Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

How can a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis reshape our understanding of executive leadership and personal success?

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave interviews Carlos Gutierrez, author of Sheer Will: Learning to Lead When There Is No Path. Gutierrez, the 35th U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former CEO of the Kellogg Company, shares his journey of rising through corporate and government ranks before receiving an ADHD diagnosis at age 65.

The conversation highlights how unaddressed executive skill gaps can be balanced by leveraging personal strengths, intuition, and strategic delegation.

Executive Leadership With ADHD

• Leveraging Core Strengths: Gutierrez discusses utilizing macro-level pattern recognition, public speaking, and rapid decision-making while relying on dedicated team members to manage detail-heavy operations and administrative logistics.
• The Role of Self-Awareness: The value of identifying personal blind spots, such as procrastination and impulsivity, to avoid ill-fitting tasks and build complementary teams.
• Channeling Hyperfocus and Drive: How turning high-engagement tasks into sources of deep focus allowed Gutierrez to progress from selling cereal out of a van to leading major organizations.
• Cultivating Optimism and Reframing Failure: Strategies for leaders with ADHD to celebrate achievements, manage internal stress, and project confidence to their teams despite continuous challenges.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

What if everything doesn't actually need your attention right now…but your ADHD brain is making it feel that way?

If you are a business owner with ADHD, busy executive or leader, the challenge isn't knowing how to prioritize; it's that your brain experiences almost everything as urgent simultaneously. In this episode, Dave will explore why immediate demands hijack our focus, the hidden costs of living in perpetual fire-fighting mode, and practical tools to take back control of your workday.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

ADHD and Urgency in the workplace.

• Why ADHD Amplifies Urgency: How time blindness, the pull of immediate stimulation, and emotional discomfort trick your brain into treating every task like a top-priority emergency.
• The High Cost of Urgency Mode: How constant reactivity leads to decision fatigue, endless context switching, burnout, and becoming your company's default "emergency response system."
• Creating Systems Outside Your Brain: Using structured categories to eliminate the fatigue of making repeated prioritization decisions.
• Protecting Uninterrupted Focus: Why block-scheduling, boundary-setting, and pre-defining what truly constitutes a "real emergency" are essential for strategic work.

What if the recurring problems in your career or business aren't a sign that you need to work harder, but a sign that you need a better system?

For busy professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs with ADHD, constantly remembering, rescuing, reorganizing, and starting over can create an "ADHD tax" in time, energy, money, and mental bandwidth.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

In this episode, Dave explores questions to help you:

• Identify where you're paying the ADHD tax in your business.
• Turn recurring problems into simple systems
• Reduce mental load by externalizing information
• Automate, delegate, or eliminate unnecessary work
• Stop relying so heavily on memory
• Find opportunities for a 1% improvement

The goal isn't a perfect system. It's creating a little more ease, control, and space for what matters.

How does ADHD manifest uniquely in women across their lifespan, and why are so many high-achieving professionals being missed or misdiagnosed?

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave talks with Dr. Jolene Brighten, naturopathic endocrinologist, nutrition scientist, and author of "ADHD and Women" to unpack the often-overlooked nuances of neurodivergence in female professionals.

Dr. Brighten shares her insights as a late-diagnosed "AuDHDer," explaining how hormonal shifts, cultural expectations, and internalized hyperactivity create distinct challenges for women in business, health, and daily life.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Dr. Jolene and Dave Discuss:

• The Entrepreneurial Advantage: Why ADHD brains excel at creativity and problem-solving, yet often struggle within rigid corporate structures.
• The Diagnosis Gap: How up to 75% of women reach adulthood undiagnosed, often receiving their diagnosis during perimenopause when changing hormones amplify symptoms.
• Hormones & Executive Function: The impact of fluctuating estrogen and progesterone across the menstrual cycle, including the connection to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
• Masking & Internalized Hyperactivity: Why female ADHD presents as internal restlessness, overthinking, and burnout rather than overt physical hyperactivity.

Find Dr. Brighten on her website: https://drbrighten.com/

Why do high-performing professionals with ADHD so often feel paralyzed by simple or critical tasks, and how can you break through those hidden barriers?

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave welcomes back ADHD coach and author Brendan Mahan to discuss his book Overcoming the Wall of Awful: Why It's Hard to Get Things Done with ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety (and How to Do Them Anyway)

Even top executives, business owners, and driven entrepreneurs struggle with the invisible emotional friction that halts execution. Brendan breaks down how past failures, uncertainty, and fear of rejection stack up like bricks between us and our goals, and provides a practical blueprint for navigating through, over, or around those mental walls.

Meet Brendan Mahan here and find your copy of the book!

www.TheWallofAwful.com

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

What if the biggest productivity problem for adults with ADHD isn't a lack of focus, but not having enough uninterrupted time to focus?

For business owners, entrepreneurs, and busy professionals with adult ADHD, constant interruptions, meetings, emails, messages, and competing priorities can make it nearly impossible to reach the level of focus needed for high-quality work.

In this episode, Dave explains why large blocks of protected time can be one of the most powerful productivity tools available to the ADHD brain. And he offers ways to create them despite the demands of a busy professional life.

The goal isn't to work harder. It's to create the conditions that allow your ADHD brain to do its best work.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave interviews Alex Partridge, founder of UNILAD and LAD Bible and host of the ADHD Chatter podcast, to explore how Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) impacts adults and entrepreneurs with ADHD.

The central takeaway from their discussion is that in the absence of context and clarity, the ADHD mind catastrophizes ambiguity, filling in the blanks with the worst-case scenario and severe emotional distress.

They unpack the origins of RSD, the role of early childhood criticism, and how these factors drive people-pleasing, imposter syndrome, and professional burnout.

Key Discussion Points:

• Defining RSD in Adults: How Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria extends beyond childhood into busy professionals, driving catastrophic thinking in ambiguous situations.
• The Impact of Ambiguity: How unsaid details or minor shifts in behavior trigger a knee-jerk reaction in the ADHD nervous system to expect rejection or disaster.
• Alex's Personal Journey: The story behind founding UNILAD, the legal battle over ownership, and how RSD and poor self-esteem led to signing a detrimental partnership agreement.
• The 20,000 Extra Rejections: How children with ADHD receive significantly more micro-rejections growing up, shaping adult struggles with burnout and people-pleasing.
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: The concept of "out of sight, out of mind" regarding personal achievements, and the strategy of storing tangible evidence of success to build confidence.

The most successful entrepreneurs with ADHD don't rely on willpower, they build systems that support the way their brains naturally work.

Running a small business with ADHD comes with unique strengths and equally unique challenges. Creativity, innovation, and big-picture thinking can fuel incredible success, but staying organized, prioritizing the right work, and following through consistently often require intentional systems.

In this episode, Dave shares the 10 must-haves that have helped countless entrepreneurs and business owners with ADHD reduce overwhelm, improve focus, and spend more time growing their businesses instead of constantly putting out fires.

Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for years, these practical strategies can help you work with your ADHD instead of against it.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

In this episode Dave talks about:

• Why every business owner needs one trusted system to capture ideas and tasks.
• How a weekly "CEO Meeting" with yourself creates clarity and direction.
• The importance of identifying your daily revenue-generating priorities.
• Simple ways to protect your time with healthier boundaries.
• Why financial visibility reduces stress and improves decision-making.
• How automation can eliminate repetitive mental load.
• The value of accountability through coaching, mentors, or peer groups.
• When and why delegation accelerates business growth.
• Why scheduling recovery time is essential for long-term success.
• How replacing self-criticism with self-compassion leads to better systems and better outcomes.

High performance often masks undiagnosed adult ADHD, leading to burnout in systems designed exclusively for neurotypical minds.

Dave talks with entrepreneur, author, and speaker Meghan French Dunbar about her journey with late-diagnosed ADHD. Despite founding successful ventures like Conscious Company magazine, Meghan spent years masking her struggles, overcompensating as an overachiever, and eventually burning out.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

They discuss the critical turning points that led to her diagnosis, the vital shifts she made to reclaim her life, and how she now manages her ADHD sustainably.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Trap of the "Over-Performer": Meghan debunks the stereotype of the hyperactive "problem child" by sharing how her intense hyperfocus on school and sports allowed her ADHD to go unnoticed and unmasked for decades.
• The Neurotypical System & Burnout: The business world is built for neurotypical individuals; without the proper support, neurodivergent founders easily fall into chronic stress and identity-consuming work habits.
• The "Ideal Life Statement": Inspired by entrepreneur Sharon Rowe, Meghan highlights the power of prioritizing the quality of being over the quantity of doing by setting non-negotiable boundaries around working hours, family, and rest.
• Actionable ADHD Management: Key strategies for reclaiming mental health include establishing physical barriers, like removing work email from mobile devices, committing to daily physical movement, and building customized backend AI dashboards to organize and calm a busy mind.

Your week doesn't have to happen to you. You can intentionally design it around what matters most.

For many busy professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners with ADHD, the end of the week can leave you wondering where your time actually went. You were constantly busy, yet your most important priorities may have taken a back seat to interruptions, urgent requests, and other people's agendas.

In this episode, Dave explores how asking yourself a few intentional questions each week can help you strengthen your boundaries, protect your time, and regain a greater sense of control.

Let's create a more focused, purposeful, and rewarding week ahead.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Key discussion points:

• Why ADHD professionals often feel busy but not intentional
• The difference between living reactively versus proactively
• Asking yourself, "Did my week happen to me or because of me?"
• Recognizing where you protected—or abandoned—your priorities
• Identifying the commitments that should have been a "no"
• Strengthening boundaries that protect your time and energy
• Breaking the habit of automatically saying "yes"
• Discovering where your time quietly slips away
• Creating more agency and ownership over your schedule
• Visualizing what an exceptionally successful week would actually look like
• Simple weekly reflection questions that help you build intentional habits over time