In our latest podcast episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Vasquez, a seasoned professional with a unique perspective shaped by her experiences in AI, marketing, and communication. But what sets Sarah apart is her journey with neurodiversity, particularly ADHD, which she openly shares, offering invaluable insights into resilience and transformation.
Sarah's story is about entrepreneurship, personal growth, and navigating neurodivergence and ADHD. She bravely shares her challenges, from executive dysfunction to overcoming creative blocks, and discusses how she uses digital tools and strategic delegation to enhance efficiency. Sarah's advice is invaluable for those on similar journeys, emphasizing the power of community and connection, especially on social media platforms.
As a leader, Sarah's narrative is both protective and empowering. She advocates for creating supportive environments, drawing from her experiences amidst personal challenges. Through her story, Sarah not only offers comfort but also practical strategies for building collaborative and flexible workplaces, particularly in the context of ADHD. Ultimately, she redefines what it means to be an effective and inclusive leader in today's world.
Are you in need of any assistance? Are you tired and running out of time? It's time to start looking for a virtual assistant! Learn how to get your freedom and life back by visiting smartvirtualassistants.com
Be part of our Facebook community page for entrepreneurs who want to become a master delegator.
In our latest podcast episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Vasquez, a seasoned professional with a unique perspective shaped by her experiences in AI, marketing, and communication. But what sets Sarah apart is her journey with neurodiversity, particularly ADHD, which she openly shares, offering invaluable insights into resilience and transformation.
Sarah's story is about entrepreneurship, personal growth, and navigating neurodivergence and ADHD. She bravely shares her challenges, from executive dysfunction to overcoming creative blocks, and discusses how she uses digital tools and strategic delegation to enhance efficiency. Sarah's advice is invaluable for those on similar journeys, emphasizing the power of community and connection, especially on social media platforms.
As a leader, Sarah's narrative is both protective and empowering. She advocates for creating supportive environments, drawing from her experiences amidst personal challenges. Through her story, Sarah not only offers comfort but also practical strategies for building collaborative and flexible workplaces, particularly in the context of ADHD. Ultimately, she redefines what it means to be an effective and inclusive leader in today's world.
Are you in need of any assistance? Are you tired and running out of time? It's time to start looking for a virtual assistant! Learn how to get your freedom and life back by visiting smartvirtualassistants.com
Be part of our Facebook community page for entrepreneurs who want to become a master delegator.
So neurodivergence is going to be things that are brains that just work a little bit differently, or a lot differently, depending on how spicy that expression is but that's things like autism spectrum disorder, adhd, and actually I don't want to say autism spectrum disorder, I just want to say autism spectrum, because I don't like thinking of it as a disorder, because it's not actually a disorder. It's what I believe is an evolved brain. So, anyway, autism, adhd, ocd, dyslexia, these sorts of things that we've always thought of kind of as learning disabilities or mental handicaps. They're not actually. It's just the world has not been set up for those people to succeed.
Speaker 2:
Hey, hey, hey. Welcome to master delegator podcast, the podcast that unveils the secrets of effective delegation and productivity for business growth. My name is Christy Yoder, ceo of SmartVAs and Meet5StarVAs, and your podcast host. Can I tell you a secret? I am obsessed with teamwork and delegation. I consider myself a lazy entrepreneur, not because I don't like working, but because I always find ways to do things in the most effective and easiest way. I was born and raised in Manila, philippines, moved to the States and grew my agency from one person to more than 70 plus team members. As of this recording, I was able to grow my business 10 times more after I hired my first virtual assistant within three months. Together with my team, we have helped more than 300 stress and overwhelm business owners scale their businesses by delegating to virtual assistants, and that's why my goal in this podcast show is to help you grow your business by giving you fresh perspectives on delegation, outsourcing, hiring virtual assistants and up to date proven business strategies, and teaching you how to scale your business while leaving a freedom filled lifestyle. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur or someone striving for peak efficiency, this podcast is your go-to resource. We bring you insights from industry experts, successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders who have mastered the skill of delegation. If you are ready to elevate your productivity and achieve more by doing less, you're in the right place. Subscribe to Master Delegator on your favorite podcast platform and join our community of proactive delegators. Now let's get started on the path to becoming a true master of delegation.
