WP127 | Running a Practice with an ADHD Brain with David Sturgess
For years, ADHD has been misunderstood, dismissed as simple distraction or hyperactivity. But the reality is far more complex—and far more powerful. In this episode, we dive deep into the truths about ADHD, busting common myths and exploring how it uniquely shapes the lives of entrepreneurs and private practice owners.
Our guest, David, isn’t just an expert—he lives it. He shares his firsthand experience navigating ADHD as a business owner, revealing how the right systems, routines, and mindset shifts can transform what might seem like a weakness into a powerful advantage. From overcoming executive functioning challenges to embracing structure in a way that actually works, this conversation is packed with insights for anyone who has ADHD or works with those who do.
If you’ve ever felt like traditional methods just don’t fit your brain, this episode will be a game-changer. Tune in now and discover how to make ADHD work for you, not against you!
The Myths of ADHD
For decades, ADHD has been misunderstood. Many people associate it with the stereotypical hyperactive child who can’t sit still in class. But ADHD presents in different ways, and it doesn’t always look like bouncing off the walls. There are different subtypes, and for many, it manifests as a racing mind, difficulty prioritizing, and trouble with follow-through.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that people with ADHD simply can’t focus. The reality is that they often focus on too many things at once, making it hard to complete tasks in a linear way. The idea that ADHD is just an issue of attention ignores the strengths that come with it—creative problem-solving, the ability to see patterns and systems, and an entrepreneurial drive that thrives outside of traditional structures.
ADHD and Entrepreneurship: A Natural Fit?
It’s no surprise that many entrepreneurs and practice owners have ADHD. The traits that can make ADHD challenging in structured environments—like school or corporate jobs—can be an asset in business ownership. Many people with ADHD are visionary thinkers, able to see the big picture and innovate new ways of doing things.
That said, the same qualities that make ADHD entrepreneurs thrive can also create hurdles. Running a business requires attention to details like bookkeeping, scheduling, and paperwork—things that don’t always come naturally to those with ADHD. That’s why having a strong support system and effective tools is key.
The Importance of Systems and Routines
For practice owners with ADHD, success often comes down to creating systems and routines that work with their brain rather than against it. Some key strategies include:
Using structured digital tools – Organizing a Google Workspace effectively or using project management apps can help keep tasks on track.
Delegating detail-oriented tasks – Having an assistant or team member who thrives in structured, detail-oriented work can help balance the big-picture strengths of an ADHD entrepreneur.
Breaking tasks into smaller steps – Large projects can feel overwhelming, so breaking them down into bite-sized tasks makes them more manageable.
Creating accountability systems – Whether it’s a business partner, a coach, or a mastermind group, external accountability can help maintain momentum.
The Journey to Diagnosis and Treatment
Many adults with ADHD don’t realize they have it until later in life—often after struggling with focus, procrastination, or time management in professional settings. For some, getting an official diagnosis can provide clarity and access to helpful treatments, whether that’s medication, therapy, or lifestyle adjustments.
However, the process of finding the right treatment can be frustrating. ADHD medication isn’t one-size-fits-all, and trial-and-error is often involved. Some people respond well to stimulants, while others may find them ineffective or experience negative side effects. Newer approaches, like genetic testing, can sometimes help identify which medications may be a better fit.
Beyond medication, lifestyle adjustments like exercise, mindfulness, and structured routines can also play a big role in managing ADHD effectively.
The Emotional Side of ADHD
One often overlooked aspect of ADHD is the emotional toll it can take. Many people with ADHD experience guilt, shame, or anxiety from struggling with things that seem easy for others. There’s also a significant overlap between ADHD and anxiety or depression, which can complicate diagnosis and treatment.
For practice owners, learning to navigate these emotional challenges—whether through therapy, self-compassion, or supportive communities—can make a huge difference.
Thriving with ADHD in Private Practice
Despite its challenges, ADHD can be a powerful asset in running a private practice. Entrepreneurs with ADHD often bring creativity, resilience, and out-of-the-box thinking to their work. By building strong systems, understanding their own working style, and seeking the right support, ADHD practice owners can turn potential obstacles into advantages.
David's message is clear: ADHD doesn’t have to be a barrier to running a successful private practice. With the right systems and mindset, practice owners can thrive without burning out.
For those interested in working with David, he invites them to reach out via email at david@wisepracticeconsulting.com or through an application on the Wise Practice Consulting website.
David’s Resources
Email: david@wisepracticeconsulting.com
Foundry Counseling on Facebook
Foundry Counseling on Instagram
Links and Resources
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Learn More about Wise Practice Consulting
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[00:00:00] Whitney Owens: Hi, I'm Whitney Owens. I'm a group practice owner and faith based practice consultant, and I'm here to tell you that you can have it all. Want to grow your practice? Want to grow your faith? Want to enjoy your life outside of work? You've come to the right place. Each week on the Wise Practice Podcast, I will give you the action steps to have a successful faith based practice while also having a good time.
[00:00:25] Now, let's get started.
[00:00:29] Jingle: Where she grows your practice, she don't play. She does business with a twist of faith. It's Whitney Owens and the Wise Practice Podcast. Whitney Owens and the Wise Practice Podcast.
[00:00:48] Whitney Owens: Dale of the Podcast. I've got Wise Practice consultant David Sturgess who's going to talk to us about the myths It's the structure and the ways to handle running your practice with ADHD brain. David and I have known each other for a long time. In fact, he was someone I did consulting with, or he did consulting with me years back when he was starting and growing his practice.
[00:01:12] And over the years I've seen him take off in his business acumen and ability to understand practice centers. And he joined the team last year and now provides business consulting through WISE Practice. So if you are wondering what it's like to have an ADHD brain, maybe you have one, you're trying to figure out how to run your practice, or you know someone who does, and you're trying to gain more understanding and empathy, this episode is for you.
[00:01:38] I can say there were things that I heard about ADHD prior to hiring David with WISE Practice, but since we've been working together, I've learned so much from him about what that is like. And it's really helped my ability to understand how to work with people and how to be a better therapist, how to be a better business owner, and honestly, how to be a better friend.
[00:01:59] So looking forward to you learning from him today on what that's like. David does do business consulting. So if you listen today and you're thinking, Gosh, I would love to have a consultant that kind of understands the way I think and helps me know how to run my business. David is definitely someone to reach out to.
[00:02:16] You can head to the Wise Practice website and complete an application and we'll get y'all in touch with one another. We offer clarity calls so that we try to talk to you about what you're looking for to make sure that it's a good fit before you start the consulting process. In addition, today is April 1st.
[00:02:32] It is the last day. to purchase your discounted early bird summit ticket. So if you are wanting to come to the wise practice summit and you're wanting to get a hundred dollars off. Please head to the website and grab your ticket. The code is there for you to use, and we are thrilled. The Last Practice Summit is a business practice owner's conference with faith involved, and you'll hear talks from people from all over the country, sponsors that you are well acquainted with either through this podcast or through being just a practice owner.
[00:03:04] They have lots of services that can help you grow your business. You'll be able to hang out and talk to them. Honestly, I think the best part is being able to connect with other faith based practice owners knowing that you're not alone. So I'm looking forward to seeing you there. That's going to be in Greenville, South Carolina, October 9th through the 11th.
[00:03:19] Head to wisepractisconsulting. com. And look, if you listen to this after April 1st, it's okay. You can still come. We're excited to have you. So head to the website. We've already are, we are already over halfway sold for the conference. So that's very exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing you there. So I will go ahead and get us going into this episode where we talk with David about running a practice with an ADHD brain.
[00:03:50] Welcome friends to the podcast today. And we have a last practice consultant, David Sturgis here with us. How are you, David?
[00:03:57] David Sturgess: Good. How are you?
[00:03:58] Whitney Owens: Doing well. Glad to have you on the show. David has a private practice based out of Marietta, Georgia called Foundry Counseling. It's been six years, seven. Okay, six years, uh, married with two teenage girls and also does consulting and teaches at Point University.
