Sleep, cognitive exhaustion, and prioritizing rest

Welcome to episode #112! We’re thrilled to be joined by Lou Zoanetti today.

Lou Zoanetti is the CEO and Founder of Brightworks, an early careers consultancy helping organizations attract, develop, and retain emerging talent. With over 15 years in HR and graduate recruitment, Lou bridges the gap between Gen Z professionals and the world of work. In this episode, she opens up about her late ADHD diagnosis, parenting, productivity, and the systems that keep her grounded.

JN: What led you to explore ADHD for yourself?
– Her son’s autism diagnosis made her re-evaluate her own patterns.
– Learned about inattentive ADHD and verbal hyperactivity.
– Realized many long-standing habits matched ADHD traits.

JN: How did it feel receiving the diagnosis?
– A mix of validation and sadness for her younger self.
– Recognized how much effort it took to “hack” her way through school and uni.
– Relief at finally understanding her lifelong struggles.

JN: What coping systems did you use in school and work?
– Constant scaffolding: last-minute sprints, deadlines as motivation.
– Found focus in structured work environments with performance goals.
– Realized later that she was masking exhaustion under discipline.

JN: What has changed since the diagnosis?
– Started ADHD coaching and therapy to manage energy and boundaries.
– Reframed “productivity” to include rest and flexibility.
– Learning to delegate and let go of rigid work hours.

JN: What strengths does ADHD give you?
– High energy, creativity, inclusivity, and innovation.
– Excellent memory for people, faces, and details—helps with business growth.
– Hyperfocus drives rapid learning and strong client relationships.

JN: Tell us about Brightworks and your work.
– Early careers consultancy supporting corporate grad and intern programs.
– Focus on Gen Z readiness, inclusivity, and bridging education-to-employment gaps.
– Works mainly with large organizations, designing onboarding and development strategies.

JN: How is AI changing early career hiring?
– Sees AI reshaping roles and candidate evaluation.
– Cover letters are making a comeback as “proof of humanity.”
– Encourages grads to use AI wisely, not replace their voice with it.

JN: What’s your personal downtime like?
– Walks, cooking, podcasts, and spending time with her kids.
– Finds it difficult to “sit still” but values active relaxation.
– Enjoys Finska with the family when the weather allows.

JN: What productivity strategies help you most?
– Batching meetings, calendar management, and “deep work” days.
– Uses CaveDay for focus and Forest App to block phone use.
– Three-folder email system: To-Do, Waiting On, Read.
– Uses ClickUp for project tracking and deletes tasks that no longer matter.

JN: How do you balance neurodivergence with leadership?
– Open communication and trust within her team.
– Mutual accountability without guilt or over-accommodation.
– Partner relationship built on practical division of strengths.

JN: Any common productivity advice that doesn’t work for you?
– “Eat the frog” doesn’t resonate—prefers breaking large tasks into milestones.
– Big blank tasks trigger procrastination; structure brings calm.
– Uses 10-minute Forest timers to kickstart focus sessions.

JN: What’s your morning and sleep routine like?
– Early riser; loves the quiet 7:30–9 a.m. work block.
– Prioritizes 9 hours of sleep; starts winding down by 8:30 p.m.
– Recognizes cognitive fatigue and the need for deliberate rest.

JN: Final reflections?
– Grateful for awareness and community.
– Encourages others to stop masking, take stock, and live authentically.

Connect with Lou:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louzoanetti/

Website: https://brightworks.net.au/

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy

Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

Connect with Joey:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeycorea/

Newsletter: https://thepluckyjester.com/newsletter/

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