• Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks

  • By: Jeremy Nagel and Joey K
  • Podcast

Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks

By: Jeremy Nagel and Joey K
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to the Focus and Chill podcast where we discuss productivity tactics that work for AuDHDers and other neurospicy people. Every episode we interview guests with lived experience of neurodivergence who also have a solid productivity and habit game and pass the learnings on to you, our wise and benevolent audience. Podcast sponsored by https://focusbear.io
    Focus Bear Pty Ltd
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Psychology Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Success
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Episodes
  • Episode 61: Katriona Lee

    Episode 61: Katriona Lee
    Sep 2 2024
    Welcome to episode #61 We’re thrilled to be joined by Katriona Lee today. Kat is the Co-Founder of Kaya, Australia's first strategy-as-a-service platform built for entrepreneurs. Kat forged a successful career in corporate as a neurodivergent professional, leaning heavily into fitness and habit stacking as key tools for emotional regulation.Welcome to the show Kat!QuestionsCan you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? What challenges did you face? What is it like now?What neuro-exceptional strengths are you leaning into now?Early Signs and Challenges:Early childhood observations by parents indicated unusual developmental patterns, such as speaking and swimming before walking. This hinted at a different learning and communication style.During the teenage years, emotional regulation and social comprehension were significant struggles, leading to disproportionate reactions to routine disruptions or misunderstandings in communication.Professional life highlighted these challenges, particularly in understanding and managing social interactions and conversations.Diagnosis and Personal Struggles:Following difficulties in emotional control and understanding social cues, a diagnosis was made, including depression and being on the autism spectrum (previously referred to as Asperger's).The diagnosis brought mixed feelings about intelligence and self-worth, leading to extensive personal research and a reluctance to share this information with social circles for fear of judgment and loss of opportunities.Current Situation and Embracing Neurodiversity:Transitioning from a corporate environment to running a personal business has allowed greater freedom to be authentic and redefine leadership and business practices.Recognizes and values neurodiverse strengths such as exceptional memory and pattern recognition, which enhance capabilities in strategy consulting and anticipating risks.Uses unique cognitive abilities to develop innovative solutions and technologies, addressing pain points effectively.2. What "work" projects are you concentrating on?Kat Developed a one-stop "anti-consulting" platform to provide integrated, accessible business solutions for underserved entrepreneurs, fostering growth and authenticity without traditionalbarriers.Kat addresses the challenges of managing diverse business functions like IT, marketing, and sales through two main strategies:Partnerships: She partners with experts who respect her unique approach, enabling effective collaboration.Technology and Automation: Kat automates repetitive tasks to enhance efficiency and minimize errors, supporting her business's growth.3. How about the rest of the time? What do you enjoy doing in your off time?Kat enjoys outdoor sports like hiking, running, and tennis.She takes regular breaks in nature to manage hyper-focus and safeguard her health.Social and leisure activities, such as discussing movies with friends, help balance her life.4. What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours? What is some unhelpful productivity advice that doesn’t work for you?Productivity Through Fitness: Kat uses her cardio sessions to brainstorm solutions to business challenges, assigning specific tasks to intervals in her running sets.Idea Generation During Exercise: She finds physical activity away from the computer leads to actionable business ideas by the end of her gym sessions.Reflective Processing: Kat reflects on conversations and business issues during non-work times, which aids in deeper processing and future planning.5. COMMERCIAL BREAK6. How do you manage communication with neurotypical folk?Positive Self-Talk: Utilizes self-encouragement to tackle natural negative thoughts.Preparation and Visualization: Plan mental exercises to visualize interactions, assessing likely conversations and challenging personalities.Daily Mental Rehearsals: Incorporates daily mental walkthroughs of her schedule to anticipate professional interactions and enhance communication skills.Empathetic Connections: Builds relationships with neurodivergent partners and team members, leveraging shared understanding.Communicating Needs: Proactively informs colleagues of her needs during remote conversations to manage expectations and maintain focus.Requesting Breaks: Transparently requests short breaks during conversations to manage energy and focus, which is well-received by colleagues.7. What does your morning routine look like and how has it evolved over time?Consistent Wake-Up: Uses alarms set at 15-minute increments to ensure she doesn't oversleep, providing a safety net for starting the day right.Hydration and Supplements: Begins with a big drink of water and takes daily supplements.Mandatory Exercise: Engages in a structured workout (minimum 40 minutes) which includes a warm-up, high-intensity or weight training, and cool-down. Requires coffee before exercising.Cold Water Exposure: Incorporates...
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    40 mins
  • Episode 60: Aleasha Bahr

    Episode 60: Aleasha Bahr
    Jul 13 2024
    Welcome to episode #60 We’re thrilled to be joined by Aleasha Bahr today. Aleasha Bahr is a sales strategist, speaker, best-selling author, and founder of the Black Sheep Sales Method™️. She has 15 years of experience customizing sales strategies for businesses. Aleasha is an ADHDer and uses it to her advantage in her career.Welcome to the show Aleasha!QUESTIONSCan you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? Didn’t know that habits were neurodivergent until a few years agoGetting frustrated when she can’t open certain things.Can’t conform to deadlinesFidgetDoodlingEmpathyWhat challenges did you face? Humans are drainingSo concerned with another person’s experience that they are constantly trying to accommodate.Stimulants can make her tiredTrying to figure out what works for her brainGetting diagnosed as a womanIt felt normalized because she was in the entrepreneurial space.SpiralingCatastrophisingNot acting on the spiraling thoughtsFiguring out how to get stuff doneWhat is it like now?Learning to communicate the experienceIs it a shared experience?What neuro-exceptional strengths are you leaning into now?Empathy - salesAsk more questionsListen (including to what they don’t say)Pattern interruptWhat "work" projects are you concentrating on?Sales training (Black Sheep)Clients = service providers who provide their own servicesNot just solopreneursAvoid working with corporates - people are engagedEthos:don’t manipulate buyers or use shameBe transparentMeet their needsMake lots of moneyGroup sales trainingA different approach - previously did 1 on 1 coaching/training so that she fully understood the client’s offerHow about the rest of the time? What do you enjoy doing in your off time?Boundaries:“That doesn’t make sense for my family” - if people ask for something beyond what she can offerTries not to identify completely as “Mom”Boundaries aroundPersonal timeColouringAdult coloring booksAbsent-mindedly coloringWrite music/singingWriting a bookPartner timeFriend time What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours? Day blockingMonday and Friday are 0 meetings.Tuesday - Thursday are just meetings.Doodling/colouring/going for a walk to unlock creativityDelegation - detailed work to someone elseCalendar managementPodcast editing + distributionSocial media management (Aleasha creates the content, EA uploads/schedules it)Lots of lists - bullet pointsWhat is some unhelpful productivity advice that doesn’t work for you?Time blockingPutting stuff into spreadsheetsLikes having a bit of freedom/disorganizationA lot of productivity advice is around rigidity and isn’t flexible.COMMERCIAL BREAKHow do you manage communication with neurotypical folk?Remember that dealing with difficult people is optionalTransparencyWhat does your morning routine look like and how has it evolved over time?Mon, Wed, Fri - work out virtually with someoneAt 5:30 AM?Otherwise, getting kids dressed and out the door.Generally, talking to someone gets her out of that stressAnd being able to offer value.How is your sleep? How do you switch off at night?Brain dump before bed to prevent loopingPersonifying your mindInstead of trying to switch off the thoughts, thank the mind for the thoughtsWhere can people connect with you or find your work?PodcastSales is not a dirty wordWebsitealeashabahr.comDo you have any final words or asks for our audience?“There is no good or bad - there is effective and ineffective” - avoid judgment, focus on being effectiveMore from Focus Bear:Website: https://focusbear.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearappTwitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/ Podcast: https://podcast.focusbear.ioTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@focusbear10 News First: Melbourne Inventions Helping Those With DisabilitiesConnect with Jeremy:Jeremy’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremyEmail: jeremy@focusbear.ioConnect with Joey:Joey’s creativity course
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    42 mins
  • Episode 59: Christina Hooper

