Ep. 79 The Stern Truth: Navigating Entrepreneurial ADHD With Hannah Cummins

If you’ve ever found yourself jumping between tasks without finishing any of them, reorganizing your desk instead of doing the work, this episode is for you.

My guest on this episode is Hannah Cummins, an ADHD micro-coach based out of Manchester, UK. The daily micro-coaching sessions are a quick but powerful four minutes with her clients. Four minutes—I know that sounds wild (and yes, I asked her about it.)

As Hannah put it, if you reflect every day, you have better days. That container for daily self-reflection activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that gets dulled down by both ADHD and constant distractions. Getting on that day level, as she calls it, helps you spot patterns that either set you up for success or derail you.

When it comes to accountability, one of Hannah’s golden nuggets is to find someone to hold up a mirror. Social accountability is so much more powerful than setting reminders for yourself. Whether that’s a coach, a mentor, or an accountability partner, having someone to reflect your patterns back at you makes all the difference.

Hannah’s concept of knowing your “smoke alarm” – the behaviour that tells you you’re off track—is an incredibly practical takeaway. Distraction and procrastination almost always come from a lack of clarity or fear. Like Hannah says, fear shrinks in the light of consciousness. When you bring it to the surface, you can move through it.

And, of course, Hannah left us with so many more golden nuggets, like leaving the all-or-nothing mindset behind, focusing on the 0.1% action you can take today. Driving all the way to the gym and sitting in the parking lot still counts for the 0.1%!

Contact Hannah here:

Website: https://www.expressocoaching.com/hch
Email: hannah@expressocoaching.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hannah-cummins-2a078382/

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Marshall Stern: So, it's interesting, more and more recently in coaching sessions and people that I meet, one common theme keeps coming up. These entrepreneurs, these business owners, I would say probably 60% of the time or 70% of the time even, are saying that they have ADD. Now, in some cases, this is actually diagnosed ADD or ADHD, and in others it may just be what we call the Entrepreneurial ADD or maybe undiagnosed ADD.

[00:00:34] In any case, I want you to have a listen to this episode that I sit down with this amazing ADHD coach and some of the strategies that she's going to deliver to you. Grab your pad of paper and pen, my friends. If you find yourself all over the place with your focus, losing concentration, losing focus, jumping from one activity to the next without completing the other activity, today's session may just be what you need.

[00:01:05] Enjoy.

[00:01:11] Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do it all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows.

[00:01:30] I've been there, and I get it. This podcast is here to change that. Every week I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugar-coated. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:01:53] This is The Stern Truth. 

[00:01:53] All right, welcome back, everyone, to another episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered. And my friends, today we are going over the pond, as they say, to my special guest all the way from the UK. Hannah, how are you? 

[00:02:13] Hannah Cummins: I'm really well, thank you. How are you? 

[00:02:16] Marshall Stern: I'm doing fantastic. As we mentioned earlier, it is sunny here in Vancouver, so it's –

[00:02:20] Whenever it's sunny, it's a good day. Yeah, 

[00:02:23] Hannah Cummins: We don't really get much sun here over in Manchester either, to be honest, but we actually do have some sunshine for three days, so I'm very excited about it. We're a very, very gray city in a valley, so not the most sun, but. 

[00:02:35] Marshall Stern: Yes. So, tell me a little bit about – we, we, we've had a few chats before.

[00:02:40] Tell me a little bit about, like, what you do and how you got into what you do. 

[00:02:47] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, so I do ADHD micro-coaching is what I specialize in. So, I work with ADHDers, and we work in quite a unique structure where I speak to them every single day for four minutes, and it's all about accountability coaching.

[00:03:00] So, it's about creating slow, steady consistency, helping people stay on track, and to get them to a point where they're not just, they're not delaying their dreams anymore, right? They're actually consistently moving things forward. And I kind of fell into this a little bit. I had a background in coaching, and I had, I specialized actually in, like, personality profiling systems, so, like, human design and a couple of other different systems.

