Can we be real for a second? Running a business with ADHD is no joke. 

But running a business with ADHD, depression & an assortment of other mental health struggles? 

Can feel downright impossible at times. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So how the heck do you cope–let alone deliver excellent work for your clients!–when it feels like your brain and body are conspiring against you?

After 7+ years in business, I still don’t have all the answers–but I do have some. (One of them is “privilege”, by the way.) 

In this post, I’m sharing my journey of running a business with ADHD, as well as my best tips for what to do when your motivation, focus, and executive function are at an all-time low.

Wait… Can Someone With ADHD *Really* Run a Successful Business?

YES. THEY. CAN. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Okay, okay, excuse the shouting. I’m usually a little more… Subtle in my exclamations.

But like… The entire online business world is filled to the brim with creative powerhouses who also happen to have ADHD.

Just ask around on Threads.

^^ These people are doing incredible things despite–and sometimes even because of–their struggles with ADHD. 

So, yes, someone with ADHD can absolutely run a successful business.

That said, your ADHD business journey might look a little different than the overnight success stories you typically see online. 

(Especially if you also happen to struggle with depression, anxiety, and other assorted mental health issues like yours truly.)

So without further ado…

Here’s a sneak peek at my 7-year journey of running a business with ADHD. ⬇️

My Journey as an ADHD Business Owner*

*Who also struggles with an assortment of other mental health issues, including persistent depression and anxiety.

I thought I’d start this off by sharing a quick timeline of how my freelance copywriting business has evolved over the years.

2017: The year I first got paid for writing content online. (It was $50 for a bunch of angel number descriptions, and it felt more precious than any money I had earned before.)

2018: The year I lost my dad, quit my first (and only!) corporate job, and swore to make my own way in the world, somehow. 

At the time, I had more pride than sense (re: asking for help from anyone), and only $600 in my bank account… So I had to figure things out, fast.

And yes, that included making money on Upwork. *gasp*

2019-2021: The years of hustling, growth, and working with some pretty cool business owners on their content & copy. 

During this time, I was:

• Consistently making rent (woohoo!)
• Able to afford most of the little luxuries my heart desired
• Actively investing in courses & coaching to grow my business (to the tune of $5K per coaching program)

I was also:

• Thinking about business, marketing, and sales 24/7 (ugh)
• Feeling like my nervous system was going to implode at any moment
• Self-medicating by drinking two (!) French Press’ worth of black coffee per day

2022: The year when burnout finally caught up with me. Also, the year I got a formal ADHD diagnosis, which opened my eyes to SO. MANY. THINGS. 🤯

2023-2024: The years of SLOW. Slow burnout recovery, slow project timelines, slow everything. 

I took very few projects during this time (most of them were returning clients) and barely made enough to keep my business expenses covered & my health insurance intact.

(Thank God for my now-husband, who told me that my happiness–and continued existence–was more important to him than having savings or going on vacation.)

2025: The year of feeling like I finally have my business groove back. 

Right now, I’m working on building up marketing systems like SEO and Pinterest so that I can focus mainly on client work and keep the leads coming *without* relying on social media. 

It’s going pretty well so far.

^^ So yeah, that’s my “running a business with ADHD+” story (so far).

The short version, anyway.

The long version includes lots of shaking hands, ugly-crying at 2 PM on a Tuesday, and worrying that I’ll never be able to keep up with the demands of the online business world.

Oh, and the bone-deep certainty that I was nothing but a walking, talking burden on the people around me (a.k.a. my now-husband).

Like… Why would you give up your comfortable dual-income lifestyle to help lil ol’ me recover from something that was probably just my imagination anyway?? If I could just work harder…

^^ Yeah, there was a lot of that. 🙄

So… Did I learn anything useful about running a business with ADHD from all that? 

Well, kind of.

My Best Tips for Running a Business with ADHD & Depression

Tip #1: Realize that *nothing* will work 100% of the time

Not to burst your bubble, but…

There isn’t an ADHD tip, trick, or “hack” that can survive prolonged contact with reality.

That “perfect” morning routine you’ve been working on for weeks? 

It’s going to fall apart.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow.

But at some point, it is going to break down. 

(Probably in the middle of a big client project that just happens to fall in the middle of your luteal phase. #idontmaketherules)

And I need you to be ready for it.

Maybe with a backup plan or fail-safe, if you can manage it.

But most importantly? 

❤️ With a metric ton of COMPASSION for yourself & your silly brain.

I know that, no matter how good I’ve been about eating my vegetables and getting enough sleep… 

On some mornings, I will wake up and feel completely empty inside. 

That is not a failure.

Let me say that again: that is not a failure.

And you don’t need to beat yourself up for it.

Instead, try to approach it with curiosity (and, if you’re like me, a bit of dry humor):

“So that system of ours fudged up again, huh? How funky. Anything we can do about it today, chief?”

Tip #2: Lower your expectations

So what do we do when our “perfect” (or even somewhat adequate) routines fall apart?

We drastically lower our expectations.

Lower. No, lower. No, even lower.

Yeah, okay, that looks about right.

On days when your brain refuses to cooperate (and yes, there will be plenty of those days), ask yourself: 

💡 What’s ONE thing that absolutely *needs* to get done today?

(No, you can’t pick 3. Why? Because I said so, that’s why.)

Once you know what your One Thing is, you can use all the typical ADHD “hacks” (like the Pomodoro method, breaking down your tasks, etc.) to start chipping away at it.

On some days, I’ll end up tackling my entire to-do list after I’m done with my One Thing.

But *expecting* that of myself? Never leads to anything good.

So. 

Lower. Your. Dang. Expectations.

Tip #3: Shoot for 2 minutes of work

You know how people tell you to set a timer and work on something for just 5 minutes?

And then you sometimes end up working on it for much longer than that?

It’s pretty good advice. 

Except, on some days, 5 minutes still feels like too much for someone who struggles with depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

So I do two minutes instead.

✏️ That’s enough time to open up a Google Doc and type a sentence or two.

Sometimes this leads to a productive hour of work and getting lots of Business Things done.

Other times, I will close my laptop after my two minutes are up… And go spend a few hours talking to the trees instead.

Tip #4: Ask someone *else* to break down your tasks

Not sure what you should work on during those 2 minutes? Yeah, me neither.

Most of the tasks I tend to put on my to-do list tend to range from “a little bit vague” to “completely nonsensical.”

What does “Create a new lead magnet for TCS” even mean? Where do I start??

So I ask someone else to break my tasks down for me.

Before us ADHD business owners had fancy tools like ChatGPT and Motion, we used a website called GoblinTools.

(Side note: “Breaking things down so you don’t” might just be one of my favorite taglines of all time.)

All you have to do is tell it about your Big Task, and it will give you a bunch of smaller tasks to focus on.

Of course, you can ask ChatGPT to do the same thing these days.

🤖 Here’s a quick ChatGPT prompt to help you break down your tasks as an ADHD business owner:

“Hey there! I’m a small business owner with ADHD who struggles with task paralysis and executive dysfunction. I need you to help me break down this task in a concise, step-by-step manner while being compassionate and supportive. Here’s my task: <brain dump your task here>. Thanks!”

Tip #5: Pretend YOU are someone else

Okay, this is going to sound weird, but bear with me:

Sometimes I have to trick my brain into believing I’m not the one trying to complete the task in front of us.

💅 It’s actually Ashley, the peppy 6-figure-business owner who drinks matcha lattes on the regular, has her life together, and can write email newsletters in her sleep.

📊 Or Sara, the Type A, Virgo Moon girlie who happens to have a deeply passionate relationship with accounting spreadsheets.

(You can read more about this concept in Todd Herman’s book, The Alter Ego Effect.)

When I do this, I *really* commit to the bit by:

• Choosing an outfit or jewelry based on what my Alter Ego might wear
• Swapping my desktop background to something they might enjoy looking at
• (If my Alter Ego is inspired by a real person) Watching a couple of their YouTube videos or reading their content to “get in the zone”

(Sometimes I also do this when writing copy for my clients. It’s surprisingly effective at helping me tap into their brand voice.)

Tip #6: Use your hyperfixations to your advantage

Oh hey–a new ADHD hyperfixation has entered the chat!

For the next 72 hours, you will only care about one of the following:

• Creating the *perfect* 25-step skincare routine
• Figuring out the best  Stardew Valley crop rotation
• Obsessively researching different types of planners

If you’re anything like me, most of your hyperfixations will not be directly related to your current work projects.

💡 Unless you make them related.

In order to reduce the amount of effort required to complete a task, try to connect your work tasks to your current hyperfixation.

For example, when I’m going through a yet-another video game hyperfixation, I will try to reframe my work tasks as quests I need to complete.

The newsletter I need to write? It’s actually a top-secret missive that needs to be sent out today to save the world from a terrible fate.

The analytics I’m procrastinating on reviewing? A crucial aspect of the ongoing war against evil.

(Feel free to send me a DM on Instagram if you want help brainstorming some ideas for this strategy.)

Tip #7: Make your workspace your FAVORITE space

Personally, I find it significantly easier to work when I’m surrounded by things that bring me joy (and maybe a sliver of serotonin if I’m lucky).

So that cute stationery you want to buy? 

It’s not a waste of money, as long as it helps you stay inspired and on task.

🕯️ Other workspace upgrade things you might want to think about:

• Choosing a specific candle to light when you’re working
• Buying a beautiful “work blanket” (I got a Pendleton one as a graduation gift in 2017, and I still use it to this day)
• Always having an assortment of snacks & beverages available

It might not fix all your ADHD procrastination problems… But it might fix some.

And crying about your to-do list in a beautiful, nice-smelling office (with snacks!) is nicer than doing so in a boring office (with no snacks) soooo…. 

Tip #8: Start with a messy Google Doc

While I’m all for putting an effort into creating a beautiful, happy-chemical-generating physical workspace…

🚫 I no longer approach my “digital” space the same way.

