Welcome to the ADHD-ish ™ Blog
If you've ever Googled "why can't I just get my act together" at midnight, you're in the right place.
The ADHD-ish™ Blog is where business strategy meets brain science — written for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are tired of advice that wasn't designed for the way their minds actually work.
Whether you're officially diagnosed or just ADHD-adjacent, this is your no-fluff resource for building a business that works with your brain, not against it.
What You'll Find on the ADHD-ish ™ Blog
Every blog is grounded in 20+ years of clinical experience and real-world business strategy — not toxic positivity and generic productivity hacks.
Browse the blog for episodes, frameworks, and straight-talk insights on focus, decision-making, pricing, boundaries, and everything else nobody warned you about when you started your business.
New to the ADHD-ish Blog? Start anywhere. That's kind of our thing.
Oh, and if you’re more of a listener than a reader, check out the top-rated ADHD-ish™ podcast!
Accountability Through Community: Why Needing Support Isn’t a Weakness
Body doubling, whether through virtual co-working or in-person support, offers a unique way to stay productive by creating a sense of community without the pressure of constant interaction. It’s a method that fosters both accountability and connection, helping individuals—especially those with ADHD or ADHD-ish tendencies—overcome procrastination and distractions, all while working in a comfortable and supportive environment.
ADHD-ish: Embracing Neurodivergence Without the Labels
In this blog post, I am thrilled to share a journey that's been years in the making. For those who've been my ride-or-dies since the launch of the Driven Woman Entrepreneur and this blog, the written version of the podcast, you know it's been four long years. What started amid the chaos of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into a top-rated show that has truly changed lives, including my own.
Rebranding 101: How Jess Mali Mercier Helps Small Business Owners Discover Their Authentic Visual Identity
In January, I knew it was time to rebrand my entire business -podcast, social media accounts, and website, but the process seemed daunting and I just wasn’t making progress on my own. When I connected with graphic designer and rebranding strategist, Jess Malli Mercier, I realized why. There comes a time in the life of your small business when you need to stop using Canva templates and trying to be a designer. For me, that time had come.
Why High Achievers Burn Out: The Four Types of Hidden Resistance
Jane Elliot, PhD is an academic and coach who has a profound understanding of the psychology behind self-sabotage, particularly in highly intelligent and high-achieving individuals. We recently sat down to discuss her insights and the framework she created to identify and address the different types of avoidance that hold them back. I found myself nodding in agreement, recognizing myself and others in the different avoidance styles she described. In this post, I share the four types and some personal insights and reflections on each one.
The Art of Boundaries: Preventing Burnout in Your Creative Business
Many of my clients are independent creatives and they are some of my favorite people to work with. Ashley Lloyd, a multi-talented landscape designer had already experienced success in the high-end fashion industry before reinventing herself and starting her current business. She reached out to me to help her streamline and uncomplicate her offers, and her workflows to burnout-proof her business. This post is about how we did that, and the results we achieved.
Narcissists Partners and ADHD: Avoiding The Trap You Might Not Recognize
Female entrepreneurs with ADHD often possess an intuitive brain that can sense abnormalities in behavior. Essentially, we can make connections and recognize red flags early on. However, persistent self-doubt and the negative messages we've internalized tend to override these instincts. If you ever experienced being shamed for being eager and quick-thinking during your schooling years, this can significantly contribute to negative self-evaluation. The shame from these experiences accumulates, making us question the very instincts meant to protect us. This can render us susceptible to the narcissistic partner’s tricks.
Four Ways Neurodivergent Thinking Boosts Creativity
As a neurodivergent person, I know I think differently, but I haven’t always come to think of myself as creative. In fact, I used to express surprise and confusion as to why two of my three adult children are highly creative, even speculating about recessive genes that “skipped a generation”. But the reality is this, I AM a creative person, I am just not an artist.
Why Working Alone Might Be the Secret to Your Success: Lessons from a Twice-Exceptional Entrepreneur
I love sharing case studies of the amazing women I work with. In this post, my client Robyn Rosenberger, the inspiring founder of Tiny Superheroes is the focus. Robyn’s entrepreneurial journey is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and unique challenges faced by twice-exceptional women navigating the entrepreneurial landscape.
The label twice-exceptional, or 2e, refers to individuals like Robyn and me who have been identified as gifted, and also diagnosed with ADHD. This adds layers of complexity to our entrepreneurial ventures and often means the advice we might receive from others just doesn’t help.
Simplify to Succeed: How Streamlining Your Business Creates Predictable Profit
As a female entrepreneur, I often find myself grappling with the delicate balance between ambition and reality. The latest episode of The Driven Woman Entrepreneur podcast, featuring Racheal Cook focused on the uncomfortable topic of entrepreneurial poverty among female entrepreneurs. There is the hype and there is the reality and one of the things I love about Racheal is her commitment to telling the truth about what it actually takes to be successfully self employed, so more women have an legitimate shot at a sustainable business. Here’s an exploration of the enlightening discussion that covers essential aspects of building a successful, sustainable business while maintaining our well-being.
The ADHD Trap: Breaking Free from Social Media’s FOMO and RSD Triggers
As female entrepreneurs, most of us are juggling a multitude of responsibilities, from managing our businesses to looking after our families. This intense balancing act can be particularly daunting for those of us with ADHD. ADHD is characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which can significantly impact our daily lives and our ability to focus and manage our tasks. Add the uncertainty of entrepreneurship and lack of structure that comes with working from home and distractions multiply.