    Episode 59: Christina Hooper
    Jun 11 2024
    Welcome to episode #58 We’re thrilled to be joined by Christina Hooper today. Christina is revolutionizing the journey for neurodivergent entrepreneurs. As one of the world's only AuDHD Business Designers, she puts a focus on understanding deeply, unlocking potential, and designing businesses that aren't just successful, but also fulfilling and sustainable.Christina and her business partners are creating a space where differences are strengths, where every challenge is a chance to innovate, and where everyone gets to live their best life through the journey of entrepreneurship.Welcome to the show Christina!QuestionsJN: Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? Age? I missed itSelf-diagnosed through TiktokFelt like the first time other folks understood how her brain worked.Other people experiencingBrain bouncing aroundNot being able to sit stillDrawing connections other people can’tWhat challenges did you face?Couldn’t create the course that should have been easy.Hired Melanie? The mindset coach?Business cultureAttireLoud venues (e.g. Vegas)What is it like now?Sensory toysFidgit toysBackground musicWithout wordsMedieval tavern (Bardcore?)Classical dubstepFollows the music of brain DJDopamine cheat sheetSensory-friendly clothesBeverage goblin armySupplementsMTHFR gene mutationDiabolical B12 deficiencyTurns B12 into cyanideWhat neuro-exceptional strengths are you leaning into now?Business design skillsetLeaning into autismThe possibilities / lateral thinkingJC: What "work" projects are you concentrating on?Academy18 years in businessOfferingDelivery methods:Metaverse style via gather.townBody doublingOffice hours with coachesEmail/slackRoadmap for ND entrepreneurs Strategies, appsMindset coachFractional COO Help with delegating and communicationHas 3 other businessesConsultancy - personal brandSaaS built on high-levelProject management agencyStarted doing graphic design initiallyAlso website programming on the side (before WYSIWYG builders)JN: How about the rest of the time? What do you enjoy doing in your off time?Hanging with husband and kidsLoofy/one-pieceBusiness lessonsJC: What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours? What is some unhelpful productivity advice that doesn’t work for you?Optimizing productivityYou have to prepare the day before if you want to be productive todayRest and recover wellPay attention to energyMonday = content creation dayThursday/Friday = get interviewed/adminDaily/monthly cyclesSeasonal changes - winter = not a good time for launching productsBody doublingHighest level = physical human next to youLower level = focus mate/gather townOptimizing stimulation level4x speed if she wants to watch something and learnCan read a book, watch a video, and listen to a podcast at the same time.One of the things should be familiar - e.g. a re-run. Without cliffhangers.Needs to have two things happening at once.?Things don’t work foreverWhy - perhaps the context has changed, e.g. body doubling doesn’t work if you’ve been Unhelpful productivity advicePlayDHDCOMMERCIAL BREAKJN: How do you manage communication with neurotypical folk?She stopped tryingTries to get people to assume positive intentTraining the neurotypicals to assume positive intentJC: What does your morning routine look like and how has it evolved over time?Go easy first thing - sloth energy - avoid anxiety first thingExperience morning colors for the rest of the dayAnd colors the energy JC: How is your sleep? How do you switch off at night?Closing duties:Washing dishesClothesLock doorTiming: do the duties before dinnerTactile goal settingStir to left for more of what you want ofStir to the right for lessJN: Where can people connect with you or find your work?christinahooper.comJC: Do you have any final words or asks for our audience?Slow down and prioritise your joyLife is a journey
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    52 mins

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