ADHD-ish

• Daily Habits That Make Your ADHD Worse

  For this last episode of ADHD-ish during ADHD Awareness Month, host Diann Wingert welcomes Alan P. Brown, acclaimed ADHD coach and creator of the ADD Crusher program, for a candid and practical conversation about the everyday habits that make ADHD more challenging. Focusing on making ADHD easier to manage (and avoiding the traps we so often fall into), Diann and Alan break down what really sabotages our brains and share actionable tools to turn things around.Alan shares practical tips and science-backed insights on why sugar and simple carbs can sabotage focus, how movement (not just "exercise") is essential for managing ADHD, and why consistent sleep hygiene is often the missing link for better mental clarity. They also get real about the seductive pull of screens, the pitfalls of "revenge bedtime procrastination," and how to set up healthier habits even if you struggle with planning ahead.Episode Overview & Key TopicsWhy Sugar and Simple Carbs Are So Tempting (and Toxic)The neuroscience of sugar, dopamine, and ADHD brainsWhy people with ADHD reach for snacks more oftenPortable proteins, smart snacks, and what to keep out of your pantryThe "Immediate Gratification" TrapHow impulsivity and habit shape eating and lifestyle choicesSimple prepping strategies for making healthier choices easierExercise Without the PressureHow movement supports the ADHD brain (hint: it’s more than fitness!)The real benefits: BDNF (“Miracle-Gro for the brain”), focus, and moodHow to start (or restart) with what you're “willing” and “able” to doThe Underrated Power of SleepHow sleep deprivation mimics ADHD and worsens executive functionThe role of “revenge bedtime procrastination” and the “second wind” Huberman Lab-inspired tips for honoring circadian rhythm and better restScreen Sucking & The Modern ADHD SaboteurHow screens (phones, apps, streaming) are addictive false friendsThe myth of “restful scrolling” and how screens prevent true breaksGuilt-free social media windows and restorative breaksQuick Self-Check: Alan’s One-Simple-Step ApproachRate yourself in three key areas: diet, sleep, and exercise (scale of 0–10)Identify your lowest score and add ONE actionable change Use sticky notes and gentle accountability to turn intention into habitsGuest Bio: Alan P. BrownAlan P. Brown created the award-winning ADD Crusher™ video program for ADHD teens/adults. Undiagnosed for decades, his untreated ADHD manifested in underachievement, substance abuse, and worse. Once diagnosed, he found it difficult to learn coping strategies from books, so he researched his own evidence-based “brain hack” strategies to fuel a successful advertising career and two start-ups. In addition to his successful coaching program, Alan is also a best-selling author and a conference and TEDx speaker. Resources mentioned during the episode:Books by John Ratey: Driven to Distraction, SPARK BJ Fogg: The Fogg Behavior Model The Huberman Lab: #1 Health Podcast Merlin Mann Inbox Zero

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• When Less is More: The Case for a Single Offer in Your Business

  For years, conventional business advice encouraged solopreneurs—especially coaches and consultants—to create an “offer suite”: a series of programs at different price points to capture and serve more clients. At first glance, more offers seem to promise more income and greater accessibility. But each new program isn’t just something else to sell—it’s a whole new decision tree to keep track of, pitch, deliver, and market. But the reality is that running multiple offers often leads to decision fatigue and distracts from delivering great results. Worse, entry-level offers can attract clients who aren’t quite ready, resulting in disappointments all around—a classic case of “people pleasing dressed up as accessible business strategy.”Enter the Single Offer Solution. A singular offer means holding cleaner boundaries—with yourself and your clients. It reduces mental clutter, allows you to pour your energy into one area of expertise, and makes marketing beautifully simple. Every piece of content, every referral, every case study supports one clear transformation.5 Keys You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy more isn’t always better — Learn how the mental load of multiple offers can multiply (not just add) to your overwhelm.When a single offer makes strategic sense — What life circumstances and business seasons call for focusing on one thing?How a singular offer can clarify your marketing — No more juggling messages for different audiences. Say hello to SIMPLICITY and being memorable!Building flexibility within one offer — Diann shares real tactics (payment plans, pacing choices, modular components) so “single” doesn’t mean “rigid.”Taking care of your brain (and your business) — Get honest about energy, boundaries, and sustainable growth—especially if you’re neurodivergent.Fun Fact from the EpisodeRepetition actually builds mastery AND your reputation! Focusing on just one offer can skyrocket client results and make you the go-to expert—and much easier to refer to without a f*ck-ton of marketing.About the HostDiann Wingert is a former psychotherapist and serial entrepreneur turned business coach, specializing in helping entrepreneurs with ADHD and other “not-so-neurotypical” brains thrive. Drawing from both her clinical expertise and business experience, Diann delivers actionable advice, real-world strategies, and a refreshingly honest perspective on building a business, balancing priorities, and protecting your most precious resources: your time and your creative energy.Next steps: Grab Diann's self-assessment to help you determine whether a single-offer model is right for your business right now. Click here for your free copy.Coming soon: Don’t miss the next episode! Diann is joined by Alan P. Brown of ADD Crusher to discuss what you’re doing every day that is making your ADHD worse. Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode.© 2025 ADHD-ish Podcast. Intro music by Ishan Dincer / Melody Loops / Outro music by Vladimir / Bobi Music / All rights reserved.

