The ADHD Skills Lab

You keep being told ADHD is genetic, but part of you suspects something in your environment is making it worse.

In this next episode of the Research Recap Series Skye and Will (Hacking Your ADHD) discuss research on environmental exposure and ADHD-related behaviors.

Together they explore what the science suggests about how certain chemicals may influence attention, impulsivity, and neurodevelopment. The focus stays on association, not certainty, and what that means in practice.

The conversation also breaks down how to think about risk without spiraling. What matters. What is still unclear. And how to approach this without adding more pressure.

What We Cover

• Why research is shifting toward ADHD symptoms, not just diagnosis
• The possible role of environmental exposure alongside genetics
• What endocrine disruptors do and why they matter for brain development
• How to interpret early-stage research without overreacting
• The gap between scientific findings and everyday decision making

Want more of Will’s work?

Visit HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You keep improving the idea instead of finishing the project.

In Wednesday’s breakdown, we showed why ADHD brains prefer ideation and discount future rewards. Today is about building around that.

This episode gives you three systems. A written decision log. A structured ideation window. And a clear threshold for when changes are allowed.

These systems help you move from “this could be better” to “this is done.”

What We Cover:

• Why ideas expand until you force a stopping point
• The system that turns decisions into something concrete
• How to keep ideation from leaking into execution
• Using future logs to capture ideas without derailment
• Why finishing requires leaving your strongest skill

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Sorry, I Missed This.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/sorryimissedthisPS!theadhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You have a good plan. But your brain keeps pulling you back into new ideas.

Skye and Robbie explain why ADHD brains get stuck in ideation.

This episode connects real-world behavior to research. ADHD brains perform well in divergent thinking. But they also prefer it. And they value immediate rewards over delayed ones.

That combination makes finishing harder than starting.

What We Cover:

• Why ideation becomes a loop instead of a phase
• Research showing ADHD strength in divergent thinking
• The preference for idea generation over refinement
• How reward timing affects execution
• Why finishing feels harder than starting

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Sorry, I Missed This.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/sorryimissedthisPS!theadhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You built something that works. Now you cannot stop working without everything feeling like it might fall apart.

Krista Mashore is a powerhouse in digital coaching. She built a $70M business after leaving real estate at her peak. She is the gold standard for fast execution and high-output growth, and her systems come directly from managing her own ADHD at scale.

We break down what burnout actually looked like behind the scenes. From selling 150+ homes a year to walking away overnight. Krista explains her “stop, snap, switch” framework, how she manages constant mental noise, and why ADHD makes fast decision-making a real advantage.

You will walk away understanding why success does not remove burnout, and what needs to change if you want to keep growing without breaking yourself.

What We Cover

• Why ADHD high performers push past burnout signals
• The moment she walked away from a $1.8M income
• How “stop, snap, switch” interrupts negative thought loops
• Why fast decision-making works with ADHD
• The real cost of building without systems

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Sorry, I Missed This.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/sorryimissedthisPS!theadhdskillslab

Connect with Krista:

YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KristaMashoreCoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristamashore/ DM Krista the word BOT and she will help you find the real constraint in your business.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Description:

Presented by Understood.org

You’re guessing how long things take.

That guess feels reasonable.

It’s just wrong, over and over again.

In the last episode, we broke down why ADHD time blindness happens. This one is about what to do about it.

Because the real problem isn’t planning. It’s relying on estimation at all.

In this episode, Skye and Robert walk through how to replace your internal clock with systems that actually hold up in real work:

• why you can’t “get better” at estimating time
• how to use past projects instead of guessing
• how teams quietly adjust for you (and why that creates tension)
• why buffers and “extra time” don’t work
• how to build timelines that don’t collapse halfway through

If you’re tired of missing deadlines you genuinely thought were realistic, this will show you what’s actually going wrong, and what works instead.

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Sorry, I Missed This.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/sorryimissedthisPS!theadhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You think it’ll take two days.

Your team knows it’s two weeks.

And after a while, they stop saying anything.

In this episode, Skye and Robert break down why ADHD founders consistently underestimate time, not because they’re overconfident or disorganized, but because their perception of time is genuinely off.

They walk through the research behind time blindness and estimation failure, and how this shows up in real businesses:

• why your timelines feel right when you set them
• why your team starts padding estimates (without telling you)
• how this quietly damages trust and reputation
• why this problem gets worse as you scale

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly behind - even when you’re trying to be realistic - this will explain why.

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Sorry, I Missed This.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/sorryimissedthisPS!theadhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You’re funding everything yourself, and it’s quietly slowing your business down.

Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because you’re relying on the most limited resource you have: your own cash and capacity.

Kat Weaver has helped founders raise over $70M and won 22 out of 23 pitch competitions herself. But her approach isn’t about chasing investors, it’s about using the right kind of money at the right time.

In this episode, she breaks down:

• Why self-funding creates a ceiling most founders don’t notice
• The funding options that actually make sense for service-based businesses
• Why grants are one of the most overlooked (and accessible) starting points
• How to think about money as leverage, not pressure or validation
• And how to follow through on applications without getting stuck or avoiding them

If you’ve ever felt maxed out, stuck at the same level, or like growth depends entirely on you pushing harder, this will probably hit.

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

Connect with Kat:

DM the word “GPT” on Instagram to get Kat’s free capital calculator, designed to help founders determine how much to raise and what type of capital is best for their stage: https://www.instagram.com/iamkatweaver/

Apply to work with us: https://powertopitch.com/apply/

Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katweaver

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

We usually think of ADHD as behavioral.

But what if some of the earliest signals weren’t behavioral at all?

In this Research Recap, we break down a large population-based study examining pain-related diagnoses in children before they were diagnosed with ADHD.

