The Easily Distracted Entrepreneur

If you’re neurodivergent, you likely struggle with focus. You spend hours and hours (and hours!) trying to get a task done but are derailed by distractions from every direction. And most of these distractions are manufactured by YOU. The 40+ tabs on your computer, the smartphone “calling your name,” the random idea that you need to research RIGHT THIS MINUTE. And, my favorite distraction, social media.

It’s no wonder we struggle to get work done.

Though technology has created so many ways to distract us, it’s also created ways to help us focus on what’s important to us. And this week on the podcast, Jessie Patterson is sharing what some of these are.

Jessie helps people unlock their authentic dream life, something she did herself by figuring how to be more productive while working less and living a nomadic lifestyle. As a fellow neurodivergent, Jessie understands how our brains work and has tips, tricks, and tools you can try so you can live your own best life.

About Jessie Patterson:

Jessie Patterson helps clients unlock their time to build an authentic dream life. As a former Real Estate Development Executive, Jessie was able to reimagine her digital habits to unlock 38 days of her year back when she thought she had ZERO extra time.

Jessie is now focused on the most valuable real estate in the world...the mind & body. As a Transformational Coach and founder of NourishX she helps her clients with keys to unlocking their dreams via coaching programs and online courses.

Every purchase provides 15%+ towards impact partners that are working to create a world where all kids have quality education, housing, food, and water.

You can learn more on Jessie’s website, follow her on Instagram, and connect with her on LinkedIn.

Links and Resources:

• Focusmate
• Win the Day
• Are Your Stories Keeping You Stuck?
• Foundations of Focus for Entrepreneurs

Time Stamps:

• [1:02] - Spending time in a magical place
• [1:43] - Welcoming Jessie Patterson
• [2:40] - Made small changes to unlock time, energy, and mindset to get days back in her life
• [6:04] - Honor your differences when it comes to your dream life
• [8:43] - You can question the narrative
• [10:29] - Learning that being dyslexia is part of being neurodivergent
• [12:56] - Focusing on your creativity is a more fun world than focusin gon what you don’t do well
• [14:58] - Reimagine how you could live
• [15:42] - Your mind is a jail that keeps you blocked
• [16:34] - We spend 2.5 hours a day on social...that’s 38+ days of your year
• [17:30] - Are your stories keeping you stuck
• [18:46] - The power of the digital detox
• [19:29] - How often do you pick up your phone and hours pass?
• [21:30] - Getting caught up in your business is a fallacy
• [22:11] - Instead of Googling something, make a note in Notes and go back to it later
• [24:0]5 - Allow yourself rest so you can show up as your best self
• [26:30] - Working too much is robbing us of our happiness
• [29:46] - Work on one task for 10 minutes
• [31:01] - Strategies to unblock time
• [33:47] - Over 45% of our day is habits
• [36:15] - Don’t beat yourself up if something feels hard
• [39:55] - Start with one small thing

In a world where conformity seemed to reign, Kierra Jones dared to be different. Little did she know that her uniqueness would become her greatest strength. As she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey, she discovered an unexpected twist that transformed her entire perspective. What was this twist that empowered her to create a thriving business and find fulfillment? Stay tuned to find out how embracing her authenticity led to a remarkable journey of success and self-discovery.

Embrace Unique Qualities Embracing your unique qualities is a fundamental aspect of entrepreneurship. This refers to acknowledging and leveraging your distinct characteristics, skills, and perspectives in how you conduct your business. Doing so not only creates a brand that authentically represents you but also fosters an environment where your business can thrive and stand out from the rest.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Explore the role of your distinct traits in shaping your business realm.
• Learn to handle feelings of not being enough, transforming them into stepping stones for growth and knowledge.
• Acknowledge the fleeting nature of imposter energy - a strategy for maintaining your composure amidst chaos.
• Take control of your professional domain, understanding the importance of being seen and heard.
• Delve into the process of instilling self-reliance and the simplification of business proposals, climbing the ladder of entrepreneurship.

