The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low

Serena Low, Introvert Coach for Quiet Achievers and Quiet Warriors
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  • Self-Improvement
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Are you an introvert who is tired of hearing that you're too quiet, need to speak up more, or that you lack executive presence and are not ready for promotion? Your host is Serena Low, and her life’s purpose is to help quiet achievers become Quiet Warriors who can speak - lead - and act decisively when called upon, without changing the essence of who you are. As a trauma-informed introvert coach, certified Root-Cause Therapy practitioner, certified Social + Emotional Intelligence Coach, and author of the Amazon Bestseller, The Hero Within: Reinvent Your Life One New Chapter at a Time, Serena is passionate about helping introverts and quiet achievers minimise:- imposter syndrome, - overthinking, - perfectionism, - low self-worth, - people pleasing,- fear of public speaking,  and other common introvert challenges. Tune in every week for practical tips and inspirational stories about how to thrive as an introvert in a noisy and overstimulating world.

  1. 6d ago

    155. Discernment and the Art of Making Big Life Decisions (Stephanie Peirolo)

    A woman describes what she feels in her own body to a doctor and is told she isn't a reliable narrator of her own experience. It happens so often that she stops noticing, and she carries that same distrust into every decision after. Executive coach Stephanie Peirolo has watched this pattern in her clients for a decade and named it in her book The Saint and the Drunk: A Guide to Making the Big Decisions in Your Life. On this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, Peirolo joins Serena Low to unpack discernment, a decision-making practice she rebuilt from two unlikely sources, a sixteenth-century saint and a recovering alcoholic, into a framework anyone can use to reclaim their inner knowing. Questions Answered What is the discernment practice behind The Saint and the Drunk?How do St. Ignatius of Loyola and Alcoholics Anonymous connect to modern decision-making?Why do women and marginalized groups struggle to trust their own judgment?What's a practical way to start rebuilding trust in your inner knowing?How do you recognize the "superpowers" you take for granted in yourself?Why does everyone need someone who can mirror their strengths back to them?What's the difference between introversion and shyness? Key Takeaways The quiet damage of being told you're not a reliable narrator of your own life, and a practice for collecting evidence against it.Why doing something you're genuinely skilled at can restore your footing after a hard day spent doing something you're not.The vulnerability of asking your biggest fan what you do well, harder to sit with than asking for criticism.Peirolo's own reckoning with being read as outgoing on stage while quietly depleted underneath.The specific courage it takes to make a decision someone in your family doesn't get a vote on, but thinks they do. Chapters (approx.) 00:00 – Meet Stephanie Peirolo, author of The Saint and the Drunk00:35 – From journalism and sales to executive coaching02:01 – Why the path only makes sense in hindsight02:51 – The saint: St. Ignatius of Loyola and the roots of discernment05:21 – The drunk: Bill Wilson, AA, and a higher power for everyone06:11 – Writing a book built to trust the reader's own inner knowing09:54 – The narrative underneath every narrative: "you aren't right about what you want"12:01 – A practice for rebuilding trust in your inner knowing15:59 – The unrecognized superpowers hiding in plain sight18:50 – Why every person needs someone who can mirror their strengths back21:16 – Asking your biggest fan what you do well22:52 – The courage every kind of change requires23:52 – Introversion vs. shyness: where Stephanie really sits on the spectrum26:03 – Stephanie's book, coaching, and where to find her work About Stephanie Peirolo Stephanie Peirolo is a board-certified executive coach with a BA from Stanford and an MA in Transformational Leadership from Seattle University. She is the author of The Saint and the Drunk: A Guide to Making the Big Decisions in Your Life, host of The Bad Boss Brief podcast, and writes Fierce Grace on Substack. Learn more at speirolo.com. About The Quiet Warrior Podcast The Quiet Warrior Podcast is a show for introverted professional women navigating visibility, leadership, and career growth. Host Serena Low is a trauma-informed coach and former lawyer who brings root-cause insight and permission-giving conversation to listeners still in the messy middle. If this conversation moved you, leave a five-star review and share it with someone who's making a big decision right now. At A Career Crossroads? Career Crossroads Counsel with your host Serena Low is a private 90-minute session for high-achieving introverted women deciding whether to stay  and rebuild, or leave and reinvent. Get underneath the overthinking. Identify what to preserve, release, and begin — and what your next chapter needs to honour. Book Career Crossroads Counsel: https://bit.ly/3VflRsJ Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  2. Sep 27

