Sara-Louise Ackrill is a neurodivergent entrepreneur, workplace consultant, and therapist, celebrated for her impactful work in promoting neurodiversity and inclusion. As the founder of Wired Differently, she has created innovative solutions to empower neurodivergent individuals in entrepreneurship and employment. Diagnosed with autism and ADHD, Sara-Louise draws from her personal experiences to advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Her expertise spans public speaking, coaching, and developing tools like the wNDerful App, which supports emotional regulation for neurodivergent people
1) Can you tell us a little about your background and your company?
I started as a low cost therapist in 2012 and evolved into an entrepreneur quite accidentally during COVID. Now with a team of 30 we work exclusively in neurodiversity. My therapy clients have been neurodivergent since day 1. That was over 11 years ago. We now offer a wide range of services specifically for the ND community ranging from Virtual Assistant Services, to corporate training and speaking; coaching associates; the wNDerful App which is currently in development… It’s a long list actually.
In the workplace my background was recruitment sales. It was an amazing preparation for self-employment.
2) What inspired you to start your business?
I couldn’t face the idea of going back to a day job. I had to find a way to make something work from the considerable amount of ideas in my head. I was intellectually unstimulated, masking heavily (part of my autism), feeling lonely and my sense of justice had no outlet.
3) How did you create awareness for your brand?
By really being true to myself on LinkedIN. It was then a matter of meeting people online off the back of that, but it was strategic because I’m not good at general chit-chat. I also didn’t have the money to meet people for coffee, I had to earn money from the first hour pretty much! I have used public speaking to reach multiple audiences such as the House of Lords and the Paralympic committee, to name just a few. Our team are so passionate about what we do, everyone of them is an advocate for our service and share the word through their networks.
4) What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?
I only did things I could already do and charge for – therapy and being a virtual assistant. Then two friends invested so I could have less cash flow worries as our team grew. I am so grateful to them. My mentor even put up a promise of some money for our app which gave me confidence. And I then got into paid public speaking and bootstrapped the rest of the business with that. We will need to do a proper raise for our app and have secured S/EIS so that we can begin to built and maximise on this opportunity.
5) What have been your biggest successes so far?
I’m proud to have just brought out a book (The ND Lovers Club) with my co-author Bontle Senne. A powerhouse of a woman who is part management and transformations and part sex coach. I am in awe. Our book is good. We gave it our all for two years and it’s the book we wanted, as neurodivergent women navigating relationships.
We have a stable team and we create a lot of work for a lot of people, for our size. This is one of my main motivators.
I’m proud of my relationship with my business partner. We compliment each other well and we show up consistently for each other, for our team, our clients and our (neurodiversity) community.
6) What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
I’m really sensitive. I’m autistic and for me that means I need strict routine. Online connecting is much easier than in person. I struggle with new processes. As a start up you invent EVERYTHING as you go along, there is no precedent. From year 3 I was quite tired of that!
I also have ADHD so my emotional regulation is a constant issue for me. I have become so good though! I also get overwhelmed, can’t count, need dopamine and excitement… I’m a lot to manage sometimes. For other people though I am quite easy 😄. I am grateful for my conditions but I have the luxury nowadays of mostly playing to my strengths at work.
7) What are your plans for the future?
I need to ensure our core business is weatherproof – we are 4.5 years in and we need to keep moving forwards.
To bring out wNDerful (www.wnderful.app), our app. In the UK, the Middle East and India hopefully.
To write more books.
And then there are the multitude of other ideas I have, which I am grateful for my business partner and team who help me to turn these ideas into realities to help the ND commmunity.
8) What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
There is a lot of female specific support that you might not imagine exists. At Wired Differently for example we have a Personal Trainer for neurodivergent women and a Neurodiversity Coach specifically working with women in STEM! There are some great people on LinkedIN and Instagram.
If you are perimenopausal like me (and especially if you have ADHD… Get that looked at because I honestly was terrified I’d lose everything when that hit and I didn’t recognise myself).
Be careful with food, drink and other ways of numbing out from hard things. It’s best to get some therapy or coaching; mentoring, support or some really good self-help and to work on that stuff. It can get slippery otherwise and you need to be at your best for yourself and your baby (your business).
9) What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?
Work out who you want to emulate and fill your world with those people. Online and offline.
Do things because you love it and want the journey. The highs are great but a bit surreal and also short-lived. Enjoying the everyday is far more important. And do things to be of service, not for vanity.
10) Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?
Some of the people from my entrepreneurship journey that I look up to are: Emma Sayle, Georgia di Mattos, Zoe Clews, Bontle Senne, Anthony Gribben-Lisle. I love how much I learn from them and they remind me all the time about how creative and dynamic and warm the world can be.
Celebrity wise? I am a Swifty. I also love Mhairi Black, Katherine Ryan, Stacey Dooley, Joanna Lumley.
Most of all though, I fan girl war correspondents and newsreaders. Dad wanted me to be the next Kate Adey.
Generally I like bad ass, credible females who are natural but also stand out from the crowd.
11) What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?
Enough is a decision not an amount.
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
12) Where can our readers connect with you?
Sara-Louise Ackrill on LinkedIN
