ADHD reWired

Did you know that the ADHD brain doesn't have enough Dopamine to get the intrinsic reward from doing small things like washing dishes? Listen as Eric Tivers with his guests, Brendan Mahan and Will Curb, answer questions from the listeners in our monthly Q & A session of ADHD reWired. We are taking questions from you, the listener, about situations you want to talk through. It doesn't matter if it's personal or professional; we are here to give you our perspective and see if we can help you find some answers. Melissa starts us off with a question about keeping her house clean because, with nothing else to do during COVID, they cleaned things that haven't been cleaned in years. Another question is about resources to examine before she has her first ADHD testing. Daniel asks a question about how to build habits for things that have future payoffs. Autumn wants to know how to limit or correct her eight-year-old daughter's action with scissors. Bri is struggling with impulsiveness and regulating her emotions. Deborah has a problem getting her twenty-year-old to take their medicine, and she is worried because he will be leaving home again soon. Ari is asking for some of their favorite autobiographies or memoirs written by people with ADHD. Erica is looking for ways to set a schedule now that she is unemployed and has trouble getting anything accomplished. Please note that when we discuss medications, we can only address personal experience. Anytime you have been prescribed a drug, you should reach out to your provider regarding your symptoms and experiences. Not all medications are useful for all people. There are various options, and you'll need individual help to determine which medicines are right for you. We covered a wide range of topics, and we provide some creative takeaways no matter what stage you're in with your diagnosis. Listen in as we discuss your questions and the struggle we still have dealing with our ADHD. Your Resources: ADHD Essentials Podcast with Brendan Mahan Hacking Your ADHD with William Curb You'll learn: [01:50] Welcome to our monthly Q & A with Will Curb and Brendan Mahan. [02:12] Melissa has a question about how to keep her house clean. [02:58] Eric shares some things that help him keep things up. [05:04] Brendan shares his thoughts on decluttering. [08:00] Eric says that any task we do requires three things. [12:20] A listener wants to know if there are any resources she can look at before her first test for ADHD next week. [15:01] Brendan and Will give their insights into what she will experience during her testing. [16:52] Will shares what he wishes he would have none when he was diagnosed. [19:44] Daniel would like some support around getting through things that are future-directed. [21:15] Brendan shares how ADHD works on the brain with Dopamine. [24:25] Daniel says that using the payoff as a reward doesn't work for him. [31:54] Autumn asks about how to take scissors away from her eight-year-old daughter. [33:34] When a kid says I don't know why I did, it is a valid answer. [35:40] Eric shares his thoughts on this. [37:19] Could this be a sensory issue? [39:48] Bri struggles with impulsiveness and regulating her emotions. [42:50] Eric wants to find out more about her fear around medication. [45:27] If your medication is correct, you will feel you are thinking clearly. [48:15] Eric shares how long he has been on stimulant medicine. [49:13] Brendan shares his ideas around this question. [52:58] Deborah would like help with her child that refuses to take medicine and has depression. [54:35] Eric says that she needs to take his side effects seriously and to quit pushing the meds on him. [55:45] Brendan speaks about how he felt when he was twenty, and his mom was trying to decide for him. [57:52] Will says that if you are going to force him to do one thing, make it either meds or coaching. [59:48] Ari wants to know some of the best autobiographies or memoirs by individuals with ADHD? [1:00:08] Eric, Brendan, and Will share some of their favorites. [1:02:22] Erica was just released from a job and wants to know if they have any suggestions for setting up a daily routine. [1:05:04] Eric suggests planning out what she wants to do for that day and being accountable to a friend to complete it. [1:08:04] Brendan shares some ideas with Erica for setting goals. [1:09:49] Will speaks about getting an alarm clock that makes you get out of bed to turn it off. [1:11:46] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron by clicking on our Patreon tab at www.ADHDreWired.com Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

