reward-seeking behaviour, and introverts are more sensitive to it. Exposure to high levels of external stimuli can lead to overstimulation. Acetylcholine promotes a sense of calmness and helps conserve energy, allowing introverts to think and reflect deeply without distractions.

Science has also found that introverts demonstrate different brain activity patterns. Increased blood flow allows for vastly greater information processing ability, influencing problem-solving and decision-making. This constant brain activity usually makes introverts spend a lot of energy and mentally tired. Introverts also have thicker grey matter in some regions of their brains. That relates to their more reflective thinking style, connected to deeper thinking and a preference for solitary activities.

Lastly, introverts have higher levels of cortical arousal. This explains their frequent overstimulation when exposed to many external stimuli for a long time. It also explains their preference for less crowded and noisy environments (God, I despised the open-office environment in the companies I used to work for when I was still fascinated by the corporate ladder before going solo).

Now you know. Introversion is explained in biological terms. It’s just how different our bodies are made and function. That’s it — no more than that. 

5 struggles every introverted solopreneur can relate to

Because of differences in body biology, introverts are more sensitive to any activity or environment that involves socialising, interaction, and stimulation.

Introverted solopreneurs face the same challenges but amplified because they are (or should be) part of their work.

Here are the 5 most common ones.

1. Feeling uncomfortable promoting their business. Introverts generally feel uncomfortable being in the spotlight, making it awkward to sell their offering. Lead generation becomes more stressful and challenging.

2. Are you struggling with networking? Going to networking events or other professional occasions can be highly stressful because it makes talking to people (especially those they don’t know or know well) and socialising uncomfortable. Needless to say, small talk feels pointless and a waste of time.

3. Managing multiple roles and multitasking. Juggling between roles and activities is overwhelming and depletes their mental energy quickly because of the overstimulation and the inherent need to think deeply (which requires more time and energy).

4. Doing everything themselves. Introverts seek more solitude not because they are shy, reserved, or antisocial but because they need to preserve energy and prefer deep thinking, reflection, and work. That’s why most solopreneurs tend to do everything independently and find it hard to outsource (or seek help). This is also a way to avoid excessive talking and interaction.

5. Negative emotions and limiting beliefs. Pitching or seeking new clients is overwhelming for another reason (other than the one explained above). Introverts are often flooded with negative emotions like fear and doubt because they tend to overthink things. This is partly because they were probably raised constantly feeling that something was off with them. This can lead to lower confidence and limiting beliefs (that they are not cut for it or are inadequate).

10 strengths only introverts can leverage to thrive as solopreneurs

“Quiet people have the loudest minds”, Stephen Hawking famously said. Introverts are quiet people on the outside, but their inside is burning hot. They constantly process information, craft insights and connect the dots.

That’s just one of an introvert’s unique superpowers. Don’t get me wrong: extroverts can also possess those skills, so they are not a privilege for introverts. It’s just that the latter have them to a greater extent. Those skills often come more naturally to introverts, and they are not unique per se but as a combination in the context of an introverted mind.

Here are the 10 unique skills introverts naturally have and can leverage to survive and thrive in a primarily extroverted world.

1. Deep thinking and reflection. Introverts love depth. They can easily engage in deep thinking when working (or even when relaxing), which helps them craft extremely useful (and often rare) insights into life and work. They are also much more into deep conversations and despise small talk as a waste of time and energy. Naturally, those deep conversations lead to deeper and more meaningful relationships. Depth is a precious quality in our time and age. Not many people can practice it. But those who do can reap the benefits of profound insights and knowledge. Introverts can be a source of wisdom, no doubt. This way, they are good at proving their competence and building trust. That’s essential for building solid relationships with leads, clients and collaborators. As I love to say, “We, introverts, may not have a vast network, but those few we relate with can appreciate our deep connection the most”.

2. Sales skills. To many, that comes as a surprise, but introverts can indeed thrive with sales. Although naturally inclined to avoid a lot of social interaction and being in the spotlight, introverts are active listeners, ask questions to fully understand the situation and the other person’s needs, practice empathy and can deliver a solid sales proposition that potential clients are often reluctant to decline. They are also attentive after the sale and ensure their clients get the most out of their collaboration. It’s hard to resist a well-structured and documented offer, and if you sign the deal, stay assured you will get top-notch service. This comes naturally for introverts as they embrace depth and meaning.

