Overcoming Distractions

You know we love a good entrepreneurship and ADHD story here at Overcoming Distractions. We can learn a lot from successful people who have built businesses that also have ADHD.

Joe Carlucci owns Valentina’s Pizzeria in Alabama, which is ranked as one of the top pizzerias in the United States.

Not only that, he’s a nine time world pizza champion and a two time Guinness World Record holder among other accomplishments.

And Joe is an adult with ADHD who has built a thriving business.

Joe starts out by discussing his business, how he runs it and how he’s grown to be one of the most successful pizzerias in the country.

He gives us his number one strategy for managing and thriving as an adult with ADHD. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear this.

He discusses the ups and downs of having ADHD as an entrepreneur and he also talks about the concept of ADHD and superpower. Does Joe feel that ADHD is his superpower?

He also discusses some of the challenges as a busy adult with ADHD that other busy professionals can relate to.

He discusses how he manages and mitigates certain challenges.

And Joe gives you what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur with ADHD.

If you’re in Alabama, go visit Joe! https://valentinaspizzeria.com/

Today, Dave sits down with Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright, the co-authors of the new book Unapologetically ADHD.

Nikki Kinzer is an ADHD coach, podcaster, writer, teacher, and business owner, and she has dedicated her life’s work to supporting adults with ADHD.

Pete Wright is a podcaster and co-founder of the TruStory FM Podcast Network. He has spent the last several decades on a personal journey, learning about his relationship with adult ADHD.

They co-host Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast.

Dave discusses with Nikki and Pete why they named the book Unapologetically ADHD and, more importantly, why they incorporated a step-by-step flexible framework as its core.

They discuss some of the key parts of the book. Those include.

• ADHD and all-or-nothing mode.
• Practical tips that everyone with ADHD can apply to gain more control.
• Why controlling what you can as an adult with ADHD is mission critical.
• The perception of time and how that affects planning in other areas of our life.
• Why busy adults with ADHD can burn out faster than others.

You can find Unapologetically ADHD here: https://takecontroladhd.com/adhdbook

One of the challenges many busy adults with ADHD have is that To Do List or choosing an effective task manager…

If you’re like a many busy adults with ADHD, you’ve tried all kinds of ways to keep track of work, projects, tasks and everything at home.

You’ve tried paper, sticky notes, legal pads, and all kinds of apps. Maybe it’s all in your head, and maybe you keep trying to find that app that works for you.

Today we’re going to chat about to do lists…entrepreneurial success with ADHD and more.

Dave talks with Marie Ng, founder of Llama Life, a to-do list…get stuff done, task management app designed for those of us with ADHD. She’s also an entrepreneur with ADHD.

She designed Llama Life with the goal of creating an app for her own personal use. From there, it took off and turned into a business opportunity and a great way for adults with ADHD to get things done.

Marie gives us an overview of how the app works and discusses why it’s truly made for those of us with ADHD.

She talks about growing up, going to school and past career opportunities and the challenges and successes of having ADHD.

Dave and Marie discuss the To Do List, what’s wrong with many of our ways of going about it To Do List and why so many times they’ve become ineffective.

And Marie discusses some great tips for productivity with ADHD, and some of her favored ways that are tried and true to actually get things done.

You can find Llama Life and download it here. https://llamalife.co/

Some of the challenges we as adults with ADHD  are rooted in communication….That can be with co-workers, our boss, clients, family members…and others.

Expectations with clients.

Productive conversations with colleagues.

Asking for accommodations without disclosing

Checking in with a supervisor.

In this episode, we talk about how to have productive conversations and meaningful communication, especially in the workplace.

Chuck Wisner is the president of Wisner Consulting. His client list includes companies such as Google, Rivian, Apple, Tesla, Harvard Business School, Ford, and Chrysler. Chuck was a senior affiliated mediator with the Harvard Mediation Program…. among countless other credentials.

He is the author of “The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact,”

Chuck discusses the many challenges of effective and meaningful communication in the workplace and other professional settings and why some people struggle.

He also discusses whether we have ADHD or not, some of the possible mistakes many people make when trying to communicate with others in the workplace and even at home.

Chuck discusses some of the different types of conversations he outlines in his book, including collaborative and creative conversations. He also discusses how to navigate these different types of conversations in the workplace.

Dave and Chuck discuss how many people with ADHD overcommit themselves, and Chuck has some quick tips about how to commit or decline diplomatically.

Is there a general formula for effective communication?  Chuck answers this too.

Chuck’s book, “The Art of Conscious Conversations,” is now available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite bookstore. Find Chuck at: https://www.chuckwisner.com/

What do you have to do to become a successful entrepreneur with ADHD?

Today we discuss that with Stephanie Mearse, CEO of Empower Hour and Vice President at Desert Capital Management Group.

Stephanie is a busy adult with ADHD and she tells her story on this episode of Overcoming Distractions. She has many professional accomplishments to her credit and talks about how she thrives in an entrepreneurial world with ADHD.

Stephanie also founded Crowned Consulting, where she helps other entrepreneurs thrive. She’s known on the speaking circuit and an author.

Stephanie starts out by giving us a day in the life of a busy entrepreneur with ADHD. She discusses how she attacks each day and stays on track.

She also talks about those must haves that need to be in place in both her professional and personal life to help her continue to thrive.

Stephanie discusses why she finally sought out to get an ADHD diagnosis and how that helped her.