Financial management is really emotional management. Welcome to this episode of ADHD reWired with your host Eric Tivers and his guest, Rick Webster. Rick is the CEO and Founder of Rena-Fi and has spent the last two decades deeply involved in the ADHD community, helping people with ADHD find solutions for their own challenges. Rick is on a mission to help people find their path to financial freedom. Rick shares his ADHD journey, what prompted his diagnosis, his background in financing, and where the interest in financial matters came from. Rick believes that you need to stay in touch with your creditors when you can't pay, don't put your head in the sand and hope it will go away. Listen, as Rick gives some tips and tricks to help you get control of your budget, don't be afraid of your accounts, check them every day, and some simple ways to track your spending, which is the first step in figuring out a budget. Rick also talks about some tools that can help you with tracking your expenses. Rick speaks about paying back IRS taxes, putting money back for retirement, and how to know if you can afford a new car. He shares some insights on mortgages, the end-of-life conversation, and to hire a bookkeeper or someone else if you are struggling with keeping your accounts up to date. Listen as Rick shares what his company is about and what they do to help people who are overwhelmed with their financials and need someone to dig them out of the abyss they have fallen into. This is a conversation you don't want to miss if any of this resonates with you. You'll learn: [02:17] Welcome to the show, Rick! [02:49] Rick shares his journey with ADHD and how his life fell apart before his diagnosis. [03:32] What is your background in financing? [05:03] Rick shares where his interest in financing matters came from. [07:20] Financial management is really emotional management. [08:34] Rick discusses the need to stay in touch with your creditors and pull your head out of the sand. [11:40] What do you recommend for people to get over the overwhelm of taking control of your budget. [14:43] Eric says to touch the financial stuff every day. [15:09] Rick speaks about people with ADHD being afraid of checking their accounts. [16:50] What are some simple ways people can track their spending? [19:14] Eric speaks about not knowing how much he has been paying his accountant because he wasn't paying attention. [20:01] Rick shares some automated tools he recommends for helping keep track of stuff. [22:36] Take half of your discretionary money and put it in your savings, year after year, and fifty percent of your raises. [27:32] What do you recommend for people who haven't paid taxes for a few years? [31:02] Reaching out to the IRS is less painful than emptying your checking account if you keep ignoring them. [32:44] Rick speaks about how to know when you can afford a new car. [38:21] How do you help people who have put nothing back for retirement? [40:27] Don't save your extra money in your twenties, but in your thirties, save 50% of your raise, and you will do great at retirement. [41:53] Rick discusses mortgages and whether you should pay more each month. [44:59] Rick speaks about other ways to manage your debt. [46:47] They talk about end-of-life care. [48:22] You are your own best payer; paying your debts is better than investing elsewhere. [50:53] If you struggle with math, hire a bookkeeper to help you. [52:13] Rick talks about other professionals that can help keep you on track. [55:04] How can you not pay someone to help you get your financial life straightened out? [57:37] Rick speaks about his company and what they are about. [59:01] Rick, thank you so much for being on the show! [59:49] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron click on our Patreon tap at www.ADHDreWired.com Find Rick: Rena-Fi Email Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

Thank you for listening to this continuation of yesterday's episode with your host Eric, and his guests Jessica, Erica, and Blake, with Natalie in the hot seat, continuing the discussion on how to build a business. Natalie is an Occupational Therapist and is looking to start her own practice but needs help from the mastermind on this episode of ADHD reWired. Listen as the mastermind continues to give Natalie suggestions and feedback on her idea of starting a virtual and in-home Occupational Therapy Practice. Blake speaks about a book on marketing that he recommends, and Jessica thinks that Natalie should write out her vision statement and put it on her wall for encouragement. Eric suggests that she get a website, and Jessica offers to set it up for her while Erica adds her insights into building a website. Eric suggests doing some SEO research to determine better her domain name and Blake discusses the niche group that Natalie wants to work with. Natalie wants to have a cash-only business, but Eric suggests looking into a membership type business model. He says that when working with your core values, the energy for what you do will never falter. To close out, Natalie shares what she will commit to after she gets off this call and her goal for the next seven days. You'll learn: [02:28] Blake speaks