Build: Early-Stage Founder Mentoring

3 months of structured 1:1 mentoring for neurodivergent founders, from a neurodivergent founder.

"Maybe the answer isn't finding a job that fits me. Maybe it's building one."

For many neurodivergent people, self-employment offers what traditional workplaces don't: autonomy, flexibility and work shaped around how you function.

It can also become the fastest route to burnout if you build it the way everyone else does. Much of the standard business advice assumes steady energy, easy networking and a regular income. For many of us, that's not how it works.

Build helps you create a business that fits how your brain works.

To express interest, sign up here

Who it's for?

By "founder", I don't just mean a tech bro with a pitch deck. Coaches, freelancers, someone setting up an ice cream business: if you've started something of your own, or you're thinking about it, you're a founder too.

Build could be a good fit if you're:

  • In your first or second year of business

  • About to launch

  • Starting a side business alongside employment

  • Still wondering whether self-employment is right for you

Not sure if you're ready? You don't need a website, a business name or even a finished idea to book a call. If you've been thinking "maybe the answer is building something of my own", that's enough!

Why work with me?

I'm Sophie, an autistic founder and EMCC-accredited coach with an MSc in Experimental Psychology.

I started my business in June 2024 and learned to build through the highs and the quiet months. I learned that sustainable growth for neurodivergent founders looks different, and that the right structure and support change everything.

I'm also part of the Community Team at Joyfully Different, a community on a mission to make business joyful for neurodivergent and other unconventional founders, freelancers and entrepreneurs. My work there includes analysing what members need and how that changes as their businesses grow, and running a sensory room at the Brighton Chamber Think Differently Summit.

Build grew out of that work, and out of lots of coffees with other neurodivergent founders. The same things kept coming up: energy that doesn't fit a 9–5, everything feeling urgent at once, sales calls that drain you and income that comes in waves. I wanted to bring together my knowledge, skills and network to build something that helps.

Price

Founding rate: £495 for the first 5 founders, or 3 monthly payments of £165

Then £750.

Curious? Fill out this Google form here and I’ll get back to you.

Why the early years matter

Years one and two are when the foundations get laid. It's when you shape your offer, set your prices, build your routines and find out what kind of business actually works for you.

The habits you form then tend to stick, for better or worse. The right support early on can make the difference between a business that fits your brain and one that slowly burns you out.

What we'll work on

  • Shaping a clear, sellable offer

  • Finding your first clients

  • Pricing with confidence

  • The admin basics: contracts, invoicing and planning for income that comes in waves

  • Routines and systems that suit your brain, without burning out

What's included

  • 6 × 60-minute sessions, to use any time.

  • Practical worksheets and templates

  • An action plan after every session

  • Accountability check-ins between sessions

  • Sessions adapted to how you work best

Mentoring, not coaching

Coaching helps you find your own answers. Mentoring means I share mine: practical advice, honest feedback and what I've learned from building my own business.

I'm a few steps ahead of you, so what I share is recent, real and tested. You still make the decisions, but you won't be working it out alone.