Are you running your business with an ADHD or sparky-brain?
If the “usual” business advice often just doesn’t seem to work for you, that might be why!
If running and growing your business in a consistent way is trickier for you than it seems to be for others, there might be a very good reason that you’ve yet to discover. See if these common sparky-brain experiences feel familiar.
How does sparky-brained wiring (or ADHD) show up when you’re running a business?
Long before I knew I had ADHD, I described myself as sparky-brained.
I thought fast, acted fast, generated ideas like popcorn, and couldn’t for the life of me understand why, with all that energy, all that effort, and all my good intentions, I still couldn’t seem to get the traction I knew I was capable of.
An ADHD diagnosis came much later (at 53 after 20+ years in business), and it explained a lot.
If some of the patterns described below feel familiar, they might help explain why you’re feeling stuck in what I call “Perpetual Potential” - that frustrating place where you know you’re capable of more, but just not being able to break through.
Knowledge IS power - and self-awareness is the first step to change, so takea look…
#1 - Popcorn Brain
Your brain is a brilliant, creative idea machine. In business, that's both a superpower and a momentum saboteur.
Your notes app, two notebooks, and seven open browser tabs are all holding ideas you haven't returned to
You sit down to look up one thing and resurface ninety minutes later with an entire new service designed, and the original task untouched
There are a lot of half-developed projects (and domain names) in your files that seemed like THE answer at the time
The excitement of a new idea feels physically different from the boredom of regular work. Your brain knows which one it prefers
The flip side: The same refusal to settle for "good enough" is also what makes your work better than most. You're not aiming higher because you're never satisfied. You're aiming higher because you can genuinely see what's possible.
#2 - Priority Pinball
You take action. You invest genuine effort. But traction and momentum remain frustratingly elusive.
You begin each day with clear intentions, but what seems urgent and interesting keeps overruling what you'd decided was important
Some tasks sit on your list for weeks, not because of avoidance them, but because starting requires a mental gear-shift that won't come on demand
You finish the day tired, having done a lot, but with a quiet sense of disappointment, as though it didn't really add up to much
Time has a way of simply disappearing, and estimating how long anything will take completely eludes you
The flip side: When this tendency is working for you, you're unusually adaptable and resilient and in a world that keeps moving the goalposts, those are genuinely valuable skills.
#3- Bright Shiny Options Syndrome
You can see opportunity everywhere - and every single one feels genuinely worth pursuing.
A podcast episode sparks a whole new direction. A conversation makes you question everything
You pivot so often it's hard to remember what the original plan was
You genuinely can't tell if this new idea is strategic inspiration or distraction in disguise
Your audience barely catches up with one offer before you're already thinking about, designing, and adding the next
Each new direction feels like it might finally be the one where you get to be the full version of yourself - which is why it's so hard not to follow it
The flip side: You’re able to spot possibilities everywhere because your brain is wired to notice what's new, what's needed, and what could exist with a little bit of ingenuity. That's a strength that just needs discernment.
#4 - The Surge and Stall
When something captures your focus, you go all in. The problem is what happens after.
You manage a brilliant burst of visibility or content creation, and then promptly disappear because your energy or interest runs out
The gap between your most visible weeks and your quietest ones is often wider than any marketing strategy can bridge
Client-facing work lights you up and depletes you simultaneously
The pressure you put on yourself to stay (and appear) on top of everything is invisible, costly, and absolutely real labour that never shows on your to-do list
The flip side: When something really has your attention, you can go deeper and faster than almost anyone. Some of your best work, and your sharpest and most original thinking, comes from hyperfocusing.
#6 - The Confidence See-Saw
One moment you're clear, capable, confident, and ready. And the next you're wondering why you ever thought this would work.
Praise is like Teflon, it slides off so quickly. But criticism? That's Velcro, it sticks, replays, and grows (and you're all too often the chief critic)
You can scroll LinkedIn in a perfectly good mood and exit feeling behind, irrelevant, or like you're doing everything wrong
You oscillate between "I've got this" and "I have no idea what I’m doing, never have, never will”, sometimes within the same hour
You know your prices should be higher. But putting a bigger number in front of someone for their reaction? That's just... arrgghhhh
The flip side: The same emotional attunement that makes you vulnerable to criticism also means you feel deeply, and that shows up as genuine responsiveness, real warmth, and the kind of connection that's increasingly rare. In a world that feels low on trust, that's gold.
#7 - Chameleon Mode
You're so good at reading people that you sometimes lose track of which version of your business is actually yours.
You reshape your offer, your messaging, or your positioning based on what the person right in front of you seems to need - or what the market seems to reward
You've described your work so many different ways you're not sure which version is the real one
You follow a mentor's system so diligently that your own instincts go quiet
Feedback from one person sends you back to the drawing board, even when ten others loved it
You've spent years learning to read what people need, or approve of, and you become it. That kept you safe. But now it's making it hard to know what you actually want to build
The flip side: Reading a room accurately, adapting without losing the core of you, making people feel genuinely seen, heard, and understood - these are the foundation of exceptional client relationships.
#7 - The Validation Loop
You know your own mind. You just don't quite trust it yet - so you keep looking for someone, or something, to confirm you're on the right track.
