The Quiet and Strong Podcast, Especially for Introverts
The Quiet and Strong Podcast, Especially for Introverts
Ep 211 - Public Speaking Success for Introverts with Mahlena-Rae Johnson
In this insightful episode of The Quiet And Strong Podcast, host David Hall and guest Mahlena-Rae Johnson explore the unique strengths that introverts bring to public speaking. Mahlena-Rae, an accomplished speaker, comedian, and author, shares her journey from a shy student to a dynamic presentation coach for introverted CEOs.
You'll learn practical strategies to harness your introverted superpowers in public speaking, from preparation techniques to embracing imperfection. Discover how even those with stage fright can captivate an audience by leveraging their natural strengths.
This episode is a must-listen for introverts looking to master the art of public speaking and for anyone interested in understanding how introverted qualities can be turned into powerful strengths. Tune in to learn how you can present to the world in a way that aligns with your natural abilities and achieves your goals.
And be strong.
Episode Link: QuietandStrong.com/211
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Speaker, comedian, and 6-time author Mahlena-Rae Johnson is Professor X for Introverted Edtech CEOs with Stage Fright. She has consistently taught leaders how to hone superpowers of public speaking for over 2 decades. Mahlena has been featured on CBC Kids, The Great Canadian Woman Podcast, BusinessBecause, and more.
Mahlena's Website: MahlenaSpeaks.blogspot.com
Get Mahlena's New Book: Speak Anyway: A Public Speaking Guide for Introverted CEO's with Stage Fright
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Contact the Host of the Quiet and Strong Podcast:
David Hall
Author, Speaker, Educator, Podcaster
quietandstrong.com
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david [at] quietandstrong.com
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Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:00:00]:
I try to encourage other people who encounter that and ask me, well, how can I be more extroverted when I tell them that I'm a presentation coach? That you don't have to be more extroverted. You can just find the strengths in your introversion and as you as a person to present to the world in a way that is effective for the goals that you wanna achieve.
David Hall [00:00:21]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And well said. It's like you can be an amazing speaker or fill in the blank, whatever it is, but your approach is likely gonna look different. Hello, and welcome to episode 211 of the Quiet and Strong podcast, especially for introverts. I'm your host, David Hall, and the creator of quietandstrong.com. This is a weekly podcast dedicated to understanding the strengths and needs of introverts along with strategies for success. Introversion is not something to fix, but to be embraced.
David Hall [00:00:59]:
Normally, while our each episode on a Monday, be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. Leave a review or a rating. That would mean a lot to me and help others find the show. Tell a friend about the podcast and help get the word out there that introversion is a beautiful thing. Speaker, comedian, and six time author, Mahlena-Rae Johnson, is professor x to introverted EdTech CEOs with stage fright. She has consistently taught leaders how to hone superpowers of public speaking for over two decades. Mahlena has been featured on CBC Kids, the great Canadian woman podcast, business because, and more. Alright.
David Hall [00:01:42]:
Welcome to the Quiet and Strong podcast, Mahlena. Mahlena, it's so good to have you on today.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:01:47]:
Thank you for having me.
David Hall [00:01:48]:
It's great to have a fellow introvert on the show. We're gonna talk about a book I've been reading. Tell us a little bit about your journey to the work you're doing now.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:01:57]:
Let's see. So it's been a long journey, essentially, thinking about where I started as a student myself. I've always loved learning. And the more that I have done, the more that I have realized that not everyone learns in the same way. I was fortunate enough to have a Montessori education from kindergarten to sixth grade, but recognizing as I went to seventh grade in traditional school that there are so many ways that people learn differently and were not being encouraged. And now that I am 43 and a grown adult and have a lot more experience, I want to help the people who are helping the global public, the learning population, to be able to learn in the way that is best for them. So that's one of the reasons I decided to become professor x for introverted ed tech CEOs. I teach you how to feel the fear and speak anyway, and I focus on introverts specifically.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:03:00]:
But in general, people who want to change the future of learning and don't wanna get bogged down by their stage fright.
