Career coach Alex Lahmeyer joins Brett Whitmarsh (The AuDHD Boss) to talk about finding a workplace where you can truly belong as a queer and neurodivergent professional — from navigating interviews to building inclusive Employee Resource Groups and sustaining psychological safety at work.

In this episode of The AuDHD Boss, Brett sits down with career coach and talent consultant Alex Lahmeyer (they/them) to explore how LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent professionals can find workplaces that honor who they are — not just what they do.

You’ll learn:

• How to spot psychological safety during an interview

• Smart questions to ask about inclusion and company culture

• How to start and sustain Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

• Why networking is really about community-building for neurodivergent brains

🔗 Connect with Alex: https://linktr.ee/boundlessarc
🔗 Follow Brett ( @AuDHDBoss ): audhdboss.com

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes on neurodiversity, leadership, and belonging in the corporate workplace.

After being laid off, I learned that you can’t skip the grieving process — especially when your work was tied to your identity.

In this episode, I share what it’s been like to process grief, burnout, and identity loss as an autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) leader after job loss. From losing community and structure to rediscovering creativity and unmasking, this is an honest look at what recovery really feels like.

🔹 Why layoffs hit differently for neurodivergent professionals
🔹 How burnout recovery overlaps with grief and self-worth
🔹 What happens when leadership identity disappears overnight
🔹 Finding rest, creativity, and new purpose after burnout

🎧 This episode pairs with a YouTube video and a written reflection on Substack — complete with a bonus “beach story” that didn’t go as planned!

➕ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@audhdboss
📝 Read the companion essay + bonus video: https://brettwhitmarsh.substack.com

I recently lost my job leaving me staring at a blank resume wondering “where do I even start?” — especially with an ADHD brain.

So I turned to career coach Liora Natania, founder of Colorful Futures, a neurodivergent queer-run HR and career consulting business. They bring a more holistic approach this job search process.

Liora has a background in recruitment and their company is dedicated to helping neurodivergent and queer professionals navigate job searching, career growth, and self-employment—without burnout, masking, or corporate BS. Specifically, Liora specializes in resume and LinkedIn optimization, interview prep, and job search strategy.

And that’s where we focus our conversation today. We talk about how to manage panic applying that chases dopamine, executive function walls we hit, and how to navigate AI with our resumes. I got so much out of this conversation with Liora and I am so excited to share it with you.

We explore:
✅ Why ADHD brains jump into urgency and panic applications
✅ Career discovery as the first step — not job boards
✅ Whether AI actually screens out resumes (and how to write for both AI and humans)
✅ Simple, ADHD-friendly resume strategies
✅ Networking without forcing small talk
✅ Building a job search routine that doesn’t destroy your nervous system

If you're navigating ADHD, burnout, job loss, or career confusion, this episode will help you restart with intention, clarity, and self-trust.

🎙️ Guest: Liora Natania, Career Coach | Colorful Futures
📍 Follow Liora: @colorfulfutures

👋 I’m Brett, The AuDHD Boss — helping neurodivergent professionals thrive at work without masking or burning out.
🔗 Coaching & newsletter: https://substack.com/@brettwhitmarsh

When an employee shares that they have ADHD or autism, how should a manager respond? What words build trust, and what words damage it?

In this episode, Brett — The AuDHD Boss — shares a manager’s guide to responding with empathy, professionalism, and support when someone discloses ADHD or autism at work. Drawing on 12+ years of leadership experience as an autistic manager with ADHD, Brett breaks down:

• ✅ What to say (and what NOT to say) when employees disclose ADHD or autism

• ✅ Why every ADHD and autistic experience is unique — and why curiosity matters

• ✅ Common mistakes managers make that harm trust and productivity

• ✅ How simple accommodations can improve performance for everyone

This episode is both a guide for managers and a resource for employees who want to share this with their bosses or HR teams. If you’re working toward a more inclusive workplace, this conversation will help.

🌐 More from Brett:

• Website → audhdboss.com

• Substack → brettwhitmarsh.substack.com

• YouTube → YouTube.com/@audhdboss

Stepping into management as an autistic professional with ADHD brought a unique mix of strengths—and a lot of anxiety. In this episode, I share my personal story of transitioning from individual contributor to manager, and how I faced professional anxiety, imposter syndrome, and the fear of letting others down.

We’ll explore:

• Why new managers often feel overwhelmed by expectations

• The push-and-pull between micromanaging and letting go

• How mentorship helped me move past defensiveness and imposter syndrome

• Practical tools I use to reduce professional anxiety as an autistic leader with ADHD

If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t “good enough” to lead, or you’re navigating management while neurodivergent, this conversation is for you.

👉 Subscribe for more real stories and strategies on leadership, ADHD, and autism in the workplace.

Links:

• Newsletter + blog: brettwhitmarsh.substack.com

• Coaching + resources: audhdboss.com

• Watch on YouTube: Audio Boss

  
  

  
  

  • ADHD in the workplace

  • Autism in the workplace

  • Autistic boss

  • ADHD leadership

  • Autistic leadership

  • Imposter syndrome at work

  • Professional anxiety

  • New manager anxiety

  • Neurodivergent manager

  • ADHD career growth

  • Autism career growth

  • AuDHD boss

  • Corporate leadership strategies

  • Mentorship and management

  • Overcoming workplace anxiety

  • Neurodiversity at work

  • Leadership for ADHD professionals

  • Leadership for autistic professionals

In this episode, I share my journey of coming out as queer and how it unexpectedly became the beginning of unmasking my autistic and ADHD identity. From growing up in a high-control religious environment to finding safety in the workplace, I talk about the challenges of masking, the fear of showing my true self, and the deep relief of self-acceptance.

You’ll hear how coming out helped me step into authenticity, what it taught me about masking and energy, and why creating safe spaces at work matters for neurodivergent professionals.

If you’ve ever struggled with masking, people-pleasing, or hiding parts of yourself, this conversation is for you.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to The AuDHD Boss for more episodes on ADHD, autism, and thriving as a neurodivergent professional.

📚 Resources mentioned in this video:Dr Neff's The Autistic Masking Workbook (from Neurodivergent Insights.com) *****USE CODE AUDHDBOSS***** FOR A DISCOUNT ON THE WORKBOOK more here: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/autistic-masking/autistic-masking/Autistic Burnout Workbook by Dr. Megan Anna Neff: https://bookshop.org/a/108800/9781507223062Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents:https://bookshop.org/a/108800/9781626251700Deconstruction and Coming Out Resources from Erica Smith, M. Ed:https://www.ericasmitheac.com/webinars-booksEmbrace Autism – https://embrace-autism.com/audhd-and-camouflaging/👉 Check out my full Autism Masking Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvgCuULIHenWGoJhC5GCubniGTuAt6TkT

In this episode, I explore autistic masking — what it is, why it happens, and how it impacts identity, mental health, and burnout. Drawing from Dr. Megan Anna Neff’s Autistic Burnout Workbook and research from Embrace Autism, I share definitions, examples, and personal insights from my own experience as a high masker. We talk about the conscious and unconscious ways autistic people adapt to fit in, the connection to ADHD camouflaging, and why masking can be both protective and exhausting.
Whether you’re autistic, ADHD, or supporting someone who masks, this conversation offers a deeper understanding and practical takeaways.

Be sure to use my code AUDHDBOSS for a discount on Dr. Neff's AutisticMasking Workbook : https://neurodivergentinsights.com/autistic-masking/autistic-masking/

What’s really happening when an autistic person has a meltdown or shutdown at work? In today's episode I am reviewing the differences between autistic meltdowns and shutdowns. In doing so, I am reading from Embrace Autism's blog on what meltdowns and shutdowns along with my experiences of these descriptions.

For more information on this topic read more from Embrace Autism's website here.

Please note this episode is audio-only this week.

I read from a newly updated Embrace Autism article that explains the BIMS profile: Burnout, Inertia, Meltdowns, and Shutdowns. Then, I share personal stories of how masking, miscommunication, executive dysfunction, and sensory overwhelm have triggered these experiences for me in real-time — sometimes in high-stakes workplace situations.

If you’ve ever struggled with emotional overload, gone completely silent in meetings, or felt deep shame after "losing it" at work — this episode is for you. You’ll also learn research-backed strategies for recognizing early signs, completing the stress cycle, and supporting recovery.

Topics in this episode include:

• Meltdowns vs shutdowns: what’s the difference?

• What overload looks like in the workplace

• How ADHD and masking contribute to dysregulation

• Shame and recovery after a shutdown or meltdown

• Tools to recognize early signs and self-regulate

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more episodes on neurodiversity at work, unmasking, burnout, and thriving as a professional with ADHD and autism.

🧠 Coaching + resources: https://audhdboss.com
📬 Subscribe to the newsletter: https://brettwhitmarsh.substack.com

#AutisticBurnout #ADHDAndAutism #MeltdownVsShutdown #NeurodivergentAtWork #AuDHD #Masking #ExecutiveDysfunction #WorkplaceAccommodations