Introduction

About the author

Michael Brown is a neurodivergent Social Entrepreneur. He identified a lack of skills around food education in his local community and wanted to change this. Facing financial pressures, socially anxious with mental health issues, Michael also set up the social enterprise as a means of employment. 10 years on, below, he now shares how it all began.

“This blog is a way to express my thoughts as a Reluctant Social Entrepreneur. I never wanted to start a business or employ people. My story, my battles, thoughts and hopefully now a brighter future. A way to express how I've overcame and achieved some success despite adversity. And a way to inspire others so that they can do this too if they so desire.

“I also want to explore how I can pivot and adapt at a later stage in my life. Be open-minded to change in a fast-changing world. Embrace fear, doubt and more adversity. Move away from my own narrow state to free me up for better exploration, study, open to new opportunities and thinking of our current world. New possibilities and meet people along the way. Go down a different path using skills I’ve gained and learn new ones.

“I am neurodivergent; a reluctant professional chef; a qualified lecturer with 30 plus years of teaching experience both abroad and the UK; a Social Entrepreneur with 10 years’ experience and a passion to change something; a father of two children and a husband; a survivor of sexual abuse in childhood; socially anxious, suffered from depression for many years and now a lessened binge eater; lived abroad for five years; homeowner and reluctant dog owner.”

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