Throughout our careers, many of us neurodivergent folks learn to mask in order to feel accepted, be seen as “professional” and avoid stressful misunderstandings and negative criticism.

Instead of feeling like we belong, we end up forcing ourselves to fit in.

Masking in the workplace might involve suppressing stims, forcing eye contact, scripting conversations with colleagues and clients, tolerating sensory triggers, hiding hyperactivity or overcompensating for our struggles with extreme or rigid behaviours.

All of this takes its toll on our energy and wellbeing, often leading to burnout as a result of increased stress and anxiety.

When we work for ourselves however, we have an opportunity to create a business that allows us to be the fullest most authentic version of ourselves – and yet, all those years of masking can be incredibly difficult to let go of.

So, how do we even START to unmask in business when there’s a whole load of fear and shame that might go along with it?

For our next roundtable, we’re joined by DeAnna Avis, an employee experience consultant and Founder of Starfish CX who is autistic and ADHD.

We’ll be discussing:

• Why do so many of us feel the need to mask our businesses?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of unmasking in our businesses?
• What practical steps can we take to unmask in business in a way that feels safe?

About our roundtable guest

DeAnna Avis is a brand strategist (who also happens to be autistic & ADHD!). She is the founder of Starfish CX, a brand experience consultancy that helps businesses find the small things that will make a big difference to their customers and employees. DeAnna also works 1:1 with founders, helping them build an unf*ckwithable brand strategy. She has won 7 awards for her work, however she is vehemently anti-bro-entrepreneurship, anti-influencer-culture and pro-selfless entrepreneurship. DeAnna is motivated by helping others have a big ripple effect and create a positive impact on the world through connecting with their purpose.

You can find her podcast, The Ambitious Misfits, on Spotify, and you can connect with her and join the Ambitious Misfits gang at www.deannaavis.com, and find out more about Starfish CX at www.starfishcx.com.

Who is this session for?

This roundtable is open to any business owners, leaders or aspiring entrepreneurs who identify as neurodivergent or suspect they might be neurodivergent as well as anyone who wants to learn more about neurodiversity and mental health.