Good Awkward - by Henna Pryor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Kirkus Reviews' Top 100 Indie Books of 2023

Distinguished Favorite, NYC Big Book Award 2025 (Self-Help: Motivational)

Distinguished Favorite, Independent Press Awards 2025 (Business: Motivational)

Winner, American Book Fest "Best Book" Awards 2024 (Self-Help: Motivational)

Winner, BIBA 2024 (Self-Help)

Winner, International Book Awards 2024 (Self-Help: Motivational)

Winner, National Indie Excellence Awards 2024 (Self-Help: Motivational)

Silver Medal Winner, Living Now Book Awards 2024 (Motivation/Self-Improvement)

Grand Prize Shortlist, Eric Hoffer Book Award 2024 (Self-Help)

Shortlist, Business Book Awards 2024 (Business Self-Development)

1st Runner-Up, Eric Hoffer Book Awards 2024 (Self-Help)

Runner-Up, PenCraft Book Awards 2024 (Motivational)

Finalist, American Book Fest "Best Book" Awards 2024 (Cover Design: Nonfiction)

Finalist, American Legacy Book Awards 2024 (Self-Help: Motivational)

Finalist, Readers' Favorite Book Award 2024 (Self-Help)

da Vinci Eye Finalist, Eric Hoffer Book Awards 2024 (Cover Design)

First Horizon Finalist, Eric Hoffer Book Awards 2024 (Self-Help)

Winner, American Book Fest "Best Book" Awards 2023 (Self-Help: Motivational)

Honorable Mention, Royal Dragonfly Book Award 2023 (Self-Help: Inspirational)

Awkwardness isn't a weakness to fix - it's your greatest asset for professional and personal growth.

In a time of blurred realities and filtered faces, embracing your awkwardness may seem counterintuitive. As 2x TEDx Speaker and Executive Coach Henna Pryor shows, relishing your "Good Awkward" is essential to becoming more bold, boosting your confidence, and taking the necessary professional risks at work that help you be braver and meet your true potential.

In this book, Pryor taps her signature playful and lighthearted writing style to share stories, science-based tools, and simple action steps to guide you to:

• Pinpoint the exact reason it's been difficult to take risks - and how to move past it
• Learn how to use the concepts of deliberate discomfort and strategic micro stressors to strengthen mental muscle
• Create your own personalized plan to be braver in the moments when it counts

If your biggest goals have felt elusive or you're eager to find a fresh edge in the crowded marketplace, Good Awkward can teach you how to create a new outlook on moments that once caused embarrassment or cringe and use them as a force for good, so you can become the bravest you.

"A well-researched and well-designed call to embrace awkwardness."

--Kirkus Review (starred review)

Review Quotes

"Consulting a wide array of works, from self-help books to psychological and anthropological studies, Pryor outlines the ubiquitous nature of awkwardness in modern society . . . For many readers accustomed to the relentless cool-scrutiny of our online world, Pryor's warm, intelligent reassurances will be much appreciated."

--KIRKUS REVIEW (starred review)

"I feel seen! In Good Awkward, Pryor puts her finger on
something most of us are afraid to admit--we don't always know the right thing
to say, our attempts at small talk fall flat, we get shot down when we venture
into new territory. I found myself nodding along to the many relatable examples
of how we stifle ourselves because we are afraid of being anything but the
polished professionals we want the world to see. But Pryor explores how
embracing our inner awkwardness can actually help us perform better at work--and
in life. When we free ourselves from the fear of looking less than perfect, we
realize that our awkwardness can be a superpower. Highly recommended!"

--KAREN DILLON, Former Editor of Harvard Business Review and
New York Times bestselling coauthor of How Will You Measure Your Life?

"Smart, witty, and full of fresh insights--Henna takes us on
a ride of rediscovering an emotion that we all feel, but rarely give the
attention it deserves. Great leaders in the modern era need to embrace their
awkward to build communities and make meaningful contributions. Thankfully,
Good Awkward is here to show us how to do it."

--LINDSAY KAPLAN, Cofounder and Chief Brand Officer, Chief

"Good Awkward is a revolutionary and game-changing book. If
you get stuck because you worry about saying the wrong thing or the thought of
sitting through an awkward silence is unbearable, this book (and Henna Pryor)
will change your life."

--MICHAEL PORT, New York Times and WSJ bestselling author of Steal the
Show

"If mental blocks around awkwardness have kept you from
taking the next right step in your career and life, you need to read Good
Awkward. Henna Pryor combines insightful research and a playful writing style
to bring a fresh perspective to taking the professional risks we all need to
take to succeed--in work and in life."

--RUSSELL WILSON, American NFL Quarterback, Denver Broncos

"Henna Pryor manages to hit all the high notes--smart AND
relatable, authoritative AND self-deprecating, vulnerable AND expert. When a
book on 'success' is both thought-provoking AND laugh-out-loud funny, well,
that's pretty special. And bonus points for the vivid visual descriptions of
her own awkward experiences. Given all but a rare few of us secretly harbor
some feelings of awkwardness, my wish is that everyone read this gem of a
book--and then relax a little bit, worrying less about how others see us and
more about showing up as our awkward, real selves."

--KAREN WRIGHT, Master Coach and CEO of Parachute Executive
Coaching

"Whip-smart. Funny. Insightful. Inspirational. If
awkwardness has held you back and you'd rather use it as an advantage at work
and in life, READ THIS BOOK!"

--JOANNA LOHMAN, Former US Women's National Soccer Team
Player and Mental Performance Coach

"Success requires courage. But how do you overcome the
awkwardness that often comes with taking risks, facing challenges, and stepping
out of your comfort zone? In her brilliant book, Henna Pryor offers a practical
and playful guide to becoming the bravest you. Timely and refreshing, Good
Awkward helps you turn your kryptonite into a superpower!"

--SANYIN SIANG, Duke University Professor and CEO Coach and
Advisor

"Being human inevitably means being awkward. Thankfully,
Henna Pryor has given us a highly entertaining and substantive guide to why
that's important, both personally and professionally. You'll learn how to turn
even the worst awkward moments into the best parts of what makes you who you
are."

--TAMSEN WEBSTER, Author and Message Designer

"Good Awkward reassures us that awkwardness is normal and
provides a path through the cringe to the connections, contributions, and
conquests that lie on the other side."

--LIANE DAVEY, Organizational Psychologist and author of The
Good Fight

"Humorous, insightful, and practical! Henna gives us
permission, as well as an instructional guide, to change mindsets and create
better interactions."

--FOTINI ICONOMOPOULOS, Speaker and author of Say Less, Get
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