    154. It’s Always Too Soon To Quit: Jay Setchell On Rebuilding After Catastrophic Loss

    A Marine Corps ambulance driver is pinned in a burning car, his heart stopped, watching from the ceiling as three doctors walk away. He is seventeen years past a farm accident that nearly took his leg, and decades away from a swimming pool dive that will break his neck in four places and leave him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Jay Setchell — Marine Corps veteran, serial entrepreneur, inventor, and author of The Strength Within You: It's Always Too Soon to Quit — has now survived 73 surgeries. In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, he tells Serena Low how a childhood of hard farm labor, a mantra of "why not?" instead of "why," and a faith he never let go of, carried him through four near-fatal accidents and into building business after business, including the training company he runs today for firefighters, military, and law enforcement. Key Takeaways Jay traces his refusal to accept limits back to a father who let him think for himself and a grandmother who told him busy hands make a busy mind — the seeds of a lifelong instinct to ask "why not?" instead of "why."Nearly dying in a Marine Corps car accident didn't end his story — it revealed his fight. Jay describes watching doctors give up on him from outside his own body, screaming that he was still alive, and being brought back by a surgeon willing to try one more thing.A diving accident three weeks into his marriage broke his neck and stole his mobility — and he refused the prognosis. Told he would likely be paralyzed from the shoulders down for life, Jay walked again eight months later, crediting prayer, incremental progress, and a refusal to let go of the image of himself walking.Grief and grit sit side by side in his story of the crash that claimed the life of his friend’s wife while he was trying to save her husband — a reminder that his resilience came with a cost.Selling was never about the product — it was about being seen and cared for. Making sales calls on crutches and leg braces, he still finished number one in his organization, because his real skill was asking what the other person actually needed.Retirement at 41 wasn't the end — it was a pivot into building homes, then building a company that saves lives. From trade show displays to home construction to training simulations used by fire departments and militaries worldwide, Jay kept starting over, even as his body kept changing."It's always too soon to quit" isn't a slogan — it's the argument of a life. Jay's closing reflection is that most people quit one step before the answer that was waiting around the corner.  Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and introduction: meet Jay Setchell00:45 — The one word that defines him: stubborn02:28 — Childhood on a seventh-generation farm and learning responsibility young08:44 — The feeding auger accident at seventeen09:54 — Dying in a Marine Corps car crash and the out-of-body experience14:39 — A year in the hospital, total self-reliance, and rebuilding a working life19:35 — A second near-fatal accident on the road22:24 — Career at a major telecom, and the diving accident that broke his neck24:59 — Faith, prayer, and defying the paralysis prognosis28:47 — Back to work on crutches, and the real meaning of selling31:46 — Forced retirement at 41 — and starting over anyway34:33 — Building homes, then building a life-saving training company41:14 — The mantra behind it all: don't ask why, ask why not53:23 — Lived experience versus learned experience54:56 — Closing reflections and the ripple effect of one story About Jay Setchell Jay Setchell is a Marine Corps veteran, serial entrepreneur, inventor, and author of The Strength Within You: It's Always Too Soon to Quit. Raised on a seventh-generation family farm, he has survived four near-fatal accidents and 73 surgeries, including a broken neck that left him temporarily paralyzed from the shoulders down. He has built businesses spanning trucking, trade show displays, wide-format printing, home construction, and — most recently — a national and international training company supplying realistic smoke, sound, and simulation products to fire departments, military units, and law enforcement agencies.  https://neverquittrying.com/ Work with Serena Standing at a career crossroads? If you’re successful on paper but quietly asking, “Is this still the life I want?”, Career Crossroads Counsel is a private 90-minute session designed to help you get underneath the overthinking and understand the decision you’re actually facing. Together, we’ll explore: Preserve — what still matters Release — what may be complete Recognise — what wants to begin Choose — what your next chapter needs to honour You’ll leave with a clearer map of your crossroads and your next moves. Book your Career Crossroads Counsel session HERE. Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  3. Sep 20

