💬 Summary

In this episode, we speak to Hannah Sosa – founder of Subtle Series and host of the Awfully Quiet podcast – about redefining career progression for quietly ambitious people.

Hannah shares the inspiration behind her unique career platform, how she balances a full-time corporate career with building her own business, and why she believes introspection is an underrated leadership trait. We discuss everything from self-expression to personal branding, from building networks that work for introverts to why sustainable success starts with tuning into yourself.

💡 Takeaways

• Quiet ambition is still ambition – it just looks different
• Clarity is the foundation of confident self-expression
• You don’t need to perform your ambition to be seen
• Personal branding isn’t about being loud – it’s about being remembered
• Progression is easier when you leave breadcrumbs along the way
• Being an advocate for yourself starts with small, consistent wins
• Balance can mean different things in different seasons
• Introspective leadership is a strength, not a limitation
• Asking the right questions builds deeper team connections
• Careers of the future must allow room for personality diversity

🕒 Chapters

00:00 – Welcome, Hannah! What she does and why she does it

02:44 – The career path that led to Subtle Series

04:52 – Early iterations and finding her audience

05:38 – Balancing corporate life and building a brand

08:25 – What does it mean to be quietly ambitious?

10:19 – Do quieter people avoid leadership roles?

12:00 – Platforming different paths to success

12:57 – Creating a brand that feels calm yet confident

15:27 – Reimagining career learning experiences

16:39 – The transformation Hannah wants for her audience

18:36 – Why clarity must come before action

21:15 – How to build visibility in your own way

23:08 – Demonstrating value without feeling salesy

26:48 – Don’t wait for your manager to do the work

28:41 – Rethinking the ‘rules’ of workplace success

30:51 – Building a personal brand without performing

34:08 – What the future of work could look like

37:14 – What sustainable success means to Hannah

39:22 – How to manage and empower quieter team members

41:13 – Why we all need regular 1:1s with ourselves

44:00 – Closing reflections

🔗 Follow Hannah

https://www.instagram.com/subtleseries/

https://www.subtleseries.com/

https://www.instagram.com/awfullyquietpodcast/

https://www.youtube.com/@Hannah-Sosa

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