ND business owner series part 1
Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts focusing on neurodivergent business owners and their day to day operations.
So grab a cuppa, take a seat and let’s get to it!
First up we have Sarah Daniels…
(IMG : Sarah and her two boys)
1. Tell me about you and your business:
I'm Sarah, a qualified teacher with over 20 years' experience, running my tutoring business for more than 18 years. I'm mum to two wonderfully neurodiverse boys, and somewhere in their journeys I realised their traits came from me and began my own journey too! Our shared experience shaped my career path, and my tutoring naturally leaned towards supporting SEN students and those who'd lost confidence in traditional classrooms. I believe in connection first, confidence second, and progress before grades.
2. What does your typical work day look like and how have you adapted it to suit your brain?
My days are full-on; typically 9am to 10pm with a mix of tutoring at home, online, and travelling to students. I've learned to build in micro-breaks between sessions with tea and healthy snacks to regulate and reset. Fridays are my non-teaching day for admin, social media, and business work — batching by brain mode so I can fully focus on teaching the rest of the week. I also protect one evening a week for family time, a hot bath, and meditation to switch off and avoid burnout.
3. Which time management strategies and tools do you use to help your brain stay focused and organised?
I have an online diary, but my real lifeline is a notebook with different to-do lists for different areas of my life that goes everywhere with me. Due to my job, my day is automatically broken down into chunks with a different student and focus for each chunk, and a small break in between, which makes my day routine in that sense. Being busy actually helps me stay focused because if I have too much downtime, I'll sit down for "five minutes" and lose two hours. So I've learned to work with my brain and keep the schedule full enough to maintain momentum. That protected evening each week for switching off is non-negotiable.
4. How do you think your neurodivergence actively contributes to your success as a business owner?
Being AuDHD means I can fully empathise with my students because I've lived it, and as a mum navigating neurodivergence with my own children, I understand what parents are going through too. I meet students where they are, connection first, creating spaces where getting it wrong is just part of the process. My hyperfocus means when I'm with a student, they have my complete attention and I notice the small things others miss. I find those missing puzzle pieces because I know what it feels like to need someone to find them for you. I get to be a voice for every child who learns differently. ✨
Where can we find you :
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
Thanks to Sarah for a really great insight into her working week.
Stay tuned for part 2 (next week) where I will be speaking to another neurodivergent business owner about their experiences running a business/freelancing.
#neurodivergent
