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What do we do when the way everyone else leads doesn’t match how our brain works? Do we keep trying to force ourselves into their mold, or do we find our own way? Sometimes to “do it right” you actually have to do it ‘wrong’. Especially when doing it right just means “how closely do you sound to the models we’ve been taught?” In this episode: Why my client’s “flaws” made her clients feel comfortable and seen (while “perfect” technique just left her disconnected) Discerning between feedback that helps you grow and feedback that’s just mainstream or neurotypical expectations  How I stopped trying to correct my neurodivergent quirks and started getting high demand for my services Why so many quiet leaders are actually neurodivergent (and what that means) The birth of AuDHD Sparks and what’s next here Connect With Me: AuDHD Sparks Podcast @audhdsparks AuDHD Coaching 

We have a tendency to underestimate quiet leaders. Or we assume anyone successful ISN’T a quiet leader. This hit home for me when my friend Ashley Looker said she wanted to come to my Gathering of Quiet Leaders. As an Empowerment Coach, Mindfulness Teacher and Journaling Expert for ambitious over-achieving humans, Ashley’s got 11,000+ followers for each of her biz and podcast accounts on IG. Her voice is definitely getting heard, and she’s no beginner.  Listen to our co-hosted convo to reorient and peel away layers of internalized bias. AND if you’ve got a more mature business and want to be in the company of other established quiet leaders! In this episode, Ashley and I talk about…  How our relationships with our voices have evolved over the past several years Who we’re taught to be as business owners & disrupting the expectation to be loud and showy How we are each doing things differently than we were taught  Why she hadn’t thought of herself as a quiet leader until now and what shifted Mentioned in

When we choose to take our work deeper and bring others into it, some inquiries arise: How do we create offerings that forward our message and mission, that are thought leadership, personified? How do we share in ways that help people feel our offering and that light our fire and keep it burning? And when what we’re creating is so potent and felt, how do we convey it CLEARLY? Recording this episode with my friend Ahava Shira — author, memoirist, caregiver for her husband with Parkinson's and creative midwife for other writers and caregivers — became a transmission of energy, of feeling. We’ll help you feel what it is to breathe life into your work, to commune with the soul of your offerings and to channel that into sharing.  In this episode, Ahava and I talk about…  Co-creating with the souls of Rooted and TendHer  What it means to create on a felt level versus an intellectual level How we share without losing that felt sense and bring people inside that feeling How we talk about our work clearly without los

We are made up of those who came before us, and the story of our lineage (which doesn’t have to be blood relatives) may hold clues for how we want to show up. Ancestral work can be a way to understand our own voices and can be healing for us and our leadership, helping us show up as fuller, more rooted versions of ourselves.  For quiet leaders, ancestral work can create a pathway back to our own power, to feel safe to be ourselves in ways we haven’t before, to take up more space and to speak quietly but clearly.  In episode 206 of Quiet Messenger, I’ll help you investigate the themes in your own lineage, what you hold carried down from your ancestors, what patterns you’re here to shift. In this episode, I talk about… How ancestral connection helps quiet leaders find the courage to speak up Stickier aspects like cultural appropriation and the erasure that came with "white"ness  What it means for those of European ancestry to connect back to their indigeneity  Ancestral connection as a spiritual practice &

The final step in rekindling your work is to SHARE it. To be leaders and create ripple effects, we can’t stay in our creative caves. Our work needs to live out in the world in order to do its magic.  But this step doesn’t just “happen” when you’re someone who may rarely feel ANY nudges to share publicly.  Episode 205 of Quiet Messenger is dedicated to helping you step out of your creative cave...without disconnecting from your creativity (or yourself).  In this episode, I talk about… Two questions to ask yourself in order to share your leadership if you’re an introvert Why I had to restart the entire rekindling process in order to spark the nudge to share  The voice inside that said “this needs to be heard”  How I applied my power of hyperfocus to creating & releasing podcast episodes Ways to leave the creative cave when that’s your natural space  Links from the episode My free Rekindle Map Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Connect with me on Instagram.

