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ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator

Steve August

You’re an entrepreneur with ADHD. You’ve got big ideas, a fast brain… and a to-do list that’s longer than a CVS receipt. You’re driven—but staying focused, finishing what you start, and scaling your business? That can feel impossible.

Welcome to the ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator Podcast. Hosted by Steve August—ADHD coach, founder, and lifelong entrepreneur. Steve ha's built and exited companies, served as CMO of a $100 million business. Late diagnosed with ADHD at age 54, Steve now helps ADHD entrepreneurs get out of overwhelm find their focus and create freedom.

This podcast is your go-to resource for building a business that works with your ADHD brain, not against it. We’re talking " brain-first" practical strategies to help you prioritize, start focus and finish, and sustain over time so you can reap the rewards of your brilliance.

If you've ever felt like traditional business success advice wasn’t made for how your brain works, this show proves there's a different path. One built not in spite of your brain - but because of it.

You’ll hear real stories from founders who are growing businesses without burning out… and we’ll keep it simple, actionable, and ADHD-friendly every step of the way.
So if you’re ready to grow your business, feel free, and finally say…
‘Not now, squirrels. We’ve got work to do.’

Hit subscribe. Let’s go!

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 14 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • April 23 · 8 min

    When Life Hits Hard: Grief, ADHD, and the Systems That Held Me Together

    🔥 ADHD making business harder than it needs to be? Try these free resources: 🧠 Start with my free Weekly ADHD Dashboard – The “Brain-first” system I use to plan my week and make consistent progress. 👉 https://bit.ly/when-life-hits-hard-grief-AD-HD-andthe-systems-that-held-me-together ------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator Podcast. Host Steve August, Founder of ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator (AEX) and Steve August Coaching, shares a personal episode about dealing with grief after the loss of a close college friend and how it impacted his focus and emotions. He explains how ADHD can make emotional regulation and executive function more challenging during difficult moments. Steve talks about adjusting expectations, doing lighter tasks, and giving yourself grace instead of forcing deep work. This episode highlights the importance of self-awareness, building a supportive system, and creating a buffer so you can handle life’s unexpected challenges without losing progress. Steve shares a personal experience of losing a close college friend and how it affected his focus, emotions, and ability to work. He explains that grief can disrupt executive function and emotional regulation, especially for ADHD entrepreneurs. Steve highlights the importance of recognizing your limits, adjusting your workload, and focusing on simpler tasks during difficult moments. He also emphasizes building consistent systems and creating a buffer so you can handle unexpected challenges. The focus is on self-awareness, giving yourself grace, and maintaining progress even during hard times. Key Takeaways: Adjust Your Expectations: Accept that focus and productivity will drop during emotional challenges. Do What You Can: Shift to simpler, low-effort tasks instead of forcing deep work. Build a Buffer: Consistent systems help you handle unexpected events without losing progress. Additional Insights: Grief Affects Focus: Emotional stress can disrupt attention, memory, and productivity. Give Yourself Grace: Allow space to process without forcing high-level work. Awareness Helps You Adjust: Understanding your ADHD patterns makes it easier to respond and adapt. Here are a few quotes from the episode: “I knew right from the get-go that I was not going to be able to focus.” - Steve August “I just did the easy stuff, the stuff that did not require a ton of executive function.” - Steve August “Give yourself some grace.” - Steve August Join Steve August as he shares a personal experience of loss and how it impacted his focus, emotions, and daily work as an ADHD entrepreneur. Learn how to adjust your workload, focus on simple tasks, and give yourself space during difficult moments. Episode Highlights: [00:00] - Grab Your Free ADHD Dashboard to Master Your Week! [00:28] - Losing a Close Friend at 57 [02:55] - Why Grief Hits ADHD Brains, Harder [03:58] - Giving Yourself Grace & Doing Easy Work [06:30] - The Key: Building a Buffer Before Life Happens FOLLOW THE HOST: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-august-b2b-adhd-business-founder-coach/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-entrepreneur-accelerator/ August & Wonder: https://www.linkedin.com/company/augustandwonder/ Website: https://steveaugustcoaching.com/ Email: steve@steveaugustcoaching.com X: https://x.com/steveaugust Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveaugustpdx/ FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocket-ship-founder/id1659287071 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ADHDEntrepreneurAccelerator Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rQhk7bt3ZriSNfeVLxBj9?si=10ec3f4b0a374035

