Meet Regina McMenomy, Ph.D.

We were lucky to catch up with Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Regina, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes largely from watching my dad work. He was a union carpet installer for most of his life. He didn’t finish high school, he’d enlisted in the army when he was young, and he worked in several trades before he got into the carpet layers union. At the time, moving to that union was a hardship for my parents. He had to take a pay cut to join, having already been working for a few years as a teamster (truck driver). This was when my parents were young, probably in their 20s, and already had all three of my brothers.

I was born almost 20 years after my siblings so I didn’t experience the same times of hardship they experienced. My three brothers were born within five years of each other before my parents turned 25. So they were young parents with lots of young children. They were able to buy a house and move out of San Francisco to the suburbs and provided a good life for my brothers.

The life I experienced growing up was vastly different from my brothers. My dad was a master at his craft, gaining top seniority in his union, and my parents were significantly more financially sound. Both my parents were born in the depression so there was a strong scarcity mindset they both held. We weren’t rich by any standards but we had enough food, a comfortable house, and the ability to live a moderate lifestyle. I was able to take dance, ice skating, and piano lessons through most of my childhood. I have joked regularly that I was given the childhood my mom always wanted but it’s one of those jokes that is funny only because it’s mostly the truth.

My dad worked a lot of often long hours, and would come home tired. The times I remember seeing him the most were around the winter holidays when he often took the bulk of his vacation. (Not a lot of people get new floors at that time of year.) And during our camping vacations during the summer. Several weekends a summer, he would take a Thursday and a Friday off from work and we would go to the redwoods and spend time together. I gained a lot of independence then, learning how to pitch my own tent and how to start a campfire. I didn’t realize then these were the only times of the year when he let himself rest and didn’t really understand that some of my drive to work to exhaustion came from seeing him do much the same.

He passed away when I was 13, six months after he retired from the union. In college when I learned we were “working class” I realized how my father had literally worked himself into his grave, and he traded his physical strength to provide the life I had. Even though I knew this, I still spent most of my life in some state of burnout from taking on too much work and not prioritizing rest.

Although this work ethic helped me succeed and overcome my undiagnosed neurodivergence, learning to rest and care for myself has been the most liberating and important thing I could do for myself. I think he would be happy to know that now I can balance that drive with rest and recuperation.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m Regina McMenomy, and I’m the founder of Divergent Paths Consulting. My journey to this work is both deeply personal and professional. After being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I realized how profoundly our understanding of ourselves can shape our ability to thrive. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, instructional design, and online content creation, I’ve built my career on helping people learn and succeed. Now, through Divergent Paths, I channel that expertise into supporting neurodivergent individuals and workplaces.

Divergent Paths Consulting offers two primary services: one-on-one coaching for late-diagnosed individuals and workplace training to support people with invisible disabilities like ADHD and autism. I’m especially passionate about helping those who’ve spent years masking their true selves and are now ready to embrace their authenticity. This work is exciting because I see firsthand how empowering it is when someone begins to understand and accept who they are—when they finally feel seen and supported.

In addition to coaching, I provide tailored training for businesses that want to create inclusive environments where neurodivergent employees can thrive. Too often, workplace “solutions” focus on conformity rather than genuine inclusion. I aim to shift that perspective, equipping teams and leaders with the tools they need to foster understanding and meaningful change.

As for what’s new, I’m thrilled about expanding my podcast. It’s an extension of the coaching and training work I do, providing a platform for conversations about neurodivergence, unmasking, and living authentically. I’m also working on some new workshops and resources for both individuals and organizations, which I’ll be rolling out early in 2025.

Ultimately, Divergent Paths is about creating space for neurodivergent people to thrive—whether that’s through personal growth, professional success, or simply feeling more at home in their own skin. It’s deeply rewarding work, and I’m honored to walk this Divergent Path alongside others.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My journey has not been straightforward but I don’t regret a single detour or side quest, I found my way to my latest passionate pursuit after several big career transitions. My time in higher education taught me so much about people, helped me hone my empathy, become more adaptable, and to continue learning about things that I love.

Leading with empathy isn’t always easy. A capitalist society wants to drain you of your energy, wants you to conform, and wants everyone to be the same. Teaching for 20 years taught me so much about how to be empathetic, to be curious and ask questions to get to the heart of the conflict or complications my students and colleagues were experiencing. It’s not just about solving problems; it’s about building trust and connection which is a process that takes time. If you’re just starting out, practice listening—like really listening—and asking questions. The more you understand people’s perspectives, the better you can support them.

Adaptability is huge. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned, right? Life throws curveballs, and you have to figure out how to roll with them. Early in my career, I felt teaching was my calling and it was devastating to reach a point where it no longer fulfilled me. Each of my major career transitions took deep courage. Shifting from being in the classroom to instructional design, and now starting Divergent Paths Consulting were huge and scary leaps of faith, The lesson here is don’t be afraid to change course. Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you never saw coming.

And then there’s learning. I’ve always recoiled at the phrase “life long learner.” Isn’t that what we all are? We don’t need to be in school to learn or study or pursue a topic of interest. Staying curious has kept me motivated and growing. Keep exploring, even if it’s outside your usual interests. You never know what new skill or idea might spark something amazing.

Teaching was my calling for so long and the way I thought I’d offer my expertise to my community. Making the shift to starting my own business wasn’t something I thought I’d ever pursue but now that I am here I can’t imagine this journey heading along any other path.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Collaboration is at the heart of Divergent Paths Consulting. I’m always looking to partner with individuals and organizations who are passionate about creating more inclusive and supportive environments for neurodivergent individuals.

I’m particularly interested in collaborating with:

* Businesses looking to enhance their understanding of invisible disabilities and implement training programs that empower their teams to foster inclusivity. Later this year, I am launching a workshop on neurodiverse hiring practices and a broader workshop on building neurodiversity inclusive workplaces.

* Educators and instructional designers seeking to create accessible learning experiences that address diverse needs.

* Podcasters, content creators, and community organizers who want to explore conversations about neurodivergence, representation, and personal growth.

* Advocates and professionals in the ADHD and autism spaces who are excited about raising awareness and driving positive change.

You can reach me through my website, Divergent Paths Consulting <https://www.divergentpathsconsulting.com/>, or email me directly at Regina@divergentpathsconsulting.com. Let’s explore how we can create meaningful change together.

Contact Info:

Me with Aragorn’s sword.

Image Credits
Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. & Divergent Paths Consulting

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