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Running a Business with an ADHD Diagnosis

10 hours ago5 min read

If you’ve ever wondered how someone with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can successfully run a business, you’re not alone. In fact, someone once asked me, “How could you possibly run a business if you have ADHD?”

At the time, I had been diagnosed for a few months and had already dived deep into researching ADHD (aka watching way too many TikToks). The more I learned about how my brain worked, the more I thought, How could I not be successful with ADHD while owning a physical therapy practice and coaching business?

That’s why today, I want to have a real, heart-to-heart conversation about what it’s like to be a business owner with ADHD. I’ll share how ADHD has impacted my life and business, some of the challenges I’ve faced, and—most importantly—what I do to make it work. So, whether you have ADHD yourself, suspect you might, or just want some solid productivity strategies, I hope this helps. ADHD and business management, although may not seem like they go together, absolutely can.

My ADHD Journey

Before my ADHD diagnosis, I had been navigating life with some common struggles:

Getting overwhelmed by responsibilities
Feeling mentally exhausted all the time
Overcommitting and then crashing
Having a million ideas but struggling to execute them

At one point, I had even been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression, but ADHD never came up in therapy until a few years ago. Once it did, everything started making sense.

One of the biggest lightbulb moments for me was realizing that my love for planning wasn’t just a cute hobby—it was my brain’s way of staying afloat.

The Planner Obsession (A Big Clue)

One day, I was scrolling through TikTok and came across a woman talking about how she had always been obsessed with planners. She loved buying new ones, color-coding them, and using fancy highlighters.

This “hobby” as she called it, gave her great satisfaction both in her personal and professional life. This woman chalked her “hobby” up to something she thought was just a fun personality quirk—until she realized that without her planner, her life would completely fall apart. Come to find out, this was a symptom of ADHD.

As I sat there, staring at my phone I realized: She is me. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved planners, highlighters, stickers, and bullet journaling. Planning always felt like a comforting routine, and I enjoyed it when people told me I was “so organized.” But in reality, it wasn’t just a hobby for enjoyment—it was my method of survival.

Without a structured system, I’d forget everything, get overwhelmed, and freeze up. It wasn’t until this experience that I began to question this “hobby” of mine. This experience encouraged me to dive deep into the research on ADHD symptoms in women like myself. Fast forward several months, and after a conversation with my therapist about my suspicions, and digging through how I functioned day to day, I was diagnosed with ADHD.

If you resonate with this example or symptom, don’t panic. ADHD, although associated with its negative connotations, does not have to be negative at all. ADHD in adults happens to be a very common mental health condition, and many highly successful entrepreneurs cope with this issue on the daily. The key to my success, and probably many other entrepreneurs is ensuring proper systems are in place to foster productivity and success.

My ADHD-Friendly Systems for Business

As I mentioned before, if I don’t have some kind of system in place within my business, it’s very challenging for me to stay on top of things and execute the tasks at hand. To combat this symptom of ADHD, I’ve created a few routines to help me stay on top of things without completely burning out.

A Digital & Physical Planning System

Here’s what I use to keep things running smoothly on the daily:

Google Calendar → For events, meetings, and important deadlines
TickTick (a to-do list app) → For daily & weekly tasks (if it’s not in here, it doesn’t exist)
A small whiteboard → For tasks that need to get done ASAP (it sits right in front of my monitor)
Notion → For organizing long-term projects and big-picture planning

I also do a weekly reset, where I go through my calendar, tasks, and goals to make sure I’m not forgetting anything. You can learn more about my weekly reset at the blog post here.

Making Things Visible

If something is out of sight, it’s out of mind. So, I make sure important things are always visible.

Leaving items out as reminders
Writing down my daily priorities on my whiteboard
Using sticky notes on my laptop for urgent tasks

This helps me remember to do things instead of relying on my (not-so-reliable) brain.

Blocking Out Time for Tasks

For a long time, I used to severely underestimate how long it would take for me to complete tasks, which led to over-scheduling and burnout.

Today, I block time in my calendar for each task, always overestimating how long it’ll take. If I think a task will take 30 minutes, I schedule 45 minutes to an hour—just in case. For bigger projects, I double the time I think I’ll need. This prevents last-minute stress and keeps me ahead of schedule.

Learn more about time and task management as a business owner at the blog post here.

The One-Task Rule

Each day, I choose ONE non-negotiable task that has to get done.

If I get that one thing done, the day is a win. And usually, once I start, I gain momentum and do even more. But setting the bar lower helps me avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Making Boring Tasks Fun

ADHD brains hate boring tasks. To combat this, I trick myself into doing them by adding something enjoyable:

Housework? → Listen to an audiobook or podcast
Emails? → Make a fancy coffee or tea
Laundry? → Watch a YouTube video while folding

Essentially, I bribe myself into getting things done.

Journaling to Clear My Brain

Nighttime is typically when my mind races with thoughts. To help with this, I keep a notebook on my nightstand and dump all my thoughts onto paper before bed. It’s like a Pensieve from Harry Potter—I’m literally pulling thoughts out and putting them somewhere safe. This helps me sleep better and wake up feeling less mentally cluttered.

Handling Rejection Sensitivity in Business

Oftentimes, people with ADHD will also struggle with rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD).

Sales, marketing, outreach—it all involves hearing “no” a lot. And at first, I took every “no” personally.

But now, I remind myself:

The right people will say yes.
The wrong people saying no is a good thing.
It’s not about me—it’s about what’s best for them.

The more I separate my self-worth from whether or not I land a client, the easier it gets.

Learn more about what it takes to be a good salesperson at the blog post here.

Conclusion

Being diagnosed with ADHD shouldn’t be a limitation—it’s just a different way of operating. I’ve learned that modifying my environment and creating systems allows me to thrive in business without constant stress.

If you’re struggling with ADHD (or just feel overwhelmed in general), I hope some of these ADHD entrepreneur tips help! And if you’re thinking about starting your own business but feel like ADHD might hold you back—don’t let anyone tell you it’s not possible. With the right systems, you can absolutely succeed.

Plus, if you’d like someone to walk you step-by-step through how to grow your cash based practice, reach out! We offer one-on-one business coaching in our DPT to CEO program. Or if you’d like to find out more about if our program would be the right fit for you, book a free discovery call with us. We can discuss your goals, current state of your practice, and what your next best steps would be.