In this week’s episode of Finding Forward, Host Karen Cannon sits down with Sian Smith — a non-fiction book editor, proofreader, and recently diagnosed ADHD woman — to talk honestly about late diagnosis, overwhelm, and the reality of navigating work and life as a neurodivergent adult.

Sian shares the subtle signs she ignored, the emotional toll of masking, the pressure to keep everything together, and why so many women are diagnosed with ADHD in midlife. She also explains how neurodivergence shows up in her work as an editor, the strategies that actually help her focus, and the misconceptions she’s determined to challenge.

We dive into:

• What ADHD really looks like in women
• The pressure to mask and “hold it all together”
• How ADHD shows up in creative work like editing and writing
• Practical strategies Sian uses to manage focus and burnout
• Advice for writers who feel stuck, messy, or scattered
• The importance of telling women’s stories honestly and without shame

This conversation is real, grounded, and incredibly validating — especially for women who feel they’re “not coping” and don’t know why.

You can connect with Sian on Instagram here and here.

Visit Sian's Substack here.

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