Forging neurodivergent leadership

In this episode of High Agency, we sit down with Shawn Johnston, founder of Forge & Smith and Refoundry, to talk about how neurodivergence can become a superpower in leadership and entrepreneurship. After 13 years running Forge & Smith, Shawn learned the hard way that burning out developers and perpetuating broken processes wasn't sustainable. But the real breakthrough came when he understood why. Uncovering his ADHD and autism diagnoses revealed patterns that had shaped his entire career. In this episode we get into the messy reality of building a business while navigating sensory overload, alexithymia (the inability to identify emotions in real time), and what Shawn calls "high masking," which is the exhausting art of creating personas just to survive. This conversation challenges the corporate culture rooted in what Shawn calls "colonial patriarchal mindsets" and shows why psychological safety isn't just a nice-to-have; it's the foundation of effective teams. If you've ever felt like the world wasn't built for how your brain works, this episode will resonate deeply.

Featuring

Shawn Johnston
Founder
Forge & Smith and Refoundry

Shawn Johnston is the Founder of Refoundry, a revolutionary low-code site builder for WordPress agencies. After 13+ years running Forge and Smith, he transformed hard-won lessons about burnout and broken processes into a game-changing solution. His platform empowers agencies to cut build times by up to 70% while maintaining quality. As a neurodivergent entrepreneur, Shawn champions systems that eliminate bottlenecks and chaos, helping creative teams scale sustainably. He's passionate about revolutionizing how agencies deliver web projects without burning out developers or compromising client expectations.

Hosted by

Mo Dhaliwal
CEO
Skyrocket Digital

Software engineer turned marketer, Mo is an entrepreneur, cultural curator and technologist. In his role as founder and CEO of Skyrocket Digital, he helps clients with business, brand and technology to launch new ideas and grow their businesses.

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Presented by Skyrocket Digital

Skyrocket is the digital agency for ambitious leaders. Our capabilities empower business and marketing leaders with the confidence to launch new initiatives, grow their brands, and undergo the transformation necessary to achieve breakthrough results.