#195 Neurodiversity, ADHD & How “Differences” Connect with Sarah Hennessey
Sarah Hennessey is a Sustainability & Wellness Coach supporting self-identified female misfits who are looking for a sustainable and alternative twist on living a truly healthy life.
As someone who was too shy to speak in school growing up, Sarah spent most of her life definitely not seeing herself as a Messenger. When she started her business as an adult, she felt more comfortable as a virtual assistant behind the scenes of others’ businesses.
Then she felt the pull to step out as a leader and share what she had to say.
She had a background working with kids on the spectrum of autism and a degree in Psychology with a concentration in child development and disability. But the pressure of visibility made her feel the need to hide her own neurodiversity and other differences that she thought would stop clients from hiring her.
The dichotomy of online marketing is the push to differentiate yourself while simultaneously holding a fear of being seen as different.
Through joining a supportive group of other Quiet Messengers that didn’t judge her, she realized that what she had to say -- and who she was -- was of value to people.
She didn’t see any wellness coaches with ADHD, so she made herself her own role model - which led to her first paid coaching client. She created a brilliant niche and discovered her ideal client on a much deeper level and so was finally able to clearly and compellingly connect the threads of her messaging and communicate what she had to say.
Now she’s talking about so many things she had never talked about in public before - like this episode where she speaks publicly about her neurodiversity for the first time.
She’s learned that taking a stand is not about being super aggressive; it can just be confidently saying something meaningful.
Listen in.
Sarah and I talk about:
Why sharing her own personal stories - like being the child of teenage parents - creates connection points with potential clients
The exciting and terrifying transition from behind-the-scenes Virtual Assistant to using her voice as a Messenger
Her assumption that being an expert was about sharing facts, when in reality the posts with the most engagement and connection are the personal posts of her life and stories
Where templates are helpful and where to yield to the power of being in relationship
A call for embracing neurodiversity -- and why the world is a better place when we have all types of brains, perspectives, and folks who view the world in different ways
How she’s reclaiming and owning the word “misfit”
Deeper support from me:
What’s your Messenger Archetype?Take the quiz.
It’s final enrollment for the winter cohort of the Messenger Mastermind! It’s an intimate circle of sensitive, introverted women leaders who like cozy spaces for connection, growth and processing and who want to feel solid, confident & consistent in their messaging so they can grow a movement that matters ~ both to the world and to their business’ bottom line.
Sarah’s Links
Sarah’s Facebook Group: #BestSelf Women’s Club