Meet Jake Huffman

We were lucky to catch up with Jake Huffman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jake, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?

I would have to say that a good portion of my empathy comes from my autism diagnosis. The common but erroneous belief when it comes to autism is that individuals with autism lack empathy. This was never the case with me. Sure, I have challenges reading body language of others and appropriately displaying my body language, but I can literally walk into a room and if someone is going through something, I will pick up on that very quickly. I might now be able to correctly communicate with others, but I can definitely “read the room.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I founded the brand Autism On Fire in February 2021 as a way to help break down barriers between individuals with autism and other similar conditions and first responders, specifically fire services. I started out with just a desk lamp, a blank wall, and my iPhone X, and have only grown from there. Now, almost 3 and a half years later, I have made a major impact on the autism and first responders community.

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?

I would have to say that the most impactful qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge include transparency, video production skills, and what I learned in theatre arts in high school. The advice I would give is to find what you love early in life, and don’t ever give up on that passion, even when things get tough.

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

Yes, I am always looking for individuals to collaborate with, I have a podcast coming up late Fall 2024 (the Setting Autism Ablaze podcast), and am looking for individuals to be on the podcast with me. In this podcast, I will be diving into different topics that impact individuals with autism, such as safety at home, school, or work, facing challenges in public, and how first responders can better improve interactions between individuals with autism and first responders.

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