Discover how to turn ADHD into a business superpower with insights from Meredith Carder, an ADHD coach, creator, and author. In my latest blog post, Meredith shares her journey with ADHD, highlighting the unique challenges and advantages it brings to entrepreneurship. Learn practical strategies for maintaining motivation, achieving work-life balance, and harnessing ADHD traits for success. Don't miss Meredith's inspiring story and actionable advice to transform your entrepreneurial journey.
Bio: Meredith Carder
Meredith Carder is an ADHD coach, creator, and writer. She holds a BS in psychology and an MBA. As a true multi-passionate adult with ADHD, Meredith has gained varied experience over the last 20 years working in employee training and development as well as tackling several small businesses. Meredith prides herself in her ability to hold a supportive space for her clients and facilitate lasting connections in her community for ADHD adults, the Hummingbird Hive. Her recent book, It All Makes Sense Now, seeks to both validate the challenges that exist with ADHD and provide empowering strategies for personal growth.
Introduction
Starting a business is a rollercoaster of emotions, ideas, and challenges. For those with ADHD, the journey can be even more exhilarating—and demanding. In a recent interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Meredith Carder, an ADHD coach, social media influencer, and author (see her bio above). Meredith shared her personal journey with ADHD, the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and invaluable strategies for thriving in business. Here's a glimpse into our conversation, filled with insights and advice for
ADHD entrepreneurs.
This Blog Interview Contains
A Journey Rooted in Personal Discovery
“ During that time, I worked with a coach, and it blew me away that I was able to make so much progress.” — Meredith Carder
Meredith's journey with ADHD began when she started suspecting her middle child had the condition. Immersing herself in ADHD literature and navigating her daughter's diagnostic process, which took a few years due to the exploration of suspected comorbidities, Meredith realized many ADHD traits resonated with her own experiences. This revelation led her to explore the world of ADHD coaching. She joined the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA), an accredited ADHD and life coach training program, and shortly afterward, although having been in the self-identified ADHD space for many years, sought a formal diagnosis.
"During that time, I worked with a coach, and it blew me away that I was able to make so much progress," Meredith shared. “I had delved into all the books and attempted to learn everything, but it didn’t quite click.” It was Meredith’s transformative experience as a client, combined with her background in employee coaching in the corporate world and her personal experience with ADHD, that made coaching a natural fit. "It was the missing piece for me," Meredith added.
The Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster
When asked about her career before starting her training with ADDCA, Meredith humorously describes her pattern of jumping around: having a kid, launching a business, returning to the corporate world (a cycle she attributes in hindsight to ADHD tendencies), and then repeating the process—having more kids and starting another venture. The expectation to be present from eight to five, even when there was no work to be done, was particularly challenging. Like many of us with ADHD, Meredith struggled with inconsistent focus and the demand to fit into a conventional work schedule.
Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, offered the autonomy Meredith craved. "I really felt like I was better suited for entrepreneurship," she said, citing the freedom from rigid corporate structures as a significant draw. But entrepreneurship comes with its own set of challenges. Without knowing she had ADHD, managing a business was overwhelming. However, having acquired fresh insight and filled in the knowledge gaps surrounding her ADHD, Meredith found success and fulfillment in her coaching practice. "I feel like this time around, working in my coaching practice, I have that missing piece of information that's allowing me to be successful on a long-term basis," she reflects.
“ We're such great ideators . . . [However,] we ruminate about our choices. It's almost like we have too much open space.” — Meredith Carder
Harnessing ADHD for Entrepreneurial Success
One of the critical aspects of thriving as an ADHD entrepreneur, according to Meredith, is understanding how your ADHD can set you up to be successful as an entrepreneur, as well as understanding where you may struggle as an entrepreneur. "We're such great ideators," she noted, emphasizing the creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that often draw ADHD individuals to entrepreneurship. However, the lack of built-in structure can lead to decision fatigue, inaction, or overworking. “We ruminate about our choices. It's almost like we have too much open space.”
Meredith also shared an important insight about the challenging early stages of entrepreneurship. "There really is a challenging spot for entrepreneurs where they have the idea, they've made the choice to go for it, but they don't have any work yet. They're not at the stage where projects or clients are coming in," she explains. During this phase, entrepreneurs can easily get stuck. Some might find themselves doing almost nothing, lost in their thoughts, and not taking any action. Others might overcompensate, trying to do too much too fast to fill the void.
Finding a balance during this initial stage is crucial. It's important to establish a middle ground where we can take consistent, measured actions rather than swinging between extremes. This understanding has helped Meredith navigate her entrepreneurial journey more effectively, ensuring she can sustain her efforts and achieve long-term success.
Navigating the Motivation Challenge
As our conversation continued, I asked Meredith about her thoughts on another significant hurdle many ADHD entrepreneurs face: maintaining motivation. "You’ve perfectly captured the challenges we encounter in filling our time constructively without the structure a corporate environment might offer. And when we're on our own, finding ways to stay motivated and foster momentum can be a struggle. I'm wondering if you can speak to the motivation piece for entrepreneurs."
Meredith nodded in agreement, elaborating on the unique challenges ADHD individuals face regarding motivation. "I think that the motivation piece is really tricky for people with ADHD because of our diminished availability to access dopamine, the molecule that plays a role in motivation," she explained. Meredith emphasized that understanding this difference is crucial for ADHD entrepreneurs. Unlike their neurotypical counterparts, they can't rely on waking up every day feeling
naturally motivated to work on their business.
"You're not going to necessarily wake up every day feeling super motivated towards working on your business," she continued. "You don't have any external accountability, creating some of that pressure that stimulates the ADHD brain. You might really want to do that work thing, but we’re dealing with different chemicals in our brain and a different state of being."
To address this, Meredith highlighted the importance of creating external motivators. Gentle, supportive accountability can make a significant difference. She suggested strategies such as body doubling sessions—where two people work alongside each other to maintain focus—and regular check-ins with a friend to report goals and progress. These methods help build motivation that doesn't always come naturally.
"As a society, we often think it's better to always be internally motivated," Meredith noted. "But as ADHD entrepreneurs, we sometimes have to work for that motivation and set things up that help us access it." Through our discussion, it became clear that understanding and accommodating the unique motivational needs of ADHD individuals can be a game-changer in their entrepreneurial journey. By creating accountability systems and recognizing the need for external motivators, ADHD entrepreneurs can maintain their drive and achieve long-term success.
Resilience in the Face of Failure
Curious about how Meredith handles setbacks, I asked, "What do you do when you experience failure, and what would you recommend that others do to handle failure? Obviously, failure happens as entrepreneurs. So how do we be resilient?"
Meredith leaned in, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, I think it's a skill that we have to build over time," she began. One of her favorite sayings is "fail forward," a phrase that resonates deeply with her because it acknowledges the reality of failure while emphasizing the importance of “learning from it rather than allowing it to be a source of shame.” Thus, Meredith's philosophy embraces the importance of using failure as information or feedback that tells us if we're moving in the right direction
or need to pivot.
“ As entrepreneurs, especially as solopreneurs, oftentimes we're out there on our own, and that failure happens, and it stays in our heads.” — Meredith Carder
Meredith also pointed out that individuals with ADHD often struggle with emotional regulation, which can make dealing with failure particularly challenging. To build resilience, she stressed the importance of growing one's capacity to tolerate uncomfortable emotions, a process that can be supported through psychotherapy. This allows entrepreneurs to externalize their feelings of failure rather than letting them fester and grow in their minds. "As entrepreneurs, especially as solopreneurs, oftentimes we're out there on our own, and that failure happens, and it stays in our heads," Meredith said. "Sometimes it just grows, and we ruminate on it, and it gets bigger, and it's a much bigger deal than it needs to be." To counter this, she emphasized the importance of having conversations with trusted friends or people with whom we can be vulnerable and share our failures. “Oftentimes, seeing it through other lenses supports us in changing our perspective and moving forward in a positive way rather than internalizing the failure.”
Failure is an inevitable part of entrepreneurship. Through our discussion, it became clear that resilience in entrepreneurship, especially for those with ADHD, involves not just learning from failures but also managing the emotional impact of those setbacks. By building a trusted support network and developing emotional regulation skills, entrepreneurs can navigate failures more effectively and gain momentum.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance
I expressed my appreciation for Meredith's insights, noting how valuable her perspective is, especially regarding reaching out to others for support. "Oftentimes, people are afraid to ask for help or resist reaching out because they fear being judged or seen as failures. We have to remember that we have a support team, and we can leverage that.” Moving on to the next topic, I asked, “Knowing the lives of entrepreneurs can be really demanding, how do you guide entrepreneurial clients in maintaining a healthy work-life balance?"
Meredith emphasized the importance of sustainability and avoiding burnout right from the start. "I really stress with my clients that in order to have a sustainable business, you have to go a little bit slower than you might want to initially,” she explained. "Oftentimes, we're so on fire at the beginning, but that's not sustainable long-term." For ADHD entrepreneurs, the initial excitement and intensity can lead to overcommitting and eventual burnout. It’s crucial to manage stressors consistently and set boundaries early on.
Sharing her strategies, Meredith explained how she helps clients define their boundaries around work hours and the number of clients they take each day. Many entrepreneurs might initially agree to work nights or weekends to build their business, but Meredith warns against this. "When we start making exceptions at the very beginning, that becomes the norm," she cautioned. These exceptions often lead to taking on more mentally draining clients, ultimately impacting the quality of their work and leading to burnout.
Meredith stressed that maintaining these boundaries is crucial. While the urge to take any business that comes their way can be strong, it’s not a sustainable long-term strategy. Entrepreneurs might end up with a busy business, but not the one they envisioned. "We took on too much and didn’t take on the right type of work or clients," she explained.
It’s clear that maintaining a healthy work-life balance for ADHD entrepreneurs involves setting distinct boundaries, managing stressors, and being mindful of the types of clients and work they take on. By doing so, they can build a sustainable, fulfilling business while still maintaining a sense of wellbeing.
Self-Care for Sustained Success
Our conversation then turned to self-care practices for ADHD entrepreneurs. I was curious about the specific routines Meredith might recommend.
"There are a couple of key practices I suggest," she began, sharing her own routines as examples. "Starting and ending every day with something that carves out time for yourself is really beneficial." For Meredith, this means beginning each morning with a run or walk or simply setting aside personal time. Even on days when she's eager to dive into work, she reminds herself to take this reflective time.
Meredith also emphasized the importance of having a transition routine at the end of the day. She suggests setting a timer for when you need to finish work and spending a few minutes identifying your top three priorities for the next day. This not only helps you start the next day with clarity but also gives you a sense of control over a busy schedule.
"Sometimes I do something semi-physical," she explained. "When the weather is nice, I might take 10 minutes to walk around the block, go to the mailbox, or do a few dishes around the house." These activities help her process the day without feeling like she's still working. Meredith noted that this is particularly helpful for those who tend to hyper-focus and work late into the night or those who struggle to switch off from work when at home.
She highlighted the importance of these routines for maintaining a balance, allowing entrepreneurs to pause, process, and mindfully transition into their evening activities, whether spending time with family, enjoying entertainment, or handling household tasks. By incorporating these practices, ADHD entrepreneurs can ensure they're not only productive but also taking care of their overall wellbeing.
The Importance of a Solid Foundation and Mindful Transitions
Reflecting on Meredith’s advice, I commented on the importance of establishing a solid foundation for success. "It sounds like just having the foundation in place, such as physical exercise or getting outside, is really important for setting yourself up for success, as is creating useful, beneficial habits. Setting aside a small amount of time daily to implement these self-care practices can really give you the kind of energy that you need to experience a state of flow with your business and have time and energy for life’s other priorities," I observed.
Meredith agreed wholeheartedly, adding her perspective on how these practices benefit those with ADHD. "It helps us because I think we'll always be sprinters with ADHD. We'll always have times when we're going really hard at something and times when we're struggling to even move our brains and our bodies," she explained. These self-care routines help balance those extremes, making the high-energy periods more productive and enjoyable without the subsequent burnout and headaches that can come from unchecked hyper-focus.
Meredith shared how incorporating mindful transitions into her day had significantly improved her overall wellbeing. "Sometimes, when we let the hyper-focus just have free reign, that's a recipe for burning out and headaches. It can be too much of a good thing, right?" she said. By having a built-in transition, Meredith found that she could add a level of mindfulness to her routine, which helped her manage the ebbs and flows of her ADHD.
Although she admitted that it might not be possible to stick to these routines every day, Meredith emphasized the positive impact they have had on her life. She recalled the days when she worked until the last minute before picking up her child, only to find herself mentally preoccupied and not fully present. "I spent too many days trying to work up to the last second before picking up a kiddo. And then I'm driving, and I realize, ‘Oh, I have to pay attention a little harder than this.’ Or ‘My kid's in the car, and I'm spinning, thinking about an idea because I don't want to forget it. And I'm not present with my kid.’"
Implementing these mindful practices made a significant difference for Meredith, helping her feel more balanced and present in her work and personal life. "I've noticed a huge difference in implementing that in the last couple of years in terms of how I generally feel overall. And it just feels so much more sustainable," she reflected. Such routines not only increase efficiency but also help maintain long-term balance and mental health for those with ADHD.
The Most Rewarding Aspect of Meredith’s Career
Curious about what brings Meredith the most joy in her work, I asked, "What's been the most rewarding aspect for you in your work as an ADHD coach?"
Meredith's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Oh my gosh, I don't know, everything. I love it so much. I'm so fortunate with this work," she began. She reflected on the profound impact her coaching has, not just on her clients but their entire network.
A recent conversation with a client particularly stood out to her. "This is probably top of mind because of a conversation I had with a client yesterday. She works for a college and is rethinking how she teaches now that she has a better understanding of ADHD and neurodiversity in general," Meredith recounted. The client's newfound awareness led her to make significant changes in her teaching methods to accommodate all her students better.
"It's not just the clients we're impacting as coaches," Meredith explained. "It's their family, it's the people around them, it's their students." The ripple effect of her work extends far beyond individual coaching sessions, influencing the lives of many.
Meredith finds immense fulfillment in these moments when the broader impact of her work becomes evident. "It can feel really impactful to be able to not just help one person but help a lot of individuals. And we don't always see that, but when we have those moments where that's apparent, it’s super rewarding."
Through these experiences, Meredith's passion for her work shines through, demonstrating the powerful and far-reaching effects of effective ADHD coaching.
The Power of Community Support
Intrigued by Meredith's insights on the broader impact of her work, I asked, "And speaking of addressing a wide audience and providing support for them, what do you advise entrepreneurs with ADHD to do to garner that community support for themselves?"
Meredith's response was both heartfelt and practical. "I think it's really important to find the people, and maybe they're in your industry, or maybe they just have similar work habits, but find somebody that gets it," she began. For entrepreneurs with ADHD, connecting with others who understand the unique challenges of being a solopreneur is crucial. "Our challenge is, I mean, yes, we have the same symptoms, but they present differently in this context of entrepreneurship."
Avoiding isolation is key. Meredith stressed the importance of making meaningful connections and shared her own experiences. "The people that I've met at ADHD conferences and through social media have become such an amazing support system for me," she said. These connections provided her with a safe space to be vulnerable and express her fears during tough times.
Meredith noted that while having supportive friends and family is helpful, finding people who share your point of reference and can relate to your struggles is incredibly comforting. "It's also such a powerful example to see other people having those fears and struggles and finding their way forward. There’s tons of motivation in that, and it just makes it more fun."
She emphasized that business will have its ups and downs, and having a support network can make all the difference. "I feel like it's going to stop being fun at certain times and certain phases in our business, and having those people around you that you can go to and talk to, I think, is invaluable."
Meredith concluded with a wise piece of advice: "I would never want an ADHD entrepreneur to try to be completely siloed on their own because that is very, very hard." Her words underscored the importance of community and its profound impact on sustaining motivation and enjoyment in the entrepreneurial journey.
Final Thoughts on Thriving with ADHD in Entrepreneurship
Developing Self-Trust and Creating Structure
As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Meredith if there was anything else she wanted to share with our readers about entrepreneurship. She paused momentarily, reflecting on all that she had already shared. "Gosh, off the top of my head, I can't think of anything. I've said a lot," she began with a smile. "I literally could talk about this topic for hours and hours and hours." However, she emphasized a crucial point for ADHD entrepreneurs: developing self-trust and establishing a personal structure early on. "The key to thriving in a business with ADHD is to develop self-trust and to find early on what structure is going to look like for you," Meredith explained. This structure doesn't need to mimic the rigid confines of the corporate world. Instead, it should provide enough of a framework to keep you moving forward.
Embracing the Why
Meredith also stressed the importance of enjoying the journey and keeping the work fun. "Make sure that you are enjoying it, it's fun, and you understand your why," she said. ADHD brains are highly interest-driven, and when work loses its spark, it becomes a struggle. Therefore, it's vital to continually re-spark the "why" behind your efforts. Ensuring you have strategies to reignite your passion and interest is essential for
long-term success. "Making sure you have things to kind of re-spark the 'why'—I think is really important along the way," Meredith concluded. Her insights provided a valuable reminder that for ADHD entrepreneurs, success is not just about hard work and strategy, but also about self-awareness, enjoyment, and continually reconnecting with the deeper motivations that drive us.
Recognizing the Wins
Wrapping up our discussion, Meredith added one final piece of advice that resonated deeply. "You know, one more thing that I think is super important in entrepreneurship is finding somewhere where you can notice your wins," she said, leaning forward with conviction. She explained that there are often clear markers of success in the corporate world, but entrepreneurship is different. "When we're entrepreneurs, oftentimes we think our win is making the sale or getting the client or reaching some kind of larger benchmark," she noted. However, it's crucial to recognize the smaller, everyday victories as well. Meredith suggested creating a practice to externalize these wins. "If we can create some kind of practice to externalize our wins more often, then we start noticing the process wins," she explained. Celebrating achievements like working on your business every day for a week or making progress on a long-procrastinated project can shift your perspective. "Our brains sometimes get into that all-or-nothing mode," she continued. "We only see that we're not as busy as we want to be and it's not working. So we have to find ways to show ourselves that progress is being made and wins are happening." This habit of acknowledging progress helps counteract the negative mindset of focusing only on significant milestones. Meredith emphasized that this needs to be done in a structured way, as it isn't naturally built into the entrepreneurial journey. "We have to do that in almost a structured way sometimes because it's not inherently built into entrepreneurship," she concluded. Her words underscored the importance of mindfulness and intentionality in recognizing success. By celebrating wins, both big and small, ADHD entrepreneurs can maintain motivation and a positive outlook, making the challenging journey of entrepreneurship more rewarding and fulfilling.
Meredith's Upcoming Book
Meredith's new book, It All Makes Sense Now: Embrace Your ADHD Brain to Live a Colorful and Creative Life, will be released on August 27th. While the book isn't exclusively about entrepreneurship, Meredith draws on her extensive experience in the business world, sharing personal stories that resonate deeply with entrepreneurs. "I talk about the wins, and I talk about the struggles too," Meredith explained. She candidly discusses how burnout led her to shut down a business that was doing well and highlights impulsivity's role in aiding and challenging her entrepreneurial ventures. This book is a treasure trove for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of ADHD. It combines personal anecdotes with science-backed information and strategies, making it a rich resource for both newcomers and those already familiar with ADHD. Meredith has thoughtfully designed the book to be accessible: "You can read a chapter and get something out of it, put it down, skip a chapter, and go to another chapter," she said. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a parent, a teacher, or someone simply looking to understand ADHD better, this book has something for you. It's structured to work seamlessly with the ADHD brain, offering flexibility and bite-sized insights that are easy to digest. You'll want to take advantage of this enlightening read. It All Makes Sense Now can be pre-ordered on Amazon. Get ready to embark on a journey of understanding, growth, and embracing the unique strengths of the ADHD brain.
Conclusion
Meredith Carder's journey is a testament to the incredible potential of ADHD individuals in entrepreneurship. Her story and advice offer a roadmap for navigating the unique challenges and harnessing the strengths of an ADHD brain. As Meredith aptly puts it, "You didn't start a business to hate your life every day. You have to do something to enjoy it." For more insights and to connect with Meredith, follow her on Instagram at hummingbird_ADHD.
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