Timestamped summary of this episode: 00:00:02 - Missing Recording Snafu, The conversation starts with a discussion about a recording mishap where the guest's Adderall shortage caused a distraction. Despite the setback, they express excitement about the upcoming discussion. 00:01:08 - Embracing Distractions as an Entrepreneur, The guest discusses the challenges of being a distracted entrepreneur and how she manages distractions in her workspace. They highlight the importance of adapting to unexpected interruptions and embracing the flexibility of the entrepreneurial life. 00:04:06 - Finding Connection Through Visibility, The conversation shifts to the topic of visibility and how it relates to feeling like an outsider. They emphasize the value of connecting with like-minded individuals and the validation that comes from finding your tribe in the online space. 00:07:26 - Embracing Differences and Contributing, They discuss the importance of embracing and valuing differences in the entrepreneurial world. They touch on imposter syndrome and how it can be overcome by recognizing the unique contributions each individual brings to the table. 00:10:56 - Embracing Continuous Learning, The guest shares a powerful insight about the importance of continuous learning and growth as experts in their fields. Embracing the mindset of co-creation and understanding that there is always more to learn can lead to greater success and fulfillment. 00:15:16 - Mindset and Strategy in Business, The conversation shifts to the mindset and strategy required in entrepreneurship. The guest talks about the importance of embracing the evolution of one's message and recognizing that triggers and challenges may resurface at different stages of business. 00:18:08 - Letting Go of Control, The guest shares her insights on surrendering and letting go of control in various aspects of life, such as relationships and weight loss journeys. She encourages entrepreneurs to do their part but also recognize when they need to trust the process and surrender to external factors. 00:20:32 - Accepting the Flow of Business, The hosts discuss the challenges of launching and how unexpected opportunities can arise. They emphasize the importance of accepting and appreciating the blessings that come along, even if they don't align with the initial plans. 00:23:25 - Building Trust in Business, The conversation concludes with a discussion on building trust in business by aligning offers with one's values and message. The guest shares her experience of initially having multiple offers but realizing the importance of focusing on aligned offerings for success. 00:25:19 - Making Decisions and Trusting Yourself, Kierra discusses the importance of making decisions based on what feels right and letting go of unnecessary offers. She emphasizes the need to trust in oneself and limit the number of offers to avoid distractions. Trust is a key component of personal and business growth, and it evolves over time. 00:26:16 - Balancing Business and Life, Kierra reminds entrepreneurs to not forget about their personal lives and relationships while focusing on their businesses. Trust is not limited to just the business realm, but also extends to other aspects of life, such as relationships and self-care. Expanding and evolving trust allows for a more holistic approach to success. 00:27:28 - Selling with Confidence and Joy, Kierra shares her experience of selling clothe...

I’m finding more and more entrepreneurs who are navigating divorce while trying to keep their businesses afloat. And that’s not just because I’m a couples therapist. I think many people have finally gotten to the point where what they’ve been doing isn’t working or they’re just not happy, and they decide that divorcing is the right path forward.

That’s the case for this week’s podcast guest, Casey Gromer, fractional CMO and host of the Female Founders Breaking Boundaries podcast. Casey is sharing her story of recently getting divorced while still trying to show up in exactly the same way in her business.

I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that this just isn’t possible. Even in an amicable split, there’s so much going on and so many life changes that you have to give yourself some grace for taking care of yourself.

I’m so grateful that Casey was willing to share her story and her struggles because I know she is not alone in this journey.

Throughout the episode, Casey and I reference my interview on her podcast where we talk more about the emotional side of divorce. Find a link to that episode below!

About Casey Gromer:

Casey Gromer is a 20-year business and marketing expert. As an MBA, she is widely regarded as a go-to source for visionary women entrepreneurs who dream of building businesses to run without them. She is passionate about creating a more equitable landscape for women in business and working to remove common barriers that hold them back.

Casey is podcast host of Female Founders Breaking Boundaries where she encourages women to forgo stale, inflexible business advice in favor of more realistic, workable ways of running their business while still achieving success. Additionally, Casey is the author of “A Fresh Wave of Marketing,” a no-nonsense guide to simplifying the creation of business and marketing strategy.

As founder of C-Suite Boutique, Casey currently serves women entrepreneurs in an advisory role. Under her leadership, clients have scaled their businesses while working less and spending more time doing things they love. The industries she’s supported include retail, e-commerce, service businesses, and manufacturing.

Links and Resources:

• C-Suite Boutique
• Forge Your Own Path with Casey Gromer
• Female Founders Breaking Boundaries
• Listen to Amber on Casey’s podcast
• Foundations of Focus Course
• Hannah Smolinski YouTube Channel
• Connect with Casey on LinkedIn
• Follow Casey on Instagram

Time Stamps:

• [0:50] - Casey’s previous episode
• [1:36] - Who is Casey
• [2:09] - Double podcast and Casey’s story
• [4:09] - Foundations of Focus course is on presale
• [6:03] - The impact that going through a divorce has on your business
• [7:34] - Where Casey is in this process
• [9:31] - In stage of life where divorce is more prevalent
• [10:35] - Even if you were the one to initiate the divorce, you still haven’t processed it all
• [11:01] - The reality of starting the process of divorce
• [12:20] - The waiting to return to normal
• [13:28] - Different stages of the divorce process
• [17:07] - Being upset doesn’t mean you made the wrong decision
• [18:25] - You want to achieve goals, but things feel crappy right now
• [20:17] - Now that I know what’s happening, how can I proactively restructure work
• [22:48] - We discount the impact this stuff has on us
• [23:29] - Adding tasks to your list that you might not have been doing before
• [26:16] - Letting go of your partner’s income
• [30:04] - Let go of some of your work and outsource it
• [32:30] - Fear that your reputation is being tarnished
• [34:51] - Set expectations with clients and know you’ll recover if they leave
• [36:40] - Getting insurance is expensive
• [38:13] - The euphoria is gone
• [40:41] - You don’t have to be superhuman
• [41:45] - What she’s thinking about as she moves forward
• [44:23] - Reassess and let go of the “have to”
• [45:44] - You can’t work your own magic on yourself
• [48:25] - You “should” know something but it’s not the same when you’re in it
• [49:05] - Hairstylists don’t cut their own hair, tattoo artists don’t give themselves tattoos
• [53:26] - What’s happening is normal; learn from Casey’s mistakes

Entrepreneurship can be really challenging, especially when you’re neurodivergent. We’re responsible for our own energy and ensuring that the long to-do list we make for ourselves gets done each day or week.

But long to-do lists don’t work for our ADHD brains. In fact, they probably hinder our progress.

Instead, we need little hacks to create momentum in our business, even when (especially when) we’re just not feeling it right now. I’ve had many of those moments where my toddler brain threw a tantrum instead of getting the work done. So I’ve had to get creative on how I regroup and keep moving forward.

And sometimes, a little bit of accountability doesn’t hurt either.

Listen in this week as I share six ways you can create more momentum in your business if you’re feeling stuck right now. More momentum in business usually means feeling better in life too. Who doesn’t want that!?

