167: Neurodiversity, Emma Rice/Bridgewater & Becoming by Michelle Obama

Big Business Briefs

Neurodiversity, Emma Bridgwater and Becoming by Michelle Obama Most of us, when thinking about diversity will be thinking about a diverse workforce having people of mixed ages and gender, include people who are both disabled and able bodied and from different backgrounds but maybe we should be thinking deeper about the elements of our brains which differ and this is where neurodiversity comes into play. The conditions of ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia make up ‘Neurodiversity’. Neuro-differences are recognised and appreciated as a social category on par with ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or disability status. Building a team where people think in different ways can provide in depth, robust and creative results in a way that a group of likeminded ‘conventional’ individuals could only dream of. This week we take a look at what we mean by neurodiversity and the benefits businesses can take from a team which is neurodivergent. It’s been a while since we reviewed a biography or autobiography so we decided to take a look at Becoming by Michelle Obama. Her story from a simple childhood to the wife of the President of the United States is a interesting one and she, successful in her own right, speaks candidly about how she came to be at that stage in her life. If you get the chance to listen to the audio book, her voice is soothing and very easy to listen to. She tells her story very well. We also took time to watch the documentary Becoming too which show us more of how she operates as she carries out her book tour. Female businesswoman Emma Bridgwater takes us back to Tracy’s roots in Stoke On Trent and The Potteries. Founded in 1984 the business grew to become the household name that it is today and alongside her husband they grew the business from a turnover of around £30,000 in year one to £8million in 2009 and £11 million in 2010, employing 180 people in a sector that had been shrinking year on year as cheaper imports put many of the original potteries out of business. If you like what you hear then perhaps you would considering buying us a coffee (we love coffee!), or a book (we also love books!) www.buymeacoffee.com/tbcpodcast