Hiding in the Bathroom: How to Get Out There When You'd Rather Stay Home

by Morra Aarons-Mele

Overview

“Introverts will love this practical and moving guide to building a career, network, and life you love.” - Susan Cain, author of Quiet 

From the marketing guru and host of the popular podcast Hiding in the Bathroom, a breakthrough introverts' guide that broadens the conversation sparked by Quiet and moves away from the "Lean In" approach, offering wisdom and practical tips to help readers build strong relationships and achieve their own definition of professional success.

Most ambitious people believe that reaching the peaks of success means being on 24/7—tirelessly networking, deal-making, and keynoting conferences. This is nonsense, says Morra Aarons-Mele. As an eminent entrepreneur with a flourishing business and a self-proclaimed introvert with lots of anxieties, Morra disagrees with the notion that there’s only one successful "type": the intense, super social, sleep-deprived mover and shaker, the person who musters endless amounts of "grit." Hiding in the Bathroom is her antidote for everyone who is fed up with feeling like they must always "lean in"—who prefer those moments of hiding in the bathroom to constantly climbing the ladder or working the room.

Morra knows what it takes to make your mark, and now, this entrepreneur who has boosted the online strategy of clients such as the Malala Fund, President Obama, the UN Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shares the insights, tricks, and knowledge she’s learned. Filled with advice, exercises to help readers evaluate their own work/life fit and manage anxiety, valuable tools, and stories of countless successful people—entrepreneurs, academics, and novices just beginning their careers—Hiding in the Bathroom empowers professionals of all ages and levels to take control and build their own versions of success. Thoughtful and practical, it is a must-have handbook for building a fantastic, prosperous career and a balanced, happy life—on your own terms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062666093
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/12/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,040,025
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of the award-winning social impact agency Women Online, hosts the podcast Hiding in the Bathroom, and created the influencer network the Mission List. She was founding political director of BlogHer.com, and has written for the Harvard Business Review, the Huffington Post, MomsRising, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Guardian. She has lectured at the Yale Women’s Campaign School, the Harvard Kennedy School, and at the World Economic Forum for Young Global Leaders. Aarons-Mele is a graduate of Brown University and the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives in her pajamas in Boston, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Are You an Introvert? 9

Chapter 1 My Life as an Unhappy Overachiever 11

Chapter 2 Lean in Less 35

Chapter 3 The Gift of Anxiety 53

Chapter 4 Loving Your Inner Hermit 81

Chapter 5 Vision Quest 97

Chapter 6 Setting Boundaries 109

Chapter 7 Time Is on Your Side 123

Chapter 8 Go Niche 139

Chapter 9 The Hermit Entrepreneur 161

Chapter 10 The Corporate Hermit 193

Chapter 11 Sell Like Yourself! 213

Chapter 12 Claim Your Negotiation Style 231

Chapter 13 Be a Player from Your Home Office 245

Chapter 14 Getting Out There (When You Have To) 265

Conclusion 275

Acknowledgments 279

Notes 283

Editorial Reviews

Introverts will love this practical and moving guide to building a career, network, and life you love.”
— Susan Cain, author of Quiet

“Morra Aarons-Mele has written a great guide for anyone who’s feeling the anxiety of introversion and ready to find a way to be true to yourself and feel successful and connected at the same time.” — KJ Dell’Antonia, New York Times Well Family columnist

“Ambitious introverts finally have a career coach! Morra Aarons-Mele knows from personal experience that we shy people have burning desires to build businesses, brands, and careers, too. Her expert playbook shows how to leverage every opportunity—without sugarcoating some of the trade-offs we need to make to succeed.” — Lisa Stone, cofounder and CEO emeritus, BlogHer Inc.

“It took me twenty years to understand that I could focus on my strengths as a leader and skip the schmoozing. If you read Morra’s book, you won’t have to learn the hard way.”   — Arvind Rajan, former VP international, LinkedIn; cofounder and CEO, Cricket Health

“[A] riveting look at redefining personal approaches to work…bolstered with helpful tools including quizzes and worksheets...The author’s attention-grabbing headlines and subheads...keep the pace quick, while her willingness to share illustrative personal experiences, both good and bad, adds vivid color to the strategies she shares.”  — Publishers Weekly

“This is THE book for Human Venn Diagrams who identify as introverts (and those who love them)...the perfect guide to help you put yourself out there as well as grant yourself a little grace when you need to recharge.” — Forbes

“In this insightful and enjoyable book, Morra Aarons-Mele offers useful guidelines for creating a schedule and work life that you can control, allowing your ambition to shine while taking the space you need.” — Leslie Perlow, Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School

From the Publisher

Introverts will love this practical and moving guide to building a career, network, and life you love.”

Susan Cain

In this insightful and enjoyable book, Morra Aarons-Mele offers useful guidelines for creating a schedule and work life that you can control, allowing your ambition to shine while taking the space you need.

Leslie Perlow

Ambitious introverts finally have a career coach! Morra Aarons-Mele knows from personal experience that we shy people have burning desires to build businesses, brands, and careers, too. Her expert playbook shows how to leverage every opportunity—without sugarcoating some of the trade-offs we need to make to succeed.

Lisa Stone

Morra Aarons-Mele has written a great guide for anyone who’s feeling the anxiety of introversion and ready to find a way to be true to yourself and feel successful and connected at the same time.

KJ Dell’Antonia

It took me twenty years to understand that I could focus on my strengths as a leader and skip the schmoozing. If you read Morra’s book, you won’t have to learn the hard way.”  

Arvind Rajan

This is THE book for Human Venn Diagrams who identify as introverts (and those who love them)...the perfect guide to help you put yourself out there as well as grant yourself a little grace when you need to recharge.

Forbes

07/03/2017
In this riveting look at redefining personal approaches to work, Aarons-Mele, a marketing expert and self-described hermit, shares her experience “faking {her} way” and working through her tendency toward introversion. Her book is aimed at anyone whose “constant companion” is anxiety. Aarons-Mele spells out her goal early on—to impart “strategies and concrete career-development and management tools” for managing anxiety—and delivers from the start. The book, bolstered with helpful tools including quizzes and worksheets, covers topics from “setting your vision” to developing a “strong digital brand” to managing a work-life “fit,” rather than balance. The author’s attention-grabbing headlines and subheads relating to common business manual topics—“What If You Only Gave 89 Percent?”; “Saying No Well”; “Is Managing My Social Network Slimy?”—keep the pace quick, while her willingness to share illustrative personal experiences, both good and bad, adds vivid color to the strategies she shares. The book concludes with the author’s gentle and encouraging reminder that introversion and anxiety “are not weaknesses” but can “be the keys to your strength and success as a businessperson.” Agent: Lorin Rees, Rees Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly