Suddenly Autistic. Business and the neurodiverse brain.
Hello readers,
Today I’ve gone for a slightly different way of presenting my thoughts to you and opted for a video. I thought it only right to come out from behind the scenes for this one – the blog post where I finish what I started back in January and confirm my diagnosis of autism with you. Sorry for the spoilers but let’s face it, it was probably quite obvious to all my long-time readers, customers and students that I’m on my own little planet most of the time…
The video is quite long (18 mins 37 seconds) so if you don’t want to watch it what am I banging on about? In a nutshell I’m explaining that a) I am now confirmed as autistic alongside my ADHD diagnosis and that b) that has given me a few AHA moments when reflecting on how chaotic and stressful running a business has been for me and c) that my brain is actually very awesome, rarer than rocking horse shite and probably worth at least a gazillion dollars so there.
Jokes aside 2021 has been a tough one for me and my close family. We’ve been through some difficult times but I’m finally able to say that the future is looking somewhat brighter and more sparkly for us all. Having set up my consulting business at home when my two children were little it was always going to be a case of blurred boundaries (family| business) and add to that my own internal brain chaos and you get a last 12 plus years of work that’s been achieved against the odds. That doesn’t make me a genius or super-human, it makes me tired and more than a little stressed out…
The key to my future success is in me recognising my whole self, honouring my strengths and managing my weaknesses. Sounds easy doesn’t it? Like many of you reading this I’ll be trying to re-orientate my life with little to no safety net so it’s going to have to happen slowly and carefullt so while I may easily pass for the biggest ball of white girl privilege you’ve ever come across at first glance, that’s only partly true (yep, I’ve got to own up to some of it).
In sharing this I hope to help my long-term readers understand me better and gain a better insight into the brains behind the posts and what it’s been like running this business for that time. I also hope that it serves to remind me that today is the first day of the start of something new and that while I’ve definitely struggled in my past (especially the last two years), I’ve still achieved way more than I ever thought possible.
So onwards and upwards one step at a time.
Amanda
Realize Beauty 
Hi Amanda, thank you for sharing your story and I would like to wish you all the best with your struggle and pray you can maintain your passion for research as you have been a breath of fresh air in the Cosmetic Industry.
With sincere best wishes for you and your family
PJ
Thank you so much, hope you are yours are well too. I’ll definitely keep on keeping on.
Hello Amanda, I too got my diagnosis late in life. Our unique brain wiring makes us excellent detectives, on topics that fascinate us. And at last we have explanations for things that were tricky.
I agree with the detective comment, definitely a deep diver into subjects that I like. Also it is very freeing and empowering to be finally in a position to understand why life can be so very hard at times. All around, it’s been great.
Hello Amanda, this is the fourth article of yours I’ve read, having found you yesterday via your Honest Sunscreen article. I would love to tap into your beautiful mind about so many things, including algae, armpits, and shark livers. But first, having watched this video, I wish you a very necessary rest & re-set. I have a sibling with dyslexia, and I’ve long-suspected I’m ‘neurodiverse’ myself. So much of what you shared resonates with me personally, both as a person and as a small business owner. I send you genuine good wishes for now, and I hope our paths converge at some point.
Thank you,
Please feel free to ask questions as it does help me organise my thoughts for articles and research. I did do a lot of research into armpits a while back. Shark livers are probably something I’ve not researched for a while but algae is another good topic.