Speaker 2:
Hey, welcome to the Master Delegator podcast. I'm so excited to introduce Sarah Garrett-Basquez. She is the lead at ADD Alchemist Agency and CMO of Victory. Sarah is a luminary in the fields of AI in marketing, strategic communication and neuro-inclusivity advocacy. Her innovative approach to advertising and her commitment to empowering neuro-day virgin professionals have set new standards in the industry. Today, she is here to share her valuable insights on delegation and strategic communication. Hey, sarah, I'm excited to have you on the podcast. We've already talked so much about what we're going to talk about now that we're recording, and I'm so, so excited to learn from you today, so before we dive in. So you are an expert in strategic communication and you are also expert in multicultural communications and you are an advocate for neuro-inclusivity, so I want people to know who you are, so let tell me about your story.
Speaker 1:
Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to start. I grew up in a family business, so I have been steeped in watching the struggles of that and the successes of that and the pivots that come with entrepreneurship. In fact, my family has a long line of serial entrepreneurs in it that just are resilient and I think that's part of what has shaped my path. I went to school for well, I got my undergrad in European studies and ended up not using that at all for a long time because I began a business as a photographer and started doing that and then that grew into me eventually having a studio like a brick and mortar studio in Seattle and teaching. And I got really at conferences and things industry conferences and I had a name for myself in the industry.
Speaker 1:
But I got really jaded and felt very disjointed with where the portrait industry was at that time and felt like it was inauthentic. I was having to just sell to the moms and make the moms feel like they were beautiful in a magazine and it just felt gross. You know, I got tired of telling women how beautiful they were, only to hear them tell me, oh, I look fat in this or whatever. From there I said, okay, no more of this, and began building a portfolio to pivot to commercial marketing Sorry, commercial photography and did that for a bit, began to build a client list with fashion and beauty work, and did that for a while until I realized, oh my gosh, I'm contributing to my own trauma here. Right, like the way that women are marketed to is so traumatic and really does leave generational trauma that we don't realize we're passing on. And it's like the call was coming from inside the house the whole time. You know like we are participating in it as much. And so I had this existential crisis where I was like I can't, I can't make this change as a photographer. So then I pivoted to marketing and then I was doing freelance marketing and communications with brands, primarily centered around social media and digital marketing things and bringing photography and brand assets into that.
Speaker 1:
And then the pandemic happened and then all everything dried up, because you know, all freelance work dried up at that time. Businesses, you know, failed and was terrible. I'm talking to an audience of entrepreneurs, I know you all know what I'm talking about. So I had another existential crisis and decided to go back to grad school and got my degree during the pandemic and strategic communications and it was really the culminating piece of everything that I'd been building my whole career and not realizing that I was putting these things together because it felt very disjointed, right, like it didn't feel like any of these things connected. But in the end it turns out that it's made me who I am today, which is a person that has a very unique feel set and a very different perspective. It's trained my brain both in creative and in the analytics and then, like I've got the entrepreneurial spirit in my DNA. I was not even realizing it. I was marketing for my parents and doing that when I was a small child, just entertaining customers while they were getting their prescriptions filled. So that's kind of where that landed.
