Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave interviews Alex Partridge, founder of UNILAD and LAD Bible and host of the ADHD Chatter podcast, to explore how Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) impacts adults and entrepreneurs with ADHD.
The central takeaway from their discussion is that in the absence of context and clarity, the ADHD mind catastrophizes ambiguity, filling in the blanks with the worst-case scenario and severe emotional distress.
They unpack the origins of RSD, the role of early childhood criticism, and how these factors drive people-pleasing, imposter syndrome, and professional burnout.
Key Discussion Points:
Defining RSD in Adults: How Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria extends beyond childhood into busy professionals, driving catastrophic thinking in ambiguous situations.
The Impact of Ambiguity: How unsaid details or minor shifts in behavior trigger a knee-jerk reaction in the ADHD nervous system to expect rejection or disaster.
Alex's Personal Journey: The story behind founding UNILAD, the legal battle over ownership, and how RSD and poor self-esteem led to signing a detrimental partnership agreement.
The 20,000 Extra Rejections: How children with ADHD receive significantly more micro-rejections growing up, shaping adult struggles with burnout and people-pleasing.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: The concept of "out of sight, out of mind" regarding personal achievements, and the strategy of storing tangible evidence of success to build confidence.

The most successful entrepreneurs with ADHD don't rely on willpower, they build systems that support the way their brains naturally work.
Running a small business with ADHD comes with unique strengths and equally unique challenges. Creativity, innovation, and big-picture thinking can fuel incredible success, but staying organized, prioritizing the right work, and following through consistently often require intentional systems.
In this episode, Dave shares the 10 must-haves that have helped countless entrepreneurs and business owners with ADHD reduce overwhelm, improve focus, and spend more time growing their businesses instead of constantly putting out fires.
Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for years, these practical strategies can help you work with your ADHD instead of against it.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
 
In this episode Dave talks about:
Why every business owner needs one trusted system to capture ideas and tasks.
How a weekly "CEO Meeting" with yourself creates clarity and direction.
The importance of identifying your daily revenue-generating priorities.
Simple ways to protect your time with healthier boundaries.
Why financial visibility reduces stress and improves decision-making.
How automation can eliminate repetitive mental load.
The value of accountability through coaching, mentors, or peer groups.
When and why delegation accelerates business growth.
Why scheduling recovery time is essential for long-term success.
How replacing self-criticism with self-compassion leads to better systems and better outcomes.

High performance often masks undiagnosed adult ADHD, leading to burnout in systems designed exclusively for neurotypical minds.
Dave talks with entrepreneur, author, and speaker Meghan French Dunbar about her journey with late-diagnosed ADHD. Despite founding successful ventures like Conscious Company magazine, Meghan spent years masking her struggles, overcompensating as an overachiever, and eventually burning out.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
They discuss the critical turning points that led to her diagnosis, the vital shifts she made to reclaim her life, and how she now manages her ADHD sustainably.
Key Discussion Points:
The Trap of the "Over-Performer": Meghan debunks the stereotype of the hyperactive "problem child" by sharing how her intense hyperfocus on school and sports allowed her ADHD to go unnoticed and unmasked for decades.
The Neurotypical System & Burnout: The business world is built for neurotypical individuals; without the proper support, neurodivergent founders easily fall into chronic stress and identity-consuming work habits.
The "Ideal Life Statement": Inspired by entrepreneur Sharon Rowe, Meghan highlights the power of prioritizing the quality of being over the quantity of doing by setting non-negotiable boundaries around working hours, family, and rest.
Actionable ADHD Management: Key strategies for reclaiming mental health include establishing physical barriers, like removing work email from mobile devices, committing to daily physical movement, and building customized backend AI dashboards to organize and calm a busy mind.

Your week doesn't have to happen to you. You can intentionally design it around what matters most.
For many busy professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners with ADHD, the end of the week can leave you wondering where your time actually went. You were constantly busy, yet your most important priorities may have taken a back seat to interruptions, urgent requests, and other people's agendas.
In this episode, Dave explores how asking yourself a few intentional questions each week can help you strengthen your boundaries, protect your time, and regain a greater sense of control.
Let's create a more focused, purposeful, and rewarding week ahead.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Key discussion points:
Why ADHD professionals often feel busy but not intentional
The difference between living reactively versus proactively
Asking yourself, "Did my week happen to me or because of me?"
Recognizing where you protected—or abandoned—your priorities
Identifying the commitments that should have been a "no"
Strengthening boundaries that protect your time and energy
Breaking the habit of automatically saying "yes"
Discovering where your time quietly slips away
Creating more agency and ownership over your schedule
Visualizing what an exceptionally successful week would actually look like
Simple weekly reflection questions that help you build intentional habits over time

True physical recovery begins only when we stop ignoring the brain's response to chronic pressure and prioritize our own joy.
This is a must listen podcast episode for anyone with adult ADHD experiencing physical symptoms and stress!
Dave sits down with Dr. David Clarke, author of They Can't Find Anything Wrong and president of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms.
Together, they explore the profound connection between high-achieving professionals, ADHD-ish tendencies, and "stress illness." Real, debilitating physical symptoms generated entirely by altered nerve pathways in the brain rather than structural disease.
Dr. Clarke sheds light on the medical blind spot surrounding neuroplastic conditions and reveals how a childhood spent in high-stress "minefields" frequently shapes the overachieving, people-pleasing adult personalities susceptible to burnout.
Ultimately, this insightful conversation highlights how listening to your body's distress signals and intentionally relearning how to pause and play can heal decades of unexplained pain.
Key Discussion Points
Defining Stress Illness: Dr. Clarke clarifies that ailments like migraines, chronic back pain, and GI issues are 100% real, physical conditions triggered by neuroplastic brain pathways rather than localized injury or organ disease.
The Childhood Connection: Many high-achieving adults and individuals with ADHD traits grew up in unpredictable environments where they developed hyper-vigilance and people-pleasing tendencies as survival mechanisms.
The Medical Blind Spot: Standard Western medical training primarily addresses structural issues, leaving both primary care and mental health professionals under-equipped to diagnose brain-generated physical symptoms.
The Necessity of "Finger Paint" Play: High-performers often lose the essential human skill of purposeless play, trapping them on a treadmill of constant achievement until the body protests.
Shifting the Mindset: Healing requires self-respect, acknowledging early life stressors, and taking actionable steps toward recovery through specialized self-assessments and neuroplastic recovery therapies.