Three years ago, a lot was different, but some things were the same. I was an introvert and my rescue dog, Bayla, was obsessed with chipmunks. Listening was important. Some people thought they knew everything. Stories and authenticity meant something, but the terms were already becoming buzzwords.

In early 2023, AI-generated content existed, but most people weren’t thinking about it yet, and the volume was small enough that people didn’t notice. I wrote with em dashes because I write with em dashes. I even used the phrase, “in today’s fast-paced world,” and nobody cared. I’d second-guess that today.

Then the internet caught up. Readers recognize patterns now, and em dashes feel suspicious. Certain words have become instant AI flags. But my dog is still obsessed with chipmunks. 

I still believe most of what I wrote three years ago, but what’s interesting is what’s changed. Some things are still the same, yet writers (including me) have started second-guessing their own voice.   

My dog doesn’t care, and she keeps teaching me things.

Here’s what I wrote, along with what Bayla and I understand now.  

What I Wrote Then …

I’m convinced there’s no dog more analytical than Bayla. She is always alert … intently listening, watching, waiting, and sniffing. I imagine the voices in her head … “Something’s different about the yard today. What’s that smell? What’s that movement? Is that a chipmunk? I’m not going to bark at it (yet). I’m just going to watch it.” 

Just like Bayla (minus the sniffing), introverts in marketing are constantly analyzing consumer behavior, watching for trends and carefully observing what consumers say and do, considering what it means. They’re great listeners, and while they may be quiet, they’re always deep in thought. 

Introverts in marketing have a natural analytical power that soaks up the subtleties around them like a sponge and then connects the dots so it all makes sense. 

Their deep listening skills and attention to detail can allow them to better understand their audience’s needs and create more nuanced and targeted marketing campaigns. 

What We Understand Now

Bayla has intently watched and observed the same spots in our yard so carefully for the past three years that she actually caught a chipmunk. All that watching and waiting paid off.

And we won’t go into the details, but let’s just say nothing compares to the look on your dog’s face when she proudly brings you a “gift” … that’s a dead squirrel. That’s right. Bayla has learned how important listening really is. She’s gotten so good at it, she’s moved on from chipmunks to squirrels.

You know that game kids play … “The floor is lava!” In our backyard, for chipmunks and squirrels, that’s just called Tuesday. Bayla is the lava.

I still believe listening is underrated in marketing, perhaps now more than ever. It’s a big part of how we learn. And I think listening and learning are critical to growth for any marketer today.  

What I Wrote Then …

Bayla trusts her instincts just like introverts in marketing trust their intuition. It’s what they do with it that’s special though. 

I know Bayla can’t tell time. She’s a dog. But she still knows when it’s mealtime, playtime and bedtime. She just senses it. She’s learned from experience.

That’s just like an introvert marketer’s intuition. They use their past experiences and training to predict when something will work, or won’t. But an introvert in marketing won’t brag about it, they’ll quietly suggest it, just like Bayla quietly sits by her food bowl when she knows it’s breakfast time. 

In marketing, we don’t need people who think they know everything. We also don’t need people with an “I told you so” attitude. We need collaborators and thoughtful experts who are humble and smart.

What We Understand Now

Bayla still can’t tell time, but those instincts from experience seem to be coming in handy on the chipmunk and squirrel front. She’s learned from experience what to expect. 

For introverts in marketing, instincts and intuition still have a place too, especially when it comes to critical thinking and judgment. As we use AI more in our daily work, who will be the judge if the outcome is “good” when it’s not black and white? Your experience is unique and so is your intuition—even if it’s not loud.  

That said, there’s something that’s changed the longer I’m in marketing, which is to not trust your instincts too much. Something that didn’t work years ago may surprise you and perform well today, or vice versa. Challenging and testing your own instincts can be just as important as trusting them.

What I Wrote Then …

Now let’s think about authenticity for a second. Introverts in marketing hate things that are fake. Whether its over-the-top promotions, forced networking or misleading claims, they don’t see value in pretending. 

They’re after genuineness, integrity and building relationships naturally—traits that make them great at building strong brands. 

