Taking Off The Mask: The Bravest Thing you will Ever Do is Be Seen

Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Building Better Workplaces for ALL Minds

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/fan_mail/new] In this episode, Ann interviews Jessica Lee from Neuro Talent Works and Melody Valenzuela from Rapport Educational. Together, they challenge the idea that workplace success means fitting into old systems, then map out how to redesign hiring and team norms so neurodivergent people can do their best work. We get practical about interviews, executive functioning, cognitive load, and the small supports that reduce stress while improving performance for everyone.  • the origin story behind NeuroTalentWorks and the “who helps employers?” gap  • reframing neurodiversity as human variation rather than an in-or-out label  • three core shifts: education, less judgment, structural change  • common misconceptions in interviews such as eye contact and response time  • skills-based interviews that reveal real ability and build confidence  • what executive functioning looks like on the job, including stress and working memory  • cognitive load and how sensory and social demands quietly drain capacity  • simple practices that reduce uncertainty such as agendas and shared notes  • the “energy cost audit” for identifying high-drain moments and supports  • universal design and team norms that make accommodations feel fair  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/support]

Taking Off The Mask: The Bravest Thing you will Ever Do is Be Seen

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/fan_mail/new] Have you ever walked into a room and felt yourself switch on a “socially acceptable” version of you before you even said hello? We’re naming that experience for what it is: masking, the practiced art of blending in to stay safe. We talk about how masking shows up for neurodivergent adults (including autism, sensory needs, and rehearsed social cues), and why it also shows up after divorce, addiction, grief, abuse, and other trauma where being real didn’t feel like an option.  We go deeper than definitions and get honest about the roots. When you grow up around secrets, fear, and silence, pretending can become a life skill. You learn to keep going no matter what happens, to protect the story, to avoid standing out. But what protects you early can drain you later. We unpack the real cost: shutdowns, emotional burnout, feeling lifeless, and the unsettling moment when you can’t tell where the mask ends and you begin.  We also share what starts to loosen the mask, especially the kind of permission our kids can give us when they want presence instead of perfection. Unmasking isn’t one big “healed” moment. It’s one decision at a time: the first honest conversation, the first boundary, the first time you say “I need help,” the first time you let someone see the mess. If you’ve been wondering whether you’re already enough, this is your reminder that your voice isn’t a reward. It’s yours.  If this hits close to home, listen now, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What’s one small mask you’re ready to take off this week? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/support]

Your Voice Tells a Story Long Before You Ever Say a Word: what is your Vocal Autobiography?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/fan_mail/new] What if the reason you struggle to use your voice has very little to do with speaking—and everything to do with what you've lived through? After the unimaginable suffering of World War I, one man's search to heal his own trauma became the foundation for a movement that has helped generations of people rediscover their authentic voices. His work was passed from teacher to teacher until it eventually reached jazz and gospel singer Barbara McAfee, who now helps others uncover the parts of themselves that fear, trauma, shame, perfectionism, and even neurodivergence have kept hidden. In this fascinating conversation, Barbara shares how she once believed her voice simply stopped at a certain note on the piano until she discovered the vocal methods handed down through generations. What she found wasn't just a larger vocal range—it was a deeper connection to her authentic voice and to herself. Barbara and Ann also share their own vocal autobiographies, exploring how trauma, expectations, and life experiences shaped the voices they carried for years. Together, they discuss why our voices often reflect experiences we've never fully processed and how healing isn't just emotional—it can be heard. You'll also discover Barbara's Five Elements of Vocal Intelligence—Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Air—and how each one shapes the way we lead, connect, comfort, inspire, and express ourselves. Find out why Ann has such a strong reaction to the Air voice and what each element can teach us about becoming a more authentic communicator. Barbara, author of Vocal Intelligence: Leading with Vitality, Presence, and Impact, explains why finding your voice has very little to do with speaking louder and everything to do with becoming more fully yourself. Together, they explore why saying the "right" words isn't enough when your nervous system is telling a different story, why tone of voice can become a powerful "decoder ring" for understanding others, and why our most authentic voice may already be inside us, simply waiting to be heard. If you've ever struggled to speak up, felt like your voice didn't matter, or wondered why communicating feels harder than it seems for everyone else, this conversation is for you. 🎙️ Listen now, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that their voice matters—exactly as it is. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/support]

The Voice Beneath the Silence with Ann

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/fan_mail/new] Your voice is more than the words that come out of your mouth. It tells the story of what you learned was safe, what you learned would be punished, and what you believed would finally make you seen. Sometimes "finding your voice" isn't about becoming more confident. It's about healing the parts of yourself that learned it was safer to stay silent. In this deeply personal episode, Ann reflects on her conversation with voice expert Barbara McAfee and the powerful idea of creating a "vocal autobiography" looking back at the experiences that shaped not only how we speak, but why we speak the way we do. She explores how trauma, shame, secrecy, and fear can live in our voices through held breath, tight throats, quiet words, or silence, and how healing often begins by uncovering the voice that has been there all along. Ann also shares her own journey of growing up autistic, learning to communicate in a world that often misunderstood her, and discovering that maybe the problem was never her voice—it was that the world wasn't always listening in her language. This preamble to Barbara's episode gives insight and invites us to consider a powerful question: Which voice gets the microphone in your life? The inner critic that says you're not enough, or the quieter, truer voice beneath the fear? Whether your voice is expressed through words, writing, art, music, boundaries, or simply asking for help, this episode is an invitation to stop hiding the parts of yourself that have been waiting to be heard. Because healing isn't about becoming someone new. It's about remembering who you've been all along. If you've ever felt misunderstood, silenced, or afraid to take up space, this conversation is for you. Listen now, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that their voice matters. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/support]

What If We Stopped Making Children adapt to a One-Size-Fits-All School and Started Building the System Around Them?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/fan_mail/new]  Erin Simpson on Trauma-Informed Education, Mental Health, Autism, ADHD, and Helping Every Child Thrive  A child melts down in class and the adult response is almost automatic: calm down, make a better choice, try harder. We want better outcomes, but those words often land on a nervous system that’s already in fight, flight, or freeze. Today we’re joined by Erin Simpson, principal of Grizzly Academy in the Wadsworth City School District in Ohio, to talk about what changes when a school stops forcing kids to fit the system and starts building the system around the child. Erin shares the real story behind Grizzly Academy, a relationship-based, trauma-informed public school program created for students who struggle in traditional settings. We dig into what the day actually looks like: a calmer start with dedicated transportation, fewer transitions, consistent routines, multi-age groupings, small class sizes, and intentional staffing that keeps learning going even when a student needs support. We also talk academics, including flexible skill-based grouping and Orton-Gillingham literacy instruction, plus what it takes to help older students stay on track for graduation. The conversation goes deeper into student mental health and the gaps families face when they need resources fast. Erin breaks down co-regulation and the Three Rs framework: regulate, relate, reason, along with why behavior is communication and how tools like functional behavior assessment can replace guesswork with clarity. We also name the human side of the work, including staff burnout, triggers, and the power of a team that checks in and taps out when needed. If you care about supporting kids with anxiety, trauma, autism, ADHD, and big emotions, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a parent or educator, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2123315/support]