Attention Different | Adulting with ADHD

🔥 Why do ADHD brains thrive with movement, structure, and shared space, but stall in isolation?In this episode of Attention Different, we sit down with Elan Marko, founder of Deep Work Sprints, to unpack why so many ADHD entrepreneurs struggle to follow through, not because they lack motivation, but because they’re working against their own nature.Elan shares insights from his in-depth research on ADHD entrepreneurs and his lived experience as someone diagnosed later in life. Together, we explore why goal obsession can backfire, how momentum fuels focus, and why consistency comes from designing the right systems, not forcing willpower.The conversation moves beyond productivity hacks and into something deeper: alignment, self-acceptance, and building environments that actually support how ADHD brains work.✨ Highlights ✨✔️ Why focusing on process beats obsessing over outcomes✔️ How momentum and movement unlock focus and reduce anxiety✔️ The “rose garden” metaphor for environmental design and ADHD success✔️ How 7-day sprints and experiments build real consistency✔️ Why body doubling and connection matter more than motivation✔️ How sleep, energy, and context shape follow-throughThis episode is for you if you’re worn down by the expectation to do more and ready to build a way of working that fits your brain.🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube @attentiondifferent and join the conversation.  💬 What environment helps you focus best?Send us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

What if ADHD isn’t something you “outgrow,” fix, or hide, but something you learn to work with?In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Diann Wingert—former psychotherapist, entrepreneur coach, and host of the ADHD-ish podcast—for a deeply human conversation about adult ADHD, late diagnosis, masking, and radical self-acceptance. Drawing from decades of clinical work, research, and lived experience, Diann reflects on why ADHD doesn’t disappear with age and why some adults struggle while others thrive.Together, we explore what happens when women are diagnosed later in life, how hormones and perimenopause can intensify ADHD traits, and why so many adults are misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression instead of being properly identified with ADHD. Diann also shares powerful insights on masking: what it protects us from, what it costs us, and how unmasking (safely) can lead to deeper connection and belonging.This conversation is about understanding your brain, questioning outdated labels, and learning how to build a life that works with the mind you have, not the one you were told you should have.✨ Highlights ✨✔️ Why ADHD is not outgrown, and what actually differentiates adults who struggle from those who thrive✔️ The hidden link between perimenopause, hormones, and worsening ADHD symptoms✔️ Masking vs. safety: when hiding helps, when it harms, and how to begin unmasking responsibly✔️ Why late diagnosis often brings relief first… and grief second✔️ How ADHD is frequently mistaken for anxiety or depression, especially in women✔️ Why “disorder” and “deficit” language can quietly lower expectations and reinforce shame✔️ What radical self-acceptance really looks like for ADHD adults in real life🎙️ This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered:– “Why do I still struggle as an adult?”– “What if I was diagnosed later than everyone else?”– “Who am I without the mask?”📺 Watch the Full Episode 👉 YouTube: @attentiondifferentSend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

💡 What happens when you keep moving forward… but never stop to notice how far you’ve come?In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Rachel Ambrose for a deeply grounding conversation about progress, self-trust, and why so many ADHD adults struggle to recognize their own wins.Rachel shares how ADHD brains are often wired to chase the next goal, raise the bar, and dismiss effort the moment it happens. Even real growth can feel invisible when you’re constantly measuring yourself against unrealistic expectations, productivity myths, or an imagined version of who you “should” be by now.We unpack how burnout, perfectionism, and internalized pressure can keep us stuck in a loop of trying harder without ever feeling successful—and why learning to pause, reflect, and acknowledge progress is not self-indulgent, but necessary.✨ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀✔️ Why progress often goes unrecognized by ADHDers, even by ourselves✔️ How constantly “raising the bar” disconnects us from growth✔️ Why effort matters just as much as outcomes✔️ How burnout changes our ability to perceive success✔️ Learning to build self-trust instead of self-pressure✔️ What it looks like to slow down without giving up📺 Watch the Full Episode👉 YouTube: @attentiondifferentFind out more about Rachel and Porch Light Coaching:WelcometothePorchLight.com@Porch.Light.Coaching (Instagram)Send us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

Why do New Year’s resolutions fall apart so fast for ADHD brains?What if the problem isn’t motivation, but how we define success?In this Attention Different roundtable, Stephen Tonti, Aaron Smith, and Devin Pitts-Rogers get honest about goals, follow-through, and why “trying harder” rarely works for neurodivergent adults.This wide-ranging, candid conversation digs underneath surface-level habits and into what actually drives consistency: values, identity-based goals, energy management, and focusing on process over outcomes. From abandoned language apps and inconsistent gym routines to bass lessons, injuries, and unrealistic expectations, the group explores why intrinsic motivation isn’t reliable and what does help.✨ Highlights:✔️ Why process goals work better than outcome goals✔️ How values and identity shape sustainable habits✔️ Energy management vs. time management✔️ Why perfectionism quietly kills momentum✔️ Practical tools like habit stacking, accountability, and flexible structure✔️ Why failure isn’t the opposite of progress—it’s part of itThis episode is for anyone who’s ever thought: “I know what I want to do… so why can’t I follow through?”🎧 Listen now and rethink goals, growth, and success on your terms.Send us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

