What happens when you spend your entire life trying harder… but still feel like you’re falling behind?

In this episode of the Beyond the Mind podcast, I sit down with Tahir Finley, founder of ADHD Game Plan and creator of the ADHD support app Anchor, for an honest conversation about late-diagnosed ADHD, burnout, nervous system overwhelm, and the invisible emotional labor of trying to function in systems that weren’t built for your brain.

Tahir shares his journey through:

struggling in school despite wanting desperately to succeed
conflicting ADHD diagnoses and medication experiences
military structure, entrepreneurship, burnout, and identity collapse
the emotional reality of feeling like people are slowly “giving up” on you
and ultimately, how he began rebuilding support systems that actually work for ADHD minds

We also talk about:

why ADHD is often misunderstood as laziness
the emotional weight of working memory overload
why traditional productivity tools fail many neurodivergent people
the importance of safe, supportive environments
and how thoughtful design can reduce cognitive overwhelm instead of adding to it

This conversation is deeply human.

Not just about ADHD—
but about what it feels like to keep trying when life feels harder than it “should” be.

And why understanding yourself changes everything.

If you’ve ever struggled with burnout, overwhelm, executive dysfunction, feeling misunderstood, or trying to rebuild your life while carrying invisible challenges…

this episode is for you.

To learn more from Tahir Finley:
https://www.instagram.com/adhdgameplan

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theanchor.todo.app

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchor-daily-to-dos/id6744028228

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In this insightful episode, AnneMarie Anderson, founder of an education consultancy, discusses her mission to match families and students with needed resources, offering school advocacy and tutoring. AnneMarie shares her personal experiences growing up, her challenges with social interactions, and her path to corporate success despite the difficulties presented by small talk and networking. Reflecting on her journey through education, she shares innovative methods to empower neurodiverse students, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, tailor-made educational resources, and developing personal advocacy skills. Delve into her unique approach to fostering student curiosity and self-identification, the intricacies of working within the educational system, and the significance of maintaining joy and agency throughout. Additionally, AnneMarie talks about her published works, 'Brain Sex: A Thinking Person’s Guide to the Sex Ed Book' and 'Thrive Academic Systems Workbook,' highlighting her dedication to comprehensive and inclusive education.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Mission

01:38 Personal Journey in Education

05:31 Challenges of Small Talk and Masking

06:21 Navigating Corporate Life

20:33 Reflections on Neurodiversity and Education

38:33 Navigating Neurotypical Leadership

39:34 The Struggle with Honesty and Directness

40:44 Teaching Self-Advocacy and Privacy

41:53 Challenges in the Education System

44:38 Navigating Invisible Illnesses

48:36 Empowering Students and Parents

56:23 Books and Resources for Advocacy

56:56 Exploring Sexual Education and Values

01:10:34 Parenting and Personal Growth

01:16:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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In this conversation, ADHD coach David Wake breaks down what many people miss:

ADHD isn’t just about focus. It’s about emotion, transitions, shame, sleep, and the invisible effort it takes to do “simple” things — especially when you’ve spent years blaming yourself.

We talk about:

The emotional side of ADHD (including excitement, urgency, and intensity)

Why mornings and sleep are such common pain points

How relationships get strained when ADHD isn’t understood

Why medication can be life-changing — and why it still isn’t the whole picture

What coaching provides that no checklist ever will: safety, insight, accountability, and a new way to make sense of your mind

If you’re ADHD and tired of “just do this” advice that never sticks, this episode offers a more grounded explanation — and a path forward that doesn’t require you to become a different person.

To learn more about David Wake ADHD Coaching, visit https://www.davidwakeadhdcoaching.com

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"What happens when you spend your whole life sensing you’re “different” — but no one gives you the language for why?

In this episode, Marcus shares his journey of being late-identified as high-functioning autistic and ADHD — and the  reality of finding out his family “always knew,” but chose not to tell him.

We talk about the quiet ways neurodivergence can show up when you’re not framed as “a problem,” but you still feel the difference in how you process, relate, and move through the world. And we follow the moment everything changed: a job that wasn’t the right fit, escalating anxiety and depression, and the decision to finally advocate for himself at work — which triggered a formal accommodations process that felt confusing, chaotic, and painfully slow.

Marcus takes us inside what people don’t see:

The emotional toll of navigating HR and invisible systems

Why accommodations can take months (or more) even when they’re legally protected

How to protect yourself with documentation (and why journaling your internal experience matters too)

The power of having the right people in your corner: a supportive doctor, friends, family, and therapy

What it looks like to stop suppressing who you are — and choose self-advocacy instead

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt trapped in a process they don’t understand, trying to function inside systems that weren’t built for their brain or their body.

