Differently Aligned - For Neurodivergent Business Owners

Being neurodiversity affirming doesn’t mean avoiding challenge. It doesn’t mean staying where you are, only doing what’s easy or comfortable. We can do hard things. We can learn new stuff, try new stuff, stretch ourselves – and we absolutely should. The key is doing the right hard things, for the right reasons, with the right support, at the right time. That’s how growth happens without stress, burnout, or disconnection from who we really are. “You get to define what the hard thing is in any one moment. If it feels hard, it is hard. That’s a valid, real experience.” - Adina Levy   In this crossover episode with my Exploring Neurodiversity Podcast, I share: • Why doing hard things is not at odds with a neurodiversity affirming approach • My powerful framework to help neurodivergent folks of all ages to take on the right hard things with less stress and more support • Examples of how my framework looks for an Autistic boy learning to read, and for an ADHDer business owner working on changing up her chaotic non-systems. LINKS & MORE SUPPORT • FREE WEBINAR: Shift Your Business from Burnout to Boundless – for neurodivergent business owners, live on 19 May 2025 – https://ndbusiness.co/free-webinar-burnout-to-boundless/ • Neurodivergent Business Collective – my membership for neurodivergent service-based business owners – https://ndbusiness.co/neurodivergent-business-collective/ • New webinar for Allied Health Practice Owners (including and especially for sole traders!) - Diversifying Revenue Streams – webinar on innovative business models – https://playlearnchat.com/webinar-diversifying-revenue-streams/ • Blog post + visual model of my “You can do hard things” framework – https://ndbusiness.co/podcast-30/ • Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business  

This episode is your permission slip to slow down, zoom out, and get strategic in a way that actually fits your neurodivergent brain. "This kind of deep, intentional work feels really different to business-as-usual wins. It’s quiet, slow, and sometimes flat, but I know it’s going to pay off. Rather than jump at all the little ideas I had for making the membership better, I decided to go slower, which was really hard to slow ADHD me down and not put all the ideas into place." - Adina Levy You’ll hear me sharing about: • What project time actually looked like for me, and why I’m now making it a non-negotiable • How I used member survey data and deep analysis to make clear, strategic decisions, and why you should do this too • The emotional reality of slow, intentional work when your brain craves fast wins • What’s changing in the Neurodivergent Business Collective and why I’m finally naming who it’s really for • How I’m using tools like body doubling and AI prompts to support focus, motivation, and accessibility LINKS • Neurodivergent Business Collective – Membership for service-based neurodivergent business owners – https://ndbusiness.co/neurodivergent-business-collective/ • Burnout to Boundless Webinar – Free session on 19 May – https://ndbusiness.co/free-webinar-burnout-to-boundless/ • Guest Speaker Pitch Form – Be a paid speaker in the Collective – https://forms.gle/X12nhVXsw4HhhHEz6 • Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business

Sharing the tech tools I actually use (and love) as an Autistic ADHDer running two businesses, how I use them and how they help me. "ADHD brain was struggling big time having too many different bits of information and too many spreadsheets, and the second I think, oh, I need to go and get that information from the other spreadsheet, I half open it up and I'd go on another side quest because I realized I needed to rename a file and move it over there. And suddenly I'm building an automation to move the file and I'm 10 steps away from where I needed to be." — Adina Levy You’ll hear me share about: The exact apps and systems that support both “autistic me” and “ADHD me” in staying focused, reducing burnout and getting the big stuff done How I’ve designed my business to match my energy levels, including clever hacks like colour-coded strategic goals and why I don’t book anything before 11am Why automations make my heart sing and how tools like ClickUp, Capsule CRM and Zapier help me focus on the human-ey parts of my work LINKS • Streamline Your Business for Time Freedom – on-demand course (use code POD20 for 20% off) – https://ndbusiness.co/streamline-your-business-course/ • Neurodivergent Business Collective – community for neurodivergent business owners – https://ndbusiness.co/neurodivergent-business-collective/ • 1:1 Coaching and Consulting – join the waitlist – https://ndbusiness.co/1-1-coaching-consulting/ • Explore Your Affirming Practice – free podcast training for Speech Therapists (through my other business, Play. Learn. Chat.) – https://playlearnchat.com/evolve-your-affirming-practice-free-training/   Watch on YouTube - (coming soon) Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business APPS & TOOLS I SHARED • Kit (ConvertKit) – email platform I actually enjoy using – https://partners.convertkit.com/r0q3orewj68e (my affiliate link) • Descript – audio and video editing via text – https://get.descript.com/zvedpapj40ai (my affiliate link) • Kajabi – course and membership platform – https://app.kajabi.com/r/jzpyZDkd (my affiliate link) • Capsule CRM – client and contact manager – https://get.capsulenow.io/1os7biho1bbe (my affiliate link) • ClickUp – project and task management – https://clickup.com • Google Chat – low-pressure team messaging – https://chat.google.com • Gmail – email platform with templates – https://mail.google.com • Help Scout – previous email support platform – https://www.helpscout.com • Xero – invoicing and bookkeeping software – https://xero.com • Acuity – client booking and payments – https://acuityscheduling.com • Google Sheets – flexible spreadsheets I adore – https://sheets.google.com • Momentum – browser-based Pomodoro timer – https://momentumdash.com • Zapier – automation tool to connect platforms – https://zapier.com • Make – visual automation for complex workflows – https://make.com • ChatGPT – my favourite AI thinking partner – https://chat.openai.com • Perplexity – alternative AI research assistant – https://perplexity.ai • Claude – another AI tool I explore – https://claude.ai • NotebookLM – Google tool for summarising docs – https://notebooklm.google • Gemini – Google’s AI assistant – https://gemini.google.com