    153. Work Is Not Family: Boundaries, Burnout, and Toxic Workplaces (Katie Hadiaris)

    What happens when we expect our workplace to meet emotional needs that it was never designed to meet? In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, I speak with Katie Jean Hadiaris, founder of Work Is Not Family, about the hidden expectations we bring into our careers—and how those expectations can leave us vulnerable to burnout, overwork and workplace harm. Many of us were taught that being a good worker means being productive, helpful, agreeable and willing to go the extra mile. For women especially, childhood conditioning around being the “good girl” can make it difficult to question expectations, set boundaries or put our own wellbeing first. Katie offers a different way of looking at work: work is an agreement, not a family. That perspective does not mean relationships, connection or healthy workplace cultures are unimportant. It means becoming clearer about what an employer and employee actually owe each other—and recognising that our identity, emotional wellbeing and sense of worth cannot safely depend entirely on an organisation. We explore: Why we can become emotionally attached to our workplacesHow childhood conditioning and protective behaviours show up at workThe difference between doing your job and “quiet quitting”Why workplace visibility can become complicated for introvertsHow toxic work environments affect the body and nervous systemWhy high performers may ignore warning signs and push throughThe guilt that can arise when taking leave or prioritising personal needsWhat trauma-informed leadership looks like in practiceWhy leaders should stop labelling behaviour without considering what may be beneath itHow employees can distinguish between a current workplace problem and past experiences being triggeredWhy clear expectations, autonomy and respect matter in healthy workplacesHow to begin paying attention to what your body is telling youOne of the most important reminders in this conversation is that we bring our whole lives to work. We cannot simply leave our emotions, histories and nervous systems at the door. At the same time, we can learn to recognise our own responses, establish boundaries and make more conscious decisions about how we navigate work. If you have ever felt that your workplace expects more and more from you—or if you have struggled to separate your professional identity from your personal worth—this conversation offers a different lens through which to understand your experience. About Katie Hadiaris Katie Jean Hadiaris is the founder of Work Is Not Family, a workplace philosophy centred on the idea that healthy workplaces and healthy families operate by fundamentally different expectations. She works with professionals who have been blindsided, betrayed or broken by work, helping them make sense of what happened, reconnect with themselves and move forward. Katie offers free resources and one-on-one coaching to help people understand their nervous systems, work through triggers and navigate work in healthier ways. https://workisnotfamily.com Work with Serena Are you an introverted woman feeling stuck at the career crossroads?  Before deciding if your next move is stay/go, take the SEEN Career Clarity Diagnostic.  Four questions to help you reflect on where your career holds up against the four pillars of a sustainable career for introverts: Safety - Energy - Ethos - Need. Once you have completed the diagnostic, you will be invited to book a Clarity Consultation, during which I will share what I've observed and your options for moving forward. Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  4. Sep 13

