Talking Entrepreneurship and ADHD on the “Overcoming Distractions” Podcast
A big part of my growth, both personally and professionally, as of late has been the result of speaking more publicly about mental health.
I’ve become more open in talking about this for two reasons. Firstly, more people are struggling with mental health than ever before, so I feel obligated to do my part to help alleviate some of that struggle. Second, perhaps the most difficult part about not being “neurotypical,” and what is now often referred to as “neurodivergent”or “neurodiverse,” is feeling like you’re alone. I know that I had no shortage of shame about both my ADHD and anxiety in the past.
Now, I’m trying to speak publicly more frequently about the strategies that I’ve used to not only combat ADHD, but actually harness it. I first spoke about this publicly on Faster Than Normal.
That experience, and the reception from that interview, emboldened me to also talk more publicly about the role that anxiety plays in my life. Shortly thereafter, I’m Anxious About, the humorous podcast about anxiety that I run with Allison Green was born. And, if you’ve been following along with my journey, you’ll know that we were actually featured in Forbes Magazine.
I don’t want to live up to the ADHD stereotype of getting too far off topic, so let me share the episode and discuss what host David Greenwood and I chatted about.
In the episode on Overcoming Distractions, we talk about:
My experience in school, and the affect that a particular teacher or subject could have on my approach and learning.
Why I’ve always been drawn to reading and writing.
How creativity intersected with ADHD for me in the past, and how I conceptualize creativity in the now.
Teaching English in Korea, and how travel in general stimulated my brain, and helped lead me down the right path.
Why I always wanted to work for myself, and how I was able to turn my passions into professions.
The importance of loving what you do.
Why persistence has been my secret weapon to success, and the fact that there aren’t shortcuts in this world.
How to cultivate an attitude of patience, gratitude and belief in your entrepreneurial journey.
I want to thank David Greenwood for the important work he does over at Overcoming Distractions. With his work, he helps to underline the fact that ADHD isn’t something to be ashamed of and, though it has its challenges, if we understand how we relate to it, it can actually enable us to succeed, not disable us from succeeding.