🧠 This is the part where habits get real.Part Two of the Winter Park Fireside Chats goes beyond setting intentions and dives into the hardest ADHD question of all:What actually has to change for this to stick?Around the fire, we talk openly about:Habits that quietly turned self-destructiveRelapse and why it doesn’t mean failureSobriety, substances, and self-compassionWhy consistency is hard… and persistence matters moreHow boundaries (with phones, people, and ourselves) protect energyLetting go of shame without letting go of accountabilityThis episode is all about resetting without spiraling, noticing patterns without judgment, and building habits that support the life you actually want, not the one you think you should want.✨ Highlights:✔️ Why ADHD brains are “consistently inconsistent” and how persistence bridges the gap✔️ How anger, compassion, and fed-up moments can spark real change✔️ The difference between destructive habits and unmet needs✔️ Externalizing support: accountability partners, visual cues, structure that lives outside your head✔️ Why relapse doesn’t erase progress, it clarifies itThis conversation is raw, funny, uncomfortable, and deeply human, just like ADHD itself.💬 If you’ve ever said “I was doing so well… and then I messed it up” — this episode is for you.🎧 Watch Part One & Part Two now on Attention DifferentSend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

🔥 New Year. Old Patterns. Real ADHD Conversations.Part 1 of the Winter Park Fireside Chats brings everyday ADHD adults together, in the mountains and without scripts or shame, to talk about what actually happens after the New Year starts.We dig into:Why resolutions fall apartHow burnout sneaks inThe difference between outcome goals and process goalsWhy accountability matters more than motivationAnd how ADHD brains need energy management, not just time managementThis isn’t a “New Year, New You” pep talk, it’s a grounded, honest conversation about resetting without self-punishment, building routines that recharge you, and letting go of all-or-nothing thinking.✨ Highlights:✔️ Why process goals stick when outcome goals don’t✔️ How burnout shows up when life becomes “work → couch → repeat”✔️ The power of saying your goals out loud (even when it’s terrifying)✔️ Why failure isn’t the end—it’s data✔️ How ADHD adults can reset any day, not just January 1\Set in Tabernash, Colorado, high in the Rocky Mountains, this Fireside Chat is a reminder that you’re not broken, you’re not behind, and you don’t have to do this alone.🧠💬 If you’ve ever struggled with follow-through, routines, relapse, or burnout—this conversation is for you.🎧 Watch Part One & Part Two now on Attention DifferentSend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

💡 What happens when you build a tool for yourself… and suddenly thousands of ADHDers want it too?In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Marie Ng — founder of Llama Life, the task management app designed specifically for ADHD brains — to explore her journey from corporate burnout to self-taught developer to accidental entrepreneur.Marie shares how she taught herself to code by watching YouTube videos during the 2020 Melbourne lockdown, originally just trying to build something to help herself manage ADHD time blindness, executive dysfunction, and the never-ending cycle of making lists she couldn't complete.But when she posted an early prototype on Twitter, strangers immediately asked: "Where can I get this?"What started as a personal coding project became Llama Life — a to-do app built around momentum. From open-plan office struggles to a beautiful story about how the ADHD community rallied around her when she needed it most, Marie's story is one of purpose, resilience, and building something that actually serves the brain you have — not the one society expects.✨ HighlightsWhy short timers (1–5 min) work better than 25-minute Pomodoros for ADHD brainsHow Parkinson's Law (work expands to fill the time given) applies to micro-tasksThe genius of total time tracking to prevent overcommitting and shame spiralsWhy she can't "eat the frog" — and why building momentum with small wins is the real secretWhat it's like to run a business while managing RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria), customer criticism, and the emotional weight of building in publicHow body doubling (even virtually through social media accountability) kept her goingThe ADHD tax — when fighting for $2,500 feels harder than just letting it goWhy surrounding yourself with ADHD friends changes everythingHer late adult diagnosis in New York after years of corporate masking, and what radical acceptance looks like now📺 Watch the full episode at YouTube.com/@attentiondifferent🔗 Connect with Marie NgInstagram (Personal): @threehourcoffeeInstagram (Llama Life): @llamalife.coDownload Llama Life: Search "Llama Life" in the iOS App Store or Google PlaySend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

