The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast

What happens when a successful entrepreneur discovers, at 57, that he's been living with ADHD his entire life? In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, Paul Cruz sits down with Mark Steiner, founder of GigSalad, to explore an extraordinary journey through entrepreneurship, late-diagnosed ADHD, leadership, and personal transformation. From working on the set of When Harry Met Sally to building an event marketplace serving performers and event organizers across North America, Mark's professional journey has been anything but conventional. But behind the business success is a deeply personal story. Mark shares how his ADHD diagnosis helped him better understand decades of experiences, how emotional intelligence shaped his approach to leadership, and why creating a workplace where people feel valued has always mattered to him. The conversation also explores his experience as an adoptee, his evolving relationship with self-worth, and the meaning behind his personal philosophy: Peace, Love, and Gigs. Together, Paul and Mark consider what it means to lead with empathy, embrace different ways of thinking, and discover a more authentic sense of self. In this conversation: Discovering ADHD later in life Creativity, entrepreneurship, and unconventional career paths Emotional intelligence and human-centred leadership Building workplaces that value Neurodiversity Adoption, identity, and belonging Self-acceptance, purpose, and personal growth Connect with Mark: www.thinkupon.com www.gigsalad.com Because understanding Neurodiversity isn't just about recognizing differences. It's also about creating the conditions in which people can understand themselves, contribute meaningfully, and thrive. Join Us at Make Change Market — November 20, 2026! The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast is excited to announce that we'll be returning to Make Change Market, hosted by Employ to Empower! Join us for an evening of community connection, creativity, entrepreneurship, and meaningful conversations. 📅 Friday, November 20, 2026 🕔 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Pacific Time) 📍 Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver, BC 🎟️ Free Admission This year's theme, Together We Build, celebrates the power of community, inclusion, and supporting entrepreneurs who face systemic barriers. Stop by The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast booth, say hello, and share your perspective on what Neurodiversity means to you. We're looking forward to connecting with listeners, meeting new people, and continuing important conversations about lived experiences, accessibility, and inclusion. Let's build empowered communities — together! 🔗 Event details and free RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/make-change-market-tickets-2003380960382 Now on Apple TV 4K! Our video podcast episodes are available to watch through Apple Podcasts on supported Apple TV 4K devices across Canada and internationally. We are also available to watch on Apple Podcasts on your phone or the web player. Watch now! Join us! Hosted by Paul Cruz. Join our Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/14218572/join Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.com LinkedIn • YouTube: @neurodiversityvoicespodcast Disclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional, medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to be genuinely known by another person? In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, Paul Cruz sits down with author Pieter Niemann for a thoughtful conversation about identity, autism, dating, loneliness, authenticity, and meaningful human connection. Pieter is the author of Swiping for Something Real, a book about dating, connection, and the deeper questions people ask while looking for love. His writing grew out of recurring conversations with friends and others who kept returning to similar questions about relationships, identity, and belonging. The conversation begins with Pieter’s belief that questions can sometimes be more powerful than answers. Rather than telling people how to live, he is interested in helping them examine their own thinking and arrive at answers that fit their own lives. Pieter also reflects on receiving an autism diagnosis later in life. He explains how the diagnosis gave him language for earlier experiences involving communication, relationships, and belonging, while reinforcing his view that autism is an important part of who he is without defining his entire identity. A central theme of the episode is the difference between being wanted and being known. Pieter explores why attention, attraction, and validation can feel powerful without necessarily creating a genuine connection. Being known, he suggests, is slower and deeper. It involves curiosity, presence, shared experience, and a willingness to understand another person beyond the surface. Paul and Pieter also discuss why people sometimes pursue relationship titles instead of relationships themselves, how loneliness can shape dating choices, and what genuine curiosity about another person looks like in practice. The conversation then turns to authenticity. Pieter reflects on the difference between putting your best foot forward and performing a version of yourself to be liked. His example of pretending to enjoy hiking becomes a larger discussion about self-editing, acceptance, and the fear that our real selves may not be enough. The episode also explores the difference between loneliness and solitude, why being single should not be treated as a waiting room, and what Neurodivergent perspectives can teach the wider world about clearer communication, self-acceptance, and relationships. In this episode Questions as a tool for self-exploration Identity beyond labels Receiving an autism diagnosis later in life Self-compassion and understanding past experiences Being wanted versus being known Attention, validation, and genuine connection Why do people sometimes chase relationship titles Curiosity as the foundation of connection Authenticity, performance, and self-editing Loneliness versus solitude Being single as a season rather than a waiting room Neurodivergent communication and directness Self-acceptance and relationships About Swiping for Something Real Pieter Niemann’s Swiping for Something Real explores dating, identity, connection, and the questions we ask ourselves while searching for love. The book launches Thursday, October 22, at 18:00 Zurich time / 12:00 New York time. This episode releases on October 21, one day before the launch. Connect with Pieter Website: pieterniemann.com Book: Swiping for Something Real Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pieter_niemann_author LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pieter-niemann Now on Apple TV 4K! Our video podcast episodes are available to watch through Apple Podcasts on supported Apple TV 4K devices across Canada and internationally. We are also available to watch on Apple Podcasts on your phone or the web player. Watch now! Join us! Hosted by Paul Cruz. Join our Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/14218572/join Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.com LinkedIn • YouTube: @neurodiversityvoicespodcast Disclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional, medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Recognition of ADHD Awareness Month

From the Archives: What Happens When Healing Begins With Finally Being Yourself? What happens when healing begins not with changing who you are, but with finally understanding and accepting yourself? In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, host Paul Cruz sits down with Dr. Craig Wells, D.O., for a conversation about Neurodivergent identity, unmasking, trauma recovery, relationships, parenting, burnout, and the lifelong process of self-discovery. Drawing from both lived experience and professional practice, Dr. Wells explores what can happen when Neurodivergent people spend years trying to adapt to systems, expectations, and relationships that do not always make room for the way they naturally think, communicate, feel, and connect. Together, Paul and Craig discuss the emotional cost of masking, the impact of burnout, the importance of communication and relationship repair, and what it can mean to reconnect with parts of ourselves that may have been hidden for years. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful idea: Healing is not necessarily about becoming someone new. Sometimes it begins with allowing yourself to become more fully who you already are. In This Episode Autism, ADHD, and Neurodivergent Identity The emotional impact of masking Unmasking and authentic living Trauma recovery and emotional healing Neurodivergent burnout and recovery Communication and relationship repair Parenting Neurodivergent Children Building meaningful and supportive relationships Spirituality, self-discovery, and personal growth Challenging common assumptions about Neurodivergence Reconnecting with identity after years of adapting to others Connection Craft Dr. Wells discusses Connection Craft, his relationship-centered approach to helping individuals and couples build stronger, healthier, and more supportive connections through Neurodiversity-affirming practices. The conversation explores how relationships can change when people move away from rigid expectations and toward greater curiosity, communication, understanding, and authenticity. Why This Conversation Matters Many Neurodivergent people spend years learning how to appear acceptable, capable, or “normal” while hiding the amount of effort it takes to do so. Over time, that can affect identity, relationships, emotional well-being, and the ability to recognize one's own needs. This episode asks what becomes possible when we begin moving away from masking and toward self-understanding, self-acceptance, and authentic connection. Featured Topics Inner Essence Activation and approaches to healing Hypnosis and energetic alignment in conversations about Neurodivergent burnout Communication and repair in queer and Neurodivergent relationships Somatic approaches to change The intersection of spirituality, energetics, and modern medicine Connect with Dr. Craig Wells Website: connectioncraft.org Free 15-Minute Discovery Call: connectioncraft.org Instagram: @drcraigconnectioncraft TikTok: @drcraigconnectioncraft YouTube: @drcraigconnectioncraft Facebook: drcraigconnectioncraft Key Takeaway Healing can begin with self-discovery. For many Neurodivergent people, unmasking may be part of learning to recognize their needs, reclaim their identity, and build relationships in which they do not have to constantly perform to belong. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, leave a review, and share the conversation with someone navigating Neurodivergent identity, relationships, burnout, or self-discovery. Topics: Autism, ADHD, Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent identity, unmasking, burnout recovery, trauma healing, relationships, mental health, authenticity, self-discovery, Dr. Craig Wells, Connection Craft, The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast Now on Apple TV 4K! Our video podcast episodes are available to watch through Apple Podcasts on supported Apple TV 4K devices across Canada and internationally. We are also available to watch on Apple Podcasts on your phone or the web player. Watch now! Join us! Hosted by Paul Cruz. Join our Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/14218572/join Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.com LinkedIn • YouTube: @neurodiversityvoicespodcast Disclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional, medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Archives: People Aren’t Broken — They Need Systems That Work for Their Brains What if executive-functioning struggles are not signs of laziness, failure, or lack of discipline—but signals that the systems around us are not working? In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, host Paul Cruz sits down with executive-functioning coach and Social Bloom founder Lisa Shanken for a practical conversation about ADHD, emotional regulation, follow-through, accountability, connection, and building systems that support the way a person’s brain actually works. Lisa explains that executive functioning reaches far beyond organization. It can affect how we start tasks, follow through, regulate emotions, shift between priorities, make decisions, adapt to change, and maintain relationships. Together, Paul and Lisa explore why knowing what to do is not always the same as being able to do it, why implementation can be harder than planning, and how accountability can help bridge the gap between intention and action. They also discuss loneliness and isolation among Neurodivergent adults and why a structured, supportive community can be an important part of wellbeing. At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: People are not broken. Sometimes the system needs to change. About Lisa Shanken Lisa Shanken is an executive-functioning coach and founder of Social Bloom. Through her coaching and community work, she helps individuals develop practical strategies for executive functioning while also creating opportunities for authentic connection, social confidence, and belonging. Her approach focuses on helping people understand their patterns and build systems that are realistic, supportive, and sustainable. Connect with Lisa Shanken Website: lisashanken.com A free consultation can also be scheduled through her website. Topics: ADHD, executive functioning, Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent adults, emotional regulation, accountability, cognitive flexibility, community, loneliness, belonging, Social Bloom, Lisa Shanken, The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast Now on Apple TV 4K! Our video podcast episodes are available to watch through Apple Podcasts on supported Apple TV 4K devices across Canada and internationally. We are also available to watch on Apple Podcasts on your phone or the web player. Watch now! Join us! Hosted by Paul Cruz. Join our Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/14218572/join Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.com LinkedIn • YouTube: @neurodiversityvoicespodcast Disclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional, medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.