    152. The Skills That School Never Taught Quiet Achievers (Rob Heller)

    There is a particular kind of dread that shows up around a first performance review, a first networking event, a first job where nobody hands you a manual. For introverted professional women who spent years being praised for grades and credentials, the workplace often demands a different currency entirely — people skills, self-advocacy, the ability to connect without performing extroversion. Nobody taught this. It was never on the syllabus. That is the gap Rob Heller has spent two decades trying to close. After a 40-year business career and selling his insurance firm for eight figures to a publicly held company, Heller founded the Boost Program — a curriculum built around what he calls the three legs of the stool: people skills, character, and a healthy mindset. In this conversation, Heller and Serena Low talk about why 85 percent of what employers say they want is soft skills nobody is systematically teaching, why phone and social media use functions like a genuine addiction for the 14-24 age group, and why introverts do not need to become extroverts to master connection — they simply need the skills nobody gave them the language for. Questions Answered Why do young people leave school without the people skills employers say matter most?What are the three "legs of the stool" in Rob Heller's Boost Program?Is phone and social media use actually an addiction, and how does the Boost Program address it?Can introverts build strong people skills without becoming extroverts?Why did Rob Heller create Boost after selling his insurance company for eight figures?What role do parents play in reinforcing the skills their teens learn in a program like Boost?What is a growth mindset and why does it matter for connection and resilience?How does the attention economy affect teens' ability to build real relationships?Key Takeaways The gap between "employable" and "prepared" is wider than most parents realize. Heller names it directly: employers report that 85 percent of what they are hiring for is soft skills, yet schools spend nowhere close to that proportion of time teaching them. The dissonance between what a transcript proves and what a workplace actually requires is the quiet crisis sitting underneath a lot of early-career anxiety.Naming an addiction as an addiction, without shame, changes how people respond to it. Heller does not lecture teens about willpower. He walks them through how deliberately phones and algorithms are engineered to keep them hooked, and he includes himself in that struggle rather than standing above it — a move that turns a shame-based topic into a shared, workable problem.Social media's distortion is not a discipline problem — it is a highlight-reel problem. Heller's framing that social feeds show only the equivalent of a basketball player's best dunks, never the misses, gives language to something many quiet achievers already feel: the comparison trap is not a personal failing, it is a design flaw in what gets shown.Introversion is not the obstacle to connection — it is a different route to it. Heller is explicit that his students do not need to become the loudest person in the room. Curiosity about the other person, active listening, and small consistent behaviors build connection just as effectively, without requiring anyone to perform a personality that is not theirs.A growth mindset reframes struggle from evidence of inadequacy into evidence of growth. For the perfectionist, quiet achiever who assumes discomfort means something has gone wrong, Heller's reminder that discomfort is a normal, necessary part of developing any skill offers a genuinely different relationship to struggle.Chapters 00:00 — Introducing Rob Heller: entrepreneur, youth development innovator, founder of the Boost Program00:56 — From an eight-figure insurance exit to noticing the skills gap at home04:32 — Why Boost went on hold for fifteen years, and what brought it back during the pandemic06:03 — The three legs of the stool: people skills, character, and a healthy mindset08:15 — Why Boost focuses on ages 14 to 24, and the neuroscience behind that window09:59 — "The Missing Course": why schools teach math and science but not the skills that determine a life11:41 — Soft skills aren't soft: why leadership, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence are actually hard15:04 — You don't have to be an extrovert: introverts, effectiveness, and connection15:36 — Naming the phone and social media addiction without shame20:01 — How Boost spreads: schools, workforce development, and building a peer community for organizations22:10 — What engagement looks like when a program actually lands with teens23:32 — Parents as the head coach, Boost as the assistant coach25:39 — Rob's message to introverted listeners: you don't have to change who you are to build these skills27:05 — Wired to connect: why relationships, not achievement, predict a good life27:35 — Growth mindset as the third pillar of a healthy mindAbout the Guest Rob Heller is an entrepreneur, youth development innovator, and founder of the Boost Program, a curriculum built to teach teens and young adults the people skills, character development, and mental health tools that traditional education often leaves out. After a 40-year business career, including selling his insurance firm for eight figures to a publicly held company, Heller returned to the program he first started twenty years earlier as a parent trying to give his own children a skill set no school course offered. He is the author of The Missing Course for Today's Youth: 26 Skills That Matter — How The Boost Program Fills The Gap. https://boostprogram.com/ Follow the Podcast If this conversation resonated, leave a review to help other introverts find The Quiet Warrior Podcast. Work with Serena Are you at a career crossroads?  Before deciding if your next career move is stay/go, take the SEEN Career Clarity Diagnostic. 4 questions to help you reflect on where your career holds up in relation to Safety - Energy - Ethos - Need: the four pillars of a sustainable career for introverts. Once you have completed the diagnostic, you will be invited to book a Clarity Consultation, during which I will share what I've observed and your options for moving forward. Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  5. Sep 6

