ND Business owners part 4

I can’t believe it’s time for part 4 of my 5 part ND series.

This 5 part blog series, I have interviewed various neurodivergent business owners, to get to know how they like to work and how their brain works. We focused on the positive parts of being neurodiverse and how we can use those strengths to our advantage in business and self employment.

Anyway, grab a cuppa or glass of water and get settled as this week I am so excited to chat with Kerry Bentley.

1- Firstly tell me a little bit about you and your business.

I’m Kerry Bentley, Autistic and ADHD and I’m a Neurodiversity Inclusion Specialist. I founded Avenir ESG in 2023 initially to help businesses become more sustainable, ethical and to increase their social impact (ESG), but for the last two years I’ve specialised in DEI and Neurodiversity. I deliver CPD-accredited talks and training on all areas of Neurodiversity, focusing on increasing understanding of neurodiversity and giving workplaces the knowledge, practical tools and strategies to become more inclusive, enabling neurodivergent employees to thrive.

2- What does your typical work day look like and how have you adapted it to suit your brain and the way you like to work?

I have to balance my work really carefully with the demands of neurodivergent family life and additional medical needs so I need to lean into my autistic side to be really organised! Being self-employed for over 20 years and largely working from home allows the flexibility I need too. I check emails first thing and then try to only check them at set periods through the day, otherwise they are a distraction.

I plan out my week as best as I can for tasks and time block, but leave flexibility to swap things around to satisfy the demand avoidance! I tend to work in short, hyper-productive bursts, punctuated by frequent trips to the kitchen to grab a hot drink. I deliver talks and training 1-2 times a week, which breaks up the routine nicely for me.

3- Which time management strategies and tools do you like to use to help your brain stay focused/organized and on track?

I use timers and alarms for EVERYTHING! I have a big funky timer that sits on my desk and setting it in 30 or 60 minute intervals gives me the urgency motivation to get started with tasks to limit procrastination. I also set it to prevent me spending too long on tasks that I enjoy – I’d happily spend hours on Canva creating socials posts if I didn’t have my timer to stop me after 30 minutes!

I’ve also recently started using my own version of the “12-week year” method to focus my tasks into clear, manageable goals as I tend to overestimate what I can do, give myself too much to do and then feel overwhelmed. This prevents that.

4-How do you think your neurodivergence actively contributes to your success as a business owner or freelancer?

Being Autistic and ADHD has been the reason why I’ve followed my passions so fiercely and why I’m completely committed to delivering excellence in everything I do – I don’t do anything by halves!

Autism gives me the thirst for knowledge and understanding, meaning I research everything I do to the max, and it allows me to think deeply and rigorously plan everything.

ADHD gives me the incredible drive and passion for whatever I’m involved in and brings creativity to the table, particularly when finding solutions for clients. Understanding how my AuDHD brain works and what it needs to thrive has been key to my success in business and I love sharing that with others.

Where can we find you?

Kerry is on LinkedIn here and you can find her on Instagram here.

Thankyou so much Kerry for your contribution!

Stay tuned for the final part to this series. I would also love to know how you feel about the series and if you have learnt anything from it?