Episode 210 with Dani Donovan

“I either get 30 minutes worth of work done in 8 hours or 8 hours worth of work done in 30 minutes — those are the only two options.”

Dani is an ADHD content creator, speaker, and the celebrated author of “The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It.”

Dani became an overnight sensation when a flowchart she drew mapping out her winding, ADHD storytelling style went viral on Twitter. Since then, she has built a massive community by bringing radical vulnerability, humor, and data visualization to the neurodivergent experience. She’s spoken at major companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Adobe, and she is the founder of The Anti-Boring Project.

We dive deep into misconceptions about ADHD, including being told you are “too smart to have ADHD.” Dani shares her story of growing up with teachers who dismissed her mother's ADHD inquiries because she was getting good grades.

We also explore the magic behind visual storytelling for ADHD brains, why traditional productivity systems tend to fail us, and how the “Anti-Planner” organizes strategies based on your current emotional resistance — such as feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unmotivated.

Plus, Dani shares some exclusive details about an exciting new app she is prototyping!

Key topics discussed:

• How teachers dismissed her ADHD symptoms because she was "too smart"
• The therapist who recognized Dani’s ADHD through her communication style
• Growing up questioning authority and fighting unfairness
• Why ADHD brains connect with infographics and memes
• How a workplace joke became a career-defining moment
• Finding people with matching scars and shared experiences
• The Anti-Planner origins: From business field guide to revolutionary productivity system
• The five categories of executive dysfunction (stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, disorganized, discouraged)
• Perfectionism vs. Experimentation: Permission to keep quitting and trying new approaches
• Exclusive preview of Dani’s upcoming ADHD productivity app

Website: anti-planner.com

Instagram: @danidonovan

Tiktok: @danidonovan

Links & Resources:

The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It

- - - - -

Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

- - - - -

Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

- - - - -

Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

- - - - -

Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

- - - - -

Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

- - - - -

If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Episode 209 with Jenna Free

“I think the biggest issue is with the current ADHD narrative. People are confusing ‘fight or flight’ and ADHD; they're putting it in a bundle and calling it ADHD. Then people believe, ‘Well, this is how hard it needs to be.’”

Jenna is a therapist living in Calgary, Alberta, who not only specializes in ADHD but also has ADHD herself.

Jenna was diagnosed with ADHD at 32 while in grad school with two young children – so yes, she gets the overwhelm. But instead of accepting the standard narrative that ADHD women are just destined to live in a constant state of frantic energy followed by crashes, she started asking a different question: What if the struggle isn't actually inevitable? What if what we're calling "ADHD symptoms" are actually signs of a nervous system stuck in chronic fight-or-flight?

In this episode, we'll dive into Jenna's journey, her insights on ADHD regulation, and how she helps others through her ADHD regulation groups and certification program. We also chat about her brand new book, “The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life.”

Key topics discussed:

• The difference between ADHD traits and fight-or-flight responses
• Internal vs. external regulation strategies
• Why overwhelm is actually a cognitive distortion and sign of dysregulation
• The role of belief work in nervous system regulation
• How regulation can actually increase productivity and capacity
• The power of group work for ADHD healing
• Challenging the narrative that ADHD struggle is inevitable

Website: jennafree.com

Instagram: @adhdwithjennafree

Links & Resources:

Jenna’s book: The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life

Jenna’s podcast: ADHD with Jenna Free

Dr. Anita Johnston's The Log

- - - - -

Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

- - - - -

Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

- - - - -

Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

- - - - -

Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

- - - - -

Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

- - - - -

If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Episode 208 with Alex Bellitter

“People can feel like, ‘I don’t think this is an internal thing I’m trying to work through. I feel like I’m trying to navigate my environment, and I don’t have the tools, education, and resources to do it.’”

Alex is the Senior Manager of Coaching at Shimmer, an ADHD community and coaching platform that’s redefining what support can look like for ADHD brains.

Alex does not have ADHD herself, but she’s spent years working with neurodivergent kids, adults, and now leading a team of over 50 ADHD coaches at Shimmer. She brings a background in coaching psychology, clinical psychology, and health and wellness to her work, and she’s passionate about delivering strengths‑based, evidence‑informed support that actually feels good to ADHDers.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• What coaching psychology is and why it’s such a powerful fit for ADHD
• The difference between therapy, coaching, and “healing” work, and how they can complement each other
• Why so many of us are misdiagnosed with depression first and how overwhelm, executive dysfunction, and chronic frustration can get mislabeled
• The ebb and flow of ADHD symptoms across the lifespan, hormones, menopause, grief, and “temporary neurodivergence”
• How Shimmer structures its coaching, body doubling, community, and AI tools to be genuinely ADHD‑friendly and shame‑free
• The promises and risks of AI for neurodivergent people — and what “good guardrails” actually look like

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “struggling enough” to count, questioned what’s “normal,” or felt confused about where ADHD ends, and environment, hormones, and capitalism begin … this episode is for you.

Website: linkedin.com/in/abellitter

Instagram: @shimmer.care

Links & Resources:

Shimmer.care

Episode 191 with Christal Wang

- - - - -

Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

- - - - -

Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

- - - - -

Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

- - - - -

Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

- - - - -

Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

- - - - -

If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd