This is because it doesn’t account for the fact that often your nervous system interprets attention as danger at a level of sensitivity that a neurotypical brain does not.
You’re ready to grow your business, but you know your next level of success lies on the other side of greater visibility.
Of being able to speak on stages, being able to go live, or show up at a networking event, being able to fully own your genius, but that feels impossibly out of reach for you right now.
Because it costs you too much. It completely depletes you.
So you overplan and prepare your slides, you book the live, then cancel it.
You start out strong, but then shrink because you can’t sit in the discomfort of being seen, and RSD takes over, and the noise it creates in your brain about what they might ‘actually’ think about you.
And the bit that’s really hurting you, and that’s brought you to this page?
You know your work changes lives.
You know the impact you could have if you stood your ground and put your work and yourself out there, without needing a week to recover after every interaction.
And you can, let me show you how.
If you are not a business owner and would like to ditch the self-doubt, stop overthinking every conversation and communicate & self-advocate with clarity and assertiveness, then Unmasked Life could be for you.
Your body reads attention as risk. Real, imminent danger – and that’s why you contract and shrink back and why it takes you so long to recover. That’s why you second-guess everything you post, analyse every reaction and crash after showing up.
You can show up – just not long enough for momentum to compound and for you to get the results you want. And when being this visible feels this hard – of course it isn’t something you can do consistently and regularly – especially since you already know trying to “push” through doesn’t work.
That fear of visibility, that sense of threat, means you stall because every word and every action and every piece of exposure feels high-stakes, which means you don’t get the things done you want to. It means you calculate and analyse every word, you put off making decisions, you stay in the shallow end of growing your business, because it feels safer
Problem 1 keeps you from being visible; problem 2 costs you time you don’t have, but problem 3 keeps feeding this loop, keeping you stuck in the same place on repeat. Because the way you feel if and when you DO get visible is so punishing and intolerable and exhausting, that it stops you from being able to do it again. And there’s no way you can sustainably grow your business with this cycle repeating.
For years, I thought my inconsistency was a discipline problem.
And I told myself I just needed more courage. More exposure. More practice pushing through.
But none of it worked – because it’s not that we’re not brave enough or disciplined enough or ambitious enough.
It’s because none of the usual methods or solutions is built for a nervous system like mine – or yours.
And until I expanded my capacity to be witnessed, my business could only grow as far as my regulation allowed.
When I focused on myself rather than on what others thought of me, everything changed.
For us sensitive and creative neurodivergent folks, it’s not about ‘confidence’ in the usual sense, or mindset, or practice, or discipline.
It’s about being able to expand our nervous system capacity, specifically in a way that’s designed to feel safe, steady and within your control. It’s about being aware of your capacity and gently stretching your tolerance in a way that feels good and easy, so not applying too much pressure and hoping for the best.
Although this might have been your strategy for years, relying on stress and fear to motivate is unsustainable and perpetuates a cycle of burnout. And then, of course, recovery. Burnout doesn’t have to be the norm. There is another way.
It started as a fun thing to do for my novelty-seeking ADHD brain. I joined a beginner’s course and felt terrified and excited all at once.
My inner critic soon got on board and said, ‘don’t do it’, ‘what if you are not good at it or funny’, ‘leave now before you make a fool of yourself’. Luckily for me, my social anxiety at the time made it impossible for me to leave, as this would have been too embarrassing. The thought of leaving in front of a group of strangers was worse than staying! Another contradiction of life is being both autistic and ADHD!
My fear soon turned to joy when I realised I didn’t need to be perfect, just willing to have a go, commit to the scene and follow the three golden rules, which are to listen, accept (say yes) and commit. That’s it. The rest took care of itself, and the thrill of creating scenes in the moment with other people became my dopamine-seeking obsession.
What I soon learned was that I didn’t need to try to be funny or even be quick-witted because the nature of improv is already funny, as no one ever knows what is going on or what to expect.
The humour is generated naturally through the relationships formed in the moment. Once I realised this, I was able to take the pressure off myself, relax, and focus on staying present, listening and responding to my scene partner, playing, and having fun.