In this episode, I share 3 quick ideas around how you can use streamlined processes and automations to make things easier for you in business if you experience RSD, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or if you're a people pleaser. The 3 tips I share are: Set clear policies & stick to them – Clearly define and communicate your policies on payments, cancellations, and boundaries so they are easy to enforce. Automate follow-ups & reminders – Use automation tools to handle invoice reminders, contract follow-ups, and other repetitive tasks to reduce emotional labour. Use email templates for tricky conversations – Save pre-written responses for common difficult situations to make saying no and setting boundaries easier.   LINKS: Need more help to streamline your business to fit your brain? My on-demand course Streamline your business for time freedom - get 20% off with code POD20! https://ndbusiness.co/streamline-your-business-course/    Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/RCG2n-9cqis Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business

Where is the Friction in Your Business? It’s easy to notice when things go wrong, but what about when they go right? In this episode, I explore how identifying friction points in your business, and eliminating them, can create a smoother, more successful, and more sustainable workflow. From automations to CRMs, I share the systems I’m refining in my own business and how you can do the same.   Key Takeaways: Identify friction in your business by tracking frustration points over a week Systems and automations can fill gaps where your brain doesn’t want to (or can’t) do the work A CRM can streamline cancellations, track customer journeys, and ensure no leads or opportunities are lost Small workflow tweaks, like linking customer profiles across platforms, can make a huge difference Noticing what is working well can help you replicate success across other areas of your business   LINKS: Neurodivergent Business Collective Waitlist – Join to access tools, resources, and community support – https://ndbusiness.co/neurodivergent-business-collective/ Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1YOJDg6wxQ  Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business

In today’s episode, I’m excited to share parts of a guest speaker chat from the Neurodivergent Business Collective. Our guest, Haylea, a late identified AuDHD psychologist and passionate advocate for neurodivergent individuals, discusses innovative accessibility, balancing creativity, team accommodations, and sustainable business growth. We dive into how to manage a small, thriving team of neurodivergent employees and explore personal strategies for maintaining balance between work and personal life, all while fostering a business that truly sees and hears its people. Haylea shares how her journey and experiences can provide shortcuts to those navigating similar paths.  If you want the full conversation and more insights, I mentioned my membership community for neurodivergent folks - Neurodivergent Business Collective - Hop on the waitlist here for the best offer when I open up! https://ndbusiness.co/neurodivergent-business-collective/  LINKS: Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2TlSAb6UrM Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business

In this episode, we're diving into email management for neurodivergent business owners. I've traditionally been really bad at this, but I've spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get better, automate, and shift my processes. If managing your inbox feels overwhelming, join me as I discuss ways to automate, systemise, and bring order to the chaos.   Key points:  I talk about my firm rule: treating the inbox as a to-do list, and why it works for me I'll share my journey toward inbox zero, the struggles along the way, and the expectations vs. the reality of managing multiple inboxes Tips on using autoresponders and quick fixes like filtering emails How to reduce incoming emails and streamline customer interactions Batching email responses or setting specific times for email management I mentioned my membership community for neurodivergent folks - Neurodivergent Business Collective - Doors are opening soon so hop on the waitlist here for the best offer when I open up! https://ndbusiness.co/neurodivergent-business-collective/    LINKS: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qEOpdplEnbI  Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business

This episode dives into why doing less can make your business more sustainable, enjoyable, and impactful. I share how curating, slowing down, and focusing can help you avoid burnout and align your business with your energy and needs. Key Points: Doing less allows you to focus deeply, build momentum, and improve consistency Automate, defer, or stop tasks to free up your time and energy Simplify your offers by selling fewer, more impactful products or services Curate your tasks and priorities to align with your capacity and fluctuating energy   Register for my free Aligned Action Reset Webinar - https://ndbusiness.co/aligned-action-reset-webinar/ Register for my Streamline and Automate Your Business (Use code POD10 for 10% OFF) - https://ndbusiness.co/streamline-your-business-course/ Learn more about my group coaching program Your Aligned Business Journey - https://ndbusiness.co/group-coaching/   LINKS: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EOxcsVnxRfo Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business

Reflections and a full breakdown of my recent promotion that was about to flop... I share how I saved the promotion with mindset shifts and strategy shifts mid-promotion, and ended up exceeding my revised goals!   Register for my free Aligned Action Reset Webinar - https://ndbusiness.co/aligned-action-reset-webinar/ Learn more about my group coaching program Your Aligned Business Journey - https://ndbusiness.co/group-coaching/   LINKS: Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/h-D-eY36N2c Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business   Check out my business buddy's incredible, creative jewellery business - Fairina Cheng Jewellery (that I mention in this episode!)

Sharing my 3-step process to help you move through overwhelm in your business.   Register for my free Aligned Action Reset Webinar - https://ndbusiness.co/aligned-action-reset-webinar/ Learn more about my group coaching program Your Aligned Business Journey - https://ndbusiness.co/group-coaching/   LINKS: Watch on YouTube Grab the transcript and listen on the blog - https://ndbusiness.co/podcast/ Follow me on Instagram @neurodivergent.business