💡 What really happens inside an ADHD relationship, and how do couples break the cycle?In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Melissa Orlov — leading expert on ADHD-impacted relationships and author of The ADHD Effect on Marriage — to unpack the hidden patterns that shape communication, emotional safety, conflict, and partnership when ADHD is in the mix.Melissa breaks down the core ADHD relationship cycle: how inconsistent executive functioning, forgetfulness, time blindness, and overwhelm collide with a non-ADHD partner’s anxiety, hyper-responsibility, or fear — creating a painful parent–child dynamic that neither partner wants, yet both fall into.From medication safety and car-seat arguments to missed transitions and chore distribution, Melissa brings clarity, compassion, and actionable guidance to the hardest issues couples face.She shows how to shift from “managing your partner’s ADHD” (impossible) → to managing the system together, based on strengths, safety, and radical acceptance.And importantly, she explores the difference between:- Wants- Desires- Deal breakers … and how understanding these distinctions can save a relationship rather than sink it.✨ Highlights✔️ Why ADHD partners don’t “forget on purpose” (and why it still feels personal)✔️ How resentment builds when one partner becomes the “manager”✔️ Why you can’t make your partner change (but you can redesign the system together)✔️ The difference between equal and equitable in household roles✔️ How radical acceptance creates connection, not resignation✔️ Why ownership, not control, is the foundation of healthy partnershipThis episode is for anyone who’s ever asked: “Is this a relationship problem… or an ADHD pattern I don’t understand yet?”📺 Watch the full conversation with Melissa Orlov on Attention Different YouTube:👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferentSend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

💡 Hold on tightly, let go lightly.Sometimes the hardest part of ADHD adulting is figuring out which habits help us, and which ones quietly harm us.In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Lindsay Pitre—director, producer, twin, and lifelong ADHDer—to explore the New Year tension between resolutions, routines, relapse, and real-life coping. Diagnosed in her teens and now navigating her 30s, Lindsay reflects on the habits she clings to for comfort (like her beloved Diet Coke), the ones she’s learning to release, and the decades-long journey of building real coping mechanisms after years of being handed only medication.In this inspiring talk, we dig into the emotional anchors behind our behaviors, the social pressure to fit in, and the often-overlooked health implications ADHDers face—from impulsive habits to addiction-adjacent coping. Lindsay’s story moves from humor, to honesty, to a deeper truth: some habits protect us, some soothe us, and some slowly hurt us. And, learning the difference is the work of adulting.✨ Highlights ✨ ✔️ADHD “comfort habits” and how they form (Diet Coke, nicotine, sugar, etc.) ✔️Why overstimulation hits ADHDers harder, and how Lindsay masks in large rooms ✔️“Hold on tightly, let go lightly”: the habits worth keeping and worth releasing ✔️How impulsivity and compulsive behavior impact long-term health ✔️Relapse, self-compassion, and learning not to shame yourself ✔️Why support systems, therapists, and healthy partners matterThis episode is for anyone who’s ever said: “I know this habit isn’t helping me… but it’s the only thing keeping me steady.”📺 Watch the full Fireside Chat with Lindsay Pitre now on Attention Different YouTube: 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferentSend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent

💡 Sometimes the most effective way to stay consistent with ADHD is to gamify your routines so progress feels rewarding, not punishing.In this episode of Late, Not Less, host Devin Pitts-Rogers sits down with Casey Henderson—humanist, autodidact, disabled veteran, and proud ADHD enthusiast—to explore how adults with ADHD can create structure through external systems, gamification, and intentional strategy rather than willpower or shame.Casey shares how rediscovering his ADHD diagnosis in adulthood reframed everything, from financial planning and energy management to how he sets goals, stays consistent, and navigates chronic pain. Together, they break down why neurodivergent adults thrive when structure is visible, playful, and self-designed.Together, Devin and Casey unpack how ADHD shows up in daily life, from work and relationships to caffeine habits, market obsession, and the art of staying grounded in an overstimulated world.✨ Highlights ✨ ☑️ Why ADHD adults thrive with externalized systems and gamified goals. ☑️ How pain, distraction, and ambition coexist in neurodivergent lives. ☑️ The overlap between ADHD focus patterns and financial strategy. ☑️ Why “long-term play” thinking can be an ADHD strength. ☑️ The power of radical acceptance and finding peace with imperfection.More than an ADHD story, this is a reminder to build systems that work for your brain, not the one the world expects from you.📺 Watch the full episode of Late, Not Less on Attention Different YouTube: 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferentSend us a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe! --------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey• Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/attention_different• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent• X - https://www.x.com/attndifferent