Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.lockwood@seachangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. And today is episode 115 with the title from stigma to strength, and I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Alexandra Parrott. Alexandra works in sales for an HR tech company that introduced the 1st team based psychological assessment tool to the talent market. When I asked Alexandra to describe her superpower, she said it is her empathy and fire within to make the world a safer place, one step at a time. Hello, Exandra. Welcome to the show.

Hi, Jo. Thank you for meeting with me. That was a a groovy little song, that. I like that.

Thank you. Yeah. I, yeah, I've recorded it a few years ago. I was supposed a few months ago, and it's, yeah. I I quite enjoyed that now. Yeah. Because gets the guest and get a bit jiggy before we start. Isn't it? Yeah.

Very soothing voice as well, actually.

Thank you. Yeah. People have often said I've got a bit of a late night radio voice.

Who cares?

Is that your dog your dog's joining in the the podcast

as well? Well, she does like to get involved, to be honest. In in any form of conversation I have, she likes to have her say.

And and why not? You know, I I think the the views of dogs are highly rated in terms of mental well-being, care, and, we know they can improve people's just whole whole feeling of well-being, don't they? So yeah.

And she gets

Why not?

Jo

Yeah. Maybe she liked the music. Maybe she liked the intro. Maybe that's what set her off. So we called this episode from stigma to strength. Tell me a bit more about yourself and and what what your passion is.

Thank you. So, yeah, I suppose there's a few different angles from the stigma to strength. One that's personal and then one that's relevant to the neurodiversity movement, which I am a huge advocate of. So from a personal perspective, I've I've grown up with a lot of stigma associated with mental health and specific mental health condition, and I really wanted to use all of that negative energy to create something positive. And as you said earlier, try and make the world a safer place so that individuals that do face a lot of stigma feel a little bit more safe and welcomed and included. And that's why the neurodiversity movement really stood out to me because I was looking for a community that believed in the concept of turning negative stigma into something positive and seeing the strengths out out of something that has had a real negative impact on people's lives. And I was hoping that, you know, someone like me could belong to a community like that, and I didn't know what neurodiversity was or meant or what the umbrella term covered. So rather than just sort of googling it, I decided to sign up to a degree in it because that's the best way to learn about something and to understand myself and others better.

So, yeah, I started the degree in January. I think, oh my gosh. That was a while back now.

Yes.

To learn a bit more about neurodiversity.