About Matt

ADHD/ND Coach | Psychology BSc | Creative resilience & collaboration Consultant | workshops facilitator

I’ve always felt compelled to encourage other people to stay true to their talents

I began working in the Advertising industry in 2002 and for over 20 years I navigated corporate as a Creative Strategist. It was my job to come up with insight and creative campaigns for global brands.

Creativity and strategy I could do. Navigating the corporate social dynamics, rules and expectations, I could not.

I was a fork in the soup. And I didn’t know why.

After years of self-blame, doubt, anxiety, depression, addiction - and numerous efforts to leave London, I suffered a profound burnout. I rehabilitated and I was diagnosed as AuDHD.

In time, understanding began to unfold. My confidence and true creative self-identity gradually returned.

I allowed myself to become ‘flawed’ again. My version of normal.

Disorganised, quirky, absurd, unconventional, a chaotic but creative oddity. Like I’ve always been - before I began hiding it all away bit by bit, until eventually I had nothing left.

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The advertising industry is reliant on both unconventional and conventional, structured thinkers, like many industries and workplaces.

But what’s unique about the industry is how closely these different thinkers work together.

Yet it's rare to hear any conversation around the differences in how each other’s minds really work.

The two halves of the industry run on two very different operating systems and for years I witnessed the mismatch.

In structured, process-led environments, it’s divergent thinkers who often struggle the most.

‘Attention, focus & sensory’ - These headlines don’t even get close to capturing the workplace experiences and communication mismatches that many neurodivergent people live through daily.

It’s a multitude of cognitive and emotional interplays, self-observation, misinterpretation, rejection sensitivity, communication ambiguity, rumination, crippling self-doubt and internalised blame…

I found out the hard way. I eventually ‘unmasked’ because I was forced to. Recovery was not swift.

But it doesn’t need to take this path.

When I eventually did start working unapologetically as myself, my work improved immeasurably, my relationships improved, my self-worth and confidence restored…

Creative & productive potential comes alive when no one has to mask to fit in.

When people truly understand how and why different people think, feel and act the way they do (both neurodivergent and neurotypical) and when everyone feels safe to share their differences from a place of strength, not weakness, then culture changes and performance follows.

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Now I’m a qualified ND coach with many years of creative and collaborative workshopping experience - and most importantly, lived neurodivergent insight, pre and post diagnosis.

I help companies develop cognitively-diverse, stigma-free cultures and individuals overcome personal barriers and build strength-led resilience.

Not by adding more adjustments for HR to manage, but by tapping into the potential that’s already there: Neurodivergent minds and cognitively diverse talent.

I’ve seen first-hand the transformative impact of strength-focused neurodiversity awareness, creative resilience and psychological safety, and how it can work for ALL neurotypes.

The psychology of creativity, talent and cognitive diversity is fascinating and exciting and I find it highly rewarding inspiring others to feel the same about their own potential.