Margaux Joffe on embracing the brilliance of neurodivergent minds

Ad Age is marking Disability Pride Month 2023 with our Honoring Creative Excellence package, in which members of the disability community revisit some of their favorite creative projects. (Read the introduction here.) Today, neurodiversity advocate Margaux Joffe writes about disclosing her own ADHD diagnosis at work and creating a platform and an employee resource group for the ND community.

When I was an advertising producer, nobody guessed I had ADHD—least of all myself.

Advertising always kept me focused with a new creative problem to solve, a new campaign to produce and the urgency of tight deadlines. Many people with ADHD thrive in fast-paced, stimulating environments such as advertising, journalism, tech, entrepreneurship and emergency first response services, defying what some people might think of as “stereotypical” jobs for us.  

But if my colleagues saw an organized producer, they missed how my undiagnosed ADHD created working memory issues, sensory overload and bombardment of thoughts. The shame of unfinished projects, unanswered text messages and the endless struggle to finally “get organized” compounded into a deep exhaustion no vacation could fix.

Like too many neurodivergent women, I went undiagnosed for years, experiencing anxiety and depression until a cross-country move and a series of anxiety attacks prompted me to seek a professional evaluation at age 29. As I wrestled with this new diagnosis, I found it difficult to find empowering and accessible information for adult women. 

The fact that so many women were struggling in silence inspired me in 2015 to launch Kaleidoscope Society, the first-of-its-kind content platform designed to empower others with ADHD by amplifying our lived experiences and curating expert advice. More than 500,000 people accessed the information on our website, and listeners in more than 43 countries heard our podcast “ADHD Decoded”—a “quick-start guide” to understanding the ADHD brain.  

Documenting the stories of others with ADHD forged my path to self-acceptance and healing. ADHD causes legitimate challenges, but our biggest challenges come from a world that never taught us how to value and work with our unique brains.

Around 15-20% of the world’s population, or one in five people, is neurodivergent—meaning we learn, process sensory information and communicate differently. Some of the most creative and brilliant people I’ve worked with have conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, autism, depression anxiety and OCD. 

So why is it that while people with ADHD make up 5-8% of the overall population, we are 60% more likely to be fired from our jobs?

For too long we’ve been operating in a medical model of disability that sees individuals who don’t fit the norm as “broken” or “defective,” a problem to be solved, a defect to be cured.

This means too many neurodivergent employees are grappling with whether or not to disclose, fearing they might lose their job or that they will be treated differently rather than be accommodated. Stigma and fear still hinder the acceptance and inclusion we need to thrive.  

Later, I would disclose my own ADHD diagnosis at work to dispel stigma and launch the technology industry’s first Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Yahoo (later part of Verizon Media). Today I’m thrilled to see many leading companies taking action to support neurodiversity at work.

Now, I invite each of you to consider simple steps you can take to make a difference:

• Listen to the lived experiences of your neurodivergent team members.
• Equip managers and employees with an understanding of neurodiversity to foster an inclusive culture.
• Assess and improve the accessibility of physical and digital work environments.
• Provide an easy way for employees and partners to request accommodations so that they have what they need to fully participate, contribute and succeed. 

Creating an accessible workplace where neurodivergent employees is not an act of charity—it’s an investment in future success.

Companies need different minds, not only to solve client briefs, but also to solve some of the world’s pressing crises. We need to activate the full spectrum of intelligence we have in our species, and create space for ND people to share their genius.

Neurodiversity is our most underutilized creative resource. Discarding stigma, embracing the brilliance of neurodivergent minds and addressing systemic barriers will open doors to a more imaginative future for all.