Welcome
Leadership wasn’t built for people like me.
Whether you’re highly sensitive (HSP), have ADHD, autism, or just consider yourself a neurodivergent thinker — you’ve probably felt like the workplace was designed for robots and not real humans. That is not in your imagination.
Most workplace systems are designed around mechanical principles - the organization is the machine, employees some of its parts. You replace parts as needed to keep the machine running. Inhumane as that is it’s even more so when you understand the term “well-oiled machine,” which at least suggests that if an owner gives the parts what they need the parts will do their very best in return. I’m guessing anyone reading this is being asked to bring their own oil to work.
For years, I tried to mold myself to these systems. I masked my sensitivity, smiled through sensory overload. Said yes when I meant no. I got very good at translating my emotional intelligence into business speak so I could be taken seriously, and influence change wherever I could.
The turning point came when I worked under a particularly demanding leader who valued quantity over quality and constant availability over focused work periods. My performance suffered, my anxiety skyrocketed, and I began questioning my career choice entirely. This crisis forced me to reassess not just how I worked, but how I understood my own neurodivergent traits. That breaking point — or rather my clarity point — is what led me to leave my corporate leadership job and create North of Normal.
North of Normal is designed for you. It will help you align your career with your natural strengths, emotional intelligence, and leadership potential. You'll learn how to navigate job selection, leadership roles, career changes, and even entrepreneurship—all while honoring your sensitivity.
Did you know? Whether you've been diagnosed as autistic, ADHD, having synesthesia, or have the traits of HSP or HSS, all of these converge around the trait of sensitivity. It's a spectrum we're all on, so we all have something to gain from looking deeper at this part of ourselves and how it can lead us down the path that fits.
Unlike conventional career advice that often promotes a one-size-fits-all approach, what happens here acknowledges and celebrates your unique neurological makeup. Traditional career posts may suggest pushing through discomfort or masking your true self to fit into corporate cultures—approaches that can lead to burnout, anxiety, and diminished well-being for neurodivergent individuals.
Instead, we'll explore how heightened perception, deep processing abilities, and intuitive understanding can become your greatest professional assets. You'll discover workplaces and roles where your sensitivity becomes your competitive advantage.
Throughout these pages, you'll find practical tools specifically calibrated for neurodivergent minds. The assessments and exercises aren't abstract theories but concrete strategies developed from real-world experiences of successful neurodivergent professionals who have found fulfilling careers without compromising their authentic selves.
Most importantly, this doesn't ask you to change who you are. Rather, it empowers you to build a career that accommodates and leverages your natural wiring.
Welcome to North of Normal, where Different is the Direction.