LATE BLOOMERS - The 10 Neurodivergent Superpowers You Have Right Now (And How to Use Them)

Episode Date: June 3, 2026

Rich and Rox are doing something different this week.Rich and Rox are doing something different this week. Instead of talking about the hard stuff, they're talking about the good stuff — the 10 strengths and superpowers that come with a neurodivergent brain.They've each picked five for the other one, and honestly some of them will surprise you. From hyperfocus and pattern recognition to crisis calm and deep empathy, this episode is a reminder that your brain isn't just a problem to manage.Fair warning though — they're not pretending it's all sunshine. If you're in the thick of it right now, they see you. But if you're ready to hear the other side, this one's worth your time.20% off Loop Earplugs: https://www.loopearplugs.com/adhdlove

Did you know that you've probably got superpowers? We always talk about the struggles of being neurodivergent, of having ADHD or autism, but very rarely do we talk about the amazing benefits and strengths that you might have if you've got a neurodivergent brain. Welcome to late bloomers where we are getting our lives together. Eventually, brought you by the Amazing Loop earplugs. Now, hold your horses. I'm holding. Superpowers can be a triggering topic in our community and for us. So I think I just want to say really, really, really clearly where we stand on that. I believe that neurodivergent individuals can have extreme areas of strength, unusual areas of strength, that when they are supporting,

at work or at home, they can succeed and do things and imagine things, whereas other people may not be able to. That doesn't negate the very, very, very, very real struggle that ADHD and autistic people will often find themselves in. Yeah, I think certainly on the internet, this is a really divisive ADHD or autism isn't a superpower, it's a disability and there's people that are like successful out there going,

no, it's my superpower. Like I wouldn't go where I was without it. I suppose where I'm sitting is both can be true, right? Like you can be brilliant at certain things. But if you're sat in real struggles and you're struggling to pay your bills or sitting in the dark or whatever because you can't do life because of the struggles, your brain understandably will refuse to hear the superpower part. It can feel shaming.

Yeah. And I think the intention behind calling it a superpower matters. Sometimes someone will call it a superpower in order to invalidate the struggle. You've got a superpower. Oh no, don't think about it like that. You've got superpowers. That's where it hits really, really hard. Also, someone that is ADHD, D autistic, just say, I don't see the struggle.

I just see mine as a superpower that invalidates people who are really, really struggling. And I've been in that place of really, really struggling. And if someone had just sat down and gone, don't be silly, you've got superpowers. I'm like, actually, I'm addicted to drugs and self-harming. And I have CCJs after me and bailiffs at the door. So I don't know. Yeah, that's a weird superhero. That is CCJ girl.

Yeah. Like, here we go. So to anyone listening, some of you may be okay seeing seeing parts of your neurodivergence as superpower, so you'll probably find this an interesting listen. Some of you might be 100% against the idea of seeing it as a superpower. And if you don't want to listen to that, I can understand how that can be triggering if you're not in that place. Or also, if people are really struggling, it might not be able to hear it right now.

But hopefully maybe it can give a bit of hope. And the key differentiator, if we take me, CCJ girl, the lowest in life on every possible denominator there was to where I am now, how you walk across that bridge is long-term support. That is loving, supportive partners' friendships. That is long-term therapy and building a life that works for your brain. So we're speaking about this decades after our worst times. So disclaimer is out the way. I'm actually kind of pumped.

Do you know why? Tell me. Because our entire platform podcast, is always about the struggles, which is so important to talk about. We need to know the struggles. We need to know we're not alone. But oh my God, us lot are crazy. And we have got some, like, funky stuff.

Well, we've picked each other's superpowers today, haven't we? I just want to know what you've picked for me. Yeah, I've picked five for you. You've picked five for me. And very roughly, this is going to be, like, five ADHD superpowers, five autistic superpowers as they relate to me and rich. Of course, it's a spectrum. Everybody's different.

We want to know in the comments what your superpowers are. And I cannot wait to hear what you think mine are. Okay, so should we do like one each? Let's do it. Who's going first? I'm going to start with you. Okay. So this is my first superpower.