3. Observation skills. Introverts are super-observant. Their biology makes them constantly observe the world and receive many external stimuli they have to process. Sir William Osler, prominent physician, educator and medical historian, was right. “There’s no more difficult art to acquire than observation”. Thankfully, that comes naturally for introverts. Their senses are sharp, and they can spot minor changes in their environment without much effort. Sometimes, they are much more sensitive to their environment, causing discomfort. Still, introverts are willing to pay that price to satisfy their inherent need for observation to make sense of the world around them. In a loud and cluttered world, introverts, the quiet observers, can see the most. That’s necessary for spotting the blind spots and identifying new opportunities.

4. Self-awareness. For extroverts, introverts may look like troubled minds, but it’s quite the opposite. Because of their deep thinking and reflection, they become very self-aware. They can more profoundly recognise and understand their thoughts, feelings, motives and behaviours than extroverts. That comes at a cost in the form of extra mental or psychological burden because not everything we think, feel and do is comfortable to deal with. If they had to choose, though, they would surely opt for self-awareness. This great skill of self-exploration, self-reflection and knowing themselves helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses so they naturally know where to allocate more resources to improve their weak points. Introverts also understand their needs and desires more clearly, so they make more informed (and conscious) decisions. Self-awareness also improves emotional regulation because they quickly identify the emotional triggers and effectively manage them. If you are an introvert, stay assured that your heightened self-awareness will help you grow more and faster,  as well as manage the complexities of running a one-person business.

5. Thinking before acting. Impulsive actions and decisions often lead to regret. That’s a reality and has been one for millennia. Acting without much consideration can harm personal and professional relationships and expose you to unnecessary risks. Thinking before acting is a true superpower and is a privilege for introverts as they practice that naturally. They are sometimes labelled “slower”, but I can say this: “Better slowly and surely than quickly and mindlessly”. Introverts are the masters of effective decision-making with their deliberate, methodical approach to things. That approach saves them from the negative repercussions of mindlessness and helps with planning - thus increasing the likelihood of achieving positive results. As an introvert, I have come to appreciate this skill a lot, and although it can often lead to overthinking, it’s still super-effective for high-quality decision-making and relationship management. 

6. Learning and source of wisdom. As a result of their profound observation and deep thinking skills, introverts are naturally good learners. Apart from their love for learning new things, their learning style distinguishes them from their extroverted counterparts. This style calls for structure (which also encourages independent work), quiet environments and sometimes solitude (for deep focus and learning), and a slower learning pace (slower but much deeper). They often get misunderstood for their learning style (labelled -again- as slower and less collaborative), but in the end, their insights are profound, and they always go the extra mile to connect all the dots - and we can master that. Another extraordinary consequence of being an introvert is their natural tendency to express themselves more and better in writing. They can be master of writing, and I can’t stress enough the importance of effective and impactful writing in our time and age. Writing skills are essential for growing your business as a solopreneur, as they can help you master content, marketing, sales and relationship management. Writing can also give you access to the new creator economy, thus expanding your scope of business. 

7. Creativity. We are not talking only about arts but mainly about connecting the dots, finding solutions to problems and creating new amazing things. Creation is part of an introvert’s life. They can become amazing artists, but their natural ability to dive deep and draw inspiration from their own rich inner world (thoughts, feelings, experiences, self-awareness, remember?) leads them to thoughtful and well-developed creative outputs (for example, solutions, offers, products and services). That’s of paramount importance for solopreneurs. In addition, introverts don’t need external motivation (they rely more on skill) or require constant external validation. Their intrinsic motivation makes them willing to push through because they want to when pursuing projects that deeply resonate with them. This way, their creative expression can be tremendously rich and deep, with more authenticity and originality. We don’t easily let external distractions or outside noise influence our creativity. And that’s a huge plus when working on your solo business.

8. Strong work ethic. Introverts are mostly underrated and misunderstood as employees for many reasons. However, one thing everyone acknowledges about them is their strong work ethic. Things like diligence, responsibility, discipline, professionalism and integrity come naturally and are non-negotiables. Introverts work hard (and smart), putting in the effort needed to achieve a specific, meaningful outcome (meaning is essential). They take their work seriously (sometimes too much, missing a bit of fun), put in all the effort required and are accountable, ensuring any job or project is completed as it should. Another positive aspect of their integrity is that they naturally do the right thing even if no one is watching. They just do what’s right, no side notes. Those are all incredibly valuable qualities and skills for a solopreneur. A strong work ethic makes you reliable, builds a positive reputation around you and your brand, and helps you experience personal satisfaction as well as external validation (when needed).