The confidence I felt immediately after learning a new skill was intense and pivotal, and it was a moment when I realised it was okay to be me. To express my quirks. To have my impulsivity celebrated and not berated. I had come home.
Comedy improv remained a stable part of my life for years and was my constant companion through difficult times, a plethora of jobs and was something I could focus on when life felt too tough, too overwhelming and was an anchor when I didn’t know I was autistic and ADHD and just felt like a failure of a human being.
Fast-forward to 5 years ago, I began expanding my tolerance for being witnessed by applying my improv skills to my business. I was able to go live, be a guest on podcasts, speak with journalists, and enjoy speaking on stages. It changed my whole world.
For the first time ever, I could stay visible long enough to be seen. To be witnessed. Long enough to get my business in front of the clients whose lives I could change.
Then I started incorporating the methodologies I learnt and developed into my work – and the results blew my mind:
I watched clients who used to need a week on the sofa after one live start showing up without crashing.
I watched founders who swore they’d never be able to speak on stage hold rooms of 100 people – and actually enjoy it.
I watched Coaches who had been crippled by their anxiety and constantly second-guessing themselves – be able to switch off the noise and the doubt in a way they never thought they’d be able to do – and in a way they can sustain and return to long past our time working together.
Because their nervous systems could finally handle being seen.
Lisa, an AuDHD speaker and coach, has benefited greatly from learning improv:
“Comedy improv has improved my confidence. It’s helped me feel less self-conscious if I say the wrong thing, or can’t think of an answer to a question right away.”
Melissa, an ADHD coach who did an inspiring talk at the event, ADHD The Experience, said:
“Improv pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me draw confidence from myself, and doing the talk at ADHD The Experience helped me realise I do have things to say that are valuable and that other people want to hear.”
I feel less anxious and more present in social interactions.
Robert
It’s helped me think about my self-confidence at work (and in general) and given me more motivation to do things I’d like to achieve.
Shay
I’m approaching interactions that make me nervous with more confidence, and I have more self-esteem and confidence in the future, especially when leading as a neurodivergent person.
Kate
When you can be bold, stop shrinking back, and lead yourself without burning out, growth stops feeling like a push uphill—and becomes sustainable.
It helped me discover an inquisitive, playful and thoughtful me. Genuine fun, led and contained so well by you! Tracy
Tracy
It was such a fantastic learning opportunity. I feel like I’ve grown so much in confidence, learnt some new skills and most importantly, had an ABSOLUTE BLAST!
Sarah
You are brilliant at encouraging craziness and creativity in the games but being really calm and making it feel relaxed in between.
Sian
12 weekly 1:1 sessions (1 hour each)
Expanding your tolerance through nervous-system recalibration and real-time processing. Neuro-affirming and trauma-informed coaching techniques.
Live exposure practice inside sessions
Improv-based drills + unfiltered expression reps to reduce over-editing and build safe spontaneity.
Post-live nervous system recovery protocol
So that you don’t need 5–7 days to recover after being seen.
Full launch-cycle support across the 12 weeks
So you stay visible through intensity spikes instead of disappearing mid-way.
Structured speaking outreach accountability + pitch refinement
So you pitch yourself for 5 aligned opportunities and secure at least one booking.
Between session WhatsApp or email support
For wobbles and wins
A place on a comedy improv workshop, either online or in-person
Uplevel your improv skills among like-minded peers
Be interviewed on my podcast, Adventures with ADHD
Relaxed and informal interview, as well as preparation
Speaking opportunity at my event in Hove, ADHD The Experience, plus video footage for showreel
A great community event with a hugely supportive audience
This is for founders ready to stop disappearing and start being seen consistently.
Spots are intentionally limited due to the 1:1 nature of the work.
If you’re fed up with forcing confidence and spending days in “recovery” from being visible, it’s time to build and expand your capacity to be witnessed so you can build the business you’re here to build and serve the clients you’re here to serve. Book a call here today if you are ready to get visible without the burnout. 2 spaces available only.