It’s also a reminder: advocating for yourself isn’t selfish. It’s stabilizing.

Marcus closes with the kind of grounded wisdom that only comes from lived experience — and a vision for what he wants to build next: using what he learned to become the person in someone else’s corner… the one who doesn’t quit on them when they’re ready to quit on themselves.

If you’re navigating diagnosis, accommodations, burnout, or the quiet grief of being misunderstood — this episode will leave you feeling less alone, and more clear on your next step.

To connect with Marcus: [email protected]

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Kalista’s story didn’t start with motherhood.

It started years earlier — with testing out of high school at 13, cycling through bursts of brilliance and burnout, and quietly wondering why consistency always felt just out of reach.

From the outside, she looked capable.
Gifted.
Independent.

But underneath, there was a persistent pattern: overwhelm, exhaustion, and the feeling of “I should be able to handle this.”

It wasn’t until early motherhood that everything intensified.

In Part 2 of her story, we fast forward to life during COVID, pregnancy, and the early months with her daughter — where the invisible weight of executive dysfunction became impossible to ignore.

We talk about:

Why the newborn stage can expose undiagnosed ADHD

The specific kind of overwhelm that feels relentless and bodily — not just “busy”

The shame of struggling with daily tasks that “should” be manageable

How motherhood can amplify executive function gaps

What changed after therapy, diagnosis, and ADHD-informed support

And the power of lowering expectations without lowering self-worth

This episode is especially for new moms who are:

Drowning in the day-to-day details

Wondering why basic routines feel disproportionately hard

Quietly asking, “Why does this seem easier for everyone else?”

Trying to “tough it out” because that’s what motherhood is supposed to look like

Sometimes postpartum struggle isn’t just hormones.
Sometimes it’s years of overcompensating finally catching up.

A diagnosis didn’t fix everything.
But it gave Kalista language, context, and permission:

Permission to ask for help.
Permission to simplify.
Permission to stop trying to function like a robot.

Motherhood didn’t break her.

It revealed what had always been there — and gave her the clarity to finally work with her brain instead of against it.

If you’re in early motherhood and something feels heavier than it should… this conversation might help you see yourself differently.

Not failing.
Not weak.
Not incapable.

Just unsupported in ways that now — finally — make sense.

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When Kalista became a mother, the patterns she’d been managing since childhood became impossible to outrun.

From early academic acceleration to cycles of burnout and “starting over,” her story reflects a common but rarely discussed experience: high-capability women whose undiagnosed ADHD only becomes visible when life demands more than their coping systems can sustain.

In this episode, we explore:

Why achievement can hide executive dysfunction

How grief, transitions, and stress amplify underlying patterns

Why new motherhood is often the tipping point

And how reframing your past changes your future

This conversation isn’t about blame.

It’s about context.

For the mom quietly wondering if there’s something deeper going on — this episode offers language, compassion, and a new lens.

Because sometimes the struggle isn’t that you’re not trying hard enough.

It's that a new chapter requires new structure and tools.

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In this episode, we explore something most leadership conversations miss.

Not just strategy.
Not just performance.
But the human dynamics underneath it all.

I’m joined by Brian Schwartz—coach, mediator, and leadership consultant—as we unpack what actually happens when high-performing individuals step into leadership roles… and why so many struggle in ways they didn’t expect.

We talk about:

The difference between executive leadership and executive functioning
Why neurodiverse thinkers often rise quickly—but face hidden friction
How visionaries and operators misalign inside organizations
Why AI won’t replace the need for human-centered leadership
And what it really means to build teams that feel valued, heard, and effective

This is a conversation about what’s actually driving performance right now—and what leaders need to understand if they want to move forward without losing their teams.

Because the truth is:

You don’t lose people because of the work.
You lose them because they stop feeling seen.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re capable of more but something isn’t clicking…
If you’ve struggled to lead others—or even yourself—through complexity and change…
Or if you’re trying to build something meaningful without losing the human side of it…

This episode is for you.

To connect with Brian Schwartz directly:
Email: [email protected]
Website: brianschwartz.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandanielschwartz/
Instagram: Instagram.com/brian_schwartz_coaching 

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In this episode, I sit down with Nima Yani, founder of myMentalPal, to explore the connection between mental health, discipline, and performance—and how learning to work with your mind can completely shift how you move through life.

Nima shares his journey from growing up in Iran to moving to the U.S. to pursue basketball, and how that experience led him to discover something many of us overlook: you can train your body all day, but if your mind isn’t supported, performance will eventually break down.

