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Today we have an amazing Introvert Interview with Aaron. Aaron is a lifelong entrepreneur and internet marketer who started Personal Finance for Beginners to share experiences and insights from his own financial journey as he pays down student loan debt, sticks to a deliberate budget, and saves and invests for the future. You can find him at Personal Finance for Beginners or on Twitter @PFforBeginners.

BACKGROUND

Welcome, Aaron! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am single 27-years-old living in a low or average cost-of-living state in the western United States (although I’m considering moving to a more expensive coastal city at some point in the future).

Outside of personal finance and blogging, I enjoy following NBA basketball, reading non-fiction books or listening to business/tech podcasts, and playing a casual weekly poker game with some friends.

Why do you identify as an introvert?

I just recently completed reading the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I was startled by how thoroughly the book reflected my own life experiences and values:

I find noisy/crowded places to be emotionally draining and overstimulating

I enjoy spending time alone when others might find themselves lonely

I defer attention away from myself whenever possible (of course when I share this with people, it always backfires)

I prefer to have meaningful or philosophical conversations rather than engaging in small talk

I work most productively in a closed, private environment

I realize there are some are some objections to the validity of the Myers–Briggs (MBTI) personality test, but I routinely get labeled as an INTJ (or “The Architect”) and find the analysis describes my personality traits and preferences perfectly.

CAREER

Tell us about your career.

I do marketing for a tech company. At the time of this interview, I’ve been with my employer for three and a half years.

My job responsibilities have varied a lot throughout the years. I started as an intern handing out company swag and shipping thousands of packages, but as I’ve stayed with the company I’ve become involved with conference planning, email communications, community development, and more.

I consider myself fortunate to land where I did. The company has taken great care of me, and I’ve had ample opportunities for career growth (which thankfully has forced me to figure out the right way to handle a raise), moving from an internship to a manager-level position during my time with the company.

Did your introversion have an impact on your occupation choice?

Similar to the question on introversion motivating me to pursue financial independence, I’m not sure on this one.

We have an incredibly introverted marketing department at the company I work for… We’re definitely in the majority within the department.

I think people often throw marketing and sales into the same category, but that isn’t the case. I’m happy to help create the slide deck or plan the webinar, but don’t ask me to make a hard sell.

Does your introversion have an impact on your career?

Alright, this one is easier: my introversion definitely impacts my career. Fortunately, I think I’ve been able to overcome any disadvantages by developing new skills, performing my responsibilities well, and demonstrating that I am consistent and reliable.

That’s sufficient for my current role, but it might not be enough if I ever strived to climb my way up the corporate ladder or found myself engaged in office politics. I prefer to just keep my head down, do excellent work, and make those above me in the org chart look like stars – as long as they take care of me, I don’t really care about titles.

Does your introversion have an impact on your professional network?

To be honest, I’ve never put a heavy emphasis on professional networking – so perhaps that’s a sign that the answer to this question is “yes?”

Perhaps my quiet, soft-spoken nature has prevented me from “casting a wide net” as I’m not one to attend networking events or pass out business cards when I attend conferences.

I still feel like I have a respectable professional network, but it’s primarily dependent on trust and rapport established through continued relationships at work.

I may not have an entire Rolodex full of potential “ins” should I seek a different employment opportunity down the future, but I feel confident that I know several individuals who are willing to offer a strong reference or explore their own networks on my behalf.

Has your introversion impacted your professional relationships?

I don’t think my introversion has a significant effect on my relationships with coworkers.

Like I mentioned above, a high percentage of the marketing department is also pretty introverted. We’re responsible for hosting a large conference each year, and you’ll generally find us all hiding in the “employee huddle room” during the social activities or networking parts of the event.

I’m also willing to “put on my extrovert hat” when it comes to running meetings or engaging in phone calls. Sure, I might need to hide in the breakroom or go on a walk afterward, but I am confident stepping up to the plate when needed.

What advice would you give to someone more introverted?

Don’t be ashamed to schedule time for yourself

I have a daily “Quiet Work” event on my calendar that I use to get away from the “collaborative, open office” for a few minutes each day. I’ll book a conference room or find an empty office where I can work freely (or just give myself a quick break to recharge).

I also recently splurged on some giant, clunky headphones. Not only do they reduce the amount of outside noise, but they conspicuously say, “Don’t bother me, I’m trying to focus.” I can’t get away with wearing them all day long, but I’ve found them to be a worthwhile investment.

