2025: How We’ve Changed — And How the Podcast Changed With Us

Summary

The Neurodivergent Experience

Episode: 2025: How We’ve Changed — And How the Podcast Changed With Us

Hosts: Jordan James and Simon Scott
Release Date: January 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this reflective and heartfelt New Year’s episode, Jordan James and Simon Scott revisit their personal journeys and chart the evolution of The Neurodivergent Experience podcast. The pair explore the highs and lows of 2025, discuss personal triumphs and struggles, and share how their experiences—and those of their community—have influenced the show’s growth. With honesty, humor, and vulnerability, they offer insight into how sharing lived neurodivergent experiences can break down stigma and foster meaningful connections.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Starting on a Positive Note

• Both hosts agree to focus on the positive aspects of the year, intentionally steering away from revisiting negative events that have already been discussed at length.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “We've been talking about the bad things all year.” (03:58)
• They briefly note broader socio-political negativity (Trump, RFK Jr., right-wing attacks on neurodivergent communities) but quickly pivot back to their personal growth.

2. Jordan’s Journey: Breaking Free From Anger

• Jordan shares an emotional milestone—after 40 years, he’s freed himself from longstanding anger, much of which stemmed from childhood trauma and the loss of his brother.
  • This was achieved with support from family, friends, and his own dedication to personal work.
  • Jordan recounts a morning when, rather than melting down over a series of small annoyances, he simply handled the situation and moved on—a tangible sign of his progress.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “I was finally released from this prison of anger that I have carried with me for over 40 years.” (05:28)
• Anecdote: The story about cleaning up after his dog and nearly smashing a door (06:31–08:16).
• He reflects on the difference between passion and anger, and the importance of internal change over external perceptions.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “If people perceive me as being less angry, that's wonderful... But if you're losing weight for the right reason, it's for your health, it’s for your personal gain... That's how I feel about getting rid of my anger.” (08:22)

3. Simon’s Year: Building a Home, Tackling Imposter Syndrome

• Simon shares his major life changes: buying and making a home, deepening his partnership, and taking pride in his personal and professional growth.
• Quote (Simon):
  “This year has almost been like the year my life got color. You know, I feel like I've achieved an awful lot.” (13:14)
• He reflects on battling imposter syndrome—accepting, recognizing, and celebrating his achievements for the first time.
• Quote (Simon):
  “I think this is the first time in my life I've sort of reflected on a year and not focused on the negatives. I've just gone, God, you've done really well this year.” (14:14)

4. Mutual Support and Found Family

• Jordan calls Simon his “little brother,” and they bond over supporting and learning from each other.
• Notable Quote:
  “You’ve become the person I always knew you would be. I am just in awe of you, my friend.” (15:33, Jordan to Simon)
• Both discuss learning that “no is a sentence” and the importance of accommodating themselves as neurodivergent people.

5. Therapy, Community, and Growth

• The podcast itself has served as a form of therapy for both hosts, helping them process emotions (like anger, alexithymia, and PDA) and providing a channel to share these struggles with a supportive audience.
• Quote (Simon):
  “If you want to know what's going on — what's wrong — I talked about it on my podcast.” (20:21)
• Quote (Jordan):
  “Just being able each week to talk and just get it all out there is the most therapeutic thing I've ever done in my life.” (19:23)
• They reflect on the value of communicating with the community—how listener messages validate their impact and inspire further growth.

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The Podcast’s Milestones and Evolution

6. Explosive Growth and Audience Connection

• They celebrate surpassing 100,000 listeners and discuss the unexpected but gratifying success of the podcast, especially as an indie operation recorded entirely online.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “Our entire relationship is literally built through being able to just talk about whatever we talk about. And I think that genuine honesty... speaks volumes.” (26:43)
• The connection with listeners—stories, comments, and meeting people in real life—personalize the impact of the show.

7. Breaking Stereotypes and Inspiring Achievement

• Both hosts stress the harm of societal narratives—especially rhetoric suggesting neurodivergent people are incapable.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “Don’t believe what others tell you. Do something and then see if you were capable of doing it... But don’t think for one second that you aren’t capable just because the narrative says that, because that’s horseshit.” (30:09)
• They encourage listeners to try, even if not every attempt will lead to success—and share personal examples of breaking through imposter syndrome and self-doubt.

