Redefining Success After Loss: An ADHD-Informed Approach to Grief & Burnout

Dec 2, 2025

In this conversation, Steph Cottrell, a web and marketing consultant and founder of Blue Elephant Creative, shares her journey of rebuilding her business after experiencing profound personal loss. She discusses the toll of boundary-less collaborations that led to burnout and her realization of handling 90% of the workload. The two explore redefining success, prioritizing authenticity, and integrating family needs into business. Steph's father's illness became a catalyst for urgent change, urging her to refocus on solo projects and a clear niche.

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INSIGHT

ADHD And Boundary Blind Spots

Entrepreneurs with ADHD often have weak boundaries and overcredit collaborators.
That pattern creates 'group projects' where one person ends up doing most of the work.

ANECDOTE

Business Became Emotional Labor

Steph compared her collaborative burden to feeling like the primary breadwinner again after divorce.
That pressure reproduced emotional labor she had left behind, prompting burnout.

ADVICE

Stop Being The Glue

Do stop being the glue; give yourself permission to reshape relationships instead of cutting them off.
If you enjoy working with someone, keep them; if not, remove them.

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Welcome back to ADHD-ish! In this episode, host Diann Wingert sits down with her client Steph Cotrell for a candid and relatable discussion about what it really means to build—and rebuild—a business when you have ADHD traits and life throws you curveballs.

Originally hired to help Steph Cotrell grow and scale her successful business, Diann quickly uncovered some uncomfortable truths about her business model, specifically how her notion of collaboration revealed a lack of boundaries, which led to burnout.

Their coaching journey took an unexpected turn as Steph was faced with redefining her work, grappling with exhaustion, and eventually reshaping her business to prioritize authenticity, personal connection, and family in the wake of a heartbreaking loss.

Together, they explore the challenges of managing emotional labor, the reality of ADHD-driven blind spots, and the courage it takes to rethink your path when everything changes.

If you've ever felt caught between ambition and overwhelm or questioned how your neurodivergence shapes your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is for you.

Here are 3 key takeaways from this conversation:

Scaling “as-is” can scale your problems, not just your profits: Before trying to grow, pause to check if your foundation—relationships, workload, boundaries—truly supports the life you want.

Give yourself permission to redefine success: It’s not all-or-nothing. You can reshape business relationships and paths to fit changing needs, values, and energy levels.
Clarity fuels action: The sooner you move from overthinking to taking action (even messy, uncertain steps), the faster you learn, adapt, and build the business—and life—that truly work for you.

Mic Drop Moment:

"You don't have to be the glue holding all of this together. If you enjoy working with them, work with them, and if you don't, don't."

Connect with Steph Cottrell:

Website: https://www.blueelephantcreative.com

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

How Steph discovered me:

ADDItude Magazine webinar: “How to Build a Business That Works for Your ADHD Brain”

Want to hear more Client Success Stories? Click here for the custom playlist

Is it time to redefine your success as a business owner with ADHD?

I have two openings for one-on-one coaching engagements, starting in January. The first step is scheduling a free consultation where we talk about your goals and see if we are a good fit. Click here to book yours now.

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