    151. Inside The Cage: Mia Hanks On Surviving Covert Narcissistic Abuse

    For twenty-nine years, Mia Hanks believed that if she just held on a little longer, things would eventually get better. They never did. Behind a marriage that looked, to the outside world, like a life with a charming, generous man was a quieter reality: a husband who grew angry when she was sick, controlled every dollar she touched, and slowly convinced her that she was the one who was too sensitive, too much, too wrong. That is covert narcissism, and Mia Hanks understands its texture better than most. A survivor of narcissistic abuse and author of the memoir Bridesmaid, Hanks joins the Quiet Warrior Podcast to describe what nearly three decades inside that marriage actually looked like, and why understanding the difference between covert and overt narcissism, financial abuse, and the isolating effects of a smear campaign can help someone still inside a relationship like hers recognize the door long before they walk through it. Questions Answered What is covert narcissism, and how is it different from overt narcissism?Why do empaths and introverts often make easy targets for narcissistic abuse?What are the early warning signs of a covert narcissist?Why does it take so long, sometimes decades, to leave a narcissistic relationship?How does financial abuse keep survivors trapped in a marriage?What is narcissistic personality disorder, and is it a diagnosable condition?How does a smear campaign work once a survivor leaves, and why do mutual friends often side with the narcissist?How can someone begin planning a safe financial exit from a relationship with a narcissist?Key Takeaways The quiet strangeness of being met with anger instead of care whenever she was sick, and how that one small, repeated moment was an early sign of a much larger patternThe relief of finally being validated by a therapist after twenty-eight years of believing she was the problemThe specific ache of watching mutual friends side with the person who caused harm, and the slow realization that those friendships were never truly hers to loseRecognizing that the cage door had never been locked, and why that truth did not make leaving any easierThe quiet, practical courage of setting aside small amounts of cash at the grocery store, one of the first steps toward an eventual exitUnderstanding narcissism as a pattern that worsens with age rather than one that resolves itself with time, patience, or the next phase of lifeChapters (approx.) 00:00 — Introducing Mia Hanks and her story00:19 — Where Mia sits on the introversion-extroversion spectrum01:29 — What narcissism actually is, and why empaths make easy targets03:03 — Covert versus overt narcissism: why the covert type is harder to spot04:05 — The first red flags, and why they were easy to explain away06:28 — The turning point: declining health and a therapist's validation09:25 — How family support made a difference10:23 — Why it took twenty-nine years to leave13:23 — Financial control and financial abuse inside the marriage14:22 — How the children experienced the marriage15:37 — The smear campaign, and losing mutual friends after the divorce19:41 — The cage metaphor: why an unlocked door isn't the same as an open one22:06 — Writing Bridesmaid: filling the gap left by clinical, academic accounts23:40 — What she wishes her younger self had known24:26 — Advice for anyone currently in a relationship with a narcissist25:39 — Planning a financial exit, one small step at a time26:50 — Where to find Mia Hanks and her booksAbout Mia Hanks Mia Hanks is a survivor of narcissistic abuse and the author of the memoir Bridesmaid, which shares a first-hand account of life inside a marriage to a covert narcissist. In April, she released a follow-up memoir chronicling her healing journey. Both books are available in paperback and e-book through her website, miajhanks.com, where listeners can also find links to purchase on Amazon. Help Us Grow  If today's conversation with Mia resonated, leave a 5-star review on your podcasting app and share the episode with an introvert you know. Your reviews help more introverts grow into Quiet Warriors. Work with Serena Before deciding if your next career move is stay/go, take the SEEN Career Clarity Diagnostic. The diagnostic helps you reflect on where your career sits in relation to the four pillars of sustainability for introverts: Safety - Energy - Ethos - Need. Once you have completed the diagnostic, you will be invited to book a Clarity Consultation, during which I will share what I've observed from your responses and your options for moving forward. Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  6. Aug 30

