Running a Business with ADHD: Why I Built AI Systems to Save My Sanity (And Yours)
I got diagnosed with ADHD at 35.
A month later? Autism too.
Plot twist I wasn't expecting, but honestly? It explained everything.
The burnout cycles in corporate. Why I'd hyperfocus on building systems at 2am like a gremlin. Why every "just batch your content" post made me want to scream into the void.
But here's what nobody tells you about running a business with ADHD: the tools and strategies everyone swears by weren't built for brains like ours. And the ones that were? They're usually wrapped in wellness-speak that makes me want to live laugh love my way off a cliff.
So I did what any logical person would do. I built my own systems using AI.
The ADHD Business Owner Reality Check
Let me paint you a picture. You know that founder who looks like they have their shit together on Instagram? Posting perfectly curated behind-the-scenes content, hitting all their launches, building their "empire" one strategic post at a time?
That was never going to be me.
My brain works more like this:
Monday: Revolutionary business idea at 11pm
Tuesday: Starts building said idea, forgets to eat lunch
Wednesday: Gets distracted by "quick" client project, abandons revolutionary idea
Thursday: Feels guilty about abandoned idea, starts three new projects instead
Friday: Existential crisis in the pantry
Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so.
Why Traditional Business Advice Is Basically Ableist Garbage
"Just create a content calendar!"
"Batch your content on Sundays!"
"Wake up at 5am and do your morning routine!"
I'm sorry wot?
These productivity gurus clearly never tried to batch content with ADHD. You know what happens when I try to write 30 social posts in one sitting? My brain taps out after three, and suddenly I'm researching the mating habits of octopi because someone mentioned "engagement" and my brain went 🐙.
Traditional business systems assume:
Linear thinking
Consistent energy levels
The ability to do boring tasks without your soul leaving your body
That "just focus" is actual advice
But ADHD brains? We're not linear. We're not consistent. And we definitely don't thrive on boring, repetitive tasks that make us feel like we're dying inside.
The Turning Point: When I Stopped Fighting My Brain
The breakthrough came when I realised I was trying to force my ADHD brain into neurotypical business systems. And spoiler alert: that's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole while someone tells you to "just try harder."
Instead, I started asking different questions:
What if I built systems that worked WITH my brain, not against it?
What if inconsistency was a feature, not a bug?
What if I could automate all the stuff that makes my brain want to run away?
Enter: AI systems designed specifically for chaotic, creative, neurodivergent brains.
How AI Became My ADHD Business Bestie
Here's the thing about AI that nobody talks about: it's basically an external hard drive for your brain. And when your brain regularly forgets where it put important information (like client passwords, brilliant ideas, or what you had for breakfast), that's pretty bloody useful.
The Executive Function Lifesaver
You know that feeling when you sit down to write content and your brain just... nopes out? Like, you have a million ideas but they're all tangled up in your head like Christmas lights from hell?
I built custom GPTs that essentially became my external executive function. They:
Hold my brand voice when my brain forgets what I sound like
Remember my offer ecosystem when I'm having an "what do I even sell?" moment
Break down big projects into ADHD-friendly chunks
Generate content ideas when my creative well is drier than my DMs
The Hyperfocus Hacker
ADHD hyperfocus is a superpower... until it's 3am and you've been building automations for 8 hours straight and forgotten to eat, drink water, or acknowledge that humans exist.
So I created AI workflows that capture my hyperfocus brilliance and turn it into sustainable business systems. When I'm in a hyperfocus flow state, AI helps me document everything so future-me (who will definitely not remember any of this) can actually use it.
The Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Protector
RSD is the fun ADHD bonus feature where any criticism feels like emotional devastation. Writing sales copy? Terrifying. What if people think I'm pushy? What if my email sounds desperate? What if I'm too much?
My AI systems help me write sales content that feels authentically me without triggering my RSD. They handle the "salesy" stuff while preserving my voice and values. It's like having a best friend who's really good at selling but knows not to make me sound like a LinkedIn bro.
The Systems That Actually Work for ADHD Brains
1. The Content Dopamine Factory
Traditional advice: "Create a content calendar and stick to it." ADHD reality: "I'll stick to it for three days then feel like a failure."
My solution: AI systems that turn random bursts of inspiration into months of content. When I have a good brain day, I dump everything into my custom GPTs. They organise it, schedule it, and repurpose it across platforms.
No more guilt about inconsistency. No more forcing creativity when my brain's not cooperating.
2. The Client Communication Saviour
ADHD struggle: Remembering what you discussed in client calls, following up appropriately, not leaving people hanging because your brain filed their email under "I'll deal with this later" (spoiler: later never comes).
My solution: AI transcription that automatically pulls key points from client calls and turns them into follow-up emails, project briefs, and action items. My clients think I'm incredibly organised. Plot twist: I'm not. My AI systems are.
3. The Decision Fatigue Eliminator
By 2pm, my brain has made approximately 47,000 decisions and is currently running on fumes and spite. Asking me to decide what to post on Instagram feels like asking me to solve world hunger.
AI removes decision fatigue by making content suggestions based on my goals, audience engagement, and what's worked before. I just pick from a curated list instead of staring at a blank screen wondering if my life has meaning.
4. The Emotional Regulation Assistant
ADHD emotions are... a lot. One negative comment can spiral into "I should quit business and become a hermit." One good day feels like "I'm going to conquer the world by Thursday."
My AI systems help me create content from a regulated place. When I'm feeling chaotic, they remind me of my messaging frameworks and help me write from my values, not my feelings.
What This Actually Looks Like in Practice
Monday Morning Me: Wakes up with THE BEST EMAIL IDEA EVER
Also Monday Morning Me: Immediately forgets it because I saw a funny TikTok
My AI System: Captures scattered thoughts, turns them into three email drafts, schedules follow-up reminders, and creates social media snippets
Tuesday Me: Discovers perfectly crafted content in my dashboard that sounds exactly like me
Also Tuesday Me: Feels like a genius business owner instead of a chaotic mess
It's not about replacing creativity or authenticity. It's about having systems that catch your brilliance when your brain's being a bit of a dick.
The Permission Slip You Didn't Know You Needed
If you're reading this thinking "but what if people find out I use AI?" or "isn't that cheating?"—let me stop you right there.
Using AI as an ADHD business owner isn't cheating. It's accommodating your brain so you can do your best work.
You wouldn't judge someone for using glasses to see better. You wouldn't criticise someone for using a wheelchair to get around. So why judge yourself for using AI to think better?
Your ADHD brain is not broken. The systems were broken. AI just lets us build better ones.
For the High Achievers Reading This
Yeah, I see you. High-performing founder who looks polished on the outside but feels like everything's held together with duct tape and good intentions.
You probably don't talk about your ADHD because it doesn't fit the "successful CEO" narrative. But here's the thing: your ADHD is probably WHY you're successful. The creativity, the innovation, the ability to see connections others miss.
The challenge is building systems that capture your genius without requiring you to remember seventeen different processes or maintain energy levels that would exhaust a marathon runner.
AI systems designed for ADHD brains don't just organise your chaos—they amplify your strengths while managing your limitations.
For the Creatives Feeling This Deep
You beautiful, exhausted, creative powerhouse. I know you're tired. I know you feel like you're holding everything together with willpower and caffeine.
You've probably been told you're "too much" or "too chaotic" or that you need to "get organised." But what if the problem isn't that you're too much? What if the problem is that you've been trying to squeeze your brilliant, neurodivergent brain into systems designed for everyone else?
AI isn't here to make you more neurotypical. It's here to help you be MORE you, but with better support systems.
The Real Talk About ADHD and Business
Running a business with ADHD is like playing a video game on expert mode while everyone else is on easy. The challenges are real:
Time blindness (what do you mean it's been four hours?)
Executive dysfunction (I know I need to do the thing, but my brain said no)
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (one meh response to my content = I should delete my entire business)
Hyperfocus vs. can't focus (either I'm building systems at 2am or I can't write one email)
But here's what they don't tell you: ADHD also comes with superpowers:
Pattern recognition that lets you see solutions others miss
Creativity that generates ideas faster than you can capture them
Hyperfocus that can build entire systems in one sitting
Intuition that helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level
The goal isn't to fix your ADHD. It's to build systems that harness the superpowers while managing the challenges.
Building Your ADHD-Friendly AI System
Start With Your Chaos Patterns
What time of day is your brain most cooperative? When do you get your best ideas? When does everything feel impossible?
Build AI systems around these patterns, not against them.
Automate the Brain-Drain Tasks
Email follow-ups
Content repurposing
Client onboarding sequences
Data entry and organisation
Anything that makes your soul leave your body
Create Dopamine Feedback Loops
ADHD brains need regular hits of accomplishment. Build AI systems that give you quick wins and visible progress.
Design for Inconsistency
Your energy and focus will fluctuate. That's not a failure—it's data. Build systems that work whether you're having a 10/10 brain day or can barely remember your own name.
The Bottom Line
I'm not telling you this story to convince you that AI will solve all your ADHD challenges. It won't. But it can give you the scaffolding to build a business that works WITH your brain instead of against it.
You don't need to become more neurotypical to be successful. You need better systems.
You don't need to work harder. You need to work differently.
And you definitely don't need to hide your ADHD like it's something to be ashamed of. It's part of what makes you brilliant.
The business world needs more ADHD brains. We're the innovators, the pattern-breakers, the "what if we tried it this way?" people. But we need systems that support us, not exhaust us.
AI can be those systems. But only if we stop trying to use it like neurotypical business owners and start building it for brains like ours.
Ready to Build Systems That Actually Work for Your Brain?
If you're sitting there thinking "holy crap, this is exactly what I needed to hear," then slide into my DMs over on Insta instagram.com/wright_mode
I love helping ADHD founders build AI systems that make their businesses feel sustainable instead of exhausting.
Because here's the thing: your ADHD brain is not the problem. The systems you've been trying to use are the problem.
Let's build better ones.
Want to learn how to build AI systems that work with your neurodivergent brain? I run workshops specifically designed for ADHD and autistic business owners who are tired of trying to force their brilliance into neurotypical boxes. Take a look at them here.
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