The Secret Sauce: How to Harness Your ADHD for Entrepreneurial Success

There are many things about the way an ADHD brain works that set it up for success in entrepreneurship- creativity, passion, hyperfocus, and risk-taking, just to name a few.  But the exact things that make entrepreneurship a great fit for ADHD brains are also some of the most difficult struggles, making ADHD-friendly strategies like body-doubling, outsourcing, time blocking, and ADHD-friendly planning essential tools in the entrepreneurial toolbox.

Being an entrepreneur with ADHD can be like trying to herd unicorns on a sugar high while juggling flaming torches—it's exhilarating, challenging, and sometimes overwhelming. But that’s not to say that an entrepreneur with ADHD can’t and won’t succeed. In fact, they can succeed on a huge scale—and what’s more important, often partly because of the unique aspects of the ADHD brain rather than despite it. Because in the middle of the confusing and chaotic moments that ADHD brings, there’s a treasure trove of strengths waiting to be unleashed.

So, put your email in Do Not Disturb for a minute, grab your 5th cup of coffee, and let’s explore how we capitalize on the unique gifts that wire an ADHD brain to excel while shoring up its vulnerabilities.

Famous entrepreneurs with ADHD

If you’re one of the many brilliant ADHD brains grinding through the daily hustle of building your empire.  You’ve got some great trailblazers ahead of you leading the way. Many phenomenally successful business people, trailblazers, and changemakers have ADHD. The best-known include:

• Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic (among many other ventures),

• Bill Gates, who revolutionized the computing world with Microsoft. CEO

• Charles R. Schwab— Founder of the financial services giant who has an eye-popping net worth of almost $9.2 billion—has also been open about having the condition.

• Jamie Oliver, the famous chef and entrepreneur credits his ADHD for fueling his passion and drive

• Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the infamous blue and yellow college dorm room jungle of IKEA

• David Neeleman, who used his out-of-the-box thinking to help revolutionize the airline industry with JetBlue

• Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinkos used his creativity to his advantage in business

• Barbara Corcoran, the successful real estate entrepreneur and star of Shark Tank credits her ADHD for helping her to take risks and be more confident in her decisions.

• Walt Disney is also thought to have shown a lot of the signs of ADHD, and many believe it’s part of what allowed him to build his animated movie and theme park empire.

Each of these business leaders with ADHD embraced their unique brain wiring, figured out how to make the most of it, and used it to fuel their success.

The ADHD Advantage

New research from the University of Pennsylvania has shed light on the evolutionary advantages of an ADHD brain for foraging cultures. (1) And while we don’t live in a foraging culture today, this groundbreaking study suggests that ADHD may actually be an adaptation that can have a real evolutionary advantage in the right context.

ADHD brains are wired to thrive in dynamic environments and to constantly seek out new opportunities and connections. So, while the corporate world may not always understand people with ADHD, the wild, untamed landscape of entrepreneurship can be that just right context that gives an ADHD brain an advantage

What is it about ADHD brain that can make it a great entrepreneur?

One of the beauties of entrepreneurship is that it gives you the ability to craft your own destiny. Unlike traditional 9-to-5 jobs (where conformity is king), entrepreneurship allows us to embrace our quirks, lean into our passions, and build businesses that reflect our unique strengths. It’s a career that we can craft into a foraging world built for our brains.

Whether it's creating a flexible work schedule or pursuing dream projects, ADHD entrepreneurs have the freedom to chart their own course. However, as my dad used to always say with great authority: with great freedom comes great responsibility— the freedom of entrepreneurship is also rife with obstacles for an ADHD brain. So, it’s essential that we craft the role into a foraging type of world that capitalizes on our strengths and protects against our vulnerabilities as much as possible.

The strengths of being an entrepreneur with ADHD

Let's take a closer look at some of the unique strengths of ADHD brains that can make us great entrepreneurs:

Creativity

Our minds are constantly buzzing with new ideas and making connections that others don’t even see, making us natural-born innovators.

Heightened alertness and hypersensitivity

We thrive in dynamic environments, adapting quickly to changes and seizing opportunities that others miss.

Risk-taking

Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks, and the adventurous spirit of an ADHD brain is perfectly suited for the challenge.

Novel problem-solving abilities

The ADHD brain’s ability to see not just A, B, and C but also G, M, and Z helps us make connections that others don’t, fueling outside-the-box thinking and finding unconventional solutions to complex problems.

Ability to see the big picture:

While others get bogged down in details, we have a knack for seeing the forest for the trees.

Hyperfocus:

When we find something that captivates our interest, the ADHD brain becomes laser-focused, channeling its boundless energy into achieving goals.

Intuitive processing:

Our brains are wired to make lightning-fast connections, allowing us to see patterns and opportunities that others might overlook.

Drive and passion:

When we're passionate about something, there's no stopping us—we'll move mountains to make our dreams a reality

The hurdles on the road of being an entrepreneur with ADHD—and what to do about them

ADHD brains are wired to thrive in the dynamic, passion-driven, flexible setting of entrepreneurship. But, like all things ADHD, there is a flip side to all of that passion, dynamism, and flexibility that can really trip us up, too.

