Episode Details

Welcome to episode #57 We’re thrilled to be joined by Chris Cameron today.

Chris Cameron is a Workflow Engineering and Process Automation Expert with over a decade of experience. He founded Satellite, a company dedicated to helping small businesses optimize their operations. He also teaches people with executive function barriers how to overcome them using AI, no-code automation tools, and productivity strategies. His work is driven by efficiency, innovation, and empathy, ensuring technology serves people.

QUESTIONS

1. Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? 
   1. When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical?
      1. During pandemic
         1. Felt more on top of things
            1. Other people were struggling
            2. Realized later
               1. He was responding well to chaos.
      2. Having a child
      3. The above two things prompted him to investigate further
      4. In school was the kid that
         1. Didn’t
            1. Do homework
            2. Study
         2. But always performed well
   2. What challenges did you face?
      1. Late to start things
      2. But learning new things about it all the time
         1. Different ways to approach things.
      3. Time blindness
         1. If something isn’t on the calendar, then it doesn’t get done.
      4. Underestimating
         1. Tries to journal and self-analysis and reflect on what is working and what isn’t
   3. What is it like now?
      1. Wanted to talk about it so that other kids wouldn’t fall through the cracks
         1. Not simply be dismissed as the hyperactive boy stereotype.
         2. See through the coping strategies and masking.
   4. What neuro-exceptional strengths are you leaning into now?
      1. Tolerance for frustration
         1. Depending on the cause
            1. Lower than usual
               1. E.g. repetitive tasks
                  1. Filling out tasks
            2. Higher than usual
               1. E.g. Solving aggravating problem
                  1. Coding a solution
2. What "work" projects are you concentrating on?
   1. Consultancy doing business process automation (Satellite)
   2. Educational workshops (https://learnwith.cc) for ND people to learn how to automate processes
      1. Building out course material
      2. Tutoring (e.g. how to set up automation)
      3. Workflow optimization tool (free tool to figure out how to improve your processes)
3. How about the rest of the time? What do you enjoy doing in your off time?
   1. Investigating new tools (physical and computers)
   2. Spending time with family
      1. 2.5 year old
4. What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours? What is some unhelpful productivity advice that doesn’t work for you?
   1. Calendaring + notes (so don’t forget)
   2. Timeboxing (worked for a while but then hated it)
   3. Time tracking 
      1. Started for client billing as a freelancer
      2. Tracking how much time spent on personal projects too
      3. Helpful to calibrate estimates (e.g. grocery shopping seems like it should only
   4. Adapt tools to how people work rather than bending people to make the tools work
      1. Velja
         1. E.g. default zoom calls to a specific browser
         2. E.g. always open Trello in the Trello app
   5. What works for a few months, can’t expect it to work forever
      1. Theories about cycling
         1. Novelty is attractive
            1. Adaptation / habituation
5. COMMERCIAL BREAK
6. How do you manage communication with neurotypical folk?
   1. Variable NT tolerance
   2. Having different personas
      1. Work Chris
      2. Real Chris
      3. I