ADHD Essentials

Today's episode is a little different. My buddies Shane Thrapp and Braden Young have started the DadDHD Podcast, and I'm helping them with their launch! So rather than an episode of ADHD Essentials, I'm featuring episode 5 of their show where they interviewed me about fatherhood and ADHD. I hope you enjoy it. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here Guest Links: Find the DadDHD podcast here: https://www.daddhd.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

In today’s episode, I talk to ADHD coach Bradley Smith II. Bradley joins the pod to talk about about how restrictions help ADHD and creativity thrive. We discuss the nature of creativity, the ways that ADHD can lead to small scale mourning, how limitations can be useful, and how to set those limitations. Learn more about Bradley and his work at: https://www.mindsmithcoaching.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]

It’s January 10th. By now, odds are you’ve already fallen down on some of your resolutions. To that end, I want to talk about two of my goals that I can almost guarantee were more delayed than yours are, and the takeaways I have from them. When my boys were born, I set a goal to earn my black belt and write a book by the time they turned five. They’re sixteen now, almost seventeen, and I finally reached both of those milestones - a mere eleven years later than I planned. Let’s unpack that. In hindsight, the black belt goal was ambitious, but realistic. The book goal was naive at best. Please indulge me for a minute while we play “Storytime with Mr. B”. I had been training in Kempo for a little less than a year when my boys were born. I don’t remember what belt I was, probably orange or green, but I went to the dojo a lot. As long as grading permitted, I was still a teacher at the time, I spent about 10 hours a week there across four days. By the time they turned four, I had earned my brown belt. And there I would stay for the next 12 years. So what happened? Around the time the boys turned four, my career as a teacher ended and I had to rebuild myself. I ended up exploring ADHD coaching and pursuing a second Masters in Counseling. At the same time, my mom fell very ill and eventually passed away. Oh, and my car burned down. It was a lot to absorb, and eventually led to me leaving the dojo because I didn’t have time for it. No regrets, though, because that road eventually led me to where I am now. And I am both better at my ADHD work than I was at teaching, and find it more fulfilling. In June of 2018, the dojo lost one of its members, and I attended the funeral. Which led me to reconnect with Master Phil, my instructor, and return my training. By the time I had knocked the rust off, and ranked up to just below black belt, COVID hit and the world shut down. Taking class over Zoom and in parking lots without the ability to actually interact with each other doesn’t make for the best training. Things were mostly back to normal by 2022, and told me I should prepare to test for Black belt at the end of the year. I did. But in March of that year, my son’s OCD spiked and by July he would be in McLean Hospital’s OCDi Jr program, coming home that October. Thankfully, it worked and he got better. But the whole experience left an impact on our family, and I spent much of the rest of the year managing the lingering effects on his twin brother while also helping to care for my dad who was sick at the time. (Eventually, everyone got better, but I was pretty burned out.) And so, I told Master Phil that I wasn’t going to be ready for December. It broke my heart. He told me not to worry, and that the Black Belt test would come when I was ready. That happened this past December. It was a seven hour test. I had bronchitis. It sucked. But I passed. I had a lot of mixed emotions in the moment, mostly guilt and shame for it taking so long. But when I took that first Black belt class, I knew I belonged there. Takeaway #1: People say that a goal without a due date is just a dream. I say a goal that you keep working toward regardless of a lapsed timeline will be reached eventually. Just keep moving forward. As for the book, mostly I was naive. I had a good idea for a fantasy novel. It’s still good, actually. But I didn’t realize how big of an undertaking writing a book is, and I also didn’t yet know that I had ADHD. It was honestly more of a dream than a goal. But then my teaching career ended, I started to move into ADHD work, and I developed the Wall of Awful model. When I presented it for the first time on a professional stage, I was immediately asked if I was writing a book. I wasn’t ready to then, I barely had enough content to talk about it for an hour, but as time went on, the concept grew. And, as you know, as time went by I also ended up pretty burned out. One thing I knew at the time was that I wouldn’t get out of burnout if I didn’t have something to head towards that felt like growth. Enter Alex Hughes Capell. We had interacted on Twitter (back when it was good), and she posted about being for hire as a ghost writer. I contacted her, and she was excited about the project. She had heard of, and been helped by, my Wall of Awful model, and wanted more insight into it. With some financial help from my newly recovered dad, I hired her. But, she’s my co-writer, not my ghost writer. Her name is on the book just like mine. That partnership led to a publishing deal with the Balance imprint of Hachette Book Group at the start of last year. The book comes out in September. Takeaway #2: Goals aren’t met without support. Without my dad, I don’t hire Alex. Without Alex, I don’t write the book. Heck, without Caroline Maguire, who I didn’t even mention, I don’t get my amazing agent Michele, and without Michele I definitely don’t get a deal with Hachette. Figure out who is on your team. Go build one if you have to. We go further together