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

Where are you in your FI journey?

I am still in the early stages of my financial independence journey. It’s been about a year and a half since I’ve made my personal finances a priority, and I’ve made some significant headway in that time, paying off my consumer debt and building a basic emergency fund.

Due to student loans, a bad car buying decision, and graduating from college a little later than my peers, my total net worth is still hovering around zero. As such, I’m still thankful I discovered the importance of personal finance as relatively early as I did. (I feel like most people my age aren’t seriously considering their long-term finances.)

The end of my FI journey is far down the road. I’m trying to set aside enough of my income toward long-term financial goals that I could potentially retire in my mid-to-late 40’s. However, at this point, I’m more focused on developing new career-related skills or creating new sources of income rather than dreaming of life during retirement.

Do you think your introversion motivated you to pursue FI?

I’m not sure my introversion has been a motivating factor for my decision to pursue financial independence and potentially early retirement.

If it has played any role, it’s that I might be more neurotic or cerebral than others – I’ve been weirdly performance-driven and goal-oriented since I was a kid. I often choose to spend my time pursuing my personal passions and interests rather than seeking what’s normally considered fun or leisure, and I think that plays well with money management.

What is your FI strategy?

Financial independence is still far off in the distance for me. Right now, I’m focused on maintaining a modest savings rate (about 20-25% of my take-home pay) while building up my emergency fund and paying down student loans.

I feel like I already do a reasonable job of living within my means, so I’m more interested in increasing my income rather than saving more. Because I’m still early in my career, I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to take on more responsibilities and start earning more.

I do plan to supplement my primary income with side hustling: primarily blogging and freelance work. I’ve dabbled with a few other side hustles in the past, but I’m trying to resist the urge to jump around between projects before I give myself enough time to get traction.

BEYOND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

All of the questions under this section are difficult for me to answer! I’m sure there will need to be a lot of contemplation that takes place when I start approaching financial independence.

Thankfully there’s plenty of time to figure it out, and I think exploration is part of the inevitable and inescapable part of the process anyway.

What does your ideal day look like?

For me, an ideal day will require a combination of flexibility and structure. This is true for me now, and I’m sure it will remain true when I reach financial independence. I’ve found that I don’t do well with boredom and prefer to be working toward building or creating something.

Currently, I have a whiteboard where I mark my daily compliance for a variety of habits:

Waking up at 6:00 am

Writing 500 words

Walking 7,000 steps

Practicing the piano for 15 minutes

Turning off electronics by 9:15 pm

Going to bed at 10:00 pm

This is a new approach for me, but I’ve really enjoyed how it structures my day. It’s hard to predict exactly what my “ideal day” will include in 20 or 30 years – other than plenty of sleep, physical activity, and skill development – but I appreciate having some daily direction while still having the freedom to decide when I do each activity every day.

What are three things you want to do more of when you reach FI?

Oh great. I’m sure these are all things that I can – and should – be spending more time doing now.

My three things are:

Spend more time nourishing existing relationships and fostering new ones Develop hobbies that are “leisure-based” instead of performance-oriented Find meaningful ways to contribute my time to helping others in my community

What are three new things you want to learn or relearn when you reach FI?

I consider myself a really curious person and enjoy being able to explore my muses for however long they keep my attention. I’m sure I’ll end up with many more than three things!

A few things come to mind that I’d like to learn:

How to play a musical instrument or sing

How to swim – again (I don’t swim frequently enough for it to stick!)

How to perform confidently in front of others (music, public speaking, or improv?)

WISDOM

What should extroverts understand about introverts?

It’s not that I don’t appreciate you: I’ve had to tell the people whose relationships I value most – parents, siblings, friends, girlfriends – that I need some quiet space to be alone.

Needing some alone time isn’t a reflection of how much I value the relationship. It’s usually the result of a long day or spending too much time in an overstimulating environment rather than trying to avoid you.

What should introverts understand about extroverts?

One thing I admire about extroverts is how they’re able to quickly connect with strangers or develop new friendships. Everyone is considered approachable and has something to offer to the conversation.

I’d love to hear from any extroverted readers on this topic: What do you wish introverts knew about you?

What personal finance move has had the most positive impact on you?

On a larger scale, the most impactful move for my personal finances has been immersing myself in a community of like-minded individuals.