about marketing and a book that Blake and Eric recommend. [03:08] Jessica speaks about Natalie writing her vision statement out and putting it on the wall. [04:57] Eric shares what he did to stay excited about starting his business. [06:52] Eric tells her she has to have a website. [07:39] Jessica says that she could do a website for Natalie. [09:25] Erica shares her views on a website. [11:42] Eric suggests doing SEO research and seeing what people are searching for when they look for an OT. [13:24] Blake discusses the niche group that Natalie wants to work with and her idea of mixing in-home and virtual therapies. [14:52] Jessica shares an idea she thought of around her YouTube channel. [16:55] Start looking for conferences that you can speak at. [17:56] Blake tells her to listen to a group he recommends. [20:23] Eric talks about being a student of social media when he first started his business. [26:46] Eric speaks about reading the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. [29:12] Blake shares something else for her garage. [31:24] Eric suggests building a membership community. [33:28] When you are working in your core values, you have unstoppable energy. [35:18] Listen as Natalie shares what she will commit to. [37:56] Natalie speaks about her goals for the next seven days. [39:38] Thank you for listening! [40:30] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron, click on our Patreon tab at www.ADHDreWired.com Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

Could you use a mastermind group to help you start your business?" Listen as your host, Eric, and his guests Jessica, Erica, and Blake, with Natalie in the hot seat, discuss how to build a business. Natalie is an Occupational Therapist and is looking to start her own practice but needs help from the mastermind on this episode of ADHD reWired. Natalie shares that she wants to open a cash practice that centers around invisible illnesses and work with the LGBT community as well as the Trans community. Her job is to fix people's environments, not people, and she feels that with the insurance regulations that she isn't allowed to help people the ways she wants to. The mastermind discusses what part of control is important to Natalie, is she good at saying no if a client calls her on her day off, and Eric suggests she makes her company an LLC. They talk about having an accountant and an attorney to ensure she is financially safe and an attorney to be on her legal council. We have broken this episode into two parts, so if you notice an awkward ending, that's the reason. Because the content is so good, we didn't want to lose your attention by playing the entire hour and twenty-minute show. So stay tuned for Part 2, dropping into your feed tomorrow. You'll learn: [02:35] Welcome to the show, everyone! [03:18] Natalie kicks it off with her reason for being on the hot seat. [05:33] Natalie is speaking about having a cash practice with no insurance billing. [06:59] Her job is to fix people's environments, not people. [08:43] Natalie shares how big an LGBT community that they have in Indianapolis. [10:05] Blake speaks about how concise and put together Natalie's plans are. [11:20] Blake wants to know what control is important to Natalie. [13:21] Eric asks how good she is at saying no. [15:29] Erica wants to know if anyone else is doing this business model that Natalie wants to do, and if she knows what she needs to make monthly. [16:51] Jessica speaks about being let down by the healthcare system and proud of Natalie for wanting to build her practice. [24:10] Eric discusses the first steps that Natalie needs to think about. [26:03] Eric suggests that Natalie makes her company an LLC. [27:30] Blake shares some thoughts he has on this. [29:01] Natalie speaks about finding an accountant to handle the financial side of the business. [34:33] Erica wants to know if Natalie has a place where she has been putting all her ideas. [35:56] How developed is your audience on your YouTube channel? [38:34] Natalie discusses what certificates that she can get that will allow her to charge more. [41:13] Eric says that there are people who move things forward in healthcare, and there are people who don't want to change. [43:30] Eric suggests that Natalie get an attorney as she starts this business. [45:37] Thank you for listening to part 1. We will drop part 2 tomorrow. [46:13] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron, click on our Patreon tap at www.ADHDreWired.com Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

