The ADHD Skills Lab

Skye Waterson
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Things are starting to fall through the cracks. Not because you're not trying, but because the systems everyone recommends weren't built for a brain like yours. The ADHD Skills Lab is for business owners with ADHD whose responsibilities have grown past simple solutions. Each week, Skye Waterson and guests share research-backed strategies and real-world systems to help you reduce the chaos, make consistent progress, and stop reinventing the wheel every time life gets complex. No "just use a planner." No productivity hacks that last a week. Just honest, practical support from someone who has spent years researching, testing, and refining what actually works for adult ADHD. Skye is the founder of Unconventional Organisation, a former academic diagnosed with ADHD during her PhD, and the author of over 50 articles read by more than 250,000 people worldwide. She has worked with senior leaders, business owners, academics, and professionals navigating ADHD in high-responsibility roles, and was invited to share her research with both the Australian and New Zealand Government.  🤝 In partnership with Understood.org: https://u.org/4boG8QW 🌐 https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/ 📲 https://www.instagram.com/theadhdskillslabpodcast/

  1. 3d ago

    ADHD Decision Paralysis? Set Your Margin of Error First

    How much time should you spend making a decision? Two minutes? Four hours? Three weeks? When you have ADHD, it's not always obvious which decisions deserve your attention and which ones you should just make and move on from. In Wednesday's episode, Skye and Robbie explored the research behind ADHD, maximizing, and regret. Today, they're getting practical. Skye shares a decision-making method she's taught for five years: **decide how wrong you can afford to be before deciding how much time to spend.** A dinner choice might allow a 50% margin of error. A software investment might allow 25%. A major career decision might need 10%. Each gets a different amount of time, so you're not treating every choice like it could change your life. What We Cover: - How to decide whether a choice deserves minutes, hours, or weeks - The margin of error method: 50%, 25%, and 10% decisions - Why blocking time for decisions works better than thinking about them whenever you get a spare minute - How to stop comparing options endlessly and test them instead - Why a deadline matters just as much as the time you allow - How to make the call with the information you have and stop second-guessing yourself Want to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    ADHD Decision Paralysis? Set Your Margin of Error First

  2. 5d ago

    Toxic Boss or Bullying? ADHD at Work with Brooke Schnittman

    Someone says "we need to talk" and your ADHD brain immediately assumes you're in trouble. Even when you've done nothing wrong. Maybe you've dealt with a boss who constantly singled you out, colleagues who excluded you, or feedback that felt more like a personal attack than a conversation about your work. You probably called it a toxic workplace. But what if there was more going on? Brooke Schnittman is the founder of Coaching With Brooke, a bestselling author, and an ADHD coach with more than 20 years of experience. After experiencing bullying herself, she conducted an international survey to explore how adults with ADHD experience bullying at work, in relationships, and within their families. In the first round of her Adult ADHD Bullying Survey, 63% of respondents reported experiencing workplace bullying. Brooke explains how ADHD traits can be treated as character flaws, why some adults struggle to recognize bullying when it happens, and how years of being told they're too sensitive can affect their confidence and willingness to speak up. She also shares her own experience of being shouted at by a boss in front of colleagues, what she said the following morning, and why you don't have to find the perfect words in the moment to stand up for yourself. What We Cover - How to recognize workplace bullying when it looks like ordinary criticism or a difficult boss - What Brooke's survey revealed about bullying among adults with ADHD - Why ADHD traits can be mistaken for character flaws or unprofessional behavior - How past experiences affect confidence, boundaries, and speaking up - Four practical steps for responding without having to confront someone on the spot Connect With Brooke Schnittman - Website: coachingwithbrooke.com - Book: Activate Your ADHD Potential https://www.coachingwithbrooke.com/activatebook - Podcast: SuccessFULL With ADHD - 3C Activation coach training http://3cactivation.com/ Want to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    Toxic Boss or Bullying? ADHD at Work with Brooke Schnittman

  3. Oct 28

    ADHD Impulse Control Is About Friction, Not Trying Harder

    With ADHD, "just wait until later" can feel impossible. Buy it now. Switch to the fun thing now. Say it now. And when you give in to the impulse, it's easy to blame yourself for not trying harder. In this special episode of the ADHD Skills Lab, Skye Waterson shares a conversation from the ADHD Channel for Women by Understood.org. Host Cate Osborn speaks with Dr. Polaris Koi, an assistant professor of practical philosophy at the University of Turku who researches ADHD, self-control, and decision-making, and has ADHD themselves. Together, they explore why impulse control isn't just about willpower. Polaris explains how adding friction, removing temptations, and changing your environment can make impulsive actions easier to manage. They also challenge the idea that self-control works like a muscle and discuss how anxiety and self-blame can make things harder. Cate shares her experience with compulsive shopping, while Skye reflects on the urgency of wanting something right now, even when you know waiting might be better. No "just wait." No trying harder for the sake of it. No silver bullet. What We Cover Why waiting can be so difficult with ADHDHow adding friction can help with impulsive decisionsWhat the marshmallow experiments reveal about temptationWhy willpower isn't simply a muscle you can strengthenHow self-blame and anxiety affect impulse controlListen to more episodes of the ADHD Channel for Women from Understood.org: https://lnk.to/adhdchannelforwomenFD!theadhdskillslab Want to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    ADHD Impulse Control Is About Friction, Not Trying Harder

