In this episode, I’m sharing 10 observations from 10 years of marriage. These aren’t vague ideas—they’re real lessons that have shaped how I show up in life, in my career, and in my relationships. If you’re in a relationship or thinking about long-term commitment, I hope these stories and insights help you build something strong, lasting, and honest. Whether you're married, dating, or figuring it all out—there’s something in here for you.

Timestamps:
00:38 - Austin Update

02:15 - Why Discuss Marriage: Marriage has impacted my career and life more than anything else. Here’s why this topic matters.

3:04 - 10 Observations from 10 Years in Marriage: From shared hobbies to personal identity, respect, and faith—these are the lessons I’ve learned and lived.

16:33 - Challenge For Listeners: Call out something small your partner did this week and tell them you appreciate it.

Career Coaching

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Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average.

Book your free career clarity call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IntrovertLeaderCo
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

In this episode, I’m talking about how to learn and apply new skills and why it’s one of the fastest ways to grow your career. Whether you’re stuck in your role or want to become more valuable at work, acquiring the right skills can make a huge difference. I’ll break down how to choose the right skill, where to learn it, and how to push through the messy parts of the process.

Timestamps

:40 – Austin Update

1:28 – Why Acquiring New Skills Is Important: Why skill-building is one of the most underrated ways to stand out in your career.

2:52 – What Learning New Skills Can Do For Your Career: The impact of adding new tools to your toolbox and how it compounds over time.

5:37 – Identifying The Right Skills to Learn: How to figure out which skills are worth your time and aligned with your goals.

10:38 – The Best Vehicles To Learn New Skills: My favorite ways to learn quickly, from books to hands-on practice.

14:20 – Overcoming Challenges in The Learning Process: What makes skill-building hard and how to push through it.

20:49 – Actionable First Steps / Applying The New Skill: What to do once you’ve picked a skill and how to apply it right away.

23:22 – Story Time: A behind-the-scenes story about how I taught myself to edit audio and video for this podcast and my YouTube channel.

26:28 – Challenge For Listeners: Pick a skill, take 15 minutes to start learning it today, and commit to action.

Career Coaching

Want to level up at work?
Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average.

Book your free career clarity call here.

https://calendly.com/stscareercoaching/30min

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Don’t miss our new episodes—released 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: Austin Hopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• Website: www.sts-coaching.com

In this episode, I’m breaking down the awkward shift from being a peer to becoming a leader. You’ll learn what to watch out for, key mindset shifts, and how to lead with confidence from day one.
Whether you’re new to leadership or want to be ready when the time comes, this one's for you.

Timestamps
1:00 - Austin Update

2:32 - Why Discuss Peer To Leader Transitions: Why this moment is one of the hardest, most overlooked challenges in your career.

3:18 - What To Watch Out For: Four common mistakes to avoid when moving from peer to leader, based on lessons I learned the hard way.

8:15 - Mindset Shifts: The internal shifts you must make to succeed in leadership.

13:03 - Lead Effectively From Day One: How to earn trust, avoid early missteps, and set the tone with clarity and confidence in your first weeks as a leader.

19:35 - Story Time: A real story about a former peer who crossed the line—and the tough decision I had to make as a new leader.

24:39 - Challenge For Listeners: If you were promoted today, what would need to change? And why wait to start?

Career Coaching

Want to level up at work?
Clients who work with us earn 57% more and get promoted 3x faster on average.

Book your free career clarity call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

In this episode, I’m breaking down executive presence—what it is, why it matters, and how to build it.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked or struggled to command respect, this episode is for you. I’ll tackle common myths, real-world examples, and simple strategies to help you develop a strong executive presence.

Timestamps
01:00 - Austin Update

01:47 - What Is Executive Presence: Defining what having executive presence means.

02:39 - Why You Should Care About Your Executive Presence: How executive presence influences your career growth, leadership, and how others perceive you.

04:12 - Benefits of Executive Presence: The key advantages of developing executive presence and how it can accelerate your success.

6:40 - Common Myths: Debunking the biggest misconceptions about executive presence.

9:43 - Common Challenges: Why executive presence can be difficult to develop and what prevents people from mastering it.

15:04 - Examples of Executive Presence/Real World Scenarios: Real-world examples of executive presence in action.

19:12 - How To Start Getting Better at Executive Presence: Actionable steps you can take today to develop a stronger executive presence.

26:00 - Story Time: A story about a time I had to act with executive presence.

29:49 - Challenge For Listeners: Take the 6-Question Executive Presence Audit to assess where you stand and what to improve.

Career Coaching

Ready to take your career to the next level?
Get personalized coaching to earn more, get promoted faster, and lead with confidence.

Book your free career clarity call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

In this episode, I'm discussing people-pleasing—something I've struggled with since I was a kid. I'll explain why we people-please, how it holds us back, and how it can damage our relationships. Stay tuned for actionable strategies to overcome it.

Even if you don't struggle with people pleasing yourself, you'll learn how to help the people pleaser in your life.