"Is stress a big factor in your life? Listen as your host, Eric, and his guests Jessica, Natalie, Erica with Blake in the hot seat, discuss Blake's issue of getting himself going to start his day. He shares that it takes hours for him to function enough to start work, and he is looking for solutions so he can get more out of his day on this episode of ADHD reWired. Blake summarizes the issues he is having with getting started in the mornings. Eric believes that Blake needs a sleep study, and Jessica shares some ideas that might help. Blake shares that he sometimes gets anxiety when he sleeps, and Erica shares some facts about adenosine and sleep pressure. Natalie talks about how Blake's situation sounds like what she went through, and Eric shares that once he started eating protein shakes for breakfast and cut back the carbohydrates, he stopped having the same issues. Jessica speaks about a book that turned her life around called The Power of When. They also discuss the fact that Blake plays video games for an hour to an hour and a half every morning. Eric shares that when you consume instead of generating output you don't get your brain activated, and he suggests walking first thing in the morning instead of the video games Does any of this resonate with you? If it does, this is a mastermind episode that you don't want to miss. Eric, Jessica, Erica, and Natalie give Blake some expert advice, tips, and tricks to get his morning started so that the rest of the day can be as productive as he needs it to be. You'll learn: [01:17] Welcome to the show, everyone! [03:14] Blake summarizes the issue he is bringing to the group. [06:10] Blake shares what his average morning looks like. [07:15] Eric asks some questions for clarification. [10:01] Eric says the first thing Blake needs is a sleep study. [10:40] Jessica asks Blake to expand on his bedtime routine. [12:25] Jessica shares a few ideas she has that might help him. [14:39] She discusses having hypoglycemia but thought it was a panic attack. [16:23] Erica asks Blake some additional questions around anxiety. [19:33] Erica speaks about adenosine and sleep pressure. [26:15] Eric talks about sweating, exercising, and if Blake is getting his heart rate up to 150 or 160. [28:26] Natalie discusses how Blake's situation sounds like the situation she was in a few years ago. [31:49] Eric speaks about having the same issue as Blake, and as he stopped eating carbs, it stopped. [34:49] Jessica shares a book called The Power of When and how it helped her. [36:55] Erica asks some additional questions about Blake. [38:01] How long do you play video games in the morning? [38:48] Eric says that Blake is consuming instead of generating output. [41:31] Blake shares why he was late to the smartphone party. [47:13] Eric believes that Blake needs to have exercise be his morning routine and do it before his brain can talk him out of it. [48:43] Jessica suggests that Blake move his video game system away from his couch and put his walking shoes on the couch to change the loop. [51:40] They discuss Blake's fitness program for the Wei. [54:19] Eric speaks about what he did during COVID to get his heart rate up. [55:49] Blake, has this conversation helped you? [59:21] Thank all of you for being on the show! [1:00.10] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron, click on our Patreon tap at www.ADHDreWired.com Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

"Do you have a problem prioritizing" Listen as Eric Tivers with his guests, Brendan Mahan, and Will Curb answer questions from the listeners in our monthly Q & A session of ADHD reWired. We are taking questions from you, the listener, about situations you want to talk through. It doesn't matter if it's personal or professional; we are here to give you our perspective and see if we can help you find some answers. Daniel starts the questions with one around lack of motivation and follow through and how to tell if it's from ADHD or depression. Christina wants to know how to set a routine and follow through for over two weeks because that's when she stops, and Tony is struggling with behavior around emotional flooding. Sheila asks for suggestions on how to turn the TV and computer off at night, and the consensus is to set the time on both to shut off at a given time, therefore taking the decision out of your hands. Victor wants to know what the chances are of being misdiagnosed with ADHD when it is actually complex PTSD. Eric shares that they are both disorders, and their symptoms are similar. Pat wants to discuss being a new dad with ADHD and his need to stay busy. Stephanie is writing a book and is asking for ways to hold herself accountable so she can get more done each day, and Kendra is always distracted and overbooked and is looking for help to keep from saying yes to everyone who wants her help. Will shares that every time you say yes, you are saying no to something else, and Brendon tells her to have a not-to-do list. Your Resources: ADHD Essentials Podcast with Brendan Mahan Hacking Your ADHD with William Curb You'll Learn: [02:41] Welcome to our monthly Q & A with Will Curb and Brendan Mahan. [03:04] Daniel has a question about motivation and follow through and when to know if it's from depression or ADHD. [05:03] Will gives his insight into this question. [07:19] Christina asks a question about making new routines and being consistent with them. [09:51] Eric speaks about ways to self regulate. [13:18] Why do you recommend an external timer instead of an app timer? [13:32] Will explains why this is recommended. [15:21] Tony wants to know about tools to handle certain behaviors he has been struggling with. [21:14] Brendon addresses this question with examples of how he handles it. [22:53] Eric speaks about his issues with having hard conversations. [25:20] If it's easier to write things down than talk to someone, write things down in advance. [28:30] Eric speaks about talking to his therapist and sharing what's in his head. [30:40] Sheila asks for suggestions on how to turn off the tv and computer at night. [31:09] Eric discusses what has worked for him. [34:40] Victor wants to know the chances of a person being misdiagnosed with ADHD when they have complex PTSD. [36:17] Eric believes there is a very high correlation between the two. [37:43] Brendan gives his insights into this issue. [39:46] Pat has a question about tactics, inspirations, or war stories related to being a new dad that doesn't sit very well. [44:55] Will explains what he thinks is going on with Pat. [46:56] Brendan believes that it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks; you are doing it right. [49:30] Eric believes that as parents, we judge ourselves too harshly. [52:07] Stephanie asks how she can hold herself accountable when writing a book. [52:44] Eric shares that when you have ADHD, you must ask someone else to hold you accountable. [54:08] Will suggests that she set herself goals. [57:30] Brendan says that accountability buddies do not work for him. [59:25] Kendra's question is about being distracted all the time, and how to combat her lack of focus. [1:01:06] Eric discusses Kendra's self-regulation and having too much on her plate. [1:03:11] Brendan speaks about a not-to-do list. [1:05:42] Will adds a few suggestions to the conversation. [1:07:31] Every time you say yes, you are saying no to everything else. [1:10:05] Thank you for all of your questions. [1:11:22] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron by clicking on our Patreon tab at www.ADHDreWired.com Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

"You develop a codependent relationship with work or with the world as a person of color because you end up playing to how people see you." Welcome to this episode of ADHD reWired with your host Eric Tivers and his guest, Romanza McAllister, LCSW. Romanza is a psychotherapist, and in 2008 she graduated from Hunter College School of Social Work, where she majored in case management and group work. Over the last ten years, Romanza has provided focused solution group and family counseling with inpatient and outpatient settings. Romanza shares her experience of being black and diagnosed with ADHD at ten years old, and she speaks about how it affected her school years and career. Romanza discusses working for herself and the relief she feels, knowing she doesn't have to wonder why she was hired. Eric asks some questions he is uncomfortable with, trying to learn how to approach certain subjects. Romanza states that there is no such thing as color blindness and how it's our responsibility to create a safe space through empathic and reflective listening. Romanza shares how validated she feels when people ask her questions about being a woman of color. She says that it makes her feel like people are listening and trying to understand how her life is different. Eric and Romanza also speak about RSD and what can trigger the reaction. Is sensitivity training enough? No, and Romanza feels like everyone, regardless of color, can benefit from anti-racism training. She also speaks about what they can do from a policy standpoint around ADHD, children of color, and schools so that people of color don't have to be either black or ADHD; they can be who they are. This is a compelling conversation that everyone should hear. You'll learn: [03:18] Welcome to the show, Romanza! [03:42] Romanza shares her experience of being diagnosed at 10 with ADHD and as a child of color. [06:38] How did the family deal with your ADHD diagnosis? [07:57] Romanza speaks about dealing with ADHD throughout her school years. [11:37] Romanza discusses being a woman of color with ADHD and how that has affected her work history. [14:17] Have you ever sat at your desk and wondered why you were hired? [16:12] Romanza speaks about working for herself and how it makes her feel. [19:38] Listen as Eric shares that Issues around social justice fire people up with ADHD. [25:03] Eric talks about asking Romanza some hard questions. [26:16] Romanza shares that talking to progressive people can be difficult because they are sometimes fragile. [26:52] There is no such thing as color