I attend a local personal finance meetup each month, and I interact with other personal finance bloggers online on a daily basis. It’s helped me to gain a solid understanding of money fundamentals as well as surrounding me with inspiration to do better.

On a smaller scale, one of the most valuable financial moves I’ve made was creating a budget. I know: budgets aren’t fun. However, understanding how my “actual” spending compares to my “ideal” spending has helped me make better financial decisions on a regular basis.

What money mistakes have you made?

One of my largest financial mistakes is buying a fairly new, nice car while still working part-time in college.

To this day, I’m not sure how they were legally able to offer me the auto loan! For a little context, the auto loan was for roughly the same amount as my gross income the prior year. I immediately found myself with substantial negative equity from my trade-in and a gross six-year team.

Just a few months after purchasing the car, I started working full-time. While I can technically afford to make the payment each month, I do so begrudgingly. I plan to drive this car into the ground, but next time I need to purchase a vehicle, I plan to put down at least 20-40% and keep the loan duration to four years maximum.

What is one thing you wish you had known earlier?

Sound financial principles are going to be the same regardless of where you fall on an introversion-extroversion spectrum. I suspect the biggest differences are going to be centered on motivation and career development.

Some interesting questions that come to mind:

Are introverts more or less likely to pursue FI?

Is there a difference between how introverts and extroverts spend their money?

How do introverts define “satisfying work” in contrast to their extroverted peers?

What are the most actionable and impactful tactics introverts can use to better fit their workplace to their needs?

Do you have any questions for our readers?

Since entering the workforce full-time, I’ve found it difficult to motivate myself to be social after a long day at work.

As a fellow introvert, do you have any strategies you’ve used to “psych yourself up” to participate in social activities even when you’d rather stay home and read a book?

Do you have any questions for me?

I saw you shared this same sentiment on your About page:

My 20s (and okay part of my 30s) were a lost decade. It took me a while to understand why I wasn’t enjoying my career and why I felt absolutely crushed by the end of the day. I had no energy and desire to socialize after work.

What tools or strategies have you used to leverage your strengths as an introvert and occasionally “play the extrovert game?”

Great question Aaron.

Here are some ways I’ve leveraged my introvert strengths:

Building trust. In account management, sales, and consulting, I’ve been able to develop strong relationships built on trust.

Listening. An advantage of being an introvert is that people will talk a lot because I am a good listener. I learn a lot of valuable information.

Introspection. As an introvert, I have the ability to sit quietly and analyze problems. That analysis has helped me become a better person and think strategically.

Focused attention. I let people talk a lot in meetings. I listen to where the conversation is going and digest different viewpoints. Then, when they have “punched themselves out” and have nothing more to say, I speak up. Everyone is quiet and done with what they have to say so my thoughts get focused attention of the group. This does not always work and I have to be aware to not let the meeting run away to new topics.

Regarding playing the extrovert game, here are some tools that have allowed me to do so more effectively.

Empathy. I realized that people need human interaction. They are not annoying with small talk (mostly) but fulfilling a need. Just like I need quiet, some people need interaction to get their best work done. It is important to realize that giving interaction is just as important as people giving you quiet.

Planning. As you stated above, planning is a key. If I have a long day but I know there are no social engagement at night, I have an easier time expending my social capital without anxiety. I think what brings on my anxiety is not knowing when an opportunity to recharge will come. Planning gives me some control.

Assertiveness. Similarly, while we need to give to others, we have to not let them impose on our plan. I was at a conference and a colleague asked me to have a beer as I was going to my room to recharge. A beer became dinner and so I had to set a boundary and politely excuse myself. He objected but I was firm but polite. There is a balance between giving and meeting my own needs.

Thank you, Aaron!

Thank you, Aaron, for sharing your story with us and your thoughts on introversion.

If you want to be interviewed for the series, contact me and tell me why you’d be a great subject! Be sure to sign-up for email updates to never miss an insightful interview.

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I struggled for years to decode why going to work, socializing in loud places, and taking trips with large groups were so draining. Finally, after gaining an understanding of introversion, I started to progress professionally and socially. Coupled with my newfound knowledge of introversion, the concept of financial independence was the motivation I needed to improve my life. This blog documents my journey and the journeys of other introverts, lessons learned, and strategies for a meaningful and fulfilling life as an introvert in an extroverted world.