Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people

Deborah Davis is the Founder and Owner of PUSHLivingPhotos.com, a company that aims to increase photos and imagery of people with disabilities in the tourism, leisure and lifestyle mediums. She is also an accomplished speaker, trainer and consultant on the topic of Positive Disability Inclusion. In this episode, Deborah shares what sets her company apart from other stock image providers, how she helps empower people with disabilities through photo modeling and income-earning opportunities, and how she aims to change the public's perception of disabilities and #ElevateDisability. Check out www.pushlivingphotos.com for authentic disability inclusive images and custom photography services, or contact Deborah at [email protected] or (866) 269-8335.

Kyle Elliott is the Career Coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com, where he helps people find jobs they LOVE (or at least tolerate). On this episode, he shares how his diverse background in health education, public administration, mental health and LGBT+ advocacy helped him develop a coaching practice to guide people through their careers, while encouraging them to care for themselves along the way. We also talk about Kyle's love of coffee (particularly Starbucks) and advice for being a good networker. Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn and visit his website www.caffeinatedkyle.com for a free 5 day job search course.

This episode features Sara Holoubek, the CEO and founder of Luminary Labs, a consultancy that develops strategies and innovation systems to help Fortune 500, government, and nonprofit organizations thrive in the face of change. Sara discusses Luminary Labs' groundbreaking work in open innovation, which brings together, guides and incents people and organizations to solve the "thorny problems that matter" in society, such as stemming chronic disease, closing the skills gap, rethinking the future of work, and using data to make smart cities safer. Sara writes and speaks extensively on the intersection of technology, innovation, and humanity. She has been recognized by LinkedIn as a 2017 Top Voice in Technology, Mashable as a female founder to watch, SmartCEO magazine as a 2017 New York Brava award winner, and PepsiCo WIN for her contributions to women in technology. Sara holds a B.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from HEC in France. You can learn more about Luminary Labs at www.luminary-labs.com, where you can also sign up for their weekly Lab Report newsletter, and follow Luminary Labs on Twitter @luminarylabs. Additionally, practitioners of open innovation can participate in Luminary Labs' Open Innovation Survey by emailing [email protected].

Lauren Magura is the founder of Cinematcher, a matchmaking app that enables diverse talent to hire and get hired for film, TV and digital projects instantly and globally. In this episode, Lauren shares how she got the inspiration to create Cinematcher, her skills that help her succeed as an entrepreneur, and how she is growing and diversifying Cinematcher's reach and impact. You can contact Lauren at [email protected], visit www.cinematcher.com to download the iOS app and sign up for their newsletter, and follow Cinematcher on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Christine Gritmon is the founder of her own social media consulting company, Christine Gritmon Inc., which helps small local businesses strategically connect with their community of customers where they already are: social media. Most of her clients are based in NY in Rockland County and Westchester County. On this podcast she shares how her previous 3 careers helped prepare her for business ownership, the hard lessons she learned during her first year in business, and how she has reenergized and strengthened her business in Year 2. You can contact Christine through her website christine.gritmon.com and on social media (of course!) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

What if you knew your true calling from an early age, but you were forbidden to pursue it? This was the situation that Barbara Monahan faced for most of her life, until a year of illness and loss fueled her to finally fulfill her life's purpose. On this podcast, Barbara shares her journey from Corporate to Cleric: how she made the transition from a long career in the corporate world to fulfill her true calling as a minister, spiritual director, author and coach. You can contact Barbara on LinkedIn and learn more about her book "Tattitude: Don't over think me" on Amazon.

What would you do if your greatest talents were suddenly taken away from you? My guest in this episode, Kristal Murren, had over a decade of experience in leading leaders, cultivating organizational cultures and training trainers -- then her successful career was interrupted by a car accident that turned her life upside down. Kristal will talk about what happened, how she reclaimed her old strengths and developed new strengths during her recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and how she found the courage to fulfill her lifelong purpose and inspire others. She will also share what she learned from her experience, through a process she calls "walking through hell and taking notes." You can reach Kristal at [email protected] or (717) 460-4795 or connect with her on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Yvonne Connolly shares her experience with ageism in her job search: what it looks like, the impact of ageism, and advice for dealing with age discrimination as a job seeker. She also talks about her #100DaysofHelp social media campaign to connect job seekers to employment opportunities, resources and support. Yvonne shares what she is looking for in her next role, and we discuss the importance of mentoring, company culture, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. If you would like to contact Yvonne, you can reach her on her cell phone at (215) 272-0324 or via email at [email protected] .