blindness. [28:00] Creating a safe space through empathic and reflective listening. [29:51] Romanza shares a story about micro-invalidation. [33:28] When you get asked a question like what does it feel like to be a black person, is there validation in that someone is asking the question? [35:56] Romanza says to ask but ask permission to the client first. [40:16] Eric defines RSD because it is becoming more talked about in the community. [41:46] Romanza discusses RSD and how it can be triggered when trying to have white/black conversations. [44:01] Romanza speaks about the things she has to consider before she reacts to a situation. [47:21] Romanza says she likes the idea of this racial RSD feedback loop. [48:02] Romanza speaks about the story of a young girl that didn't turn in her homework. [48:50] Romanza believes that everyone can benefit from anti-racist training no matter what the color. [50:34] Is sensitivity training enough? [52:40] Romanza speaks about what needs to be done from a policy standpoint in the ADHD space to create more equity. [54:10] Say the words, address the thing! [55:10] Romanza believes that everyone should check their bias with the Project Implicit bias meter. [56:38] Thank you for being on the show! [57:24] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron click on our Patreon tap at www.ADHDreWired.com Find Romanza: Romanza McAllister Email Project Implicit Facebook | LinkedIn Romanza McAllister,LCSW Psychotherapist Diversity Is Dead: Freestyle Thoughts on Neurodiversity, Black Life, Reconciliation and the Commodification of "Wokeness" Catch-22: ADHD, Work, & the "Black Tax" | ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association African American/Black Diaspora +ADHD Peer Support Group | ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

Did people notice that you had ADHD before you did? Eric and his guest, Dr. Melissa Barlett, better known by her students as Dr. B, is an Associate Professor in Life Sciences at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY. Listen as they discuss helping students come back to college and adjusting to change dealing with online learning, plus much more on this episode of ADHD reWired. Listen, as Dr. Barlett shares when she was diagnosed with ADHD and what caused her to seek a diagnosis. She also discusses some challenges she sees with online learning because of COVID-19 and how she has adapted her teaching style to help her students. Dr. Barlett speaks about what she believes fellow professors are struggling with when being thrown into this alternative method of teaching. She shares what she thinks will happen with fall classes and how she believes schools can keep students safe. Students with ADHD, in particular, have a different set of struggles with virtual learning, and Dr. Barlett shares some suggestions she has to help them cope. Because the situation is fluid and information changes daily, Dr. Barlett speaks about how to prepare if you have to pivot mid-semester. She shares that community colleges are already set up for students with challenging schedules, so if you don't think you can go to school because you have to work, a community college might be the best bet for you. Dr. Barlett shares some great tips and tricks for learning with ADHD, especially with the pandemic's distractions. She is willing to answer any questions you might have, so please find her information in the links at the bottom and be positive about the upcoming school year. You'll learn: [03:18] Welcome to the show, Melissa! [04:16] Melissa shares when she was diagnosed with ADHD and how her intelligence allowed her to fly under the radar. [05:32] What caused you to seek a diagnosis for ADHD? [07:30] Melissa speaks about knowing something was wrong once she changed direction in her career and got more administrative tasks. [10:03] Listen, as Melissa shares some challenges she sees with online learning since COVID-19. [12:10] Melissa speaks about how she adapted. [13:05] What would you suggest to fellow professors struggling with learning a whole new way of teaching? [15:24] Melissa believes that nailing learning objectives to the life skills that they need instead of detailed skills takes learning in the right direction. [21:14] Listen as Melissa describes what she thinks school will look like in the fall. [22:46] Melissa discusses how she believes we can keep students safe. [25:36] Melissa suggests what students with ADHD especially can do to be prepared for online learning. [28:40] When taking notes, make sure you write them in your words. Read a paragraph or two and write a summary in your words. [29:50] Eric shares some strategies he used when he was in college. [31:57] Your brain wants it to be easy. Practice the actual process of recall. [35:04] It takes an intelligent person to understand this concept, but it takes a genius to explain it to a kindergartner. [36:54] What are some