  4. Oct 27

    Why ADHD Makes You Overthink Every Decision

    With ADHD, you can spend three days researching a $50 purchase, finally make the decision, and still wonder if you chose wrong. Meanwhile, the important stuff isn't getting done.  Skye and Robbie Waterson unpack a 2012 study from the Journal of Attention Disorders on ADHD, decision making, and regret. The research found that higher ADHD symptom scores were linked to more maximizing, the drive to find the best possible option, and more regret afterward. They explore why trying to avoid the wrong decision can leave you feeling worse even when you make a good one, and how that same pattern can quietly stall progress in your business. What We Cover: Why ADHD can turn a simple purchase into days of research and second-guessingHow maximizers can get better outcomes but feel less satisfied with their decisionsWhy trying to avoid regret can actually create more of itHow overthinking small decisions steals time from the work that moves your business forwardWhy setting limits on time, money, and acceptable mistakes can make decisions easierWhat the research can and cannot tell us about ADHD and decision makingWant to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    Why ADHD Makes You Overthink Every Decision

  5. Oct 26

    Why Pushing Through Stops Working for ADHD Adults (Dr. Tracey Marks)

    If you have ADHD (and especially if you run your own business), you probably know this cycle: push hard to hit a deadline, get it done, then do the same thing next week. It works often enough that you keep relying on it, until the week it doesn’t and you’re running on nothing. Dr. Tracey Marks is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 25 years of clinical experience. Skye and Tracey talk about why pushing through is so hard to give up and what it costs your attention and energy over time. Tracey’s main point: recovery only works when it matches what drained you in the first place. In this episode: Why pressure you put on yourself as a business owner hits differently than pressure from a bossHow to tell whether you’re socially or cognitively drained, and what helps each oneTracey’s baseline for sleep, food, and movement (including her own bedtime routine)How to build a small set of anxiety tools that work for you and keep them within reachListen in if you’ve been running low for a while and keep telling yourself it’s just a busy season. Find Tracey  Website: https://markspsychiatry.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drtraceymarks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtraceymarks Want to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    Why Pushing Through Stops Working for ADHD Adults (Dr. Tracey Marks)

  6. Oct 21

    Why a Big Audience Doesn't Buy | ADHD, Kyrus Keenan Westcott

    You're posting consistently, growing your audience, and putting hours into marketing your business. People are watching, liking, and following. But they're not buying. Kyrus Keenan Westcott, known as The Vibe With Ky, has built an audience of more than two million across Facebook and TikTok while working full time as a director of paid media. Diagnosed with ADHD at 35, he's learned how to turn content into a business without making every post a sales pitch. In this conversation, Ky and Skye unpack why a bigger audience doesn't automatically mean more revenue, why selling before building trust can backfire, and how Ky turns engaged followers into paying customers. He shares what he gives away for free, what he charges for, and why he refuses to rely entirely on brand deals or platform income. They also explore how he manages a full-time job alongside his growing business, the systems that help him work with his ADHD, and why he's still cautious about giving up a stable income. You'll learn what actually moves people from following to buying, and how to build income that doesn't depend entirely on someone else's platform. What We Cover Why a bigger audience doesn't automatically mean more paying customersHow Ky builds trust before selling, and what he gives away for freeTurning engaged followers into customers without constant sales pitchesWhy relying on brand deals and platform revenue puts your income at riskHow Ky manages ADHD, a full-time job, and a business with millions of followersConnect With Kyrus Keenan Westcott Ky (Kyrus Keenan Westcott) is a mental health advocate and host of The Vibe With Ky Podcast, which reaches nearly three million followers. Diagnosed with ADHD at 35, he uses humor and honesty to simplify conversations around mental health. He was named one of JCI USA's Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 2023 and keynoted Neuro Diversion 2026. Website: thevibewithky.comSocial: @thevibewithky on all major platformsPatreon: patreon.com/thevibewithkyDigital guidebooks: store.thevibewithky.comWant to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    Why a Big Audience Doesn't Buy | ADHD, Kyrus Keenan Westcott