David Hall [00:03:07]:
Yeah. Very good. When did you figure out that you were an introvert?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:03:11]:
I I knew before there was a word for it, like, most things in my life. I have always been so there there are traits about me that are not necessarily just specific to introverts, but I've always been the quieter one, the shyer one, the one who listens more than speaks because I'm actually interested in learning what the other person has to say. This sometimes gets other people agitated because, oh, some people out there think that their way of communicating is the way to communicate. And there are things that I really accepted about myself after going to business school and taking the Myers Briggs test and learning that I was an INTJ and a Scorpio as well. James, I quietly, judgingly you passionately. So as I learned more about that after I graduated from business school and recognized that my personality is one of the rarest ones and that, especially as a woman, people don't necessarily like that type of way that you present yourself in the world. I I started accepting more about that once I acknowledge who I was and why I was the way that I was. So there's been a process of learning about introversion my whole life without actually knowing that that was a thing and not something to be beaten out of you and that not everyone necessarily needs to speak up more because sometimes people don't have things to say and more people should listen to each other.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:04:47]:
But now really not just accepting it in myself, but encouraging other people who have felt this way and have been treated like there's something wrong with them because they just move through the world differently is something that I am talking about in videos and in written form and in person to people and encouraging people that just because people have told you introversion is wrong or not really encouraged it in a way that was beneficial to you before, doesn't mean that you have to inflict the same pain on yourself. You can accept who you are and find the benefits in how you show up in the world.
David Hall [00:05:30]:
Yeah. And, the Myers Briggs was really helpful for me too, and I'm a fellow INTJ, so we have that in common. I I got certified in it, and light bulb moment's something that you're talking about was the it's the facilitator said introverts think and then speak, extroverts speak in order to think. And I was like, yes. That is true. And that's that's part of the communication is because our extroverts are largely thinking out loud most of the time. And I always say, you know, don't put everything absolute, but most of the time. And most of the time, we're thinking, putting our best thoughts together, and sharing what we think is most important.
David Hall [00:06:08]:
And when you don't understand that, like what you're talking about, there's communication challenges. When you don't understand that this is the way I naturally process information and this is the way you externally process information, we can have some communication problems.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:06:25]:
Yes. There's definitely there have definitely been communication problems that I've had, not just with the outside world or fellow students, but within my family as well. Just not people people ideally do the best they can with the knowledge that they have without recognizing that not everybody communicates the same way, especially now that there's more information about neurodivergent. I, so far, am identified as a neurotypical person, but But interacting with neurodivergent people who may be extroverted or introverted has really opened me up to the ways that there are traditions and standards in business and communication that really don't fit most people and don't accept for the diversity of cultures and and personalities out there. So it's it can be hard when I see other people. It can be hard when I encounter other introverts who don't have the the same, I guess, entitlement that I have had my whole life to just be myself. And and I really I try to encourage other people who encounter that and ask me, well, how can I be more extroverted when I tell them that I'm a presentation coach? That you don't have to be more extroverted. You can just find the strengths in your introversion and as you as a person to present to the world in a way that is effective for the goals that you wanna achieve.
David Hall [00:07:59]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And well said. It's like you can be an amazing speaker or fill in the blank, whatever it is, but your approach is likely gonna look different. And and so many people on this show, you know, myself included, felt like something was wrong. And, really, no. It's like interviews introversion is a beautiful thing. You just have to learn to understand it and what you need and how you work best.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:08:22]:
Yes. How you work best is important, and sometimes that does not correlate with other people's expectations of you, but sometimes those expectations are not valid or best for anyone involved.
David Hall [00:08:38]:
Yeah. So what's the strength you have because you're an introvert?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:08:43]:
The biggest strength that I have as an introvert is that I listen a lot to other people, which can which can be a detriment sometimes because people are like, what are what what do you have to say? And I eventually tell them. But so I'm someone who who enjoys other people but also likes to have my me time. So there's sometimes when I have the energy to interact with someone else who may or may not be an introvert, and they're just sitting right there. And I say something to them, and that I am listening to them for the next twenty minutes because they keep they keep asking me the more questions. They don't know anything about me, but all they know is that someone is interested in listening to them. And therefore, to them, I'm an amazing person. So I think that's one of the things that is present in the book, how to win friends and in what is it? How to win friends and influence people is to be interested, not interesting. And some people cannot be interested because they find themselves too interesting.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:09:56]:
They think that whatever they have to say is the most important thing and should be said and should be communicated to this person, so this other person needs to hear it. Whereas I am someone who likes to learn other people's perspectives and stories because they are of interest to me as I am someone who's with myself most of the time. So I know all about myself, which then lets leads me to forget that not everybody knows everything about me. So when I say something like my family and I moved from Los Angeles to Toronto in 02/2018, and we became Canadian citizens in 02/2023, it's something that is in my head because I went through it, but not everybody is going to know about know that about me just by saying hello.
David Hall [00:10:51]:
Right. Right. And when you're listening, you know, especially as an INTJ, you're probably just putting together all kinds of ideas. You're gathering information, you know, to make great observations. Right?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:11:07]:
Yes. That often happens. That has happened to me last year as I I have been my year my word for 02/2024 was connect. My word for 02/2025 is genius, very much based on my your big leap year book by Gay Hendricks. But last year, I was doing a lot of connecting. I still am through thirty minute video calls with people I find inspiring, as well as people that I encounter, and I find something cool about them. What often happens with me is that someone will say something, and that triggers stuff in my head about people that I have already interacted with, concepts that I hadn't thought of. So for example, there is a woman that I had connected with through LinkedIn.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:11:53]:
We were having a conversation. She worked in an area that I have encountered many people working in that same area and have someone who's frequented bookstores for much of my life have recognized that there are books similar and movies similar to what her story is that there need to be more of. So I told her, you should write a memoir. And then she told me that her therapist had said the same thing, and now she's actually considering it based on the things that I saw in her that she couldn't see for herself, even though she's written them down before in her bio, that are going to connect with other people in her field with similar backgrounds. So there's times that I can see things and hear things and imagine things that other people haven't thought of just because they're coming at it from their lens. I'm coming at it from an entertainment lens of someone who was raised by a DCR and a cable box and know that there are stories out there that people will connect to it. And sometimes people don't recognize that that story is already inside of them. It just needs to be put out there.
David Hall [00:13:05]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And so I was gonna ask you about a myth, but first, you already brought one up. You know, we bust myths on this show. You love to connect with people. You need your time, but you'd love to connect. But your the way you connect may not always be the same as a way an extrovert might wanna connect, but you still wanna connect with people.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:13:25]:
Yes. That is correct. That is some that is something that I tell other people about one of the benefits of the pandemic. It is terrible that millions of people died and millions of people are still sick. One of the things that came out of it was the the proponent of Zoom, which are now on, that I had been using since probably 02/2017 and other people hadn't heard of. But I will give a specific example. I was in a TD writing class in February, and we were meeting separately in the same room. So the room that was scheduled for the class was not big enough to hold all the people, so we had to meet in shifts.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:14:12]:
So the people who came on the first shift couldn't meet the people on the second shift, And we couldn't even talk to each other in class because someone was presenting all the time. And then March happened, and we were told, we're not meeting in person anymore. We're gonna meet online. And the people leading the class were upset because up to that point, television writing rooms had always been done in person. So they were lamenting the fact that we couldn't meet in person to have these writing sessions, but they were forgetting the fact that we weren't actually talking to each other. They were usually the people talking to us, and we didn't get to talk to each other. But when we were on Zoom, because I, someone who's done stand up comedy sometimes, was in a room with other people who were working stand up comedians, there would be there would be a presentation. And in the chat box, someone would say something funny about what was just said.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:15:11]:
The other another comedian in the room would say something funny about something that had been said, typed in, and then I would say something. And then the whole conversation would be going, and we'd be interacting with each other in a way that we couldn't do in person and building these friendships that were impossible to do in an in person room that we could now do in a really humorous way through chat. And that was great for me because I was now building real relationships with these people, some of whom I had met in person before repeatedly, but didn't have didn't have the opportunity to say stuff because more extroverted people were always talking. And now these people who have been on actual television, I get to interact with because of the power of Zoom. And then, of course, midway through the the series of classes, the leaders shut down the Zoom chat during presentations because they found it distracting. And I was like, I found it entertaining. So so there's ways that I have connected with people and built relationships through other Zoom meetings in that way that I can't do at in person networking events. And extroverts don't realize this because they're so focused on the fact that Zoom isn't real life, and and this is not the same as the energy that you get from people in person, not recognizing that the energy that other people get in a Zoom chat is more beneficial because you can you can traverse time and space and proximity to connect with someone you wouldn't be able to sometimes because they live in a completely different country like the two of us.
