The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

When Your Mind Works Differently: Trauma, Leadership, and Finding What Fits
If you’ve ever felt like your brain doesn’t follow the same map as everyone else’s, this conversation will likely hit close to home.
In this episode, I sit down with Blaz Merlot to talk about what it means to move through the world feeling different, and how that can shape the way we lead, work, and understand ourselves. We get into the tension between structure and individuality, why some environments feel calming while others leave us drained, and how trauma can affect the way we think, react, and function day to day.

What stood out to me most is how Blaz connects his path from a difficult childhood to West Point, then into business leadership and coaching. We also explore a question many people quietly carry: Is this just how my mind works, or is it connected to what I’ve lived through? That part of the conversation opens up a much bigger one about identity, resilience, burnout, and how to build a life that actually fits your brain.

About the Guest
Blaz Merlot is a former military officer and West Point graduate who now helps service-based founders build stronger systems, reduce overwhelm, and lead without chaos or burnout.

Key Timestamps
0:00 - I welcome Blaz and start with his early story

3:33 - Why military structure felt meaningful to him

5:38 - How West Point changed the way he thought

10:48 - What the military taught him about leadership and trust

16:31 - How he defines neurodivergence for himself

19:39 - The strengths and challenges of a different-thinking brain

24:37 - Trauma, brain development, and the questions he still carries

36:04 - Why founders get stuck in chaos and burnout

43:01 - What healthy leadership looks like now

48:30 - What he wants neurodivergent listeners to remember

If this episode speaks to your experience, listen all the way through and share it with someone who needs a reminder that they’re not broken—they may just work differently. #Neurodivergent #TraumaAndHealing #Leadership #MentalHealth #AutismAndADHD

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: [email protected]

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Finding Your Voice When the Path Doesn’t Make Sense Yet
What happens when your voice belongs to more than one world? In this conversation, I sit down with Sonia Sohn to talk about art, identity, and the strange in-between space where so many creative lives are built.

Sonya is known for her viral performances with Julian the piano player, including the flash mobs that have caught millions of eyes across Europe. But in this episode, I go past the polished videos and into the real story behind the voice.
We talk about what it means to feel called to something before you can explain it, why training can help and still get in your way, and how self-doubt can show up even when the talent is obvious. Sonia also shares what it was like growing up between musical worlds, studying opera in Germany, building a pop sound of her own, and learning to live with uncertainty instead of waiting for a perfect plan.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re allowed to be more than one thing, or how people keep creating when they still don’t have it all figured out, this episode will stay with you.

About the Guest
Sonya aka Sone Sings is a singer and performer with roots in opera, pop, and live viral performance. She has appeared in widely shared musical collaborations across Europe and continues to create music that blends technical skill with personal expression.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Sonia Sohn and introduce her viral music background

0:35 - Sonia shares her early life, family influence, and first major performances

6:21 - We talk about the emotional feeling of singing opera for the first time

7:43 - Sonia explains the hard part of finding her own sound after formal training

17:11 - We explore the tension between her trained voice and personal voice

24:01 - Sonia reveals what people don’t see behind songwriting and recording

32:37 - She reflects on health, growth, and what her younger self would think now

41:07 - We revisit the flash mob videos and the moment everything changed

If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and tell me what part stayed with you most. Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, voice, storytelling, and the messy middle of becoming who you are.
#SoneSings #TheCuriousStoryteller #MusicInterview #CreativeProcess #FindingYourVoice

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: [email protected]

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What a Late Autism Diagnosis Can Reveal About ADHD, School, and Self-Understanding
I sat down with Carly Faye to talk about what happens when a late autism diagnosis suddenly puts years of questions into focus.
In this conversation, I explore Carly’s path from educator to functional nutrition practitioner and coach, and how her ADHD and recent autism diagnosis changed the way she sees her past, her work, and herself. We talk about the students she felt drawn to, the school experiences that didn’t quite fit, and the quiet signs that made more sense only later.

What stayed with me most is how often neurodivergent people are misunderstood, especially when they look “fine” from the outside. Carly shares what it meant to realize she had support needs all along, why certain advice never fit, and how that awareness is shaping the way she now helps others. There’s also a powerful part of this conversation about grief, relief, identity, and learning to stop treating difference like something that needs fixing.

About the Guest
Carly Faye is a former educator, functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, and coach. She supports clients through nutrition, emotional processing, and nervous system-aware care, with a strong understanding of neurodivergence and inclusion.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Carly Faye and we begin with her background in education

1:09 - What her classroom looked like for students who learned differently

5:04 - Carly shares her ADHD diagnosis and recent autism diagnosis

11:00 - Why tests, language, and “right answers” can feel so complicated

20:17 - What led her to explore autism at 41

24:16 - What the diagnosis process was really like

26:14 - Relief, grief, and making sense of a late diagnosis

39:15 - How understanding her neurodivergence changed the way she supports clients

43:38 - What schools still miss about neurodivergent kids

52:46 - What Carly wants teachers, coaches, and helpers to know if they’re quietly wondering about themselves

Carlys Links:
https://www.instagram.com/carlyinfocus
https://www.carlyinfocus.com/
If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, overlooked, or unsure why certain things seem harder than they “should,” I think this episode will stay with you. Listen in, and see what clicks for you.