[00:04:16] Yeah. for coming on the show.
[00:04:18] David Sturgess: Thank you.
[00:04:19] Whitney Owens: Wonderful. So, we're going to talk about a fun topic today, having ADHD and what that looks like owning a practice and doing wine. I think it's an important topic for people and I'll just say personally, I have learned a lot about ADHD through you educating me and through my clients and.
[00:04:38] Things going on in the world. So glad to be talking about it with you.
[00:04:42] David Sturgess: Yeah, it's something that is very misunderstood.
[00:04:45] Whitney Owens: Yeah. Well, let's start there. Tell me more about the bits.
[00:04:49] David Sturgess: Yeah, so I kind of title that bullet point myths of ADHD. I think stereotypically growing up. Um, I'm 43. so, you know, my elementary middle high school is all the 80s and 90s and it's that.
[00:05:06] Annoying kid that won't shut up and sit still in class and so the teacher wants them medicated on Ritalin, right? And when you look at ADHD, it really needs to be renamed. It doesn't adequately describe what is what is happening through. Brain specs and and other research, we know there are subtypes of ADHD and so it's, it's not just that kid that won't shut up and sit down.
[00:05:32] It's much more complicated and it's not always hyperactive. It's not really hyperactive. It's more hyper arousal. So you're, you're not able to focus because your brain's doing 9000 things at once and. You don't always want it to do 9000 things at once. We can't multitask like neurologically. That's just not possible.
[00:05:58] Your brain is constantly switching back and forth between the 2 or 7 things that you're doing. And so to just look at it as somebody can't pay attention and they're hyperactive isn't fair to any parties involved, right? Because it's more complicated for the person that's living with and I think it sets everybody up.
[00:06:18] Round them to have an expectation that just isn't realistic. Right? Never mind putting a kid in a classroom for 8 hours with no recess and expecting them to stay on task the whole day. Like, that's just dumb for anybody. If I do say so myself, but then you have, I think ADHD where. It does fall into that kind of neurodivergent category.
[00:06:46] And so we're, we're looking at the world differently. We think of things differently. We see patterns, we see systems. And when you're having to do life and whatever box that somebody is telling you. You have to do it this way kind of thing. There's some folks, especially more creative folks that don't even know a box exists, let alone they got to work in it.
[00:07:13] Right? And that's not true for everybody with however, you know, when we do see a shorter way to do something, or we can blow through some steps and still get it done. That can sometimes be good enough because we can't really dial in to those nitty gritty details that somebody else might want or it's not that we don't think they're important.
[00:07:41] It's just it can also get done without all those details. If that makes sense. And I think running a practice. With ADHD, that's a nuance that has to be wrangled and managed, right? You can't manage QuickBooks without looking at some of the details. You know, and things like that. So with ADHD, there's lots of different ways to treat it.
[00:08:10] Also, you know, stimulants are not good for everybody. And so that myth, I think also of take the med, you know, which we'll talk about here in a little bit is a part of that myth. The medication of a stimulant is trying to. Speed up the nervous system to match the speed of the brain, which, okay, you know, I, I, I see the function of that medicine.
[00:08:37] However, we really need to dial down the brain instead of speeding up the nervous system. And so that's where I think some of the tricks and tools, you know, come into play where some folks need certain beds and some people can manage it differently. Um, that's 1 of those nets.
[00:08:59] Whitney Owens: So, I definitely hear you on what it was like growing up, but when I first heard about ADHD, the kid that can't sit in the chair, that's inattentive, that doesn't seem to care, like, you're right.
[00:09:10] All those myths were totally in my mind because my brain functions differently, you know, and so it was something I didn't really understand and I would say, as I've grown as a practice center and working with Practice owners. It seems like I see a lot of ADHD with entrepreneurs, maybe even more so like a higher percentage than in the any other community.
[00:09:36] Yes, curious if you see that and do you think that's pretty common for people who own a private practice?