Speaker 1:
And then I was working in ad agencies after I got my degree and ended up leaving there and joining a startup which is centered around being shamelessly comfortable in your body and empowering women, especially within the workplace, and it started out as being what we call a brahless, no-nip tea and it was like fashion-y, right, and it is. It's super cute, it's super versatile, it's great, it fits right into that quiet, luxury vibe. But then we realized that, hey, this is really great, not just as a t-shirt, like there's a whole community that really needs this. And so then we realized, hey, let's talk to the neurodivergent community, because part of what my business partner and I do for our company, victory, is make sure that everything from the ground up within our company is neurodivergent friendly. So if you've got ADHD, autism, ocd, like any brains that just think a little bit differently, we want to set it up so that everybody feels empowered and everybody feels feeding and included and enabled to lean into their strengths and be supported in their weaknesses. I love that, yeah. So that is where my current agency was born.
Speaker 1:
Out of that, we've realized we've built this company on this and now it's time to share not just what we're doing with our products but with our company, with other businesses, and enable them to either consult with the ad alchemist, which is my current venture, as somebody that hey, basically think of me as a marketing fixer. Right, like you, come hire us as your fixer for PR, advertising, anything that you have struggles with, because your marketing challenges, your brand challenges, are actually hidden opportunities, and that's where the name comes from. It's taking the things that should be spelling out a death sentence and turning them into something that allows you to grow your company and really better align with your audience. It turns it into a golden opportunity, and so that's kind of what it is right Like.
Speaker 1:
I take problems and I translate them into growth for your company and from that there's lots of ways that that can go. But that's kind of where I'm at today and it's I do a lot of delegating within that, because I stay at the top level and then I bring all the other people that I have trusted relationships across my career in and hire them because I want to find the right match for the right company for the right problem. And I also recognize that sometimes I'm not the person to tell that story right, like I can't tell a unique story that I've not lived authentically and well in a way that can resonate with the person that needs to hear it. So I go out and I seek the people that can tell those stories and I get them to give me their insights and help me do the work to bring it all together and make it cohesive.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that. And you are an advocate of neuro inclusivity? Yes, tell me about that, because you know, like I told you before, before hopping on this recording Zoom call, I went to Google and I googled what is neuro divergent, you know, I don't even know the exact term, and then Google told me what it is, so I'm pretty sure our listeners may not know what it is about.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely, absolutely, and that is the thing that I commonly hear, and that's part of the reason that I keep using the word, even though people don't know what it is, because it gives me the opportunity to help them know what it is. So, if you Google neuro divergent or, better yet, look it up on TikTok, because there's a whole bunch of actual neuro divergent people on TikTok talking about it yeah, so neuro divergence is going to be things that are brains that just work a little bit differently, or a lot differently, depending on how feisty that expression is. But that's things like autism spectrum disorder, adhd, and actually I don't want to say autism spectrum disorder, I just want to say autism spectrum, because I don't like thinking of it as a disorder, because it's not actually a disorder. It's what I believe is an evolved brain.
Speaker 1:
So, anyway, autism, adhd, ocd, dyslexia, these sorts of things, things that we've always thought of kind of as learning disabilities or mental handicaps. They're not actually. It's just the world has not been set up for those people to succeed, for people like me to succeed, and my career has been marked with struggle after struggle after struggle with this that I've been forced to overcome just because of my personality. I don't. I don't like being told no, and so I find continual ways to pivot until I'm told yes. And so that's kind of what this has come from, and it's real. It's me realizing that it's. We all create series of processes around what we do, how we move through the world. Maybe we think of them as quirks, but maybe it's just our brain thinking differently and yeah, so those sorts of things that they can be challenges, right, like executive dysfunction.
Speaker 1:
I can talk about that because that's one that I really super struggle with and this will actually align really well with talking about delegation, because this is where I have to lean into my team a lot. So two things that I struggle with. I struggle with what I call the blank canvas. So my brain has a hard time with starting out with nothing because I have so many things going in my head all the time, like it just doesn't stop, like I just my brain gets so bogged down that I just like I can't even figure out where to start and then I get in kind of a buffering loop. You know, like when you get the spinny wheel on your computer and it's like hang on, I'm thinking that's how it feels. And so one way I combat that is to do things like I create templates for myself.