8. Paying It Forward: Community Ripple Effect

• Simon relates how listeners have helped one another, including stories of individuals who have improved their lives by unmasking and embracing community connections.
• Quote (Simon, relaying a listener’s Matrix analogy):
  “He’s beginning to believe.” (39:22)

9. The Power of Realistic Positivity

• The hosts caution against toxic positivity—acknowledging that life with neurodivergence is a daily coin flip.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “I have so many disabilities just on a day-to-day basis... [but] I wanted people to see both sides of the coin, and it literally every day is a coin flip.” (41:53)

10. Societal Progress and the Next Generation

• Jordan recounts a conversation with his nephew and celebrates the normalization and pride in neurodivergent identities among younger people.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “He said, ‘I've got loads of friends, they all say, I'm autistic, I'm ADHD. Like, it's just like normal now.’ And I'm like, I love that. Oh, dude, I nearly cried.” (37:23)

11. Looking Forward

• The hosts are reluctant to set big goals beyond simply “keep doing it”—recognizing the difficulties of sustaining an indie show with full lives, but reaffirming their love for the community and commitment to the podcast’s mission.
• Quote (Jordan):
  “My goal is just to keep doing it... We do it because we love to do it and we do it because we love to help people.” (43:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On anger and change:
  “It’s like a whisper in the night. It’s there and then it’s gone. And that is the greatest thing that has happened to me in 2025.” (08:22, Jordan)
• On achievement:
  “This year has been my year to tackle my imposter syndrome. I feel like I’ve really made big steps at liking who I am, being proud of my achievements…” (13:52, Simon)
• On family and friendship:
  “You are, in a way, my little brother…you’ve really come out of your shell, you’ve become the person I always knew you would be.” (15:18, Jordan)
• On spreading kindness:
  “I’m just a dude that loves love. I love it when people are happy. I love it when people are successful and I love it when people love each other…” (35:35, Jordan)
• On the neurodivergent wave:
  “There is a generation…of people coming through…just feeling better about themselves. And we are a small part of that. And just being a small part of that makes me feel like everything I wanted from the day I first said on social media, I am autistic and I am proud of, literally feels like it’s…it. That is how it should be. And we're not there, but we’re getting there.” (38:13, Jordan)
• On continuing the podcast:
  “My goal…is just to keep doing it. Because I love this so much…We do it because we love to do it and…to help people.” (43:55, Jordan)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show start & recap of year’s intention: 02:30–04:53
• Jordan’s story of anger & recovery: 05:10–09:36
• Simon’s reflections on home & imposter syndrome: 11:49–15:05
• Therapeutic nature of the podcast & discussing emotions: 17:50–21:00
• Podcast milestones & listener impact: 26:07–32:02
• Breaking stereotypes & words of encouragement: 30:09–33:49
• On the younger generation’s acceptance: 37:23–39:22
• Looking ahead - keeping it going: 43:33–44:54

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Final Thoughts

Jordan and Simon’s candid reflection offers both practical and emotional validation for neurodivergent listeners. By recounting their own struggles and triumphs, and highlighting the podcast’s impact as a safe therapeutic space, they encourage vulnerability, perseverance, and community connection. Their closing message is one of solidarity: “You’re not alone in this journey.” The spirit of The Neurodivergent Experience remains strong—growing, adapting, and always striving to amplify neurodivergent voices.

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Transcript

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[Jordan James]

Welcome to the neurodivergent Experience Podcast, a podcast where we share the lived experiences of neurodivergent people to help create a better understanding for our community.

[Simon Scott]

Join us every week as we bring you honest, raw and inspiring conversations with specialists, advocates and individuals who know exactly what it's like to live the neurodivergent experience.

[Jordan James]

I'M Jordan James, a neurodivergent specialist, father of neurodivergent children, husband to a neurodivergent wife and author of the Autistic Experience. And I'm joined by my best friend.

[Simon Scott]

I'm Simon Scott. I'm an autistic ADHD broadcaster, actor and advocate. Join us as we journey into unraveling the neurodivergent experience. Hello.

[Jordan James]

Hello and welcome back, everybody. Happy New Year.

[Simon Scott]

Yes, it's the last recording of for us for the year. It's still technically 2025, but you're here. 2020 is the future.

[Jordan James]

The future is now. You are listening in the future. You can tell, you can tell we weren't prepared for this. We're very, very, very burnt out from Christmas.

[Simon Scott]

I'm winding down just from, like, the whole year. And we were like, oh, let's talk about the good things and the bad things that happened this year. It was a nice roundup episode and I was like, brain, no, I don't.

[Jordan James]

Want to talk about the bad things. We've been talking about the bad things all year.

[Simon Scott]

Great. Oh, thank God. Just good things then.

[Jordan James]

I genuinely, I will just quickly just talk about one bad thing. It's like every time I think, oh, it's actually been a really great year. And then I just remember Trump and the best year.

[Simon Scott]

After the years, I thought, what a great year.

[Jordan James]

Evil administration and the, the joke. The joke that is RFK Jr. And the horrific result of, of their evil just spreading across the world. And we've seen it in reform being just so dreadful. The amount of Hot Topics, you know, where we're putting out fires because, you know, the super right wing are just saying the worst things about neurodivergent people.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah. It's not been a good year for it. You know, it's been mixed bag. Mixed bag.

[Jordan James]

I would say on a personal basis, I've had a fantastic year. Our family have had a fantastic year.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah.

[Jordan James]

So let's, let's talk about that. Let's start this year with a positive. That last year was, was a great year for the James family and it was for me personally. Probably the best thing that happened in 2025 was that I was finally released from this prison of anger that I have carried with me for over 40 years. I feel like I've been angry as a child, but at the very least since, since my brother passed away. So when I was, like, 16, I've just carried this anger and with Ash's help, but with your help, with my family's help, But. And I'm not going to do myself a disservice with my help, as you should. I. I put the work in. It was the most important thing to me. And it started as a journey just to be able to deal with my anger. And I never even imagined that I'd just be able to be released from it. And that is genuinely how I feel. And I think a perfect example of that was this morning. I came down. I'm always the first downstairs. I came downstairs. I'm still groggy. My back's a bit achy. You know, I'm trying to make a coffee, and there's just dog poo. Hey, everyone enjoying your breakfast? There's just dog poo in the conservatory. And I'm like, great.

[Simon Scott]

I love when shit's inside.

[Grow Therapy Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Jordan James]

I'm just like, okay, fine, I'll clean it up. It's. It's just part of my life. I cleaned it up. But as I turn around, I smack straight into the conservatory doors. Oh, it just. I don't even know how it happened. And my. My. My first, like, meltdown reaction was to just swing open the door. And then I realized that it's glass and it's very expensive.

[Simon Scott]

And I was like, there was a little part of me that was like, where's this story going? And I just.

[Jordan James]

And I just opened the door, fist tight. I was like, open the door. And I took the poo, put it in the toilet, flushed the chain, washed my hands, started making my coffee, and that was it. And that. And then. And then now. And then I was okay. It didn't. I didn't grow. It didn't get more annoyed. I didn't. I just. And then it's on, and. And that instance is now so rare. I felt like that was every morning I was trying to stop myself from having a meltdown or just having meltdowns. But even, like the flitter of a. Of a meltdown is. It's just so small.

[Simon Scott]

Not catching, is it? It's just like a. It's not igniting anything. It's just a flash and a. Dude, it's.

[Jordan James]

It's a whisper in the night. It's there and then it's gone. And. And that is the greatest thing that has happened to me in 2025. Because, honestly, I have felt like a prisoner to my anger. And it's. I've always felt like it's the worst thing about me. And I'm still passionate. People still feel that. We talked about that on episodes before about, you know, passion coming across as anger. And it's not. None of it is about how people perceive me. If people perceive me as being less angry, that's wonderful. You know, it's kind of like when you're overweight and you lose weight and people are like, oh, wow, have you lost weight? It feels good. People like, oh, you've been a lot less angry lately, and it feels good. But if you're losing weight for the right reason, it's for your health, it's for your, your, your personal gain, and it's for you. And that's how I feel about getting rid of my anger, is that it's just made me such a happier person. I'm just so happy. And, and that is the best thing that's happened for me personally.

[Simon Scott]

And it's been great to watch, man.

[Jordan James]

Like, oh, thanks, man.

[Simon Scott]

It has. Like, it's been really nice to see you sort of be able to, like, I, you know, I, I've struggled with anger in my life. I'm not sort of comparing our, know, my sort of flicker of anger, you know, because your meltdowns. You really struggled with them when we first sort of met.

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[Simon Scott]

And it was the consistency of them as well. But it's so nice to see you not feel sort of possessed by your anger anymore. And it's so nice.

[Grow Therapy Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Simon Scott]

And it's, and it's so nice as well to see you sort of navigate life. And when things happen, people aren't treating you with safety gloves as much as they used to. And I'm sure that is a relief as well, where you don't feel like everyone's waiting for you to be angry as well. That must be great.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, it's, there's like, it's like a feeling like, like the air isn't as heavy. Like, I, I, it's because I hated people tiptoeing around me because it meant that people didn't tell me things that I wanted them to know that I want. Sorry. Either I wanted to know or that I think that I should have known and people. And it's such a horrible idea because it makes me sound like I'm some sort of crazy, abusive, controlling asshole. And the worst thing about it is that, that I, I, I, that's not me, but that's what the anger made me appear to be. And it just shows that it wasn't the real me because as soon as I got rid of the anger, everybody just is, it's just so much better for everyone and it's, it's horrible.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah. And Being treated with kids gloves as well.

[Jordan James]

Yeah.

