Today is World Mental Health Day – and one entrepreneur says supporting vulnerable staff has been key to his success.
鈥淪ome of my best employees are neurodiverse. If you support them, they can work wonders,鈥� said Josh Hough, founder and CEO of .
The Sussex-based tech firm – which ranked third on our HealthTech 50 this year – has grown rapidly since it was founded just over 10 years ago and recently received a major investment from a US private equity firm.
For Hough, that success would not have been possible without neurodiverse staff. One of them is Jess Davies, 31, a sales development representative who lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Davies said her mental health condition gives her an edge at work.
鈥淢y OCD is a mix of perfectionism, ‘just right’ compulsions and contamination fears,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it also makes me incredibly organised. Every piece of intel from a client goes into our CRM. If someone mentions they have a dog or are getting married, I remember. It鈥檚 about making people feel seen and that builds trust.鈥�
Davies鈥� drive has a flipside. At university, she rewrote her dissertation three times. She scored highly but paid for it with exhaustion and sleepless nights. In sales, the pressure to perform can heighten obsessive thoughts. 鈥淔ear of failure still drives me, sometimes too much,鈥� she admits.
Davies said a supportive environment is essential. At CareLineLive, she has access to a mental health first aider, Monicka, who regularly checks in. After a serious flare-up last year, Monicka arranged therapy.
鈥淭here鈥檚 constant feedback and reassurance from my manager,鈥� Davies said. 鈥淥CD can make you feel like you鈥檙e underperforming, even when you鈥檙e doing well. That communication helps me stay grounded.鈥�
Even industry events, once overwhelming, have become manageable. 鈥淏uses are a challenge – confined spaces, no seatbelts and full of germs. Now I travel the day before and I get a full itinerary. If I need to step out or find a quiet space, I can.鈥�
Davies also benefits from working from home, which she said has been transformative. 鈥淚n an office, you鈥檙e exposed to noise, germs and constant scrutiny. At home, I can take a break, reset and no one even notices.鈥�
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The theme of this year鈥檚 Mental Health Day is Overwhelm: When global events and relentless bad news become too much. Hough believes this topic is relevant to all of us.
鈥淎nyone can feel a sense of overwhelm in today鈥檚 society,鈥� said Hough. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just people who are neurodiverse or regarded as vulnerable. But if you look after people and treat them as you鈥檇 like to be treated when you鈥檙e struggling, they reward you.
鈥淛ess is a brilliant example of how strengths often come packaged with challenges. With the right adjustments, people with OCD, autism or anxiety can thrive in tech and sales,鈥� Hough said.
Hough himself was born with a rare genetic condition called Minicore Myopathy and spent much of his early life in a wheelchair.
鈥淢any people didn鈥檛 think I would have a career, let alone run a successful business. I鈥檝e learned from personal experience not to underestimate what people are capable of,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 any message I鈥檇 give on World Mental Health Day, it鈥檚 this: support your staff and they will support you.鈥�
‘Growing up in wheelchair drove me to shake up the care business’