What if the very things you were taught to hide turned out to be your greatest competitive advantage? In this episode, Melissa Vining sits down with Dave Thompson, a neuroinclusive workplace strategist and author of the new book, Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work. Dave shares his journey from being told to hide his ADHD and dyslexia to becoming an international leader in neuroinclusion. He challenges the traditional "accommodation" mindset and introduces the idea of "success enablers" that allow every brain to thrive.

Inside this Episode:

• The Hidden Toll of Masking: A look at the invisible weight of hiding your identity and what it really means to advocate for yourself and others.
• Managing Imposter Syndrome & RSD: Strategies for treating Imposter Syndrome and Rejection Sensitivity as "characters" in your mind rather than absolute truths.
• Neurodivergent Strengths: How traits like visual thinking, systems design, and resourcefulness are direct results of neurodivergent brain wiring.
• Success Enablers as Self-Advocacy: Why rebranding "accommodations" as "success enablers" (e.g., meeting transcripts, noise-canceling headphones) focuses on performance rather than deficits.
• The Future of the Workplace: How Gen Z's mandate for authenticity and the rise of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are transforming corporate culture.

Guest Bio:

Dave Thompson is an educator, strategist, and TEDx speaker who helps organizations better understand, hire, and empower neurodivergent professionals. An early-identified ADHDer and dyslexic thinker, he works to change systems that weren't designed with all of us in mind. At Vanderbilt University's Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Dave partners with researchers, employers, and advocates to turn awareness into action. His debut book, Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work, challenges leaders to rethink how work works and shows how inclusion fuels more innovative, productive, and engaged teams.

Learn More About Dave's Work:

https://www.brainstormneurodiversity.com/

Episode Timestamps:

01:03 – Meet Dave Thompson

03:17 – The Pygmalion Effect (high expectations = high outcomes)

05:26 – The disconnect between school support and workforce reality

07:24 – Dave's early career experience and decade of masking

12:28 – The "because of, not in spite of" shift

14:20 – Navigating disclosure in the workplace

16:21 – Imposter syndrome and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)

21:04 – Neurodivergent strengths

24:51 – Finding neuroinclusive employers

29:52 – Rebranding accommodations as "Success Enablers"

34:50 – The future of workplace neuroinclusion

37:41 – Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work

P.S. If you've found this episode helpful and want to support the podcast, ⁠buy me a coffee here⁠! Your support helps me keep creating content that helps high-performing misfits find work that fits.