other challenges a student with ADHD might face when taking virtual classes? [37:44] They speak about going on rate my professor and check out their teaching style. [44:14] Melissa talks about handling going back to class and then if COVID-19 spikes again having to go back to social distancing. [46:51] Melissa discusses students not having regular hours because of jobs or children in her community college. [48:22] Melissa says that community college is already set up for people with challenging schedules. [49:53] What are some reasonable steps students might be able to take to prepare students if they have to go back to virtual classes. [52:16] Melissa shares some final tips for students. [54:42] Thank you for being on the show! [55:35] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron click on our Patreon tap at www.ADHDreWired.com Find Melissa Dr. Melissa Barlett @docbarlett Twitter | Facebook YouTube Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

Have you tried to be normal and repress your ADHD instead of leaning into your weird? Listen as Eric and his guest, Andy J. Pizza, discuss leaning into neurodiversity, a creative approach to your career path, win because of your weird not in spite of it, and much more on this episode of ADHD reWired. Andy is an American illustrator, podcaster, and public speaker; his explosive color-drenched illustrations have brought hope and smiles to clients like The New York Times, YouTube, and Warby Parker. He is the founder of the Creative Pep Talk podcast, which does what it says on the tin and the author of the book Creative Pep Talk. Andy shares his ADHD story, the start of his illustrating career, and the recession that almost took it all away. He talks about sending some work to Nickelodeon, the response he got, and the work it took to hone his craft and the jobs that built his freelance career. Andy also speaks about Color Me Blank; collaborative art shows that he took part in with giant markers that allowed everyone to color on blank paper. If you see people like you doing things you didn't know you could do, it will unlock something in your brain. Listen as Andy shares about knowing he could be a successful illustrator because he saw people just like himself doing it. Andy also speaks about how he finishes projects by making everything he has to do, something he wants to do. Andy is a very colorful character with an engaging tone that you won't want to miss. You'll learn: [02:04] Welcome to the show, Andy! [04:57] Andy shares his ADHD story. [06:13] Andy speaks about his mom and the fact that she was never around. [09:48] He discovered illustration in high school and realized the path he wanted to take. [12:22] Eric speaks about trying to refinance his house, and the challenge it is when you are self-employed. [19:34] Andy shares his secret sauce and why he has a puppet sitting behind him. [21:10] He speaks about going to college to find his style. [22:30] Andy talks about his indie rock coloring book that kicked off his career. [23:17] He shares the trials he had during the recession and getting a job. [26:10] Andy discusses an opportunity to work with Nickelodeon. [27:53] Andy says that his wife stood with him during the bad times and made it through. [29:04] What ended up happening with the Nickelodeon gig? [31:08] Andy speaks about a collaborative art show called Color Me Blank. [34:32] Andy discusses doing more personal projects and being asked to take the Color Me Blank project on the road. [35:15] He was asked to do more illustrations for Nickelodeon, which built his freelance career. [36:53] If you see people like you doing things you didn't know you could do, it will unlock something in your brain. [39:08] Relationships, in general, are not about the other person; they are about how the other person reflects you. [43:30] Andy speaks about aliens and what he thinks about neurodiverse people. [46:08] The industrial revolution system was about maximizing the average so we can become interchangeable parts. [49:32] Listen as Andy shares how he finishes his projects. [51:10] Andy says that he went into his podcast, knowing that he needed to do it long enough to get good at it and long enough for people to hear it. [53:08] Andy has encouragement for anyone starting a podcast. [55:25] Andy shares his take-home message for the listeners. [57:06] Thank you for being on the show! [58:05] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron click on our Patreon tap at www.ADHDreWired.com Find Andy: Andy J. Pizza Creative Pep Talk podcast Coaching Twitter Instagram Pinterest Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

