Networking, Neurodifference & Saying F* That to Fitting In
This one’s got ADHD confessions, corporate walkouts, business rebellion, forgotten glasses, and women interrupting each other like it’s a sport. You’re welcome.
What’s this episode about?
Ever tried to network while panicking about your face, forgetting your own name, and wondering if your bra’s on inside out? Then welcome, mate. You’re one of us.
This episode, I’m joined by Caroline Jane Andrew – ADHD firecracker, business coach, speaker, and the boss of 4Networking (yep, that national networking biz). She’s also the first woman I’ve ever met who said I reminded her of her... and weirdly, I agreed.
We dive into big topics:
* Late ADHD diagnosis (at 55 – better late than never, right?)
* Walking out of a high-paid job in heels and a Porsche like a legend
* Rewriting networking so it doesn’t feel like a job interview with added panic
* Why you don’t have to tone yourself down to be taken seriously (you might even get paid more to turn it up)
* And how being your full self might scare a few people—but it’ll also help you find your people
This one’s a wild ride, and honestly? It’s exactly the conversation I wish I’d had ten years ago.
What we cover:
* Why Caroline told her boss to shove his job “right up his arse” and never looked back
* How she ended up buying a bloody networking company (even though she found networking terrifying)
* What it’s like to be diagnosed with ADHD when you’re nearly 60 and suddenly everything makes sense
* Building neuroinclusive spaces that actually feel safe, not just tick boxes
* Interrupting, buffering, and being socially “inept” in a world that expects you to be beige
* Real talk about relationships, mental health, being “too much,” and refusing to shrink to fit
Favourite mic-drop moments:
* “They said, ‘Caroline, can you not go off on one?’ I said, ‘Absolutely f***ing not.’”
* “You don’t have to pitch. You don’t even have to speak. Turn your camera off and eat a biscuit. We’re good.”
* “I wasn’t being difficult to employ. I was just wired differently. The job was the problem, not me.”
* “Turns out, I wasn’t a strong, fierce woman. I was just legging it in style.”
* “Interrupting isn’t rude. It’s my brain trying not to combust.”
Resources & links mentioned:
* 4Networking Neuroinclusive Group [https://4nonline.biz/group/neuro] – No pressure, no pretence. Just a bunch of brilliant weirdos being real.
* Caroline’s full 4Networking site [https://4nonline.biz/] – Find your people, your next client, or at the very least, someone who won’t judge you for fidgeting.
* Caroline on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolineandrewjohnstone/] – Follow her before she gets distracted and forgets she even has LinkedIn.
* Research from the Dunedin study [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5304549/] showed that by their mid-40s, 86% of their population sample had met criteria for one or more ‘mental disorders’, which includes ND and MH diagnoses.If only 14% are ‘neurotypical’ then they are the exception and not typical at all.
* The IMHub [https://www.inclusivemindsuk.com/IMHub1] – Community, not conformity. Built for neurodifferent brains (and the people who love us).