Your number one autistic superpower. Wait, number one being most powerful or just. It's just one to five, all equal in power and strength and ability. Is that what we say? No, I need to know. No, this is so funny. Why? This is so funny.

Why? What? Because it's... Speak properly. Orientated precision. Why? Always asking the deeper questions. You've gone really super high pit.

To understand what's really going on, wanting to know the finer deep. details that other people overlook, which leads to a really high quality of work and accuracy. Sorry, that just sent me because you've done exactly that by asking, is it just a numbered list? Is it random? Is it in order? That just, sorry, I'm back in the room now. Good. So your number one, just because it's number one on my list, written down randomly, Autistic Superpower, is detail-orientated precision. We had an exam.

of it there. A very like small one, but what do you mean one to five? How is that list done? But I see this with you in literally everything that we do. And it's by the way, both personal and professional. So in personal life, this is getting to the airport on time. Where we're going, where you're parking where it's paid for checking in like you have a detailed plan you get us there we never miss a flight that's because of you no but at work it is so powerful and so strong i notice you spotting mistakes in like the accountant's work yeah and you're not an accountant but you'll spot, you'll go through things always with a fine tooth comb and you'll find... Do you know what you mean?

I do, yeah. I think detail-orientated for me is incredibly, incredibly important. And it'd be a bit like, you know, maybe slightly different, but in meetings, I think it shows. If, certainly if there's like five or six people and people are just talking about plans and this is what should happen, I will need a bullet, a detailed bullet point of who's doing what and when. Otherwise, it's like I sometimes overhear the calls that you have

with your music team. And I, like, can feel myself internally get frustrated going, nothing's going to happen as a result of this call because it's just full of ideas with no one going, who's doing what, when, by when, when are we having an update, all of that sort of stuff. Like, it's, that. Yeah. That's the detail.

So you're super pet. Getting the detail, being precise, who's doing what, what's happening here. And yeah, it helps us so much. Like you run all of our dubby statistics. So you're always looking at when are people subscribing? Are they having a good time? When are they unsubscribing? What could we do to make their experience of live body doubling better?

Oh, look, 10% of people left, but they hadn't tried alive. how do we get it out to more people that we're running live body loving? It's like that brain keeps all of our businesses running. And that's why I think it is a superpower. Equal power to the other five powers, other four powers. Right. So your first one is extreme creativity. And I'm not talking about you're good at pottery painting or, I mean, you are.

that's not what I'm talking about though and I can give a good examples of the business side of things so you are creative that is no surprise and probably will not be a surprise to anyone but you don't think the same as the average person you will think completely differently I don't want to say

blue sky out the box or anything horrible like that but the way you think about things is just full of innovation. So like Dubby, for example, I know you've mentioned it already, but the body doubling app, when you first said it to me, I thought you were crazy.

I mean, I am crazy. Yes, it validated my thoughts that you were crazy. But it worked and so many people use it and it helps so many people. But like who has that idea? Nobody. And that's what I mean by creative thinking. You will,

you just, it's completely different to anyone I've ever known. I love that way of hearing it because we always hear ADHD as a creative and that makes you think in terms of, um, on the songwriter, pottery painting, resin, crocheting,

like all those fun creative things. But it's almost deeper than that. It's like on a core level of brain operation, you are constantly creating. Like we laugh about ADHD is coming up with business ideas, registering domain names, having new hobbies. But that's how great businesses start. But they start with someone having the idea. Yeah, but it's not just having the idea.

It's in your every fibre. So if I have to think of something creative, I'll plan it in, obviously, and I'll sit down and be like, right, I need to, let's take video ideas and I'll just draw a blank. you've got the benefit of your brain is always creating. So like that isn't a muscle that you need to really flex. No, it's a tap that you can turn on. So it's like, do you want some video ideas, turn it on 10 or flood out? Do you want some business ideas, turn it on 10 or flood out? Do you want some fun ideas to do on Saturday?

Turn it on it. Like, it's constantly there. And I feel like if ADHD is have got the support and they're also got that belief, and they've worked on self-esteem, they might be able to take one of those ideas to the moon. Okay, number two, autistic superpower. Are you ready? Yeah.

