Episodes

Friday Dec 07, 2018
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Today, we’re talking to Cindy Jobs.
Cindy is a professional organizer and ADHD coach who I met at last month’s ADHD conference. And I’m really glad I did, because organization is a thing we ADHD folks tend to struggle with.
In today’s episode, we talk about organization as a balance between space and stuff, the clutter/anxiety connection, and making holiday kits.
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
- Why Cindy enjoys working with ADHD folks
- The benefits of having a "Why"
- Organization takes time
- Brendan's two organizational insights (that came to him really late in life)
- Clutter correlating with anxiety
- Closet drama
- Getting rid of duplicates
- Looking at space like real estate
- Storing like things together
- Organizing through kits
- The geography of organization
- Reducing the barrier to entry
- Reducing the barrier to completion
- Organizational consent
Guest Links:
- Cindy's Website: https://www.cindyjobs.com
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Nov 30, 2018
48: An ADHD View from Down Under with Jon Hassall of Connect ADHD
Friday Nov 30, 2018
Friday Nov 30, 2018
Jon and his wife Monica run Connect ADHD out of Australia. Jon’s a brilliant guy, and we go deep on multiple topics related to ADHD. In today’s episode, we talk about how ADHD leads to our kids’ behavioral explosions, how environment affects our ADHD, the importance of science in ADHD.
I got to spend time with Jon (and Monica. Her workshop was excellent!) at this year's ADHD conference, and editing the show this week felt like I was reuniting with him. I look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.
Guest Links:
- Jon’s Website: http://www.connectadhd.com
Shameless Plugs:
- Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.
- Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
- Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
- Jon’s ADHD Origin Story
- ADHD Coaches as the Missing Link for Big Pharma
- How Jon works with his clients
- ADHD & Potential
- Why Scientific Studies spoke to Jon
- ADHD & moments of connection
- How & Why Brendan does his first sessions.
- ADHD Explosions: The Neurochemistry, and recovering afterward
- Fight, Flight, Freeze, (Fib)
- Forgiving & Fixing
- The Underpinning of “We’re all good people”
- Russell Barkley’s Extended Phenotype model of ADHD
- Brendan’s Executive Function Algebra
- Jon’s Performance Influences Model for Executive Function
- The Myths of ADHD
- Monitoring your inner voice
- Using Monitoring, Referencing, and Self-Direction to manage ADHD
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Nov 23, 2018
Friday Nov 23, 2018
Today, we’re talking to Richard Kelley!
I've received excellent feedback on past episodes that looked at the history of ADHD through a personal lens. So, I decided to bring in my friend Richard Kelley. Rich is an Assistant Executive Director with the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA). And he has been working in education for longer than I've ben alive. (Admittedly, only by a year.)
(Side note: I erroneously identify Rich as the President of MSAA during the interview. Thankfully, he corrected me. Sometimes the ADHD wins.)
In today’s episode, Rich shares his experience as an educator for over 42 years, and how he’s seen the approach to ADHD at school change over the decades. It's an interesting conversation. I hope you enjoy it!
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Nov 16, 2018
46: This ADHD Life with Keith Griffin, ADHD Coach
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Today, we’re talking to Keith Griffin!
Keith is an ADHD coach, and host of “This ADHD Life” on YouTube. He’s also got a webinar on surviving the holidays with ADHD coming up through the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.
Keith can be found at ThisADHDLife.com.
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
- Information Overload
- How music can help our morning routines
- No screens in the bedroom
- Productivity Tips
- Tragic Stories
- How to Positivify
- Brendan's "Today's Awesome" gimmick on FB
- The difference between eating watermelon and eating grapes
- Self advocacy
- And doing less
Shameless Self Promotion:
- Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
- Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
- Don't forget to give us a 5-Star rating & review on iTunes! Thanks!

Friday Nov 09, 2018
45: Done is Better than Perfect at the International Conference on ADHD 2018
Friday Nov 09, 2018
Friday Nov 09, 2018
I'm at the International Conference on ADHD. Here is a brief episode where I share a few takeaways.