  7. Oct 20

    How To Avoid Task Overwhelm With ADHD

    You hired people so you wouldn't have to do everything yourself. So why are you still the one remembering every deadline, chasing every handoff, and checking whether things actually got done? Skye Waterson and Robbie Waterson explain why delegating tasks doesn't always mean delegating the mental load, especially when you have ADHD. Research shows that working memory challenges can make tracking tasks, priorities, and deadlines harder. And when everything lives in your head or gets buried in Slack, your team ends up guessing what matters most. Skye and Robbie share the prioritisation filter they've developed and tested over five years. It puts tasks, real deadlines, and priorities into one shared system so everyone can see what needs to happen next. They also explain why teams resist new systems, how outdated tasks keep wasting time, and how to spot when a delegation problem is actually a training or process problem. The goal isn't another complicated productivity system. It's a business where work keeps moving without you having to remember and chase everything. What We Cover: Why delegating tasks doesn't automatically remove the mental loadWhy even a great assistant needs a shared system to work fromHow Slack handoffs lose priority and turn into constant follow-upsWhy teams resist new task systems and how shared visibility helpsHow one prioritised list shows everyone what needs to happen nextHow to spot outdated tasks, training gaps, and work that's taking too longWant to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    How To Avoid Task Overwhelm With ADHD

  8. Oct 14

    When Losing Interest Isn't Failure: ADHD and Creativity

    With ADHD, creative ideas are often the easy part. Starting one is harder. So is the project you were sure about, set down just short of finished, and the shame that follows. In this special episode of the ADHD Skills Lab, Skye Waterson shares a conversation from the ADHD Channel for Women, created by Understood.org. Host Cate Osborn talks with Adam Reid, an Emmy Award-winning writer, director, filmmaker, and producer, in front of a live studio audience. Adam didn't know he had ADHD until he was around 45. Their conversation explores ADHD and creativity, and what happens between having an idea and finishing it. Adam explains how he gives himself permission to start, to be bad at something, and to let an idea become nothing. He describes getting close to the end of a first draft and losing all interest in looking at it again. He talks about putting work away to age instead of automatically calling it a failure, and how pieces of old projects have sometimes found their way back into his creative life years later. Cate brings the harder questions. The frustration of choosing one interest while others wait. The difference between creative potential and finished work. The reality of responsibilities, and the fact that making room for creativity is easier for some people than others. Adam also talks about understanding his strengths, finding people and environments that support how he works, and learning that his worth isn't determined by what he creates. Skye also shares how Adam's experience reminded her of stepping away from academia after her master's degree, spending a year making art and working in a bakery, before returning to complete her PhD. No hustle. No pressure to turn every idea into an achievement. No need to prove your worth through what you produce. What We Cover Why starting can be the hardest part, and how Adam gives himself permission to beginWhy Adam thinks of ideas as seeds rather than children to protectWhat happens when interest fades before a project is finishedHow strengths, supportive people, and the right environments influence creativityLate ADHD diagnosis, masking, and separating self-worth from creative outputWant to hear more? Listen to more episodes of the ADHD Channel for Women from Understood.org: https://lnk.to/adhdchannelforwomenFD!theadhdskillslab Want to grow your business with ADHD? You can use my free focus filter to manage overwhelm and organize yourself and your team:  https://tinyurl.com/focus-filter Looking for an ADHD business mentor who's also an operator who'll turn your business into a finely-tuned profit and peace machine designed for your brain? Book a call and let's assess you're business to see if you're a fit: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-uo

    When Losing Interest Isn't Failure: ADHD and Creativity
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About

Things are starting to fall through the cracks. Not because you're not trying, but because the systems everyone recommends weren't built for a brain like yours. The ADHD Skills Lab is for business owners with ADHD whose responsibilities have grown past simple solutions. Each week, Skye Waterson and guests share research-backed strategies and real-world systems to help you reduce the chaos, make consistent progress, and stop reinventing the wheel every time life gets complex. No "just use a planner." No productivity hacks that last a week. Just honest, practical support from someone who has spent years researching, testing, and refining what actually works for adult ADHD. Skye is the founder of Unconventional Organisation, a former academic diagnosed with ADHD during her PhD, and the author of over 50 articles read by more than 250,000 people worldwide. She has worked with senior leaders, business owners, academics, and professionals navigating ADHD in high-responsibility roles, and was invited to share her research with both the Australian and New Zealand Government.  🤝 In partnership with Understood.org: https://u.org/4boG8QW 🌐 https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/ 📲 https://www.instagram.com/theadhdskillslabpodcast/

Information

  • Creator
    Skye Waterson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    227
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The ADHD Skills Lab
  • Show Website
    The ADHD Skills Lab

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