    150. Letting Go of Control: How an INFJ Conductor Healed Generational Trauma (Joel Bein)

    Joel Bein still remembers the exact feeling of trying to control something he could never control: standing in front of an orchestra, arms raised, believing the gesture had to look right rather than simply be true in the moment. Letting go of that grip, he says, was the same letting go he later had to learn in his own healing work.  In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, host Serena Low talks with Joel Bein, founder of Human Liberation and host of The Joel Bein Show, about being an INFJ in leadership, the concept of psychological visibility, and the belief-clearing method he uses to free entrepreneurs from stress, self-doubt, and generational trauma passed down through childhood conditioning. Questions Answered What is psychological visibility and why do introverts crave it?What is the Human Liberation belief-clearing method?How do childhood beliefs create adult anxiety, imposter syndrome, and money stress?Why does letting go of control reduce anxiety and perfectionism?How does generational trauma pass from parent to child?How does internal family systems (IFS) work relate to clearing limiting beliefs? Key Takeaways The relief in realizing you are only truly "seen" by people who know your core values, not just your presenceThe chest-tightening recognition that a parent's frustration at a child's "no" is often an old, unprocessed wound resurfacingThe freeing moment of discovering a belief like "money is hard" or "I'm not enough" was never proven by real experience, only assumedThe quiet that settles in once a limiting belief is fully released, described as the noise in the head dropping close to zero Chapters (Approx.) 00:00 — Introduction: introverted entrepreneurs and belief clearing 00:29 — Joel's place on the introversion-extroversion spectrum, being INFJ 04:06 — What psychological visibility means and where it comes from 10:02 — Classical music as an outlet for unprocessed emotion 16:51 — Letting go of control as a conductor, and in life 20:54 — Childhood hypervigilance, safety, and reading the room 27:01 — Generational trauma and the beliefs parents pass to children 36:05 — Inside the Human Liberation belief-clearing method 44:27 — Where to find Joel and closing thoughts About Joel Bein Joel Bein is the founder of Human Liberation and host of The Joel Bein Show, where he explores new paradigms for personal growth, child-rearing, and a more voluntary, flourishing humanity. He works with entrepreneurs to permanently clear the subconscious limiting beliefs beneath stress, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome.  Learn more at https://thehumanliberation.co. About The Quiet Warrior Podcast The Quiet Warrior Podcast is a show for introverted professional women navigating visibility, leadership, and career and personal growth. If this episode resonated, please rate and review the show on your listening app. Your support helps more quiet achievers become Quiet Warriors. Work with Serena Host Serena Low is a trauma-informed coach who guides introverted high-achieving professional women to understand what’s keeping them stuck, so they can make their next career move from clarity – not confusion. https://serenalow.com.au Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  7. Aug 23

