Autistic self-advocate and tech leader Shea Belsky (Tech Lead @ HubSpot; ex-CTO & co-founder at Mentra; host of Autistic Techie) joins Thick No More to flip old labels into real strengths. We go back to his early years and diagnosis, talk sensory needs and self-advocacy, and get practical about what leaders miss—and how simple changes create belonging and better work.

In this episode:

• “Born This Way” and owning identity

• Early diagnosis vs. today’s language and pop-culture stereotypes

• School, sensory triggers, and finding environments that work

• From Cornell to tech leadership: disclosure, boundaries, and growth

• The business case for inclusion (and the cost of getting it wrong)

• ERGs, remote/hybrid work, and universal design that helps everyone

• Advice for leaders (what to do Monday morning)

• Advice for “hiders” at work: asking for what you need, safely

If this resonated, share it with a friend—and remember: labels are just words. We’re here to change the narrative.

• Website: shaebelsky.com

• Email: hello@shaebelsky.com

• Podcast: Autistic Techie (available on all major platforms)

• LinkedIn: Shea Belsky (search by name)

Connect with Shea

Diagnosed & Dumped — with Beth Thomas (ADHD/ND Life Coach, Neurodivergent by Design)

This week, Jay sits down with Beth Thomas — ADHD & neurodivergent life coach, neuroinclusion trainer, and founder of Neurodivergent by Design — to talk honestly about being “diagnosed & dumped,” why so many adults still feel stuck after assessment, and what good support actually looks like at work and at home.

Beth shares her late-diagnosis journey, the pressure of growing up “gifted,” and how reframing perfectionism, people-pleasing, and RSD can unlock real change. We dig into Access to Work (what’s great, what’s broken), common mistakes companies make, and simple, low-cost adjustments that create safer, more productive teams. Beth also walks through her 1:1 coaching ethos (no coaching someone to cope in an unfit environment) and her self-paced course, Neurodivergent by Design: From Exhausted to Empowered.

• “Diagnosed & dumped” why assessments often end with no real aftercare

• Access to Work: backlogs, decisions, and what to do next

• Workplace myths: “standardised fixes” and “it’ll be expensive”

• Practical wins: boundaries, energy management, assertive comms

• Beth’s theme tune: “Leave a Light On” (Tom Walker, acoustic)

• A listener offer for Beth’s course (see below)

• Website (free call + all socials): https://www.beth-thomas.co.uk/ Beth Thomas

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-thomas-0a6800244/ LinkedIn

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unboundmindcoaching/ Instagram

🎁 Listener Offer: Beth has kindly offered 25% off her Neurodivergent by Design self-study course. Code is TNM25

🎙 Thick No More – Season 2, Episode 1: From Performative to Practiced Inclusion — Fixing Workplace Neurodiversity

Welcome to Season 2 of Thick No More, the podcast that challenges old narratives about neurodiversity, inclusion, and what it really means to thrive at work. In this powerful opening episode, host Jay Giddens sits down with Trisha S. Daho, founder and CEO of Empowered Leadership & Culture (EmpoweredLC) an international people and culture strategist helping organisations move from performative to practiced inclusion.

Trisha built her career as a Partner at a Big Four accounting firm, leading diverse teams and driving measurable, lasting change. Today, she works with firms across the US, UK, and Europe to build cultures that grow people and performance, not just profits.

🔊 In this conversation:

• Why so few UK companies (under 1%) are Disability Confident and how ignorance, not malice, keeps progress stuck.

• What it really takes for leaders to build neuroinclusive workplaces that empower, not exclude.

• How self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership and why most DEI programs fail without it.

• The small, simple actions that make a massive difference for employees who are “hiding” in plain sight.

• How inclusive hiring should start by asking: “What do we really need and why?” instead of filtering by CVs, psychometric tests, or outdated assumptions.

• The “magic wand” moment: what Trisha would have every CEO say tomorrow to transform trust across their teams.

• Why “you’re not going to struggle on my watch” might just be the most powerful leadership promise of all.

Trisha’s insights are deeply human, practical, and refreshingly direct. Her work strips away the corporate jargon and focuses on truth, courage, and creating real belonging where everyone can show up as their full selves.

💬 Key takeaway:
Inclusion isn’t a checkbox. It’s a covenant a mutual commitment between leaders and teams to meet people where they are, to listen, adapt, and make change that lasts.

✨ About Trisha S. Daho
Trisha is the Founder and CEO of Empowered Leadership & Culture, helping global firms evolve from traditional power structures to inclusive, high-performing environments. She has decades of experience leading cultural transformation and advising executives on inclusion strategy, leadership accountability, and sustainable change.

📧 Contact Trisha:
📩 Email: trisha@empoweredlc.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trishadaho
🌍 Website: www.empoweredlc.com

Even if you just want to bounce ideas or start a conversation about inclusive leadership, Trisha welcomes your message.

🎧 Host: Jay Giddens
Thick No More is a podcast for anyone who’s ever been labelled, misunderstood, or underestimated and for leaders ready to rethink what inclusion really looks like in practice.

🧠 Listen. Learn. Lead.
Because there are no labels and there are no limits.

🎵 Music Credit:
Intro music by Cris Lowis.