[Simon Scott]

Even though you feel like people are trying to do the best for you is still infantilizing. And that is the feeling that we've discussed so much on this show that all autistic people hate to feel. You know, we want to feel like kids by choice, not to be told, you know, so I'm really proud of you, man. You've really put the work in, and it's so great to see that not only do you feel it, but, you know, it's starting to spread in. I love that. I love that for you is just.

[Jordan James]

We're just in a much, much better place as a. As a whole. But what about you, my dude?

[Simon Scott]

Well, I am quite literally in a different place. That has been sort of the really big thing for me is I bought a house this year and have turned it into a home. And that has been one of the sort of great joys of this year, but also sort of of my life. Like, I was sat. Having dinner last night with Caris, and my parents had been to visit, and their dog had met my dog, and they got on great. So that was a relief.

[Jordan James]

Yeah.

[Simon Scott]

And I was sort of sat there and I turned to Caris, and I almost had a tear in my eye, and I went, what a wonderful life we've. We've made together. And it's only just started. And I sort of look at, you know, it's almost like the. I try to find another phrase, but the only way. The only words that are coming to mind are like, the fruit of my loins. Like, look at what I've sort of made. You know, it's been a testament of my hard work and. And turning around my relationship with money and myself. And it is sort of the. The prized pig at the end of the contest. I feel like I've really made huge life achievements this year and, you know, starting my job and building what is becoming the Autistic Culture Podcast Network through work and other things like that. And I've connected with my community. I truly feel like an advocate now. And I don't just feel like a advocate. I actually feel like a pretty good one. Oh, God. Yeah. I've. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of neurodivergent people this year, and I really feel like I've not only been helped by so many people in my own community, but I've been able to give back as well. And this podcast is obviously a part of that, but it also is a little sort of faceless. In a way, even though you, the listener, are a close friend of ours, even though we may not necessarily always feel it, we are with you. And it's been so wonderful to actually put those download numbers to faces and names and to meet people that we speak to every single week, even. And it's been great to have the opportunity to speak to people that listen to us every week and to get to know them. And this year has almost been like the. The year my life got color. You know, I feel like I've achieved an awful lot, and we've discussed so many times on this show, like, imposter syndrome. And I feel like this year has been your year to extinguish your anger. I feel like this year has been my year to tackle my imposter syndrome. I feel like I've really made big steps at liking who I am, being proud of my achievements and just acknowledging them as a start, but also feeling proud of myself. I think this is the first time in my life I've sort of reflected on a year and not focused on the negatives. I've just gone, God, you've done really well this year. So I. Well done. And that's a really big step for me. So I'm really proud that I've made these achievements, but I'm also acknowledging them as well.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, I'm. I, you know, I'm proud of you, man. And just. And I always say this to all my kids, and I know you're not one of them, but, you know, you. You're. You are, in a way, my little brother.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jordan James]

You know, you're part of my family, and, you know, I always. I'm always either the big brother or the father figure. I can't help it. It's my wisdom age.

[Simon Scott]

Yes.

[Jordan James]

But I'm impressed with you, and I think that you can be proud of someone, you know, from many reasons, but I'm genuinely impressed at. At what you've done this year, like the. The amount of things that you've done in a single year. You know, you've grown the other podcast. You've grown this podcast. You know, you've helped so many people. You've really come out of your shell. You've become the person I always knew you would be. I am just in awe of you, my friend. Honestly, you just done such a great.

[Simon Scott]

Job, and I feel it. I feel it like, you know, adopting a dog. And I feel like there have been. And I've. And I've talked about this with Ashley. I've talked about this with you. I feel like there's been a lot of demons I've carried in my life that this year I've given names to, and I've understood that they're not going to go away, and I've got to build a relationship with them. And I don't think if I'd not put that work in and been fortunate enough to sort of discuss it in a public space and get it out in the open, but also just sort of acknowledging it and working on it, I wouldn't have been able to have got through the house sale. I don't think I would have adopted a dog, and I don't think I would have been able to have thrown myself into work and genuinely got up every day. Working on this show, working on others and. And meeting other people and just getting myself out there are all sort of huge achievements. And I think if I'd started the beginning of this year and written a list of what I like, would have liked to have achieved, not only have I done all of those things, I think I've done all of them pretty well as well. So that's. Yeah, I'm really grateful. I'm. It's. I'm proud of myself. It's. It even feels weird saying those words in my mouth. It's like a toffee. But it is. But it is true. That's sort of where I feel like. I feel like I've built relationships with people and cemented relationships and. And accommodated for myself and learned that no is a sentence. And. Oh, man, I feel like I've learned so many great lessons this year. I've also put them into practice as well. I'm very grateful.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. It's like learning something's fantastic, but doing it is the hardest thing. And I think the both of us, that. That's what I think that we've achieved more than anything else is that we knew what to do and we actually. We actually did it.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah, well, you. Pda, literally, that's just what I was about to say. I feel like this is the. The first year in my life where I have not been a slave to my pda. Like, genuinely, like, I. I'm. I wish I knew what the secret sauce was. And I. And I. I'm lying. I do know what the secret sauce is. It's community and speaking to people and sharing lived experiences. Like, I could have sat down with a doctor or anybody in a white coat and they could have told me exactly everything that we've discussed. Over the past year, and it wouldn't have gone in. But if somebody who's my friend, who shares lived experience can pass those lessons on to me and, you know, pass it on, I think that's why it's, it's, it's worked for me this year, battling pda. You know, I genuinely think I would not be anywhere where I am in my life if I'd not done this show with you. And that's, and that's the truth. I feel like it's like a, an open autistic therapy session that you and I have every week. But because we've had a listenership that have joined us, it's become a group session. We're all doing it together. It's just that in typical fashion, it's only you and I talking.

