🎧 Episode Summary

In this episode of Introvert Ally, Jennifer sits down with Carrie Wheeler, a seasoned technology and operations executive and current CEO of Liquid Web. Carrie shares her professional journey from pre-med to business to becoming a key global tech and operations leadership player. With deep insight into what it means to be an introverted leader in a male-dominated industry, Carrie discusses how embracing her personality has contributed to her leadership success.

Listeners will take away powerful lessons on authenticity, emotional intelligence, and how to create space for quieter voices in both in-person and remote workplaces.

🧠 Topics Covered

Career Journey:
From COBOL programmer to corporate translator and ultimately CEO, Carrie reflects on her transition across industries including oil, gas, telecom, and healthcare.

Upbringing & Personality:
Raised in a mixed introvert-extrovert household, Carrie shares how she navigated early freedom as an only child and adapted to workplace expectations.

Evolving Leadership Style:
Carrie discusses her shift from a reserved, stoic leader to one who embraces vulnerability and connection, with encouragement from her mentor Jim Geiger.

Supporting Introverts at Work:
Tips on encouraging introverted team members to speak up, including the strategic use of open-ended questions and gentle facilitation techniques.

Remote Team Engagement:
Strategies like mandatory cameras, huddles, and “hangout roulette” to maintain human connection in a hybrid work model.

Women in Tech & Meritocracy:
Carrie shares the progress she sees for women in operational roles and highlights the critical role of hard work and skill development.

Networking as an Introvert:
Carrie recommends LinkedIn as a low-pressure way for introverts to network and stay visible professionally.

💡 Key Takeaways

Introverted leaders thrive by leaning into their strengths—listening, reflection, and thoughtful communication.

Trust grows through authenticity, humility, and vulnerability.

Leaders must intentionally create room for introverted voices to be heard.

Remote work requires structured, human-focused engagement strategies to succeed.

📌 Resources & Mentions

Carrie Wheeler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-wheeler/

Liquid Web: www.liquidweb.com

Ms. Wheeler is the President of the Liquid Web Family of Brands which include Liquid Web, Nexcess, StellarWP and Modern Tribe.

Carrie is passionate about building products, services and comprehensive solutions for entrepreneurs, designers, developers and digital agencies who are building their business on the web. She brings more than 35 years of experience in high-tech across consulting (Accenture), Telecommunications (MCI, AT&T, Cbeyond) and Cloud Hosting (Liquid Web, CloudOne Digital).

In previous roles, she held leadership positions across a variety of organizational functions, including IT strategy, merger and acquisition planning and execution, customer operations, systems development, quality assurance, program management and capital management, and process definition and development.

Ms. Wheeler holds a Master's in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Finance from Trinity University.

Ms. Wheeler is the Chair of the Board of Directors, Michigan Data Center Alliance and was recently recognized as the “10 Most Inspiring Women” 2022 by Outlook Magazine.

Previously, Ms. Wheeler has been recognized as the Georgia CIO of the Year, Enterprise Business; Atlanta Technology Professional of the Year, Finalist and Women in Technology’s Woman of the Year in Technology. Wheeler has also served as Board Chair, Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Education Collaborative and a Member of Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

Title: The Magic of the Stay Interview with Dick Finnegan

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Jennifer welcomes turnover expert Dick Finnegan to share his proven strategies for reducing employee turnover through one powerful tool: the stay interview. As CEO of C-Suite Analytics and author of The Power of Stay Interviews, Dick explains how five simple questions can dramatically improve retention, engagement, and trust between managers and employees.

Dick walks us through his journey from traditional HR to becoming a thought leader in employee retention. He reveals how turnover often hinges more on who manages employees than on where or what they do—and how stay interviews put the power to reduce attrition directly into managers’ hands. Introverted leaders are natural fits to plan and execute these critical discussions.

Listeners will learn why exit interviews come too late, how employee referrals and job previews drive better hiring outcomes, and why engagement surveys fall short of the individualized insight companies really need. In order to prevent introverts from quietly quitting, consider the proven strategies that Dick shared.

Key Topics:

• The five essential questions every manager should ask in a stay interview

• Why accountability for turnover should fall to managers, not HR

• The underestimated cost of losing employees (up to $18,700 per entry-level role!)

• Realistic job previews and referrals as hiring game-changers

• How stay interviews foster connection, especially valuable for introverted employees

Action Items:

• 📘 Explore Dick’s newest book, Targeting Turnover

• 🗣️ Start stay interviews within your team or organization

• 💡 Share turnover cost data with leadership to gain support

• 🤝 Strengthen your employee referral program

Connect with the Guest:
Dick Finnegan – C-Suite Analytics | Author of The Power of Stay Interviews and Targeting Turnover

Guest: Carol Stewart, Founder of Abounding Solutions and Creator of the Quietly Visible Conference
Host: Jennifer Kahnweiler
Duration: ~28 minutes

In this episode, Jennifer talks with Carol Stewart, a leadership coach, author, and advocate for introverted leaders. Carol shares her journey from the UK Ministry of Justice to becoming a globally recognized voice for introverts. Her passion for coaching, combined with academic rigor and lived experience, helped her create impactful spaces—like the Quietly Visible conference—that champion introversion as a leadership strength.

Carol also opens up about the “introvert pay gap,” how introverts can thrive on LinkedIn, and what it takes to be an introvert ally in today's workplace.

• From Redundancy to Reinvention:
  Carol transitioned from a senior government role into coaching after her position was eliminated. She leaned into her strengths and passion for helping others grow, particularly during career transitions.

• Embracing Introversion as a Strength:
  Like many introverts, Carol once resisted the label due to common misconceptions. Through deeper research and reflection, she came to see introversion as a source of power and authenticity.

• The Introvert Pay Gap is Real:
  Carol discusses emerging research showing that extroverts tend to earn more over the course of their careers, in part due to workplace biases.

• Strategies for Allyship in Organizations:
  Allies can:

  • Acknowledge the extrovert ideal bias.

  • Design meetings that allow space for introverts to reflect.

  • Share agendas in advance.

  • Encourage diverse thinking styles.

• LinkedIn for Introverts:
  Carol recommends it as a platform where introverts can:

  • Share thought leadership at their own pace.

  • Build visibility without being in the spotlight.

  • Connect deeply and authentically.

• Social Justice and Personality Inclusion:
  Carol views personality style inclusion—especially for introverts—as a social justice issue. She urges organizations to expand inclusion efforts beyond visible characteristics.

Carol hosts a unique in-person and virtual conference for introverted leaders each September in London. With panels, masterclasses, and even a LinkedIn branding session, it’s a powerful experience for introverted professionals across the globe.

• Follow Carol Stewart on LinkedIn (search: Carol Stewart Abounding Solutions or Carol Stewart Quietly Visible)

• Visit her website: aboundingsolutions.com to sign up for her newsletter and learn about the 2025 Quietly Visible Conference

• Explore Carol’s work on leadership coaching, psychological safety, and inclusion

• Become an introvert ally by:

  • Noticing and addressing bias

  • Encouraging balanced participation in meetings

  • Valuing authenticity over performance