Musings of an introverted marketer

Navigating career, relationships as an introvert. Good things come to those who wait and the best things come to those who go after them.

This week’s final draft borders on being an introvert in a loud world. I had second thoughts about writing this piece(like I have with most things), but seeing Oladimeji Ajegbile's post was all the motivation I needed. I hope you enjoy reading!

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As someone who has identified as an extrovert for most of my life, it was a challenging experience to realize that I was gradually becoming more introverted as I got older. I became quieter and more awkward in social situations, making it difficult for me to connect with others in the ways I wanted to. There were moments I tried, and it felt like I was physically unable to. Navigating this has been challenging as I became intentional about my career interests. For example, networking with people has been quite difficult because I find it difficult to make small talk with strangers.

I'm not very good at first impressions, majorly because I have social anxiety. While I know that's not primarily a trait of introverts, it has me worried and constantly thinking about people's perception of me because we live in a world that favours outspoken, and charismatic people more. While in secondary school, I attended a citizenship and leadership program. The commandant's comments on my certificate were "a great team player but shies away from spotlight". This was a recurring statement with people, especially earlier in my career; I would often prefer to do background work and shy away from being recognized for my contribution to the work. It is such a crazy paradox because, I liked feeling appreciated; I just didn’t like the attention that comes with it.

Also, as a person working in marketing, being a people person is a plus, and it took a long time for me to stop seeing my social skills or the lack thereof as a form of weakness. I still get drained from attending networking events; the last time I attended one, I left during one of the breakout sessions because I had a headache and there were just too many people around. I genuinely couldn't function and felt terrible that I couldn't make it till the end, but I have figured that it is probably not just for me.

I'll admit that things have recently improved, particularly in my career. One thing contributing to this is superiors who openly express their trust in me and my work and allow me to take charge. Their trust has made me less anxious and has given me the confidence to take charge of projects, share my ideas and take charge of its execution. However, I still have difficulty talking about my work in public, which is one reason I started this newsletter. Despite how unnerving it might sometimes get, I am gradually becoming more comfortable with sharing through this newsletter.

I have also learned the hard way that no one will hand things over to me. I'm learning that I can't just sit and let life happen to me because of a perceived "weakness". To paraphrase a Nick Cave quote and something my friend shared with me earlier, "the meaning in life is in the expansion of ourselves to fully occupy our allotted time." Life is made by how much of ourselves we're willing to shine towards the light. Regardless of the industry I work in, or my personality type, all of these things are just labels that come from a need to group ourselves as humans. In the end, what matters is how well I utilize the time I have and how well I use my strengths to maximize my potential.

In conclusion, I have learned to embrace the qualities that make me. I have accepted that I do not need an external energy boost from socializing. I have found power in solitude. However, I still struggle with finding the right balance between being alone and being with others. I want to be able to recharge by myself without feeling guilty about it, yet not isolate myself. I want to speak up in conversations without feeling drained, yet not feel obligated to constantly engage people with small talk.

The journey of self-acceptance is ongoing, but I am getting closer to loving both sides of myself - the extrovert and the introvert - instead of seeing them as contradictory. I hope that by sharing this, others may find solace and share their experiences navigating their careers.

That's all for this week! Thank you for reading The Final Draft.

A big thank you to all of you who have subscribed since my last issue. If you enjoyed reading this, please share The Final Draft with your friends and spread the love!

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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JOB BOARD

Chekkit is hiring a Community Manager

Brace is hiring a part-time Content & Marketing Specialist

Business Elites Africa is hiring a Social Media Manager

Axelerant is hiring a Content Marketer- Experience Design

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WEEKLY INTERESTING FINDS

A Girl is a body of Water by Jennifer Nansugba Makumbi: Of the 32 books I have read this year, this book is my best. It’s a coming of age story that explores the multifaceted nature of women, female relationships, and the struggle to self discovery in a world that teaches women to shrink themselves. It made me more appreciative of my female friends and the community I’ve been blessssed with. I think every woman should read this book. 10/10.

Why Vine Died: Closing The Loop On The Company That Changed The Internet:

Jaryd Herman’s How They Grow has been one of my favorite things to read since I discovered them, so it was really interesting so see his new segment tagged “Why They Died”, it basically takes us on a journey into why successful businesses failed. The first case study was Vine which seemed to have laid the blueprint for Tiktok’s success.

Seren’s Diary “The Book of Rahab”: I got immersed in Seren's work after my friend shared one of her pieces with me. The purpose of this, her most recent work, was to recreate a biblical tale from the viewpoint of a marginalized character. I'm at a loss for words to express how flawlessly this was done. I honestly think you have to read for yourself to understand how good this was.