[Jordan James]

I think it being able to talk, even if no one was listening, the fact that thousands of people listening is amazing. But just being able each week just to be able to talk and just be able to just get it all out there is the most therapeutic thing I've ever done in my life. And it has, it has helped me just be less upset with things. Because when I am upset with things and the listeners will remember this, they get to hear about it. And it's great because my family just don't want to hear about all the things I'm upset about and I don't want to put that on them. So I put it on you, audience. So, yeah, you're all welcome.

[Simon Scott]

But you joke, you joke. Like, genuinely, I've had it with my family members, with Caris, with friends, where they go, oh, what's going on?

[RTN Diagnostics Announcer]

Sigh.

[Simon Scott]

You've been a bit quiet or you seem a bit down. Oh, I'm fine now. I talked about it on my podcast. If you want to listen to it, it's there. And like, dude, the freedom of Alexithymia. I only have to say once and I could just go, just listen to my podcast and people go, if I must. I go, haha, there you go. Then if you really care, you'll listen in. But that's sort of the, the thing that I've loved about this show as well is it's, it's helped me battle my Alexithymia such a huge way. Like, I feel really like acknowledging the things that I find so disabling about being neurodivergent. And the two for me is Alexithymia and pda. And genuinely, for the first time in my life, I feel like I've kicked its ass. Not the other way around.

[Jordan James]

Hell yeah. Right. Let's have a break. And then when you when we come back, we can talk about a few more things that are the highlights of our year. And then I'll go back to bed.

[Simon Scott]

We'll be right back.

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[Simon Scott]

I swear if it to continue this.

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[Simon Scott]

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[RTN Diagnostics Announcer]

This is a neurodivergent experience. Public Announcement if you live in England and you or a loved one is waiting for an autism or ADHD assessment, you don't have to wait years. RTN Diagnostics is now part of the NHS Right to Choose scheme, which means if your local wait for a consultant led autism or ADHD assessment is more than 18 weeks, you can choose RTN instead and it won't cost you a penny. Jordan chose RTN for his own family because their care and attention to detail.

[Simon Scott]

Were second to none.

[RTN Diagnostics Announcer]

They didn't just diagnose autism and adhd.

[Simon Scott]

They looked at the full picture, including.

[RTN Diagnostics Announcer]

Pda, ocd, anxiety and more. The team is friendly, neuroaffirming and comprises many neurodivergent individuals. So they truly understand getting started is simple. Download the GP referral letter and questionnaire from the link in our show notes. Take those to your GP and ask for a referral to RTN diagnostics. If approved, RTN will be in touch within eight weeks to begin your assessment. Remember, this only applies in England and some exclusions do apply. RTN is not currently able to accept referrals for child ADHD assessments, so check the details before you start RTN diagnostics, helping you get the answers you deserve without the wait.

[Simon Scott]

Welcome back. Welcome back to the youth. Welcome back to the new Divergence. I know he's gonna do it and I'm still never.

[Jordan James]

I'm gonna give you PTSI about that because, like sometimes I'm not gonna do it and then sometimes I'll be like.

[Simon Scott]

That's the thing is like, I'm like.

[Jordan James]

With you, it's just great.

[Simon Scott]

Thank you.

[Jordan James]

Thank you. That's right. I was born this way.

