Many years ago, on a lovely summery day, I was lying in my back garden with a young man I worked with. We had got the Sunday papers and were idly flicking through the job ads at the back. He kept saying that the salaries weren’t great on various jobs, but as I looked, I noticed they were all paying better than my current job.
A realisation dawned on me. I was being underpaid. I could have done any of those jobs he was talking about, but no-one had given me a chance. It was time to make my own chances.
Entrepreneurs will often tell you they had a turning point, and that was mine. For neurodivergent entrepreneurs, my experience is not that unusual. We’re often held back or unsupported at different stages of our lives. Dyslexics tell of not being able to fulfil their potential (or not even having their potential recognised) because of their challenges with reading and writing. ADHD folk are told they are lazy and disorganised. And autistic people are too often underestimated.
With this lack of support, and the exploitation of traits like being hard-working or people-pleasing, and it’s hardly surprising that so many of us reject the 9-5 in favour of striking out on our own.
Carving One’s Own Path
It’s not just that we’re pushed either. Neurodivergent people who have learnt to recognise their strengths can use them effectively in whatever field they’re drawn to. Being passionate, creative and innovative comes naturally to a huge range of neurodivergent people. Dyslexics and dyscalculics (people with number dyslexia) also fare particularly well in visualisation, strategy and problem-solving, which is why so many are successful.
Those with ADHD are often risk-takers, and they can harness their hyperactivity and hyperfocus when they’re working on something they really care about. Autistics will find that those traits that were called obsessive or odd are suddenly useful when thoroughness or deep research is needed.
We do still face challenges as neurodivergent entrepreneurs, especially when our neurodiversity is poorly understood or unsupported (by ourselves, as well as others). When I was working in my previous company, I didn’t know I was ADHD autistic, so I tried to do things the conventional way, which didn’t work! We’re often also less well-equipped to deal with rejection, change and difficult clients or colleagues.
Different Strokes
But once we create our own supportive environments, we can thrive. One particular challenge that we can face is that we try to do it all on our own – not just because of our neurodiversity (although that is a common trait) but because many of us have been harmed or let down by others, so we become mistrustful.
It’s often hard to find people who can work with us, not because we are difficult, but because we’re different. But once we find those people, we can find running our own companies so much easier. Access to Work can pay for assistance for neurodivergent entrepreneurs, and many people have found their work transformed with the help of a coach or a PA.
So if you’re neurodivergent and are thinking about taking the plunge – or perhaps you already have – how can you maximise your strengths and manage your challenges? One thing I learnt from my coach early on was that you need to work with who you are and what you have – rather than the person you want to be.
If you can only concentrate for 5 minutes, concentrate for 5 minutes, then do something else. Finding a task hard? Use an accountability buddy to get it done. Working from home too distracting? Go to a coffee shop or a co-working space, or the library if money is tight.
Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs: Open and Proud
Often we mask around clients or colleagues but being an entrepreneur is an opportunity to drop that mask and see how people react to your authentic self. My own experience is that clients actually find my honesty refreshing and my approach engaging.
I work with dyslexics who give up trying to spell conventionally and just go with it, and it doesn’t seem to harm their businesses at all. In my network I see so many entrepreneurs with different neurodiversities who are open about their challenges and proud of who they are – and plenty of quieter ones too, who use their strengths to do incredible work.
I never told that young man in the garden that he was the catalyst for me leaving my job and becoming an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur who tries to offer the help, support and empowerment that I didn’t have at that age. But he was instrumental in my success, not just for getting me started but for all the help and encouragement he’s given me since. Oh, and he married me too!
Rachel Morgan-Trimmer is the founder of innovative neurodiversity consultancy Firebird, delivering bespoke training on how to be inclusive to people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Rachel, who is ADHD and autistic, combines professional and lived experience.
Rachel is also a bestselling author of ‘How to Be Autistic’ and an international keynote speaker, and a TEDx speaker - ‘Inclusion is Selfish’. She also has a booklet ‘How to Treat Autistic People’, and has produced an award winning poster around this. Rachel often shares her expertise in the press, and has been featured in various publications including Psychologies, People Management, HuffPost, Stylist and Raconteur.