Katy Weber, an ADHD advocate and certified health coach, shares her transformative journey after being diagnosed at 45. Reflecting on her background as a journalist, she emphasizes the importance of community among neurodivergent women. Topics include the complex connection between ADHD and binge eating, her experiences in parenting and academia, and the role of her podcast in fostering connections. Katy also discusses the challenges women face regarding identity and workplace dynamics, all while embracing a holistic approach to well-being.
Katy Weber's journey with ADHD highlights the importance of self-discovery and how diagnosis reshapes personal and professional identities.
The podcast advocates for a positive narrative around ADHD, emphasizing strengths and capabilities rather than focusing on deficiencies.
Katy's experience during the pandemic illustrates how external challenges can lead to significant self-revelations and the recognition of personal needs.
Deep dives
The Purpose of Blends
The creator emphasizes the need for a quick and effective solution for individuals with ADHD who feel overwhelmed. Designed for fast-paced minds, Blends offers a daily mix of coaching, mindfulness, affirmations, breathwork, and inspiration that can be consumed in under ten minutes. This innovative approach aims to help users calm their anxiety, foster positive feelings, and center themselves before starting their day. The offering is poised to help ADHD individuals find relief from the chaos of daily life through succinct and manageable sessions.
The Visibility of ADHD in Successful Individuals
There is a notable lack of discussion regarding successful women with ADHD despite many high-profile figures, like Greta Gerwig and Simone Biles, having the condition. The episode highlights the significant percentage of people with ADHD who maintain excellent mental health, urging listeners to recognize the positive attributes associated with the condition. It asserts the importance of shifting the narrative around ADHD from a deficit-based viewpoint to one that acknowledges the strengths and capabilities of those affected. This change in perspective aims to inspire ADHD women to embrace their uniqueness.
Katie Weber's Journey and Mission
Katie Weber, an ADHD advocate and certified health coach, shares her own diagnosis experience at the age of 45 and her motivation to help neurodivergent women. The conversation touches on her background in journalism and her growth as a coach focused on empowering women with ADHD to love their brains. Katie aims to use her personal journey, including her struggles and triumphs, to guide other women toward fulfilling lives. Her approach encapsulates a mission to promote understanding and acceptance among women navigating similar experiences.
Challenges During Lockdown
The lockdown period posed unique challenges for parents, particularly for those with ADHD, as they juggled various roles such as caregiver, teacher, and housekeeper. Both Katie and the host reflect on how the lockdown revealed their own needs for structure and self-care, prompting self-discovery amid isolation. Katie shares how this tumultuous time ultimately led to her ADHD diagnosis, highlighting the pivotal role that external circumstances can play in prompting personal revelations. The discussion underscores the connection between mental health and the social challenges faced during extreme situations like the pandemic.
The Importance of Recognition and Support
The episode stresses the critical need for recognition and support of ADHD among school-age children, particularly when parents notice distress in their children despite strong academic performance. The conversation reveals that ADHD often manifests differently in successful and high-achieving individuals compared to conventional stereotypes. Both Katie and the host discuss their concerns over the inadequacy of how ADHD is perceived and treated in educational settings. They encourage a more nuanced understanding that considers the vast spectrum of ADHD presentations, emphasizing on-their-feet support to mitigate associated anxieties.
From parenting struggles to podcasting success, Katy Weber’s ADHD journey has reshaped her life.
Diagnosed at 45, Katy—a health coach and founder of Women & ADHD—found herself rethinking everything she thought she knew about ADHD. This unexpected self-discovery helped her understand how ADHD had influenced her as a mother, professional, and individual. Through her podcast, she’s built a supportive, encouraging space for neurodivergent women to connect, share stories, and find community.
Katy’s story is one of resilience and self-discovery, full of twists that many will find relatable. Before entering the ADHD advocacy world, Katy spent years as a journalist, covering a range of human experiences and honing her ability to tell powerful stories. With experience at publications like National Geographic and PsychCentral, she now brings her storytelling expertise to Women & ADHD, sharing stories and insights that make listeners feel seen and understood. This episode captures her journey from the fast-paced world of New York City to finding a new sense of balance in the Hudson Valley, where she has found purpose in health coaching and community-building.
Through Women & ADHD, Katy addresses topics that resonate with her listeners on a personal level, such as the complex relationship between ADHD and binge eating and moving beyond diet culture to embrace a more holistic approach to health. She shares how ADHD affects not only personal identity but also how women show up in their work and family lives. Katy’s story goes beyond diagnosis; it’s a journey of learning, unlearning, and embracing the strengths that come with ADHD. Her message is clear: it’s never too late to understand your own mind and rewrite your narrative in ways that are both empowering and authentic.