Speaker 1:
Whenever I have an idea that makes sense or doesn't make sense, I still write it down and then when I get the inspiration, I put it in a document and I've got a very digital order.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I've got a lot. I've got a lot of documents in my Google Drive because I know I can come back to it later when I do have brain space for it. Or like oh okay, I've got this over here, I can pull from that document. And now I'm not starting with a blank canvas, but then the executive function part. Once I get past that, I I can see the forest through the trees and Be able to see that 35,000 foot view, but also, like I see every little detail, which means I'm able to quickly see a path and Sometimes I'm even able to execute on that path very quickly. But then there are days when I can see the path and that gets overwhelming and and my brain shuts down and I have to think about okay, I can't do this all on my own and, coming from an entrepreneurial background where I wore all the hats for a long time, you know, I was the CEO and the marketer and the Bookkeeper and the one doing the actual work.
Speaker 1:
You know, like like I was doing all of it, and then that becomes very Overwhelming and you just get stuck in this place of I don't know what to do here. And that's where delegation comes in right. You've got to figure out where to let go of things, and sometimes, when you're In an earlier place in your business, you don't have the resources to do that. Maybe you don't have a team, maybe it is just you. And then you have to be able to Figure out ways that you can create processes for yourself that allow you to get to a place where you can scale so you can delegate. And then, once you get to the place where you can Scale and delegate, you have to learn to be able to let go of those things, and that's actually very hard.
Speaker 1:
It's very hard to not Think of yourself as a failure or like you're putting too much on somebody else or I'm not doing my job Because you can't do it all. Right. Like you can't do it all. Everybody, even Beyonce, only has 24 hours in a day. I don't like to say and you know like she gets so much done. Rome wasn't built in a day. There were all of those people that bring the Roman Empire into it. Everyone talks about that, right, so it's just you have to have a team or Build your network so that you have people that you can trade services with, until you can get to a place where you have a team.
Speaker 2:
I totally agree.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and when that happens, that's where it's easier for me to be like, okay, I've got, I've got all these pieces, because in there a lot of days my biggest struggle Is actually hitting send, buttoning up a project, like I can have it done and have all the pieces there, but I get stuck in refinement mode and just refine, refine, refine and oh, it's not perfect.
Speaker 1:
It's not perfect and that's what I have to just say Okay, I think it's, I think it might be done, but I need more eyes on this and just pass it off to somebody else, because otherwise it'll never get done. And it's like, as soon as you can get that external validation of nope, this is good enough stamp of approval, then it's. I don't know, that's that's my expression of neurodivergence. Yeah, you know there are many different Ways, but that's that's just one example of it. And so anybody that's curious, if any of that sounds like oh man, that sounds familiar. Um, I would really encourage you to go down the rabbit hole, especially, like I said, on tiktok, or, if you're not on tiktok, reels on instagram would be a good one, where you can find there are so many people talking about this. Um, and, honestly, this is this is one way that I figured out that I had autism.
Speaker 1:
I lived my entire life up till 35. That was just two years ago, um, undiagnosed with ADHD. And then, how did you get diagnosed? I went to a doctor and I said I think I have this, and they put me through the Questions and the things that like, oh no, you, you definitely have this. And so then I started taking medication for a while.
Speaker 1:
Um, I actually don't take medication for any of it now because, uh, I've found ways to accept it and live with it. And, yeah, it's still a struggle. But I found that the medication that uh, you know stimulants that are typically prescribed for ADHD While they work, the crash that comes afterwards I mean, it's a bandaid to a problem it doesn't solve anything is what it is. So, um, I still Might use those on occasion if I'm really like, okay, I can't and I have to push my body. But I've also realized there's a cost that comes with that and I'm not really willing to pay that cost back so much anymore. And I just have learned to give myself grace and, like I said, create processes around it so that I know, when I have bad brain days, as I call them, um, I still have a way to move forward or pass it off to somebody where they have instructions on how to move forward.
