ADHD, Self-Employment, and the Money Stress No One Warns You About

Often when I’m doing a workshop I mention that I work with a lot of women with ADHD. In the crowd I hear giggles, hands raise, heads nod.

There is a comfort in knowing you’re not alone in the struggle, and that there is routine and strategy we can use to help manage the chaos.

I find that there is a lot of ADHD/business owner overlap. It makes sense. People who find the structure of a typical workplace to be a barrier to their success are often drawn to the flexibility of self-employment. The ability to work when and how you want, follow your energy, take breaks, and create your own systems is appealing for so many reasons.

But while the type of business can be shaped around your strengths, there’s one part of running a business that doesn’t go away:
You still have to manage the money.
Whether it’s paying the bills, paying yourself, or paying your taxes, some kind of money system has to be in place.

And if no one ever taught you how to do that...
If your brain has a hard time remembering due dates, juggling numbers, or staying consistent with routines...
You might assume you’re just bad with money.

But that’s not true.

I wouldn’t say I’m “bad at fixing cars” when I’ve literally never learned how to do that. And I wouldn’t expect someone with ADHD to thrive under traditional financial systems that were never designed for how your brain works in the first place.

So if you’re running your own practice, juggling client needs, trying to keep up with paperwork, and money feels like a swirling mess in the background, you’re not broken. You’re not failing. You just need a system that works with your brain, not against it.

This is where I see things really start to shift for my clients.
We don’t try to turn you into an accountant or make you track every dollar to the cent. Instead, we look at how your money is actually flowing, personally and in your business, and set up routines, reminders, and structures that feel manageable.

Sometimes it’s about separating business and personal finances so you can actually see what’s going on.
Sometimes it’s about planning ahead for taxes or finally figuring out how to pay yourself consistently.
Sometimes it’s just about having someone to untangle the numbers with you and make a plan that doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Because the truth is, being self-employed with ADHD doesn’t mean you can’t be good with money.
It just means the typical advice probably hasn’t worked for you.

If you read this and felt seen, or if you're realizing this is exactly what's been happening in your business, I’d love to support you.