NICCI Richman worked in human resources at length before a healthy session of navel-gazing led her to realise that she wanted to help neurodiverse people in the workplace.
Ms Richman already had a good awareness of her field - she home-schools her autistic daughter, 13, rather than "forcing her into the mainstream environment where she 'masked' to fit in."
Then, shortly after launching her specialist consultancy Audir (meaning "to listen" in Latin) in 2019, she herself was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
"It's been so great to have this additional understanding and has made me view my life with completely fresh eyes," Ms Richman says.
"It's helped me see my strengths so much more clearly and recognise that consulting is perfect for me to share these strengths - and minimise the challenges.
She realises that tools she has taught herself over time are ADHD strategies: "Finally, it's helped me see that I'm not hopeless when it comes to keeping a house clean or forgetting things - these are the processing challenges of my neurodivergence."
Ms Richman seeks to help create workplaces that adapt to an individual.
"It should not be an expectation that those who are differently wired hide their uniqueness," she says. "Strengths in all their forms must be celebrated and supported in an environment and working conditions that meet individual needs."
She helps neurodivergent entrepreneurs and their teams, identifying areas where support is required and developing tools and strategies to help: "For example, those with ADHD are often great innovators, big picture thinkers and visionaries, but they may struggle with implementation and staying focused through to completion," she says.
Ms Richman's job entails getting to know a business and its cultures, workflow and challenges; identifying leader and team strengths and gaps; and coaching business owners and providing tools and strategies. "My main focus is autism, ADHD and the mental health co-morbidities that people can experience," she says.
