Don't Be a Jerk

chevron_right

Personal Branding for Introverts: What Every Leader Can Learn from Goldie Chan

whatshot 4 snips

Nov 18, 2025

Guest

Goldie Chan

Goldie Chan, founder of Warm Robots and a Forbes contributor, has transformed her personal journey into a powerful branding tool. She discusses how vulnerability creates authenticity and builds trust, emphasizing that emotional intelligence often trumps IQ. Goldie shares insights on storytelling structure and the importance of hooks to engage audiences effectively. She also highlights why being conversational, the 'yes and' technique, and tailoring messages can enrich connections in a world dominated by metrics. Her own cancer story exemplifies the strength of vulnerability.

51:48

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Emotional Intelligence Outruns IQ

Emotional intelligence now outperforms IQ and technical skill for leadership.
Goldie Chan argues emotional connection becomes more valuable as AI automates technical tasks.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Cancer Story Shared Publicly

Goldie Chan shared her cancer diagnosis publicly and used social media to stay connected during treatment.
The openness generated supportive messages and strengthened community bonds.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Have Two Story Lengths Ready

Prepare both an extremely short and a long version of your story.
Read the room and use the short version to hook people before expanding into the full narrative.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Why storytelling and authenticity matter

Goldie's path to storytelling

05:35 • 2min

chevron_right

How to hook readers effectively

07:30 • 3min

chevron_right

Structure: short hook, story, takeaway

10:18 • 2min

chevron_right

Vulnerability as a connection tool

12:46 • 4min

chevron_right

Pitching founders: tell the investor story

16:30 • 3min

chevron_right

Founder deck: the 12-slide storytelling flow

19:54 • 4min

chevron_right

Be in conversation, not shouting

23:57 • 1min

chevron_right

Improv, 'yes and', and better conversations

25:15 • 3min

chevron_right

Attention spans and concise storytelling

28:07 • 1min

chevron_right

Who are you telling the campfire story to?

29:14 • 3min

chevron_right

Weaving heart into messaging

31:51 • 5min

chevron_right

Sharing hard stories publicly

37:15 • 2min

chevron_right

Asynchronous engagement and boundaries

39:40 • 4min

chevron_right

Confidence versus ego in leadership

43:16 • 3min

chevron_right

One-to-many that feels one-to-one

46:37 • 3min

chevron_right

Advice to younger self: resonate, not revolve

• Mentioned in 363 episodes

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie

First published in 1936, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie is a timeless guide to improving interpersonal skills. The book is divided into four main sections: Six Ways to Make People Like You, Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking, and Nine Ways to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment. Carnegie's principles emphasize the importance of genuine interest in others, active listening, and avoiding criticism and argument. The book offers practical advice on how to build strong relationships, communicate effectively, and influence others by aligning their self-interest with yours. It has been a cornerstone of personal development and business success for generations.

#279

• Mentioned in 79 episodes

Stolen Focus

Steven C. Lambert

In 'Stolen Focus', Johann Hari delves into the reasons behind the collapse of our ability to pay attention. He discusses various factors contributing to this issue and provides strategies on how to think deeply again and reclaim our focus in a world filled with distractions.

#6545

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Personal Branding for Introverts

Goldie Chan

Goldie Chan’s 'Personal Branding for Introverts' challenges the notion that introverts must act like extroverts to succeed. The book offers actionable strategies for introverts to leverage their natural strengths, set intentional goals, navigate networking, build supportive communities, and sustain energy while showing up consistently. With real-life examples and practical exercises, Chan empowers readers to create memorable, authentic personal brands—online and offline—without sacrificing their true selves.

#297

• Mentioned in 77 episodes

Hooked

How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Nir Eyal

In 'Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products', Nir Eyal explains the Hook Model, a four-step process (trigger, action, variable reward, and investment) that successful companies use to create products that users engage with habitually. The book provides practical insights and actionable steps for building products that capture widespread attention and encourage repeated use without relying on costly advertising. Eyal draws on his research, consulting experience, and practical knowledge to offer a how-to guide that is accessible and valuable for understanding user behavior and designing engaging products.

What happens when authenticity becomes your superpower?

For Goldie Chan, she turned her authentic, vulnerable story into a personal brand everyone wants. She’s the founder of Warm Robots, a Forbes contributor, and the author of Personal Branding for Introverts, a guide to building influence without pretending to be someone you’re not.

Dubbed the “Oprah of LinkedIn,” Goldie built one of the most trusted voices in storytelling and leadership by doing something revolutionary in the age of algorithms: leading with heart.

In this episode, Healey Cypher sits down with Goldie to talk about how stories shape trust, why vulnerability is magnetic, and what it really takes to connect in a world run by metrics.

You’ll hear:

How emotional intelligence beats IQ in leadership and influence

The two versions of every great story (and when to use each)

Why authenticity builds more trust than perfection ever could

How to make one-to-many communication feel one-to-one

Why “Yes, and…” might be the secret to better teams and conversations

How Goldie’s cancer story became a masterclass in vulnerability

The storytelling framework that every founder should steal

This conversation is equal parts strategy and soul. It’s about turning your humanity into your advantage and proving that empathy, not ego, is the real growth engine.

⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — The story behind Don’t Be a Jerk (and Adam Grant’s advice)

05:00 — Meet Goldie Chan: from poetry to the “Oprah of LinkedIn”

10:00 — Why storytelling is the most human skill we have left

14:30 — “Broetry,” bad writing, and how to actually hook your reader

19:00 — Vulnerability as a superpower: Goldie’s cancer story

22:00 — The two versions of every story: short vs. long

26:30 — Authenticity → Trust → Performance: the leadership loop

31:00 — The improv rule that transforms conversations

34:00 — How to make one-to-many feel one-to-one

40:00 — Confidence vs. ego — and why both are contagious

47:00 — Storytelling as a muscle: how to keep it strong