[Simon Scott]

Good God. That was a good highlight of my year as well. But yes, no, it's now. Oh. If you're listening, if you're a Day One listener. And when I, when I say that, I don't mean you've listened from day one, although, thank you very much if you have. But if you're somebody who listens. On the days that episod Happy New year. It is the 1st of January. Are you hungover? Are you not? I. This will probably be the first time I was in bed at half 11 on a, on a New Year's Eve. I used to blow my brains out. But this year probably will, will not do a lot. But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about what has been the highlights of this year. And I think in this half, Jordan, because we're only going to do one little break today, seeing as it's the Holiday Times is discussing sort of the highlights of the show. It's been such a huge part of my life. It's become one of the great joys of my life. But this year has been kind of nuts.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, I, I think, I think the highlights obviously hitting over a hundred thousand listeners, I think that that was the ultimate highlight for, for the show, for us is an incredible achievement and I think that you sort of predicted the, the amount of time it would take to get to those sorts of numbers for, for essentially an Indie podcast that we record on video because so many people think we're in the same room.

[Simon Scott]

Literally the length of the country apart.

[Jordan James]

It's not a studio. It's. It's a. It's all digital. It's all via video. And I, I think that that just speaks volumes to yours and eyes chemistry and, and our brotherhood is the fact that our entire relationship is literally built through being able to just talk about whatever we talk about. And I think that that genuine honesty, and I can only really have that real honesty when I talk to you. I, I do feel like there's very few people in my life that I would be as honest with as I am with you.

[Simon Scott]

I feel the same as well.

[Jordan James]

And, but. But then you record it and then like, lots of people listen and I'm like, that's fine, because I don't know if I'd be that honest if everyone was standing in front of me.

[Simon Scott]

That's true.

[Jordan James]

So I, like, like we were saying in the first half, like, the huge achievements for this podcast is on a personal basis, I think it's helped us grow. And on a. On a bigger basis, it's. It's grown and it's bigger than we ever imagined it would be at this point in time. Like I said, I think that you predicted like maybe three years it would take for us as an indie podcast to get that far, and that was.

[Simon Scott]

Me being sort of ambitious, genuinely. Like, there's been shows that I've sort of worked on the pilots of, and I thought this is going to be a hit and it's bombed. And you sort of go, I did not see that coming. And with this show, I did not see the success of it coming. And look, we aren't a goal hanger podcast. We aren't a wondery show. We haven't got half a million downloads every episode. But that's like the 0.001% of podcasts. Like, if you think of like the top 10 podcasts in the world, they have like 60% of the world's downloads. It's crazy how it sort of works out. But for two people to jump on a microphone with zero budget, like, we've pumped money into this. We've not got. We've not got a lot of money out of it. And even if we have, we've pumped it back into it and to have grown. It was just two guys, one in the north of England, one in the south, just sort of hanging out, sharing their experiences, getting to know each other as well. Like, we've Our friendship has deepened on this podcast. There's been things that we've discussed that I've not discussed with anybody genuinely. And to see the reaction that that has had has just been absolutely mind blowing. Like, there have been certain times where we've put episodes out and we've seen the numbers that are coming in that people are listening to and some of the comments that people are listening or some of the messages that we've had and we rung each other on the phone almost in tears, being like, oh my God, it's, it's happening, it's working. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve. We wanted to reach people, autistic people, neurodivergent people, and go, you aren't alone. You aren't the only people that feel like this. We aren't creatures of the night. We're people. Were real people with real life experiences. And, you know, nothing about us without us can't show them. We've got to tell them.

[Jordan James]

We are not a disorder. We are a community. And I think, I think that if, if people are listening and you want to know, my ultimate advice for neurodivergent people is that don't believe what others tell you. Do something and then see if you were capable of doing it. Don't. Because not everybody can do everything. You know, I'm not sitting here going, oh, you could all start a podcast and be successful. I, I don't know.

[Simon Scott]

It's the look of the draw, 90 of the time.

[Jordan James]

It's, it's like when I do photography lessons. I, I, I don't want people to think, oh, you're going to be able to take pictures like me by the end of this lesson, because that's an unrealistic expectation. But the fact is, is that you might be able to take pictures better, or you might be able to start your own podcast, or you might be able to write a book, or you might be able to do whatever it is that you have dreamed of doing. You might be able to do that. But the general consensus and that horse shit that was coming out of Robert Wick Kennedy Jr. Legal name. Yeah. That we are incapable of doing things. And I don't want anyone listening to ever think that they're incapable of doing anything, because everybody's incapable of doing some things. But don't think for one second that you aren't capable just because the narrative says that, because it's horseshit. If anything, when we want something, we are more capable than neurotypicals.