Speaker 2:
I love that. Hey, are you sick and tired of being overwhelmed because you are doing everything alone in your business and can't scale because you don't have a team supporting you? Well, you don't have to worry anymore, because smart VAs can provide you with a team of experience virtual assistants that can do different tasks to support your growth From admin to bookkeeping, to social media, video and podcast editing to website graphics, SEO and customer service. Smart VA's team can help you grow your business without any worries or stress from all the tasks weighing down on you. If you are a busy entrepreneur who needs help with your day-to-day tasks so you can focus on growing your business, then you have to visit smartvirtualassistancecom. So, as an entrepreneur and as a leader who's in the autism and ADHD spectrum, how do you delegate? It must be hard.
Speaker 1:
It is a little bit hard for me because I have this thing I don't like feeling perceived if I'm not in a place where I feel prepared to be perceived. What I mean by perceived is I'm constantly noticing everything around me all the time and it's a bombardment of sensory information. So most of my life I assumed everybody else had the same thing going on and that built a lot of insecurities in me. I don't actually care about that thing, about that person over there, but I definitely notice that about them. That means they're noticing all these tiny little things that I do Anytime I'm extra, clicking my pen or feeling like I'm doing what they call stimming in autism, which is like those nervous habit kind of things can't sit. Still, that kind of stuff, if I'm usually pretty good at masking that and being able to not, but that takes a lot of effort.
Speaker 1:
So, if I'm in a meeting or a phone call or something like that and I'm not prepared to be on camera, then I might just say, hey, I'm neurodivergent and it's hard for me to focus if I'm on camera. Do you mind if I stay off? Or I might not even ask, depending on the day. Sometimes I'm just like, sorry, I'm neurodivergent, I'm having a rough brain day to day and I'm just going to be off camera. But I'm here and I'm focused because otherwise I have to. It's like my brain has to choose between focusing on what's happening in front of me or focusing on making sure that people know that I'm sitting there yes, nodding, paying attention, that kind of stuff. So a lot of it just looks like me being vulnerable and sometimes uncomfortable and sitting in that discomfort and telling people I'm sorry, I'm not really in a space for this right now.
Speaker 1:
My brain is struggling with this. Could you help me with that and bless my business partner's heart? She has really taken up the mantle of asking me like hey, how can I support you in this? I see you're struggling, or do you just need to vent? Or do you need support? And if you do, let me know how. And if you don't know how we can figure that out.
Speaker 1:
So there's delegation there, but also it's having built up a network and been very conscious about building up a network that I also keep open to all of my clients and all of my network. If I can make connections for someone, I'm happy to do that, no strings attached and assuming that it's a good situation. But that's kind of what a lot of it looks like and I think because I have this reputation of being so open and owning my flaws but still being true to my word, I think I would like to think that it allows people to operate in more of a state of grace and comfort in their own space, where they feel like they can be more themselves around me, which allows me to ask them for small favors or things like that, and maybe I'm overthinking it, but that's how it works in my brain, which I guess, is what you're wanting to know anyway, right?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, exactly, exactly. I love that. I think that's where a lot of people can relate to that. So, as you're like growing your business, or as you're developing yourself as a leader, how did you manage to delegate, knowing that it's going to be hard for you?
