Career tips and starting a business with ADHD. Plus ADHD and PTSD (Phoebe Gavin’s story)
Jul 9, 2024
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Leadership and career coach Phoebe Gavin shares her journey of starting a business with ADHD. She discusses her military service, fashion school, and tips for navigating ADHD and PTSD. Phoebe emphasizes the importance of support and empowering others with ADHD.
Career change driven by boredom in ADHD individuals
Importance of embracing community support for ADHD challenges
Creative outlets aid in managing ADHD symptoms
Deep dives
Phoebe's ADHD Diagnosis Story and Coping Mechanisms
Phoebe shares her ADHD diagnosis story, diagnosed at a young age due to behavioral issues at school. Her coping mechanisms, developed over 30 years, helped her navigate challenges associated with ADHD, including struggling with sitting still, interrupting others, and speaking quickly. Phoebe's mother's proactive approach, connecting with support networks like CHADD, offered valuable perspectives and a sense of community throughout her journey.
Transitioning Off Medication and Challenges in Middle School
Phoebe discusses her decision to go off medication at 15 to join the military for college funds, highlighting the impact of ADHD symptoms in middle school, exacerbated by race-based bullying. She reflects on challenges with academics and behavior, considering whether they were linked to ADD or the trauma of bullying, showcasing how early experiences shaped her coping strategies.
Navigating Adulthood, College, and Mental Health Challenges
Phoebe delves into her transition to college post-military deployment, sharing experiences with mental health struggles alongside ADHD. Balancing various life transitions and unresolved trauma, she underscores the importance of seeking mental health support and implementing coping mechanisms to thrive academically and emotionally, emphasizing the interconnected challenges of managing ADHD and past traumas.
Harnessing ADHD Resilience and Self-Understanding
Phoebe explores how her battle with boredom triggered a pivotal career change and highlights the empowering role of her mother in developing effective coping strategies. She addresses the impacts of ADHD on entrepreneurship, underlining the benefits of control in work experiences and the challenges of decision-making amidst a multitude of choices. Phoebe's journey showcases resilience, self-awareness, and the transformative power of embracing one's neurodiversity.
An Invitation to Embrace Support and Connection
Phoebe encourages individuals navigating ADHD to embrace community support and shared experiences as essential elements in their journey. She highlights the significance of seeking guidance from peers and mentors, emphasizing the strength found in collective understanding and support networks. The message resonates with the importance of not facing challenges alone and fostering a supportive environment for growth and well-being.
The Power of Creativity and Mutual Support
Phoebe discusses her creative outlet in writing fantasy stories to break away from analytical realms, expressing the balance between intellectual pursuits and imaginative endeavors. Emphasizing the transformative impact of creativity on energy and mental well-being, Phoebe showcases the value of diversifying interests and finding inspiration beyond professional domains. Her journey reflects resilience, self-exploration, and the enriching influence of creative expression.
Final Thoughts and Encouragement for the ADHD Community
Phoebe concludes with a heartfelt reminder for individuals navigating ADHD challenges, emphasizing the importance of seeking support and cultivating a supportive environment. She highlights the transformative power of community connection, shared experiences, and mutual understanding in fostering growth and resilience. Phoebe's words resonate with empowerment, self-acceptance, and the strength found in solidarity along the ADHD journey.
Leadership and career coach Phoebe Gavin was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. Phoebe’s mom was her number one advocate. She never made Phoebe feel like there was something wrong with her, and that’s followed her to this day. Now, she works with clients to empower them in the same way.
Phoebe takes us through serving in the military, to fashion school, to starting a business with ADHD. She shares career tips when you have ADHD and her journey navigating ADHD and PTSD.
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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