Neurodivergent Mates

The 15 minute Chat - The Importance of Building a Network as a Neurodivergent Professional

• Will Wheeler • Season 3 • Episode 65

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On this 15-minute chat on Neurodivergent Mates, I’ll be diving into "The Importance of Building a Network as a Neurodivergent Professional" and exploring why it’s such a game-changer. Networking has not only opened doors in my career but also allowed me to connect with mentors, advocates, and allies who truly understand and support my journey. I’ll share how authenticity plays a critical role in building meaningful connections and how embracing your neurodivergence can strengthen relationships.

We’ll also talk about practical ways to get started with networking, even if it feels overwhelming at first, and how leveraging online communities can help you connect with like-minded professionals. Additionally, I’ll touch on how storytelling—sharing your unique experiences as a neurodivergent individual—can foster trust and empathy within your network. Finally, I’ll highlight the importance of giving back and supporting others in your network to create a cycle of mutual growth and advocacy.

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Speaker 1:

You're listening to NeuroDivergent Mates. Hello and welcome to another episode of NeuroDivergent Mates. I'm your host, will Wheeler, and this is the 15-minute chat. I don't know if you remember I did like a little one, gee, probably a few months ago now, and I do apologize that I haven't come back with another one. I've just been crazy busy. I've been sick as well. So for a lot of our listeners who heard me over the last couple of episodes, you can probably tell that my throat is a lot better now, being able to battle through it and get on top. But I'm back here ready to rock and roll and have a good time and share some really good information with our listeners.

Speaker 1:

So today, what I wanted to cover was the importance of building a network as a neurodivergent professional. But before we get into that, let's do the normal housekeeping, all of that stuff. So if you haven't already done this before, please subscribe, like and follow to all of our stuff. So if you haven't already done this before, please subscribe, like and follow to all of our social media pages. We're available on TikTok, facebook, instagram, x, twitch, youtube and LinkedIn and if you haven't already done so, wherever you listen to your podcast, go on there. Subscribe to our page, rate us, write comments, because it helps with the algorithm, all right.

Speaker 1:

Another big shout-out to Neurodiversity Academy. We've got some really great stuff happening there. We actually just released a professional development course for an introduction for a lot of vocational education trainers and assessors or just people in that industry in general. Uh, definitely get onto that. We've to tell you the truth, I was blown away. We actually have already sold a fair few already. So it's online. It's about a five hour course. Um, really good for its money. Definitely go to our website and check that out. There. Got some really great stuff happening there. And just a you know, normal type of thing warning some discussions may be triggering. If you need help, please reach out to a loved one or call emergency services. I am not a doctor. This is a space for sharing experiences and strategies and please, if you do have any questions while I'm going through the live version, like I am now, please just pop it into the comments and if I'm still on here, I'd be happy to answer them for you. Great, let's get stuck into this.

Speaker 1:

So, like I said, the importance of building a network as a neurodivergent professional, so you know, I think the biggest thing is why networking matters for neurodivergent professionals. And you know I come across a lot of neurodivergent people and they're like I just can't do that or whatever that looks like. And you know it can be daunting. Don't get me wrong. When I first got into the professional space and and starting to develop networks, it was hard. Um, just being vulnerable, I think, was probably the key thing there. Um, walking into events not knowing anyone and then just approaching people or knowing the right people to approach. I'll never forget I would just go up and see some people talking and stand there and go hi guys, how's it going? I had no idea what I was doing and just some of the looks I would get were pretty funny. When I think about it now, but hopefully I'm able to cover some really great tips in that to be able to help you maybe to be able to navigate networking a little bit easier.

Speaker 1:

Um, I think this day and age that networking isn't, I suppose, just going to an event and networking. I think we can connect with people online these days and really build that professional presence without having to go into certain areas, whatever that might look like there. Sorry, networking events, I should probably say. But you know, I think you know for me, why is it important? So for me, what I found was it started opening so many doors for me. I could go to events and I was then seen as an expert matter a person who was an expert in my field. Sorry so, and I think what you, and I think what the biggest thing is too, is that don't think of a network as something where you need to sell something. It's not about all at that at all. It's about building those relationships for potential future. Um could be sales in the future. It could be a lot of things. Could be jobs um, some jobs that I've got in the past uh, have definitely, you know, building my brand and building who I am and knowing people has definitely helped me when I've been able to apply for jobs or reach out to people or, you know, straight away. But you may get some really great other things come from it, okay, so one of the biggest things that I've sort of found while networking or building my brand as such has been definitely being my authentic self self.

Speaker 1:

I think that when I first got um, when I first moved to sydney, which was, oh, gee, gee, I can't remember. I think it was 2017 now, so a few years, a few years um, I really knew nobody. I knew a few people through LinkedIn and all of that, but a lot of my networks were mostly from Brisbane, from where I live. Now, I'll never forget it, so you know. You probably see me here with like shoulder length hair, not a scruffy beard, but like stubble, all of that type of stuff. I was definitely nothing like that. I used to be very clean, shaven, shaved head and I would wear suits to a lot of networking events.