Speaker 1:
I think I would actually like to go back and talk about my time as a photography studio owner, because I think that this might be really valuable to some business owners here. I'm imagining there's probably a lot of small to medium-sized business owners listening, and I want you to know that, even if it's just you. So I was right. Now I'm a single mom of four. At the time I was a mom of two and then three in a not good marriage. It was a very mentally and emotionally abusive marriage and a lot of psychological games going on which meant I didn't have any confidence in myself, and so I felt like I was constantly having to prove myself. So I want first a message to go out to everybody saying like you've got this and you're more than capable, and there are ways out and ways to collaborate that don't actually cost money, where you can just build your local network right. So if you've got a brick and mortar business, think about who your client is and then think about or your customer, because this is what I did. This is what I did with my photography business. I was a children's and family portrait photographer with a very specific niche. I created concept portraits around what kids were super into at that time. So I did things like Zelda or strawberry shortcake or whatever, but as a modern expression of what that would look like if that child were real. That's a hard message to get out if you don't know what you're doing. So I wanted to connect with people. It was also that's a luxury product, that's a luxury service, right. And so I needed to connect with a certain clientele. So I thought about what other family businesses were there that the people that I wanted to hire me were visiting, and then I went to them. I went to those businesses and I said, hey, I'm putting together a collaborative marketing group where it's a co-op and we're all gonna be in it together and it is specifically for this audience that you are trying to reach. It's a family owned business or family business related service kind of thing, right? So there won't be anybody else in here that are your competitors. This is just you.
Speaker 1:
I went to 10 different people. I went to a cafe. I went to a karate dojo, martial arts place I can't remember exactly what kind it was. I went to a couple of different boutiques and things like that, right.
Speaker 1:
So I'm saying this is they think outside of your competitors, but think about the same people. You wanna know who you're targeting and you wanna think about where are they shopping locally. And then you wanna go talk to those business owners and you wanna say, hey, we're gonna put together this thing and we're all gonna work together. And so I did things like if my clients went into the cafe after they had a session with me, they would get a free cup of coffee and their kid could play for free at this play place. Stuff like that, right, so little things that push foot traffic into different businesses. That builds your network. And then it allows you to be able to reach out and say, hey, I'm struggling with this thing here, is there something that we can do to partner and collaborate here? And it allows you to build deeper relationships. Because once you build those deeper relationships, most often those people will then open their networks to you, and then again you have more options for delegation. And yeah, I think that's kind of how I did it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that, and I know you believe that effective delegation is not just about assigning tasks but also empowering team members. How do you do that for what you currently do?
Speaker 1:
Oh, let me think about the best way to concisely word that, because this is a thing I feel like I could talk about for days. So one of the things we do is we make sure there's visibility across the board, right, so everybody is treated as an equal and knows what their expectations are. But that doesn't mean you stay in your lane, right? That means, like, this is what you know, that you will always be responsible for, and if you need support on that, reach out and ask us. In doing that, I created a series of what I call suggested operating procedures instead of standard operating procedures, because and this is a big one it's things like little changes in wording, like that. I want neurodivergent people to be able to lean into their strengths. I guarantee you they're gonna see things that I don't see. I'm gonna see things that other neurodivergence don't see, and the way that you allow your team to become more optimized and more efficient, stronger and better and innovative. You want better creative. This is how you get it right. Like you lean into the crazy stuff, you let them run wild and you give them the guardrails, and so, once they know the guardrails, this is what we expect. But if you've got a better suggestion. We wanna hear it right, like, if you see something I'm not seeing, I wanna hear it. This is a suggestion, but if you've got a better way, tell me because we'll then implement that if it works. So, in empowering people like that and letting them know hey, yeah, no, you don't have to be on camera, that's fine.
Speaker 1:
We always, like, at the beginning of our team meetings we're always like okay, what's going on this week? Like, how was your weekend? Where are you at? Like, because the questions they're kind of like okay, if you had a rough weekend, we kind of know what your capacity is gonna be this week. Right, like we know that you're probably gonna be catching up. You know, if your kid was sick and you were up all night because they were coughing, then yeah, you might be dragging a little bit on Monday and that's okay, we'll step up and support you a little bit because it's a given take.
