Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert's Roadmap to Getting out There (When You'd Rather Stay Home)

“Introverts will love this practical and moving guide to building a career, network, and life you love.” - Susan Cain, author of Quiet 

From the marketing guru and host of the popular podcast Hiding in the Bathroom, a breakthrough introverts' guide that broadens the conversation sparked by Quiet and moves away from the "Lean In" approach, offering wisdom and practical tips to help readers build strong relationships and achieve their own definition of professional success.

Most ambitious people believe that reaching the peaks of success means being on 24/7—tirelessly networking, deal-making, and keynoting conferences. This is nonsense, says Morra Aarons-Mele. As an eminent entrepreneur with a flourishing business and a self-proclaimed introvert with lots of anxieties, Morra disagrees with the notion that there’s only one successful "type": the intense, super social, sleep-deprived mover and shaker, the person who musters endless amounts of "grit." Hiding in the Bathroom is her antidote for everyone who is fed up with feeling like they must always "lean in"—who prefer those moments of hiding in the bathroom to constantly climbing the ladder or working the room.

Morra knows what it takes to make your mark, and now, this entrepreneur who has boosted the online strategy of clients such as the Malala Fund, President Obama, the UN Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shares the insights, tricks, and knowledge she’s learned. Filled with advice, exercises to help readers evaluate their own work/life fit and manage anxiety, valuable tools, and stories of countless successful people—entrepreneurs, academics, and novices just beginning their careers—Hiding in the Bathroom empowers professionals of all ages and levels to take control and build their own versions of success. Thoughtful and practical, it is a must-have handbook for building a fantastic, prosperous career and a balanced, happy life—on your own terms.

Hiding in the Bathroom is your permission slip to build a career that fits your life, with practical strategies to help you:

• Find Your Work Life Fit: Ditch the impossible ideal of “work-life balance.” Use the book’s exercises and tools to design a career path and daily schedule that honors your ambition and your need for quiet time.
• Embrace the Hermit Entrepreneur: Learn from Morra Aarons-Mele’s own story and those of other successful entrepreneurs how to build a thriving business without needing to be “on” 24/7.
• Shift Your Mindset: Move past the “Lean In” hustle culture and discover the power in working differently. This book gives you the validation and confidence to pursue success on your own terms.
• Leverage Your Introversion: Stop seeing your introversion or anxiety as a weakness. Discover how empathy, preparation, and deep focus are secret career superpowers that high-profile leaders use to their advantage.

Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of the award-winning social impact agency Women Online, hosts the podcast Hiding in the Bathroom, and created the influencer network the Mission List. She was founding political director of BlogHer.com, and has written for the Harvard Business Review, the Huffington Post, MomsRising, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Guardian. She has lectured at the Yale Women’s Campaign School, the Harvard Kennedy School, and at the World Economic Forum for Young Global Leaders. Aarons-Mele is a graduate of Brown University and the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives in her pajamas in Boston, Massachusetts.