So, let’s explore some of the most common entrepreneurial ADHD hurdles and some ADHD-friendly ways to tackle them all.

Time management

Your to-do list is longer than a CVS receipt, and you're juggling more tasks than a circus performer. Sound familiar? Yup, we've all been there. Time management with ADHD can be like conducting a cat choir—it’s tough and often leaves you feeling like you're one step away from chaos central.

Solution: Cue the uplifting music because planning and scheduling are about to save the day. Grab your trusty calendar, make friends with your task list, and jump headfirst into the magical world of time-blocking techniques.

Break those tasks into bite-sized chunks, slap a time slot on each one, and voilà—you're on your way to being the master of your schedule. (Check out our guide to ADHD-friendly planning for more smart planning tips.)

Prioritization

Ever feel like you're steering a ship through an archipelago of tasks but aren’t sure which island to land on first? Eislands looks equally compelling—one has a cute treehouse, another a Tiki bar, and another a bay of leaping dolphins (well, you get the picture).

That's the struggle of prioritization. It's like trying to pick the most mouth-watering candy from an endless candy aisle—overwhelming, kind of stressful, but not nearly as delicious.

Solution

ADHD Goal Setting: Time-blocking and structured goal-setting are here to the rescue. Create time in your schedule to identify those top priorities, give them some love by allocating dedicated time slots, and watch as you sail through the task archipelago with ease. (Our blog post on prioritizing with ADHD offers more insights).

Management of details

Managing all those nitty-gritty administrative tasks can be a big challenge for the ADHD brain. It seems like you always have to get granular at the exact time your brain wants to embark on bigger-picture thinking.  It’s a real vibe killer.  What to do??

Solutions:

Outsourcing: Say hello to your trusty sidekick: outsourcing. Delegate those tasks that aren’t your jam to pros, virtual assistants, and smart apps or software.  I know it feels like it’s harder to explain the thing than to do the thing.  But I promise, it’s easier to explain the thing once (or even twice) than do the thing 50 times!

Accountability Partners: To keep those details from turning into a chaotic mess, grab yourself an accountability partner or two. Or give “body-doubling,” a productivity strategy that involves a person working alongside you (either in person or virtually), a shot to make sure you complete those tasks you might avoid. Project management tools? Check. Regular check-ins? Double-check. Accountability companions? Check, check, check.

You're on your way to organized bliss.

Task completion

Ever feel like you're starting tasks left and right but struggling to cross the finish line? Yes, that's the completion struggle—the bane of our existence at times. The novelty of a task wears off, and the problem that we are often trying to solve feels largely finished after about 60-80% of it is done. So our brains jump right on over to another one, leaving a trail of unfinished tasks in our wake.

Solution

Goal Completion Visualization: Time to get down to business. The first step to abolishing the completion struggle is defining what success looks like for each task.  Really picture it- not only is the report drafted, but it’s also been spell-checked, read through, edited, formatted, and sent for review.  Now that you know all the steps-  break each down into bite-sized chunks that feel less overwhelming. And finally, enlist your trusty support squad—coaches, mentors, or accountability partners, particularly for those steps you know you’re likely to jump over.  Setting up deadlines and reviews can get you crossing that finish in no time.

Multi-passions and the attraction of novelty

Ah, the siren calls for shiny new ideas—it's like trying to resist a freshly baked batch of warm cookies, each in a different gooey flavor. It's tempting, oh-so-tempting, but it can lead to a serious case of commitment issues.

Solution

Goal Selection: Enter the Bill Gates strategy. Write down a list of all the ideas. Choose your top 10—the things that are most compelling and important. Now, from that top 10, choose 1-3 that are going to be your priorities. 

And now, here’s the kicker- the other 7- are the things you need to avoid at all costs.  They are going to be the things that try to draw your attention away you’re your big 3. 

Need a little flexibility for this process?  Try out the "one in, one out" rule—meaning that if you’re going to add something new to your priority list, you have to remove something first. No negotiation.

And remember, that the magpie appeal of shiny new things to the ADHD brain isn’t always a bad thing—you can also harness novelty to boost your motivation and focus.

Entrepreneurship with ADHD can be a wild ride, filled with twists, turns, and unexpected detours. But building your own business also opens up a whole new world of opportunity to follow your passions. By embracing your strengths, acknowledging your vulnerabilities, and cultivating resilience, you can navigate the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence and creativity.

Need more support and solutions for ADHD?

Want to succeed in entrepreneurship—but worried about your ADHD brain and its big emotions are going to get in the way? The ADDept Academy’s powerful online ADHD course will help equip you with the strategies to manage overwhelm, move on from meltdowns, and achieve emotional mastery that can have you saying “I’ve got this.” This ADHD-friendly program is fully research-backed and designed to suit your brain and your lifestyle. Why not start your journey to a more confident and focused you today?

Or check out our other articles for more tips on living and thriving with ADHD