9. Independence. That’s a vast topic to discuss, mainly about the extent of healthy independence and the need for boundaries (or not). However, introverts’ natural preference for working independently is a significant asset. They have probably been driven to become solopreneurs because of their intrinsic inclination to independent work without having a boss over their head telling them to do things that may not make sense. Working independently is healthy in any case (for extroverts, too) as it doesn’t require constant external motivation or validation. You just do what you have to do the way you believe is best for achieving the desired result — end of discussion. Let me be clear with this, though: independence does not mean isolation. Social interaction is essential even for solopreneurs (including the introverted ones). You can’t do everything on your own or alone. Seeking a tad of interaction, support or help if needed is totally fine. You can just do it on your terms (those that feel natural without the social pressure). Independence is the cornerstone of solopreneurship. Leverage that!

10. Leadership skills. Here’s an interesting fact: many (if not most) of the most prominent leaders are introverts. The list of names is long, but instead of examples, I want to emphasise this: introverts can become great leaders. You don’t have to be the loudest in the room to make the most impact. Introverts bring a wealth of valuable skills to leadership roles: depth, thoughtful communication, meaningful action, empathy, reflection and strategic thinking, effective problem-solving, emotional intelligence, calmness under pressure, deep relationships, and authenticity (feeling no need to conform to extroverts’ standards). Those are qualities and skills that extroverts can have, too. It’s just that they come naturally for introverts and, if cultivated more, can build great leaders. As a solopreneur, you may not think you need to become a leader because there’s a flawed notion of leadership today (leaders = politicians, billionaires, influencers, etc.). Being a solopreneur and introverted is also a great opportunity to profoundly impact other people’s lives and induce positive change. 

Is introversion accepted or even embraced in your culture?

Some cultures indeed allow for more room for introversion than others. Many introverted solopreneurs find it harder to function naturally in certain parts of the world while being one in other places and cultures is more natural.

Cultures primarily “loud” and open make it easier for extroverts to operate without much effort. At the same time, introverts may struggle more. For example, cultures like the US, South America, and South Europe are much less receptive to introverted qualities and behaviours. 

On the other hand, some cultures demonstrate more intrinsically introverted characteristics. Nordic culture, for example, embraces and “rewards” primarily extroverted skills and behaviours much more. In Western or Northern Europe (Scandinavia and Finland), working independently, with a strong work ethic, in slower-paced and quieter environments is a norm (or even a requirement from both employers and employees).

The cultural aspect may make things more or less easy if you are an introverted solopreneur, but it’s by no means a defining success factor. It should also not be used as an excuse for struggling; the most probable reason is you are not leveraging your superpowers as an introvert.

Wrapping up

Solopreneurs can survive and thrive by leveraging their unique skills, whether introverts or extroverts. 

Today’s new communication and collaboration technology, as well as new emerging niches (in terms of market or way of doing business), opens a whole new world of opportunities that I see are more fit for introverts. 

Becoming a writer or just leveraging your writing to grow yourself and your business is a no-brainer. Writing comes more naturally for introverts, so that’s a huge opportunity.

Entering the new creator economy is also a good fit for introverted solopreneurs. Creating and monetising digital products (like courses) based on your solid knowledge and insights can feel natural (without much need for daily social interaction).

Let me make this clear. Now is the best moment in history for introverts to thrive. Becoming a solopreneur (versus staying an underrated and often misunderstood employee) is a healthier option with much more opportunity for actual growth and success.

What’s next?

It’s all about the mindset. As the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers taught, we can only control our minds, thoughts and actions. Focusing on that can help you avoid unnecessary struggle, get unstuck, and move forward faster.

If you need support getting unstuck in your life or work, let me step in. I can be of help if

• you want to quit your 9-5 job and create your one-person business but are too afraid to venture as an introverted person believing you are not cut out for it

• you are a currently struggling introverted solopreneur

• you are an introverted person struggling to leverage your introversion and unique superpowers

DM me on LinkedIn, and let’s explore how Mindset Coaching can help you move forward and claim what you desire and deserve for a life with purpose, meaning and enjoyment.