Speaker 1:
And if you know that your leadership team has an open door policy where you can be vulnerable and talk about things just like they're your friends, that's how you're gonna get the best kind of team morale. And that doesn't mean that we hang out outside of work and things like that. But it does mean that, you know, if I were getting married, I'd invite my business partner and my team to my wedding. That kind of thing, you know it's. I want those sorts of relationships at level of trust, because a rising tide lifts all boats right, like it's not a climb to the top and I'm gonna push somebody else off the ladder next to me. No, I'm gonna reach out and I'm gonna give you a hand, because eventually I'm gonna need a hand up too, I'm gonna need a favor too, I'm gonna need whatever. So if there's something I can quickly do to help somebody else, no questions asked, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 2:
I love that, hey. Are you looking for a community to learn how you can be effective in delegation, so you can focus on the things that matter the most in your business and grow to six to seven figures? If this is you, then today is your lucky day. Join our Facebook group today to get your questions answered on delegation, outsourcing, business growth, hiring members and many more. We offer so much value in the group, so join our growing community by going to facebookcom. Slash groups slash master delegator. See you there. Based on your experience, what is the wrong way of delegating to somebody?
Speaker 1:
Not giving any direction and just saying, hey, I need you to get this done, I don't care what you do, make it happen. That's like a very obvious oh. This is going to be a recipe for stress and possibly strong failure. That's the big don't. Do that. If you, if that's how you feel, then you say, hey, I'm struggling with this and I don't know how to solve this problem. I actually literally did this with a friend of mine recently. She has a company called Nanny Parent Connection and so she makes connections between parents and nannies and temporary child care stuff and whatever.
Speaker 1:
And I had an issue with some child care and was like I'm overwhelmed and I can't. I know that there is a solution to this problem and I can't see it. Do you have some time to chat, to help me just process and brainstorm this? So knowing yourself and knowing when you're overwhelmed and when you're struggling and how to communicate what you need, without communicating that stress and just passing that stress off to somebody else that's the wrong way to do that. I would say not giving any level of what success looks like and just saying please do this, but no level of success. Like people some people, myself included need to know what you want to see happen at the end, to be able to see the path to get there. And if I don't know what your goal is, then how can I help?
Speaker 1:
I had a boss at an agency once that would tell me your job is. I don't need to tell you what to do. You know what you're doing. Your job is to make less work for me, not more, and that would be the feedback I would get. And there was no anything there. Right, like you tell me, go solve this problem. And then I go solve this problem, but it's not to your liking. And then I just wasted hours of work and you're asking me why I'm billing a client for this and like well, because you told me to do this. Like again, that's not the way to do things.
Speaker 1:
So I've taken all of, frankly, the traumas that I've experienced throughout my career and interacting with people. We're feeling berated, even if I wasn't actually being berated, feeling that way as a guide for what to not do, and like this solemn vow of I will never make anybody feel that way, whatever I have to do, like I said, that's why I come back to be being vulnerable and having these conversations around like look, I'm actually highly successful and I have these massive character flaws that I've struggled with my entire life. But once I started learning how to hack those superpowers and understand, like look, even Superman has kryptonite right. Like even Superman, who does all these things, has a thing that can just take him out. And when you start looking at it that way and realizing that they're not character flaws, they're actually a thing that you can wield to grow and do things that you never would have imagined, that's the path out, as far as I see it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that, and it takes some self awareness to be able to get to that point, because even with you you just found out two years ago you know that you're dealing with this and for some people, they may not know that they're dealing with this and they're like oh, there's something wrong with me.
Speaker 2:
So what can you say to those people who may be struggling with something similar to what you struggled or you're struggling, but they may not be in the autism or ADHD spectrum, right? So when is the best time to seek help?
Speaker 1:
Well, I think if you find that it's something that is a hindrance to your ability to function, that's when you need to seek help. But the biggest thing that I've learned is self advocacy and self accommodation and understanding yourself, and this thing that my business partner likes to call self sovereignty, where you treat yourself as this sovereign individual right, like you, respect all that you can do and also understand that there's grace involved in you having to take a seat and chill for a minute, like that's okay, you don't need to feel bad about that. It's also okay to do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable in your own skin to be able to move through the world. You are not responsible for caretaking other people's emotions, because what you need to do to function makes them uncomfortable, right? So if that means that somebody really struggles to look at somebody eye to eye and that makes somebody else uncomfortable, that's okay. They can be uncomfortable. If that's what you need to do to move through the world and if you feel uncomfortable with that, you can express that and that's okay too.
Speaker 1:
It's not a point of shame. Like I've been on medication for it. I'm currently on no medication for it, and while some days that's a struggle. I prefer it that way. I feel like I'm more in touch with my body than the average person because of it. But part of that is a side effect of understanding that this is what the expression of my neurodivergence looks like, and there are no two expressions are the same. So that's why I say, you know, go listen to people, talk about it, go listen to what other people are saying and there are a lot of us out there talking about it now, and if you are one of us, I encourage you to talk about it as well.
Speaker 1:
And if these things sound familiar, or if you just want to set up your company or your brand or your whatever, with a System that is neurodivergent friendly, which means true inclusivity and people like to talk about D E, I initiatives, you know, diversity and equality, and and I mean equity and inclusion but we don't really really think about neurodivergence in that context, but that it's growing, and so I just my goal is to help existing brands and companies to implement things that will allow future employees or existing people within their departments or their, their company, their, their brand, to be able to lean in to their strength and allow the neurotypical people, the ones that the world was built for, the ones that that think like everybody else, to be able to support them and their weaknesses.
Speaker 1:
Those are your project managers, right, like those are. Those are your people that are staying on top of it, keeping us accountable. That's a lot of people's strength. That is not my strength, and so, knowing, knowing that, like, if you don't have those people, come talk to me, that's part of what my agency does. It's help you that those things up or identify where you have areas for improvement in that Right I love it.
Speaker 2:
Well, you know I appreciate you sharing your story and being very open about you know, what you have experienced in the past and sharing insights on how we can be better leaders as well in terms of dealing, you know, with people as well in that community. Anything else you want to share with their audience, any words of wisdom when it comes to delegating? So I'm thinking of, like of you know business owners, leaders with ADHD, who are having a hard time delegating like any words of wisdom for them?
Speaker 1:
I think this really will kind of encompass everything that we've been talking about and put a nice cherry on top of it, but what I would love to leave people with is that leadership does not mean knowing it all. Leadership means having the ability to hold space for when you need to find the answers that you don't have, which means having the capacity to be able to delegate or to bring in your team members and recognize their strengths, recognize people outside of you personally as a leader, or your leadership team that might have answers that you don't or perspectives that you don't, because we all live in specific niches that we as in like everybody in this world. Everybody has their own very specific subject matter expertise within what they do, and if you're able to be a leader that recognizes what those things are within your team, that's what leadership is. It doesn't mean you have to know the answer. It means knowing when to say I don't have the answer and I need help finding the answer, and this is how to do it.
Speaker 2:
I love that. So where can people find you online?
Speaker 1:
You can find me on LinkedIn under Sarah Garrett Vasquez, or you can find my personal website at wwwSarah-Vasquezcom. If you want to look into my past work, you can find my agency at wwwaddalchemistscom, and you can find Victory, my startup. That is all about supporting neurodivergent women and empowering them within the workplace, especially, but mostly, just being comfortable in their bodies wherever they are, at wwwviktoriicom.
Speaker 2:
That's awesome. Thank you so much for your time today, Sarah. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:
Thank you so much for having me on here and hearing what I have to say. I feel honored to be able to share it with your audience.
Speaker 2:
Of course. Of course, you're welcome. Hey, thanks for listening to this episode. If you like this episode, please share this with your entrepreneur or business owner friends on social media, so they can have freedom and flexibility while running a successful business as well. Please also subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback will inspire me to continue creating content like this and help me improve this podcast show for you. Thank you so much again for listening and I'll see you again on the next episode.