Speaker 1:

Now, the good thing was, I suppose I looked the part, you know, but what I found was I wasn't my authentic self. I wasn't me, and you know, it took me all the way until the pandemic to really discover that when you can be yourself, you're going to attract the right audience. Now, the problem for me was that I was going in, I was wearing a suit, people were thinking I was a person that I wasn't. I was trying to act like a person that I wasn't, so I was attracting the wrong audience. All right, so that and I'm just trying to think back to those days it felt like I felt almost depressed and you know it was a weird type of thing.

Speaker 1:

But I remember like when we're through the pandemic, we're locked down here in Sydney for gee, I think it was like three or four months, and I remember I had a lot of time to think my my partner was, um, working all the time and I was just stuck at home. So I had a lot of time in my head, which definitely isn't good as a ADHDer, and what I really found was I was like you know what I hate wearing suits. Why am I wearing suits? I hate it. They don't feel right. Why don't I wear clothes? That is me? Why don't I dress like me? Why don't I grow my hair out? Because I've always liked doing that? Why do I need to be clean shaved Like? When I get clean shaved, I get like all ingrown pimples and stuff like that and I hate it. So it was just like you know what stuff this I'm going to start being me, and I can tell you right now it was amazing how many things started to change, how many doors started to open, how many professional relationships started to open up, plus how many of those relationships actually turned into some really good friends and all of that type of stuff as well. So it really played a real big part in that.

Speaker 1:

Now, one of the things that you know if you're trying to build your network and you're not really sure on how to do that, you know there could be a few ways. You know I always like to go to a lot of networking events One, if I know people there, or two, if I can bring someone with me, if you can bring someone with you. That could help with a lot of anxiety all of that. But the biggest thing that I always do is that if I know I'm going to a certain event, I will try and connect with as many people who I know are going to be at that event before I even get there. So this is where LinkedIn definitely comes. It plays a really big role for me.

Speaker 1:

If I'm able to see some event page where I can see who's who's potentially going, I'll start researching who I'm going to see that sometimes there's people who I've been wanting to talk with for ages, who I have never had a chance to meet with. So sometimes I'll reach out to people before I get to the actual event. So I might be like, hey, hi, my name's. Will I see that you're going to be at this event, I'd really love to have a chance to chat with you. You get there, you start a conversation. It sort of like makes it a little bit chat with you. You get there, you start a conversation. It just it sort of like makes it a little bit easier because you've really worked hard on building that relationship online before you actually get there, all right. So that's what's really helped me sometimes to be able to, I suppose, feel a little bit more comfortable while, you know, while building my networks and all that and being able to just have a good time, all of that type of stuff.

Speaker 1:

Now the thing is too, I think the biggest thing that I found was definitely using storytelling to strengthen your network. And you're probably thinking, and it's not like going there and reading a book or whatever like that but what's your story? What makes you unique? What makes you interesting from other people? Because what you'll be guaranteed if you start like sharing certain things and obviously don't be too open, you know, depending on the network, some people may be offended by certain things. But when you can start sharing who you are, start being your authentic self, you'll start to see that people will start to relate to you. They may even see themselves in you, and that's how you start to attract the right people.

Speaker 1:

You know, I did like a presentation up in Brisbane a few weeks ago now Brisbane a few weeks ago now and you know I got up and spoke about neurodiversity, especially in vocational education, and you know this person came up to me afterwards and they're like, look, I want to talk to you. And I'm like, yeah, I'd love to. You know, this person had children who are neurodivergent. I wouldn't be surprised if she's neurodivergent as well. And you know it was just an easy way to be able to connect because of our stories, right, it was like we had an instant connection there. Now that connection is potentially going to turn into business for us. May may not, but at the end of the day, if it doesn't, if it does, at least I've made that connection there, because we don't know what that may turn into in the future there.

Speaker 1:

So I think a big thing to remember as well is that, especially if we're in business or whatever that is, don't look at it as trying to sell stuff. Look at it as trying to build relationships, and it's the same thing. I've introduced people from certain organizations to other organizations before and some of these people have made the mistake of trying to sell their stuff rather than build that relationship. If you can build that relationship, build that trust, that's where people are going to feel comfortable in wanting to do business with you, refer you to other people, maybe get jobs, if that's what you're looking for, but really help you to be able to open those doors into something. You know, especially for us with neurodiversity academy, we're trying to, we're trying to find investors all of that, you know, being connected with the right people, we've been able to get introduced to other people as well. So, you know, hopefully that can turn into some big business for us in the meantime as well.

Speaker 1:

Now, like I said as well, that, like you may meet people and vice versa, building that network and giving back is going to be crucial as well, so supporting others in your network. So don't see it as like oh yeah, this is all about me. What can you do for others? Because when you can start helping others, they're going to start helping you in return, all right, so don't see it as just a one. You know, this is all about me. You're trying to help a community of people, pardon me.

Speaker 1:

So what can you do to give back, and I know that, especially when I was building my brand building the Will Wheeler brand or even Neurodiversity Academy the amount of people who gave me their time just to sit with me for half an hour or an hour to give me a little bit of advice was priceless. When that's me in the future and people reach out to me, my door will always be open. So always give back. Okay, so hopefully you've taken some really great stuff from there today. Hopefully you can put that into practice and do some really awesome stuff with your career. So thank you very much for listening to the 15-minute chat on NeuroDivergent. Mate, my name's Will Wheeler. Till next time. Whoops, wrong outro there. Let's try another one.