The Introvert Leader

Hosted by Austin Hopkins

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Build confidence. Take risks. Make an impact. The Introvert Leader Podcast shows professionals how to grow, lead with confidence, and stand out without selling out. Hosted by Austin Hopkins, each episode breaks down the real challenges of leadership, career growth, and big career moments without fluff or corporate buzzwords. New episodes every other Wednesday. Subscribe and start leading your career on your terms. For inquiries, contact: theintrovertleader@gmail.com

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60 recent

August 19, 202613 min

The Real Reason You Feel Stuck at Work

You are stuck in a job you don't like. You're stuck at a company that doesn't fit your values. You're stuck on a path that doesn't feel right anymore. Being stuck feels heavy, but you may not know it yet; there is a way out. In this episode im sharing my 3-step framework for getting unstuck. Timestamps 2:25 – Figure Out Why You Feel Stuck: Sunk cost fallacy? Comfort? Fear? 4:50 – Decide If It’s Worth Changing: Until you decide to change your situation, nothing changes. 7:15 – Fully Commit: Committing to getting unstuck is what makes it actually happen. 12:10 – Challenge: Name the reason you're stuck. Then ask yourself if you'd choose this path again if you started from zero. Free Resources Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here The Brag Sheet (free Career Win Tracker): Here Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint Course Waitlist) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

August 5, 202613 min

3 Things Making You Look Junior at Work (And How to Stop)

Have you ever noticed when someone looks junior at work? They seem like a kid trying to sit at the grown-up table. Acting junior can seriously derail your career. In this episode, I share the 3 things that make you look junior and what to do instead. Timestamps 2:00 – Why Looking Junior Is Holding You Back: Looking junior keeps you stuck, making less money, and working on less important work. 3:53 – Sharing Too Much Detail: Curate what you share to fit the audience. 6:18 – Not Prepared For On-the-Spot Situations: Every moment counts, so a little prep goes a long way. 9:00 – Overly Emotional: Big reactions don't have a place at work. 11:54 – Challenge: Watch the people around you and label when they look junior. Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint Course Waitlist) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Win Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

July 22, 202612 min

Your Boss Sucks. Here's What To Do About It

Toxic bosses are impossible to avoid. They drain your energy, kill your confidence, and make every day feel like survival mode. In this episode, I'm talking about 4 of the worst types of bosses and how to deal with them. Timestamps 2:40 – The Fear Monger: They use fear and control to get results. 4:35 – Absent Manager: You never see them unless they need something. 6:28 – The Jealous Manager: They compete with you instead of rooting for you. 8:43 – Incompetent Sheep: Corporate robot without a backbone. Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint Course Waitlist) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Win Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

July 8, 202616 min

The Career Questions ChatGPT Can't Answer

ChatGPT can't solve your nuanced career problems. But I can. In this episode, I tackle four real questions from real people who are scared, stuck, and not sure what to do next. My honest answers, no fluff. Timestamps 1:56 – How Do You Get Over The Constant Fear of Being Fired?: Irrational fears cause more harm than you imagine. 4:27 – How To Know If You Have What It Takes to Be a Senior Leader?: You are asking the wrong question. 7:20 – What Was The Exact Moment You Stopped Treating Minor Corporate Inconveniences As Life-or-Death Emergencies?: My boss called me on my honeymoon. This was the last straw. 10:25 – Is Anyone Else Terrified They Stayed In a Stable Career Too Long and Now Feel Completely Trapped? You aren't trapped if you can change at any moment. Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint Course Waitlist) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Win Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

June 24, 202613 min

The Two Questions That Saved Me From Burnout

You don't have to settle for being burnt out at work. It won't get better with time unless you do something about it. Most burnout advice sounds the same, but it doesn't work. 67% of workers are feeling some kind of burnout. In this episode, I give you a framework to get past it. Timestamps 2:19 – The Reframe: Most Burnout advice doesn't solve the root problem. 4:00 – Bored Burnout: Boredom is a quiet kind of burnout that eats at your soul. 6:31 – Depleted Burnout: Even if you love your work, devoting too many hours to it can leave you feeling depleted. Find your passion and never work a day in your life is a lie. 9:05 – The Two Question Test: Easy questions you can ask yourself when you are feeling burned out at work. 11:25 – Challenge: Ask yourself two questions before you work more hours or take on more work. Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint Course Waitlist) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Achievement Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