Friday Nov 02, 2018
Friday Nov 02, 2018
Today, we’re talking to Tamara Roseer.
Tamara is the president of the ADHD Coaches Organization, the co-founder of Acorn Leadership, and the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan.
In today’s episode, we talk about parenting as leadership, developing core values in our kids, ways to avoid passing anxiety on to our kids, and the importance of being authentic when we parent.
Guest Links:
- ADHD Coaches Organization https://www.adhdcoaches.org
- ADHD Center of West Michigan http://www.miadhd.com
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Oct 26, 2018
Friday Oct 26, 2018
Today, we’re talking to Mindy Katz.
When Mindy learned that she and her daughter had ADHD, it led to her becoming an ADHD coach, and eventually a Social Worker. She’s a big proponent of positive psychology, and developing resiliency in our kids.
In today’s episode, we talk about how to manage our sabotaging thoughts, upward spirals of emotion, and the power of curiosity.
Alright, let’s get rolling.
Shameless Plugs:
- Go tohttps://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.
- Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
- Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
- Being calendar challenged
- Why no two people with ADHD have the same challenges
- Managing self-sabotaging thoughts
- Positive Psychology
- Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
- Valuing the process more than the results
- Resilience
- How perfectionism undermines our efforts
- Upward Spirals of Emotion
- Positive Paper Chains
- How hard it is to talk about what’s going well
- Using curiosity to celebrate good news
- Kids want to succeed. If they aren’t, something is wrong with the process
- Coach training & social work
- Going back to work as a grey-haired adult
- Alan Brown’s See-Saw Visual
Guest Links:
- Mindy’s Website: http://mindyschwartzkatz.com
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Oct 19, 2018
Friday Oct 19, 2018
Today, we’re talking to Rene Brooks from Black Girl, Lost Keys.
I always enjoy it when I talk get to talk to someone for the first time, but it feels like they’re already a good friend. Talking to Rene was one of those times, and it was a pleasure.
With to her clear memory of childhood, and her thorough understanding of ADHD, she makes the experience of having the ADHD both understandable and relatable.
In today’s episode, we discuss all kinds of things. From Rene’s journey with ADHD, to the extra scrutiny African American children experience in school and how that affects the ADHD diagnosis, to the importance of going with the flow of ADHD. We even delve into the controversial land of whether or not ADHD is a superpower. (But you’ll have to listen to find out how we fall on it.)
Shameless Plugs:
- Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups here!
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
- Rene's Journey with ADHD
- The origin of Black Girl, Lost Keys
- The importance of common ground
- ADHD & "Laziness"
- How African American kids being more heavily scrutinized affects ADHD diagnosis
- ADHD & the Age of Distraction
- Time Blindess
- Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
- School as a Self-Esteem Shaper
- Navigating the fear of failure
- The Importance of Early Diagnosis
Guest Links:
- Rene’s Website: http://blackgirllostkeys.com
- Rene’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/blackgirllostkeys/
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Oct 12, 2018
Friday Oct 12, 2018
In today’s episode, we’re talking to Mr. Kayerrrook. He’s an old friend of mine, and a veteran high school English teacher. I really enjoyed our wide-ranging conversation, both when we had it, and when I listened to it again during the editing process.
We get into some interesting corners of both ADHD, and education. talk about everything from the interplay between ADHD and poverty, to the various red flags teachers keep an eye out for, teachers face, to the ways teachers work to address the unmet needs of their students when those red flags are spotted. Mr. Kayerrook even shares some stories about his students. Including a school shooting threat that ended up being a prank, and how he used a failed test to help a student find success.
Shameless Plugs:
The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups winter session has a special discount if you register in October!
Go to https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/to sign up for a free 15-20 minute prescreening call to see if the groups are right for you!
Or go to https://www.adhdessentials.com/parentgroups/ for more information.
Also,the 9thAnnual Online ADHD Awareness Expo is going on now. I’m a part of it. My topic - 3 Ways to Communicate with Your ADHD Child Besides Talking.
Register at https://www.adhdexpo.com/adhdessentials to let them know I sent you.
ADHD Essentials Links:
- Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
- ADHD Essentials Homepage
- Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
- Join Our Facebook Community

Friday Oct 05, 2018
Friday Oct 05, 2018
For today's episode, I decided to celebrate ADHD Awareness Month by looking at those very things. ADHD and awareness. It's a quick one, but a good one!
I look at them through three lenses:
- My 3 A's of ADHD Management - Awareness, Acceptance & Action
- How ADHD Awareness differs from Neorotypical Awareness
- The signs that make me aware that my ADHD may be about to go on the fritz
Share your signs that your ADHD is about to go on the fritz, and get valuable ADHD resources in the ADHD Essentials Facebook Community! Click the link to sign up.
Further celebrating ADHD Awarenss Month: Early registration for the January Session of the ADHD Parent Coaching Groups is open this month! Sign-up during October, and get one entire month of the program for free!
Learn more at: https://www.adhdessentials.com/parentgroups/
Sign-Up for a pre-registration call at: https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/