David Hall [00:16:58]:
Yeah. Yeah. I was just thinking that. Yeah. I I I have people all over the world on the podcast, and I I I I I started podcasting after the pandemic. So, you know, I'm not exactly sure how it was, but I know that it's just normal now. It's just normal to connect in in this way, and it's it's wonderful, you know, talking with people all over. Mhmm.
David Hall [00:17:20]:
So, Mahlena, you have written six books.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:17:23]:
I have.
David Hall [00:17:25]:
We're gonna talk about Speak Anyway, a public speaking guide for introverted CEOs with stage fright. But before that, just give us a summary. What what other books have you written?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:17:35]:
Well, my first book was called Steve the Penguin. I mean, it's still in existence. It's about a Hollywood Assistant who goes home to St. Thomas for her ten year high school reunion. I actually grew up in St. Thomas, so it's based a lot about themes of my life. I used to be a Hollywood Assistant. And then the second book is called Bianca Ragan, Where the Action Is, the sequel to Sea of the Penguin, and it's about the same Hollywood Assistant who gets caught between the worlds of politics and entertainment.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:18:05]:
Then my third book is Last Minute Guide to Apply to College, which is for students and families who are overwhelmed by The US application process to college and university. And I wrote it because I I want I was I have been helping people get into college and university and business school and medical school and other types of programs. And I wanted to take that knowledge and translate it to people who needed help. And I also wanted to forward my own career because I wasn't finding the opportunities that I wanted corporately in that field. The fourth book is Love It a Luau. It was inspired by the controversy between an Iron Fist where I forgot all the the players, but essentially, it was addressing the fact that Asian and Asian American men were not being cast as romantic leads. So I decided to cast multiple of them in this book about a a woman who is a refugee and gets caught up in various love triangles as she's trying to start her new life again on a Pacific island. And then the fifth book is Elle's, which is a novelization of my pilot scripts for a series called Elle's, which what does it do? I had a handful tagline for the project, which I actually presented at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:19:37]:
It shows what happens when black women run everything. It's like Veet meets Black Panther with the heart of parks and recreation. And now my sixth book is Speak Anyway.
David Hall [00:19:50]:
Yeah. Wow. That's a wide variety of books. What made you wanna write Speak Anyway?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:19:55]:
I decided that I wanted to have more credibility as a presentation coach and show people what is possible as an introvert, specifically as a CEO of a company who is thrust into the spotlight of a conference that they're not necessarily ready to speak at. There's know that there are people who hand off communications to other divisions or leaders in their company because they feel like someone else could deliver the message of their company better than them. What then sometimes that might be helpful, but when you hear from a founder, especially of a company, who talks about the passion they have for solving a problem through their organization, it comes off as more personal and more relatable than just the head of marketing talking about why this product is great. So that's what I wanted to do is speak anyway, both say, hey. I am a writer and I could do this, And also let people experience me in a low pressure environment, their Kindle or phone, and read through the ebook and hopefully be inspired to speak themselves. And the other thing was that as this is my sixth book, it was a lot easier for me. And it's it's allows me to speak about the process of creating a book. So my first book took two years for me to write and publish.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:21:40]:
It was also published in a different time where epublishing wasn't as easy. Speak anyway took me two months to write two drafts and then get it edited and interior designed, and it was out a couple months later available on Amazon, Google, and Barnes and Noble Nook.