[00:09:42] David Sturgess: I, I definitely see it in entrepreneurs and again, like that superpower aspect. I think a company run well with somebody that has ADHD has a second, you know, or, or their partner that doesn't have it, you know, ADHDs are going to be good visionaries and like longterm.
[00:10:03] Big picture, you know, type of stuff, and you need somebody to get in there and do some of those details, you know, to actually make that kind of dream or vision come to fruition. That's not to say ADHD people can't handle the details or fine tune something, but that that isn't true for everybody. I think that goes back into more of that subtypes of ADHD and things of that nature versus that that broad brush.
[00:10:32] Definitely entrepreneurs, they're predominantly, I would say that is a trait that a lot of entrepreneurs have, whether they realize it or not, you know, I mean, just just because it's not diagnosed doesn't mean you don't have it means it's not done.
[00:10:47] Whitney Owens: Can we go back a little? I'd like for you to share kind of how did you find out that this was your diagnosis?
[00:10:53] And what was that like for you? And. And kind of that journey,
[00:10:57] David Sturgess: so I went in initially when I became a therapist working at hospital and it was just like, particularly with the notes, clinical documentation, hey, documentation always have. And then, as I learned more about as a clinician, you know, we're not supposed to diagnose ourselves and all that stuff.
[00:11:21] But I was like, looking back on high school, it's not that I'm not intelligent. You know, and that aspect of failure to finish or really overwhelmed and that's blocking me getting to the finish line, struggling to stay focused in an hour and a half long class, you know, type of thing. I started to connect the dots of like, yeah, I've probably had this my entire life, you know, but my younger brother was just more of that.
[00:11:54] Hyperactive ADHD and got more of the attention of it all because I looked like I was doing well, but my C's could have probably very well been A's, you know, with. Managing ADHD differently. And so I think at that point, you know, it, it was learning more about it, what it is, what it isn't, and weeding through all the different things that are out there in terms of publications and people's opinions.
[00:12:22] I've also learned, I think, through that process of just because somebody has a doctorate doesn't mean they understand. Mental health medication or a mental health diagnosis. So I think that's changing in some respects. And I think when you have somebody as a doctor who truly understands ADHD, you know, that can be a huge advocate towards no, you don't necessarily need this type of medicine or, you know, okay, we'll do this to kind of.
[00:12:57] Cut the intensity of it, but you need to amp up these coping skills and, you know, these systems over here. Otherwise, you just get that kind of zombie of a kid or zombie of an adult, you know, because it's too much medicine for their, their system.
[00:13:15] Whitney Owens: So, so go back to, so you started realizing when you're working at a hospital that maybe ADHD was something that you had.
[00:13:22] How did you go about, like, getting your diagnosis and getting treated for it?
[00:13:27] David Sturgess: Primary care. And, and I think they kind of took my word for it because I was a clinician at that point. So it's like, well, he knows what he's talking about. And, and at the time, it's like, okay, I can start some medicine and start trying to figure this out, you know, and things like that.
[00:13:48] Looking back, that's irritating. Like, I don't need a play therapist in my doctor's office, you know, that great. I'm intelligent. I can talk about the and blah, blah, blah. But I need somebody objective to help dial in that diagnosis. And I think that's where, when you have a good doctor that you can kind of fight with a little bit, you know, not in a.
[00:14:10] Angry way, but in a let's really come through this and make sure it is what it is. I would have appreciated that more because problem. I had in the beginning was going through different medicines and side effects and, you know, all that type of stuff. People can regardless. Irregardless is not a word regardless of whatever someone's diagnosis is and taking meds like you can go months before you get to the right man and the right dosage of that man.
[00:14:42] And so there's things like gene site testing and other types of cheek swabs and things like that that can be done now to help you see, okay, based on your body chemistry and the chemistry of the medicine. These medications are going to be more appropriate for you where these other ones either aren't going to be as effective or they're going to cause unnecessary side effects, you know, things like that.
