In this insightful episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, Serena speaks with Elizabeth Williamson, a relationship coach, trauma-informed facilitator, and leadership mentor who has spent over two decades helping individuals, couples, and leaders navigate conflict, repair trust, and communicate with courage.

Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience from psychology, somatic therapy, and systemic constellations to teach us how to hold respectful, clear, and boundary-honouring conversations—especially when the stakes feel high.

In this episode, we explore:

• What makes conflict feel threatening—and how to work through the nervous system’s response
  
  
• Why silence and people-pleasing often stem from trauma, not weakness
  
  
• How to prepare for a difficult conversation with presence, clarity, and respect
  
  
• The role of resilience and emotional regulation in sustainable leadership
  
  
• What it means to hold both compassion and boundaries in relationships
  
  
• Why conflict, when handled well, can actually strengthen connection
  
  
• Practical tools for self-awareness, repair, and relational safety
  
  
  

Whether you're a quiet achiever navigating leadership, or someone working to improve your personal relationships, this episode will help you move through conflict with more confidence and care.

Connect with Elizabeth:
Website: https://elizabethwilliamsonsolutions.com
LinkedIn: Elizabeth Williamson on LinkedIn

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Subscribe, rate, and leave a 5-star review on your favourite podcast platform to help more introverts and quiet leaders rise.

Free Resource for Quiet Achievers
Download the eBook: The Introvert Toolkit
https://mailchi.mp/87cf08f92464/the-introvert-toolkit

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

In this episode, I sat down with Pretty Kubyane, a multi-award-winning tech entrepreneur and co-founder of eFama, an app revolutionising Africa’s agricultural supply chain. From humble beginnings in a South African village to leading a pan-African tech movement, Pretty shares how growing up with impact-driven parents shaped her conviction to build businesses that serve both community and innovation.

A self-proclaimed introvert, Pretty opens up about navigating the tech world as a woman of colour, facing underestimation in boardrooms, and how compassion—not bitterness—fuels her leadership. You’ll hear how her hatred of poverty, deep spiritual grounding, and fierce belief in dignity over hustle gave her the courage to speak up, stay consistent, and lead with vision.

In this episode, we explore:

• What Pretty learned about leadership and purpose from her father’s woodcutting business
  
• How eFama started as a response to systemic barriers for small producers
  
• The 3 C’s of entrepreneurial growth: Conviction, Consistency, and Clarity
  
• Cultural intelligence in working across African communities
  
• The power of social fasting to protect your energy and mental health
  
• Why introverts should build on their strengths, not chase extroverted norms
  
• How faith and vision sustain Pretty’s entrepreneurial mission
  
  

This episode is a masterclass in quiet conviction, community-focused innovation, and redefining what leadership can look like when it’s grounded in both substance and soul.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about eFama and their work with African farmers:https://efama.africa

• Follow Pretty Kubyane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prettykubyane/

Loved this conversation?

Subscribe, rate, and leave a 5-star review to help us bring more powerful, purposeful conversations to introverts and quiet achievers around the world.

Want to understand how introverts tick?

Whether it’s that quiet team member or your introverted child, The Introvert Toolkit is your go-to resource.

Download it HERE.

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, I sit down with Cathy Derksen — Founder of Inspired Tenacity, speaker, and 19-times #1 best-selling author — whose mission is to amplify women's voices through the power of collaborative books.

Cathy didn’t start out in publishing. Her career began in medical genetics, followed by a decade in financial planning, before she answered a deeper calling: to help women transform their lives through storytelling. What began as a single contribution to a multi-author book has now grown into a thriving publishing platform that gives women around the world a safe space to share their wisdom, elevate their visibility, and expand their impact.

We talk about what holds introverts back from being visible, how collaborative books open unexpected doors, and why sharing your story might be the most generous and healing act you ever do—for yourself and others.

💡 In This Episode, We Explore:

• Cathy’s journey from science to finance to soulful storytelling
  
  
• Why introverts don’t need to be flashy to be influential
  
  
• How collaborative books help you build confidence, grow your network, and attract new clients
  
  
• The mindset shifts that happen when you call yourself an “author”
  
  
• What it means to lead quietly — and courageously
  
  
• How visibility becomes meaningful when it’s rooted in purpose

Whether you’re an aspiring author, an introverted entrepreneur, or someone with a story waiting to be told, this episode will help you see new possibilities for your voice, your message, and your mission.

🔗 Connect with Cathy:
🌐 Website:inspiredtenacity.com
💼 LinkedIn:Cathy Derksen on LinkedIn
📚 Explore Cathy’s collaborative book series or get involved in an upcoming project.

📘 Bonus Resource – Download my free eBook: The Introvert Toolkit

• Learn how to support and advocate for yourself at work as an introvert.
• Understand how your introverted child or co-worker experiences the world differently - and how you can better support them.
  
  👉 https://mailchi.mp/87cf08f92464/the-introvert-toolkit

💬 Loved this episode?
Subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It helps The Quiet Warrior Podcast reach more introverts and quiet achievers around the world—so they can rise with clarity, purpose, and power.

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions