Divine Enigma

Send us Fan Mail

Our guest today, Arije-Aike De Haas, is a YouTuber who is also dyslexic and has reached over 3 million people through his occupational content for dyslexics. He initially wrote about Video Education for Dyslexics during his M.A. but kept going since he got feedback from people who wanted to know more. He was hesitant to help people initially because he was unsure; however, he pushed himself because he understood the impact it would have on them. He now offers coaching for dyslexic adults.
Right from when he started learning to read, Arije noticed his learning differed from that of his mates. He also had to be given special attention to aid his learning in school, which showed him that he was not like other kids. Eventually, he was diagnosed at a centre in Holland and had regular visits to learn the fundamentals of living with Dyslexia. 

There are mental health issues linked to neurodiversity, one of which is Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). 

Arije offers tailored coaching to neurodiverse individuals, focusing on what has happened in their childhood. 

Sarah and Arije are working on a workshop titled "How to manage your dyslexia.
Arije recommends that anyone struggling with Dyslexia visit his YouTube channel and also his website to get a one-on-one session, with the first session being free.

● Arije’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@UC65Mimz3oyWA8NtpO_zQBVQ 
● Get a free one-on-one with Arije on his Website.
● Pay to join the membership at the special discounted price: https://neuroenigma.com 
● Visit Sarah’s website: https://divineenigma.org 
● Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/ 
● Connect with Sarah via email ([email protected]), YouTube (@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma) 
● Become a subscriber to the Divine Enigma community, with as low as $3 per month or $5 to promote the continuous availability of content to support neurodiverse individuals. 
● Workshop on How to manage your Dyslexia 20 March 2024 7 pm GMT 
https://hustling-experimenter-969.ck.page/b7d0b23348

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

Today's guest is the author of the book Black and Neurodiverse, Oluseyitan Ojedokun. Her book was partly inspired by some experiences growing up as a Nigerian. She realized there was inadequate information about blacks, so she decided to learn more about it and wrote a book. 

Seyi's parents were quite accepting and supportive when she got her diagnosis. She was continuously reminded to maximize the resources available to her, boosting her academic performance. Sarah's parents were worried about the stigma that would come with struggling in school, so they adopted private classes to support her. Sarah was diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADD in her twenties. 

Seyi's academic life was affected by her neurodiversity. In primary school, she was often treated as a special needs kid, which affected her confidence. Her performance in secondary school improved when she moved to a school with more diversity and inclusivity among teachers.

Seyi's book was targeted at two groups of people, the first being African families with neurodiversity who shy from these conversations due to the stigma. The second group includes other educators who primarily interact with kids.  

Seyi hopes to write a second book much later. Although she is now in the corporate world, she is working on a petition to get funding for schools to be equipped with resources to aid in the early diagnosis of neurodiversity. 

Navigating dating with neurodiversity is another hurdle that requires much intentionality and tact. This is still an ongoing process for Seyi, but she would instead withdraw from people offended by her neurodiversity.  

A membership platform is coming soon to provide people with Dyslexia and ADHD access to resources and experts to help them navigate work and life more efficiently.

●      Get Seyi’s book “Black and Neurodiverse” on Amazon 

●      Connect with Seyi on LinkedIn (Oluseyitan Ojedokun) and Instagram (@blackneurodiverse)

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

Statistics from the Competition Market Authority (CMA) reflect this same issue. CMA revealed that people from ethnic minorities got twelve per cent less pay compared to white men. There were ten major findings highlighted. First, there are positive changes in some gaps, but challenges persist. Secondly, the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in senior grades is a primary cause of the pay gap. Next, actions are focused on improving representation, career progression, and inclusivity. Also, the report uses various meshes like mean and median pay gaps, bonus gaps, and pay equalities. The report acknowledges the impact of competition specialists, ranging from digital data and technology, on the pay gap. Also, ethnicity pay gaps have reduced in some areas but increased in others.

About Portfolio Careers: Portfolio Careers comes from a place of hustle culture. As Sarah plans to work less on the corporate ladder in 2024, she has initiated plans to create a portfolio career to enable her to maintain a 9-to-5. Portfolio Careers can also maximize income, dabble in the corporate world occasionally, and still build assets. They offer protection from any unforeseen events in a typical job. 

However, having a typical 9-to-5 job is not necessarily bad, as there are positives, especially if the necessary support systems are present at the workplace. Also, it comes with less risk and pressure to see results in the business, unlike entrepreneurship. The time spent working these jobs can also be used to determine which entrepreneurship field would be the best fit.

Employers sometimes prefer workers who identify with their job role, but workers should try not to be defined by a job. They may possess other skills that they can tap into instead of simply identifying with one job role. Even for employers, embracing people with portfolio careers can help them to be more transparent. Besides, it is an extra source of income for most black professionals who are not paid enough, particularly to keep up with the cost of living. 

A membership platform is coming soon to provide people with Dyslexia and ADHD access to resources and experts to help them navigate work and life more efficiently. A waitlist is currently available with discounts, and listeners can visit the links in the resources to get access.

.

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode,  I sit with Adriana Girdler, the owner and Chief Efficiency Officer of Cornerstone Dynamics, as she discusses the MVP strategy, a tool to improve our ability to achieve our goals both career-wise and in other aspects of life.

Our guest today is Adriana Girdler, an expert in project management. Adriana's Ted talk on "The Power of Being Smart Lazy" highlights an approach to stop the "white noise" in life, consisting of several distractions that we don't realise are eating away at our time while pulling us away from our aspirations. 

Regarding AI's effect on project management, it should be noted that historically, we don't do a good job ethically with technology. With for-profit organizations developing AI, there is the concern of making decisions for the immediate gratification of money. That said, it does have benefits, so it will not be eliminated. Inevitably, there will be displacement with the advent of AI but government regulations are imperative. Interestingly, despite the advancements, there is still very little awareness of AI. 

The role of the project manager may change with the presence of AI but it will remain a necessary functional role nonetheless. There will be more strategic than tactical project management roles. Leadership, strategy, and critical thinking will be most required from project managers moving forward. 

Requirements for an amazing project manager: First, the SLAY project management course is perfect for project managers who want to increase their skills exponentially.

●      Adriana’s Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/_yK7CdWEN2g?si=LqWucH1E2PnpXo-o  

●      Adriana’s Mindfulness Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdmhb1dVRHYsvz3BiPH-Gd3n3PJYXsvJb&si=u_81h3qOPzrDiWzi   

●      Visioning for Success: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdmhb1dVRHYu399y3R_cA_kzccepgw9_Q&si=Ry7f5oV_3wNh2ooI  

●      Adriana’s SLAY project management course: https://adrianagirdler.thinkific.com/courses/slaypm 

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

Today's conversation focuses on the relationship between our Christian Faith and neurodiversity. While neurodiversity is often seen in a negative light, it is important to view it through the lens of the scriptures. One of these is Psalms 139:14 which says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Despite this, neurodiverse people find it difficult to fit in with society, especially because neurodiversity itself can be a stumbling block to carrying out activities. That said, these problems can be surmounted and should not be seen as a determinant of failure if people can look past their neurodiversity. Sarah also does this by focusing on her drive to help people rather than her neurodiversity. 

Another scripture is Jeremiah 1:5, which says before God formed us in the womb, He knew us. This means God has a plan for everyone and a person's neurodiversity is not a mistake. Hence, it is up to each person to navigate their neurodiversity to figure out their purpose. It may take some time but no matter the problem, the solution will reveal itself. 

There is also a need for organizations to make provision for neurodiverse professionals through adequate resources and offering concessions where necessary to allow productivity. Rather than avoid neurodivergent professionals, we should appreciate the variety that they bring to the workplace and their thinking patterns. Unfortunately, the drive for profits often supersedes the motivation to support these professionals. 

Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management and take the PRINCE2 practitioner exam. A one-hour free session which can be booked via email .

Coming soon! my dyslexia and ADHD membership platform! Please sign up! and complete my survey to ensure I am giving you the best content and resources - https://forms.gle/MV71dz2GodNfmQJU6

[Disclaimer: These are my personal thoughts and opinions and not facts - and people should speak to a care professional if they need support with their neurodiverse condition through any of the resources below]

www.lexxic.com  

https://neurotribe.uk

https://neurodiversity-specialists.co.uk/about/meet-the-team/

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

Our guest today is Andrew Mcdonald, a neurodivergent copywriter who helps other neurodivergent professionals launch and scale their businesses through marketing campaigns. 

A major part of Andrew's work involves considering the personalities of the people he works with. For his neurodiversity which includes OCD, trauma, and Rejection Sensitivity Disorder, it is more challenging to use cold emailing because of the large number of negative responses that come with it. 

The first requirement in building a mailing list is having a lead magnet using something that can be offered for free which also has value to potential clients but requires them to offer their email addresses. 

Understandably, a lot of neurodivergent professionals struggle with finding the confidence to start a business because of the stigma and negativity often ascribed to their neurodiversity. 

Delegating certain roles in the business to better-suited professionals can accelerate growth because it gives the entrepreneur more time to double down on aspects that are within their strengths. 

Despite the challenges neurodiverse people face, one of the common strengths of neurodivergent professionals is the ability to build communities around their businesses organically. 

The problem of stigma still lingers generally and is persistently at the back of the minds of neurodivergent professionals. This leads to fear of disclosing their neurodiversity. 

Andrew has CPTSD which means Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It continuously affects thought processes in everyday life unlike PTSD which is linked more to triggers in high-anxiety situations where previously experienced danger seems present. 

For neurodiverse professionals who want to build enough confidence to start a business, it is advisable to break big goals into smaller achievable goals.  Growing slowly over time and taking notes of these small achievements helps to build the confidence to face bigger ones. 

One of the negative aspects of Andrew’s neurodiversity is difficulty with cold emailing as a result of low confidence, however, he was able to turn this into a positive by figuring out a solution for other clients, and has also taken up opportunities to be a guest on podcasts as a means to build connections.

●      Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

Andrew's free book/website to help neurodivergent entrepreneurs build a marketing 

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

A Joint venture is a business entity involving two or more parties where the returns risk and governance are shared between all the members involved. Profits are also shared often depending on the percentage of capital initially invested by the parties. The venture may later add more investors. 

Before starting a joint venture, it is paramount to keep four major considerations in view. The first of these is Careful Planning; assess whether it is the best way to achieve your goals using a SWOT Analysis to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This may be done alongside the business partner. Second is Open Communication; this helps to confirm that all stakeholders understand the basics of a joint venture agreement, including goals, resources, deal duration, and others. In-person meetings and virtual meetings can be interchanged depending on the arrangement.

Next is Building Trust in the partnership; it may be fostered through transparency with information and clearly established performance metrics, all of which reduce unnecessary suspicion among partners. Lastly, Flexibility and adaptability can be very beneficial in creating room for opinions to be voiced and compromises to be made. Regular reviews of operations reveal room for improvement as well as opportunities for change while keeping in mind the legal and financial aspects of the venture. Note that the actions of partners can have a huge impact on the business and other partners. 

Gatekeeping means deliberately restricting valuable information or opportunities to a few select individuals who meet predetermined criteria.  Unfortunately, very often the same demographic groups are subject to gatekeeping even outside their professional lives but this stifles innovation, diminishes diversity, and promotes inequality. 

Gatekeeping affects the neurodivergent community as they are often excluded from access to critical resources and this also limits their ability to contribute. As a result, individual progress is hampered while groundbreaking ideas are obstructed. 

Intersectionality is the interconnection between one social characterization and disability as well as how their identities create privileges or disadvantages. Sarah has had to navigate through biases and prejudices that affect opportunities for growth in the workplace. 

Starting your business requires planning, commitment, and risk management. Hence, the importance of vigilance, thorough research, and getting professional advice cannot be overemphasized. 

Sarah is a prosperity coach for both neurotypical and neurodiverse people. Solely relying on traditional employment may have disadvantages, especially for neurodiverse professionals due to the multiple layers of challenges that may result in career trauma affecting their ability to grow in the workplace.

Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management and take the PRINCE2 practitioner exam.

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Subscriber-only episode

Send us a text

There are eight principles to be applied in DSDM. The first principle to be discussed is "Focus on business needs". The project manager must ensure that members of the project team understand business priorities using MoSCoW (Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, and Won't have) both during and after the foundation, with necessary adjustments made as solutions are created. MoSCoW should also be followed throughout each time box. 

Delivering a solution on time is often the most important success factor,especially when market opportunities are involved. Hence, the project manager should ensure team members timebox the work while focusing on business priorities that have been set. Progress is measured by what is delivered in the allowed time, not how long it takes. 

Teams with active cooperation perform better than teams that work in loose association. Collaboration increases understanding and speed so the project manager should ensure team members behave collaboratively by involving the right stakeholders at the right time. 

Poor communication is often the biggest cause of project failure. DSDM practices improve effective communication and should be employed by the project manager to enable anyone to keep informed of activities by making these DSDM practices visible.
Demonstrate control; It is necessary to control the solution being created at all times. To show this, the project manager must ensure the team makes plans in progression visible to all. Progress should be measured with a focus on the delivery of products rather than merely completing activities. 

The business sponsor is the most senior project-level role. This role is specifically responsible for this business case and project budget. 

The business visionary is a senior role that should be held by a single individual to avoid confusion on the project vision. 

The technical coordinator ensures that the solution technical role works consistently such that the project is technically coherent and meets desired standards. 

Certain relationships should be addressed by the project manager. The first is the relationship between the project manager and the business sponsor; it is vital that the ownership of the project remains with the business sponsor, and this responsibility must be understood. 