We talk about:

•  The relationship between mental health and performance
•  Why discipline isn’t just about willpower 
•  How mindfulness and meditation can be used as practical tools—not just concepts 
•  The gap between learning and actually applying what you learn
•  And how small, consistent shifts can change your trajectory over time 

We also dive into the creation of myMental Pal—a mental training app that blends personal development, habit building, and mindfulness by turning books into guided meditation experiences.

This conversation goes beyond surface-level self-improvement. It’s about understanding how your brain works, how your nervous system responds to stress and change, and how to build habits that actually support you—especially if you’ve struggled with consistency, focus, or follow-through.

We also explore:

•  Why human-led mental health tools still matter in the age of AI 
•  The importance of trauma-informed design
•  And how to create a more sustainable relationship with growth 

If you’re interested in self-development, ADHD, habit formation, mindfulness, mental clarity, or performance optimization, this episode will give you a different way to think about it.

Connect with Nima Yani / My Mental Pal
 Download the app and explore more through: https://mymentalpal.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Beyond the Mind
 00:29 Meet Nima Yani: Founder of My Mental Pal
 02:01 From Iran to the U.S.: Pursuing Basketball Dreams
 03:17 Discovering Meditation Through Performance
 05:10 Small Tweaks, Big Results: Lessons from Sports
 07:06 Discipline and Decision-Making
 11:21 Adapting to a New Country and Culture
 13:04 Building Mental Barriers and Focus
 14:59 Designing for the User: Building My Mental Pal
 18:08 Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Product Design
 22:02 Why Human-Led Teaching Matters in the Age of AI
 24:04 Micro-Learning Through Meditation
 26:07 Building Daily Habits and Consistency
 32:26 Trauma, Boundaries, and Mental Health
 37:08 Book-Based Meditation and Learning
 40:11 Balancing Mind and Body
 43:00 Building a Team and Scaling the Vision
 45:39 How to Get Started with My Mental Pal
 46:48 Closing Thoughts

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In this episode, Katie Berryhill, a professor of astronomy, shares her journey of living with undiagnosed ADHD from childhood through adulthood, finally receiving her diagnosis while pursuing her doctorate in Education. She discusses the challenges she faced in high school and college, the support she received, and how these experiences have shaped her career and teaching methods. Katie's story emphasizes the importance of understanding individual needs beyond academics and the critical role of teachers and support systems in helping students reach their potential. This episode is a must-watch for educators, parents, and anyone interested in ADHD and personalized learning approaches.

Connect with Katie Berryhill via LinkedIn

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Beyond the Mind

00:40 Meet Katie Berryhill: An Astronomy Professor's Journey

01:41 Early Academic Challenges and Achievements

04:04 Struggles with ADHD and Procrastination

12:01 High School Experiences and Educational Gaps

27:54 Separation Anxiety and College Transition

41:13 Struggles with Calculus and a Difficult Professor

45:45 Losing and Regaining a Scholarship

49:39 Support from Professors and Changing Majors

55:07 Discovering ADHD and Its Impact

01:02:38 Innovative Teaching Methods and Student Support

01:12:50 Challenges with Student Engagement

01:18:45 Concluding Thoughts and Appreciation

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Join us as we dive deep into an enlightening conversation with Annie, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and trauma breath coach. In this episode, we explore the intersection of wellness, mental health, and trauma therapy. Annie shares her expertise on how behavior analysis can help understand and modify behaviors to improve daily life. We discuss the importance of self-awareness, the impact of trauma on the nervous system, and how different therapeutic tools can assist individuals in becoming more self-sufficient and achieving their life goals. Whether you're curious about behavior patterns, dealing with anxiety, or interested in trauma-informed approaches, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice.

Annie Chen can be reached at behaviorroots.com and [email protected] 

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

00:39 Understanding Behavior Analysis

03:04 Data Collection Methods in Behavior Analysis

04:40 Challenges and Applications of ABA

08:27 Personal Journey and Trauma-Informed Approach

11:56 Navigating Anxiety and Holistic Health

17:47 Cultural Influences and Personal Upbringing

26:33 Trauma-Informed Practices and Nervous System Readiness

36:27 Understanding Client Readiness and Goal Setting

37:32 Client Reactions and Openness to Change

39:31 Recognizing Trauma Symptoms in Daily Life

42:34 Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Responses

49:31 Behavior Analysis in Relationships

55:01 Personal Growth and Relationship Dynamics

01:03:54 The Role of Breath Work in Healing

01:05:32 Overview of Services and Workshops

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