SUSTAINABLE
HIGH PERFORMANCE
without the INAUTHENTICITY TAX.
Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, and creator of the S.T.E.P. Framework™, helping forward-thinking leaders and ERGs build environments where diverse talent can drop the mask, stop the burnout and thrive.
57% of workers
Reported that they are neither engaged nor thriving at work.
Source: Gallup
85% of remote workers
Reported experiencing high levels of exhaustion.
Source: Tiny Pulse
77% of workers
Reported that work-related stress has negatively impacted their mental health.
Source: Institute of Stress
44% of workers
Reported an increase in burnout since the pandemic.
Source: Glassdoor
Success has never been more demanding. Hiding has never been more exhausting.
Burnout isn't just a wellness problem. It’s a performance problem. And it’s a leadership issue.
In modern boardrooms, diverse and neurodivergent talent spends up to 50% of their cognitive energy managing the comfort of neurotypical leaders.
They mask their true capacity because they are terrified that asking for what they need will look like a weakness.
This is the Inauthenticity Tax — and it’s costing your organisation its focus, retention, and best ideas.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Tony often creates bespoke offers based on client needs.
EXPLORE WHAT TONY OFFERS
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Designed to shift paradigms and challenge outdated corporate norms, my 45-to-60-minute keynotes are high-energy, lived-experience sessions that tackle the "Inauthenticity Tax" head-on. By blending behavioural science with authentic storytelling, I help audiences understand the true cost of masking and introduce the S.T.E.P. Framework™ as a tool for sustainable, high-performance change.
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These highly interactive, half-day sessions are capped at 50 participants to ensure deep engagement and psychological safety. Moving beyond the theory of a keynote, we work hands-on to teach leaders, teams, and ERG members how to actively set biological boundaries, deploy "Pac-Man" language, and build environments where everyone feels safe to drop the mask and contribute fully.
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Perfect for global teams or monthly ERG network meetings, these focused 45-minute sessions deliver high-impact, actionable takeaways without requiring a full-day commitment. Whether we are discussing how to normalise "Coffee Days" or the mechanics of threat prediction in the boardroom, these accessible sessions provide a rapid injection of clarity and sustainable capacity to your workforce.
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This is bespoke, 1:1 strategic support for high-potential neurodivergent leaders or executives who are ready to unmask. Over a 6-month engagement, we work together in a strictly confidential space to optimise your cognitive energy, decouple your self-worth from external expectations, and develop personalised frameworks to achieve elite performance without the burnout.
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Awareness is a great start, but true transformation requires systemic change. I work directly with HR, DE&I leadership, and Executive Sponsors on a day-rate basis to embed the S.T.E.P. Framework™ directly into your company’s DNA. This is hands-on, strategic advising designed to rebuild your corporate operating system so it actively catches and supports diverse talent.
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For organisations serious about complete cultural transformation, this 12-month comprehensive package overhauls your approach to human capacity. It combines quarterly keynotes, monthly leadership workshops, and full IP licensing, ensuring that the shift toward sustainable high-performance and psychological safety becomes a permanent fixture of your company culture.
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To ensure the transformation lasts long after I leave the stage, I provide scalable digital assets for your internal teams. From providing annual licences for the S.T.E.P. Framework™, to custom-recorded internal videos, workbooks, and access to a private Video Vault of my back-catalogue, these tools empower your people to sustain the momentum on their own terms.
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Whether joining an industry panel, hosting a fireside chat, or featuring as a guest on public and internal corporate podcasts, I bring real talk, lived experience, and my "Coffee Over Quotes" philosophy to the conversation. These appearances are designed to champion neurodiversity, challenge the status quo, and spark meaningful dialogue across broader audiences.
"The fear of being seen is always worse than the reality of being known. When the mask drops, the energy used to maintain it is redirected toward radical problem-solving. When the mask drops, the performance begins." — Tony Addison
Keynotes
MOST REQUESTED
The Secret to Sustainable High-Performance and Psychological Safety
Success today demands more than just effort. It requires focus, cognitive energy, and environments where people actually feel safe enough to bring their best ideas to the table.
But right now, your diverse and neurodivergent talent is exhausted.
They are spending up to 50% of their brainpower managing the comfort of neurotypical leaders.
They are hiding their true capacity behind invisible potted plants, terrified that asking for what they need will look like a weakness.
They are paying the Inauthenticity Tax, and it is costing your organisation its retention, its innovation, and its future.
Get My 4-Part
S.T.E.P. FORWARD GUIDE
Drop the Mask. Stop the Burnout. Thrive.
MEET TONY
For 27 years, Tony paid a tax he never agreed to. He hid his physical difference - missing fingers and a thumb - behind what he jokingly calls his “1992 Ninja Turtle skills,” draining his own cognitive energy just to make the corporate world feel comfortable.
But when he realised that his lifelong habit of masking was silently giving his autistic and ADHD son, Noah, permission to hide his neurological differences too, everything changed.
Today, Tony is a Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, and Sustainable High-Performance Strategist.
He travels the world helping Disability & Neurodiversity ERGs, leaders, and organisations abolish the "Inauthenticity Tax," drop the social mask, and build environments designed to catch their people.
Fast Facts
Lived Experience: 27 years of masking and repealing the Inauthenticity Tax.
The Framework: Creator of the S.T.E.P. Framework™ for Sustainable High-Performance.
The Mission: Empowering ERGs and diverse talent to build biological boundaries.
The Basecamp: Located on the beautiful North-East coast in Whitley Bay, but travels globally.
The Fuel: Powered entirely by strategic recovery, coastal walks, and coffee!
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Tony partners with organisations to deliver Signature Keynotes (Live and Virtual), Deep-Dive Workshops, and Executive Coaching. He also offers Organisational Consulting for HR and DE&I leaders looking to systemise Psychological Safety and embed the S.T.E.P. Framework™ directly into their company culture.
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Tony doesn't deliver "fluffy motivation" or toxic, 365-day "resilience" lectures. He brings a rare blend of lived experience (27 years of masking a physical difference), behavioural science, and actionable frameworks. Audiences don't just leave inspired; they leave armed with the "Pac-Man language" - a shared vocabulary to set biological boundaries, remove the "Inauthenticity Tax," and sustain high performance without burning out.
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While Tony is deeply passionate about empowering Disability and Neurodiversity Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), his message is for the entire organisation. His keynotes and the S.T.E.P. Framework™ are actively used by C-suite executives, global sales teams, and HR leaders to shift cultures from "Know-it-All" to "Learn-it-All" environments, benefiting every employee.
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Tony believes in honesty, integrity, and making a difference where it matters most. For that reason, his pricing is transparently tiered. He offers a Standard Corporate Rate for enterprise budgets, and a dedicated, subsidised rate for ERGs and Non-Profits to ensure budget isn't a barrier to the communities that need this message most. Please reach out for a copy of the current Partnership & Investment Guide.
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Yes. While Tony is based on the beautiful North-East coast of England in Whitley Bay, he regularly travels globally to deliver keynotes and facilitate workshops for clients.
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Getting started is simple and stress-free:
Reach Out: Send an enquiry through the Contact Form or email directly at: tony@tonyaddison.com
The Discovery Call: We’ll schedule a brief, no-pressure chat to discuss your audience, your goals, and which partnership model best fits your culture and budget.
The Event: Tony customises the session for your team, shows up early, delivers 100% engagement, and leaves your audience equipped to thrive.
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You can reach Tony directly via email at: tony@tonyaddison.com, connect with him on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/tony-addison), or simply fill out the short form on the Contact page of this website.