#AutismDiagnosis #ADHD #Neurodivergent #LateDiagnosed #Inclusion

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: [email protected]

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

SSI Pitfalls: What No One Tells You About Disability Benefits (with Former SSA Attorney Spencer)
Fighting for SSI isn’t simple. I’m exposing the hidden hurdles—and how to avoid costly mistakes that put benefits at risk.
I’ve battled Social Security myself, and I know how confusing and exhausting it can feel—especially with autism, ADHD, or other invisible disabilities. In this episode, I sit down with Spencer, a former Social Security attorney who spent 11 years inside the system writing and reviewing disability decisions. Together, we pull back the curtain on why mental health and neurodivergent claims get denied so often, what the law actually weighs, and how to prepare without getting tripped up by technicalities.

You’ll discover what really drives denials, the role of vocational experts (and why their “jobs list” isn’t about you), and the key moments in an appeal that can change your outcome. I also ask Spencer the questions I wish I had answers to when I first applied—like what “partial wins” mean, when back pay gets reduced, and why waiting can quietly cost you your case.

About the Guest
Spencer is a former Social Security attorney who spent 11 years at the agency—seven writing disability decisions and four reviewing appeals. He’s the author of Social Security Disability Revealed and runs https://www.bishinspublishing.com/ where he educates claimants and professionals on the SSDI/SSI process.

Timestamps
0:02 – Why I call SSI a trap (and my own case)

1:33 – Meet Spencer: 11 years writing and reviewing SSA decisions

6:57 – The mental health gap: why neurodivergent claims face extra scrutiny

10:34 – “It’s not over after approval”: ongoing reviews and common cutoffs

13:13 – The $2,000 asset rule and easy mistakes that end benefits

25:48 – Denied? Your 60-day appeal window and what most people miss

32:53 – Full vs. partial awards and what really affects back pay

42:19 – How disability lawyers get paid (and why you still lead your case)

53:54 – If you’re just starting: the one thing I want you to know

58:32 – When you feel overwhelmed: what to hold onto next

Keywords: Social Security Disability, SSI, SSDI, disability appeal, vocational expert, back pay, autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, mental health, benefits review

Call to action: If this episode helps, share it with a parent, educator, or friend who’s in the thick of it. Subscribe for more accessible conversations around neurodiversity and practical support. Explore Spencer’sresources at bishenspublishing.com, or request his book at your local library.
#Neurodiversity #SSI #DisabilityBenefits #Autism #ADHD

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: [email protected]

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Late Diagnosis, Grief, and Growth with AuDHD Coach Jenny Lucas
Late diagnosis can feel like a relief and a gut punch. In this episode, I sit with Jenny Lucas to name both—then move forward.
I talk with Jenny about what the world saw versus what was really happening inside, the moment she heard “autistic” and “ADHD,” and the very real grief that followed. You’ll hear how she began unmasking in small, practical ways, what shifted in her marriage and parenting, and why she chose to become the support she couldn’t find. We also explore how AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot help with tone, clarity, and day-to-day overwhelm.
I reveal the questions I ask guests about burnout, people-pleasing, and work boundaries—plus the simple experiments Jenny used to figure out what she actually needed. You’ll discover how she reframed self-worth, how she talks to her AuDHD daughters after school, and the one message she wants every late-diagnosed person to hear tonight.

By the end, you’ll be thinking: What can I let go of? Where am I masking without realizing it? And how could small supports change my day this week?

About the Guest
Jenny Lucas is a late-diagnosed autistic ADHDer, mom to two AuDHD daughters, former high school music teacher, and creator of resources for neurodivergent women. She’s the author of “Your No-Guide to Life After Late Diagnosis” and shares accessible support across Instagram, TikTok, Substack, and more.

Key Timestamps
0:02 – Welcome and Jenny’s story: teacher, burnout, and late diagnosis

7:11 – “Why does this feel harder for me?” and the cost of people-pleasing

11:14 – The ADHD and autism diagnoses: shock, numbness, validation

20:12 – The grief no one warns you about—and why capacity dips

22:07 – Mourning old coping skills and rethinking energy

24:40 – When the diagnosis started to feel empowering

27:12 – Using AI for tone, clarity, and daily support

31:22 – Becoming the person she needed when support wasn’t there

39:17 – What unmasking actually looked like day to day

41:39 – How relationships changed at home and at work

43:54 – Parenting two AuDHD daughters with more compassion

46:25 – “You’re not broken”: inside Jenny’s book

52:03 – What clients say in the first conversation

55:45 – A message for anyone late diagnosed or questioning

56:37 – Where to find Jenny online

If this helped, share it with a parent, educator, or friend who needs real-talk support. Subscribe for more conversations on autism, ADHD, and life after diagnosis.
#Neurodiversity #Autism #ADHD #AuDHD #LateDiagnosis

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: [email protected]

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.