  • April 16 · 23 min

    ADHD Changed My Whole Approach to Leadership with Heather Gunnell

    🔥 ADHD making business harder than it needs to be? Try these free resources: 🧠 Start with my free Weekly ADHD Dashboard – The “Brain-first” system I use to plan my week and make consistent progress. 👉 https://bit.ly/Heath-erFarr-Gunnell --------------------------------------------------------------- In this episode of the ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator Podcast, host Steve August talks with Heather Gunnell, an executive coach and leadership consultant, Co-Founder, and the Culture Champion of LumenusWorks. With more than 20 years of experience across nonprofit, healthcare, and leadership development, Heather shares insights on building healthy team culture, improving communication and trust, and turning self-awareness into real change. She also discusses her recent ADHD journey, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and how structure and support can improve focus and productivity. Heather shares how her career across nonprofit and healthcare led her to notice burnout, communication gaps, and leadership challenges in teams and herself. She explains how ADHD traits became more visible when she started her own business, making it harder to stay organised, follow through on ideas, and create structure. Drawing from her experience, she highlights the value of simple routines, coworking support, and practical tools to build focus, consistency, and steady progress in business and daily work. Key Takeaways: Leadership Gaps: Poor communication and low trust hold teams back. ADHD Challenges: Lack of structure makes focus and follow-through harder. Simple Solutions: Routines and coworking help improve consistency and progress. Additional Insights: Naming Issues Helps: Addressing hard topics directly improves team communication and trust. External Perspective Matters: Outside support helps teams see problems clearly and take action. Small Structure Changes: Simple routines and support systems can drive steady progress over time. Here are a few quotes from the episode: “Most people want to do the right thing. They just do not quite know how.” Heather Gunnell “The best way to push through it is to name it.” Heather Gunnell “I feel like I am getting off the hamster wheel.” Heather Gunnell Join Heather Gunnell as she shares how her journey through nonprofit and healthcare work led her to build a leadership consulting business focused on team culture and communication. She explains how starting her own business revealed challenges with focus and structure, and how simple routines, coworking support, and practical tools can help improve consistency, build momentum, and create more sustainable success. Episode Highlights: [00:00] - Teaser [01:04] - Grab Your Free ADHD Dashboard to Master Your Week! [01:32] - Introducing Heather Gunnell [03:45] - Heather’s meandering career journey [06:10] - What Luminous Works does (leadership & team dynamics) [08:00] - Handling cynicism and uncomfortable conversations [11:49] - Trust as the foundation of team cohesion [14:03] - How ADHD got on Heather’s radar [18:20] - What works in the ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator (coworking) [22:25] - “Low trauma deadlines” and planning months ahead FOLLOW THE GUEST: LinkedIn Profiles: Heather Gunnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergunnell/ LumenusWorks: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lumenusworks/ Website: LumenusWorks: https://lumenusworks.com/ FOLLOW THE HOST: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-august-b2b-adhd-business-founder-coach/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-entrepreneur-accelerator/ Website: https://steveaugustcoaching.com/ Email: steve@steveaugustcoaching.com X: https://x.com/steveaugust?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveaugustpdx/ FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocket-ship-founder/id1659287071 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ADHDEntrepreneurAccelerator Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rQhk7bt3ZriSNfeVLxBj9?si=10ec3f4b0a374035

  • April 9 · 34 min

    Pills Don't Teach Skills: A Pharmacist's Take on ADHD, Medications, and Building a Business with Tom Lukovich

    🔥 ADHD making business harder than it needs to be? Try these free resources: 🧠 Start with my free Weekly ADHD Dashboard – The “Brain-first” system I use to plan my week and make consistent progress. 👉 https://bit.ly/tomluko-vich --------------------------------------------------------------- In this episode of the ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator Podcast, host Steve August talks with Tom Lukovich R. Ph. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Silent Rock Workforce, a company focused on supporting pharmacy operations by connecting healthcare organizations with experienced pharmacists and technicians. With over 25 years as a pharmacist and experience in behavioral health and healthcare systems, Tom shares insights on workforce challenges, ADHD in entrepreneurship, and building a better structure for focus and productivity. Tom shares how his experience as a pharmacist led him to notice focus and structure challenges in both patients and himself when starting a business. He explains how ADHD traits can make it hard to start tasks, stay organised, and manage time without structure. Drawing from his journey, he highlights the value of simple systems like short work sprints, strong routines, and community support to improve focus, productivity, and overall performance in business and daily life. Key Takeaways: ADHD & Business Challenges: Starting tasks and staying focused can be difficult without structure. Simple Systems Work: Short work sprints and routines can improve productivity and consistency. Whole Approach Matters: Sleep, nutrition, and community support all help improve focus and performance. Additional Insights: Structure Unlocks Performance: Clear systems help turn ideas into consistent action. Community Support: Working with others improves focus and reduces isolation. Balanced Approach: Combining habits, mindset, and tools leads to better long-term results. Here are a few quotes from the episode: “It gets to be overwhelming when too many things are on the plate.” Tom Lukovich R. Ph. “It is amazing how much work you can do in 25 minutes.” Tom Lukovich R. Ph. “The focus is not something you are born with; it is something you build.” Tom Lukovich R. Ph. Join Tom Lukovich R. Ph. as he shares how his journey from pharmacist to business owner revealed the challenges of focus and structure, and how simple systems like short work sessions and strong routines can improve productivity. He also explains how community support and healthy habits can help entrepreneurs manage ADHD traits and build more effective and sustainable businesses. Episode Highlights: [00:00] - Teaser [00:56] - Grab Your Free ADHD Dashboard to Master Your Week! [01:24] - Introducing Tom Lukovich R. Ph. [03:25] - Where Tom is calling from (Oregon City, OR) [05:16] - Why Tom Joined a Weekly ADHD System [07:41] - When ADHD Showed Up (Starting a Business) [09:32] - Ferrari Engine, Bicycle Brakes Analogy [13:30] - Tom’s Take on ADHD Medications [16:17] - Sleep, Nutrition & Exercise First [21:29] - “Pills Don’t Teach the Skills” [25:00] - The Power of 25-Minute Sprints [28:50] - Why the Community (Cohort) Is “The Sauce.” [32:47] - Where to Find Tom (Silent Rock Workforce) FOLLOW THE GUEST: LinkedIn Profiles: Tom Lukovich R. Ph.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomlukovich/ SILENT ROCK WORKFORCE: https://www.linkedin.com/company/silentrockworkforce/ FOLLOW THE HOST: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-august-b2b-adhd-business-founder-coach/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-entrepreneur-accelerator/ Website: https://steveaugustcoaching.com/ Email: steve@steveaugustcoaching.com X: https://x.com/steveaugust?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveaugustpdx/ FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocket-ship-founder/id1659287071 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ADHDEntrepreneurAccelerator Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rQhk7bt3ZriSNfeVLxBj9?si=10ec3f4b0a374035