As a serial entrepreneur, Stephanie discusses what her strengths are, why she calls it her superpower, but she also discusses the challenges that come with being an adult with ADHD and how she mitigates those.

And she gives adults with ADHD a road map if you’re an entrepreneur, or you have a demanding job or career.

You can find Stephanie on her website. https://stephaniemearse.com/

We’re back with Nick Stewart sleep coach and author. This is Part 2 and if you need an introduction

In this episode, Nick Stewart gives us essential steps to get back on track with sleep;

Nick talks about proper sleep hygiene. And these include the following.

Sunlight in the morning.

Compensate for no sunlight with lighting products, commonly found on Amazon.

The types of professionals you should consider if you’re having challenges with sleep.

Discipline with bedtimes.

Proper blinds and shading in your bedroom.

Dedicated area for sleep.

The temperature of your room.

Reading habits before bed.

Nick also discusses some of the myths associated with getting a good night’s sleep.

Find Nick Stewart on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Page

Here’s a fact that nobody can argue with. Adults with ADHD can have challenges with sleep.

And sleep is something that comes up in the world of ADHD over and over again. Many adults with ADHD have legitimate challenges getting a good night’s sleep and many of us were the ADHD also need to improve our sleep habits.

One of the big ones is that a lot of you are going to bed at 2:00 AM. Not a great idea…. Just saying…. Unless of course you’re working a third shift.

So today we’re going to try and move the needle in the right direction and understand why sleep is so vital for busy adults with ADHD.

Dave talks with Nick Stewart, Certified Sleep Science Coach and the author of Sleep Fitness-the top ten sleep facts that matter

Nick talks about why quality sleep is so mission critical for anyone with ADHD.

He discusses some of the common and maybe some uncommon reasons why adults with ADHD struggle with sleep.

Dave and nick discuss what happens when we cannot achieve quality sleep such as reduced executive functions, general health concerns, increased stress and anxiety and more.

Nick talks about some of the first things somebody with ADHD should tackle if they are struggling to get a good night’s sleep and sustaining that over time.

Nick talks about why routines are incredibly important in both the morning and night and he shares the one tip for getting started on getting a good night’s sleep.

Stay tuned for Part 2 as Nick discusses more specifics about how you can achieve quality sleep.

Find Nick on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Page

Every single person gets stuck in their lives at one time or another. That could be in their career, their job, or their personal life at home. We all get stuck from time to time.

How do we get unstuck?

This podcast is about getting unstuck. Whether you have ADHD or not, you’ll learn something about it.

Dave’s guest today is Britt Frank, a clinician, speaker and the author of the Science of Stuck and the Getting Unstuck Workbook.

We can get stuck on a decision to do the dishes in our house or making a major career or life decision. Being stuck can show up everywhere.

Britt discusses the science of being stuck which she equates to having the emergency brake on in your car. She also discusses the shame many of us feel when we’re in stuck mode.

Britt also discusses with Dave the following topics.

Procrastination.

Decision fatigue.

Intention gaps.

How to get a micro yes accomplished.

Why boundaries are related to being stuck.

And stay to the end of the discussion because brick gives three steps for anyone to get unstuck.

Find Britt Frank and her book the Science of Stuck here: https://www.scienceofstuck.com/

Out of sight out of mind is probably one of the best descriptions of ADHD. We need important items and reminders in front of us and it needs to capture our attention.

So that’s what we’re going to talk about today: why visual cues for busy adults with ADHD can be a game changer. Many of us have challenges with short-term memory, and visual cues and aids can help us tremendously.

Dave talks with Sara Olsher, the founder of Mighty and Bright, an organization that creates very useful products to help people with visual structure.

Sara talks about founding Mighty and Bright, her personal story and why she decided to build this business.

Dave and Sara discuss visual cues and why they can be highly effective for those of us with different brains. Remember out of sight, out of mind.

They also discuss why from many busy adults with ADHD, important reminders as well as physical items sometimes need to be in our face.

Sara discusses what makes a great visual aid including those around the house.

And Dave and Sara talk about some of the important ways that visual aids can help busy adults with ADHD including task initiation, completing tasks and projects, aiding in our challenges with short term memory as well as reducing overwhelm.

Sara talks about the more popular charts that her business offers and why they are popular.

You can find out more about Sara’s story and her visual aids here: https://mightyandbright.com/

This episode is dedicated to all you moms out there with ADHD.

But guys, don’t hit the stop button because we know you’re going to learn something too from this discussion.

Today we have Anna Burns with Anna Burns Wellness and she works with ADHD moms.

Anna discusses with Dave what it’s like to be in ADHD mom, some of the specific challenges of mothers with ADHD and how ADHD moms out there can make life less stressful and a little more organized.

Anna starts out by describing a day in the life of an ADHD mom. You might relate to some of this!

Anna also talks to Dave about some of the more common challenges a mother with ADHD would face that many of you listening can relate to.

She talks about why it could be common from many women after having children to discover they have ADHD.

How do we organize as a mom with ADHD? Anna discusses the core parts and systems women should focus on.

She also discusses with Dave how to implement more emotional intelligence as a mom with ADHD. Because many people, men and women can have challenges with emotions in different situations.

Anna also walks us through how moms with ADHD can build routines with kids running around the house, extracurricular activities and other responsibilities.

What can be a game changer for women with ADHD? Anna talks about this as well.

Find Anna at: https://annaburnswellness.com/