Of course, Bayla never lies. Remember, she’s a dog. And whether it’s been five minutes or five hours, I know Bayla is genuinely excited to see me by her wagging tail and wiggly butt. She literally can’t hide it. And it’s one of the reasons I love her so much. 

In today’s fast-paced world, the quickest and easiest solutions for marketers typically aren’t the most authentic ones. But winning brands value authenticity, and customers do too. Introverts in marketing find this so important they’re willing to put in the hard work.

What We Understand Now

First of all, I did write, “in today’s fast-paced world.” I’m not sure why. I just did. The irony is that AI has flooded the internet with machine-generated content, including that phrase, and now I feel stupid about the words I actually wrote.

For awhile, I started avoiding certain phrases and words … afraid someone would think it was AI, but I’ve now learned to stop caring. If you’re an introvert in marketing, you’re probably overthinking it, but I can relate that you don’t want to seem fake.

This is where Bayla knows what she’s doing and she continues to teach me. I’m not sure a dog can be anything but authentic. She never overthinks it. Or tries to be someone else. She lets her butt wiggle and could care less what the neighbors think. There’s something to be said for that.

What I Wrote Then …

Like any dog owner, I feel like Bayla isn’t just any dog. She’s special. Just like introverts in marketing aren’t your average marketers. 

It turns out Bayla is part beagle, pit bull terrier, boxer, husky and supermutt (yes, supermutt is the official term). She can bay like a beagle when she really wants to, she’s strong and agile like a boxer and she can be misunderstood like pit bulls often are. 

Introverts in marketing bring a unique mix of skills that others may not naturally have. 

They can be fabulous speakers (even if they hate it—I know I do), they’re incredibly creative and they can get things done like nobody’s business. They can also be misunderstood. If you’re wondering why your marketing counterpart isn’t saying anything in a meeting, it’s not because they don’t care, they might just be an introvert processing the information.

While extroverts bring valuable traits to a marketing team, introverts bring different traits that may not be as visible but bring just as much value.

What We Understand Now

Being an introvert doesn’t mean you’re always quiet or that you hate people. Bayla has become extremely social, but she also appreciates quiet time in her crate. The most interesting thing about introverts in marketing is when they don’t seem like introverts at all.

Get them excited about something, and you can’t shut them up. Ask them to attend a networking event, and they can do just fine.

When someone walks by our house with another dog, Bayla loses it. She starts barking and doesn’t stop. I love talking about how we can get marketing its meaning back.

I’ve also come to enjoy networking events. Bayla loves her time at doggie daycare. We both just need a little rest afterwards to recharge.

What I Wrote Then …

Bayla was found abandoned as a puppy, near an Alabama bridge. She was driven 900+ miles to a dog rescue in Wisconsin. After a foster home, a failed adoption and a foster home again, my husband and I adopted her when she was seven months old. She wasn’t house trained, had separation anxiety and she was afraid of things that were new to her. Yet with some practice and encouragement, she quickly adapted to our routine, learned we weren’t going to leave her and discovered new things could be fun. 

An introvert in marketing being asked to do something they’ve never done before may be a recipe for anxiety at first. But pushed out of their comfort zone, they often excel, easily adapt and secretly learn to use their strengths to achieve more than they or others think they’re capable of. Case in point, I was asked to talk about myself in a TV commercial with no script (talk about anxiety). But with some encouragement from the right people, I pushed through and learned it could actually be ... dare I say, fun? 

The resilience of an introvert in marketing is what makes them great at adapting to changing business needs, staying calm and collected as they find new ways to exceed expectations. 

What We Understand Now

Bayla’s resilience was tested this year when she broke and dislocated her leg. The surgeon did x-rays, came back and told us, “Well, this is quite a rare injury … I usually only see this in greyhound racing dogs.”

Apparently, she needed to prove she was special. She injured her leg herself from running so hard, and now she has a special screw in her leg.

Months after surgery, lots of pills, and no walks, Bayla is back to chipmunk hunting again. I’ve never seen a happier dog than Bayla on her first walk in 12 weeks.

