Quiet Superpowers

Quiet Superpowers

by Guy Roberts
CareersCourses
Season 4
How do you manage a difficult experience with communication?
Hey friends, so today I want to dive into a topic that I don't think is talked about enough. Some of us have past speaking experiences that had a significant impact on how we feel about speaking. The question here is - how do we overcome a particularly intense and negative previous speaking experience? This is a difficult topic, and I hope this episode can be useful if this is something you struggle with. Many of us experience intense fear and anxiety when it comes to speaking in front of others. It can feel extremely hard to work towards building confidence - especially when there has been an incident in the past that knocked us down. This episode, we explore what this fear is and how we might approach it with more compassion and curiosity. Journaling prompts (for practicing self-compassion): When you think about speaking in front of others, what do you notice in your body? Write a short letter to yourself — as if you were a caring, wise older version of you writing to the person who is still carrying fear around speaking. Not to tell them to "just get over it." But to tell them what you wish someone had said to you. If self-compassion were a practice you did for speaking — the way a runner stretches before a race — what would it look like for you? What small, regular act of kindness toward yourself might help you carry this more lightly? If you have any feedback of comments, please let me know :) Feel free to leave a voice note : https://podline.fm/quiet-superpowers Note: I would never share a voice note on the podcast without asking.
S4 · E2
Apr 20, 2026
11:55
Is there a perfect balance of time spent alone and time spent with others?
Hello - today we're discussing the topic of how to balance time effectively between socialising and alone time. This is something that has perplexed me for a very long time! So I wanted to explore whether such a perfect balance existed (spoiler alert: it doesn't!), and how we can improve the way we spend time both alone and with other people, without burning out. Mentioned links and resources: Weird Improv Comedy Game : https://creativefacilitation.com/bunny-bunny-2/ DU Professor + others, Balance between solitude and socializing: everyday solitude time both benefits and harms well-being: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-44507-7 Behavior of People: Role of Extraversion and Loneliness: https://www.academia.edu/113714928/Behavior_of_People_Role_of_Extraversion_and_Loneliness Journaling prompts for understanding how you spend time alone: Do you often choose to spend your time alone? Is the time you spend alone something that you're retreating into? Are you trying to escape from something else? Apologies for the delay in getting this one out! https://podline.fm/quiet-superpowers Note: I would never share a voice note on the podcast without asking.
S4 · E1
Apr 18, 2026
31:56
Season 3
How can you use communication frameworks when speaking without preparation
Hey everyone- this is the final episode of the three-part series on how to improve at speaking without preparation, on communication frameworks. In the last two episodes, we looked at: The psychology and reasons behind why we struggle with speaking without preparation The tools and tactics we can use to start improving at this This episode is on frameworks, which allow us to systemically and sequentially organise our thoughts and ideas into a clear structure. 365 questions for practicing: https://cougarrhetoric.toastmastersclubs.org/jdownload.cgi?action=download&path=365_Sample_Table_Topics_Questions__Courtesy_of_District_8_Toastmasters_International_.pdf Sample AI prompt for creating questions: Generate 10 random practice questions I can use to rehearse impromptu speaking frameworks. The questions should be varied — covering personal opinions, everyday life, social situations, and light professional scenarios — but should NOT be highly specific to any one industry or job role. Each question should be open-ended enough to be answered using one of the following three frameworks: Hook / Frame / Message / Landing — for structuring a short speech or monologue with a strong opening and clear takeaway. PREP (Point, Reason, Example, Point) — for sharing a clear opinion or recommendation concisely. SOAR (Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result) — for telling a story about overcoming a challenge. Let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, feedback! I've created a Podline - where you can record a short voice message and send through: https://podline.fm/quiet-superpowers Otherwise, feel free to leave a comment or a review here :)
S3 · E3
Apr 6, 2026
31:34
How do you improve at speaking unprepared
This is the second episode of the three-part series on how to improve at speaking without preparation. Last episode we looked at the reasons we often find it difficult to speak without preparation. And this episode explores the tools, tactics, and methods you can use to essentially always be prepared! David JP Phillips TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj-hdQMa3uA Simon Sinek, Styrofoam Cup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNf1pKRhay8 Books mentioned: 1. Building a Second Brain, Tiago Forte 2. Taking Smart Notes, Sonke Ahrens Note-taking app I use: Obsidian (https://obsidian.md/) - I use this for all writing/podcast notes (in addition to a physical bullet-journal) - https://bulletjournal.com/pages/book As always - let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, ideas, I'd love to hear them!
