Introducing
CR9
A room for busy brains who are building something that matters.
Where it all started…
The story of CR9 started around 15 years ago. I wanted to apply for professional registration, but even though I had a decade of engineering experience under my belt, the company wouldn’t support me as I had the wrong degree – astrophysics, not engineering… I wasn’t the only one. A handful of others were in exactly the same position; perfectly capable engineers who didn’t tick the right box on paper.
Until then, I’d mostly blended in and done what I was told, but that was the point I stopped being the compliant employee. I booked CR9 (Conference Room 9), brought a pack of biscuits and waited to see if anyone would show up.
They came. Week after week, we worked through the application together; the forms, personal statements, interview practice. It was the kind of encouragement and support that none of us were getting anywhere else.
Every one of us got through. We got the company process changed, and I became a company representative for the IET, so the next person wouldn’t need to fight for it the way we did.
This group came to a natural end, but the idea of CR9 continued. I kept building rooms for people the system had no space for, and we moved into bigger and bigger rooms as our numbers grew.
There has to be a better way
I see the same thing now. Brilliant people with brilliant ideas, wondering why they can’t seem to do things the way everyone else does.
They’re told to be more disciplined, plan better, stick to a routine, and try harder.
They invest in all the planners, productivity apps, and yet another course promising the system that’ll finally make it click. For a while, it works. Until it doesn’t.
Most productivity advice assumes there’s one right way to work, but I don’t believe that. Busy brains deserve better than spending their lives trying to squeeze themselves into systems that were never built with them in mind. I’d much rather help you discover what works for yours.
This is what CR9 is
It’s not a generic productivity advice space, or somewhere I teach you my systems. You’re invited to CR9 to understand yourself more fully, to experiment with ways of working that fit your brain, and to build your own systems, one experiment at a time.
You don’t do it alone. You’ve got a room full of people who get it without you having to explain yourself first, and me, in there most days, answering questions and cheering on every small win.
What happens inside?
Every week I’ll share a small experiment – an invitation to try something you might never have thought of before. These aren’t about getting it “right”, but about noticing what happens and being curious about how it could work for you.
We’ll also meet for regular Focus Rooms, where you can bring whatever you’re working on and make progress alongside other people who are doing the same. Think of it like gentle structure and company while you get on with whatever you need to be getting on with.
In between, you’ll have somewhere to share what you’re stuck on, think out loud, ask questions, celebrate wins, or share your insights and ideas.
Who is CR9 for?
CR9 is for people with busy brains who are building something that matters. That could be a business, a creative project, or a big idea that’s been sitting in the back of your mind for years.
You don’t need to fit a particular label to fit in here. The experiments we will explore are made with a neurodivergent brain in mind. You are welcome here whether you have a diagnosis or not. If you’re tired of forcing yourself into someone else’s version of success, this could be the place for you.
Founding members
The first version of CR9 started with the intention of helping two people make progress (and one of those was me!). That’s exactly how I want this one to begin.
I’d love to welcome a small group of founding members to help shape what CR9 becomes. People who are curious, open to experimenting, and ready to find a different way of moving forward.
If that sounds like you, pull up a chair. I’ll bring the (virtual) biscuits.
CR9 opens in September with a small group of founding members – the first 10 to join.
As a founding member, you’ll get:
- A new experiment each week, built for how your brain actually works
- Focus Rooms every other week, for company while you get things done
- Me, in there most days
- A supportive community of people who get it
- A growing library of resources and tools; including things built on request, based on what the group needs
£15/month as a founding member, and that price is yours for as long as you’re here.
Hosted in Circle, so everything lives in one place: experiments, conversations, resources and events.
Hi, I’m Kate
Executive Function Specialist & Clinical Hypnotherapist
I help neurodivergent and busy-brained people stop forcing themselves into systems that were never built for them.
CR9 grew out of my own experience of being told no by a system that didn’t have room for me, and deciding to build a room of my own instead. What started as a handful of people supporting each other through one shared goal became something I couldn’t stop doing: creating spaces for people the system had no space for.
That’s what CR9 is. A room built for how your brain actually works, not the other way around.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time does this take?
Everything in CR9 is optional. Take part in as much or as little as fits your week. There’s no minimum, and no one’s tracking who did what.
Do I need a diagnosis to join?
No. CR9 is built with ADHD, autistic, and dyslexic brains in mind, but you’re just as welcome if you’re self-suspected, undiagnosed, or simply know your brain works differently and always has. Busy, overwhelmed, different – however you’d describe it, you don’t need a label to belong here.
What if I miss a week, or a Focus Room?
Nothing happens. There’s no catch-up, no guilt, and no falling behind. Come back to it whenever it suits you.
What if I cancel and want to come back later?
Your founding price is tied to staying subscribed. If you cancel, you’ll rejoin at the current rate rather than your original founding price.
Where does CR9 happen?
CR9 is hosted in Circle, which is a private community platform separate from Instagram or email, so everything (experiments, conversations, resources, Focus Rooms) lives in one place.
There are free iOS and Android apps, or you can access Circle via a web browser.
Are Focus Rooms recorded?
No, Focus Rooms are live only, so you can show up as you are without worrying about being on a recording. If a teaching session runs at some point, that would be recorded and shared, but Focus Rooms themselves stay unrecorded.
How does CR9 fit with Ideas to Impact?
CR9 is the room to figure out what you’re building and get moving on it. I2I is for people who already know their defined thing and are ready to commit to a structured 3-month group programme. Some people move from CR9 into I2I when they’re ready, but you don’t have to as CR9 stands on its own.
Kate Banks
Executive Function Specialist
& Clinical Hypnotherapist