[Simon Scott]

Oh, God, yeah. This is one of the things that has sort of been a joy in meeting so many people through this podcast and reading people's messages and their comments. I mean, I have a comment that was left on Spotify about our pets episode the other day where someone was like, yes, your podcast helps me every single day. I'm newly discovered, autistic, and have always loved animals. This was our animal episode and said the animals bring me so much companionship and help me regulate. I would be so empty without them in my life. And just reading a little message like that shows that we are connecting with people, that people are connecting with what we're saying. And I love the fact that so many of sort of our conversations have let me realize that I can do it. You know, like, doing this podcast. I would not have achieved what I've achieved this past year if I had not started doing this show. Because when we first started doing it, we did it because I was like, this is what would help me. And I feel like I need some help right now, and I'm going to have to do it for myself with your help. And I just feel like now, yes, I have my disabilities, genuinely, I feel like once I set my mind to something, I'm going to do it. Like, there's almost like this fire in me that I've never had before, where I feel like I'm not only doing my achievements for myself, but I'm almost doing it as a fuck you to people that tell my community that we can't do it. No, fuck you. Not only can I do this, I'm gonna do it better than you. Fuck you.

[Jordan James]

The greatest thing about discovering that you are able to do the things that you thought you were incapable of doing is once you discover one thing, and this is what happened with me with my photography. Once you discover one thing, go, oh, do you know what? I actually can do the things that I want to do. I shouldn't, you know, limit myself to what I'm willing to. To. To put myself through, because obviously, PDA anxiety and you know, and just. Just not feeling like you're a very good person. You know, imposter syndrome. All the things that we've been talking about this year that could hold you back if. If you manage to break those barriers, you get past all those hindrances, that stops you from. From doing the things you want to do. Once you break through that barrier, it's literally like breaking through a dam. It's just because literally, I did the photography. I got through that barrier of saying, do you know what I actually can do something. And then all of a sudden, you know, I'm a speaker, I'm an advocate, I'm a teacher, I'm. I wrote a book about two books and now I've done this podcast. Not to mention the fact that I have a full time job as a security manager on top of that. And I've been doing really well in that job as well. I don't really talk about my job because it's boring as anything, but I've received great praise from that job as well and I've won awards in that job as well this year. So I've just, I've done really, really well because I believe in myself and that is what I want for everyone listening. And that's what I've wanted from day one of telling people I am autistic, adhd, dyslexic, on Facebook or Instagram or whatever I was using. The only reason I did it was because I wanted people to be inspired by it and also feel like they can do something. And as hard as my life has been, it's enriched by being able to give the world the things that I have done, given to it and not on a. Oh, I'm super famous. I don't, I don't. I hate the word influencer. It makes my skin crawl. I feel like I'm just a dude that loves love. I love it when people are happy. I love it when people are successful and I love it when people love each other. And I hate when, when people are nasty or corrupt and they don't have that territory.

[Simon Scott]

I love what happened to all integrity.

[Jordan James]

I love the tegrady. And that's why I think I get so upset when I see things that are so obviously lies, so obviously corrupt, so obviously underhanded. But then I've been able to find so much joy in how much the neurodivergent community as a whole has really switched things around. And there's so much more content out out there. I don't watch a lot of it. You send me most of it.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah, it's true.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, I don't really do social media anymore, but there's so many advocates out there. There's so many people out there. Not all of them are great, some of them a little bit overly positive, but the fact is it's better than just nothing or just no information. Neurodivergent people are speaking for themselves. And what was really, really interesting, I was chatting with my nephew the other day and he's. He's got a friend and he said, oh, yeah, she's, she's autistic. And I was like, and how does she, you know, how does she feel about that? It's like, oh, no, it's just part of the conversation. It's, it's definitely. Yeah. I mean, I've got loads of friends, they all say, I'm autistic, I'm adhd. Like, it's just like normal now. And I'm like, I love that. Oh, dude, I, I knit. I. I nearly cried. He. We were just chatting and I was.

[Simon Scott]

Like, what a big difference that is. A few years ago.

[Jordan James]

There is a generation, huge of people coming through, and it's, it's, it's older generation, younger. There are generations of people that are just feeling better about themselves. And we are, we are a small part of that. And just being a small part of that makes me feel like everything I wanted from the day I first said on social media, I am autistic and I am proud of. Literally feels like it's it. That is how it should be. And we're not there, but we're getting there.

[Simon Scott]

Oh, yeah.

[Jordan James]

That's huge.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah. And one of the things that I've loved as well about podcast this year is feeling that, like, some of the comments I've had, some of the people that I've met, I've been introduced to a great guy that I speak to a lot called KW and his partner Jen, and they were telling me about why they love the Matrix so much. And it's that moment where Morpheus goes. He's beginning to believe.

[Jordan James]

Yeah.

