Lauren Petrullo, a former Disney Innovation Catalyst turned social commerce specialist, shares her journey navigating ADHD and neurodiversity. Diagnosed at a young age, she discusses the challenges of balancing academics, sports, and medication. She offers insights into her entrepreneurial ventures, including her inclusive beauty brand, and the importance of personal coping strategies. Lauren also humorously addresses screen time management and her passion for language learning, showcasing her vibrant, multifaceted life.
The episode emphasizes the importance of personalized coping strategies and emotional support for individuals navigating ADHD within the educational system.
It also explores the evolving societal perceptions of ADHD medication, highlighting both its commercialization and the potential trivialization of genuine struggles.
Deep dives
Understanding ADHD and the Education System
The episode highlights the experiences of individuals diagnosed with ADHD, with the guest discussing her early diagnosis and the expectations set by the education system. It reveals how the school environment often pressures students with ADHD to conform through medication, creating a sense of inadequacy when they fail to fit the mold. The guest contrasts her own experience with that of her brother, who faced more significant challenges, emphasizing the varying severity of ADHD among individuals. This illustrates how educational institutions frequently overlook the unique abilities of students with ADHD, leading to a lack of appropriate challenges and support.
Coping Strategies and Personal Identity
The importance of coping strategies in managing ADHD is explored, particularly how the guest's family supported her in navigating her identity amidst societal expectations. The conversation touches on various techniques learned at home to cope with the challenges of ADHD, such as developing time management skills and understanding personal needs. This personalized approach highlights a critical theme: the necessity of emotional support and open communication within families regarding mental health. The guest also shares how she found fulfillment in improvisation and self-expression, promoting the idea that one's identity should not be confined by labels.
The Shifting Perception of ADHD in Society
The discussion transitions to the evolving perceptions of ADHD in society, where medication that was once stigmatized is now viewed almost as a performance enhancer among college students. The guest reflects on how ADHD medication has been commercialized, leading to a trivialization of genuine struggles faced by individuals on the spectrum. This societal shift is presented as both positive and negative, with the guest expressing concern that some individuals may exploit the label for undue advantages. The conversation emphasizes the need for a balanced understanding of neurodiversity, recognizing both the challenges and strengths associated with ADHD.
Embracing Diversity in Professional Endeavors
The episode concludes with insights into the guest's multifaceted professional life, where she successfully manages multiple companies and projects. Her approach emphasizes the importance of collaboration and delegation, allowing her to leverage her ADHD strengths while minimizing distractions. The discussion highlights how different aspects of her work feed into each other, demonstrating the interconnectedness of her ventures in marketing and e-commerce. By embracing her neurodiversity, the guest cultivates a unique work environment that values innovation, creativity, and the diverse skill sets of her team.
Welcome to episode #44 We’re thrilled to be joined by Lauren Petrullo today!
Lauren is a former Disney Innovation Catalyst, now turned social commerce specialist, and multi-founder. She is a 33 year-old, self-made CEO who specializes in marketing, eCommerce and loves to disrupt. She has found new ways to blaze the trail in remote workplaces, as well as being the proud founder of the most INCLUSIVE beauty brand online. All while promoting clean drinking water initiatives overseas! From speaking fluent Italian, learning 3 Asian languages simultaneously, and just finished her first improv class, she's all over the map...in a great way.
Welcome to the show Lauren!
Questions
Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? What challenges did you face? What is it like now?
Diagnosed at 9 years of age along with younger brother
Would finish schoolwork very quickly and then want to
The school highly recommended Ritalin/Adderal
Medication had some negative side effects - mood, and reaction time in sports - so
Her parents helped her develop other behavioral coping mechanisms
Don’t sit up the front where distraction is obvious
Don’t stand up as much
Always had lots of energy - other people find it hard to keep up
High school/college was a bit better
Skipped year level
More challenges from both sports and academics
Other students wanted access to ADHD meds to help with study
What "work" projects are you concentrating on?
Owns multiple businesses
Digital marketing agency: Mongoose Media (30 people)
Asian Beauty Essentials (products from Japan, and Korea)
Able to implement ideas from
Co-founder:
Swimsuit brand
Matcha
How about the rest of the time? What do you enjoy doing in your off time?
Three languages: Japanese, Korean, Mandarin
Talk to me in Korean - create an audio textbook
In-person classes ($5/hr)
Duolingo
iTalki - tutors to help
Sport
Competitive dragon-boating
Fencing
Zumba
Yoga
What does your morning routine look like and how has it evolved over time?
Protein drink/matcha
15 minutes of Duolingo
15 minutes of Kpop dancing in the morning
What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours?
Claire/Irish control the calendar
Says yes to too many things
Culture building: gather.town - water check
Change do not disturb settings
Focus station in virtual office: Proceed
Delegate a lot
Delegated email
Slack
Moved task comms to ClickUp
Project management tool: ClickUp
Use the time tracker feature
Forest timer
COMMERCIAL BREAK
What is one habit you'd like to remove from your life (either a bad habit or one that takes up too much time)?
Hitting play next on Netflix
How do you switch off at night?
Put the phone in another room
Wear earrings when working/take them off when not working
What resources (books, philosophies, apps, sensory toys) do you find most helpful for productivity and habit formation?
Apps
Forest
ClickUp
Books
Libby: 3x playback for audiobooks
Sci-Fi
“Where the deer and antelope play”
“Hundred million leads”
Where can people connect with you or find your work?
LaurenEPetrullo on all socials
MongooseMedia.US
Do you have any final words or asks for our audience?