Awfully Quiet

Apparently, speaking in front of people is one of the most feared things in the world. Which… checks out. Especially if you’re listening to this.This conversation made me want to use my voice more. Not in a performative, “be louder” way. More in a stop overthinking and just say the thing kind of way.This week, I’m joined by Annelise McCarthy: Speaking coach and the voice behind You’re On Mute. She’s just wrapped a national tour across Australia, teaching thousands of women how to speak with confidence.We talk about:Why you’re not actually “bad at speaking”The gap between what you think… and what you say out loudThought-to-speech fluency (and how you can train it)Why confidence doesn’t come before you speakWhat “taking up space” actually looks like (and why it’s not about being louder)We also get into the less visible side of it: the self-doubt, the inner work, and the routines Annelise relies on before she steps on stage.If you’ve ever sat in a meeting, had the thought… and then kept it to yourself, this one’s for you.Send it to someone who’s been told to “just speak up more.”Or save it for the next time you’re about to go off mute.Connect with Annelise: https://www.instagram.com/theannelisemccarthy/Follow Awfully Quiet: https://www.instagram.com/awfullyquietpod/

At some point, exceeding expectations stops being impressive… and starts being expected.It becomes your thing. What you’re known for.And more often than not… what quietly keeps you in place.Because your work is strong. Your standards are high. And somehow, you’re still not the one people think of when opportunities come up.We get into:Why exceeding expectations is the floor, not the ceilingWhy quiet people over-index on output and under-index on visibilityThe difference between value and value people can actually seeWhat to do instead of just working harderWhat promotion decisions are actually based onChapters00:00 The performance trap quiet people fall into01:10 Great work was never the differentiator (sorry)01:19 What “exceeding expectations” actually means at work03:01 Why quiet people over-index on output and under-index on visibility04:05 What actually changes how people see you05:10 The quiet way up05:49 Next weekSend this episode to someone who quietly needs it.Follow alongInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/awfullyquietpod/Subtle Series: https://www.instagram.com/subtleseries/

It’s Monday morning. Someone asks how your weekend was. And suddenly you’re performing.Because you feel like you need to sound interesting… without saying that your weekend was actually quite quiet.In this episode of Awfully Quiet, we talk about the version of you that shows up at work. The one that’s polished, professional, reliable. And somehow… a bit hard to connect with.Not because something’s wrong with you. But because you’ve shaped yourself into a version that works. Just not one that people fully feel.I started sharing one small, genuine part of my life at work. Nothing dramatic. Just real. And it changed more than I expected.People trusted me more.Remembered me differently.Knew how to approach me.Which, it turns out, matters more than being impressive.This isn’t a framework. It’s not a strategy. It’s barely even advice.It’s more like a small shift that quietly changes how people experience you.If you’ve ever felt a bit like a stranger in your own workplace, this one’s for you.And if you know someone who might need this, send it to them.Quiet things spread that way. 🎧

What do you do when your mind is wired for big ideas but your energy tells a completely different story?In this solo episode, I get honest about the two sides constantly at war in my head: the quiet, introspective one that wants to slow down, and the achiever who refuses to.Building a podcast, a corporate career, digital products and more, all while wondering why I was given a visionary’s mind but not the operator energy to match.This one’s for everyone who’s ever felt too ambitious for their own good... and too tired to stop anyway.Shhhh:If this episode made something click, I’d really appreciate you following the show and leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on Spotify (it takes a few seconds).It genuinely helps more thoughtful people find these conversations.And if someone came to mind while listening, send this episode to them. Quietly.AWFULLY QUIET: @awfullyquietpodcastSUBTLE (tools + scripts): @subtleseries

If you’ve ever thought, “If I were really confident, this wouldn’t feel so hard,” or felt pressure to sound more impressive than you actually feel, this episode might gently challenge that entire narrative.In this episode of Awfully Quiet, I sit down with Dr. Dan Rosenfeld, psychologist, comedian, and author of The Confidence Equation, to explore why trying to sound confident might be the very thing keeping you stuck in self doubt.Born with cerebral palsy, Dr. Dan has navigated barriers most of us will never face. Through that lived experience, he developed a grounded, unconventional understanding of confidence rooted in self-trust rather than performance.In this conversation, we explore:Why “building confidence” might be a trapThe difference between looking confident and actually feeling itHow to work with your inner critic instead of fighting itThree quiet shifts that move self-doubt toward self-trustWhy introverts may already be closer to real confidence than they thinkThis conversation genuinely shifted how I think about showing up, especially behind the microphone. Instead of trying to sound impressive or polished, Dr. Dan invites us into something far more powerful: self-trust, experimentation, and using the “paint and brushes” already in our hands.🔗 Connect with Dr. Dan and explore his book The Confidence Equation: Three Keys to Unleashing Self-Confidence as an Introvert.Follow the show:AWFULLY QUIET (bts + reflections): @awfullyquietpodcastSUBTLE (tips + tools): @subtleseries

If you’re quiet, introspective, and don’t consider yourself good at “selling yourself,” this conversation will change how you think about job search.This week, I sat down with Anna Belyaeva to talk about how jobs actually happen now, especially for people who think deeply, do solid work, and don’t rely on loud self-promotion.Anna is a Stanford-certified career coach and job search strategist who works with ambitious professionals to help them land high-paying roles they genuinely enjoy.In this conversation, we get into:the career skills that matter most, but often get overlookedwhy getting hired in 2026 isn’t about uploading a PDF anymorehow to gather interview intel that helps you stand out without performinghow senior roles often come together without a formal applicationthe quiet truth about “selling yourself”, and why introverts are often better positioned to network than they thinkAnna is someone whose work I’ve admired for years for her fresh, unconventional take and her honest perspective on the amount of practice, rigour, and effort that actually goes into landing a role that fits, not just pays.🔗 Learn more about Anna’s work @careerdiet or listen to her Podcast (she recommends Episode 40 in this conversation).If this episode resonated, follow the show and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.It genuinely makes my day & and it helps the right people find these conversations.Follow the podcast:AWFULLY QUIET (bts + reflections): @awfullyquietpodcastSUBTLE (tips + tools): @subtleseries