In this episode, I resume the tradition of dragging a bunch of people into my room to reflect on the day's events of the ADHD Conference. This is the second day of the general conference - Saturday, November 15, 2025. My guests include: The ADHD MD, Dr. Carolyn Letzsch-Parcells Author Caroline Maguire ADHD Coach Kate Barrett from Coaching Cville Dr. Zach Gershon, facilitator of ADDA's Young Adult Support Group Liz Lewis writer at https://www.healthyadhd.com/ Brittany Smith from Devise and Conquer Coaching Will Curb, host of the Hacking Your ADHD podcast Keith Griffin, living This ADHD Life Myself, host of the ADHD Essentials podcast

In this episode, I resume the tradition of dragging a bunch of people into my room to reflect on the day's events of the ADHD Conference. This is the first day of the general conference - Friday, November 14, 2025. My guests include: Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD Braden Young of Empower ADHD Solutions Shane Thrapp of Creating Order from Chaos Inger Shay of the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance Lucia Miri Echavarria of EspacioTDAH Chris Hendrickson of being an awesome person with ADHD Myself of ADHD Essentials

In today’s episode, I talk to a genuine trailblazer - Dr. Larry Jones. Dr. Jones is a retired pediatrician who won CHADD’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. He is the founder of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Enable Tables, and the co-author of “Falling Through the Ceiling: Our ADHD Family Memoir", both with his wife Audrey. Dr. Jones shares his road to becoming a doctor as a black man in the 1970s. With the support of his family and community, he graduated both undergrad and medical school at Johns Hopkins, and became a pediatrician all while navigating the challenges of undiagnosed ADHD and the institutionalized racism of the 1970s. He shares insights into the importance of community and lessons he’s learned as both a father and a pediatrician, and discusses his company Enable Tables, which teaches parents and educators how to support, motivate, and instruct ADHD children to perform in well in school and live stable, productive, resilient lives. Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. Jones and his work here: Enable Tables https://enabletables.com/ Enable Tables on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@enabletablesmedia3133 Get Dr. Jones’s Book Here Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

In today’s episode, I talk to my friend Dr. Ari Tuckman about ADHD and Productivity. Ari has been working in the field of ADHD for over 25 years. He’s part of the leadership team for the International Conference on ADHD, speaks all over the world, and is the author of five books on ADHD, including his latest, The ADHD Productivity Manual. Ari and I talk about the essential challenges of ADHD and productivity. We discuss the importance of managing your environment (including screens), the benefit of doing things in ways that work better for ADHD brains even if they’re atypical, why getting clear on why we’re doing the thing can help us get it done, and how our relationship to productivity affects the way we present ourselves to the world. Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. Tuckman and his work here: https://adultadhdbook.com/ Order "The ADHD Productivity Manual" here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4M3PM4W?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100 Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

What’s Up Team?! It’s your humble host, Brendan Mahan, back at it again. The podcast has been on hiatus for a while, but I am finally in a position to resume posting. So please tell your friends that I have returned. The plan is to continue with the interview format that established ADHD Essentials as one of the top ADHD podcasts in the field, and to add in the occasional episode of me exploring useful topics as appropriate. That said, I am expanding the scope to ADHD in general, as well as other neurodiverse topics such as anxiety and autism. The parenting information will still be there, but I’m no longer covering parenting exclusively. And odds are that I will be playing with my Wall of Awful model more frequently, because one of the reasons for the extended hiatus was that I a have signed a book deal with Hachette Book Group’s Balance Imprint, and Overcoming The Wall of Awful: Why It’s Hard to Get Things Done When You Have ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety, (and how to do them anyway) will be in a bookstore near you in the Fall of next year. Turns out writing a book is REALLY time consuming. That said, ADHD Essentials will resume with some long-overdue episodes, including interviews with ADHD luminaries Ari Tuckman, Archie Chimayani, Larry Jones, and Farah Jamil. And I’ll also share my thoughts on subjects ranging from afterschool restraint collapse to emotional regulation and connection. I plan to post several episodes in the next week or so to get the ball rolling, and then settle in to a once-a-week pattern after that. I’m glad to be back at it, I hope you enjoy what I have in store for you. Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode, I talk to my friend Tamara Rosier. Tamara runs the ADHD Center of West Michigan, she is also the author of two books - “Your Brain’s Not Broken”, and her new book, “You, Me, and Our ADHD Family”, as well as the workbooks that accompany both. Tarama and I discuss her new book, and explore how ADHD affects family communication patterns, over-functioning and under-functioning, triangles, and ways to mend relationships. Guest Links: Learn more about Tamara and her work here: https://www.tamararosier.com/ https://adhdcenterofwestmichigan.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/ Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