Researchers looked at over 700,000 medical records to ask a simple question:

Were children later diagnosed with ADHD already showing higher rates of pain-related medical visits?

The association was clear.

The explanation is not.

No fear-based framing.

No causation claims.

No medical advice.

Just what the data actually shows — and what it doesn’t.

What We Cover

• The design of the study and why pre-diagnosis data matters
• 14% higher abdominal pain and 35% higher limb pain diagnoses before ADHD diagnosis
• The difference between experiencing more pain vs requiring more pain management
• Theories around neurodevelopment, neuroinflammation, and altered pain perception
• Why this raises important questions without changing how ADHD is diagnosed

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Description:

Presented by Understood.org

You approve the direction. Then change everything at the end.

Wednesday’s episode showed why ADHD planning creates late-stage corrections. This episode shows how to stop that pattern.

Skye and Robbie break down a system built around checkpoints, prototypes, and early feedback. The goal is not better briefs. The goal is catching problems when they’re still cheap to fix.

What We Cover:

• Why late feedback is built into ADHD planning
• The 24–48 hour check-in system
• Concept reviews before real execution starts
• Why midpoint sign-off reduces last-minute changes
• How to stop teams from losing confidence

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

The plan made sense in your head. It falls apart when someone else runs it.

This episode looks at research on prospective memory and verbal planning. The findings suggest ADHD impacts how plans are built, not just remembered.

Skye and Robbie explain why this creates a gap between intention and execution. And why teams end up producing something that feels “close, but not right.”

Friday’s episode will focus on systems that reduce this gap.

What We Cover:

• Why ADHD affects plan formation more than recall
• How missing detail changes execution outcomes
• Why feedback often comes too late
• The role of multi-step planning in team success

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You already know what needs to get done.

It’s not a knowledge problem. It’s not a lack of ideas.

But you still don’t start.

Instead, you overthink it, wait to feel ready, or tell yourself you’ll do it later, again.

Eric Zimmer is the creator of The One You Feed, an award-winning podcast with 50M+ downloads and 800+ conversations on behavior change. He is the go-to voice on sustainable habit change, and his work shows what actually works when willpower doesn’t.

In this episode, Eric and Skye break down why that gap between knowing and doing is so common with ADHD, and why trying to “think your way into action” usually makes it worse.

They get into:

• why motivation often shows up after you start, not before
• what’s actually happening when you feel resistance to simple tasks
• how to begin when your brain is telling you “not now”
• and a more realistic way to build momentum without relying on willpower

This isn’t about forcing yourself or waiting to feel motivated.

It’s about understanding why starting feels so hard, and what actually helps you move anyway.

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

Connect with Eric: https://www.oneyoufeed.net/ https://www.instagram.com/one_you_feed/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericzimmer/ https://www.youtube.com/@TheOneYouFeedPod How a Little Becomes a Lot (Book Page)

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You keep setting deadlines and somehow everything still ends up happening at the last minute.

You plan ahead. You move things around. You even set earlier deadlines.

And it still compresses into a final push.

This episode explains why that keeps happening and what to change.

We build on Wednesday’s breakdown of time blindness and show why most deadline strategies fail over time, especially the fake ones you don’t really believe.

Then we walk through how to structure work so urgency shows up earlier, not just at the end.

If your projects keep turning into last minute scrambles, this will give you a way to stop repeating that pattern.

What We Cover:

• Why fake deadlines stop working after a while
• How to create real stakes earlier in a project
• What “no more changes” cutoffs actually do
• How meetings and other people make deadlines feel real

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

Deadlines exist right up until they don’t.

You can see it on the calendar. You know it’s coming. You’ve even thought about it a few times.

Then suddenly it’s urgent and everything else gets dropped while you scramble to catch up.

This episode explains why that keeps happening.

We break down what research shows about ADHD and time perception, and why this isn’t just poor planning. Future time doesn’t create pressure until it’s right in front of you, so you end up relying on last minute urgency just to get started.

If you’ve ever wondered why you only seem to move when things get critical, and why that keeps messing with your business, your team, or your stress levels, this will make that pattern make a lot more sense and set up the systems we’ll build on Friday.

What We Cover:

• Why deadlines don’t create pressure until they are close
• What research says about ADHD and time perception
• Why last minute urgency becomes the default way to work
• The gap between knowing a deadline and actually feeling it

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

Jamie Sea built two seven-figure businesses.

From the outside, everything looked successful. But behind the scenes, the pressure, urgency and burnout were becoming impossible to ignore.

In this episode of ADHD Skills Lab, Skye talks with Jamie Sea, entrepreneur, educator and host of The Jamie Sea Show about the moment she realized the businesses she built no longer fit the life she wanted.

Jamie shares what it was like to feel trapped inside success, how ADHD patterns and nervous system pressure shaped the way she worked, and why she ultimately made the difficult decision to close both companies and start again.

They explore how urgency, identity and internal pressure influence many ADHD entrepreneurs; and how learning to work with the nervous system can change the way we approach work, money and success.

What We Cover

• The moment Jamie realized success was no longer sustainable
• How ADHD urgency and pressure shape entrepreneurship
• Why high-achieving founders often hit burnout
• The role of nervous system awareness in business decisions
• What it actually looked like to close two seven-figure companies and rebuild

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here:

https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

Connect With Jamie Sea

https://thejamiesea.com/

https://instagram.com/jamieseaofficial

https://youtube.com/@jamieseaofficial

https://thejamiesea.com/mind-body-millions

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You know how to do the work. But when a task is actually a project, you have to figure out the steps again every time you come back to it.

On Wednesday we looked at the research behind this problem. ADHD planning challenges often show up when the brain has to manage the structure of a project internally.

This episode looks at the practical solution.

Instead of trying to carry the whole project in your head, many ADHD entrepreneurs externalize the planning layer.

Skye and Robbie explain what that looks like in practice — including tools, capture systems, and support structures that hold the plan so your brain can focus on execution.

What We Cover

- Why projects become inefficient when the plan lives only in your head
- What externalizing executive functioning looks like in practice
- The three components of an ADHD project system: tools, structure, and support
- Why the tool matters less than the habit of capturing work outside your head
- How entrepreneurs separate planning from execution

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here:

https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You can handle individual tasks all day. But the moment something becomes a project, everything slows down.

Research into ADHD executive functioning suggests the difference often comes down to planning demands, not motivation or intelligence.

In this episode, Skye and Robbie break down what these experiments reveal about ADHD and why complex projects require building a sequence before starting. That requirement can create real cognitive friction for many ADHD brains.

On Friday, we’ll look at the practical systems that reduce this planning load and make complex work easier to execute.

What We Cover

• Why ADHD often struggles more with projects than tasks
• What “tower task” planning experiments reveal about ADHD
• Why working memory and inhibition appear most consistently affected
• Why ADHD is a performance issue rather than a knowledge issue
• How planning demands make complex work cognitively inefficient

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here:

https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You make a to-do list.

Then you avoid it all day.

For many ADHD professionals, the problem isn’t motivation, it’s how the workday is structured.

In this conversation, Skye speaks with Kyle Vamvouris, founder of SalesThread and the strategist behind 87 B2B sales teams, about how he actually works.

Instead of rigid productivity systems, Kyle relies on open calendar space, rapid experimentation, and what he calls “sandbox days.”

In the episode, Kyle explains:

• Why most productivity systems collapse after a week
• How empty calendar space can produce better work than tightly scheduled days
• What building dozens of sales teams taught him about focus and decision-making
• Why ADHD curiosity can be a strategic advantage in business
• How AI tools are changing how he experiments and builds companies

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here:

https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

Connect With Kyle:

Kyle just launched SalesThread, an AI-powered deal management platform designed to help sales teams understand why deals win or lose and close with more intention.

You can find him here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylevamvouris
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevamvouris
• SalesThread: https://salesthread.ai

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

Many adults with ADHD feel like they have to repeat the same instructions again and again.

You explain a process to your team, everyone nods, and a week later it feels like no one remembers what they learned.

Earlier this week on ADHD Skills Lab, Skye and Robbie explored research on why ADHD brains often struggle during the encoding stage of learning. When information isn’t encoded properly, it never makes it into long-term memory.

In this episode they focus on what to do about it.

They break down practical systems that help ADHD professionals and teams actually retain information, including practice testing, spaced repetition, and designing learning environments that make it easier for ADHD brains to encode new information.

If you haven’t listened to Wednesday’s research episode, start there first.

What We Cover

• Why repeating instructions rarely fixes ADHD learning problems

• How practice testing improves encoding and recall

• Why one-day training sessions often fail

• How flashcards and recall testing can work inside businesses

• Practical ways to design training that helps ADHD teams remember

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here:

https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

Many adults with ADHD feel like they have a bad memory.

You learn something in a meeting or training session, but a few days later it feels like the information has disappeared.

In this episode of ADHD Skills Lab, Skye and Robbie break down research on memory and ADHD. They explore how information gets encoded into long-term memory and why this stage of learning often breaks down for ADHD brains.

The discussion covers a major meta-analysis on effective learning techniques, research on long-term memory in adults with ADHD, and an experiment comparing retrieval practice with restudying.

In Friday’s episode they’ll explore practical systems that help ADHD professionals and business owners design training and learning systems that actually stick.

What We Cover

• The difference between encoding and retrieving information
• Why ADHD memory problems often start during the learning stage
• Research showing practice testing and spaced learning outperform rereading
• Why verbal learning can be harder for ADHD than visual learning
• What research suggests about medication and learning performance

If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here:

https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Presented by Understood.org

You start a business for freedom.

Then one day you realize the business no longer fits the way your brain works.

Taki Moore is often called the business coach’s favorite business coach. Through his Million Dollar Coach community he has helped thousands of coaches grow their businesses and create more than $1 billion in client results.

Along with that success was something he didn’t fully understand until recently: ADHD.

In this episode of the ADHD Skills Lab, Taki joins Skye Waterson to share the story of discovering his ADHD in his late 40s - and the moment medication made his mind go “library quiet” for the first time in his life.

It’s a side of Taki that most people haven’t heard before.

Together, they explore what happens when a high-performing entrepreneur finally understands how their brain actually works - and what changes when you stop trying to run someone else’s business model and start designing one that fits you.

From creative bursts and energy crashes to the support systems that keep his business running today, this conversation looks at the real relationship between ADHD and entrepreneurship.

What We Cover

• The moment Taki realized ADHD was shaping his work and life
• What changed after his diagnosis in his late 40s
• How he redesigned his business around how his brain works
• The systems and support that keep him focused and productive

If you're enjoying The ADHD Skills Lab, you may also Understood.org's
new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/everyonegetsajuiceboxPS!adhdskillslab

Connect With Taki Moore

• Website: https://takimoore.com
• Million Dollar Coach: https://milliondollarcoach.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakiMoore
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takimoore/

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Many adults with ADHD struggle with tools that seem simple at first but quickly become overwhelming. Dashboards full of icons, systems that require too many clicks, and constantly changing interfaces can quietly drain focus.

In this episode of ADHD Skills Lab, Skye and Robbie explore practical ADHD work systems that reduce visual overload and make digital tools easier to navigate.

Earlier this week, they explored research on object recognition memory in ADHD and why visual systems like software interfaces can create unexpected cognitive load.