This episode features Anna Pilette, a Geophysicist and a Technologist out of Portland Oregon. Anna shares her experience working with robotics and drone technology, her thoughts on the future application of this technology, and how she brings her scientific experience together with her artistic interest through her art company, Atomic Dumpling Media. She is also looking for a role working with a drone manufacturer. Learn more about Anna at her website www.aspilette.com . Anna's bio: For over two decades, Anna's work has been focused on imaging things under the waterline. She has worked on a wide number of projects like locating shipwrecks, finding bombs, teaching law enforcement how to find bodies, and more mundane stuff like finding the problems with pipelines. Her work has taken her around the world on every type of marine and subsea project that exists. She's worked on every commercially based acoustic system, which were originally fixed, towed, and hull mounted sensors. Then, in 2008, she began working with autonomous vehicles. Since then, she's extended her work to include remotely operated vehicles and unmanned vehicles of every type. Today, Anna specializes in remote sensors though acoustics and optics based on unmanned vehicles.

This podcast features Fennie Wang from the ixo network, a nonprofit organization that uses blockchain technology to create social impact. A lawyer by trade, Fennie discusses how she pivoted her career from traditional securities law to blockchain, the impact of a chance introduction to Ross Ulbricht (the infamous founder of the Silk Road darkweb market), and how her latest project with UNICEF uses blockchain to improve attendance tracking in South African preschools. You can find more information about the ixo network at their website http://ixo.network/ and on Medium, Telegram and Slack.

This episode features Shobha Vanchiswar, a writer and artist in New York who is leveraging her talents to help children halfway around the world. Together with her daughter, niece and friends, she is supporting the education of HIV positive girls at an orphanage in India called Mukta Jivan. Shobha talks about how she first got started by bringing school supplies and money to the orphanage, then expanded her support to build and fund a music program there, and how she uses her artistic and writing talents to sustain the flow of funds and support for the children. You can learn more about Shobha's work with Mukta Jivan at her website www.seedsofdesign.com/the-lucky-ones/the-lucky-ones/ and visit her online store of handpainted botanical notecards, soft furnishings and fabrics at www.seedsofdesign.com/shop/ and www.seedsofdesign.com/shop/the-printed-garden-collection/ (proceeds from the sales are donated to Mukta Jivan).

How can a pair of spoons change people's lives and support a community? In today's episode, we answer these questions with Lynn Urlaub, the owner of Cuddle Spoons – the fun and functional spoons that are easy to hold and make adorable gifts for everyone! Lynn shares the story of how her partner Ken created Cuddle Spoons after he became disabled, how the spoons are helping people with disabilities feed themselves and be more independent, and how their business is raising funds to support the Houston community in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. A certified SCRUM master with extensive experience in office management and project management, Lynn also discusses her ongoing job search for a full-time job as an Office Manager in the Houston area. You can find more information about Cuddle Spoons at www.cuddlespoons.com , where you can also purchase the spoons directly. Cuddle Spoons is also helping to support Joyce & Adam Romero, a local Houston area couple who lost everything in the hurricane. If you would like to add a small donation to your Cuddle Spoons purchase to support Joyce & Adam, please email [email protected]. You may also donate directly to Joyce & Adam's Youcaring site at https://www.youcaring.com/joyceandadamromero-969666 .

This episode features Petal Pennycooke, the Founder and Chief Executive Right Hand of Executive Right Hand, a premium provider of support to C-suite executives who are in transition in their careers. Executive Right Hand offers a wide range of services tailored to the unique needs of its senior executive clients, making their career transitions seamless. We'll learn how Petal got the inspiration to start Executive Right Hand, how she is growing her business, what she has learned along the way, and how her business helps combat age discrimination (ageism) in the job market. You can find more information about Executive Right Hand at www.executiverighthand.com or on social media on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

First impressions can take only 6 seconds to make! But if you're neurodivergent, those quick judgments about you can be misleading. I'm Carolyn Kiel, and I host the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast. I interview neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creatives and advocates, including those who are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, have ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, and more. And, as an autistic person myself, I share my own story here as well. Together, we share our authentic neurodivergent lives – the triumphs, the struggles, and the change we're driving in the world. Let's shatter misconceptions, break stigma and celebrate neurodiversity together. Listen at beyond6seconds.net or wherever you get your podcasts. ----------------------------- Music credit: "Dream Catcher" by Gyom - PremiumBeat.com Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes! Click here for the transcript of this trailer episode. *Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.*