Embracing Autism with Rachel Lowenstein

Welcome to a brand new episode of the ¿Quién Tú Eres? podcast, where we explore the conflict we often face between "professionalism" & being our authentic selves. This week's guest is Rachel Lowenstein.

Rachel is the Global Head of Inclusive Innovation at Mindshare, leading strategy and innovation for how brands use marketing, media, and technology to reshape society for good. A respected industry thought leader, Rachel has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Unilever and Booking.com. As an autistic woman, Rachel is a content creator on TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram to educate and advocate for neuroinclusion. Rachel has over 90,000 people in her community across platforms because of her unique perspectives as a creative leader who is autistic.

In this eye-opening episode, we dive into Rachel's incredible journey of self-discovery, as she shares how her autism diagnosis became a catalyst for improving her mental well-being and unleashing her creativity in the workplace. Before receiving her diagnosis, Rachel grappled with a challenging concept known as "masking," commonly experienced by autistic individuals. She felt compelled to hide her true traits or behaviors to fit into society's mold of being "neurotypical," leading to feelings of being misunderstood and overstimulated by societal pressures to be constantly available.

However, everything changed after her diagnosis. Armed with the knowledge of her condition, Rachel realized that she wasn't "crazy" for feeling the way she did. This newfound understanding empowered her to embrace her authentic self and unapologetically express her unique qualities. Now, she passionately helps others in the workplace and their daily lives to embrace their true selves, fostering a culture of acceptance and inclusivity.

Follow Rachel: 

#AutisticOutLoud Article: https://custom.gettyimages.com/autistic-out-loud/p/1 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-lowenstein

Instagram: @rachelissan

Follow Pabel on:

Website: https://plurawl.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plurawl/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@plurawl 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plurawl/ 

Keep up with the podcast: 

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/quientueres/message 

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/quientueres/support

Post-production for this episode was provided by CCST, a podcast production company. 

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Rachel is the Global Head of Inclusive Innovation at Mindshare, leading strategy and innovation for how brands use marketing, media, and technology to reshape society for good. Rachel has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Unilever and Booking.com. Recently, Rachel co-created the Impact Index with support from WPP’s Racial Equity Fund, a tool that analyzes the impact of media on marginalized communities and helps brands shift their investments away from harmful content. Additionally, she recently led research on the state of bodily autonomy in the US and the role of the private sector in protecting bodily autonomy rights. She is passionate about the possibilities of media for social impact while considering the ethics of how we use technology.

A respected industry thought leader, Rachel’s insights have been featured in Ad Age, Adweek, The New York Times, Campaign Magazine, and more. She has been personally honored as one of Business Insider’s 35 Under 35, and Advertising Week’s Future is Female award for her creativity in media. Rachel is an esteemed speaker, having been invited to speak at prestigious stages such as the United Nations, Cannes Lions, CES, SXSW, Yale University, and more around the world.

As an autistic woman, Rachel is a content creator on TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram to educate and advocate for neuroinclusion. Rachel has over 90,000 people in her community across platforms because of her unique perspectives as a creative leader who is autistic.

FYI - During the conversation, we also discussed her recent work with Getty Images and Hiki around the #AutisticOutLoud campaign.