    149. Harnessing Courage: How Laura Bratton Turned A Life Without Sight Into A Journey Of Grit and Gratitude

    At nine years old, Laura Bratton was told she would go blind. The diagnosis landed softly at first — the way impossibly hard truths sometimes do with children, held at a distance by the mercy of a young mind that couldn't yet process what was coming. The real reckoning came in eighth grade, when the sight loss accelerated and the grief hit with full force: panic attacks, debilitating depression, and the particular ache of becoming invisible to the people around her — not through cruelty, but through the silence of others who simply didn't know what to say. In this episode, Laura joins Serena Low on The Quiet Warrior Podcast to trace the path from that wilderness — through survival mode and years of deliberate inner work — to the grit and gratitude framework at the heart of her book, Harnessing Courage, and her organization, Ubi Global. What emerges is a conversation about confidence as something built rather than born, invisibility as something that happens not just to those with visible differences but to quiet achievers everywhere, and grief as a doorway — one that has to be walked through slowly, not bypassed on the way to the solution. This episode speaks directly to introverted professional women who have ever felt overlooked, underestimated, or afraid that their presence doesn't quite register. Questions Answered in This Episode What does it actually feel like to face a life-changing diagnosis — and when does the emotional reality finally land?Why do people ignore or sideline those who are different, and what is really at the root of that behavior?What is the simplest, most respectful thing you can say to someone whose experience you don't understand?How are fear of others and lack of self-confidence connected — and what does confident people's behavior look like in practice?Is confidence something you are born with, or something you build?What is the difference between grit and toxic positivity — and how do you practice gratitude without bypassing the pain?Why is healing not a destination, and what does it mean to recommit to a practice every single day?How do you begin to move through grief without skipping the part that actually gives you the strength to move forward?Key Takeaways Fear of the unknown, not indifference, is usually the reason people don't reach out. The root isn't that others don't care. It's that they are afraid of saying the wrong thing — so they say nothing. And the silence widens into distance.The simplest bridge is naming the discomfort out loud. Laura's friend said: "I don't know the best way to help you. Let me know what you need." That was enough. The conversation moved on. Genuine curiosity — asked in a tone of care, not interrogation — is the bridge most people never think to build.Confidence belongs to neither introverts nor extroverts — it belongs to anyone willing to build it. Laura is clear: confidence is not a personality type. It is a capacity. The people most willing to ask how to help, she has noticed, are the ones already comfortable in their own skin.Grit and gratitude are not traits you acquire and keep. They are a daily choice. Laura has practiced gratitude for 25 years and is still practicing. On the days she doesn't, she feels the difference. Recommitting every morning is not a sign of failing to heal. It is what healing looks like.Healing is not a destination. Releasing the idea of an arrival point — the day everything is finally better — is itself an act of healing. One good day at a time is not a consolation prize. It is the framework that takes the pressure off and makes the next step possible.Memorable Quote "I used to think of healing as a destination. It took me a long time to learn — it's about progress. It's about recommitting every single day. There's no end." — Laura Bratton  Episode Chapters aprox. 00:00 — Introduction: Laura Bratton, Harnessing Courage, and Ubi Global00:46 — The diagnosis at nine: why the reality didn't land until years later01:43 — High school, grief, depression, and survival mode02:18 — How sight loss affected studies and friendships — and what invisibility really felt like07:06 — Why this happens everywhere, not just in school07:27 — The root of the problem: fear of the unknown, not indifference09:01 — The simplest bridge: how to reach someone whose experience you don't understand10:41 — A real-world example: what Laura's friend said that made everything easy13:00 — The connection between self-confidence and willingness to show up for others14:07 — The introvert-extrovert conversation: where does Laura sit?15:48 — Is confidence innate or built? Laura's answer17:06 — Grit and gratitude: the two words that became the foundation of her healing18:59 — Why these aren't words you master once — they are a daily practice20:43 — Healing as a journey, not a destination21:25 — Recovery, one good day at a time23:03 — What to do when you are in the middle of grief or major transition25:06 — How to find Laura and her bookAbout Laura Bratton Laura Bratton is the author of Harnessing Courage and the founder of Ubi Global, an organization dedicated to empowering people to overcome challenges and obstacles through grit and gratitude. Diagnosed with an eye disease at nine, Laura navigated the traumatic transition to full blindness through her teen years and has spent the years since turning that experience into a framework for resilience that she shares through speaking and coaching worldwide. Connect with Laura and find her book at laurabratton.com. About The Quiet Warrior Podcast The Quiet Warrior Podcast is a show for introverted professionals navigating visibility challenges and what leadership looks like when you’re quiet by nature. If this episode resonated, please rate and review the show on your listening app. Your support helps more introverts become Quiet Warriors. Work with Serena Host Serena Low is a trauma-informed coach and former lawyer who brings lived wisdom to every conversation, meeting quiet women leaders at the edge of their career crossroads, and guiding them towards clarity and congruence. Book a Diagnostic Call with Serena to determine what's preventing you from making a decision: https://calendly.com/careerchangeconfidence/connect Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

