The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low

If you’re a professional or executive contemplating your next move, at the back of your mind you might have questions such as:

• Is this the right time?
• Am I too old / too young?
• Do I have the right skill sets and experience?
• How do I find a career that aligns better with my values and purpose?

My guest speaker for this episode, Kate Richardson, is a Career and Executive Coach who helps mid-career professionals and executive...

This episode explores the challenges of embarking on something that you have little experience or expertise in. 

Talking Points:

• What is conscious incompetence
  
  
• My experience with conscious incompetence at school
  
  
• Why high achievers struggle to admit that there are things they don’t know and aren’t good at
  
  
• My 8 tips for navigating the season of not knowing 

For gentle and compassionate suppo...

My guest today is Terrance Lee, an aerospace and defense program manager with 18 years of experience and the author of The Introvert Leader book series.

Talking Points:

• Terrance’s journey from being an outspoken child to becoming introspective following an incident at school, and how this led him to discover the strengths inherent in his introverted nature. 
• Why introversion is not a hindrance but a valuable asset in le...

If you feel like you are in constant overwhelm and life is chaos, you are not alone.

Most of us start the day hoping for a good day or even an ordinary day, but something happens and we get much more than we were prepared for, leaving us stressed, anxious, and in reactive mode.


In this episode, we look at: 

• How childhood experiences and conditioning can impact the way we handle uncertainty and chaos as adults
  

In this episode, we explore the concept of being a quiet achiever and whether it's okay to stay content in that role, or aspire to become a more visible and active contributor. We delve into the characteristics of quiet achievers, the potential pitfalls of remaining in the background, and strategies for transitioning from a quiet achiever to a more visible presence. Join us as we navigate the journey from quiet achiever to qui...

For the perfectionist, overthinker, and overachiever, nothing less than 100% will do.

But unrealistic goals and impossibly high standards can end up discouraging us from persisting long enough to see progress.

So why not make it easy on yourself?

Aim to be 1% better today than you were yesterday.

Listen in to envision what 1% better could look like for you, and find out how I’m using th...

If it’s been 10-15 years since your last pregnancy and you’ve started noticing some changes in your body and your moods, this is the episode you don’t want to miss!

I’ve been on the perimenopause journey since 2022 and this is the information I wish I’d known earlier.

Join me as I interview Amita Sharma, co-founder of global women’s wellness platform NourishDoc, and learn about:

• How women’s bodies, brains and moods chang...

If you know someone who acts as if it’s always someone else’s fault when things don’t go their way, who believes that others are responsible for their happiness and wellbeing, that they deserve special treatment because they are better than others, listen on, because our guest today is a coach who specializes in narcissistic abuse and the bestselling author of If Only I’d Known! How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundarie...

Welcome to Episode 40 of the Quiet Warrior Podcast. 

As we come out of the holiday season and get back into the rhythm of normal life, how do you want 2024 to be different from last year?

What would make this a meaningful, fulfilling, prosperous, healthy, inspiring year?

Can you find 15 minutes to sit quietly, look back on the past 12 months, and very honestly notice the blessings and the learnings?
<...

As parents, we want the best for our children, but how do we know when our expectations are reasonable, or if we are projecting inherited patterns and beliefs from our own upbringing, including our childhood trauma?

I have played guide, observer, counsellor and mentor to my children over the years, and there are many times I have got it wrong:

• When I reacted to childish outbursts with anger and judgment
• When I repeated o...

What’s one of the most common catchphrases of people who are stuck?

“I need more clarity!”

If I have more clarity, I will know what the next step is. I will know what to do, and I will know how to go about doing it.

That’s what I thought and did for decades.

Until I realized I’d got the order wrong.

Clarity comes after you take action.

It is only when we move towards our goal in faith, in trust, not in ...

Two ideas that have inspired Nancy:

• Have fun losing face
• There’s no shame showing my work if I’m doing a great job

Nancy’s journey to being more outspoken

Career progression is seldom linear

Why is it that when put on the spot, the words don’t come?

• Introverts are deep thinkers and take extra time to process and prepare our responses
• Fear of being judged, fear of criticism - “Mental S.O.S.” 
  • Self-doubt ...

My guest for this episode was Natalia Walker, founder of Inner Creative.

Here’s what I learned from our conversation:

• The truth: Every one of us is creative (not just children)!
• How to put less pressure on ourselves by changing our expectations of what being creative looks like.
• Natalia’s Creativity Mantra: “I’m open and willing to make mistakes. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I just have to show up and give it a go.”
• How to feel sa...

If you’ve ever felt defeated by the blank page while trying to be creative, this episode is for you.

Why is it so much harder for us as adults to be creative and playful compared to our children?

When was the last time you felt truly relaxed, free, and unconscious of the need to get it right?

When did you forget how to be playful and to have fun?

Tune in for my tips on how to release the need for perfection and the incessant nagging of...

Do people tell you that you’re boring?

Before being too quick to assume they are right (or wrong!), let’s use this as an opportunity to reflect.

• Does someone saying I’m boring make me boring?
• What does it mean to be boring?
• What makes someone interesting?
• Is it about getting out of the house more, having hobbies, doing fun and interesting things, meeting new people, learning a new skill?

The key to being interesting is ENTH...

Feedback is a word that can trigger the overthinker in us, whether we’re the one giving the feedback, or the one receiving it.

Being asked to give feedback can feel like one more cognitive task to add to an already lengthy to-do list.

But what if you could ask yourself a different question?

• Instead of “What’s in it for me?”, try putting yourself in the shoes of the person asking for the feedback, and ask “What’s in it fo...

If you’re an introvert and/or highly sensitive person (HSP) and also a facilitator, trainer, or educator who works with groups, you may find yourself completely drained at the end of a day of delivering workshops and talking to people.

How do you manage your energy reserves so you can bring your best when you’re at work?

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• You are differently wired and there is nothing wrong with you for feeling d...

Becoming a Quiet Warrior is a lifelong endeavour.

One does not become brave overnight, but one challenge, one setback, one yes (or no) at a time.

Here are some ways I am cultivating the traits of courage, openness, strength, and agility.

LESSON 1: 
Tend to my own inner landscape first, so I can be the best parent to my children.

LESSON 2: 
Cherish my friends.

LESSON 3: 
Create new conn...

Is it possible to make small talk, meet new people, and network - as an introvert?

Yes! 

You mean I don’t have to be extroverted?

No!

Episode highlights:

• Learn to do it your way, by honouring your values, energy and personality.
• When you start from the premise that there is nothing wrong with you and that you are simply wired differently, it becomes easier to do those things without depleting yourself or pretending to be someone you’...