The ADHD Skills Lab

The ADHD Skills Lab

Navigate each day in an ADHD-friendly way – with research-backed strategies, real-life experiences and expert advice. Each week, UO founder Skye Waterson chats with expert guests, reviews the latest ADHD research, takes your questions and offers practical support to help you move past whatever may be holding you back. Skye Waterson is a former academic turned coach, podcast host, and founder of an international ADHD support service, Unconventional Organisation. After getting a surprise ADHD diagnosis in the first year of her PhD, Skye turned her struggles into research-based strategies. She researched and wrote over 50 articles with a combined readership of 250,000+ and then began her next phase of disseminating these strategies around the world. After being invited to share her strategies with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) in 2022, Skye has supported late-diagnosed healthcare professionals, professors, lawyers, reporters, fortune 500 directors, and entrepreneurs. She crafted her vision for Unconventional Organisation after realizing how few personalized ADHD strategies were available for adults following her diagnosis.

Episodes

July 28, 2025 34 mins

Most ADHD entrepreneurs build their success on hustle—until the cracks show. In this episode, Skye talks with Dr. John Torrens, professor, founder, and author of Lightning in a Bottle, about how he built (and sold) multiple companies by learning to delegate, prioritize self-care, and manage his ADHD brain.

What we cover:

  • Why ADHD founders struggle to let go of control (and how to fix it)
  • The surprising link between hyperactivity a...
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ADHD entrepreneurs are smart, capable - and often pricing themselves into burnout.

In this episode, Skye interviews Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto and the guy behind the numbers for hundreds of agencies. They dig into why most service businesses struggle with profit (it’s not what you think), and how to finally price for sustainability.

What we cover:

  • The ADHD-friendly way to figure out what your services should cost
  • The 3 key n...
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Think something will take 15 minutes? Bet it takes 45.
You’re not lazy - you’ve got ADHD. And you’re probably struggling with time blindness.

In this episode, Skye and Sarah dive deep into three new studies on ADHD and time perception, breaking down the science, the symptoms, and the sneaky ways time blindness sabotages even high performers.

What we cover:

  • The 3 time-based skills your brain may be missing
  • Time blindness vs. wor...
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Before Unconventional Organisation, before the coaching, before the 82K followers - there was burnout, academic pivots, and a year spent working in a bakery just to recover.
This is the story Skye's never told.

In this episode, dating coach, fellow founder, and friend Kavita interviews Skye about what really led to the creation of Unconventional Organisation. From side gigs to business models, academic accolades to real-wor...

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You’ve got strategies and systems, but you still feel like your brain is always “on.” You might be overlooking your nervous system.

This episode introduces a fast-rising body of ADHD research around polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation. We’re breaking down the science, the controversy, and why this might be the next frontier in ADHD support.


In this episode:

  • Why breathing wrong could be keeping you stuck
  • What the aut...
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You can scale a business on sheer force... for a while. But eventually, ADHD founders burn out, blow up, or walk away.

This episode is your map out of the cycle. Skye shares the behind-the-scenes process she used to stop relying on urgency, reduce decision fatigue, and build a company that doesn’t fall apart the moment she takes a break.

What we cover:

  • The ADHD entrepreneur trap no one warns you about
  • Why most productivity advice m...
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Your personal brand exists—even if you haven’t posted in six months. So the question isn’t “should I build a brand?” It’s: “Are you in control of it?”

Amy Landino joins Skye to unpack what branding actually means for ADHD entrepreneurs and professionals and why your fear of being cringe is costing you visibility, leads, and growth.


Inside this episode:

  • What to post when you feel like you're only talking to your friends a...
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Click the link to download your own 2-minute Focus Formula
https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-focus-filter

You’re not behind because you’re bad at time management. You’re behind because you’re managing the wrong things.

Skye here! In this mini solo episode, I walk you through my 2-minute focus formula, the same one I've used to help ADHD founders reclaim hours of their week and thousands in lost re...

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Burnout isn’t always a personal failure—it’s often a mismatch between your brain and your work environment.

Skye and in-house researcher Taylor break down three eye-opening studies that explain why ADHD brains struggle in traditional workplaces—and what actually works better. Spoiler: the research also found ADHD might be a secret strength for entrepreneurs.