David Hall [00:22:03]:
So CEOs get stage fright. A lot of people probably don't think that.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:22:09]:
Yes. So, I continue to to hear about the statistic that public speaking is one of the biggest fears along with death and some something else. And for me, I like being on stage. I like I like having a performance. So I I I studied dance. So I liked getting up on stage, doing my dance, and then it was done. I was off stage, and we and I could go recover by myself. And there are people who, regardless of whether they're extroverted or introverted, feel like when they're speaking on a stage or if they're leading a presentation, even if it's on video through Zoom or Microsoft Teams, that something bad will happen.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:22:58]:
And I try to encourage whoever I encounter when they learn about what I do that the people who are listening to your presentation want you to succeed. So focus on that instead of focusing on what could go wrong. Anything could go wrong, but the people that are listening to you don't want something to go wrong, and they really want you to do well.
David Hall [00:23:24]:
Yeah. And so you think of a CEO. Obviously, they've incorporated lots of different things to be successful, but they there's still something that's preventing them from speaking. And I loved in your book, you really did talk about the differences. Like, I love to speak as well. And I I actually don't get nervous anymore, you know, most of the time. I love to speak. I do might need a break after, like you're saying.
David Hall [00:23:53]:
And so but the thing that I learned was I had to really prepare ahead of time. You know? That's that was my key to success. And I I've I've had spoken with an extroverted colleague that doesn't need the same kind of preparation. After the speech, she's ready to give the next one. You know? So what is it that that an introvert can learn about public speaking to be successful that might be different than their extroverted friend or colleague?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:24:21]:
The main thing that I discovered while writing this book is the need for preparation is definitely there in both extroverts and introverts. That's something they should do. Introverts are more likely to take that advice rather than extroverts who think they could wing it. But the after the speech is the most important part for the introverts. So for me, even though I I love doing presentations, there is a a recognition that depending on the stage, people are gonna be really excited about what you did and said after your speech and come up to you. And that is something that has actually happened to me when I was pitching Ellie's at Series Fest in Denver in 02/2023. So our our section of the conference was the first section. So not only immediately after that section happened did people come up to me and the other people who presented on stage throughout the day? They came up to me throughout the entire conference talking about the fact that they liked my pitch or whatever it was that they they resonated with.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:25:35]:
And that can be overwhelming if you're not prepared for it. So introverts really need to prepare by recognizing that you may have a fear of missing out. But if you set yourself up well enough by telling people at the end of your speech and some people won't listen or hear it, but some people will. This is how to connect with me, or this is the step that I'd like you to take. Here's the QR code. Here's the person that you need to connect with to buy the product, invest in our company, partner with our next project. If you have something specific that you tell people to do and it's set up ahead of time, it takes the pressure off of you to think that you have to continue performing after you've gotten off the stage. You need to to plan specific time for yourself after that presentation immediately to go recover somewhere, ideally in a green room, back at your hotel room, wherever you are, so that you don't feel like you're missing out on something.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:26:43]:
You feel like you've prepared already and that however you want to move forward, whether buying the product, investing, partnering, you have told people what to do, and they will do it in a manner that is most easy for you to digest.