Why Female Entrepreneurs with ADHD Struggle with Emotions
If you have ADHD, you're no stranger to emotional dysregulation and overwhelm. If you're a female entrepreneur, you know the ups and downs of running a business are a major source of stress. Combine these realities, and the task feels monumental. In my recent conversation with ADHD Women's Wellbeing Coach Kate Moryoussef, we explored how deeply loving and accepting ourselves—especially when we make mistakes—isn't just a lofty ideal; it's a survival strategy. Kate's reminder that treating ourselves with the same nurturing kindness we use when teaching children is transformative. From self-awareness and somatic work to breath work and Emotional Freedom Techniques, these tools help bring our nervous systems under control when triggered. Kate's practice of committing to decisions "no matter what" and extracting lessons from them without shame aligns with my belief that flexibility beats rigid routines. For female entrepreneurs with ADHD, radical self-acceptance and self-compassion aren't optional—they're essential for sustainable success.
ADHD or ADHD-ish? Find out if you need an ADHD diagnosis
As a former psychotherapist who's diagnosed others with ADHD and been diagnosed myself, I want to open up a conversation about who fits under the ADHD umbrella. Getting a formal ADHD diagnosis as an adult woman involves meticulous interviews, forms, symptom checklists, and sometimes full psychological evaluations—if it's even available where you live. The psychiatric community has a gender bias when it comes to ADHD diagnosis. Women are told "you can't have ADHD, you completed a college degree" or "you've made it this far without a diagnosis, why get one now?" One woman was told by a psychiatrist that he "does not believe women can have ADHD." Here's a lesser-known fact: it's not the number or severity of symptoms that determine diagnosis—it's the degree of impairment. Women who've created workarounds and built systems might not meet diagnostic criteria, but they most definitely have ADHD. The term ADHD-ish creates space for those who resonate with ADHD traits but don't have formal diagnosis. It's about being inclusive and acknowledging that we all deserve validation.
Dopamine and Decision-Making: How ADHD Shapes Our Choices
This post was written based on my recent conversation with Cathy Rashidian, my friend, content collaborator and fellow ADHD coach. We noted that many of our choices are driven by forces that seem to be outside our control, but when we apply insight and awareness, we can identify and change our unconscious patterns.
Navigating Boredom: Solutions for Entrepreneurs with ADHD Traits
In this blog post, I want to demystify the ADHD-boredom connection. I'll take you through the reasons behind it from a neurobiological perspective and share actionable strategies and real-life examples for dealing with it from my own experience and those of my clients. When we can manage our boredom more effectively, we can protect our productivity, relationships, and our very businesses.
Reducing Your Burnout Risk as a Female Entrepreneur with ADHD
As a female entrepreneur with ADHD, burnout isn't an unlikely occurance—it's a clear and present danger that can derail both the personal and professional. I recently had an insightful conversation with David Greenwood, author, podcaster and ADHD coach, who shares his lived experience and expert advice on effectively reducing the risk of burnout for brains like ours.
Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Power of ADHD: Transforming Symptoms into Superpowers
If you have ADHD, whether it was discovered in childhood or many years later, you have spent a lot of time trying to manage your symptoms so that they don’t interfere with your success. But, it’s not just about structure, systems, strategies and supports, your mindset also matters. Instead of focusing on your ADHD symptoms, you can try thinking of them as traits and even assets. Let me tell you what I mean by using examples of people close to me.
Mastering the Four Key ADHD Drivers to Propel Your Business Success
Being a entrepreneur with ADHD is undoubtedly challenging, especially when we have to push ourselves to do tasks that may not seem appealing at the moment. To overcome this, we need to understand the four primary drivers that stimulate our ADHD brain: interest, challenge, novelty, and urgency. Let's unpack each of these drivers, discuss examples, and explore how to implement them strategically in your business.
Is ADHD an Entrepreneurship Advantage?
Today, I'd like to delve into a fascinating and controversial question: Do all entrepreneurs have ADHD? This question is particularly relevant for female entrepreneurs, who face a unique set of challenges and opportunities. With increased awareness about ADHD thanks to the Internet and social media, there has also been a surge of misinformation that can lead to confusion or even harm. My aim is to provide clarity and meaningful insights based on my own experiences as a licensed psychotherapist, business coach, and yes, a female entrepreneur with ADHD.
Beyond the Stereotype: Redefining Entrepreneurship for Women with ADHD
I recently had the pleasure of having an in-depth conversation on an area that holds tremendous personal and professional interest to me—ADHD traits and their correlation to success in female entrepreneurship with Dr. Johan Wiklund, professor of entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. Dr Wiklund focus of research and publication as well as teaching is the intersection of entrepreneurship and mental health, with a special emphasis on ADHD, a diagnosis that Dr Wiklund and I share.
Embrace Your Weird: How Being Yourself in Business Wins Clients
I'm always on the lookout for other entrepreneurs and personal brands that stand out in a crowded market. These connections usually result in insightful discussions that not only inspire but also provide practical advice those of us who are still finding our own unique path. I sat down with two of my favorite creative business owners, Annie P Ruggles and Deanna Seymour to see what they had to say about aligning their brand with their quirky, original selves.