Another relationship is between the project manager and the business visionary; these two and the technical coordinator, are equal in authority. 

The project manager a

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338) Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
● Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching: https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook Producer & Host: Sarah
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I feature  Onyinye Udokporo, a successful neurodiversity consultant who is also thriving as an entrepreneur, a speaker, an author, and in several other fields.
Our guest today is Onyinye Udokporo, an entrepreneur, an educator, a dyslexic author, a neurodiversity consultant, and a content creator. She started tutoring classes at 12, which has now grown into one of her full-time businesses, Enrich Learning, aimed at facilitating learning in children and young people. Her other business is focused on creating neuro-inclusive safe spaces for neurodivergent people. Onyinye is now a columnist for Business Leader Magazine.
Being black and neurodivergent is possibly the most complicated intersection for several reasons. These reasons include the general issues facing blacks, like the systemic racism restricting them from certain opportunities, the pressure to always be the best, religious beliefs in black communities, and the stigma that stems from a poor understanding of neurodiversity. As a result, black people are less represented in addressing this intersection.
While many workplaces are sluggish in making their environments suitable for neurodiversity, mounting pressure on them may not be the best approach.
Onyinye gave a talk at TEDx Winchester on "How neurodiversity enables phenomenal entrepreneurs" which was the most challenging talk she has had to give, particularly because of the approach speakers are required to adopt for TEDx talks. The experience was a major success and an opportunity to grow for Onyinye. These successes are helping to achieve her goal of encouraging neurodiverse people around her, and hopefully all over the world, especially her roots in Africa. She has also authored the book "Dyslexia & Me - How to Survive and Thrive if You're Neurodivergent".
Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management and take the PRINCE2 practitioner exam.

Resources Mentioned
●      Get Onyinye’s book; "Dyslexia & Me - How to Survive and Thrive if You're Neurodivergent" on Amazon
●      Connect with Onyinye on LinkedIn: Onyinye Udokporo
●      Other platforms to reach out to Onyinye: Instagram / Twitter / Her Website
●      Check out Onyinye’s tips on how to study efficiently being neurodivergent (YouTube) YouTube

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

Send us Fan Mail

Today's guest is Patience Udonsi, a lecturer in Learning Disability Nursing and Social Work at the University of Salford, Manchester. Her research interest includes neurodivergence and she has experience working with neurodiverse individuals. 

The theory of intersectionality started based on findings that the treatment of black women was different from the treatment of white women such that even though there were interventions aimed at helping women generally, white women benefited more from such interventions. This also plays out in neurodiversity where a white neurodivergent male will face a milder set of challenges than a black neurodivergent female who is at risk of discrimination based on her race and gender added to her neurodiversity. This is because most spaces are not built to accommodate these identities, hence the experience is largely negative. 

Notably, the problem is largely a structural one that trickles down into different aspects of society as a whole. An example is structural racism. Research has shown that organizations that try to address racism will by the same methods address other forms of discrimination. 

Patience has worked with a young autistic boy who had ended up assaulting another kid when he was overwhelmed by noise hypersensitivity. Unfortunately, the boy's parents had very minimal education on his condition and the organization supposed to offer assistance had a rather poor understanding of his neurodiversity and as such, worked with an inadequate assessment of his behavior since he could not communicate efficiently.

This intersectionality also played out for Sarah who was advised not to divulge her neurodivergence in school so as not to add to the already existing challenges of racial discrimination. However, in many cases, hiding neurodiversity makes it almost impossible to get the right kind of needed support. 

While people and institutions are more amenable to making adjustments in cases of obvious disabilities, they are often reluctant to recognize neurodiversity and make changes. 

Neurodiversity alone comes with a richness of diversity in thinking and approach to life which makes the world interesting. 

Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management and take the PRINCE2 practitioner exam. 

YouTube episode - https://youtu.be/VPT66PqqCz4

●      Connect with Sarah on Instagram: @divineenigma

●      Connect with Patience  via [email protected]

Ted Talk Kimberlé Crenshaw
https://youtu.be/akOe5-UsQ2o

●      Learn about being Neuroqueer from Nick Walker on his website and YouTube

●      Check out Dr. Nick Walker’s video on Ethics of the Neurodiversity Paradigm

Support the show

Join, support, and access exclusive episodes now.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083560/subscribe
(@divineenigma338)  Instagram (@divineenigma)

please complete the form before you book
●      Join Sarah’s 6-week coaching:  https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/

Join Today!
NeuroEnigma Membership
if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook  Producer & Host: Sarah 
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky