some nifty business tips for folks with adhd

“But ADHD is a superpower!” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard that response when revealing my ADHD diagnosis at 34.

To an outsider, it’s assumed that I’ve been gifted a head start in life and, on paper, it might look that way too — lawyer, CEO of a business, mum of two young children and a wife.

But behind all of those ‘achievements’ lies a constant burden: an overflowing screenshots folder; procrastinating making that phone call for days; a never-ending to-do list; 742 new product or business ideas; a house that permanently looks like an indoor laundry; a terrible track record of actually implementing the business strategies dreamt up at 3am and the pervasive shiny object syndrome that leaves me with 14 draft emails by 4pm — and nothing actually completed.

Despite these challenges, I’ve created incredible growth in my business by tackling my ADHD traits head-on. Here’s how I’ve managed to turn those challenges into strategies that work for me.

OUTSOURCE YOUR ENERGY DRAIN Identify those tasks you loathe and find a way to delegate them — your time is too precious to waste on something that drains you. We’re often told that, to grow a business, you need to outsource the elements within your business that aren’t in your genius zone. While there’s a lot of truth in that advice, I personally found that the biggest win was overhauling how I spend the time in my personal life. I now use that unlocked time to focus on my business and spending quality time with my family.

I kept a journal for seven days and wrote down what I was doing each day by the hour. It led to a startling realisation that I’d known for a while: I hate laundry. I despise it and it was eating up my time and mental energy. Not only was it costing me four hours per week, but countless hours on top just procrastinating about doing the laundry. Once I made that realisation, I knew that I needed to make a change and, just like that, I had much more than four hours back in my week during daylight hours. Find the energy drain and outsource it.

FIND YOUR ROUTINE “Eat the frog” is a popular productivity mantra, urging you to tackle the toughest task first thing in the morning. But here’s the truth: I’ve tried it countless times and I barely ever make it past the eyes. Instead, I procrastinate, ending the day with 17 half-written draft emails, and feeling more overwhelmed than when I started.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that easing into my workday with a simple task and tricking my brain into productivity is the key to unlocking progress. If I really need to concentrate, I’ll put on music that annoys me — yes, you read that right — until I’m in the groove and then I turn it off once I’ve started eating that frog. Experiment with routines until you find one that fits your style.

PICK ONE MARKETING CHANNEL The marketing gurus pedal the ‘omnichannel’ marketing approach — Meta ads, Google ads, TikTok, Pinterest, Organic Socials, Influencer campaigns, User-Generated Content creators, PR campaigns and more. My personal experience has taught me that while that strategy may work well for those who have large teams or are neurotypical, for those of us with ADHD, it’s a recipe for disaster.

I used to wake up at 4am hyper-focused on some new marketing strategy, only to abandon it weeks later, unfinished and unsuccessful. The problem isn’t the idea: it’s the execution. ADHD brains can get overwhelmed by too many options, leading to what I call ‘shiny object syndrome’. By focusing on one marketing channel and doing it really, really well, you shut out the noise. Strip back your focus, master one thing, and you’ll avoid spreading yourself too thin.

EXERCISE REGULARLY It’s not just good for our physical health, but for managing ADHD symptoms. I find laps at the pool and deadlifting soothe the chaos in my mind. Plus, there can often an “aha!” moment while exercising. Epiphanies happen when we’re not actively focusing on a problem. Instead, our subconscious continues to process the information until we get an epiphany. I’ve come up with some great ideas while swimming laps.

Whether it’s a morning walk, a swim at the local pool, a Pilates session, or even a quick dance around your living room, find a way to move your body daily.

CELEBRATE THE WINS Love it or loathe it, ADHD brains are always on the go. It’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of tasks and to-do lists without ever stopping to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished. I keep an old coffee jar on my desk and write down all of my wins on coloured Post-It notes, put them inside the jar, and at the end of each week or month, I take time to reflect on them. This practice grounds me and reminds me of the progress I’ve made, even on the days when it feels like I’m spinning my wheels. Having coloured notes in a clear jar close to me also means that I can’t forget about it.

Juggling a business with ADHD isn’t about following someone else’s playbook. It’s about creating a system that works for you, playing to your strengths, and finding ways to mitigate the challenges. With these strategies in place, you can harness the power of your ADHD brain to build something amazing — without burning out in the process.

For more small-business stories like this, visit frankie.com.au/strictly-business, or sign up to our monthly e-newsletter. Have a small-business story you’d like to share? Pitch it to us.