Hiding in the Bathroom: How to Get 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.

Before heading into a meeting or networking event, do you feel anxious?

Do you feel pressure to always say yes when it comes to work?

Do you prefer to work alone or in small groups?

Do you have trouble creating professional and personal boundaries?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Hiding in the Bathroom is for you!

Morra Aarons-Mele demolishes the myth that there’s only one successful “type” of achiever: the intense, super social, sleep-deprived mover and shaker. Instead, she paves a path for ambitious people who struggle with anxiety, introversion, or just crave a little more control over their lives. Filled with practiced advice, easy-to-follow exercises, proven tools, and real stories collected from personal experience and more than one hundred twenty interviews of successful people—entrepreneurs, academics, and those just beginning their careers—Hiding in the Bathroom helps you tackle the sometimes thorny emotions and issues that accompany a career, so you can create a plan for success and happiness that’s right for you, whether you’re a millennial or at midlife.

“This is THE book for Human Venn Diagrams who identify as introverts (and those who love them)...the perfect guide to help you put yourself out there as well as grant yourself a little grace when you need to recharge.” - Forbes

“Aarons-Mele proves in her book that any personality—even the quiet, unassuming types—can be successful.” - The Muse

“[A] riveting look at redefining personal approaches to work…bolstered with helpful tools including quizzes and worksheets...The author’s attention-grabbing headlines and subheads...keep the pace quick, while her willingness to share illustrative personal experiences, both good and bad, adds vivid color to the strategies she shares.”  - Publishers Weekly

“Morra Aarons-Mele has written a great guide for anyone who’s feeling the anxiety of introversion and ready to find a way to be true to yourself and feel successful and connected at the same time.” - KJ Dell’Antonia, New York Times Well Family columnist

“It took me twenty years to understand that I could focus on my strengths as a leader and skip the schmoozing. If you read Morra’s book, you won’t have to learn the hard way.”   - Arvind Rajan, former VP international, LinkedIn; cofounder and CEO, Cricket Health

“In this insightful and enjoyable book, Morra Aarons-Mele offers useful guidelines for creating a schedule and work life that you can control, allowing your ambition to shine while taking the space you need.” - Leslie Perlow, Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School

“Ambitious introverts finally have a career coach! Morra Aarons-Mele knows from personal experience that we shy people have burning desires to build businesses, brands, and careers, too. Her expert playbook shows how to leverage every opportunity—without sugarcoating some of the trade-offs we need to make to succeed.” - Lisa Stone, cofounder and CEO emeritus, BlogHer Inc.

“Hiding in the Bathroom is the book we have been waiting for! It pushes beyond current business messages of leaning in or being brave to reveal that there is no one-sizefits-all—that each of us needs to fashion our own holistic definition of success that includes our work, our personal passions, and our family lives!” - Ellen Galinsky, president and cofounder of Families and Work Institute and author of Mind in the Making

“Introverts will love this practical and moving guide to building a career, network, and life you love.”