I took it for granted that I'd be exhausted.
Exhausted from running the marathon of networking events.
Exhausted from forcing myself to say something in meetings so I wouldn't be overlooked.
Exhausted from pretending to be extroverted, and from being racialised as Black among colleagues mostly racialised as white. The double masking was a lot, y'all! IYKYK
The day I stopped pretending to be someone else was one of the greatest days of my life. It was the day I started leading conversations with "I'm an introvert, so...". It was the day I stopped giving my energy away. It was the day I started seeing the system that favours extroversion as the problem, rather than myself.
So I made a change. I still showed up, but differently. I used the tools available to find ways to show up that didn't drain me. I decided where to spend my energy budget and how to use my social battery. The irony is that people think I'm everywhere, but I turn down more things than I accept. Because exhausting myself is completely unsustainable and too high a price to pay.
The result: more presence, less exhaustion. And that's when I knew other introverts needed this too.
Now I'm on a mission to support my fellow introverts with experiences done differently. Experiences that honour your introversion and support you to get your message out there, without always having to be out there yourself.
One of those is the Self-Expression Experience. It's where healing and strategy work together - good strategy never ignores your nervous system. It's where you stop performing, start healing, and create the influence and impact you want without burnout and overwhelm.
Self-Expression is for you if:
You're tired of performing extroversion at work
You're brilliant but feel invisible.
You're ready to lead authentically without burning out
If you're exhausted from performing extroversion, get in touch. You're not alone.
Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.
© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).