work different

Marissa Garza

Dispatches on building supportive systems for brains that don’t follow the rules—because you weren’t meant to. Hosted by Marissa Garza, for creative entrepreneurs who work differently and are finally ready to stop apologizing for it. workdifferent.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 07/17/2025

    what the bear teaches us about running a business when your brain works differently

    🎧 What “The Bear” Teaches Us About Running a Neurodivergent Business Episode of Work DifferentRuntime: ~9 minutesKeywords: trauma-informed business, neurodivergent entrepreneur, The Bear TV show, CPTSD, business systems, nervous system regulation, ADHD entrepreneurship Description: What if your business system didn’t feel like a panic attack waiting to happen?In this solo episode, I unpack the hit TV show The Bear—not just as a chaotic kitchen drama, but as a masterclass in how it feels to run a business when your brain works differently. If you’re neurodivergent, trauma-impacted, or just plain overloaded, this one’s for you. We talk about: CPTSD as a form of neurodivergence (yep, we’re going there) Why “Yes, Chef” is actually a brilliant nervous system regulation tool How scope creep is usually a trauma response Systems as a form of self-care, not just structure What Richie’s transformation teaches us about strengths-based business design Spoiler-lite but emotionally full—this episode is a love letter to everyone trying to lead, create, and survive without burning out. 🔥 Highlights: [00:02:00] Carmy’s trauma isn’t just backstory—it’s a business systems issue [00:04:00] “Yes, Chef” as a co-regulation strategy for high-pressure teams [00:06:00] Why scope creep isn’t laziness—it’s a nervous system coping mechanism [00:07:00] Build your team (or client) user manual: no masking required [00:08:00] What I’ve learned about designing systems that assume bad days 💭 Reflective Prompt: What’s one system you’ve built that actually helps you feel less fried?Drop it in the comments—I wanna know what’s working. 📚 Mentioned: The Bear (FX/Hulu) My earlier podcast episodes on the Whirlwind Podcast Network Get full access to work different at workdifferent.substack.com/subscribe

About

Dispatches on building supportive systems for brains that don’t follow the rules—because you weren’t meant to. Hosted by Marissa Garza, for creative entrepreneurs who work differently and are finally ready to stop apologizing for it. workdifferent.substack.com