After a season of following the sparks of inspiration, my creative fire was rekindled. I was finally ready to create again. Exploring what this work artistically and creatively wanted to become turned into a many-month process. We often get advice but wonder how to apply it, especially as quiet leaders that don’t see that many leaders out there like us. Episode 204 of Quiet Messenger is packed with the how. I share exactly what I did – thought processes, exercises, and all! In this episode, I talk about… Why I had to burn things down before I got the spark of what to create How I answered the question — What’s my quiet way of being counter-culture, non-conforming? Why writing the story of my ancestors brought understanding of my own leadership The vulnerability of coming out of the broom closet & weaving my spiritual practice into my work Links from the episode My free Rekindle Map Azalea Moen & Wilder Ones Studio Kelly Diels article Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com.

If we don’t want to do business + leadership the way it’s always been done, we can’t keep using the same tools. Traditional planning aims for what you already know. But what if we want to end up somewhere different…and we don’t yet know what that looks like? Here’s what happened on my biz sabbatical when I let following the sparks of inspiration be my method of “planning.”  In this episode, I share… How I infused excitement and fire back into my work, without “trying” to  Why following your yeses is a counter-culture act of rebellion How to lean into the void when we can’t yet know what comes next  Grab the free Rekindle Map, a 4-step guide to unhooking from biz culture, reclaiming your creativity & rekindling your work.  Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Connect with me on Instagram.

Think of a plant that’s been in a pot that’s too small for too long. It’s grown as much as it can in that container. When you give that plant a bigger pot, its roots grow deeper and spread out to take up more space. Until finally you start to see fresh growth above the soil.  I was like that rootbound plant that had outgrown its pot. And going on sabbatical gave me all that fresh soil. But before I could rekindle my work and feel creative flow again, I needed to expand my root system.  In this episode, I share… The four pillars that led to stability for me (and maybe you) Two barriers of conditioning I had to break through Why tending your mental health creates stability How I reclaimed social media as a place of pleasure Get your free Rekindle Map here.  Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Connect with me on Instagram.

Do you ever feel resistance to sharing and super OVER the way things are done? Uninspired and out of alignment with your work? Funky that your business hasn’t caught up to your values? In the past decade, I’ve learned this is usually a cue that I’ve outgrown my current business.  In this episode, I share… A framework for rekindling fire in our work  The practical - what I put in place to go on sabbatical How a brief hiatus from my business turned into a year-long sabbatical My vulnerable story of what led to breakdown & need for sabbatical How removing pressure on my creativity let me unhook from biz culture Why I couldn’t jump straight to creating — what had to come first How to go from a funk to creatively flowing (not just for the afternoon, but for the year) Grab the FREE "Rekindle Map" (the companion to this episode) here. Other links from the episode: Wilder Ones Studio The Messenger Archetypes QM #197 on Body-Doubling Connect with me on Instagram or learn more at AdriaSophia.com.

Many of us view being consistent and reliable as a badge of honor. It’s natural and inevitable in the productivity culture we live in.  But what if we redefined consistency? What if we recognized that consistency isn’t a rigid thing? That it’s about continuing to show up and giving yourself what you need to do that.  AND what showing up looks like might be fluid. Especially if you’re highly sensitive or neurodivergent and struggle to keep up. That’s what I’ve learned from doing 200 episodes of my podcast...and taking almost 8 years to do it.   In episode 200, we turn the tables and Kat asks me The #1 thing I’ve learned doing 200 episodes of my podcast What’s changed in the messaging landscape since I started in 2015 The key to continuing to show up & create for 8 years   The top 3 episodes downloaded, all-time (I was surprised by this) Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Connect with Adria.Connect with Kat.