June 10, 202616 min

How to Get Anyone at Work to Say Yes

There is nothing more frustrating than needing something from someone who doesn't report to you. Technically, they don't have to listen to you, and it's maddening. In this episode, I share the 4 strategies I used hundreds of times in my corporate career to get anyone at work to say yes. Timestamps 3:12 – What’s In It For Them: Find something to offer in exchange for what you want. 6:14 – Recognize Them Publicly: People want their work to be noticed. Use this to get what you want. 9:27 – Tie Your Ask To Something Deeper: Make the ask connect to something that matters. 12:10 – When Nothing Else Works: Sometimes you have to bring in their manager. I'll show you how to do it with class. 15:40 – Challenge: Pick someone who isn't responding to your ask and try one of the 4 strategies. Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint PDF) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Achievement Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

May 27, 20268 min

Confidence Isn't What You Think It Is

In this episode, I give you an exclusive sneak peek into my Confident Leader Blueprint course dropping in September. Confidence is not being the smartest. It's not having the most experience, and it's certainly not something you are born with. It's inside you, just waiting to come to the surface. Leaders who struggle with confidence never reach their full potential. In this episode, I share my 5-stage blueprint to help you tap into your confidence. Timestamps 2:11 – Stage 1-Know Yourself: Before you can tap into your confidence, you need to understand what your unique value is. 2:57 – Stage 2-Redefine Leadership : Authentic leadership doesn't fit any mold. So quit trying to be something you aren't. 3:53 – Stage 3-Commit : Commit to yourself and your set of values. 4:44 – Stage 4-Take Action : Action is what drives confidence faster than anything else. 5:54 – Stage 5-Adapt : Reflect, reevaluate, and recover quickly when things go wrong. Introvert Leader Newsletter (Confidence Blueprint PDF) Get the free confidence guide & biweekly updates: Here Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Achievement Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

May 13, 202610 min

How to Brag Without Being Braggy

Why is it so hard to brag without sounding like a douche? You want people to know about your value, but you don't want to come across as arrogant. I figured out how to tell my story without it feeling braggy. Let me teach you how to do it. Timestamps 1:02 – Personal Update: Back from Lisbon. Here is what I loved about Portugal. 1:48 – Reframe Your View on Self Promotion: It's not bragging if you are telling your story and showing your value. 4:27 – Find Your Lane To Share Wins: Find an authentic way to tell your story. Do it in your voice, your way. 7:04 – Rinse & Repeat: Make sharing wins a part of your routine. 9:18 – Challenge for Listeners: Find one small win to share this week. Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Achievement Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

April 22, 202611 min

How to Deliver Bad News (and Get More Respect)

Delivering bad news sucks. It's uncomfortable, you feel like crap doing it, and yet you can never avoid it. In this episode, I share how to deliver bad news and still have people like you and even respect you more. Timestamps 1:30 – Personal Update: Headed to Lisbon, be back with a new episode on May 13th. 2:20 – Why It's So Hard To Deliver Bad News: We make it about us instead of them. 5:10 – Bad News Mistakes: Delivering bad news gets messy when you make these common mistakes. 7:08 – Bad News Framework: 3 steps to deliver bad news so people respect you afterward. 9:57 – Challenge for Listeners: Quit trying to feel ready before you deliver bad news. Just rip off the band-aid. 10:39 – Announcement: Something big is coming in a few weeks, don't miss it Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Achievement Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

April 8, 202611 min

What People Say About You When You're Not in the Room

Your reputation is your most valuable asset. It's being built in rooms you aren't in, by people you may not even know that well. Every interaction, every moment matters. In this episode, I want to help you figure out what your current reputation is, what you want to be known for, and what to do when you mess up. Timestamps 1:07 – Personal Update: Working in new locations has unlocked my creativity. 1:55 – How Your Reputation Is Formed: Intentions don't matter, and how you treat people defines you. 4:15 – Discover Your Current Reputation: Ask for feedback, look for patterns. 5:48 – Decide What You Want To Be Known For: Winging your reputation won't work. Define what you want people to say about you. 7:56 – Execute Consistently: Consistency matters more than you think. 11:04 – Challenge for Listeners: Make a list of 3-5 non-negotiables. Career & Leadership Coaching Want a better career? Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average: Book your free career clarity call here . Free Resources The Brag Sheet (free Career Achievement Tracker): Here Take the free Career Fulfillment quiz: Here Engage New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Be sure to subscribe. Send in your career, leadership, or self-development questions and I’ll answer them on air. Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins YouTube: Austin Hopkins Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com