[Simon Scott]

And that's what the, the, you know, KW was sort of explaining to me about they've realized they're autistic and they're unmasking and we've talked about it, and I genuinely feel like I've stepped into a sort of not liner. I'm trying to think about how to word this, but I've just been sort of advocating as his friend, and I feel like I've been passing on lessons that you gave to me and putting my own spin on it, you know, and I feel like I'm passing it on and seeing his life improve and how he's happier and he feels like he's now building a community. And he was introduced to me because his partner Jen listens to this show and was like, oh, my God, like, I love your show. It's helped me so much. It's helped my family so much. And that has been genuinely. One of the best things about this year is meeting this couple through this show who we've helped, but they're also helping themselves and their overall lives are improving based off conversations that you and I have had over the Internet. And I look at the sort of listeners that we have and where they're from. We've been listened to in nearly 70 countries, dude. Like, we have as many listeners in the US as we do in the uk. That is a freaking unicorn thing for a UK podcast to have listeners in the, in the US like they do in the uk. And we've got people like, in Colombia listening to us. Like, there's a, a large group of people in Chicago that listen to us. We've got people in Sydney. Like, it amazes me that two bros who have literally just. Who have built a friendship over the Internet and have become so close that we are essentially an adopted family, you and I, that we have built family based on the rules and accommodations we want to set. We've built a friendship. We've built like a media outlet for people. We've done so much. And it just proves. It's not even just like we're talking about it, we're doing it. It proves that when autistic people come together, amazing things can happen.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, the, the neurodivergent community is an incredible community to be part of as long as, as it's positive. But. But this is, this is the thing. Not too positive.

[Simon Scott]

Yeah, it's realistic. Yeah. It's optimistic and realistic. It's a. Yeah, yeah.

[Jordan James]

Because there are. I have so many disabilities just on a day to day basis, and if I just, you know, overshadowed them and was like, no, my life's great. I'm neurodivergent.

[Simon Scott]

It's the best thing. I'm fine. Everything's fine.

[Jordan James]

Yeah, it's. It's just unreliable, unrealistic, and it's not helpful for men. It's certainly not helpful for the audience because that was the whole point of this, is that I wanted people. And I've, I've said this phrase so many times to see both sides of the coin and it literally every day is a coin flip. I mean, I went to town this morning and it's like, is it going to be a good trip to town or is it going to be a bad trip to town? I don't know. But that's my life and I wouldn't change it for anything. And I. And I hope that the people listening feel the same and that, that this podcast in 2025 has enriched the lives of you. So thank you so much from the neurodivergent Experience team, which includes Ashley, because she sent me a lovely message saying thank you to everyone. And I'm sure she'll thank everyone on her podcast, which is another great thing. The, the addition of Ashley, the addition of the hot topic. Just it. Seeing how much it's grown from just like one episode a week to now, three episodes a week, and who knows where the future lies. And I think that's the most exciting. And it's only been what, about a year and a half?

[Simon Scott]

Like it'll be two years. 1 February since our first episode. Can you believe that?

[Jordan James]

Just under two years. Oh, nice alone, man.

[Simon Scott]

It's crazy, but it's also like so much has. Has happened in that time. Like a ridiculous amount.

[Jordan James]

So should we Divergent Powers?

[Simon Scott]

Should we dare do this? Should we set ourselves a goal?

[Jordan James]

No.

[Simon Scott]

I was like, should we set ourselves a goal?

[Jordan James]

No, no, no.

[Simon Scott]

We. We'll surpr. I. I like to.

[Jordan James]

My goal. My goal is just to keep doing it. I think that, that, that's a goal in itself because it, it isn't the easiest thing in the world, especially when you're PDA and especially when you have a full time job, which we both do, and you've got full time family and full time pets and. But we keep doing it. So that is my goal this year, is just to keep doing it because I love this so much. And it's. It's literally that's the reason we do it. We do it because we love to do it and we do it because we love to help people. So let's hope that's happened this year or last year, whenever, whenever it is in my brain. So once again, thank you very much for spending 2025 with us and we look forward to 2026. Let's hope the Epstein files do what we hope they would do.

[Simon Scott]

We can only hope.

[Jordan James]

We can only hope.

[Simon Scott]

Let's be optimistic.

[Jordan James]

Yay nightly. Bye.

[Simon Scott]

Thanks for tuning in to the neurodivergent Experience. We hope today's episode sparked something for you. Whether it's a new idea, a bit of validation, or just a moment of connection. Remember, new episodes are every week, so be sure to join us for the next one for more conversations and insights, insights into the neurodivergent Experience. If you've enjoyed this podcast, help us grow. You can do that by rating and reviewing this show. Your support makes a huge difference in helping us reach more people who could benefit from these conversations. You can connect with us on social media, find us on Instagram, Facebook. Tick tock. Just search for the neurodivergent experience. Thank you again for listening. And until next time. Next time, take care of yourself. You're not alone in this journey.