This episode focuses on what to do about it.

They walk through practical ways to simplify work systems, stabilize digital environments, and design tools that support ADHD focus instead of constantly disrupting it.

Start with Wednesday’s research episode before this one. This conversation builds directly on the findings discussed there.

What We Cover

• Why constantly changing tools create friction for ADHD brains
• Designing stable digital systems that reduce cognitive load
• How visual clutter quietly drains focus
• Practical ways to simplify your work environment

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Why does a simple software update suddenly make everything feel impossible to use?

In this Research Recap, Skye and Robbie break down a meta-analysis examining object recognition memory in ADHD.

Object recognition memory helps your brain recognize visual information like icons, folders, faces, and layouts. It’s what allows you to quickly identify the right button in a menu or remember where something lives inside a complex interface.

Researchers reviewed 28 studies involving children and adolescents with ADHD to examine whether object recognition memory differs from neurotypical controls.

Skye and Robbie walk through:

• How researchers test object recognition memory
• What the data actually shows about ADHD and visual recognition tasks
• Why visually complex systems like software interfaces can feel cognitively heavier for ADHD brains

No hype.

No miracle cures.

No “just try harder.”

Just what the research shows.

Then tune in on Friday, when Skye and Robbie return to this study and explore how these findings might translate into practical strategies for navigating tools, systems, and visual environments with ADHD.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

When creative work gets hard, most people with ADHD assume something’s wrong.

Wrong idea.

Wrong project.

Wrong career.

In this conversation, Andy J. Pizza (author, illustrator, and host of Creative Pep Talk) breaks down the moment his work completely dried up — and why that crisis forced him to stop winging it and start creating strategically.

We talk about perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, creative droughts, collaboration fights, and the uncomfortable shift from “I hope this works” to “I’m building this on purpose.”

This isn’t about hacks or hustle.

It’s about understanding that hard and bad are not the same thing — and sometimes the difficulty is the point.

• Why “hard” is often a sign of growth, not failure
• The shift from exploratory creativity to strategic authorship
• How perfectionism and RSD quietly stall creative output
• Rebuilding after a six-month career drought
• Why collaboration feels like conflict (and why that’s normal)

Connect with Andy: on his website or follow him on Instagram @andyjpizza

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Business owner with ADHD wanting operational clarity and focus? 
Click here to book a session with Skye.
https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com for a operational clarity session!

More adults with ADHD start businesses than the general population.

But here’s the part nobody talks about:

Research shows ADHD is positively linked to entrepreneurial attitudes and startup behavior…

and negatively linked to post-launch outcomes, performance, and wellbeing.

In this Research Recap, Skye and Robert Waterson break down a 2025 meta-analysis on ADHD and entrepreneurship - exploring why hyperactive types tend to start, why inattentive types may struggle more with scaling, and where the “ADHD is a superpower” narrative falls short.

This episode is about what happens after the excitement of starting.

What we cover:

• The difference between entrepreneurial attitude, startup behavior, and post-launch outcomes
• Why hyperactive ADHD is linked to action (but also burnout)
• Why inattentive ADHD may struggle with scaling and follow-through
• The myth of brute-force hustle
• Where the “ADHD is a superpower” framing conflicts with the data
• Why systems - not motivation - change outcomes

If you’ve ever felt amazing at starting… and exhausted trying to sustain - this one’s for you.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Description

Business owner with ADHD wanting operational clarity and focus? 
Click here to book a session with Skye.
https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com for a operational clarity session!

Why does focus feel like forcing a rusty machine to start… instead of flipping a switch?

In this Research Recap, Skye and Will unpack a randomized placebo-controlled study examining how brain networks behave differently in adults with ADHD.

This episode isn’t about recommending medication.

It’s about something more fundamental: the push-pull relationship between the brain’s default mode network (daydreaming, internal thoughts) and task positive network (focused attention) — and what happens when that switch doesn’t work automatically.

If you’ve ever tried to white-knuckle your way through work, this episode will feel deeply validating.

What we cover:

• Why ADHD brains struggle to “automatically” switch into focus
• What brain scans reveal about default mode vs task networks
• How this study compared medication-naive adults with controls
• What changed in network activity during treatment
• Why brain-difference evidence reduces self-blame

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

You can be successful on paper and still feel stuck.

In this episode, Skye talks with entrepreneur and investor Kassidy Warren about leaving the corporate “safe path,” taking real risks, and the identity shift required to stop playing small. They unpack rejection, procrastination, reinvesting before results, and what it actually means to turn pro — especially with an ADHD brain.

If you’ve built something stable but know you’re capable of more, this one will hit.

What we cover:

• The hidden cost of corporate stability and “golden handcuffs”
• Why procrastination is fear in disguise
• How to handle rejection without shrinking
• The mindset shift from amateur to professional
• Acting before you feel ready — and why waiting keeps you stuck

Business owner with ADHD wanting operational clarity and focus? Click here to book a session with Skye. 

https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com for a operational clarity session!

Connect with Kassidy Warren

Kassidy Warren is the host of the For Your Own Good podcast, where he shares practical, direct conversations about business growth, leadership, and building companies that actually work.

If this episode resonated, you can follow Kassidy and explore more of his work here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kassidy.warren
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KassidyWarren
• For Your Own Good on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1UfWzqSpuL685ReFGnIrgB

He regularly shares insights for operators and founders who want to move from chaos to clarity without fluff or hype.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

“I wasn’t failing. I just wasn’t growing.”

Adam Tasker had the career. The family. Three kids. Responsibility handled.

But privately, he knew he was drifting.

After being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, following his sons’ diagnoses, he began to look at how he was operating. Not just as a father, but as a leader. At home. In business. With himself.