Luckily, I haven’t broken my leg, but we’re all experiencing something we’ve not before. AI is a great example, and I see lots of introverts in marketing excelling at it. AI doesn’t care if you’re loud or charismatic, but it does reward adaptability, analytical thinking, and asking the right questions.

When I wrote the original version of this article, my goal was to dispel the belief that introverts can’t thrive in marketing and to break the stereotype that all marketers are extroverts. I’ve always been an introvert, but I meet people now and sometimes they don’t believe me. Because I’ve adapted. I’ve learned. But I’m still me. And I think that’s why we need more introverts in marketing.

Looking back, I think I was noticing a pattern I didn't have words for yet. The introverts I admired most in marketing weren't introverts because they were quiet. They just approached things differently, and more sequenced. They started with belief (mindset), moved through understanding (empathy), and only then made their case (logic).

I didn’t call it anything then. I just knew it worked, and used Bayla to explain it.

I’m not convinced being an introvert is your personality. It doesn’t define you. I think it’s just the natural way you tend to approach the world, and your work. Similar to The MEL Method in marketing.    

Mindset - “I’d rather be right than loud.”

Introverts in marketing start from a place of conviction (even when no one is asking). They believe something and don’t need external validation to keep going. They also don't need to be the loudest to feel like they're contributing.

They often believe that careful observation, strategy, and an honest instinct matters. And that belief doesn't waver because someone louder disagrees.

That's mindset. It's what you believe about your work and your customer before any data exists. It's your foundation, and it shapes how you interpret everything that comes after.

Bayla has it too. It took time for her to believe she was safe (and that she could catch a chipmunk). But once she did, it changed everything about her confidence and what she could do.

Empathy - “Let’s listen first.”

This is where introverts are naturally strong, almost unfairly so.

Before they form an opinion, they listen. They ask a question and actually wait for the answer, instead of moving on to the next thing. They're paying attention to what customers feel, not just what they say.

For Bayla, she’s staring at the grass and trees, watching the chipmunks and squirrels for hours—the noises they make at her, and their every move.

And that's empathy in action. It’s understanding your customers (or your chipmunk nemesis) by observing instead of assuming.

Logic - “Now let’s make the case.”

Because their mindset is steady and their empathy comes first, the logic that introverts bring to marketing is grounded. It doesn't spiral or overcorrect after one bad quarter. It also doesn't panic.

It's the humble intuition from Lesson 2. The analytical thinking from Lesson 1. All of it interpreted into a clear, well-reasoned next step (sometimes subtlety, but usually right).

Logic last doesn't mean logic late. It means logic that's translating something. Because when you skip mindset and empathy and go straight to logic, you can optimize the wrong thing. If you’re Bayla, you bark when you should watch. Marketers change a campaign that just needed more time. Or they push messaging that seems like common sense to them, but leaves their audience feeling nothing.

Introverts understand, instinctively, that the order matters.

Things have changed in three years. I’ve changed. But I’m still an introvert and Bayla is still obsessed with chipmunks. And three years ago, the last thing I wrote in that article still holds true …

Introverts are kind of like the underdogs of marketing, and I’ve decided I like being the underdog. 

What You’ll Need:

If you have dog, start there. 🙂 If you don’t, you can always dog sit someone else’s (dog owners always appreciate this!), or you can observe plenty of dogs at a park.

Put your phone down, turn off all the screens, maybe find a toy or just head outside. You could play in the yard, play fetch, do tricks for treats, go for a walk or just snuggle on the floor. Dogs don’t really care what you’re doing, just that you’re giving them attention.

Watch and observe what the dog cares about, and what it doesn’t. Consider the simple things they can teach us. Like how they greet everyone and everything like it matters—a walk, a smell, even a person they’ve seen a hundred times. They don’t hide how they feel. And when it’s time to rest, they just do it (without feeling guilty).

If this article sparked a thought, a question, or even a gentle disagreement, I’d love to hear it. Share what resonated—or what didn’t.

I’d love to make this a conversation so we can learn and grow together.