This episode covers:

  • The top causes of ADHD-related burnout (backed by sc...
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Ever feel like your brain is the only thing getting in the way of your success? Like you could lead a $200M rebrand if you could just finish that one damn task in front of you?

In this episode, Devlin Croal, marketing strategist, systems builder, and Unconventional Organisation client, shares what it’s actually like to scale your career while navigating ADHD. We talk burnout, executive function, AI as an assistant (not a distraction...

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You're not imagining it. The reason you feel like the world is “too much” by the afternoon might have as much for do with your nervous system as your to-do list.

In this episode, we break down two original studies showing how ADHD adults process light, sound, and touch differently—and why your brain might not even realize it’s overwhelmed until it’s too late.


What we cover:

  • The study that literally zapped people’s arms t...
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If you’ve ever thought, I work so hard—why am I not getting ahead? or How do I actually position myself for a promotion without working myself into the ground?—this episode is for you.

Skye sits down with career strategist and late-diagnosed ADHDer Kendall Berg to break down what it really takes to succeed in corporate spaces with ADHD. We’re pulling apart the real research behind career growth, burnout, and how to make your ADHD st...

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If task-switching under stress wrecks your day, you’re not alone. Researchers have spent 20+ years studying executive functioning in ADHD, and honestly? Their findings are a bit of a mess.

In this episode, we break down a new critical review of the research (and trust me, the we have some thoughts). We’re talking hot executive functioning, emotional overload, and why decision-making goes out the window under stress.


What you’ll ...

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Ever feel like ADHD makes life a never-ending uphill battle? Meet Sean Shubert—former Muay Thai champion turned resilience coach—who went from juggling chaos to mastering focus. In this episode, we talk about:

  • Sean’s ADHD Journey: From childhood struggles to becoming a Muay Thai champion and resilience coach.
  • Breaking the ADHD Guilt Cycle: How to stop feeling “lazy” and start using your brain’s strengths.
  • Sean shares his #1 strate...
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Do fluctuating hormone levels affect your ADHD symptoms? Research says YES! Join Skye and I as we explore recent findings on perimenopause and ADHD.


Curious about what's inside?

  • How long can perimenopause last?!?!
  • Which decade tends to be the hardest for ADHD symptoms?
  • Supportive and affirming treatment recommendations you won’t want to miss!


Whether you are a new listener, or have been following a while, thank y...

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What does it really mean to thrive with ADHD? It’s having the confidence to release a heavily edited episode despite technical issues with the recording.

Join us as Skye chats with Brooke Schnittman, a celebrated ADHD coach, about building a life that aligns with your strengths and values. This message was too important to cut entirely due to audio quality.

Curious About What's Inside?

  • Why fun and joy are...
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In this episode of The ADHD Skills Lab, Skye and I explore the critical question: is executive functioning even real or is it a poorly defined construct that's been misunderstood for decades?

Curious what's inside?

  • What the DSM says about executive function..
  • What's the difference between an executive function task vs. executive function measure?
  • Some ADHD'ers may not struggle with executive dysfunctio...
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Do you ever feel like ADHD is just who you are - part of your personality? Yeah, us too!

In this week’s episode of The ADHD Skills Lab, Skye sits down with Angie Harrington, a Real Housewife of Salt Lake City, to share her journey of growing up undiagnosed to now raising a neurodivergent family.

Curious what’s inside?

  • A new story of adult ADHD diagnosis
  • Personal and family reflections on neurodivergence
  • Discussio...
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Wanna learn how to set boundaries as an ADHD person? The research says we should, but there’s not really a framework to guide us—so we made one!

This week, Skye and I take you on a journey through the world of boundary-setting with ADHD, just in time for the holidays!

Curious about what's inside:

  • Why boundaries are so essential for ADHD'ers
  • Stories from our own lives (because we're still growing,...
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In this episode of The ADHD Skills Lab, we sit down with Tevis Houston, the mind behind Friends Everywhere, a studio that partners with major brands like Levi's and Vans. We dive into the impact of late diagnosis, the power of ADHD strengths in the creative industry, and the importance of building supportive communities.

Since we are so close to the holidays, I have taken some of the core ADHD strategies Tevis discuss...

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