INTERVIEW: Newcastle entrepreneur explores her journey with neurodivergence

As part of Bdaily’s latest feature, Entrepreneurship Week, we sat down with Laura Middleton, managing director of Newcastle based social media marketing agency Canny Social and community manager for London headquartered virtual assistant app Addie.

We explored all manner of topics including Laura’s fascinating entrepreneurial journey and the process by which she got to grips with her own ADHD diagnosis and how this affected her approach to work. Read on to find out more…

1. Can you walk us through your entrepreneurial journey from your early days through to your work now?

Although Canny Social has only been running for 18 months, I’ve always had a side hustle of some description. I worked as a photographer and videographer through college and university, starting off by selling keyrings in Nightclubs!

First for a company, then for myself, then events organisers started paying so there was no need to drag a printer in a suitcase around at two in the morning anymore! Even when I started working full time, I kept the work on. Lots of events, not a lot of sleep but I just couldn’t help myself.

I set up a food page on Instagram five years ago, just as a little hobby, and started getting invited for gifted reviews until things really took off in lockdown. I made so many connections with local businesses and tried my best to help them through a really difficult period using the following I’d created at that point.

I was working as a live stream video producer at the time and doing some social content for Dragons’ Den’s Sara Davies after she discovered my food page when I rocked into the office with boxes full of free brownies one day. I got even more of a taste for variety and business while in that role.

I went through a pretty rough patch but my food page and the content I was creating for businesses there very much kept me going through lockdown. Fast forward and the relationships I’d created with those businesses led to enquiries for paid work, then it all snowballed from there.

Canny Social was set up as a side hustle in April 2022 while I was still working four days a week elsewhere, and then I took the leap to take the company full-time in January 2023. It’s still very early days!

2. What would you say is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from this journey?

Trust your gut and know when to quit. When you first start there’s an insatiable need to say yes to everything and spin all of the plates. Figure out which opportunities will not /are no longer serving you and don’t be frightened to walk away. Time spent away from your passions is unlikely to lead to bigger opportunities.

3. You decided to go full-time with your business following your ADHD diagnosis. Could you tell us what led you to this decision?

I was diagnosed with combined ADHD in July 2022 at the age of 29. Within a few weeks, I landed my biggest client this far, Addie, an app which was being developed for ADHD brains and task management.

This was all off the back of a Linkedin post which is crazy. To do Addie justice, even before the campaigns launched I had to do a lot of research into ADHD and neurodiversity (Unfortunately, when you get diagnosed you don’t get handed a handbook; Who knew!).

The more I read, the more I realised there was a reason I struggled in a 9-5 office setting, always needing to get that added Dopamine hit from the other things I had going on outside of my day job.

After years of thinking I was just not very good at ‘Adulting’ my diagnosis made me realise that if I wanted to succeed, I needed to embrace my differences and stop trying to ram a square peg into a round hole.

4. Following your ADHD diagnosis, do you approach your work with a different perspective/ toolset?

Yes, however, it’s a continued learning curve. Tech such as the Addie app makes a huge difference, as well as flexible working hours, time blocking and keeping things fresh by working from different locations. At first, I was 100 MPH 24/7 but I have also recently learned that while flexible working is great, scheduling downtime is very important for busy brains.

I’ve hired a VA to help with tasks I would have previously just berated myself for not being able to do myself efficiently. It’s all about learning where your time is best spent and making sure that this time is used to its full potential by looking after yourself.

5. Can you tell us a bit about the Addie platform and what it aims to achieve?

Addie is so much more than just a task management app, that’s simply the beginning. Community and support are very important to us, which is reflected in our social platforms.

We’re lucky enough to have support from Tony Lloyd and the ADHD foundation, and are currently working on a B2B offering which will come with online neurodiversity courses and resources for workplaces, a hub for ADHD coaches, work aids and virtual assistants. We’re a small team with big dreams!

6. How does it feel to have been shortlisted for a Social Media Award for your work with Addie?

I won’t lie, when I first got the email I thought they might have made a mistake… then when I saw who Canny Social was up against I DEFINITELY thought they’d made a mistake! Once the disbelief subsided I’m extremely proud of what has been achieved in such a short space of time. Even just being nominated is an incredible achievement in my eyes for a business that only went full-time two months prior.

7. What advice would you give to those who are neurodivergent and seeking to start their own business?

30 per cent of entrepreneurs are said to have ADHD alone, not including any other neurodiversity such as autism and dyslexia. Many ADHD traits are actually perfect for starting businesses when utilised in the right way. Problem-solving, out-the-box thinking, ability to hyperfocus on things that interest them and (to an extent) risk-taking.

My advice would be, you probably have all the tools you need, just make sure you have the right support in place in your weak spots and everything else will feel second nature.

8. If you could have dinner with any entrepreneur from any period of history, who would it be and why?

That list would be way too long for me to even pick one! As a bit of an Apple fan girl, Steve Jobs would be certainly up there, however, I’m an avid listener to Diary of a CEO with Steven Barlett and some of his chats with the likes of Sophia Amoruso from Nasty Gal and Ann Summer found Jacqueline Gold really inspired me. Awesome women overcoming many hurdles both personally and professionally.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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