EP199 Neurodivergence at Work: What Needs to Change with Summer Jelinek

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In this powerful and personal episode, Angela and Sami sit down with speaker, leadership trainer, and PhD researcher Summer Jelinek to talk about what it really means to be neurodivergent in the workplace.

From masking and burnout to emotional intelligence and late diagnoses, we explore how modern work culture often fails to support neurodivergent thinkers and what we can do about it. Summer shares her journey of being diagnosed with autism later in life and how that led her to research how neurodivergent women lead, mask, and navigate professional spaces differently.

Sami and Angela get honest about parenting, people-pleasing, crying in the office, and learning to feel your feels without shame. Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, love someone who is, or just want to create a more human-centered workplace, this episode will open your eyes and soften your heart.

In This Episode

- What “neurodivergent” really means and why it's more than just ADHD or autism
- How masking impacts performance, connection, and burnout
- Why neurodivergent women often go undiagnosed for decades
- The emotional labor of “being professional” at work
- How leaders can support team members who think differently
- Why curiosity beats judgment every time

If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a friend, a teammate, or your boss. Conversations like these are how we make change.

Resources and Mentions
- Get the first 3 chapters of Summer’s book: unlockingthemagicofleadership.com/myf
- Connect with Summer Jelinek:
- Website: summerjelinek.com
- LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram: @SummerJelinek

Order Traveling Light wherever you get your books!

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