Timestamps
1:07 - Austin Update

3:46 - Why Discuss People Pleasing: Why this topic matters and how it impacts your career and relationships.

4:24 - What Is People Pleasing: A breakdown of what people pleasing is and why so many struggle with it.

4:50 - What Does People Pleasing Look Like: Common examples of people pleasing in work and personal life.

7:44 - Why I People Please: A personal look at my own struggles with people pleasing and where it comes from.

9:56 - Negatives of People Pleasing: How people pleasing can hold you back, damage relationships, and create stress.

14:40 - Overcoming People Pleasing: Actionable strategies to stop people pleasing and start setting boundaries.

18:30 - Story Time: A story about the Superbowl a few weeks back.

20:40 - Challenge For Listeners: A practical challenge to help you recognize and reduce people pleasing this week.

Career Coaching

Want to get promoted faster and earn more?

📈Promotion Fast Track: A step-by-step plan to land your next promotion. Book a free call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

Struggling with bullies at work? In this episode, I'm sharing how to deal with bullies at work. I'm covering the most common types of bullying, how to spot a bully, and what to do about it. If you've ever worked with a bully, I'm confident you'll find value in this discussion.

Timestamps
1:16 - Austin Update

3:11 - Why Discuss How To Deal With Bullies: Bullying sucks and it happens more than you think. I explain why it's important to address this issue head-on.

3:51 - What It Feels Like to Get Bullied: An honest look at the emotional and professional toll that bullying takes on you.

5:40 - Why Do People Bully: A look at the motivations behind bullying. Understanding this can be the first step toward addressing it.

7:33 - Examples of Bullying/How To Spot One: Real-world examples of bullying in the workplace and practical tips on identifying the red flags before things escalate.

11:23 - 4 Strategies To Deal With Bullies: Four actionable strategies that you can use to address and neutralize bullies.

19:06 - Story Time: A time I dealt with a bully at work.

23:18 - Challenge For Listeners: If you are getting bullied, try one of the four strategies; if you know someone else who is being bullied, speak up.

Career/Leadership Coaching

Do you want to earn 57% more or get promoted 3x faster?

Book your free career clarity call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

In this episode, I'm breaking down how to run meetings that are productive, engaging, and worth everyone's time. We've all been in bad meetings that drag on, lack direction, or feel like a complete waste. Whether you're leading meetings now or preparing for the future, I'll walk you through how to plan, execute, and follow up in a way that builds credibility and leadership presence.

Timestamps:
00:34 - Austin Update

02:54 - Why Discuss Leading Effective Meetings: Why meetings matter for your career, leadership presence, and overall team productivity.

04:12 - What Bad Meetings Look Like and Why They Suck: Ever sat through a meeting that felt like a complete waste of time? I’ll break down the most common mistakes that make meetings ineffective and frustrating.

06:50 - Meeting Preparation: The best meetings start before they even happen. Learn how to structure your agenda, define clear goals, and set expectations to ensure a productive discussion.

16:26 - Career/Leadership Coaching Plug: A quick reminder that if you’re looking to level up your leadership skills, you can book a free career clarity call.

17:15 - Meeting Execution: Running the meeting the right way, how to manage the room, keep discussions focused, and ensure everyone walks away knowing what’s next.

26:54 - Story Time: A story about the worst meeting I attended.

29:25 - Challenge For Listeners: Ask yourself 3 questions before you schedule your next meeting.

Career/Leadership Coaching

Do you want to become a better leader, run more effective meetings, or get promoted faster?

Book your free career clarity call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com

Tired of feeling stuck in your career? In this episode, I’m revealing why complaining can sabotage your professional growth and what you should do instead. We all complain at times, but constant negativity harms you in more ways than you can imagine. I’ll cover why we complain, how it shows up in our day-to-day life, and practical ways to stop. Tune in to learn how to break the complaining habit and elevate your career.

Timestamps
00:30 – Austin Update

02:40 – Why Discuss Complaining: Why complaining is such an important topic and the impact it can have on our lives.

03:41 – Why Do We Complain: Digging into the root causes behind our tendency to complain.

05:30 – What Does Complaining Look Like: Examples of real complaints I’ve heard at work.

06:47 – Why Complaining Sucks: The personal, social and professional impact of constant complaining.

12:02 – Complaining and Leadership: How negativity erodes leadership credibility and team morale, and what leaders should watch out for.

15:40 – What To Do Instead: Actionable tips for shifting from a problem-focused to a solution-focused perspective.

23:22 – Words From Marcus Aurelius: A piece of wisdom from Meditations about complaining.

24:47 – Challenge For Listeners: Catch yourself this week when you want to complain. Try one of the strategies instead.

Career Coaching

Do you want to become a better leader? Do you want to get promoted faster? Want to get paid what you are worth?

Book your free career clarity call here.

Engage

• Don't miss our new episodes, released every other Wednesday; be sure to subscribe.
• Send in your career, leadership, and self-development questions, and I'll answer them on air!
• Email: theintrovertleader@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/austinchopkins
• YouTube: TheIntrovertLeader
• STS Career Coaching: www.sts-coaching.com