My ADHD journey from broke academic to 6-figure CEO

I still remember that moment. How small, stressed, and helpless I felt.

Ever felt like you were playing a game everyone else seemed to understand, but you just... didn't?

That used to be me.

In my 20s, I wasn't someone who felt very valuable. I did well in school, but I quickly learned that grades didn't get you very far in the workplace.

Work felt like this confusing combination of social connections, working hard only at the right moment, and an immense tolerance for boredom.

If there was a career game, I sucked at it!

So I ended up in academia, living off those high-prestige, low-paid roles that kept me constantly afraid about next semester's contract and making rent.

And one day, when I was 26, my fears were realized - none of my contracts renewed.

To make matters worse, a week before, my landlord told me they were moving their kids into our place. I had two weeks to find a new place to live.

I still remember that moment. How small, stressed, and helpless I felt.

The next day I put on my best outfit and walked through the city, going into every store, handing out my CV. It didn't matter that I had a master's; it didn't even matter that I got A's. I was struggling to meet my basic needs, and unlike what I'd been told, none of these things seemed to be helping.

I did get a job that day - a part-time minimum wage gig at a bakery that would cover my rent. A relief, but I knew I needed a long-term solution.

I found that solution in an unlikely place - an art course with a section on entrepreneurship.

Now, I should mention I come from a long line of bankers and government clerks. Entrepreneurship wasn't even on my radar.

Didn't you have to live in Silicon Valley to do that?

But an artist named Flox spoke in our class. She shared her journey from selling t-shirts at markets to owning her studio and creating paintings for workplaces across the country. No funding, no huge donations - just bootstrapped determination.

She became my hero, and little did I know that decision would lead me on a decade-long path of ups and downs, culminating in something bigger than what 26-year-old me, counting dollars and worried about housing, could ever have imagined.

A family and a multi-six-figure business I love.

I'm sharing this because I know what it feels like to believe the conventional world wasn't built for you. To feel like other people have resources and abilities you don't.

To paper over the cracks in your employment history with a laugh and a quick story - pretending this was planned all along.

I want to change that.

I want to hand you a map.

A map I've been lucky enough to piece together through years of failure, rejection, and "I can't even believe that happened" success.

I can’t promise it will be easy - but if you're unconventional, nothing ever has been. At least this way, it's going to be built for your brain.

What I can promise is this: if you commit to trying, experimenting, and asking for help, you will get more than you could ever imagine (because usually you're thinking too small).

So, if you want to learn to run a business or work for yourself in a way that provides stability and works for your unconventional mind, follow along. I’d be honored to help you do just that.

And if that's not you - if you've found a job you love and want to stay exactly where you are - it's been wonderful to have you here. Feel free to head out or stick around for the encouragement and ADHD strategies that will be coming your way.

Now, let's go create that unconventional organization.

This Week's Unconventional Business Tip:

Let me start by sharing something that’s made a huge difference in my journey - fighting for your time.

When people ask me how I managed to build a business while doing post-graduate work and raising kids, here's the truth: when I knew I had to do deep work, I fought for that time. Not just claimed it. Fought for it.

I was reminded about this lesson by one of my clients, Katie, a talented playwright.

She wanted to write full-time but kept letting other things eat into her creative hours. Even with a supportive partner and friend group, she had to be the one to say, "No I can’t do X and Y. I’ve blocked out that time for writing."

If you know that’s you, then here’s what I want you to do:

- Look at your highest ROI activities

- Block out time you know you’re likely to feel the most energized

- Protect that time like it's sacred (because it is!)

Remember: 15-minute chunks between meetings won't cut it for us ADHDers. Research shows we need longer blocks to really focus. Yes, it can feel uncomfortable, especially if people don't understand what you're doing. But this is your time to build something extraordinary.

Talk soon,

Skye

PS. Got a business you want to grow but feeling cash-strapped and overwhelmed? Message me, "COACH," and share your biggest struggle. I’ll send you a personalized message with an unlock for your brain.