Jon Wakefield, Consultant at Via Resource and Lisa Ventura MBE, Founder of Cyber Security Unity discuss various topics related to neurodiversity and imposter syndrome. Here's a summary of the key points from the conversation:

·       Imposter Syndrome Awareness: Lisa discusses the creation of International Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day, a day dedicated to discussing and addressing imposter syndrome. She emphasises the importance of raising awareness and encouraging open conversations about how imposter syndrome affects individuals in their careers.

·       Imposter Syndrome and Neurodiversity: The conversation delves into how imposter syndrome is often more pronounced in neurodivergent individuals, such as those with ADHD or autism. Lisa shares her personal experiences with imposter syndrome, dating back to her school days, and how it has affected her throughout her career.

·       ADHD Diagnosis: Lisa discusses her ADHD diagnosis and how it has provided her with a better understanding of her neurodivergent traits. She mentions her experiences with borderline personality disorder traits and the therapeutic techniques that have helped her manage them.

·       Handling Imposter Syndrome: The conversation explores how neurodivergent individuals can cope with imposter syndrome. Lisa and Jon share their experiences of feeling like impostors despite their achievements and accolades.

·       Gender Pay Gap: Lisa reveals a personal experience with a gender pay gap, where she was offered a role with a lower salary than her male counterpart. The importance of addressing gender pay disparities in the cyber security industry is highlighted.

·       Toxic Workplace Culture: Lisa shares her experience working in a toxic workplace with bullying and how it led her to leave the organisation. The impact of toxic individuals on an organisation's culture and employee morale is discussed.

·       The Importance of Dealing with Toxicity: The conversation emphasises the significance of addressing toxic individuals within organisations to retain talented employees and maintain a healthy work environment.

·       Progress and Challenges: The discussion concludes by acknowledging the progress made in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace while recognising the continued challenges and areas where improvements are needed.

About Our Host Jon And Guest Lisa​

Jon Wakefield, Consultant At Via Resource​

Jon joined Via Resource with a year of recruitment experience in the Cyber Security market, where he specialises in Security Engineering and DFIR.

Having placed candidates from Senior Manager Security Engineering to mid-level in highly regulated industries such as finance; Jon has built a comprehensive understanding of both candidate and client needs and addresses each role, and person, on an individual basis to find the perfect fit.

As an avid Star Wars fan, you will often see or hear Jon making connections and references to cyber security. Jon has ADHD and is an avid supporter of neurodivergent talent in the workplace.

Lisa Ventura MBE is an award-winning cyber security specialist, writer and keynote speaker. She is the Founder of Cyber Security Unity, a global community organisation that is dedicated to bringing individuals and companies together who actively work in cyber security to help combat the growing cyber threat. She is in high demand as a speaker and writer on various topics in cyber security including the cyber skills gap, career pathways into the industry, managing mental health and burnout, imposter syndrome, combatting bullying and abuse in the cyber security industry and the human factors/elements of cyber security. She is also a cyber security mindset and mental health coach and offers help and support to those affected by stress, burnout, bullying/abuse and mental health issues in cyber security and Infosec. In June 2023 she was awarded an MBE in King Charles III’s birthday honours list for services to cyber security and diversity and inclusion.

Jon Wakefield, Consultant at Via Resource and Leanne Maskell, ADHD Coach, Author, and Activist covers various aspects of ADHD, including understanding it, supporting individuals with ADHD, and harnessing the strengths of ADHD. They touch on the challenges faced by individuals with ADHD, particularly in corporate settings.

Overview

1. 1. Introduction: The conversation begins with one of the speakers expressing a desire to accidentally buy a year's supply of beer or whiskey, which leads to a discussion on ADHD and its relevance in the workplace.
   2. Three Key Points About ADHD in the Workplace: The conversation focuses on three main points related to ADHD in the corporate world. These points are:
      • Understanding ADHD: This involves explaining what ADHD is, addressing misconceptions, and discussing how it impacts executive functioning and work performance.
      • Supporting ADHD: This section covers strategies and policies for supporting neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, such as providing written instructions, coaching, and access to resources.
      • Harnessing ADHD: This part highlights the strengths and positive aspects of being neurodivergent and encourages embracing diversity in the workplace.
   3. Gender and ADHD: The speakers touch on the gender disparity in ADHD diagnoses, discussing how ADHD can manifest differently in men and women. They also mention the higher risk of suicide among individuals with ADHD.
   4. Dealing with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): The conversation delves into RSD, a concept related to intense emotional pain in response to real or perceived rejection. They discuss strategies to cope with RSD, including understanding the thought processes behind it and validating one's own experiences.
   5. Ideas and Innovation in the Workplace: The speakers discuss handling a situation where someone has innovative ideas but faces resistance or rejection in a corporate setting. The advice includes writing down ideas, presenting them thoughtfully, and considering implementing them independently, if possible.
   6. Personal Experiences and ADHD Coaching: The conversation also includes personal experiences of the speakers, the importance of coaching, and how coaching can help individuals with ADHD

About Our Host Jon And Guest Leanne​

Jon Wakefield, Consultant At Via Resource​

Jon joined Via Resource with a year of recruitment experience in the Cyber Security market, where he specialises in Security Engineering and DFIR.

Having placed candidates from Senior Manager Security Engineering to mid-level in highly regulated industries such as finance; Jon has built a comprehensive understanding of both candidate and client needs and addresses each role, and person, on an individual basis to find the perfect fit.

As an avid Star Wars fan, you will often see or hear Jon making connections and references to cyber security. Jon has ADHD and is an avid supporter of neurodivergent talent in the workplace.

