What if you could change your life in 7 minutes? I’m here to tell you it’s possible. In fact, I’m doing it myself. It’s called The 7-Minute Principle, and it’s the idea you can do anything for 7 minutes. Here’s an example. A former student of mine had drama around doing the dishes. For years and years, she HATED doing them. One day, she decided to time herself. It took her 7 minutes. All of the drama dropped immediately because - let’s be honest, you can do anything for 7 minutes and it’s not that bad. Now apply this to other areas of your life. What would your email inbox look like if you ..read more

They are baaaaaaack! Everyone’s favorite psychotherapists, Helen Villiers, and Katie McKenna, are back to finish the conversation on emotionally abusive behaviors they see in parent-child relationships. They quite literally wrote the book on this topic. These two brilliant ladies co-authored You're Not the Problem: The Impact of Narcissism and Emotional Abuse and How to Heal. In this podcast episode, we’re diving even deeper into the impact of narcissistic parents and the role past trauma can have on your ADHD. This episode is for you if you: Are curious about what narcissistic behavior loo ..read more

We’ve had some truly amazing guests on the podcast lately, and our most recent guest is no exception. Dr. Layne Norton is an evidence-based nutrition coach and self-proclaimed 'nerd who lifts heavy things.' He has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences, 4 USA Power Lifting National Titles, and 1700 clients in his coaching program. His resume is stacked, to say the least. But being diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, Layne has had to overcome some serious challenges both in his personal and professional life. With more than 1 million followers on social media, it’s no secret that Layne’s story has resona ..read more

You might remember psychotherapists Helen Villiers and Katie McKenna from episode 200 where we talked about toxic relationships and their impact on ADHDers. You may also know their podcast called In Sight: Exposing Narcissism. Well, since we last visited, they’re ALSO co-authors of You're Not the Problem: The Impact of Narcissism and Emotional Abuse and How to Heal. I’m honored to have these two incredible ladies back on the podcast to discuss some of the emotionally abusive behaviors they commonly see from parent to child. Even if you believe you had a very normal childhood and your parents ..read more

Every once in a while, I struggle to know what to do for a podcast. This was one of those episodes. So, I decided to take questions posted in the FOCUSED Slack by our community members and answer them publicly. And you know what? This ended up being so much fun. Because those of us with ADHD are very similar. We’re human beings with ADHD brains. And that is a common experience that just binds us together.  So, I know reading these questions and answering them will be helpful for you. We’re covering topics like… What to do if you feel like medication isn’t working for you How to avoid bin ..read more

I’m beyond excited to share this episode with the one and only Oliver James. At 35 years old, Oliver is learning how to read for the first time. You might have seen him on TikTok, Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, or NPR, where he’s shedding light on functional illiteracy. After being diagnosed with ADHD and OCD as a child, Oliver spent most of his life struggling to keep up both in and out of the classroom until a string of bad choices found him in prison. On the other side, Oliver continued to struggle. His ADHD and OCD left him desperate for answers but not sure where to turn ..read more

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in college. While I’d like to think that was like 5 years ago, it was actually a lot longer. It was much harder to get a diagnosis back then.  In fact, the ADHD diagnosis process was different 5 years ago when I started my podcast. It’s 2024 now, and I’m thrilled to say it’s easier than ever before for adults to get an ADHD diagnosis. This isn’t me saying it’s easier to FOOL clinicians into falsely diagnosing you. I mean it’s easier for people who have ADHD to get an accurate diagnosis. How so? We’ve got more access to info than we’ve ever had. Peop ..read more

This week, I blew up at my son. At the time, I felt justified (don’t cross mama’s boundaries) but the more I sat with the situation, I knew I was in the wrong. The whole thing made me feel ick and got me thinking about the “right way” to apologize. Note: These are tips for apologizing in a perfect world. If you’re activated, feeling defensive, or in self-judgment mode, it’s going to be way harder to put these into action. Here’s the thing: Being human is hard. We all want safe, connected relationships. But every relationship in our lives will rupture at some point. Fortunately, it is possi ..read more

I’ve got something incredible to share with you. As an adult, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Did you know this?! Pause. Breathe. Let that soak in. Many of us grew up in situations where we didn’t feel we had autonomy or the right to self-govern. We didn’t feel like we were in charge of our lives. So, in adulthood, we struggle to recognize that we have control over what we say yes and no to. Why is this a problem? Because, as adult ADHDers, it takes us so much mental and emotional energy to do things we don’t want to do. So, you stay stuck in a job you don’t like doing t ..read more

If you’ve ever wanted a look inside the brain of Kristen Carder, this episode is for you. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been sick or that I’ve just got things I want to say that don’t fit into a topic we’ve covered on the podcast lately… but this episode is going to be me dumping the contents of my brain for all to see (or…hear?!). So, find a comfy spot on the couch, grab your beverage of choice, and let’s chat! In this episode, I’m sharing about…How it’s so dang *hard* to be human. The actual meltdown I had after a crazy successful FOCUSED launch las ..read more