  • April 2 · 12 min

    ADHD and AI: Holy Grail or Infinite Rabbit Hole?

    🔥 ADHD making business harder than it needs to be? Try these free resources: 🧠 Start with my free Weekly ADHD Dashboard – The “Brain-first” system I use to plan my week and make consistent progress. 👉 https://bit.ly/ADHD-an-dAI-Holy-Grail-or-Rabbit-Hole ------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator Podcast. Host Steve August, Founder of ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator (AEX) and Steve August Coaching, explores the role of AI for ADHD entrepreneurs and whether it acts as a powerful support or a major distraction. He explains how AI can help with organisation, decision-making, and reducing overwhelm, while also warning about the risk of falling into endless tool chasing and procrastination. Steve shares a simple and practical approach to using AI with intention, focusing on clear goals, core offers, and proactive use. This episode highlights how to get the benefits of AI without losing focus or direction. Steve explores how ADHD entrepreneurs can approach AI in a fast-moving and distracting environment. He explains that while AI can support organisation, decision-making, and content creation, it can also become a source of procrastination and overwhelm. Steve highlights the importance of staying focused on core goals, clear offers, and the real value you provide. He shares a simple approach that includes setting priorities, building a problem list, and using AI with intention. The focus is on using AI as a helpful tool without losing direction or control. Key Takeaways: Stay Focused on the Work: AI is a tool that supports your core business, not the main goal. Avoid the Rabbit Hole: Chasing every new tool can lead to distraction and lost time. Use AI with Intention: Clear priorities and proactive use help you get real value. Additional Insights: AI Can Be a Distraction: The constant flow of new tools can pull attention away from real work. Tools Are Not the Solution: AI improves what you already have but does not replace clear offers. Proactive Use Matters: Setting time and choosing tasks helps you stay in control and avoid overwhelm. Here are a few quotes from the episode: “AI is an optimizer, an enhancer, something that helps you do the thing itself.” - Steve August “The AI tools become the work instead of an aid to the work.” - Steve August “Proactivity over reactivity.” - Steve August Join Steve August as he shares a practical approach to using AI as an ADHD entrepreneur. Learn how AI can support your focus, organisation, and decision-making without becoming a distraction. Episode Highlights: [00:00] - Grab Your Free ADHD Dashboard to Master Your Week! [00:28] - AI for ADHD: Holy Grail or Rabbit Hole? [02:12] - Why ADHD Brains Are Drawn to AI [05:16] - AI Is an Optimizer, Not the Main Thing [08:04] - 6 Steps to Use AI Without Getting Distracted [11:58] - Wrap-Up & Call to Action FOLLOW THE HOST: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-august-b2b-adhd-business-founder-coach/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-entrepreneur-accelerator/ August & Wonder: https://www.linkedin.com/company/augustandwonder/ Website: https://steveaugustcoaching.com/ Email: steve@steveaugustcoaching.com X: https://x.com/steveaugust Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveaugustpdx/ FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocket-ship-founder/id1659287071 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ADHDEntrepreneurAccelerator Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rQhk7bt3ZriSNfeVLxBj9?si=10ec3f4b0a374035

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