Rylan Hoffman, the founder of Hoff Social, is a transmasculine and neurodivergent marketing strategist and content creator who has spent 14+ years building online communities. With over 100 million organic views, they know the power of visibility, but also its risks. After facing doxxing, harassment, and even extremist threats, Rylan made it their mission to help queer business owners navigate the internet safely while getting the right eyes on their content.

During this episode, you will hear Rylan talk about:

• How they first discovered that they were neurodivergent (ADHD and autistic)
• The intersection of their gender identity with their neurodivergence
• Their own experience of being mass harassed and doxxed online as a queer content creator
• How they help queer businesses grow their online presence while staying safe online
• Online marketing and safety tips for queer and neurodivergent business owners
• Creating engaging content for their community while being mindful of the algorithm

To find out more about Rylan and their work at hoffsocial.com and on Instagram @hoffsocial.

Resources for growing safely online (mentioned at the end of this episode):

• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Crash Override Network
• Right To Be
• We Keep Us Safe

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

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*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

CW: Eating disorder, death of a parent.

Sunita Theiss is an autistic, ADHD and PDA* parent, writer, and advocate. A second-generation Indian American, she has a rich background in communications, marketing, and storytelling, and has found several ways to support and encourage families raising neurodivergent kids.

Sunita is passionate about creating opportunities for culturally responsive support in a way that helps families honor both their values and their children’s needs. She is a regular contributor to PDA North America's Insights and Key Ministry's blog, and her writing has been featured in many publications, including Business Insider and Christianity Today.

*PDA is most often defined as Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy.

During this episode, you will hear Sunita talk about:

• Discovering her own neurodivergence after she had her children
• Her experience growing up as an undiagnosed neurodivergent kid in a South Asian family in the U.S. state of Georgia
• How raising her children has affected how she views her neurodivergence
• Growing up in the Hindu community and living as a Christian as an adult
• Writing about her experience in church as a neurodivergent parent of neurodivergent children
• How “low demand parenting” works for her and her family

Join Sunita's writing workshop and/or coaching services:

• A Story Only You Can Tell: A Writing Gathering for Parents of Neurodivergent Kids – use the code CAROLYN for $10 off Sunita’s writing workshop (scheduled for 6/26/2025)
• Low Demand Parenting Coaching - use the code SUNITA15 for $15 off
  
  

Read Sunita's writing at sunitatheiss.com/writing, on Instagram @sunitatheiss and on Substack.

The book that Sunita mentions in this episode is called “The Myth of Good Christian Parenting” by Kelsey McGinnis and Marissa Burt.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

Dr. Daniel P. Jones is a Creative Practitioner, Disability Scholar, and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Daniel specializes in inclusive research methodologies, focusing on the embodied experiences of public spaces, kinship, and solidarity within Tourette syndrome communities. As someone who has lived experience of Tourette syndrome himself, he has been actively engaged in community facilitation and Tourette syndrome activism in the UK for over a decade.

During this episode, you will hear Daniel talk about:

• How he realized he had Tourette syndrome – years after he had been diagnosed
• What was it like for him growing up with Tourette's in a religious household
• How his PhD thesis research focuses on the experiences that adults with Tourette's have in both public physical spaces and digital spaces
• What he learned about how the experiences of BIPOC and queer people with Tourette's are different in these spaces
• His work to lead and promote inclusive research

Follow Daniel on Bluesky: @danielpjones.bsky.social
Visit Daniel's website: DanielPJones.com

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

Content warning: This episode mentions physical and verbal abuse in school, suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt, and drug use.

Oladoyin Idowu is a pioneering dyslexia advocate and mental health professional dedicated to bridging the gap between neurodiversity, education, and mental well-being. Growing up in Nigeria with undiagnosed dyslexia, she experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating an education system that was not designed for neurodivergent learners. In 2016, she founded One Word Africa Foundation, becoming one of Nigeria’s foremost voices in dyslexia awareness and support.