Leanne Maskell, ADHD Coach, Author, And Activist​

Leanne Maskell is an ADHD Coach, Author, and Activist, having presented to the World Health Organization on improving global access to support for ADHD. Previously working in mental health and disability law, Leanne set up ADHD Works to empower as many people as possible to learn about how to make ADHD work for them through courses, talks, and coaching. After being diagnosed with ADHD aged 25, Leanne published 4 books, including her latest book 'ADHD Works at Work' & ‘ADHD: an A to Z’, as featured on Sky News.

Jon interviews Gabriel Severi, a Security Architect, about the economic impact of neurodiversity and management. They discuss the concept of ADHD tax, where neurodivergent individuals spend extra time and money on tasks that neurotypical individuals can complete more efficiently. The conversation also touches on the flaws in current productivity metrics and the negative impact of bad managers on the economy. Gabriel suggests measuring candidates based on measurable metrics such as IQ, problem-solving skills, and pattern detection rather than experience or knowledge with a particular tool. The podcast concludes by emphasising the need for continuous learning and training for everyone.

1. Consider the concept of ADHD tax and how it may impact neurodivergent individuals in the workplace.
2. Evaluate current productivity metrics and consider alternative methods for measuring productivity.
3. Provide better performance management and people management training, especially for neurodiverse employees.
4. Measure candidates based on measurable metrics such as IQ, problem-solving skills, and pattern detection rather than experience or knowledge with a particular tool.
5. Emphasise the need for continuous learning and training for everyone.

Jon joined Via Resource with a year of recruitment experience in the Cyber Security market, where he specialises in Security Engineering and DFIR.

Having placed candidates from Senior Manager Security Engineering to mid-level in highly regulated industries such as finance; Jon has built a comprehensive understanding of both candidate and client needs and addresses each role, and person, on an individual basis to find the perfect fit.

As an avid Star Wars fan, you will often see or hear Jon making connections and references to cyber security. Jon has ADHD and is an avid supporter of neurodivergent talent in the workplace.

Gabriel is a cybersecurity professional with just over 6 years of experience and exposure to multiple industry sectors. Currently he works as a Senior Consultant, specialising in Security Architecture. Outside of cybersecurity, Gabriel has a deep interest in Psychology and Game Theory, which he has used to analyse the current job market and identify areas which are causing negative impact to the economy. He was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021, and has been trying to upskill companies in neurodiversity management, one employer at a time.

He identified that this might be too slow a method, so now he is campaigning more strongly for better management practices in general, which he hopes will improve the score for neurodiverse employees holistically as a result.

• Introduction & your ADHD tax
• 06:22 ADHD Management and the Economics of it – Video Game Theory 
• 13:10 Trend 1: Bullmarket
• 15:50 Trend 2: Promotions
• 17.01 Trend 3: Bad Management
• 25:22 Wage Inflation & Hiring Market
• 46.14 Skills Gaps and Hiring
• 59:11 Diamond in the Rough
• 64.27 The Big Five
• 70:42 Personality Traits
• 87:01 Last Comments

Hyperfocus Hour podcast discusses hyper fixation and upskilling with ADHD in the cybersecurity field with guest Chris Roberts, a  Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager at Direct Line, emphasising the importance of understanding and playing to the strengths of neurodiverse individuals in the workplace. Chris discusses their experience with ADHD and how it can be an advantage in cybersecurity due to the ability to quickly extract information from limited data. Hyperfocus Hour discusses the challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in obtaining qualifications and succeeding in the cybersecurity industry, emphasising the importance of curiosity and hands-on experience over qualifications alone. Chris suggests researching potential employers to see if they have an inclusive culture for neurodiverse individuals.

Jon Wakefield, Consultant at Via Resource

Jon joined Via Resource with a year of recruitment experience in the Cyber Security market, where he specialises in Security Engineering and DFIR.

Having placed candidates from Senior Manager Security Engineering to mid-level in highly regulated industries such as finance; Jon has built a comprehensive understanding of both candidate and client needs and addresses each role, and person, on an individual basis to find the perfect fit.

As an avid Star Wars fan, you will often see or hear Jon making connections and references to cyber security. Jon has ADHD and is an avid supporter of neurodivergent talent in the workplace.

  Chris Roberts,  Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager at Direct Line

Chris Roberts, an accomplished expert in cybersecurity, brings over a decade's worth of experience to the table. His professional journey in offensive and defensive cyber threat intelligence, as well as information security, is characterised by adversary-based breach and attack simulations. His record illuminates a dynamic fusion of profound technical acumen and leadership skills. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris cultivates a well-regarded security blog and news aggregator. His interests extend to photography, music - where he showcases his talent on the drums and cinema. A fervent explorer of modern technology, Chris delves into the world of machine learning during his free time.

• Introduction & your ADHD tax
• Hyper fixation 2.49
• Hiring Process 19.06
• Exams and certifications 26:28
• Undiagnosed in cyber security 34.41
• Chris Advice: 45.20
• Last Comments 47.58

Welcome to the first episode of Hyperfocus Hour. Our first guest speaker Beth O’Malley, Queen of Chaos, Co-Founder of Astral Digital and ADHDer. Beth was diagnosed with ADHD over 2 years ago and it’s given her a new purpose; to use her brain to wrangle even the unruliest of CRM and marketing projects with her clients and to make change for other ADHDers and neurodivergents in the professional world. ADHD is Beth’s greatest strength and greatest weakness, but she keeps it real, bringing you real life experiences and a disruptor who's rewriting the all the rules.

Thank you Beth for being part of Hyperfocus Hour!