This is for you if you’re neurodivergent, suspect you are, love someone who is, or are simply ADHD-curious. For years, I suspected I was neurodivergent, that my brain worked differently than others. BUT I thought of ADHDers as bold, rash, outspoken and disorganized risk takers with overflowing energy. I, on the other hand, was a careful, shy, sensitive overthinker who ran out of steam by the afternoon.  It didn’t seem possible to match up the view I had of ADHD with how I saw myself as an HSP (highly sensitive person). Until I read about masking.  Kat and I talk about: Busting the ADHD stereotype with quiet, sensitive women Our own ADHD & HSP stories  The impact of being undiagnosed for decades Unconsciously masking, being highly sensitive & our voices  Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Connect with Adria.Connect with Kat. Links from the episode:  The Inflow app  “A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD” by Sari Solden  “The Highly Sensitive Person” by Elaine Aron Jacqueli

Your way is likely not loud. It may not be shouting on a loudspeaker at a protest or posting a polarizing opinion on social media. But that doesn't mean it isn't activism.  In case the word “activism” has you thinking this isn’t for you, let me remind you that as a Quiet Messenger, you’re an activist. You are speaking on behalf of a message that needs to get heard.  The reason you may discount yourself is that most of what we think of as activism is actually pretty extroverted.  Join season co-host Kat Frogosa and I in this conversation on Introverted Activism. Because you CAN quietly show up for your values…and the truth is that introverts can be just as effective and are JUST AS NEEDED as loud, outspoken folks.  *** Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Connect with Adria. Connect with Kat. Links from the episode: Speaking to What Matters Series Sarah Corbett’s TEDx “Activism needs introverts” Azalea Moen & Wilder Ones Studio

I'm back! And I'm not alone. (goes hand-in-hand with this episode) An idea that stuck in my head for months was bringing on a co-host for a season. I knew if I had a friend I was co-creating with, it would be easier to show up. I didn’t realize at the time that I was employing the technique of body doubling.  Enter Kat Frogosa, past client, friend, ADHD Money Coach and fabulous co-host for this season of Quiet Messenger. Because who says we need to follow the standard business formula that says we each have to build our own things? Kat and I talk about… Feeding the desire for community, in an introverted way The power of body doubling to accomplish tasks you’ve been procrastinating on for MONTHS Permission to try differently, not harder (the anthem for Quiet Messengers & neurodivergent folks that don’t think the way the dominant paradigm does) What it means to not hold your business or work alone Uncover your Messenger Archetype & more at AdriaSophia.com. Links from the episode: Kat’s Website and

Do you ever feel like there’s a certain way you need to sound to be heard online? An empath with a rebellious streak, Quiet Messenger Kat Frogosa is a natural-born nurturer with major resistance when being told to do things a certain way.  If it doesn’t feel good deep down in her bones, she’s not doing it. She had seen so many women — especially burned out, overwhelmed empaths — cringe when they heard the word “finances,” and knew that there must be a better way. So she turned her background in finance into work as a Transformational Money Coach. But even though Kat was getting engagement on social media, her messaging didn’t feel like it truly reflected her. She had come away from past copywriting trainings with catchy copy but confused and unsure what her voice was, feeling scared to be herself — and like she needed to put on a persona and brush up on pop culture to sound “cooler.” Even when she knew what she wanted to say, she would stare at a google doc for 45 minutes, paralyzed to get it right before put

Sarah Hennessey is a Sustainability & Wellness Coach supporting self-identified female misfits who are looking for a sustainable and alternative twist on living a truly healthy life. As someone who was too shy to speak in school growing up, Sarah spent most of her life definitely not seeing herself as a Messenger. When she started her business as an adult, she felt more comfortable as a virtual assistant behind the scenes of others’ businesses.  Then she felt the pull to step out as a leader and share what she had to say.  She had a background working with kids on the spectrum of autism and a degree in Psychology with a concentration in child development and disability. But the pressure of visibility made her feel the need to hide her own neurodiversity and other differences that she thought would stop clients from hiring her. The dichotomy of online marketing is the push to differentiate yourself while simultaneously holding a fear of being seen as different.  Through joining a supportive group of other

Popping in with a quick note on my Messenger Mastermind – what it’s all about, why I do it, how it supports Quiet Messengers – since we’re in final enrollment for the January cohort! The Messenger Mastermind is an intimate circle of sensitive, introverted women leaders who like cozy spaces for connection, growth and processing and who want to feel solid, confident & consistent in their messaging so they can grow a movement that matters ~ both to the world and to their business’ bottom line.