It’s the end of 2024, so Dr. Carolyn and I are talking about goal-setting and how we view New Year’s Resolutions. Along the way, we dabble in the importance of working with our brains rather than against them, the power of feeling seen, and why staying true to our values is important. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/ Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Today, we’re joined by executive function and leadership coach Frankie Berkoben. She shares why our executive function capacity can be so variable and the importance of being able to accept that variance, as well as the seven types of bandwidth, and why executive function coaching is helpful for leaders. Guest Links: Learn more about Frankie and her work here: https://www.franklyquiteadhd.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Patrick LaCount, the research officer for the “How to ADHD” YouTube channel. Patrick talks to us about ADHD in young adulthood. We discuss the importance of taking a long view for both parents and young adults, tips for making friends, and the value of mindfulness. Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. LaCount and his work here: https://practicalpsychservices.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Our friend Dr. Caroyn, the ADHD MD is back! We talk about the importance of community to ADHD, how those communities allow us to embrace different parts of ourselves, and why the ADHD Conference is so meaningful to so many. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/ Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

In today's episode, we're joined by Julie Kliers. Going undiagnosed until age 46 and not wanting to see her sons repeat her own struggles, Julie embarked on a crusade to learn all she could about ADHD, and became the person she needed. Now, she helps adults and students with ADHD embrace their unique and unlock their full potential! Julie talks to us about the power of diagnosis, overwhelm, and boundaries. We discuss the ADHD trap of thinking we should be doing things in a neurotypical way and then beating ourselves up when we can’t, how executive function challenges lead to overwhelm, the struggle of black-and-white thinking, and ways to get into action. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here Guest Links: Learn more about Julie and her work here: https://www.julieadhdcoach.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kyrus Keenan Westcott of The Vibe with Ky. Ky talks about behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances, the power of the stories we tell ourselves, masking, being an introvert, and the growth he’s gained from doing The Vibe with Ky. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here Guest Links: Learn more about Ky and his work here: https://thevibewithky.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Dr. Carolyn is back! Carolyn is a pediatrician with ADHD who can talk about the disorder from any number of directions! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as the ADHD MD. In today's episode, Dr Carolyn Lenszch-Parcells shares some good news, and we finish up our conversation about ADHD meds. This time, we discuss non-stimulants, and a bit about the med shortage. The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Learn more about Dr. Carolyn and her work here: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

In today’s episode, we talk to friend-of-the-pod, and New York Times Best-Selling author AJ Jacobs. AJ is an editor at large for Esquire, as well as a journalist, author, and lecturer best known for writing about his lifestyle experiments. He’s also a fellow ADHDer. AJ talks to us about his latest book, The Year of Living Constitutionally. We discuss: How his year of living like a colonial American affected AJ’s mental health (mostly in good ways) Why flexible thinking matters and how to support it Lifestyle lessons from Benjamin Franklin And election cakes Guest Links: Learn more about AJ Jacobs and his work here: https://ajjacobs.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join the ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Today’s episode features Alan Brown, the ADD Crusher! And it's a little different from the norm because it was recorded live at the 2023 ADHD Con during my Lunchtime Q&As with ADHD experts and dignitaries. Alan and I discuss his principles for success with ADHD. Managing our outlaw brain Doing what we didn’t want to do Not relying on motivation The importance of baby systems Learning vs. Execution The episode was produced by Stephen Tonti and Benj Welmond of Attention Different. Guest Links: Learn more about Alan and his work here: https://addcrusher.com/ https://www.alanpbrown.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at: Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community