[00:15:07] And so in the beginning of trying to like. Try these different medications. I got very frustrated with it all. Also, and I'm just like screw it. I'm not dealing with these side effects. I'm not dealing with all this man changing and, you know, the expense and time of going to doctors and changing meds. And so it was.
[00:15:32] Annoying, I guess just as somebody that was trying to make an improvement. And then, uh, you know, in terms of A DHD, there's a, there's a, the hyper arousal leads to a lot of anxiety. The, the low. Part of ADHD leads to a lot of depression that so they're very much it's not an anxiety disorder or depression disorder, but it is a matter of Anxiety and depression come with ADHD and it's not always something that is just you don't need anxiety medicine for the anxiety You're experiencing with ADHD.
[00:16:11] It's so that that's where that differential diagnosis. I think it's so important in the beginning of Is this truly ADHD and having to have those conversations with doctors because that influences what type of med, if the type of men and I just, I didn't get that. And so I got more frustrated and overwhelmed and went more on a practical lifestyle kind of management looking at systems routines, you know, things like that.
[00:16:42] Whitney Owens: Yeah, I think you bring up a lot of good points here, especially for us that might have ADHD clients in our practice and again, you know, through knowing you and others that have ADHD, I've learned kind of what to be looking for and even my clients have started giving them those initial screenings, seeing their symptom, you know, seeing their diagnosis.
[00:17:03] Some of them refused to, you know, engage with it. Some of them have said kind of what you said, like, I went to the doctor, the side effects are so strong, I don't even want to deal with it. But then it, you know, I find in my therapy with them, they're bringing the anxiety and depression in. It's a sifting through, like, what's coming from what and how do we manage that?
[00:17:23] It can be challenging
[00:17:26] David Sturgess: and I think parents want what's best for their kids. Obviously. I mean, most parents do and a lot of times, like, I think it's like, 40 percent of people with ADHD have a parent that has ADHD and so with me being 43, my mom is. Late 60s, my dad, whose past would be in his early 70s at this point, my dad had it, my mom doesn't, but they weren't getting diagnosed in the 40s 60s of ADHD.
[00:17:59] ADHD didn't exist, you know, in terms of what we know it to be now, especially. And so you don't know what you don't know, right? And I think that that's a piece to it. Also, where just because you're a doctor, you know, wonderful, okay. Right, and med school, you know, covers a lot, you know, and so unless they truly understand a particular diagnosis, you know, I, I think like doctors can understand cancer, but if they're not an oncologist, they don't know the nuances of oncology.
[00:18:39] Right and so mental health diagnoses are very much the same way and so knowing how. It impacts children how does it impact parents when they themselves might not realize they have a hd you know they've compensated in other ways and then i think there's also a little bit of grief and guilt that comes along with a dhd as well that we'll see in our clients they want to be efficient they want to be effective they don't want to let people down and you know they can get hijacked where it's not intentional and how do you manage.
[00:19:18] Your care, you know, and your lifestyle, so you can decrease that anxiety and depression and guilt and shame and things like that.
[00:19:26] Whitney Owens: Yeah, well, let's start moving a little bit more into running a practice. What are some tips or thoughts you have for practice owners?
[00:19:35] David Sturgess: So for me, systems and routines are critical and it's, it's the systems of how my Google workspace is set up.
[00:19:46] What tools do I use? What tools do I not use? I learned really early on not to have to do lists that are separate. So, like, my house, foundry counseling, teaching, consulting, church responsibilities, my kids sports, like, all of that has to be on one calendar and one to do list, because if it is out of sight, it is out of mind.
[00:20:14] That's kind of a good rule with ADHD and so having those systems and routines where I pull up my calendar and I see everything and the challenge that I think I, I still work on is what we call time blindness. When we're talking about ADHD, so, you know, I've got 2 hours in the middle of the day. I can do these 17 things.
[00:20:40] No, you can't do 17 things in 2 hours. It doesn't matter how small those 17 things are right. You might realistically only be able to do 1 of those things in 2 hours. And so that time blindness, it's it's not that I don't tell time. I'm actually. Pretty rigid on my schedule, but there is that that difficulty of understanding really how long something might take.
