Meet Chris Weakly

We were lucky to catch up with Chris Weakly recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chris , so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

I think my optimism developed from the act of defying everything I was told I wouldn’t do in life. I was told I couldn’t do things from early childhood on. Barely graduating Highschool, I was near the bottom of the list regarding the level of success I would achieve. It wasn’t easy, coming out of highschool I had terrible social skills. It was a double hurdle to try and get over with know one understanding me and me not understanding myself. Even today many parts of the life and world make little sense but I’ve learned that’s okay.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

To start, I’ve shared many parts of my story with close friends. Telling it to such a broad audience in this manner has my self-worth and value as a person being tugged on instantly. I’m the oldest of 7, with a mix of whole, half, and step-siblings. I’m a twin, eleven minutes older, but you’d have to ask if we’re related. My early understanding of things was that my twin had priority. I didn’t understand why, so I began to lean on my imagination. I found early into reading that the words were more picture than text as I read. Stories transformed into whole worlds in my head. They were places where alone was less alone. Home life was terrifying, with multiple divorces, evictions, school changes, and always being afraid. School held just as much fear as home, so I leaned more into the world books held and then began to weave the worlds together in my head. By the time I escaped high school, music had joined my little world fully. I’m a life long metalhead and I know what you’re thinking. Why metal music? I will tell you that the lyrics to many songs said everything I wanted to say. Only I didn’t know how to say it myself. All this time I had no diagnosis of Autism and no understanding of myself. I did what most people and went to college which lasted about 18 months. It just looked too much like high school. At this point I leaned into my creativity. A new Barnes n’ Noble had just opened so I went to the grand opening. For the next several years I went back, reading and learning what I didn’t know about technology and business. I bought many exam prep books and slowly gained some certifications. While this helped get me noticed from employers, I was dismal at interviews and keeping jobs I managed to get. Still undiagnosed, I struggled to figure why. This made dating and then marriage a struggle as well. I remember my wife saying we either talk to the doctor to find out what’s wrong we don’t stay married. That began my multi-year journey to an Asperger’s diagnosis (No longer a diagnosis). I was devastated after leaving the clinic. My only thought was that everyone was right. I’m weird, strange, I don’t fit, there’s something not right about me. All the things I’d heard growing up. I wasn’t sure of the point of going on with life past the age of 32. Everything changed after COVID and being furloughed. I knew finding another job would be a nightmare, so I decided to do something completely different. I attended something called Startup Week. I was completely terrified, but the drive for something different lessened the fear. The event in my head looked more like a first contact situation from Star Trek. I was beaming down from my little world to actually explore this one. By the end of Startup Week, I went from having no idea how to be an entrepreneur to creating the framework my own startup called Logical-A. Why logical-A? I wanted to honor my own diagnosis and make what I do a benefit for anyone who was on the Spectrum, whether someone uses Aspie, Autistic or whatever worked individually. Now on to what I do (more what I hope to do). I will go into companies and teach them what they don’t know about Autism, while bringing my own lived experience into what I teach. The goal is to leave companies with the ability to attract, interview, hire, and retain autistic talent. At 51, I now know who I am and that I can fit here. My mission is to bring a better outcome for autistics as it relates to employment. A nearly 80% unemployment rate is the need and my why.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

When I look back from my childhood forward, my imagination and passion for technology are probably what shaped my direction. The tech industry made it possible (when I was able to gain employment) to bring both of those attributes together. To make it work, I had to learn how to take the concepts in my head and translate them into something understood by those I work with.

I think the best advice I can give other autistics is to see how many different things fork to your special interest that could become fulfilling work. My passion for technology started with reading science fiction. I had no aspiration of writing, but it was the technology in the books that began to become reality that became the fork from my special interest to work.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Right now, I’m looking for collaborations with companies, HR educators, colleges, and government agencies who would like to be better equipped and know how to build a bridge of comprehension in how communication happens between the world and autistics. This isn’t just about the perceived superpower of autism, it’s about the longevity of employment you’d really like to have.

I’m still a very new entrepreneur, and starting a business doesn’t minimize how autism impacts my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.logical-a.com
• Facebook: Chris Weakly
• Linkedin: Chris Weakly
• Twitter: @kryptoglyfics
• Youtube: logicalameetsworld

Image Credits

Ringorang
ICAN2025
Shepherds Way
Wichita Startup Week