Quiet doesn’t get overlooked because it’s weak.It gets overlooked when other people don’t know what to make of it.In this episode, we move past why quiet gets misread at work and into the more useful question: when does quiet thinking actually start working?You’ll hear why two people can think quietly in the same room, and yet only one is read as smart, trusted, and pulled into bigger conversations.This episode is for you if you’ve ever felt:– capable, but underestimated– trusted to deliver, but not to lead– included, but not invited into what comes nextYou’ll leave with a clearer understanding of what your quiet is signaling at work, and how to shift how it’s read, without becoming louder or less yourself.📌 Follow along:If an episode ever resonates, follow the show and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.And if you comment or write a review, know that it genuinely makes my day. 🤍AWFULLY QUIET (bts + reflections): @awfullyquietpodcastSUBTLE (tips + tools): @subtleseries

Quiet people are often told the same things: Speak up more. Be more confident. Put yourself out there.But what if none of that is actually the real problem?In this episode, we look at something far more uncomfortable + far more powerful: the fact that quiet behavior creates cognitive and evolutionary discomfort in other people.Not because you’re doing anything wrong. But because the human brain is wired to distrust what it can’t read.This episode isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about understanding the invisible forces shaping how you’re interpreted and why loudness so often wins before skill ever enters the room.If you’ve ever felt boxed, underestimated, or quietly overlooked despite being capable, this episode will give you a completely new way of seeing what’s actually happening.Chapters00:00 — Quiet Isn’t As Innocent As You Think01:53 — The Evolutionary Wiring Behind Being “Hard to Read”02:48 — Why Loud Feels Safe03:20 — The Signal Gap04:28 — From Assumption to Reputation05:32 — Quiet Creates Tension Before It Creates RespectIf this episode resonatedIf something in this made you feel seen (or slightly exposed) that’s a good sign.It means you’ve just found the real tension this show is here to work with.Follow the show, rate it, or pass it on to someone who is quietly capable and constantly underestimated.That’s how this work travels.Quietly.

In this episode, I reflect on my first year as a Senior Brand Manager and the quiet unlearning that came with it. From letting go of performative “senior behaviour,” to learning when not to speak, this is an honest look at what leadership starts to require as your scope grows.We talk about finding your senior voice, steering instead of telling, facilitating decisions rather than forcing them, and why quiet, observational people often come into their power later, but more sustainably.If you’re ambitious, capable, and stepping into more responsibility without wanting to change who you are, this episode is for you.✨ If this resonates, pass it on. I’m trying to change how your quiet is understood at work. Five stars help too. Quietly. Obviously.

There’s a moment when you realise the opportunity you wanted all year… might not have known where to sit if it arrived. This episode looks at the subtle difference between wanting something and actually being ready for it, and how the smallest adjustments change the way opportunity finds us. Through two simple, everyday metaphors, we explore how shifts in our environment, habits, and clarity create the kind of space where what you want would actually feel at home. Not through force or hustle, but through intention.A gentle, precise reflection on readiness, desire, and the quiet work that happens long before the moment arrives, and a question that may reframe how you think about the year ahead.If this episode resonated, please take a second to rate the show ★★★★★ and share it with a friend who might need it too.

Today I'm speaking with Lauren Currie OBE, founder of UPFRONT, an organization on a mission to change confidence, visibility, and power for 10 million women.We explore the quiet moments behind stepping onto a stage, leading change, and taking up space in ways that actually feel like you. We talk about the unlearning that has to happen before confidence becomes real, letting go of the pressure to be louder, bigger, shinier… or smaller, softer, easier.Lauren shares her journey building UPFRONT and helping thousands move into rooms, conversations, and opportunities that feel scary but transformative. We get into the tiny language shifts, reframes, and practical tools that make confidence feel less overwhelming and more human.If you’ve ever felt torn between wanting to be “more confident” or worrying you’re “too much,” this conversation is a deep exhale.Connect with Lauren:InstagramLauren’s Book: The TrickFollow & Support the Pod:InstagramYouTubeIf this episode resonates, please share it with someone who needs it.And leave a generous ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating, it helps more quiet people find the show.

Two years into Awfully Quiet, it was time for a subtle rebrand.In this behind-the-scenes episode, I take you inside my little home studio recording an episode of the podcast, reflecting on how far it has come, and sharing the story behind the rebrand.From the new photoshoot to what this next era means creatively and personally, this episode is part studio vlog, part reflection, part permission slip for anyone ready to evolve without losing their quiet.Hit subscribe to not miss an episode of this new era. ⭐ Rate five stars wherever you listen, it makes a huge difference.

This one’s for you if you’re building something, a dream, a project, a business, a new version of yourself, and can’t help but wonder: Will this ever work?You already know the advice: trust the process, stay consistent, enjoy the journey.But some days, that’s not enough. Some days, you just need a new thought, one that keeps you moving when the effort feels pointless, or the outcome feels far away.In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my own “in-between” season, sharing the reflections, reframes, and quiet mental shifts that help me stay in it, even when the results aren’t visible yet.Tune in for a raw, honest reflection on patience, self-belief, and what it really takes to keep showing up when no one’s clapping yet.