This episode got real. I sat down with Sara-Louise Ackrill, founder of Wired Differently and co-author of The ND Lovers Club, to talk about something that's not spoken about enough: what it really means to be neurodivergent when it comes to love, money, and healing from trauma.

We covered everything from late autism and ADHD diagnoses (Sara at 38, me at 37), to the impact of coercive control and abusive relationships, and how financial instability often shows up alongside neurodivergence. Sara opens up about going bankrupt at 26, the weight of debt and mental health, and why she refuses to be ashamed of any part of her journey.

She also shares the behind-the-scenes of writing a book on ND relationships, the concept of limerence (yep, obsessive love was a big theme for both of us), and how masking, infatuation, and rejection sensitivity show up in romantic dynamics.

It’s raw, it’s funny, and it’s brutally honest - from both of us.

Resources mentioned: StepChange, Freedom Programme, Own My Life.

Connect with Sara-Louise: https://www.sara-louise.co.uk/

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Neurodivergence and Entrepreneurship
01:24 Personal Journeys of Neurodivergence
04:24 The Impact of Diagnosis on Self-Understanding
06:19 Navigating Financial Challenges and Debt
14:37 Experiences with Coercive Control and Relationships
20:37 Experiencing Coercive Control
23:44 The Impact of Neurodivergence on Relationships
24:44 The Endy Lovers Club: A Safe Space for Neurodivergent Women
28:14 Understanding Limerence and Obsession
33:41 Navigating Relationships and Neurodivergence

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This episode was hard to record - but also deeply needed.

I'm in the thick of it right now.

My dad passed away suddenly, and I've been trying to navigate the heartbreak, PMDD, business, burnout, and the wild mess that is life with ADHD.

And today, I'm sharing what it's really like to grieve with a neurodivergent brain. I talk about the guilt, the impulsive spending urges, the dark thoughts, the small victories (like showering!), and the strange comfort of laughing in the middle of it all.

If you're in the "messy middle" too, whether it's grief, depression, burnout, or just being human, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone, and that showing up messily is still showing up.

I also open up about the financial impact of losing my Access to Work support, why this will be the last podcast episode for a little while (spoiler: we’ll be back for episode 100 in the new year), and how I’m coping one tiny step at a time.

Whether you’re neurodivergent or not, if you’ve ever felt like life is a bit too much, I hope this makes you see you're not alone, and this is what you need right now. Not in a fluffy way. In a "holy shit, how am I still standing?" kind of way.

Come for the raw truth, stay for the stories about my ADHD dad, impulsive motorbike buys, and why I might be turning into a runner (???).

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Have you ever felt THREATENED by people in your niche?

Have you avoided looking at what others are doing... or feared you'll be seen as a copy cat?

In this solo episode of Mad About Business, I open up about how I used to feel paralysed seeing someone in my industry “doing better” than me... and why that feeling comes from scarcity, not strategy.

We dive into why avoiding your competitors doesn’t protect you, it actually keeps you small.

From working with fellow ADHD advocates to inviting other visibility strategists into my world, I’m sharing the messy truth about what happens when you stop seeing everyone as competition and start finding ways to grow together. You’ll also hear about real moments from my own business journey, like being called out as a "Sickfluencer" and how I turned that narrative around.

Whether you're in coaching, consulting, or content creation, this episode is your reminder: there’s more than enough to go around – and you don’t have to do it alone.

YT

“There’s no such thing as original”

“I used to be terrified of competitors”

“They’ll steal my clients!”

“It’s not copying – it’s business”

“She still endorsed my book”

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