This episode might seem to contradict the last. I said message clarity isn’t everything, and that what we really need is an ongoing messaging practice.  That’s still true.  But also, message clarity is the foundation that messaging practice is built on.  That’s why I structure my Masterminds for Quiet Messengers with core content to keep generating new layers of message clarity + coaching calls to build your messaging practice on that clarity.  So in this episode, we’ll focus on four keys to bring forward message clarity so you can be heard by the people you’re here to help…without needing to shout.  And my advice isn’t as “do this” or cookie cutter as you’d think.  It’s not about following a formula for conversion to “get clients.” It’s about being a Messenger.  Which, yes, leads to clients, but through genuine connection and resonance with your people. Listen in. Deeper support from me: Join us in the upcoming free Message Clarity Challenge here. We start November 15th!  What’s your Messenger Archetype?

Ever feel like you keep getting *this* close with your messaging and then…Ugh, actually never mind, I don’t know if this is right.  Or do you clarify your messaging and then lose touch with it and forget…How do I talk about this again? Is this really what people want?  Two steps forward, one step back.  Two steps forward, one step back.  That’s because messaging clarity isn’t a replacement for messaging practice. Often people will reach out to say they just need a single session with me. That they just need that one aha moment that will finally bring them clarity on their message.  We think it’ll be this big BOOM moment where we’ve got clarity and then we’re done.  ​​Well, what we actually need is almost always much deeper than we think. (Same as is likely true for your clients and what they need.)  Being a Messenger doesn’t mean you clarify your messaging once and you’ll FOREVER onward feel confident about it and know how to talk about it.  It means you clarify your messaging and then continue to be in the P

A couple of years back, when the book Disrupt-Her by Miki Agrawal (powerhouse cofounder of THINX and Tushy, two startups that disrupted the taboo categories of periods and toilets) came out, I read it, thinking:  “This wasn’t written for me. I’m not bold or daring or loud. I’m not a disruptor. If anything, my natural tendency is to keep the peace.”  Well, through a series of recent events – including claiming the Quiet Messenger title, I’ve changed my mind. (More on that in today’s episode.) Because a clear message is inherently disruptive.  This has become more and more true for me this round of my Messenger Mastermind as I see these sensitive souls really showing up for their people and stepping into speaking out in ways that stretch them but feel so so important. The reason you and I think we’re not disruptors is because, like in the leadership and business worlds, that term has an inherent bias that excludes traits like shy, introverted, quiet, and sensitive.  So we need to expand the definition to includ

Have you felt any friction, resistance, or misalignment with social media lately? I know I have, for a few years now.  So many of us are questioning: I can’t keep up. I wish I could do more. Is there something wrong with me? Look at her successful life – will I ever get there? Does anyone even care what I have to say? I want to close my account – but don’t I need it to market my business? Is posting the highlights of my life doing harm? Am I part of the problem? We’re in a collective inquiry. I see it in groups I’m in, with friends, from clients. Especially those of us who are more sensitive.  When we see social media as an important biz and leadership tool, unhooking from it can feel extra sticky.  At the same time, it’s also true that over the past year (and for many years for those with disabilities) social media has allowed many to foster connection through isolation. It’s literally been a lifeline. It’s complex. There are no absolutes, no 100% “good” or “bad.”   In Quiet Messenger ep 190, we navigate thi