David Hall [00:27:01]:
That is some great advice. And I have talked to many people about this topic on this show, and that's the first time I've heard that advice. That is amazing. So you're basically saying, you know, here's how to here's how to get a hold of me. Here's how to how to work with me. And, yeah, sometimes right after, you're you're not ready to have all those conversations.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:27:24]:
Yes. And and to know that that's okay. There are a lot of people who beat themselves up because they feel like they should be able to is it like like you're the Beatles? Like, you're supposed to be taking all these fans coming at you at at once, and that's not good for anybody, but especially if you have not prepared for that and you know that you're not a person who can deal with that kind of energy at that point. It's okay to say, here's a different way to be, and it's still going to yield a positive result.
David Hall [00:27:59]:
Yeah. Yeah. I love that. So how can the and many people that well known public speakers, actors, comedians are introverts. Right?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:28:14]:
Yes. Many of them are. Like Beyonce. She talks about being an introvert and why she doesn't wanna deal with a bunch of people all the time, which is hard as she's one of the most famous people in the world right now. So there so there are also what I found as someone who has done stand up comedy and one of the reasons I stopped is that there are people who need that attention and need that validation of being on stage and having people laugh at their jokes that they told over and over and over and over. And there are other people who have another impetus for performing on stage, sharing with people what they've done. And it's not necessarily the adulation and attention that they love. It's the the performance of their work.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:29:10]:
So knowing that about yourself is helpful. It's one of the reasons that I stopped doing stand up comedy because I mean, I was doing it at lost doing it in Los Angeles. It was exhausting and not profitable in the way that it can be better in New York or Chicago. But, also, I knew that I didn't need that kind of attention coming at me all the time as an energy boost. I loved writing, and I loved performing. So knowing who you are and how you are is good, especially if you want to or need to do public speaking because you may see someone go on stage right before you and see the reaction that they're having and the experience that they're having and wondering why am I not feeling the same way that they look. You don't know how they're actually feeling because a lot of people have a performance persona, but also know that your experience of public speaking or performing is your own experience, and figuring out if you want to continue doing that, how to continue doing it in a way that is healthy for you is best, not necessarily pattern patterning your behavior after someone who doesn't have a similar personality to yours.
David Hall [00:30:34]:
Yeah. Yeah. That's key right there is what works for you, and that could look different. It doesn't mean it's not a good way. It just could be different. Another thing, we talk a lot about confidence on the show, and I always like to point out that, you know, there's many confident introverts out there that you don't even know about. You know, you don't sometimes people judge people to to to not be an introvert because they appear confident, but introverts can be very confident, very outspoken. But for those that lack confidence, especially in public speaking, how do you gain confidence?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:31:08]:
The easiest way is to start doing it in a safe space. So as I was writing parts of my book, I needed someone to actually do the speaking parts with. So I I I would read parts of them parts of the chapters and also come up spontaneously with speeches and deliver them to my spouse because he was available, And I wanted to get the book done in a timely manner. So if there's someone that you trust if you have a spouse that you trust or you have a person in your life that you trust or a small group of people, maybe coworkers that you like and would like to take them to lunch so that you can rehearse your speech, start there. There's no there's no reason to think that you can go from zero people to 600 people, and and there's some magic thing that you're gonna do to just make yourself more confident. What helps is repetition and exposure, but gradual exposure. So don't start with people that you think are high stakes, like a boss who you're not sure about or a colleague who who you're not that familiar with. Start with people that you are familiar with.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:32:28]:
If you have a pet, you could start with them too if you like your pet, and then grow your audience gradually. You can also do this online with your audience that you may have on social media. So maybe you have 10 followers on a platform. Maybe you have a hundred or a thousand. Start by recording a short video, something under thirty seconds, where you practice part of a speech that you wanna give and encourage people to comment. And some people I have lots of people that I've been connected with for decades at this point who still, like, read and watch my stuff and don't comment. So if nobody comments, it's okay. But it's a way for you to start getting more comfortable and eventually more confident with the concept of public speaking and the actuality of it.
David Hall [00:33:18]:
Yeah. Yeah. It's funny. Like, people might look at your social media posts and not say anything, not give it a like, but then you run into them and they're like, oh, yeah. I'd like your podcast. It's like, oh, no likes, no confidence.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:33:33]:
Yes. Like, comment, subscribe.