[00:21:07] Right, so being very intentional with my schedule, I've noticed for me personally, like, I need to do those, those things that are going to require more executive functioning during the morning time of my days, where my more relational or task oriented running errands, cleaning the coffee maker, you know, whatever, like, that stuff can be done.
[00:21:35] Afternoons, you know, kind of stuff because our, our executive function is getting hijacked by the ADHD, right? So to, to know what's on my schedule for the day, to make corrections, adjustments as needed, and being a clinician, like my, my clients are going to come first, you know, however, I need to be strategic as to when I'm scheduling them because I do have to capitalize on the day.
[00:22:04] Um, I even think. For me, I've noticed scheduling certain clients at certain times of the day or certain times of the week can be helpful. If I've got a really complex trauma case, you know, like, that's going to require a bit more management. Right? It's a scheduling standpoint. It's not just managing the to do's of being a business owner, but as a clinician, it's, it's being strategic on who are we seeing when.
[00:22:35] Whitney Owens: So, can you talk a little more about, like, managing your business? How do you, how do you manage so many things when your mind is in so many places?
[00:22:43] David Sturgess: So, in Google workspace, there's something called Google keep and Google tasks and. You know, kind of thinking of like a parking lot when we're like, given a presentation or something, you know, and there's ideas or something like that.
[00:22:56] And we put them on the sticky note up in the parking lot to do Q and a later when a thought pops in that thought is not going to stick around and it's gotta be put somewhere. Um, and and it's there to be able to go back to right. It'll drift back into my focus later, but it's probably going to be 11 o'clock later at that night when I can't do whatever it is I needed to do anyways.
[00:23:21] So, when it pops up, it is on that Google task list. And that's part of that morning routine of looking at the day, looking at the task list and and prioritizing based off of. What the entire day holds. I think I finally got my family trained. If you need dad to do something or you need husband to do something, I am more than willing to do it.
[00:23:47] You have to watch me put it in my phone. It has to go on that Google task list. Google key kind of thing. Otherwise, I'm not going to remember it. And I think as a business owner, it's some people can forget to pay bills, you know, if they don't have them on auto draft. I have everything on auto draft that I possibly can have on auto draft.
[00:24:08] I create email rules. I create rules and quick books for expenses. Um, when I get a receipt, there's an app, a quick book app on my phone where I can snap that picture of that receipt and it automatically makes the expense. And then when my accountant yells at me for where's the receipt, it's there, it's in the picture in the app.
[00:24:31] And so it's incorporating those kind of tools and tricks, you know, that are in a lot of these systems that we encourage people to use. A lot of people just aren't using them.
[00:24:43] Whitney Owens: Yeah, we're using them correctly. Right?
[00:24:45] David Sturgess: Right.
[00:24:46] Whitney Owens: I'm remembering a story of a friend of mine. Who's a pastor. And he has some pretty significant ADHD.
[00:24:54] Of course, he's extremely successful and wonderful preacher and all those good things, but the administrative side he struggled with. So he kept forgetting to get the church mail.
[00:25:04] Jingle: Yeah, you
[00:25:04] Whitney Owens: know, it was like, and it killed him on the inside because it was important that he was getting it and he was getting in trouble for it.
[00:25:12] But at the same time, he was like, if I don't have it written down as simple a task as that is everyone. No 1 has to write down, get the mail. I mean, I get home. I see the mail. I just grabbed the mail, you know, but like, for someone who has that brain and that was like, A crazy concept to me. I was like, you just get the mail
[00:25:31] David Sturgess: and that's that goes back to that myth of ADHD.
[00:25:34] Right? And I don't expect anybody to understand what it's like to live with ADHD if they've never lived with ADHD. Right? And we can think of 1000 different examples of what people struggle with that. We love that. We don't know what it's like to be them, you know, and we're trying to support them the best way.
