Why unmasking matters in business with Shan Fitzgerald
We kicked off Season 3 of The One That Works For You podcast with what has to be my favourite interview. Ever. Period.
We had Shan Fitzgerald of Wild Spark on, and we peeled back the layers on something many of us feel but rarely verbalise:
Running a business while trying to be someone you're not? Exhausting. Unsustainable. And totally unnecessary.
Shan– copywriter, brand personality strategist, and resident unmasking expert, shared how her late autism and ADHD diagnoses reshaped everything: her work, her voice, and her vision for Wild Spark. And why unmasking isn’t a nice-to-have if you want your business to go the distance. It’s the foundation.
Because whether you’re neurodivergent or just tired of squeezing yourself into business norms that feel more like a costume than a fit—it’s time to do things differently.
From classroom to copy queen: how Shan found her spark
Before Wild Spark was born, Shan was deep in teacher land—masking hard, following all the social scripts, and pretending everything was fine (it wasn’t).
Cue: international teaching stint, burnout, first baby, and a quiet, growing voice whispering, “This isn’t it.”
“I thought Wild Spark was my alter ego,” Shan said.
“But actually, teaching was my alter ego. Wild Spark is the real me.”
So she built it differently. No suits. No jargon. No trying to sound like someone else. Just clear, bold, personality-soaked copy that feels like a breath of fresh air—for her and her clients.
Why neurodivergence is a brand superpower
Talking to Shan was deeply validating for me. We’re both brand voice strategists, and we’re both neurodivergent, and throughout the conversation we touched on things I’ve often thought about but never spoken about- specifically about how being neurodivergent prepares you to work in brand voice.
As autistic, hyperlexic copywriters, she and I both have the kind of deep pattern recognition, word obsession, and empathy that are directly transferable skills to drawing out brand personalities and turning them into words that resonate.
It’s something many neurodivergent business owners find: the same skills we use to navigate the world—observation, adaptation, detail spotting—become superpowers in our work.
“We’re bottom-up processors,” she explained. “We need to know every single thing to build the full picture. And that’s exactly how I approach brand strategy.”
The burnout risk of masking in business
If you’ve ever stared at your screen trying to write one tiny post—and left feeling like you ran a marathon—it might not be a productivity issue. It might be a masking issue.
Trying to sound polished, perky, or “professional” when that’s not your natural voice?
Pushing through work styles that leave your brain fried?
Forcing yourself into formulas that never really fit?
That’s not just uncomfortable—it’s burnout on a silver platter.
“If you have to mask in your business to pretend to be something you’re not, it’s just not feasible,” Shan said. “You’re going to burn out.”
So she built Wild Spark to work with her energy, not against it. And spoiler: when you stop pretending, that’s when the magic starts.
What actually makes a good brand voice guide
Hot take: Most brand voice guides are useless.
They’re bloated with buzzwords (“quirky,” anyone?) and leave you wondering how the hell to turn that into real-world copy.
Shan, Martha and I all agree on the one thing a good brand voice guide does well:
It teaches you how to write in your voice—for real.
That means:
No vague vibes.
No branding BS.
Just clear, actionable tools that make writing easier, not harder.
If your brand guide doesn’t help you show up with confidence and consistency? Chuck it in the bin. You, your brand, and your audience all deserve better.
Advice for neurodivergent business owners
Shan’s biggest tip for neurodivergent entrepreneurs? Build a business where you don’t have to mask.
Whether that’s how you write, how you sell, how you set up your calendar, or how you work with clients—set things up to work for you, not against you.
“That’s exactly why Wild Spark has lasted through eight years, a pandemic, and more life changes than I can count,” she said. “Because it’s built around who I am, not who I thought I had to be.”
For anyone newly diagnosed (or self-diagnosed) with autism, ADHD, or both, she also shared this reminder:
“You’re allowed to find ways to make things easier. You’re allowed to forgive yourself. And you’re allowed to build something that actually works for your brain.”
Final thoughts- what if you didn’t have to tone it down?
What if your quirks weren’t liabilities—but launchpads?
What if your real voice was the strategy?
Shan proves it works. When you drop the mask, the business gets better—because you get to breathe.
So here’s your permission slip:
Be too much. Be totally yourself. Build around it.
Your brand—and your nervous system—will thank you.
So here’s your permission slip: Go all in on being yourself. Your brand will be better for it.
Want more stories like Shan’s? Listen to the full episode here and subscribe to The One That Works For You for more real conversations about building a business that actually works for you.
You can also check out Shan’s Awkward AF Email Templates and follow her on Instagram to see how she does business her way.