You crowdsource opinions and feedback regularly just in case you’ve missed something vital
You feel most certain right after a great coaching call. Least certain when you're alone with your thoughts and the to-do list
You keep searching, new mentors, new methods, new frameworks, because surely this next one will be the one that finally works
The evidence of your capability is right in front of you - client results, referrals, repeat business. You can see it intellectually. You just can't seem to feel it long enough for it to cancel out the doubt
The flip side: You seek input not because you lack capability, but because you genuinely care about getting it right and you're open to learning and growth. So the goal isn't to stop listening to others. It's to trust your own voice alongside theirs.
#8 -The Systems Squish
You know systems matter. You've tried to build them. But the systems you adopt seems to work for everyone except you.
You find a productivity method that sounds perfect, implement it with genuine enthusiasm - and inevitably abandon it in three weeks
You've tried time-blocking, Pomodoro, Getting Things Done, colour-coded calendars, and at least three project management apps
You have notes in three apps, two notebooks, and a voice memo you can't find…and the flash of insight you had last Tuesday has just… disappeared
You mean to stay on top of the admin - the follow-ups, the tracking, the records, but the doing of your actual work always takes over, and the business infrastructure quietly crumbles behind the scenes
The flip side: Years of working around systems that weren't built for your brain have made you resourceful, adaptable, and surprisingly good at creative problem-solving under pressure. That's a real skill, not a consolation prize.
I’m not suggesting you tick all the boxes on this list!
This isn’t intended as any kind of diagnosis. But it might be a mirror.
If you're nodding at more than a few of these, there's a very good reason business has felt harder than it should - and it has nothing to do with your intelligence, your commitment, or your potential.
You may simply be trying to run a business without understanding how you work best, and so much can change when you do!
I had no idea it was ADHD
At 53, my ADHD diagnosis shifted everything. Suddenly, the twists, turns, and impulsive pivots that had shaped my life and work finally made sense. The patterns I had struggled to understand, intense self-doubt, imposter syndrome, constant restless shifts in focus, weren't character flaws or proof I wasn’t “cut out for this”. They were signs of a brain wired for novelty, creativity, innovation, and connection.
But what struck me most wasn't just the personal recognition, it was the realisation that I'd already been building my business around this experience without knowing it. The tools I'd developed, the clients I'd attracted, the way I naturally worked, all of it made sense through this new lens. I'd been designing for sparky-brained businesswomen all along, because that’s what I was and needed.
It's why I continue to use the term "sparky-brained" - to describe the way so many of us think, work, and show up, often completely unaware of the connection to ADHD, and whether or not we ever seek a formal diagnosis.
If you’re recognising yourself in these descriptions, you might like to take a look at the ADHD Business Coaching services I provide.
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in life (in my case, much later in life!) can feel like a rollercoaster. I created the Late Stage ADHD Diagnosis Cycle© to capture the emotional journey I went on - perhaps it will resonate with you too:
Wherever you are in this cycle,
I see you.
A book for sparky-brained businesswomen
If you have a quiet nudge inside, a sense that something new is brewing in your business this book is for you.
Your Next Chapter is your companion for the journey, it’s an honest, practical, and encouraging guide designed to help you shift from second-guessing to strategic doing
And if your brain has always moved fast, generating more ideas than you know what to do with,
If you’re powered by curiosity, and fuelled by learning,
If you feel are care deeply
If you’re harder on yourself than you’d ever be on anyone else
And if you've suspected or discovered that ADHD is part of your story…
I rewrote this updated edition understanding those experiences from the inside out, through my new sparky-brained lens, for every woman who's wondered why the standard business rules never quite seem to work for her.
Conversations I’ve had about having
a Late-Stage ADHD Diagnosis
Patrcia Falcetta OAM – Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator and Founder of Social Living Solutions.
“I have worked with many coaches, strategists, and mentors throughout my decade in business, but none have had the grounding impact that Angela has had on me, both professionally and personally.
Her guidance is not loud or forceful. She doesn’t preach. She doesn’t demand. Angela walks beside you. She carries you gently when needed, and she offers tools and insights so seamlessly that you only realise later how much your life and business have shifted because of her presence.
I believe every female business owner who is neurodivergent needs her kindred spirit. I've invested so much in the past and have never moved or progressed as far as I have with Angela. She’s worth every cent!"
Kelly White – ADHD Self-leadership Mentoring
“I first heard Angela speaking as a guest on an ADHD podcast, and I was instantly inspired. I felt stuck in my busy life and thought she could guide me into a deeper understanding of myself and where I wanted to go.
Angela has exceptional listening skills and an incredible ability to get to the heart of things. Through our work together, I’ve gained so much. My vision is clearer, and I now have more self-compassion and self-understanding. I feel more confident and positive, no longer stuck in a rut. I’m kinder to myself, which has allowed me to achieve more without feeling frazzled.
I highly recommend Angela to anyone looking for greater self-understanding or guidance in navigating a new direction in life. Thank you so much, Angela, for your unwavering commitment and support!”
Business can feel harder with a sparky-brain
If you've recognised yourself in this list, you're not odd and you're not behind. You're a sparky-brained businesswoman who's been trying to build something meaningful without a map that fits how you actually work.
That's exactly what I help with - strategy and self-leadership designed around your wiring, not against it.
Find out more about my ADHD business coaching →
Or if you'd simply like a conversation, let's connect.
Download the PDF Summary of these common “sparky-brained in business experiences.
If running and growing your business in a consistent way is trickier for you than it seems to be for others, there might be a very good reason - keep this PDF summary nearby!