Episode 89: Introversion, Rebuilding Networks & Awkward Moments | Ask OhHeyCoach

The Career Clinic Podcast

Host: Ronnie Dickerson Stewart

Episode Overview

Welcome to Ask OhHeyCoach Friday during Week Three of The Career Clinic Podcast January Intensive Series.

In Episode 88, Ronnie responds to listener-submitted questions that get very real about networking fatigue, introversion, rebuilding dormant relationships, and the awkwardness that often comes with reconnecting — especially after long periods of silence.

This episode builds directly on the week's themes of voice, visibility, connection, and provision, offering grounded coaching for listeners who want to stay connected without forcing themselves into spaces, behaviors, or strategies that don't fit who they are.

This Week's Coaching Focus

This Ask OhHeyCoach episode centers on:

• Rebuilding relationships after time and distance

• Navigating networking as an introverted or energy-protective person

• Releasing guilt, apology loops, and transactional pressure

• Understanding networking as a long-term practice, not a crisis response

• Creating provision through consistency, generosity, and proximity

Listener Questions Answered in This Episode

1. "How do I reconnect with someone after years of silence without it feeling awkward or transactional?" Ronnie reframes awkwardness as a natural gap — not a failure — and encourages listeners to lead with honesty, specificity, and humanity instead of apologies or immediate asks. Reconnection doesn't require justification; it requires presence.

2. "I'm introverted, and networking events drain me. How do I build a strong network without forcing myself into spaces that don't work for me?" This response dismantles the myth that networking must be loud, extroverted, or performative. Ronnie shares why many introverts are exceptional network builders — through depth, intentionality, small groups, asynchronous connection, and even creating their own spaces.

3. "What if I realize I've been 'not working' instead of networking for years and my network has gone cold? Is it too late to build provision now?" Ronnie answers this question with clarity and compassion: it's never too late — but it does take time. She encourages listeners to start with proximity, rebuild trust through generosity and consistency, and remember that most people are more forgiving than we imagine.

Key Coaching Takeaways ✍🏾

✔️ Awkwardness is not a stop sign — it's a transition point ✔️ You don't need to apologize for silence to reconnect ✔️ Introversion is not a networking disadvantage ✔️ Depth beats volume every time ✔️ Provision is built through relationships tended over time ✔️ Generosity and goodwill rebuild trust faster than urgency

Reframing Networking

Throughout the episode, Ronnie reframes networking as:

• Connection, not collection

• Stewardship, not extraction

• Consistency, not intensity

Networking doesn't require a personality change. It requires alignment with how you best build and sustain relationships.

This Week's Invitation ✨

Choose one small action:

• Reach out to one person you've been thinking about

• Send a note with no agenda

• Re-engage a relationship with honesty and warmth

• Offer support, insight, or generosity without expectation

Connection compounds when practiced consistently.

What's Ahead

Next week, we enter the final week of the January Intensive, focused on designing on purpose — including negotiation, decision-making, provision, and knowing when to stay, grow, or pivot from a place of strength rather than desperation.

Links & Resources 🤎

📝 Ask OhHeyCoach: Have a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Submit it here: 👉🏾 https://form.typeform.com/to/ja89DHpT

📩 Join the OhHeyMonday Newsletter: Weekly reflections, tools, and grounded leadership guidance. 👉🏾 www.ohheyjoin.com

🤝 Work With Ronnie / OhHeyCoach: Executive coaching, leadership development, and career design. 👉🏾 www.ohheycoach.com

📬 Contact: [email protected]

Final Thought ✨

Network in ways that honor who you are — and tend the relationships that already matter.

Thank you for your questions, your honesty, and for staying in the work. I'll see you Monday for our final week. 🤎