Late-Realized, Loud and Leading w/ LaToya Hinton, PhD.

Mike and Chaya sit down with Dr. LaToya Hinton, an autistic, ADHDer, and passionate advocate for neurodivergent women in leadership. With her experiences as a late-diagnosed adult, LaToya dives into the mental toll of masking, perfectionism, and how accessible environments can unlock untapped potential. She shares strategies for fostering authenticity, creating safe spaces, and leading without apology—all while building community and systems that help neurodivergent leaders thrive. We Also Cover: The mental toll of masking, hypervigilance, and perfectionism in late-diagnosed women Why creating safe spaces helps neurodivergent leaders flourish both personally and professionally How LaToya’s self-discovery journey led her to advocating for community-building and systemic change Specific strategies for delegation to preserve energy and create consistency in leadership The power of identifying trauma caused by inaccessible environments—and working to heal from it How neurodivergent women can embrace self-accommodation to navigate traditional work settings The role of mentorship and peer support networks in empowering women to embrace their authenticity Advocacy for health equity, access, and truly inclusive spaces for neurodivergent adults Why leadership needs a human-first approach—and how rejecting "numbers-first" cultures prevents burnout Quotes: "A lot of women my age are just now realizing that they are neurodivergent, and they need these safe spaces to talk about the discovery journey." "Storytelling is huge because if you're able to create a narrative that explains your decision making in your career, that really helps people to relate to why it seems like all these disparate connections are being made." "I turned out to be a perfectionist, honestly, from that environment. And then as an adult, speaking to therapists, they've talked to me about the downsides of being a perfectionist and being hypervigilant about your behaviors." About LaToya Hinton: Dr. LaToya Hinton is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging Thought Leader and a champion for Neurodivergent Women Leaders. She is a late-realized and diagnosed Dyspraxic Dyscalculic AuDHDer who is Gifted. In May 2024, she created a LinkedIn Group called “Neurodivergent Women Leaders: Creative Mentorship & Support.” She creates a weekly poll for ND women leaders, coaches and mentors focusing on anything from mental health to people-centered leadership styles and best practices. She holds a PhD in Education and has held roles as instructional designer, educator, facilitator, director of communications and research. She currently serves as a freelance grant writer and data analytics consultant. Connect with LaToya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoya-hinton/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/toy-bird-positive-impact-funding/ Neurodivergent Women Leaders Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14449310/ https://toybirdfunds.online/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567173632040 https://www.instagram.com/toybirdfunds https://www.linkedin.com/company/toy-bird-positive-impact-funding/ Join the Waitlist for SPARKADE: Games for Children and Families Designed for ADHD Minds, by ADHD Minds https://play.sparkade.app/ Your neurodivergent child deserves an educational experience that helps them thrive. Join the Sparkade community to give them a gamified learning journey that sparks confidence and curiosity, builds skills, and strengthens your connection — one playful session at a time. Available soon on iOS and Android. - Play on any tablet or phone. Stay Connected: Website: https://sparklaunchpodcast.com/ All podcast listening methods: https://episodes.fm/1758785803 Play Our Game - For ADHD Minds: https://play.sparkade.app/ ADHD Learning Solutions: https://www.sparklaunch.ai Chaya on Instagram: @the_sparklaunch Mike on Instagram: @followshisghost Mike's Neurodivergent & Mental Health Peer Coaching-- Nab a Free Consultation: https://followyourghostcoach.com/ As always, thanks for lending us your ears and keep igniting that spark! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.