It doesn't sound exciting. What to you, maybe? Don't know what it is yet. Dedication and reliability. Ah, sexy. Yeah, it kind of is, right, because it's this deep commitment, both to personal interests and hobbies.

and work, whereby if you say you're going to do something, you do it, you're incredibly thorough and that makes you basically 100% dependable. So in personal life, that's you saying, I'm going to bring our lawn back to life. We had a really long lawn full of weeds. And you've spent weeks mowing it, weeding it, seeding it, walking over it in special spots. like shoes to aeriate it. Like, and you are out there every single day, come rain or shine, working on that lawn. You will never let it down. And I know that we're going to have the best lawn.

So it's like when you say this is what I'm doing, you will do it. You will stick to it. And no one will be as dependable as you. And then at work, I mean, hi, we started making videos about ADHD four years ago. I'd have stopped that after like three months. I'd have been like, bored next. But you were like, this is helping people. There's a community here.

There's more we can say. Let's keep going. You were able to like keep the... Drag you through the dredges. Drag me through the dredge. I don't want to say like that. I love what we do. What an absolute honour it is.

But like, yeah, I'd have been off to the next thing. Like pottery making business or resin podcast or whatever. And so you at work have the ability to just stay dedicated and get things done. Like you think any of these books would have been finished if it had anything to do with me. I'd have got halfway through, maybe design the front cover and then being out. You get it done. You get it out. The front cover is the first thing to be done, isn't it?

Yeah. I like to start with the visually fun stuff. Yeah. I don't like editing. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

So ADHD superpower number two, or rocks ADHD superpower number two, bounce back ability. That is an actual word. I don't know if you knew that or not. But just boundless enthusiasm and quick recovery from setbacks. So like if you're determined, that's it, is happening. if it doesn't happen the first time or second or third or fourth or fifth or sixth, it might the seventh.

Like you, you will be determined. And actually, even more than that, not only do you have that bounce back ability and that determination, it almost fuels you even more, like telling you, no, it can't happen,

no, it can't be done. You're like, yes, it can. In the realm that we live in, it can be. done. I feel like I can see it clearly in two ways. So one is like me wanting to go to my favourite restaurant. Yeah. And I just ask you like every day, like every day, we're going to brand it. Like every day, I just check in. I just keep pushing. You say no. We're saving money. You say no. It's 20 minutes away. We've got food in. Like, no, no, no. And I just keep asking. And then one day I get a year.

Yes, and it's like, and it doesn't matter. All those rejections, all those nose, because I'm being driven to branded and having a lovely steak. That happened literally last week. That's why it was in my brain, like bounce back ability, but also that same mechanism. I have been in music for over 20 years, numerous projects that have failed, numerous rejections,

lost so much money, had some pretty horrendous times, but I just kept, come on, let's start a new project come on let's register a new social media come on back in the studio I just kept going despite all evidence like all evidence was like music is not going to work for you you should quit now but I was like nope I'm going to keep going and now it's working so I do think there is something I loved it what did you say endless optimism endless enthusiasm we're like little puppy dogs yeah you can kick us and we'll jump back on Oh, that's so true. You are like rocket. Yeah. Wow. I didn't thought about that.

Okay. Rich's autistic superpower number three, having very high integrity. This is you being super direct and honest, which some people have labelled as rude, but actually through this lens, it's truthful, it's honest. it's reliable, being really principled. You stick to your word, you don't lie, you don't manipulate. You're straight down the line. And having a really good moral compass, like you don't want to do the wrong thing. You want to treat people fairly, which then makes you in business and at home a very, like, trustworthy and loyal companion.

So, you know, I'm a lot more up and down. and I can want to, I don't know, like leave business situations or make changes or be a bit impulsive. You're always the calm, stable, trustworthy voice of reason that doesn't react based on emotion that really thinks about moral compass. What is right and wrong? What's the right way to treat someone, the wrong way to treat someone? And it's like embedded in your soul. It's funny because as you're saying it, I would say that I would be broadly less liked in business than you are, but I'll be higher on the trustworthy scale. Yeah.