In this conversation, Skye and Adam unpack:

• What actually changes after a late ADHD diagnosis
• How overwhelm escalates and why some days collapse fast
• The identity shift from practitioner to leader in business
• Delegation, emotional regulation, and being the tone-setter at home

They talk through structure, routines, communication, and the tension between flexibility and discipline in a neurodivergent household.

This episode is not about productivity hacks.

It is about responsibility, self-awareness, and learning to lead without burning out or defaulting to shame.

If you are a parent, a founder, or someone who knows you are capable of more than “going through the motions,” this conversation will resonate.

Connect with Adam Tasker, COO of High Performance Father, at https://highperformancefather.com or email him directly at adam@highperformancefather.com for resources and support.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Looking for The Business Visibility Workshop?

Click here for details:

https://unconventionalorganisation.circle.so/checkout/the-business-visibility-workshop-wednesday-feb-18th

You don’t need a formal ADHD diagnosis for ADHD traits to affect your health, finances, or well-being.

In this Research Recap, Skye and Will break down a study on subclinical ADHD - ADHD traits that fall below the diagnostic threshold - and how they impact entrepreneurs and employees.

The findings are confronting.

Across nearly 400 participants, higher ADHD traits were linked to:

• Higher anxiety
• Worse physical health
• Lower happiness
• Lower subjective financial well-being

Even without meeting diagnostic criteria.

Entrepreneurship showed some buffering effects — more autonomy, more novelty, slightly higher life satisfaction.

But it also intensified financial pressure and the self-management demands that ADHD traits can make harder.

In this episode, we unpack:

• What “subclinical ADHD” actually means
• Why “not diagnosed” doesn’t mean “not affected”
• Why entrepreneurs may feel financial strain more intensely
• How work environment fit shapes well-being
• What this research misses about ADHD management in practice

If you’ve ever thought, “Maybe it’s not bad enough to count…”

this conversation may change how you see that.

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

If sales feels heavy, awkward, or mentally exhausting, it’s probably not because you’re bad at it.

It’s more likely because you’ve been trying to sell using advice that relies on pressure, performance, or rigid systems - the exact things that make ADHD brains freeze, overthink, or avoid the conversation altogether.

In this episode, Skye sits down with Wes Schaeffer (The Sales Whisperer) to talk about how to sell in a way that actually feels calm, grounded, and sustainable — without hype, manipulation, or forcing yourself into a persona that doesn’t fit.

This isn’t about “loving sales” or magically becoming confident.

It’s about:

• reducing anxiety around money conversations
• having something to lean on when your confidence dips
• and building just enough structure so sales stops living rent-free in your head

Wes breaks down why money talk feels so uncomfortable, how scripts can reduce stress instead of making you sound robotic, and why avoiding systems usually creates more chaos — not less.

If you’ve ever known you should follow up, talk about pricing, or ask for the sale… and still found yourself procrastinating, this conversation will feel uncomfortably accurate — in a good way.

No hustle. No sleaze. No “just be confident” advice.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why sales feels uncomfortable for ADHD entrepreneurs and what is actually happening underneath that resistance
• How to talk about money and pricing without sounding pushy or rehearsed
• When scripts and systems help ADHD brains and when they make things worse
• A calmer approach to follow-ups that does not rely on pressure or guilt
• How small sales systems reduce burnout, decision fatigue, and avoidance over time

Connect with Wes Schaeffer

• Learn more about Wes and his programs: https://12weekstopeak.com
• Free habit tracker and practical sales resources available on the site
• Text or book time directly via the site

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

A lot of people with ADHD deal with physical symptoms they’ve never talked about - or never thought were connected.

This episode looks at what the research actually shows about ADHD and gut issues, and where the line is between association, speculation, and overreach.

ADHD usually gets framed around focus, motivation, and productivity. But growing research suggests it may also be linked to very real physical symptoms, including gut issues that many people quietly live with.

In this episode, Skye and Will break down a major research review examining the connection between ADHD and IBS - what the data shows (and what it doesn’t), and why this matters for quality of life, not just symptom labels.

No biohacks. No diet rules. Just context, clarity, and what’s worth paying attention to if you’ve ever felt like ADHD affects more than just your brain.

What we cover:

• What this large ADHD + IBS study actually found (and what it didn’t)
• Why IBS showed up - but other gut issues didn’t
• How physical discomfort can quietly compound ADHD overwhelm
• Why this research matters even if you don’t have gut issues

If you want a copy of the paper we discuss, just ask us and we will send it to you.

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

If the word accounting makes your attention disappear, this episode is for you.

Skye sits down with Joe Dunaway - founder of Vici Financial, accountant, business owner, and ADHDer - to talk about why so many ADHD entrepreneurs avoid their numbers, and how to understand them without overcomplicating things or forcing yourself into systems you won’t maintain.

This isn’t about becoming good at accounting.

It’s about knowing enough to make decisions, reduce background stress, and stop guessing about your business.

We cover:

• Why accounting causes shutdown for ADHD brains
• The real cost of avoiding your numbers
• The fastest way finances get messy (and how to stop it)
• How to separate signal from noise in your financials
• When numbers actually become useful instead of overwhelming

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll look at it later” — this conversation will help you finally look, without spiraling.

Connect with Joe:

https://www.vicifinance.com/

Instagram: @vicifinancial

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Looking for the Bottleneck Reset Workshop?

Click here for details:

https://unconventionalorganisation.circle.so/checkout/bottleneck-reset-workshop-wednesday-jan-21st

Kids with ADHD are not just more likely to struggle academically. They are more visible, more misunderstood, and often less liked by peers and teachers.

In this Research Recap, Skye and Will unpack a study on ADHD, social status, and bullying, and talk honestly about what it felt like to stand out in school for reasons you did not choose.

This is not a conversation about extreme bullying or obvious cruelty. It is about the quieter experience many ADHD kids grow up with. Being noticeable. Being different. Being picked last, corrected more often, or feeling out of sync with everyone else.

If school felt harder than it should have, even when you could not explain why, this episode will likely hit close to home.

What we cover:

• Why kids with ADHD are more visible in the classroom, but not for positive reasons
• How peer likability and teacher relationships shape vulnerability over time
• The difference between obvious bullying and subtle social exclusion
• Why being “the noticeable kid” can quietly rewire how school feels emotionally
• What this research helps explain for adults still unpacking their school experience

If you want a copy of the paper we discuss, just ask us and we will send it to you.

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Looking for the Bottleneck Reset Workshop? Click here for details:

https://unconventionalorganisation.circle.so/checkout/bottleneck-reset-workshop-wednesday-jan-21st

Growing a business is hard.

Doing it with ADHD - while raising five kids - can make you feel like your brain is actively working against you.

In this episode, Skye talks with Tiana Sutton, a fitness instructor, community builder, and mother of five, about realizing she had ADHD later in life - not through childhood struggles, but through business, memory issues, and the feeling that she couldn’t keep up with herself anymore.

They talk honestly about working memory falling apart, starting things with energy and losing momentum, learning how to sell without pressure, and what it looks like to keep showing up even when progress feels invisible.

This isn’t a success story or a hustle episode.

It’s a real conversation about understanding your brain after you’re already overwhelmed - and deciding to keep building anyway.

Connect with Tiana

Tiana is the founder and instructor at Bluebird Wellness, where she helps people reconnect with their bodies through movement, community, and care.

Website: https://www.bluebird.life

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluebird.life/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BluebirdWellnessTexas

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Looking for the Bottleneck Reset Workshop? Click here for details:
https://unconventionalorganisation.circle.so/checkout/bottleneck-reset-workshop-wednesday-jan-21st

If you have ADHD, you probably know this pattern. You’re foggy, scattered, or stuck… until a deadline hits. Then suddenly, you’re laser-focused, productive, unstoppable. And afterwards, you’re wrecked.

In this episode, Skye and William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD unpack why hyperfocus feels like the only way to get things done, and why it quietly creates more stress, burnout, and long-term chaos than most people realize. 

Using research on university students, we explore how executive function difficulties change the way ADHD brains access focus, why more ADHD symptoms often lead to more hyperfocus (not less), and why relying on pressure is not a sustainable strategy, even if it looks productive on the surface. 

This episode is for late-diagnosed adults, professionals, and business owners with ADHD who keep asking themselves: 

“Why do I only function when everything’s urgent?” 

“And why does it always cost me afterwards?” 

What we cover:

- Why hyperfocus shows up most when things feel critical or overwhelming 
- How executive function difficulties push ADHD brains into last-minute intensity 
- The difference between intense focus and sustainable focus 
- How hyperfocus borrows energy from your future self 
- What this pattern means for productivity, stress, and burnout long-term

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Ads are overwhelming for a lot of ADHD business owners, not because they are bad at marketing, but because the information is scattered, noisy, and contradictory.

In this episode, Skye talks with ads expert Jeremy Pogue, founder of Summit Acquisition, about how ads actually work at a high level, what they are and are not responsible for, and how to think about them without spiraling into complexity.

This is a grounding conversation designed to help you understand the landscape before you decide anything.

What we cover

• Ads as awareness, not instant results
• Why starting small matters emotionally and financially
• The role of time and patience in ad performance
• Common misunderstandings that create anxiety
• How to tell if ads even belong in your business right now

Connect with Jeremy: Instagram: jeremy_pogue. YouTube: @Jeremy_Pogue

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Video is everywhere, but very little of it is designed with ADHD in mind.

In this Research Recap, Skye and William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD unpack a qualitative study exploring how people with ADHD actually experience video content. From captions to pacing to visual overload, they look at what helps, what hurts, and why one size never fits all.

They also talk about why many ADHD viewers adapt by speeding up videos, multitasking, or using video as background stimulation, and how those habits make a lot more sense once you understand the research.

This is a grounded look at accessibility, attention, and why flexibility matters more than rules when it comes to ADHD and learning.

What we cover

• How ADHD viewers experience video differently
• Why captions help some people and frustrate others
• The impact of pacing and playback speed on focus
• Why redundancy can improve comprehension
• What accessibility really means for ADHD

If you want a copy of the research paper discussed in this episode, DM VIDEO to on Instagram to @unconventionalorganisation and we will send it to you.

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Skye sits down with Carly Braker, founder of Avialan Blue, to talk about building a high tech areospace engineering consultancy while navigating ADHD. Carly shares how she masked symptoms growing up, why the “real world” hit harder, and the adjustments she had to make when deep focus, sensory overwhelm, and impostor feelings collided with entrepreneurship.

What we cover:

• Why gifted kids often miss their own ADHD signs
• The crash that happens when school structure disappears
• The identity shift from employee to founder
• What it took to create stability in a high focus consulting business
• How behaviour mapping helped her create systems that actually work

Curious to see more of Carly’s work? You can find it here: https://www.avialanblue.com/adhdskillslab/

Connect with Carly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlybraker/

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

People love to say ADHD comes with superpowers. The research is more nuanced.

In this Research Recap with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD, Skye and Will examine two papers that look at ADHD strengths in careers. They discuss the themes that appear across 79 studies, the stories from qualitative interviews, and the complicated truth about strengths that can help and hurt depending on context.

