Sarah Ennor | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

Hi, I'm Sarah!

I make ADHD human and profitable.

I'm a biracial speaker, insomniac, lawyer, international athlete, entrepreneur, and woman with ADHD.

I show businesses how to turn ADHD into a competitive advantage.

I offer 1:1 support & education to help YOU up your game!

I’m on a mission to bring simple inclusion strategies to life through relatable stories. Culture, morale, and financial results improve when we marry revenue to respect, coach with curiosity, and begin to banish bias.

I've always been a bold, unique personality with plenty of confidence and presence. As a firm lawyer, and in-house counsel and compliance for big-bank asset managers, I felt pressure to "fit in." Praised for my technical skill, managers viewed my personality as too confident, too ambitious - just too much!

An adult diagnosis of ADHD has opened my eyes. I am energetic, ambitious, and fearless for a reason! I also see I could have been more self-aware, helping my employer to support my unique traits. I've been an entrepreneur since 2017.

Current position (1)

Speaker | Founder | Lawyer

Growth Counsel

Degrees (3)

Called to the Bar of Ontario

Law Society of Ontario

2007

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)

University of Ottawa

2006

B.A. (Hons), History

Carleton University

2003

Presentations

Presentations (6)

Neurodiversity 101: Using Curiosity as a Catalyst

Great news!
You can reduce turnover and boost your revenue without overhauling your business model! Anyone in your organization can make small shifts to get BIG inclusion results. It all starts with using curiosity as a catalyst.
This introduction to neurodivergence and ADHD is an ideal first step in your neuroinclusion journey. We’ll dig into WHY neuroinclusion matters, bridging the gap between our good intentions and taking meaningful action.
Sarah will share her story and explain what ADHD is, what it isn’t, and how symptoms may show up at work. Armed with the WHY, you’ll develop greater empathy for your colleagues and clients with ADHD, You’ll learn:
-Different ways of thinking, working, and communicating with ADHD;
-How these differences contribute to better results;
-Exactly how to use curiosity to foster belonging and inclusion;
-Why curiosity is a catalyst when supporting every type of difference!
It’s math and science: a neurodiverse workforce yields better results!

Neurodiversity 101: ADHD in the Legal Workplace

Sarah has been a lawyer since 2007, working in law firms, in-house departments, and in sole practice. She was shocked when her doctor diagnosed her with ADHD)! The condition is often stigmatized as an excuse for laziness and misbehaviour. She’s since learned that nearly 3 times more lawyers report having experience with ADHD than the general population. Also, ADHD is not what she thought!

Every person with ADHD experiences different symptoms and strengths. Many, like Sarah, rely on the support of others to thrive at work. No matter your neurotype, your unique strengths can help business prosper.

Sarah will share what ADHD really is, and:
-What makes the legal workplace so attractive to the ADHD brain;
-How and why the positive and negative traits of ADHD may show up at work;
-Simple supports that can make a BIG impact for those with ADHD; and
-How folks without ADHD play a key role in unlocking their colleagues’ potential.

A neurodiverse workforce creates impressive results!

Performance Reviews: From Anxiety to High Performance

Giving actionable feedback is a skill. It takes practice, especially when we are busy, frustrated, or the stakes are high. All too often we deliver subjective feedback, which feels personal instead of helpful.

Sarah was shocked when her doctor recently diagnosed her with ADHD! The symptoms often impact core work tasks like time management and organization. For Sarah, the social symptoms also affected her career trajectory.

Sarah shares key elements of her neuroinclusive feedback toolkit. You’ll learn:
-Why performance reviews can be the perfect inclusion tool;
-How effective feedback is always a two-way street;
-A formula that ensures you give (and get) actionable & inclusive feedback; and
-Why the formula supports inclusion for everyone who’s different.

Sarah is more self-aware of why her symptoms have both helped and hindered her at work. Learning from her experience, you’ll better understand your neurodiverse workforce. You’ll know just where to start to support them!

Neuroinclusive Management: Managing Up, Down & Out

You can use curiosity to extract the specific information you need to ensure feedback within your organization is always actionable.
For firms committed to using feedback as an inclusion tool, it’s critical that everyone upholds this value as a key part of company culture. Managers must be curious about their staff and staff curious about their managers. Everyone must get curious about third-party feedback.
When Sarah learned she had ADHD, her performance reviews made perfect sense. Each piece of feedback had been either a scathing indictment of, or glowing praise for, her unique ADHD traits! Even when it came from beyond her department. This propelled Sarah forward - and held her back in her career.
You’ll learn why subjective feedback is ineffective, and:
-Identify the key components of actionable and inclusive feedback;
-Questioning techniques to get specific feedback you can use;
-How to respectfully challenge subjective feedback
Can every colleague act on feedback at work?

Words Matter: De-Stigmatizing ADHD & Mental Health

Experts estimate that by age 10, children with ADHD have heard 20,000 negative comments from their teachers alone. Adding parents at home, and peers in and out of school, it’s no wonder they also report lower levels of self-esteem.

Sarah was shocked when her doctor diagnosed her with ADHD! In Women and girls It's often overlooked and diagnosed later in life. We socialize girls to “behave.” They're often more inattentive than outwardly hyperactive. This doesn’t match the stereotype.

Sarah remembers some of the negative messaging she heard growing up. Once diagnosed, she received even more surprising reactions. In this talk, you’ll learn:
-What ADHD is and what it isn’t;
-How stigma and misinformation contribute to negative messaging that may damage self-esteem;
-Why curiosity plays a pivotal role in eliminating stigma; and
-What to say when someone shares their diagnosis.

Perpetuating myth and stigma is harmful to everyone. We can change the narrative by choosing our words wisely.

G.E.T. Authentic! From Self-Awareness to Career Action

True psychological safety and belonging only exist when everyone feels accepted for who they really are. Can you share your goals and aspirations? Are these supported or punished? Can you be yourself without fear of any repercussions?
Sarah has always been a bold, unique personality with confidence and presence. As a firm lawyer, and in-house counsel and compliance at big banks, she felt pressure to "fit in." Praised for her technical skill, managers saw her personality as too confident, too ambitious - just too much!
Sarah shares how she has always felt different - and loved her authentic self. Her adult diagnosis of ADHD made it all make sense! Sarah will share how to work more authentically and achieve your own version of success. Learn her ‘G.E.T. Authentic’ formula and:
-Assess your unique strengths, interests, and ways of working;
-Evaluate how well your environment supports you and your goals;
-Take action to fill gaps & ask for support
Leave ready to advocate for yourself!

Past talks (14)

Striving & Thriving: Neurodiversity in Law

TerraLex

Virtual

September 24, 2024

Ep.47 - The ADHD Advantage: Thriving in Business and Life with Sarah Ennor

Pursue the Pull with Stacey Bevan

Virtual

September 24, 2024

NEURODIVERSITY 101: ADHD in the Legal Workplace

Toronto Metropolitan University – Lincoln Alexander School of Law

Toronto