David Hall [00:33:35]:
Yeah. Right. Right. Right. In your book, you said to embrace imperfection, and I just thought that is a really good way to put that. Tell us more about that.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:33:46]:
One of the main ways that I embrace imperfection is acknowledging that I have body dysmorphia. So it's something that I've had all my life. I didn't have words for it till about 02/1960, which is the time I start learning about a lot of things, probably because I'm trying to figure out how to move forward in my own business of publishing and coaching. So learning about my body dysmorphia allowed me to say, oh, that's why I felt that way when I was a teenager or when I was in college or as an adult now. And taking that I actually made a a film a short film about it called Troll Under a Bridge, which is, I guess, easy to find on my YouTube page. But recognizing that my body dysmorphia was something that I needed to work with instead of just get over, and that during that same time is when I started making more videos. So I recognized that there there are definitely people on Instagram who use all the filters and wanna have this certain body shape or or this perfect makeup face. And I said, well, this is my face, and we're just gonna deal with it.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:35:01]:
And people are gonna watch the videos or not. I'm not competing with anybody else to get likes or to get views. I'm just going to put my face out there and accept all the things that are supposedly flawed about it and allow myself to be seen. And eventually, that has become has shifted in the same way that acknowledging that I was an introvert and, specifically, an INTJ is something that is not popular. But like with my body dysmorphia, my face out there and my INTJ presence out there allows other people who are like me to say, oh, that's okay, and other people who are not like me at all but still have the same hang ups and questions about themselves and doubts to say, well, Mahlena is out there putting her voice out there, putting her face out there, and with no makeup and no filter. I guess I could do that too, question mark, and some people are actually doing that. So I needed what I am proud of now is this journey that I have come on of recognizing not only that I'm creating this stuff for me. That's why I started writing my books because I didn't see other people who were colorful, nerdy women, who are funny and highly educated and pop culture enthusiastic writing books like I did.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:36:38]:
So I made them. Now I'm recognizing that the process of making them and sharing them with other people encourages other people to see me and say I can do it too. So that's something I take as a responsibility. I don't take myself that seriously. I like to laugh at myself, but I am proud that I can recognize that other people are looking at me who I don't even know and saying, hey. I could do that too.
David Hall [00:37:05]:
Yeah. That's wonderful. And, also, sometimes so it it it this could be what you're describing could be not being comfortable being on camera, not being comfortable being on the stage, and just really accepting who you are and all the strengths that come with it is is powerful. But, also, whatever truth there is in that you're not perfect, realizing and this has been helpful for me. Hey. Guess what? I'm not perfect, but the people that are listening to me, they aren't either. Nobody is. Right? And that gave me lots of confidence.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:37:45]:
Yes. There are people who like the things that you think are imperfect about David.
David Hall [00:37:52]:
Yeah. Absolutely. So what does make a great speech?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:37:57]:
What makes a great speech? It depends not only on what is being delivered, but who is being who is delivering the speech, as well as the context in which they're delivering it and the people who are taking it in. So there's there are let's see. There are I can't think of a specific example at the moment, but I know that there are times when there's someone saying something and it really speaks to the moment. And, actually, I could I could think of one. Okay. So even though the the two thousand four Democratic National Convention did not yield the result that I had hoped for, there in the center of it was the roll call, which I've always enjoyed seeing people from different states say, we're the proud state of Georgia, and we're casting our votes for whoever's up there. And this year, there was a DJ that had a different song for each state and territory, and I personally am associated with both democrats democrats abroad, California, which is the state that I vote through, and The US Virgin Islands, which is the place that I grew up. And Arkansas is there too.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:39:26]:
That's the place where I was born. But seeing all those different states, seeing their personalities put out through music in a time where people needed joy was amazing. And one of the amazing parts was Lil Jon not Lil Jon. Yes. He was there, and he is a delegate for the Georgia delegation. And he actually performed one of his songs that he adjusted for the convention. And it was such an amazing moment that brought a different type of energy towards US politics that hadn't been there, incorporating entertainment and making it better in a different way that people hadn't thought of. So for me, if you wanna have your best speech ever, speak to the moment that you're at, not trying to think of making the best speech.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:40:19]:
So if your speech is about something like nails, talk about why nails are important to you. Do it in the time that's allotted. And
David Hall [00:40:29]:
I
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:40:29]:
would make it funny because I like to be funny, but some people might make it passionate. Some people might make it dramatic. Some people might make it heartfelt about the nails that they they pounded into the first home that they built. But make it something that is particular to both you and the audience that you're delivering it to and the time that you are allotted and the space that you were given.