Whenever I’m trying to figure out a new thing in business (e.g., how to go about this whole blogging thing), I no longer try to build out a complicated Asana checklist for it. 

Instead, I start with a Google Doc.

A super-duper messy, “wouldn’t show this to my mom if you paid me $1,000” Google Doc.

Inside this Google Doc, I dump every semi-coherent thought that occurs to me during the process of Doing The Thing. 

A step I completed. A ChatGPT prompt I used. A random “??? what do with this omg” thought that pops into my head.

For example, what my blogging Google Doc looks like:

Once I’ve been at it for a while, I can spend some time cleaning it up and streamlining it.

Sometimes it even ends up looking like a proper SOP.

But until then? A messy Google Doc it is.

Tip #9: Simplify your ADHD business toolkit

I hate to break this to you, but if you’ve nodded along to more than, like, two things in this blog post…

🙅🏻‍♀️ The ultra-complex Dubsado + ClickUp + custom client portal setups that everyone and their coach has been raving about are probably NOT for you.

At least not until you have the resources to invest in:

• The support to set it all up, and
• The support to maintain it for the foreseeable future

🔨 Until then, you will probably have more success sticking with the simplest (and often ugliest) tool that does the job well.

These days? Most of my stuff lives in a single “Everything Business” Google Sheet. 

(And I’m actively contemplating migrating the rest out of Notion within the next 6 months.)

For many business owners with ADHD, shiny tools are nothing but a distraction. 

They give us some temporary hope (“maybe this is the thing that will finally fix me?”) but ultimately fail to deliver when the going gets tough–or when the next shiny thing enters our peripheral vision.

Not because the tool itself is bad. 

But because it just doesn’t work for our brains.

Trust me, simplicity is where it’s at when it comes to running a business with ADHD.

Even if it looks a bit ugly. 😉

Tools for Running a Business With ADHD+

You know who I can’t help but roll my eyes at?

The people who claim they’ve developed THE app for managing ADHD. 🙄

Like the be-all, end-all app you will use forever and love more than your firstborn because it somehow magically fixes every mental health issue you’ve ever had (including the tendency to forget to use these apps in the first place). 

The business tools I use every day do not live inside fancy-schmancy apps.

They are simple. Like, ridiculously simple. And often analog, or as close to it as I can get.

Here are some ($0) tools that actually help me when running a business with ADHD, depression & other assorted mental health issues:

• These focus tracks on YouTube
• These funky Pomeranian Pomodoros (bc how cute 🥹)
• Bullet journal + pen for most daily planning, strategizing, and brainstorming
• Google Calendar for more serious planning
• ToDoist (the free plan) for actually remembering stuff
• Google Docs + Google Sheets for literary everything else

And here are the ones I do pay for every month:

• Google Workspace: Email, y’know.
• HelloBonsai (aff): Proposals, invoices, that sort of thing
• TidyCal: Scheduling *without* a monthly subscription
• ShowIt (aff): Keeps my website alive & looking pretty
• Kit (aff): Lets me stay in touch with my email list

The “Best” Type of Business For People With ADHD

Is there such a thing as a “perfect” business for people with ADHD? 

Probably not.

That said, many of us tend to gravitate towards creative, service-based roles (e.g. copywriting, graphic design), and for good reason.

Our brains thrive on creative problem-solving, and the online business world offers plenty of that. The low start-up costs are also a plus.

If you want to build a business as an ADHD human, there are two things I’d try to avoid:

• Long, drawn-out project timelines (you’ll probably do most of the work right before the deadline anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️)
• Too many 1:1 calls (‘cause you never know where your energy might be on any given day)

Other than that? The sky’s the limit for you, boo. 

A Quick Sidenote About Mental Health & Privilege

I already mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating:

❤️ Without my husband’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to continue running my business after going into burnout in 2022. 

His support (and willingness to sacrifice certain aspects of our lifestyle) has been the biggest source of privilege for my “running a business with ADHD+” journey.

I’ve also recently regained access to ADHD medication, which has made multiple things (like publishing these blog posts!) much easier.

Where to Next?

👋🏻 Oh, hello there! Have we met yet? (Zoom meetings count, although I will always prefer a good brunch + coffee outing myself.) 

I’m Ieva–a launch strategist & copywriter for course + digital product creators.

If you’ve found my content helpful/relatable/mildly entertaining, here are some things you can do to keep the good vibes going:

Book a 60-minute Sounding Board Session with me. Not sure what your next step is, marketing-wise? I’ll help you untangle your thoughts, make sense of your ideas, and figure out what to do next.

Subscribe to my newsletter, The Creative Sanctuary. That’s where I share the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to build an online business as a neurodivergent, easily-overwhelmed entrepreneur. A new issue drops every Friday. 💌

Hire me to write your sales pages & emails. I’m really good at zeroing in on my clients’ unique magic & brand voice–so if you’re looking for sales copy that actually sounds like you, I’m your gal. 

And if you can’t quite figure out what you need? Tell me all about your hopes & dreams right here.