Links and Resources:

• Join the Inner Circle membership

Time Stamps:

• [0:44] - Having the most productive day, week, or season? Or not?
• [1:50] - Creating momentum is so underutilized in entrepreneurship
• [2:33] - My brain is like a toddler
• [3:55] - Have a realistic to-do list
• [6:37] - It’s time to get organized
• [8:35] - Have a plan
• [10:30] - Be aware of momentum blockers
• [11:04] - If you’re going through ahrd things, give yourself a break
• [12:20] - Hormones will impact your energy and productivity
• [13:19] - Every time you task switch, you lose momentum
• [14:03] - Don’t skip your eating schedule
• [15:06] - Have a morning routine
• [18:18] - Each day is a fresh start
• [22:33] - What little momentum maker will you do today
• [22:28] - Get more support for yourself

Ky Westcott, an East Coast boy with a West Coast heart, embarks on a neurospicy journey to come to terms with his ADHD, high functioning anxiety, and depression while discovering the power of negotiation and knowledge to overcome his mental health challenges.

In this episode we discuss:

• How to navigate and manage mental health with neurodivergence, particularly in the black community.
• The importance of validating one's own feelings and emotions, and how to apply that knowledge in the future.
• The power of working with your brain, focused attention, and excitement in achieving extraordinary results.

Kai Westcott is a mental health humorist, director, digital creator, writer, and producer. He has been documenting his neurospicy journey for the past year and uses his social media platforms and website to share his journey and lend his platforms to other people.

If you love hearing about people’s journey’s you might like these other interviews in the “My Neurodivergent Brain” series.

https://amberhawley.com/my-neurodivergent-brain-with-annie-ruggles/

Find out more about The Vibe With Ky: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevibewithky/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyruskeenanwestcott/ Website: https://thevibewithky.com/

Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsamberhawley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsamberhawley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsamberhawley/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsamberhawley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/amberhawley Website: https://amberhawley.com/ Loved this episode? Share it with a friend. Chapter Summaries:

[00:00:49] Ky Westcott is a mental health humorist, a director, a digital creator, writer, producer. He is also the person that introduced me to the term neurospic. Anything to do with mental health or entertainment or social media, kai's your guy. Listen to the actual interview. [00:04:25] The Vibe with kai has been documenting his neurospicy journey for the past year. Kai has all three ADHD, high functioning anxiety and severe depression. He loves inviting mental health professionals onto his platform to give out their insight. [00:06:27] I didn't even find out until I was 41 that I had ADHD. Now that I have a better understanding of a lot of it, I realize that I'm thankful that it did happen. I don't know what kind of person I would be today if it weren't for my journey. [00:12:24] There is not a lot of research behind black people and mental health. For so many people of color, what they're going through is discounted. There's tons of misdiagnoses that are happening to this day because there's just no research behind it. [00:16:57] I think it's also we're experts in ourselves, right? We know our particular, like how we do things. Sometimes we need help seeing those patterns or getting unstuck. And so when so I know it's only been a year, I'm actually surprised. [00:17:44] How does ADHD how has it challenged you? How is it a challenge? And then how have you adapted the way you do business or the way that you do projects to deal with that? [00:25:12] Kai: Your feelings, your thoughts are always down. You are feeling that way for a reason. What you have to do then is figure out what you're going to do with those thoughts in those fields. When you can do that, you can validate other people's feelings. [00:28:20] One of the most positive things in having ADHD is like the creativity. When you hyper focus, like you said, that's where the magic happens. I try to use my hyper focus to my advantage because one of the things that I've been really pushing myself to do is to live in the moment. [00:34:56] 100%. As a virgo and somebody who my ADHD is called Over Focused, that organization gives me calm. At work, I was often reluctant to do things that I knew I should be doing. The more we understand ourselves and how our brains work, it can be so freeing. [00:41:39] Amber: At what age does it seem kind of messed up that I still pull all nighters to get stuff done? Ky: I find that balance because there are lots of reasons why it's not good and it's unhealthy. When I'm finding this balance, I don't fight it. [00:46:16] I want to always add some sort of levity to the conversation about mental health because it is such a very serious thing. I just want people to be able to watch my stuff and just know that they're not alone. We shouldn't be afraid to talk about it. [00:53:03] Amber: What advice would you give to somebody struggling with feeling like they're not good enough? Ky: Your feelings are valid. Once you fully recognize that you can do an...