I'm not saying you're not trustworthy, but you know what I mean? Here's the thing. If someone is super direct with you and says the difficult thing. gives the criticism, doesn't avoid, at least you know where you stand. I'm more on the people please avoid, hide. And actually, you just make more problems for yourself. So that level of directness, high integrity, just, it leads to such a trustworthiness. Like at work, I've seen you spot something where a couple of percent extra money was coming to us. It was something to do with my music vinyl's.

And you raised it with my management company. You're overpay. And that level of, not everyone's like that. Not everyone's looking to just do the right thing. A lot of people want to do the right thing that benefits them. You just want to do the right thing

even if it doesn't benefit you. And that is a remarkable quality to have. The other thing that I've noticed as well is because of the way that I am, And, you know, sometimes rub people up the wrong way. When I say, like, well done or give praise, it, like, lands more than somebody that says, well done for tying up your shoelaces

because they're overkill and just trying to make someone happy. Like, if you get a well done from me, you've done well. Love it. Yeah, lovely. Okay, so before we go on to your number three, let's have a word from our sponsors. We have the most amazing sponsors. here at Late Blooms and that is the amazing loop earplugs. Loop earplugs are so important in

mine and riches day to day life whenever we leave the house, whether that is going to the pub for dinner or going to Tesco shopping or I'm dragging him to a sleep token concert. This is what helps us leave the house. If you're neurodivergent, there's a high chance that you have sensory sensitivities and that can mean that your brain has trouble, focus. on the right sounds, you can take in everything in your environment, and you can actually be triggered by loud noise. So if you've ever been, for example, shopping and loads of people have been talking and it's made you overstimulated and a bit stressed, this is what you need. We have 20% off for all of our listeners and our own website with Loop. It's in the show notes,

and you can also find it at the link in our bio. And you're going to find all of our favourite products. There's the loop quiet if you're taking a cheeky little nap at home and you just want to reduce the noise in the background. There's the loop engage, which is amazing if you're going out for dinner or going shopping and the loop experience if you are being dragged to a rock concert so you can hear the music and protect your ears. Enjoy. Okay. Number three, and this is very much aligned aligned to optimism. you will believe the impossible can happen. And this is why I have so much love and admiration towards this is it is completely opposite to me. So you will, if you believe in something

and I will think it's impossible, that will just, you will want to take that risk and take that leap. Like you're the reason, this is a good example. Why I don't. don't work in the bank today is because of this superpower of yours. Like you go in, why don't you just quit your job that you've had for 20 years and you're really senior of a company car and we'll make videos on the internet and it'll be lovely life. I'm like, don't be insane. You're like, how do we make this happen?

Yeah, I think so many ADHD is like that. and you know you said down and say out of the box thinking unfortunately it kind of is that it's taking something that shouldn't be possible and finding a way through by hook or by crook you are going to get there you're going to find that you know they won't let you in the door you're going to find your way in through the window and it's so amazing because it means that you get to just do awesome stuff that might not have been available to you. So few examples from my life is, you, I'm not signed to a record label. Surprisingly enough, nobody wants a 41 year old, crazy lady. So I started my own record label.

Everyone said it would be impossible to have an album go in the charts. Well, it went in the chart, and it was number 10. I was told it was impossible to start an act unless you've got loads of money, investment from VC and companies out in San Francisco. No, I think we can find a company and make a deal. And if they believe in it, we'll get it done. I was told it was impossible to sit down and write a book. I've done that a few times. There's something about the nature of being told something is impossible

that makes me believe I can do it and this like high conviction view. What's nuts, though? I know this is all about superpowers not struggle so I don't want to devail but like I believe I can write a book I do it I believe I can start a record label do it I believe I can start an app I do it

can you do the laundry no so I don't like it doesn't make no sense there's definitely a balance to this one because yeah laundry but all of those examples that you've given and this is probably to give people hope as well there's also example

where you've believed it, like you believe that we would have a resin business and we don't. So like they don't all have to work. No, no. But the great thing is you never lose that belief in the impossible. And like eventually it'll get you there. Well, you could say that about being an entrepreneur, right?

Like resin business, resin business. Oh no, that's failed. And this goes back to your bounce back ability. You bounce back. What's next thing? That's it. We love it. Okay.

Are you ready for, Number four, rich autism superpower. Yeah. Authenticity. Like extreme authenticity. So having like an armour towards peer pressure and social pressure and group consensus. Mm-hmm. So just because nine people on the call are all going, oh yeah, great idea.

That does not move you at all from what you believe. And that allows you to be really strong in your own identity and have the courage to tell the truth when other people won't. And this is, it's so special because again, I keep saying it's like personal and work, but it is, you will always call me out on my BS. Yeah. You will see it so clearly. and you do it kindly, you aren't pushed by fads or the way things are meant to be done. History, that's just the way it is, like, whether that's me or business. And at work, I just love it.

Like, sometimes it can be a bit awkward, but we're on a call and someone's like, oh, yeah, this is just how it's done. Can we do it that way? No, why not? People don't do it that way. Well, why not? Can we do it? Like, you'll always push back.

and I'm sure sometimes it can irritate people that we work with. A recent example, we self-released our latest book, The Cheritry Theory, and we were told it was impossible to get a self-release book into Waterstones, which is a big UK bookshop. So of course I heard that and was like, impossible, let's go. And then I didn't actually do any of the work. You did. Reached out to Waterstones, connected them with our agent, our manager.

came up against so many hurdles, emailed the director of sales at Waterstones, got in a almost argument and then actually found a resolution. And I believe... Yeah, yeah, it's on the way to Waterstone. I was told no, so many times by really senior people and I didn't care because it didn't make any sense. And everyone else, when the director of sales says we can't do it, everyone else on the team was like, oh, sorry, mate, you've tried. and you were like, no, it doesn't make sense. I need to know why. Well, I said that to him.

I was like, it doesn't make sense. We've got consumable product that people want for this amount. We want you to buy it for this amount. Like, it's just bureaucracy. That's the only reason you're saying. You actually said that. But that level of authenticity is a superpower because it means you just have high conviction in personal life and at work.

And I just think it's really, cool because if you're in a conversation like with you, you're in a conversation with you. Who you are with the head of Waterstones is who you are with me and see him. Like you're just the same guy. That is real authenticity. I just think it's wonderful. Yeah. I mean, we have a problem with, not a problem, but we don't really see hierarchy in the same way as others do.

Right, you ready for your number four? Oh, yeah. Rapid problem solving. So quick thinking under pressure and you'll find new solutions. Quite a funny quote of this is if you want something done or if you want the best way to do something, the actual quote is give it to somebody lazy. What I think it should say is give it to someone with ADHD

because you will find the most. most efficient, most like untaxing way of doing something that exists. You can save energy, you'll find a way of doing it. And I think that's, it's admirable. Like if I come to you with a problem, I know you will find a solution to it. Like I know you will. Yeah, it's, I love problem solving. I think a lot of ADHD would identify as being good in a crisis, being good when the stakes are high, seeing it's like this nonlinear thinking.

You can find answers from places that a logical brain wouldn't necessarily take you. And I am that person on our team. So if something goes wrong with Dubby or we need to do something with Dubby, it's often me that's thinking of a solution. Also in my music work, music is very erratic, very up and down, especially when you're on tour. Sometimes you have to come up with a really quick idea to turn something around or fix something.

And yeah, I love that. I kind of thrive in finding those secret ways to get something done or do something differently? They do one disclaimer. They have to be big problems because you are can't, they have to be sort of almost crisis situations. You are calm as a cucumber,

you'll sort it out. But if you like misplace your headphones when you've got a train to catch, that's it, you're done. You're melting down. Yeah, that's so true. Like an absolute meltdown over losing a pair of headphones.

But if like what happened in, November, you tell me the budget's been miscalculated and I'm going on tour and I'm about to lose 25,000 pounds. Yeah. I will find a way to stop myself going bankrupt. And like I did on that tour. It's even that news. It's like someone delivers the news.

I'm so sorry. Something went wrong in the numbers. It's actually come out way more expensive to go on tour. You're going to lose 25,000 pounds. So it's like someone saying you're going to be bankrupt. And my view was like, right, okay, cool, straight into, let's do this, let's do that. And didn't end up like broke even, which you would take. But yeah, lose the headphones, meltdown.

Okay, are you ready for your final autistic superpower? Yeah, not least powerful, just number five on the list. Yes. So it's kind of too fun. but the core of it is logical thinking. Okay. And pattern recognition, it's very in that logic world.

It's the ability to not be guided by emotions and just see the data to spot connections, to make predictions, and then actually be able to troubleshoot and innovate from a place of logic. and I see that just all the time at work. It's not something I can do. I'm highly emotional.

But you can literally just look at the maths, the data, spot a hole, plug it, fix it, what's happening, what's going wrong. And you know, you always identify as not being creative. But I actually think in terms of, like, innovating, you are very creative, just rather than drawing from that kind of fantasy visual world, you draw it from data and you're then really creative with the data? Yeah, I am the data person. But analytics is like one of my favorite words,

whether it's W, whether it's social media, and I will purely be driven and guided by that. So yeah, that's a big tick for me. And it just means that you actually, you can always make a decision that is, if we're talking about business, that it's always best for the business without history or emotion or peer pressure even getting in the way. It's logical. And that just, that counts for so much. I remember we had a, we've been dealing with, we've built our entire own body doubling.

platform. On Dubby, we've been building it for the last six months. It's not live yet, but it's going live. We were previously doing our live body doubling sessions on Zoom. For anyone that doesn't know, it's like 100 ADHD has come to clean together every three hours on Dubby. And we had this huge issue on certain phones. The app was crashing. And we have a team of developers working on it, proper. coders and I mean it's been months and they they weren't able to figure it out and you looked at the data you looked at the phones that were crashing and without understanding code or the crash logs you were able to say I think it's because we are scrolling the feeds rather

than on Zoom where you click next so it's a loading issue and anyway we didn't listen to you yeah because we were listening to because I'm not a coder yeah And then it's turned out that actually that would have fixed the issue. So that's an incredibly creative and intuitive solution looking at data. So yeah, love your logical thinking there, babes. Thanks. Right. You ready for your last one?

Give me my last superpower. Empathy is your last one. Captain empathy. Let me explain a bit more. And obviously person to person, you're highly empathetic. But actually deeper than that, you are able to be empathetic to the masses. So if you take our following,

that's why W.S. That's why in the book it's had a profound impact on more than just the person opposite you. It's like you have, you know, tied in with your creativity, believe in the impossible, mix that end with empathy. You're able to really tap in

from a business point of view, like what the people want rather than what do you want. And that's empathy and it's core, right? Like it's putting the other person first and you're very loved by that. How do you help someone? It's really interesting. I've never heard empathy describe like that, like almost like global empathy. It's always described, to me, empathy has always meant feeling and caring for the person

in front of you. Which you'll get at as well. Yeah, but I almost. feel like that misses a superpower for ADHDers of tapping into that empathy and being able to, for me, write songs from a very human place or write books or start a body doubling up to help people. Every ADHD will have that, that deep empathy that makes you feel really strongly. And I think that can pull you towards creating things that help. Well, if you Like looking at it really logically, which I am,

it's why the products or things that you do really connect with people because you're like what can help them or how are they going to feel when they have this rather than just how do we build this business? You do it the other way around. You'll start at the end point of empathy towards the people that you are trying to help and then build up from there rather than build the product and then the marketing plan and what's the budget and how do we like it's the other way around which is why it works captain empathy who would have thought that my prying over inanimate objects would lead to business ideas and it has been so

fun talking about the other side we spend so much time talking about the struggles and how to help there it's actually quite joyful to look at these weird and wonderful ways our brains are able to make a positive change, not only for ourselves and our families, but also out in the outside world. We hope that this has been some food for thought. Let us know in the comments. Where are you at?

What are your superpowers? If you've liked it, please give us a like, a follow, a subscribe, wherever you're watching or listening, and we shall see you next week.