Welcome to episode #35 We’re thrilled to be joined by Ainslee Hooper today.
Ainslee is the driving force behind Ainslee Hooper Consulting, which helps public-facing organizations strengthen their disability inclusion. With a background in Anthropology and a unique approach to holistic inclusion, Ainslee is not just a researcher but a transformative advocate. She's earned accolades, including the 2020 Geelong Employment Award. Ainslee is a passionate advocate and a valued member of several advisory committees. When she's not advancing the cause of inclusion, she's doing the strength sport of a strong woman.
Welcome to the show Ainslee!
Questions
- Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? What challenges did you face? What is it like now?
- Close family got diagnosed + friends got diagnosed and shared experiences “But I’m neurotypical and I do that too”
- Liked rules of COVID lockdown
- Anxiety around networking events
- Nutritionist - list of what I don’t eat longer than what I eat.
- Referral to a psychologist and then a psychiatrist
- What "work" projects are you concentrating on?
- Disability inclusion consulting
- Access and inclusion plans
- Internal and external stakeholders
- Wheelchair user gives empathy
- Customer experience journey map
- Anthropology is a special interest
- Linguistic, biological, cultural, archaeological
- Elicit stories from stakeholders
- What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours?
- 2005-2011 Bachelor of Arts: super focused and organized
- Different days of the week are devoted to different activities:
- Monday = Professional Development (LinkedIn strategy)
- Tuesday = Client engagement
- Wednesday = Content Creation
- Thursday = Project work day
- Friday = Admin and podcasts
- What resources (books, philosophies, apps, sensory toys) do you find most helpful for productivity and habit formation?
- Trello for project management, Zapier
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Philosophies: lean into special interests at work
- Where can people connect with you or find your work?
- LinkedIn
- Website
- JC: Do you have any final words or asks for our audience?
- If you think you’re neurodivergent and can afford it, get assessed
Episode 35