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• Neurodiversity, Intersectionality & Authenticity

  Welcome to another episode of ADHD-ish! In this thought-provoking conversation, host Diann Wingert is joined by neurodivergent leadership coach Ron Sosa for an in-depth conversation on neurodiversity, intersectionality, and authenticity. Together, they explore the complex ways our overlapping identities, including neurodivergence, sexuality, race, and disability, shape how we experience the world and present ourselves to others. Ron shares his personal journey navigating multiple identities, including being a white, gay, hard-of-hearing man with both ADHD and autism, and opens up about the nuanced decisions behind which identities he chooses to “lead with” in different settings.The episode delves into real-life challenges like masking, passing, and code-switching, examining how these adaptive behaviors can be both empowering and exhausting—depending on whether they’re chosen or enforced out of necessity. Diann and Ron discuss the complicated layer of “family secrets”, the constant mental calculations neurodivergent and marginalized individuals make around safety and acceptance, and offer powerful insights about reclaiming agency in how we self-identify. What you’ll hear in this episode:How Identities Stack and Interact: Ron walks us through how he thinks about and organizes his different identities—ADHD, autistic, white male, gay, and hard of hearing—and the personal and social factors that influence which aspects he shares in different situations.Navigating Safety and Disclosure: The conversation highlights the calculation involved in deciding which identity to disclose, considering factors like safety, context, and anticipated reactions from others.Invisible and Visible Disabilities: Ron shares honest experiences about masking, particularly with his hearing impairment, and the additional challenges posed by disabilities that are not immediately visible.Masking as Tool vs. Survival Mechanism: Diann and Ron discuss the difference between masking as a conscious, empowering choice and masking as a depleting necessity, including how the need to “pass” or “camouflage” can both protect and exhaust someone with multiple marginalized identities.Passing, Code-Switching, and Camouflage: The benefits and drawbacks of being able to “pass” in certain environments, including the emotional toll and moments of empowerment when one can choose how and when to reveal their authentic self.Guest Bio:Ron Sosa is a neurodivergent, gay, hard-of-hearing leader who has walked unconventional paths through veterinary medicine, coaching, and leadership development. From the client service desk to executive roles, his story isn’t linear, and that's a testament to resilience, reinvention, and radical empathy.Too many leaders feel like they’re wearing a mask and are exhausted from trying to fit into outdated expectations. They’re stuck managing overwhelm, struggling with conflict, and questioning whether they belong in leadership at all. They are not broken; the system is. Ron helps leaders unlearn what leadership “should” look like and rebuild from a place of clarity, confidence, and alignment with their neurotype, values, and rhythm through Syn-APT Neuroinclusive Leadership.Find Ron Sosa online:Website - LinkedIn Mentioned during the episode:Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' Stages of Grief...

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• What is an ADHD Business Coach?

  There’s never been more buzz about ADHD and entrepreneurship. Awareness is growing, and that’s a victory worth celebrating. More business owners are recognizing that an ADHD brain brings both game-changing opportunities and unique challenges—ones that generic business advice just can't touch.But where there is growth, there is also noise, and the ADHD business coaching scene is becoming a bit of a “Wild, Wild West.” No licensing board, no universally accepted regulations, and plenty of people selling shiny promises with little substance. The ADHD coaching label is being slapped on all sorts of programs, leaving business owners in need wondering: who can I really trust with my business, my brain, and my hard-earned money?About the HostDiann Wingert is a former psychotherapist and serial entrepreneur turned business coach, specializing in helping entrepreneurs with ADHD and other “not-so-neurotypical” brains thrive. Drawing from both her clinical expertise and personal experience, Diann delivers actionable advice, real-world strategies, and a refreshingly honest perspective on building a business, balancing priorities, and protecting your most precious resources: your time and your creative energy.Defining "ADHD Business Coach"A major misconception is that being a certified ADHD coach with a coaching business is enough to qualify as an ADHD business coach. The truth? The skills needed for managing ADHD and those needed to build sustainable business systems for an ADHD brain are worlds apart.ADHD coaching typically zeroes in on organization, productivity, time management, and emotional regulation. ADHD business coaching requires a deep understanding of how neurodivergent thinking plays out in the areas of business strategy, marketing, operations, and client delivery. In other words, it’s about knowing not just that typical strategies fail for ADHD entrepreneurs, but why—and being able to offer effective alternatives.Here’s my checklist for vetting an ADHD business coach—myself included:How do they run their business? Is it ADHD-friendly and sustainable, or are they “winging it” and modeling burnout?Can they answer nuanced questions about ADHD and business beyond the basics? How does rejection sensitivity impact marketing? Why do traditional sales funnels often fail?How do they talk about ADHD? Are they focused on deficits to “fix” or differences to leverage?Does their content feel ADHD-aligned? Or does it sound like a typical business guru tossing in some neurodivergent SEO keywords?Take a look at their boundaries. Strong boundaries signal true expertise and self-care—not codependency with a price tag.My coach approach is simple and built on three principles:Uncomplicate Your Business: ADHD brains get swamped by unnecessary complexity. Instead of piling on endless marketing channels or busywork, focus on what actually moves the needle. Eliminate the rest to avoid burnout.Uncover Your Brilliance: ADHD entrepreneurs often have wildly innovative ideas, but years of hearing they should do things a certain way dims that spark. The real magic comes from aligning offers with your strengths and values, making sales a natural conversation rather than a high-pressure hustle.Turn ADHD into an Asset: Instead of treating ADHD as something to manage, the right coach helps you turn traits like pattern recognition, hyperfocus, and flexibility into your business’s superpowers.Do You Even Need an ADHD Business Coach?Here’s a refreshing truth: not everyone needs specialized ADHD...

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• Developing Confidence as a Business Owner

  Today’s guest, CherylAnn Crego, joins me on the ADHD-ish podcast for a Client Success Story episode. She first heard me speak on a webinar for ADDitude Magazine called “How to Build a Business That Works With Your ADHD Brain” and decided to reach out a short time later. In this episode, CherylAnn and I share the outcomes from our six-month coaching engagement. Here are three key lessons from CherylAnn’s story for anyone managing multiple responsibilities while living with neurodivergence:Embrace the “Nooks and Crannies” of Time: You don’t always need a full day or a perfect schedule to make progress. CherylAnn leverages unexpected gaps in her day to move projects forward—proving that momentum can be built in the margins.Growth Can Mean Letting Go: Sometimes leadership requires making tough calls, like sunsetting a beloved business. CherylAnn shared how being honest about capacity and leading family and team members through disappointment is true leadership—and it’s okay to grieve business decisions. She also shares some vulnerable moments while talking about letting go of ego in service to growth. Confidence Can Be Cultivated (at Any Stage): Even as an experienced therapist, CherylAnn found new confidence by being open to coaching, embracing affirmations, and reframing challenges as opportunities to grow. A Different “Take” on a Delayed ADHD DiagnosisCheryl Ann reflects on her midlife ADHD diagnosis and discusses how learning to build life strategies before even knowing she had ADHD turned out to be a hidden blessing.For me, some of the most satisfying things about sharing the experience and outcomes from our work are how CherylAnn came to see herself in a new way, how she embraced the role of being “the boss,” and why finding the right support (and having a little fun) is essential when choosing the right coach, especially for someone who is accustomed to figuring things out on their own. Client BioCherylAnn Crego is the co-founder of Chef Kent Getzen, a consulting business she started with her husband, whom she lovingly refers to as “the talent.” Together, they travel across the country teaching schools how to cook from scratch, source ingredients locally, and develop essential cooking skills. Like many individuals with ADHD, CherylAnn is multi-passionate and multi-talented. In addition to being the CEO (and business brain) of the consulting business, CherylAnn is also a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, is in the midst of writing her first book, and has an extensive background in the performing arts. Mentioned during the interview John Sovec - Diann’s friend and therapist who used to work for DisneyDisney Front of House & Back of House distinctionsNeurodiversion 2025 - the conference in Austin, where we hung out in personADDitude Magazine - the leading website for resources and support for ADHD Want to hear more Client Success Stories?

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