David Hall [00:40:55]:
Yeah. And then after you give the speech, you also talk about in your book just the power of reflection. I I say that introverts have a superpower when it comes to reflection. How can we use reflection just to keep getting better?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:41:11]:
Reflection to keep getting better is important, but also use it to move forward, not dwell on the past. So I do recommend that if you have your speeches recorded or if you do videos, to look at what you like about your videos and then move to the next one. So so one of the things that I focus on doing in my videos is making them short. Most of my videos, I try to have thirty seconds or less. And I don't edit them because that will take more time of me trying to be perfectionist and making sure everything is perfectly correct. It's important to look at what you've done to say, I like that. I didn't like that. That worked.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:42:01]:
That didn't work. And then think about why it didn't work in that context, why it didn't work for those people. But then, ultimately, move forward to the next one, taking those thoughts but not obsessing about what you have done. Figure out what you want to do next and why based on your past performances.
David Hall [00:42:25]:
Yeah. I like that. It's not dwelling on what you did wrong. It's really like, you know, what do I wanna do next time? What, you know, what where do I wanna go with this next time? Belinda, this has been a wonderful conversation. So many good pieces of wisdom in here. Is there anything you wanna add?
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:42:41]:
Well, I am a fan of chocolate chip cookies, ones that are under baked in the middle and fluffy. So I'd love to know where David gets his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
David Hall [00:42:55]:
Man, my mom used to make the she called them magic cookie bars. I don't know if that's common. It's like a pan kinda cookie with coconut and sweetened condensed milk and graham crackers. I I I love those.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:43:09]:
Okay. So get them from your mom specifically.
David Hall [00:43:13]:
Yeah. Yeah. Get them from my mom.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:43:15]:
Okay. Great.
David Hall [00:43:16]:
Good stuff.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:43:18]:
Well, I think that's the only other thing is thank you all who are listening. And if you're thinking about the next speech you have to give, remember that the people who are going to hear it want you to do well.
David Hall [00:43:31]:
Yeah. That's great advice there. And just like after your speeches, you know, tell people how to get in touch with you, how to find out more about the great work you're doing in your book and or your books and everything.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:43:43]:
The easiest way to connect with me is on LinkedIn. And since my name, Mahlena-Rae Johnson, is not common, just type in my first part of my first name, m a h l e n a, into Google or your favorite search engine, and everything about me should pop up.
David Hall [00:44:03]:
Yeah. Very good. Thanks again, Mahlena. This has been a great conversation.
Mahlena-Rae Johnson [00:44:07]:
Thank you, David, for having me.
David Hall [00:44:09]:
Thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate you. I hope you take the time to explore other episodes and learn from other amazing guests. Remember, if you're interested in getting to know yourself better, there is now a free Typefinder personality assessment on the Quiet and Strong website. This free assessment will give you a brief report, including the four letter Myers Briggs code. I'll add a link in the show notes. And I'd love to connect with you. Reach out at david@quietandstrong.com or check out the quietandstrong.com website, which includes blog posts and links to social media for Quiet and Strong and much more.
David Hall [00:44:46]:
Send me topics or guests you would like to see on the show. So many great things about being an introvert, and so we need those to be understood. Get to know your introverted strengths and needs, and be strong.