Do you have trouble transitioning from work to home? Listen as Eric Tivers with his guests, Brendan Mahan, and Will Curb answer questions from the listeners in our monthly Q & A session of ADHD reWired. We are taking questions from you, the listener, about situations you want to talk through. It doesn't matter if it's personal or professional; we are here to give you our perspective and see if we can help you find some answers. Ella starts off this Q&A episode with a question about how to avoid doing things that pop up when things have to be done. Listen as Karen has a question that we are all dealing with now, working from home versus being in the office and the pluses and minuses of both. Matt has a question about relationships and his inability to be patient when trying to make friends. Audrey has two questions for the panel: writing more concise email responses and tips on ways to stop losing things. Blake asks a question for his wife. When they have children, how hard will the load be on her? The panel says that you can only speculate on the challenges that they will face until you have kids. Nathan was recently diagnosed with ADHD and wants to know the first five things he should learn about ADHD, and the last question is on Zoom fatigue and what causes it. If you had a question that wasn't answered, please ask it in our Facebook community, and someone will share their insights, and we will catch you next month on our next Q&A episode. Your Resources: ADHD Essentials Podcast with Brendan Mahan Hacking Your ADHD with William Curb You'll Learn: [02:01] Welcome to our monthly Q & A with Will Curb and Brendan Mahan. [03:28] Ella has a question about avoiding things that pop-up instead of what I should do? [05:55] Will speaks about discipline and how that is hard with ADHD. [07:11] Brendan gives his insights on this issue. [09:31] Karen has a question about the pluses and minuses about working from home or the office. [10:55] Eric says that everyone's experience will be different and for Karen to ask her team which they prefer. [12:09] Will speaks about how different it is to work from home when you have kids and how going to the office gives him a stop time. [14:22] Brendan discusses the transition from the office to home. [16:27] Even if you have phenomenal communication skills, you might not notice how stressed your team members are if you don't see them. [17:31] Eric shares his experience when working with an assistant. [19:31] Matt has a question about relationships. [20:38] Eric says that relationships are one of the hardest domains in life. [21:22] Brendan gives his insights on relationships and how he made his friend group an adult. [24:30] Eric comments on how Brendan shares intimacy with his friends. [26:47] Eric believes that making friends as an adult is a topic more people need to talk about. [32:44] Audrey asks how I can write emails to be more concise. [33:50] Eric speaks about some tools that can help you respond to emails. [35:21] Brendan shares his thoughts on this question. [37:20] Will discusses what has helped him answer emails. [38:31] Audrey wants tips on how she can keep from losing things. [40:28] Brendan shares what he has done since high school to keep from losing things. [41:46] Will says he loses things a lot because he sets things down in weird places. [44:09] Do you look for something even though you are convinced you will not find where it is? [47:40] Blake wants to know what kind of load his wife will bear if they have kids. [48:35] Once you have kids it is much easier to navigate the challenges [50:11] Nothing can prepare you for having children is an accurate statement. [52:07] Will suggests balancing the load of work between both of you. [53:28] Brendan shares his insights. [54:46] Eric says that deciding to have children is the hardest decision anyone has to make. [56:32] They give Nathan recommendations on the five things he should learn first after his recent ADHD diagnosis. [58:38] Will says that getting sleep is the most important thing you can do. [58:52] Brendan says that forgiveness is critical to self-care and ADHD management. [59:22] How do we complete things? Is the next question they share. [1:00:19] Brendan says to define done and set a boundary around what done means. [1:01:11] The panel discusses Zoom fatigue and what the cause could be. [1:03:49] If you want deeper dives into your questions, join Eric every 4th Tuesday of the month for the Patreon coaching call. [1:04:29] If you are not a Patreon, share your questions in our Facebook community. [1:04:37] We appreciate you for listening to the show! [1:05:32] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron by clicking on our Patreon tab at www.ADHDreWired.com Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon. ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th. We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit coachingrewired.com to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT. You don't want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired. ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/community and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.