Courtney Chaal is a business coach and ADHD advocate. She helps service providers and business coaches power through the ADHD hyperfocus. Her genius is helping her clients create courses and launch their signature programs. And, add $100K to their baseline revenue within 12 months. 

She started her entrepreneurship journey ten years ago. After moving to France, she began in copywriting where she discovered her passion for online business. In this episode, Courtney explains how her career has evolved. From copywriting to creating sales pages for course creators to the “Yay For 100K” program she launched in 2020. 

How Courtney discovered she had ADHD (06:12)

Courtney discovered that she had ADHD about a year ago. From her perspective, the COVID-19 containment measures and lack of stimulation are what pushed her symptoms. She could not manage herself and her business as before. This was something that came out of nowhere and was completely new to her.

Courtney explains the ADHD assessment helped her in identifying her ADHD symptoms. She identified these from traits that she thought were her personality, which she stipulated would go away with increased maturity. It was a frustrating experience, but the discovery helped her to take the appropriate steps to enhance her productivity.

“ADHD is such a nebulous thing and you can’t nail it to the wall and instead of worrying about whether you have it or not, work on understanding your disposition.”

Hyperfocus in ADHD (12:23)

ADHD hyperfocus is a deep and intense concentration in an exciting project for a single extended period. Once it’s complete, there is no going back to it. According to Courtney, hyperfocus is a neutral experience. But the society we live in is not super friendly to a brain that functions that way. 

Hyperfocus is an incredible strength, and embracing its qualities can help you be productive in achieving your goals. Viewing it as a delimiting quality is dangerous because that is how it turns out for you. Focus on its positive edge, identify days and times you are hyperfocused, and get your work done. 

The Mystery Behind Time and Hyperfocus ADHD (16:45)

People with ADHD hyperfocus can focus on something they’re passionate about for a long time. But getting them to do the same thing when their interest is gone is like beating the air. They have difficulties in dealing with structured activities, and they might never get it done. 

Courtney explains her hyperfocus and how she consistently handles creative highs and lows of the day to optimize her productivity. You might not have control over your hyperfocus timeline. But it’s imperative to identify the times your creative energy is high. This way, you can get that project done and reap great outcomes in the long run.  

“Entrepreneurs are 300% likely to have ADHD symptoms than the general population.”  

Preparing For Hyperfocus Creativity Shifts During Parenting (18:47)

For any mom with a newborn, there is less control over the work schedule. But, it evolves and stabilizes as the baby grows. As a mother expecting a baby, Courtney admits that it might be hard for her to control logistics and timelines. But, the best thing is to prepare for multiple different situations. 

It will be beneficial during Courtney’s maternity leave to get away from the pressure of being 100% on creatively. She approaching maternity leave motherhood with an open mind. And, anticipating creating space, and making peace with all the ADHD variables that she deals with. She knows that this will help her in raising her baby and provide her a mindset to achieve entrepreneurial success.

“Hyperfocus in ADHD is not a disability; it’s an ability that can be used as an incredible strength”

Managing And Working With ADHD As An Entrepreneur (23:16)

ADHD entrepreneurs are creative; with high energy and the ability to hyper-focus on projects, they are innately interested in and passionate about. For Courtney, hiring an operation manager to run her business has enabled her to remain visionary. And focus on the work she is good at, and prepare her for maternity leave. 

From her experience, Courtney stresses the importance of having a business that allows you to take leave as an entrepreneur. Having your business on auto-pilot is fantastic. Full-time employees can help you gradually let go of things that hold you from taking a leave.

“Having a full-time employee who is dedicated to your business is amazing, and it can help let go of things”

How Courtney And Her Husband Both Live With ADHD (27:23)

Courtney’s husband also has ADHD; it was identified using a brain scan, and it’s different from her ADHD. From her hypothesis, he was not born with ADHD, but he had a brain injury as a young child. She believes that the damage created her ADHD symptoms.  

According to Courtney, ADHD is such a nebulous thing, and you can’t nail it to the wall; and instead of worrying about whether he has it or not, they work on understanding what works for each other. This has helped their togetherness tremendously! One exciting thing they have in common is that they are both very messy, spontaneous, and ready for anything.

Is Medication Necessary For People With ADHD (32:20)

The diagnosis process for ADHD is different everywhere, and for Courtney, she did with the help and of her family doctor. Based on her self-assessment results, she was referred to a medical specialist, and her treatment took one month. The reason why she wanted to be diagnosed was to get validation from a scientist and to get options for medication. ADHD medication is made up of stimulants, and they help reduce the symptoms. However, these medications can be harmful when taken in higher doses, which is tempting, especially among women whose ADHD symptoms often worsen in the second half of their cycle due to hormonal changes.

They are also are not recommended for expectant mothers as they can cause negative implications to their unborn children.  From her experience, the ADHD medication was helpful all through, and she is excited to use it again after her pregnancy.

Courtney stopped using the medication two weeks before her pregnancy which is recommended and although she had a tough time initially due to the ADHD symptoms, she made it through and now she feels her ADHD symptoms are lower. Brain science and hormones are fascinating to Courtney, and how these chemicals impact our emotions and experiences is a great topic that has not been well covered in the research.  

Connect With Courtney Chaal

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Resources Mentioned

• Courtney’s ADHD Facebook community: Rebel Productivity Club
• Apply For A Scholarship
• Donate To The Show