S3 · E2
Mar 29, 2026
30:39
Why do we struggle when speaking unprepared?
This episode is the first in a new three-part topic- on speaking on the spot. The type of speaking you do when you haven’t had chance to prepare. This is the first episode of this topic, where we explore the question of why we often find it so difficult to speak without preparation. We look at the most common psychological challenges that cause this, as well as the common mistakes we make that reduce our confidence and ability to speak well on the spot. This episode is focused on building self-awareness around speaking unprepared. And the following 2 episodes in this topic will look at practical methods and tools we can use in any situation where we don't have time to prepare. Hope you enjoy :) Apologies if there is a little background noise in this one... I stupidly left my window open whilst recording...! As always- let me know if you have any comments, feedback, ideas, questions!
S3 · E1
Mar 24, 2026
26:36
Season 2
Will I still be heard if I'm not opinionated?
This episode stems from a discussion I had with someone about that balance between having opinions and being heard. I was interested by how often those with more extreme views/opinions tend to be heard by more people. Possibly not respected by more people. But they reach more people. And whilst I didn't like the idea that someone could gain "reputation" for extreme opinions, it made me think about how I have often lacked having any strong opinions on anything...! These are the lessons I learnt about holding opinions over the past couple of years. I'm breaking down the importance of having opinions - which are critical for healthy living, successful relationships, and overcoming fear of judgement! I also dive into the tactics you can use to express your opinions more. Hopefully this is helpful :)
S2 · E6
Mar 15, 2026
26:18
How do I move past small talk into better conversation?
In this episode - we look at small talk, and how to progress from small talk into deep talk, or big talk, or however you want to call this. I've struggled with being on both the receiving end of small talk, and feeling like I have to get good at it multiple times throughout my life. I've never quite understood it. So I took some time to research what makes good small talk, as well as how we actually move away from it, into better, more fun, and more fulfilling conversations. Some articles that I reference: https://thequietlife.net/p/how-to-turn-small-talk-into-big-talk https://hbr.org/2021/03/remote-workers-need-small-talk-too
S2 · E5
Feb 15, 2026
21:21
What does confidence look like if I'm not trying to be loud?
Confidence is very often misunderstood. There's a type of confidence that involves creating a facade to try and prove something to people, But there's also a more subtle form of confidence - quiet confidence - that means you are calm and collected during the storms. There's a difference between being confident, and feeling confident, which we explore in this episode. We look at practical steps you can take to build your confidence, regardless of where you're currently at with it. Piano Improv: Today's piano was heavily inspired by Sacrifice Piano Solo Version Seiji "Fish on Land" Ending by Keiichiro Shibuya. Recommend listening to this and similar songs if you enjoyed this one :) As always if you have any questions, feedback, comments etc. - feel free to email me at guyroberts2102@gmail.com
S2 · E4
Feb 8, 2026
19:41
Why do I feel close to people but struggle to express it?
In this episode, we look at the question of closeness - why we can feel it, but not always be able to express it openly. Being close to people is one of those things that has never quite made sense to me. I had never really known if I was doing the "right" thing when I found it difficult to express. I think it's a challenge for many quiet people to be able to express this closeness without breaking your authenticity. Being able to be yourself whilst still showing to other people that you care about them, and that your quietness and/or introversion does not mean you're being distant. Listen to the full episode where we explore this question more deeply. As always - let me know if you have any comments or feedback for this episode. You can also email me at guyroberts21@outlook.com. In this episode I mentioned; Brene Brown - who has been mentioned in previous episodes! Neil Strauss - American Author
S2 · E3
Jan 27, 2026
20:40
Why do I communicate so differently depending on who I'm with?
In this episode, within the series of questions that quiet people may ask themselves, we explore the question of why communication can be so different depending on who you're with. I've never understood why my communication can change significantly, when there is the addition or reduction of a single person. So I decided to explore this question! Episode mentions: 1- Quiet, Susan Cain: https://susancain.net/book/quiet/ 2- Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/ Apologies for the late release of this episode...! I was moving place, and had some difficulty with the recording setup. You'll notice the piano quality is also slightly different, as I was using an upright piano without any noise reduction, hope you enjoy the solo improv regardless!
S2 · E2
Jan 19, 2026
25:56
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