  8. Aug 16

    148. Can Hypnotherapy Heal Childhood Trauma, Anxiety & Limiting Beliefs? | Craig Meriwether

    Can hypnotherapy help heal childhood trauma? Does it work for anxiety? Can it change your personality—or simply help you understand yourself more deeply? In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, Serena Low speaks with clinical hypnotherapist Craig Meriwether about the science, misconceptions and practical applications of hypnotherapy. Craig explains how subconscious beliefs formed in childhood can continue influencing confidence, relationships, anxiety and emotional wellbeing long into adulthood. He also addresses common myths about hypnosis, including whether people lose control, whether everyone can be hypnotised and how hypnotherapy differs from stage hypnosis. If you've ever felt intellectually aware of your patterns but unable to change them, this conversation explores why lasting change often happens beneath conscious awareness. Questions Answered in This Episode What is clinical hypnotherapy?How does hypnotherapy work?Can hypnotherapy help anxiety?Can hypnotherapy help childhood trauma?Does hypnotherapy change your personality?Is hypnotherapy safe?Can hypnotherapy help introverts?What is the difference between hypnosis and stage hypnosis?Why do subconscious beliefs affect adult behaviour?How many hypnotherapy sessions do most people need? Key Takeaways Hypnotherapy is a collaborative process—not mind control.The subconscious mind often develops protective strategies during childhood that continue into adulthood.Anxiety and fear can be viewed as protective responses rather than personal flaws.Healing often involves updating subconscious beliefs that no longer serve us.Trust, safety and client autonomy are essential components of effective hypnotherapy.Chapters (approx) 00:00 Introduction to Craig Meriwether 02:15 Craig's journey through anxiety and depression 06:30 What hypnotherapy actually is 12:30 Myths about hypnosis and stage hypnosis 18:00 Can everyone be hypnotised? 27:00 Conscious vs subconscious mind 33:00 Why childhood experiences shape adult behaviour 36:30 Can hypnotherapy help introverts and social anxiety? 42:00 Serena's biggest insights from the conversation About Craig Meriwether Craig Meriwether is a clinical hypnotherapist who helps people work through anxiety, trauma, confidence issues and subconscious patterns that may be preventing them from living the life they want. Connect with Craig https://releasethepast.com  About The Quiet Warrior Podcast The Quiet Warrior Podcast is a show for introverted professionals navigating visibility challenges and what leadership looks like when you’re quiet by nature. If this episode resonated, please rate and review the show on your listening app. Your support helps more introverts become Quiet Warriors. Work with Serena Host Serena Low is a trauma-informed coach and former lawyer who brings lived experience to every conversation, meeting quiet women leaders at the edge of The Transition and guiding them towards clarity and congruence. Book a paid Diagnostic Call with Serena to determine if your next career move is stay/go: https://calendly.com/serenalow/diagnostic-call Loved this episode? Leave a review to help other Quiet Warriors find the show. This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

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About

Are you an introvert who is tired of hearing that you're too quiet, need to speak up more, or that you lack executive presence and are not ready for promotion? Your host is Serena Low, and her life’s purpose is to help quiet achievers become Quiet Warriors who can speak - lead - and act decisively when called upon, without changing the essence of who you are. As a trauma-informed introvert coach, certified Root-Cause Therapy practitioner, certified Social + Emotional Intelligence Coach, and author of the Amazon Bestseller, The Hero Within: Reinvent Your Life One New Chapter at a Time, Serena is passionate about helping introverts and quiet achievers minimise:- imposter syndrome, - overthinking, - perfectionism, - low self-worth, - people pleasing,- fear of public speaking,  and other common introvert challenges. Tune in every week for practical tips and inspirational stories about how to thrive as an introvert in a noisy and overstimulating world.

Information

  • Creator
    Serena Low, Introvert Coach for Quiet Achievers and Quiet Warriors
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    156
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low
  • Show Website
    The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low