[00:25:55] We know how type of thing. And so, if you're a, if you're a group practice owner, you know, that that's a different dynamic because you're managing people as well as the business and you got to kind of teach your team the same thing that I taught my family, you know, like, hi, my name's David. I have ADHD. If you need me to do something more than happy to let's put it on the list, you know, there's a shared keep list for my practice of like, if we need paper towels, then my team can put paper towels on the list, you know, like, they don't have to come and tell me that.
[00:26:34] But when I go to the grocery store, go to Sam's, you know, like, there's the list, you know, don't tell me we need paper towels when I'm going to the store 3 days from now and not put put it on the list. Because we're not getting paper towels, you know, so that that's 1 of those things of, you know, having systems in place and, um, it is as simple as check mail, you know.
[00:27:04] Go to post office and it sounds ridiculous, you know, but just
[00:27:10] Whitney Owens: it sounds like the sooner you embrace that like embracing What it is you're gonna actually be more successful and I'm bet a lot of practice owners feel bad about themselves or guilty So they don't embrace these routines and then they set them up set themselves up for failure, basically
[00:27:27] David Sturgess: Yeah, and I mean we would we would tell our all of our clients You know, if it's ineffective, then we need to change it, you know, to meet the, if, if we have this goal and we're doing things and we're not achieving the goal, is it, is it the wrong goal, you know, or is it the right goal?
[00:27:46] It's the wrong way to get to the goal. Is it, you don't know what you don't know. And I think it is very much that. You know, we, we want a lot of things, you know, and there's a lot of ideas and there's a lot of thoughts. And then there's what do I have to do right now today in order to get to that goal.
[00:28:09] And that's where getting the mail might seem dumb, but it is necessary, you know, because, like, there's important stuff that comes in the mail and stuff.
[00:28:18] Whitney Owens: Yes, there is. So you work with private practice owners, helping them. You know, manage the practice and now you specialize with solo owners. I'm going to guess you also work with ADHD practice centers and what kind of things do you work on with them?
[00:28:33] David Sturgess: Yeah. So there's a book taking charge of adult ADHD by Dr. Russell Barkley and he's kind of a. World renowned ADHD expert you can find them on the YouTubes and stuff like that, too but I literally have this book that I take clients through cover to cover and I'll do it with private practice centers as well and Just to to name off, you know table of contents type of thing step one To get started, get evaluated.
[00:29:03] First 5 chapters is all about the evaluation. Step 2, change your mindset. Know and own your ADHD, which is what we just literally talked about. And understanding self control, executive functioning, and again, those subtypes, you know, because there's 7 Step 3, change your brain. Medications for mastering ADHD.
[00:29:30] And again, you know, medication is not. Necessary for everybody, but at the same time, if we're not doing meds, we've got to be doing something else. Um, step 4 is change your life every every day rules for success. And that's really where we were just talking about the systems and routines shaping your day in the most effective way.
[00:29:54] If it's not a task that is best for you as a practice owner, then if you are a solo practice, you need to hire outsource. That task to somebody else I hate like, I totally understand the concept of it. It is incredibly important, but for me to sit down and optimize something would drive my brain out the window.
[00:30:18] Right? Like, that's that's as torturous as writing clinical notes. And I'm going to do clinical notes before I'm going to do SEO work. Right? But I've got to outsource that SEO work, you know, because I just I know that is not. Right. My wheelhouse, you know, and then the step five of the book change your situation mastering ADHD and specific areas of your life And so that's where we're looking at work environment money management Relationships, you know those different holistic areas of a person and so it's it's a very Evidence based research, you know, in the book, and then it's very systematic, which a lot of ADHD people appreciate, even though they don't always realize it.
[00:31:07] We do like structure. It's just hard to create it.
[00:31:12] Whitney Owens: Right, well, at least from our work together with last practice, I can see that you see the structures and once they're implemented, they work extremely well. You know, it's in seeing those systems in the way that they interact. I'm assuming, you know, when you're working with practice centers, it's kind of, you see something that could be a system that could be worked out easily for them.
[00:31:32] And they're kind of stuck in. All these other things they're doing.
[00:31:37] David Sturgess: Yeah, and we think we need to be doing these things. You know, where in actuality, no, that's. You know, you got stuck in the habit of doing it, but we need to stop doing that and do this instead, you know, and that alternative is what makes a system.
[00:31:54] I think efficient and effective. It takes time to tweak that and learn that. You know, that's not something that is just brainstormed in one call. You know, it's learning and tweaking until you kind of get that sweet spot.
[00:32:08] Whitney Owens: Yeah. Great. So let's say somebody is listening and they're thinking, I really want to grow my practice but having a hard time getting clients, having a hard time managing the executive parts in my practice.
[00:32:20] Can you talk a little bit about your work with private practice owners?
[00:32:24] David Sturgess: Yeah, so we definitely, you know, want to take a step back and kind of look at the big picture, right? I think the way people define success As a business owner, people go towards the dollar sign, right? And like, I'm successful because my practice is making X number of dollars.
[00:32:44] And that's not always how somebody defines success. Right? And so for somebody that is wanting to build a practice who, who struggles with ADHD, we. That's where a lot of that kind of like guilt and shame and anxiety come into play because we think it should be this when in actuality, my sweet spot, my like, healthy lifestyle is this and so there's a little bit of therapy involved there, you know, along with the business consulting in terms of realizing that, but also being able to start to.
[00:33:23] Maybe accept what the new normal can be and then going through those different areas of life in terms of what are those systems and routines for managing money or, you know, scheduling or blog writing S. C. O. development, you know, and problem solving some of that type of stuff and then also taking a look at what is.
[00:33:47] What is that personal lifestyle look like, like, what you're what you're doing outside of your private practice directly impacts your private practice. And so, you know, if I'm not. Doing healthy nutrition if I'm not doing some sort of exercising, which could be a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood that doesn't have to be 2 hours in the gym.
[00:34:08] You know, if I'm not sleeping, you know, a good 7 hours of sleep. You know, people think waking up at 5 in the morning is just insane. Right? And I wake up at 5 in the morning because when the rest of my household wakes up at 7 am. My day is gone. Like it is, it is all about what do my family need? What are my clients need?
[00:34:34] And it's go, go, go, go, go. So my time to do an exercise or prayer meditation type of stuff, my coffee and dog on the back porch, you know, going to work out some like that's that 5 to 7 for me in the mornings. Um, because the rest of my day is, is scheduled and spoken for. And so it's looking at stuff like that, where I've got to fuel myself.
[00:35:00] And when I don't feel myself, well, everybody around me is very aware of it because. Things start to unravel in some way, shape or form, you know, something's not getting done, or I'm forgetting something, or the anxiety is showing itself for, you know, things like that. Um, and so we would take a look at those kind of things just as much as we take a look at.
[00:35:23] Systems within the office.
[00:35:25] Whitney Owens: Yeah. So if somebody is wanting to work with you, how do they go about getting in touch with you?
[00:35:31] David Sturgess: You can contact me at David at wise practice consulting dot com. It's on our website as well. And on on that email, I'll send you account of the link to schedule time for console and we can get started.
[00:35:45] Whitney Owens: Great. And we also have an application on the website as well. If you want to fill that out and give us information and we'll be in touch. Well, thank you again for coming on the show. I thought this was an important topic to talk about and, uh, we appreciate it.
[00:36:01] David Sturgess: Absolutely. Thank you.
[00:36:05] Jingle: So click on, follow and leave a review and keep on loving this work we do with Whitney Owens and the Wise Practice Podcast, Whitney Owens and the Wise
[00:36:19] Whitney Owens: Practice Podcast. Special thanks to Marty Altman for the music in this podcast. The wise practice podcast is part of the site craft podcast network, a collaboration of independent podcasters focused on helping people live more meaningful and productive lives to learn more about the other amazing podcasts in the network head on over to site craft network dot com.
[00:36:44] The wise practice podcast represents the opinions of Whitney Owens and her guests. This podcast is for educational purposes only, and the content should not be taken as legal advice. If you have legal questions, please consult an attorney.
