Entrepreneurship & Autism: Finding Success on Your Own Terms with Jane McNeice
In this episode of Atypical 9to5, host Rayna Spasova - van Aalst speaks with Jane McNeice, a late-diagnosed autistic business owner, trainer, and author. They discuss her journey into entrepreneurship, the impact of late diagnosis on her career, and how she navigates work as an autistic professional. Jane shares insights on masking, networking, and self-employment, highlighting the importance of finding success on your own terms.
Listen now on your favorite platform:
🔗 Spotify | 🔗 Apple Podcasts
Key Moments
00:00 Welcome to Atypical 9to5
01:04 Introducing Jane McNeice
02:19 Jane's Journey to Self-Employment
02:44 Challenges of Networking and Training
04:26 The Importance of Scripting
06:27 Struggles with Public Speaking
11:19 Accommodations and Self-Employment
13:53 The Burden of Masking
17:52 Reactions to Autism Disclosure
20:29 Entrepreneurship and Autism
20:58 Reflecting on Career Choices and Autism
23:27 Early Career and Academic Pursuits
25:16 Transition to Mental Health and Self-Employment
27:13 Advice for Autistic Entrepreneurs
32:12 Navigating Networking as an Autistic Professional
34:57 Journey to Becoming an Author
38:47 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
About the Guest
Jane McNeice is a wife, mother, grandmother, and business owner from South Yorkshire.
She founded Mind Matters in 2015, a mental health training company that delivers online and face-to-face training courses. Mind Matters offers award-winning programs, including Mental Health First Aid, i-ACT (for positive mental health) for managers and employees, the Derek Mowbray Strengthening Personal Resilience program, Suicide First Aid, and Thrive Neurodiversity in the Workplace. The company has a team of over forty highly skilled and qualified Associate Trainers and works with leading organizations in aviation, communications, rail, the public sector, and third-sector organizations. Each year, Mind Matters delivers approximately 160 courses nationally and internationally.
Jane’s lived experience shapes the work and values of Mind Matters. After receiving a life-changing autism diagnosis in 2021, she published her debut book, The Umbrella Picker, which documents her experiences of living undiagnosed as an autistic person until the age of forty-five, along with the challenges she faced. Just two months after her diagnosis, Jane’s 26-year-old daughter was also diagnosed as autistic (and later with ADHD), followed three months later by her 8-year-old son in December 2021. Jane wrote The Umbrella Picker as the book she wishes had existed for her 30 years earlier. She later published her second book, Strength Not Deficit, a neuro-affirming perspective on autism.
Jane firmly believes that the success of Mind Matters is rooted in her autistic strengths, which have driven her achievements. These include determination, an exceptional pattern-spotting ability, and attention to detail. Her determination also led her to complete the virtual London Marathon in 2021 and the live marathon in 2022, raising nearly £4,000 for the National Autistic Society.
When she’s not delivering mental health training or advocating for early identification, Jane can be found enjoying a good book and a cup of tea.
Learn more about Jane McNeice and her work:
🌐 Website: Mind Matters
🔗 LinkedIn: Jane McNeice
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Disclaimer:
The stories and experiences shared in this podcast are personal to each guest. Autism and neurodiversity are unique to every individual, and we aim to celebrate that diversity rather than generalize or make universal claims.