I’ve learned over the years that the most meaningful conversations often start with shared experience rather than shared credentials. This one did. In this episode of The Alignment Show, I sit down with Steve Friedman, an author, speaker, and longtime corporate leader who spent decades navigating professional life as an introvert before reinventing his work around writing, speaking, and supporting families affected by Down syndrome. Steve and I talk about masking, energy management, leadership, caregiving, and what it means to stretch your comfort zone without losing yourself in the process. We explore why introversion is so often misunderstood, how corporate culture rewards the loudest voices, and what changes when you finally stop pretending to be someone you’re not. This conversation isn’t about quick fixes or personal branding. It’s about authenticity, sustainability, and learning to live and work in ways that actually fit who you are. If you’ve ever felt worn out by performing a version of yourself that doesn’t quite feel true, I think you’ll find something here worth sitting with. What part of this conversation felt uncomfortably familiar to you? Share in the comments! Remember that you can find shownotes for this episode and links to all our channels at https://DonnKing.com/102. Resources mentioned in this episode include: * Beyond Introversion, Steve Friedman’s site focused on introversion in professional and corporate settings, including articles, workshops, and books. (Site may have been discontinued, but I’m leaving the link here in case it comes back up. https://beyondintroversion.com.) * Beyond Down Syndrome, Steve Friedman’s resource hub for families and individuals affected by Down syndrome, covering different life stages, education, independence, and advocacy. https://beyonddownsyndrome.net * Steve’s LinkedIn, the primary social platform for connecting with Steve professionally. * Steve Friedman’s Books on Amazon, the place to find his published books on introversion and Down syndrome. * The Corporate Introvert, Steve’s book focused on navigating meetings, leadership, and networking as an introvert in corporate environments. * In Search of Courage: An Introvert’s Story, Steve’s first book, centered on personal reflection, career, and introversion. * Creating While Caring by Donn King. * All of Donn’s books. * Butterfly Copywriting, one of our sponsors. Remember that we have moved our home over to our new site at TheAlignmentShow.com. We encourage you to subscribe there! If you get value from the show, consider supporting us through Buy Me a Coffee. You can make a one-time contribution or sign up for regular support. Your support helps me continue helping you and others, and thank you in advance! You can also subscribe on Substack for free OR upgrade to a paid subscription to receive the following bonus material for each episode: * The “Big Takeaway” * A bulleted summary of the episode * Practical tips from the episode * A quote to ponder * Prefer text? We turn each podcast into an article. Plus, Founding Members receive ebook copies of all my books as well as a sponsorship message on the podcast at least once a month. That’s our way for saying “thanks for the support!” Note: if you accidentally subscribe on ConfidenceCultivators.com (which used to host the show), I will comp you the equivalent subscription on King’s Chronicles, the new home of The Alignment Show. Get full access to The Confidence Cultivator at confidencecultivator.substack.com/subscribe
