Neurodivergence meets entrepreneurship: Petrina

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Petrina who is an online coach in Manchester. She very kindly agreed to share with me what it’s like to run your own business when you have a special educational need – a timely reminder that we all see the world in different ways. This is the second part in a series exploring what happens when neurodivergence meets entrepreneurship.

Tell me a little about your business:

I run an online fitness business. I coach people to feel more confident, get stronger and healthier. I work with a variety of people who are neurodiverse, with a mixture of disabilities and part of the LGBTQ+ community.

What neurodivergence do you have and how does this impact the running of your business?

I have ADHD and autism. This impacts my business in a lot of ways but it has mostly impacted on how I chose to run it. I have stopped trying to be like every other coach and work with people who are like me instead. I make sure I coach people in a way that suits their needs. The same way I wish I could have found a coach that would do the same for me, at the beginning of my journey.

What would you say to someone with ADHD who is thinking of starting their own business?

I would recommend people with ADHD and ASD start their own business. A lot of workplaces are not the most accommodating and working for yourself means you can set your own schedule, work in environments that suit you and find what works for you.

I would recommend setting yourself work hours and schedules though, it’s easy to over work or get distracted on tasks that aren’t a priority!

How could neurotypical people be more accommodating for you?

So, neurotypical people could be more understanding of sensory overload in public and work places and allow things like EarPods to be more normalised and accepted.

Allowing people to work on schedules that suit them and being allowed to take breaks in other areas. Not shaming us for getting over excited about things!