We were lucky to catch up with Loren Paige recently and have shared our conversation below.

Loren , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

Yes! It was at a fintech start up in Arizona that I applied for shortly after moving cross country from Ohio. I felt like she was one of the first leaders to see me and see potential. I have more of a quiet nature so it used to be easy for me to blend into the crowd.

There were occasionally opportunities to take business trips to help market the budding company and everyone was eager to be chosen to go. Especially us young twenty somethings, who had never taken a legitimate business trip in our lives. It’s basically an all expense paid trip, the whole idea was dreamy.

But I noticed my good friend, who is incredibly more outgoing than me, was chosen twice in a row to go out and represent the company. So in trying to understand how I could position myself better to be chosen for the next round, I asked my boss if she made the decision based on personality.

She said that wasn’t the reason at all but recognized that I was eager to be more involved at work. She pulled me aside to have a discussion about my goals and future and from then on, every opportunity she saw may be a good fit for me she suggested I pursue it. Her encouragement gave me so much courage to start believing in myself when I really used to struggle with self doubt. She instilled in me that I have value to offer and helped me trust myself.

Having her as my leader for 3 years was a pivotal moment in my confidence journey.

Loren , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a life coach specializing in helping introverted women cultivate meaningful friendships as adults, a path that’s deeply personal to me. My journey into this niche began with my own struggles in connecting with others and making friends. I realized that many introverted women face similar challenges – feeling overlooked in social settings and struggling with the confidence to be themselves around new people.

Driven by my experiences, I created The Connection Cure, a coaching program tailored to empower introverted women. The program focuses on mindset coaching, providing tools and strategies to help clients become more confident and open to forming connections. We tackle common hurdles like fear of judgment, difficulty in expressing oneself, and the inclination to wait passively for social opportunities to come their way.

What sets my coaching apart is its empathetic approach rooted in personal experience. I’ve been in the shoes of my clients, which allows me to understand their challenges intimately and guide them with genuine care and insight. The services I offer are all about personal transformation – helping clients embrace their introversion as a strength and fostering authentic connections.

I’m most proud of the breakthroughs my clients achieve – seeing them move from a place of loneliness and self-doubt to a space where they find belonging and a newfound confidence in themselves. For anyone considering coaching, I want them to know that one on one coaching is a safe space to grow, learn, and connect. It’s a space where being an introvert is celebrated, and where every step towards making friends is applauded

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One vital lesson I had to unlearn was the notion that we must always feel positive and happy. I used to believe that experiencing negative emotions like grief or frustration meant something was wrong. But through my journey in starting my coaching business, I learned that the opposite is true. Growth often comes hand-in-hand with discomfort.

Launching my business was far more challenging than I anticipated. It demanded a resilience I didn’t know I had – to face failure, embarrassment, and the temptation to give up after every unsuccessful attempt, be it a failed launch, lack of engagement, or no sales. Initially, I mistook these setbacks as signs that I wasn’t cut out to be a coach or a business owner.

However, I came to understand that experiencing and embracing these difficult emotions is crucial for personal and professional growth. Feelings like shame, embarrassment, and disappointment are not just obstacles; they are catalysts that transform us into who we need to be to succeed. Without them, we remain stagnant. These challenges, and the uncomfortable emotions they bring, are essential – they push us beyond our current selves, enabling us to achieve what we’ve never achieved before. Inviting in these challenges, rather than shying away from them, is a part of the process.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Shortly after I got certified as a coach, I was discovered on Instagram by another coach who hired me to assist in coaching her online group of entrepreneurs. I was ecstatic at the opportunity to earn a living working full time doing the thing I loved. But her format included group coaching, something I had never done before and it was incredibly intimidating trying to coach one person with 20 other people watching you do it. I struggled to deliver effective coaching for weeks and it was taking a toll on my confidence.

There was one week I was coaching in the group and I completely froze, I didn’t know what to say to help the person I was speaking to but I couldn’t just leave the zoom meeting. I had to fumble my way through it. After the call, a member openly criticized the session, questioning the value of the membership and my competence as a coach. Her comment broke me. I went completely numb.

I thought I was going to have to go back doing some desk job that didn’t bring me joy and admit to everyone that I failed. I had never felt more ashamed in my entire life.

But I didn’t quit. After sulking for a few weeks, I decided that the comment was a blessing in disguise. She was right, I could work on improving my group coaching skills. 

If I hadn’t of heard that feedback, I may have never pushed myself to be better. Within a years time I transformed myself into a confident group coach, leading sessions effortlessly and impressively.
That was a very defining moment in my career. It shaped me into the effective, powerful coach I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: lorenpaige.com
• Instagram: lorenpaige_coaching

Image Credits
Jonathan Edward Smith Cheyenne Wendt