During this episode, you will hear Oladoyin talk about:

• What her life was like growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia in Nigeria
• How Google helped her realize that she had dyslexia as an adult in 2015
• The different issues that she has to deal with because of her dyslexia
• The story behind how she founded the One Word Africa Foundation in 2016
• How her experience with higher education changed after she went back to school after her dyslexia diagnosis
• The type of work that the One Word Africa Foundation does for people with dyslexia and their loved ones
• The connections that she has noticed between dyslexia and mental health

Connect with Oladoyin on LinkedIn or follow One Word Africa on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.

Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

Lya Batlle-Rafferty, an MIT graduate with a degree in Cognitive Science, has had a career focused mostly on technology. She has often been a trailblazer as the only woman in a large company performing that type of work. She hosts her podcast, Memoirs of a Neurodivergent Latina, on her nights and weekends.

During this episode, you will hear Lya talk about:

• How she realized she is neurodivergent
• What it was like growing up as a neurodivergent girl in El Salvador and the United States
• The challenges she has faced because of her neurodivergence
• What inspired her to start her podcast, “Memoirs of a Neurodivergent Latina,” and the topics she discusses there
• The kind of feedback she has received from her audience about her podcast
• How her neurodivergence has helped her succeed at work
• Her goals for her podcast

To find out more about Lya and her podcast, visit her website at MOANL.com or email her at moanl [at] labratsolutions [dot] com.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.

Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

Trystan Reese is an award-winning author and facilitator dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with nearly two decades of experience in the trans community. He also has ADHD and identifies as neurodivergent. Trystan founded Collaborate Consulting to provide training on LGBTQ+ inclusion and has contributed to various anthologies on mental health and social justice.

During this episode, Trystan and I talk about:

• How he realized he had ADHD after his child was diagnosed
• What it was like growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, and the impact on his education and self-image
• How he coaches people in the workplace who have ADHD
• What workplace inclusion looks like for neurodivergent individuals
• How workplaces can support their neurodivergent and trans employees
• The negative impact of the current US government administration on trans people, including the current multi-state lawsuit Texas vs. Becerra that threatens both the trans and disability communities

Learn more about Trystan and his work at Collaborate.Consulting.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.

Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

This episode is part of the 3rd edition of Podcasthon: a global effort among 1000+ podcast hosts to raise awareness and support for important causes by highlighting a charity of their choice during the same week (March 15-21, 2025).

Today’s episode features Samar Waqar, the Founder and Executive Director of Kind Theory, a neurodiversity-based nonprofit based in Texas. Using the insights and knowledge of neurodivergent people themselves, Kind Theory educates organizations, institutions, and the general public about neurodiversity, accessibility, and disability rights as these relate to autism and ADHD. In doing so, it improves educational, health, and employment outcomes for these marginalized members of our community.

During this episode, you will hear Samar talk about:

• How her experiences with her autistic son’s therapy and her own burnout inspired her to create Kind Theory
• The events and services that Kind Theory provides for neurodivergent people in Texas and beyond
• Discovering that she is neurodivergent herself

Learn more about Kind Theory at kindtheory.org.
Get in touch with Samar at talktous [at] kindtheory.org or on LinkedIn.

Visit www.podcasthon.org to discover hundreds of other nonprofits and charities being highlighted during Podcasthon by podcasters around the world!

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.

Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*

Jessica Birch is a national advocate and speaker living on the South East Coast of Australia. Since her late diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) at the age of 33, she has turned her attention to awareness building and education to create a better understanding of the prevalence and consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure in Australia.

Jessica shares her lived expertise in an effort to equip individuals, parents/carers, educators and health professionals with the information they need to create successful interventions and support. She believes awareness and action are key to minimizing the rate of prenatal alcohol exposure globally and works closely with organizations, stakeholders and government on alcohol policy and regulatory reform.

During this episode, you will hear Jessica talk about:

• Her life growing up with undiagnosed FASD
• How she learned what FASD is and how it applies to her
• Her concerns about doctors being unaware and minimizing the effects of FASD
• How receiving the diagnosis changed her outlook on life
• Types of outside support that she receives for FASD

To find out more about Jessica and her work, check out her website at www.jbtalksfasd.com.au, email her at jessicabirch.fasd at gmail dot com, and follow her on Instagram @jb_talksfasd and Twitter/X at @JB_TalksFASD.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.

Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.*