What we cover:

• Why creativity and idea linking appear across ADHD career research
• Hyperfocus: strength, liability, or both
• How environment can support or sabotage ADHD strengths
• The emotional side of ADHD achievement before diagnosis
• The role of humor, resilience, and adaptive altruism

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Most people with ADHD have one moment that stops them in their tracks. For Laura, it was finding her childhood journals filled with the word “focus” scribbled in every possible way.

In this conversation, Skye talks with Laura Key, host of the ADHD Aha! podcast, and VP of content at Understood.org. After interviewing more than 120 people about their ADHD stories, Laura shares her own. From finding her childhood journals to understanding how ADHD shaped her leadership, parenting, and emotional load, this is the moment everything starts to make sense.

They talk about late diagnosis, invisible overwhelm, the pressure women carry, and what Laura has learned from listening to so many ADHD journeys. It is warm, thoughtful, and full of the moments that make ADHD adults think, “I have lived this my whole life, I just never had the language for it.”

What we cover:

• The moment ADHD finally comes into focus
• Why so many women overlook their own symptoms for years
• What Laura learned from interviewing 120 ADHD guests
• Why recent research shows women trust ADHD podcasts more than any other medium

Where to Find Laura Key

Connect with Laura and explore her work here:

Instagram:

@understoodorg

LinkedIn:

Understood: https://www.linkedin.com/company/understood

Laura Key: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-key-720b7436/

Podcast:

ADHD Aha: https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/adhd-aha

Research Mentioned in the Episode:

Study on why women trust ADHD podcasts:

https://www.understood.org/en/press-releases/new-study-finds-podcasts-help-women-with-adhd

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Can TikTok actually teach you about ADHD - or is it just feeding you misinformation?

In this Research Recap with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD, Skye dives into a 2022 study analyzing the quality of ADHD content on TikTok. They explore how much of it is accurate, how much is personal storytelling, and why the most relatable content often isn’t the most reliable.

What we cover:

• Why #ADHD is one of TikTok’s biggest health hashtags
• The 3 types of ADHD videos researchers found
• Why “personal experience” and “misinformation” often overlap
• How even healthcare professionals get ADHD content wrong online
• How to spot credible ADHD information before you share it

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this message, including any examples or stories, is for educational and illustrative purposes only. It’s not professional, medical, or financial advice. Every person’s ADHD journey is different, and results will always vary depending on your individual situation, effort, and circumstances.

While we share research-based tools and strategies, we can’t promise specific results or outcomes. Your progress will depend on factors like your goals, consistency, and environment.

Unconventional Organisation and its coaches are not responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content. Always seek guidance from qualified professionals before making significant personal, medical, or business decisions.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

This one’s real, hilarious, and way too relatable.

Skye sits down with Russ Jones, ADHD coach, creator of the Ready, Set, Go framework, and host of the *ADHD Big Brother* podcast, to talk about what it really takes to build momentum when you’re working with an ADHD brain.

They share stories, laugh a lot, and unpack the small mindset shifts that make consistency feel possible, even on the days when motivation disappears. Russ also shares what has changed for him since joining Skye’s coaching program, and the systems that are helping him keep that momentum going.

What we cover:

• How to build momentum when you never feel “ready”
• The “Even Though” mindset for taking small steps that stick
• Why ADHD-friendly systems need humor, not pressure
• What accountability looks like when you hate being told what to do
• How progress really happens inside an ADHD brain

For the free Ready, Set, Go framework, mentioned in the show, visit the link below:

https://www.adhdbigbrother.com/readysetgo

Learn more about Russ, his coaching and his podcast, please visit ADHD Big Brother. To learn more about the ADHDBB membership, see the link here: https://adhdbigbrother.circle.so/adhdbb

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Are ADHD brains more creative, or is that just a myth?

In this Research Recap with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD, Skye breaks down a foundational study on ADHD and creativity, exploring how ADHD brains innovate, imagine, and sometimes overreach.

What we cover:

• How ADHD brains approach creative problem-solving differently
• What “conceptual expansion” means for ADHD thinking
• Why originality and practicality don’t always go hand in hand
• What this research says about collaboration and follow-through
• How ADHD creativity can be a strength when supported by systems

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

The information shared in this message, including any examples or stories, is for educational and illustrative purposes only. It’s not professional, medical, or financial advice. Every person’s ADHD journey is different, and results will always vary depending on your individual situation, effort, and circumstances.

While we share research-based tools and strategies, we can’t promise specific results or outcomes. Your progress will depend on factors like your goals, consistency, and environment.

Unconventional Organisation and its coaches are not responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content. Always seek guidance from qualified professionals before making significant personal, medical, or business decisions.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

ADHD medication can be a controversial topic online. Is it safe? Does it change who you are? What does the science actually say?

In this episode, Skye talks with Dr. Ryan Sultan, psychiatrist, researcher, and founder of Integrative Psychiatry in NYC, about what medication does in the brain and what decades of studies reveal about its effects. This is not medical advice - it’s a clear, evidence-based conversation to help you understand your options.

What we cover:

• How ADHD medication affects dopamine and focus
• The difference between stimulant and non-stimulant medications
• Why safety and addiction concerns often get misunderstood
• How to approach treatment decisions from an informed place
• How to know if your treatment plan needs adjustment
• The role of therapy, structure, and lifestyle alongside medication

Dr. Ryan Sultan, MD is a double board-certified psychiatrist, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia, and the Founder & Medical Director of Integrative Psychiatry in Chelsea, NYC, and Miami, FL. He leads NIH-funded research on ADHD and comorbidities and has published in JAMA, The Journal of Adolescent Health, and JAACAP. Clinically, he works with children and adults navigating conditions like anxiety, depression, and substance use.

Medical Disclaimer:

This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Skye Waterson is not a medical doctor and does not make treatment recommendations.

Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions about diagnosis, medication, or treatment for ADHD or any other condition.

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Ever feel restless in a meeting or line and want to bolt? That’s not impatience, it’s delay aversion.

In this Research Recap with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD, Skye explores new research showing how delay aversion connects boredom, frustration, and inattention in ADHD. Together they dig into how the brain’s reward system makes waiting harder and what you can do to make it easier.

What we cover:

• What delay aversion actually means for ADHD
• Why ADHD brains overvalue instant rewards
• The neuroscience behind frustration and focus
• How boredom fuels distraction and impulsive behavior
• Strategies to make waiting time more productive

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

World-champion habits aren't just for athletes - they're the secret weapon for ADHD executives juggling chaos and big ambitions.

In this episode, Skye chats with James Laughlin, 7-time world champion musician, bestselling author of Habits of High Performers, and host of the top-ranked Lead on Purpose podcast. James shares how he suspected ADHD tendencies and worked with Skye to build systems for focus, while unpacking the 7 core habits from his book that help high achievers cut through distractions and deliver elite results.

From rewiring limiting beliefs to mastering priorities, this episode is packed with actionable tools for ADHD founders chasing sustainable success without burnout.

What we cover:

• Why clarity is the ADHD founder's ultimate starting point (and how to avoid shiny object syndrome)
• Rewiring belief systems that sabotage ambition
• Why high performers say "no" more - and how it frees up deep work
• Motivation multipliers: Dopamine strategies and rewards for starting (not just finishing)
• No-shortcuts strategies for long-term wins

Download James’ Free Success Planner: jjlaughlin.com/planner

About James Laughlin

James Laughlin is a global keynote speaker, mental skills coach to pro athletes, and bestselling author who equips leaders for elite performance. A history-making team captain and trusted mental skills coach to professional athletes, James brings proven tools to the world’s top performers. He also hosts the #1-ranked Lead on Purpose podcast, where he interviews prime ministers, Formula 1 coaches, and best-selling authors to explore the habits behind world-class performance.

Links :

• Purchase a copy of Habits of High Performers here -  www.thehabitbook.com
• Connect with James on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaughlincoaching/
• James' podcast - https://go.pddr.app/LOP
• Follow James on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Can exercise really compete with medication or therapy for managing ADHD symptoms?

In this Research Recap with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD, Skye and Will break down new findings on how exercise supports emotional regulation and anxiety reduction in ADHD, with results that may surprise you.

What we cover:

• Why exercise affects both anxiety and attention
• What happens in the ADHD brain during movement
• How consistency rewires your stress response
• The difference between physical and emotional fatigue
• What researchers still do not know yet

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

AI is redefining work, but for ADHD founders, the question isn’t whether to use it, it’s how.

In this episode, Skye sits down with Ryan Brazzell, entrepreneur, founder of Assistant Launch, and system/AI strategist who helps founders “bend time” using systems and executive support. Ryan has built and scaled multiple 7- and 8-figure companies by applying AI, systems thinking, and radical delegation.

Together they dig into how AI can support ADHD brains - reducing overwhelm, automating decision fatigue, and freeing up mental space - and where the danger lies in turning it into another distraction.

What we cover:

• Why ADHD brains are drawn to AI tools, and when they backfire
• How Ryan uses AI + systems to reclaim focus and execution
• Practical ways to delegate routine tasks to AI without losing control
• The subtle traps of veneer automation vs real system design
• What AI means for the future of work and focus in ADHD entrepreneurs

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Why does time blindness show up so early in life?

Welcome to another episode in our Research Recap series, co-hosted with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD.

In this episode, Skye and Will unpack a study of preschoolers in Hong Kong, showing how time perception, working memory, and delay aversion already affect early academic skills.

What we cover:

• Why ADHD symptoms in preschoolers are hard to spot but still matter
• Why time perception was the newest and most revealing test
• What frustration tasks reveal about emotional regulation
• How working memory predicts later academic success
• How these findings could shape future ADHD support

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Dr. Jacquelyne Read, a chemistry professor and ADHD trailblazer, joins Skye to reveal how she transformed her postdoc struggles into a tenure-track triumph and a top publication award. Discover the actionable systems like breaking down overwhelming tasks and mastering prioritization that helped her thrive in academia's high-pressure world. Perfect for ADHD executives and founders looking to turn their big ideas into real results. 

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - https://unconventionalorganization.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram - @unconventionalorganisation

Visit our website - https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/

Why are women still diagnosed with ADHD years later than men?

Welcome to the next episode in our Research Recaps series, co-hosted with William Curb from Hacking Your ADHD.

In this episode, Skye and Will unpack one of the largest ADHD studies ever conducted, looking at more than 85,000 people in Sweden. The results show women are still being diagnosed almost four years later than men, with serious consequences for mental health and access to support.

What we cover:

• Why Swedish women are diagnosed nearly four years later than men
• How cultural stereotypes about ADHD still affect diagnosis
• The hidden cost of delayed diagnosis, including anxiety and depression
• Why masking makes ADHD harder to spot in women
• What this research means for the future of ADHD awareness and care

Want more of Will’s work? Go check out HackingYourADHD.com or subscribe to his YouTube channel

About ADHD founders for ADHD founders.

Interesting in working together? You can click here to receive a free bottleneck audio session and learn more about what we do. https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/unstuckaudiosession

Diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her PhD, Skye Waterson spent years researching what actually works and writing about it for thousands of founders. The pattern she kept finding: ADHD business owners don't have a focus problem, they have an operations problem, because the whole business runs through their own head. Now she and her husband, former programmer Robert Waterson, work as fractional COOs for those founders. They find the bottleneck, hire the fix, and build the system that holds.

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