[00:03:27] And I think my fascination was actually always in, like, the individ- individuality of humans and how, like, there's no – I, I was always fascinated by this, like, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to life and how, like, everybody is, like, fascinatingly individual, and everyone's, like, version of, like, what a successful day looks like is completely different, and everyone's conditions that set them up for success is completely different, which now looking back makes sense that it led me into neurodiversity because there's so many wonderful, magical humans out there with, like, with, like, neuro- like neurodiverse traits that can really feel very dampened and dulled down by that and feel, like, really limited by it.

[00:04:09] And what I always loved was, like, helping people find their gifts and kind of, like, find their way back to, okay, what makes me special and how can I, like, step into that and enhance that and bring any weaknesses into balance? So, I found, I kind of stumbled across Expresso Coaching. I contracted them for a while, and then I've now become,  a licensed Expresso coach, which I've been doing for three years, and it's been a truly magical journey to really work with these really special, vibrant people and, yeah, really help them get to where they want to be.

[00:04:42] Marshall Stern: So, it just kicked in with me. I just, it, the, the light just went off. Expresso Coaching. 

[00:04:46] Hannah Cummins: Yes. 

[00:04:48] Marshall Stern: I, I've seen it because you've written it down. I get it now. 

[00:04:52] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:04:52] Marshall Stern: Right? So, we had a conversation before we went live here, and, so, you work with entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs, right? 

[00:05:03] Hannah Cummins: Yes. 

[00:05:03] Marshall Stern: But you do, but you, we talked, you, you do work with entrepreneurs.

[00:05:06] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:05:07] Marshall Stern: We've talked about this a few times now. Almost everybody I have a conversation with, probably 80% of the people I get in a conversation with, at some point in the conversation or at some point through our coaching relationship, usually early on, tell me they have some form of ADHD, whether it's entrepreneurial ADHD or diagnosed ADHD.

[00:05:25] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, yeah. We see a lot of our clients, I would say, like anywhere from like 50 to 70%. That's like a, you know, a ballpark in my head, so I'm not, you know, don't quote me on that. But people that come through the door. And I do think it makes sense, because I think a lot of, you know, ADHDers, they tend to be very vibrant.

[00:05:43] They want., or, like, they don't really necessarily enjoy fitting, like fitting into a nine-to-five structure, and that's a huge generalization, by the way. That's not always the case with ADHD. Sometimes the structure really works for them. Everyone is really unique. But a huge portion of them tend to want to start their own businesses and, like, kind of, you know, live,  you know, live or, like, take a slightly more independent career path, because it tends to work very, very well with that neurotype.

[00:06:08] So, yeah, we see it a lot. 

[00:06:09] Marshall Stern: Micro-coaching. 

[00:06:11] Hannah Cummins: Mm-hmm. 

[00:06:12] Marshall Stern: So, I've had a few clients where I've done for, I think it was about a month, I've done, like, 10-minute sessions to help them build the proper habits, right? 

[00:06:22] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:06:22] Marshall Stern: Like, 10-minute sessions a- per day. You're talking about four minutes. 

[00:06:26] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:06:27] Marshall Stern: First of all, I, I'm just thinking as a coach myself, like, how, how do you do that?

[00:06:32] I, I – obviously it's a whole, you have a system, strategy and system. But how do you – four minutes? 

[00:06:38] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. It's,  do you know what? It always, like, I feel like it – people always ask that question. It makes me laugh because I literally get asked that question all the time. We, we have 30 minutes, we have, we do have, like, longer calls with some clients as well, where we'll kind of set the direction.

[00:06:51] So, it's not just the four minutes. The most of the coaching is the daily four-minute strategy and structure. And it's surprising what can be achieved in that short amount of time, like getting somebody to reflect on the day before, understand the little things that maybe have tripped them up, and get really, really clear about where they're going within the next 24 hours.

[00:07:11] And also get, like, you know, activating the prefrontal cortex, that reflective practice, and also getting emotionally connected with where you want to be. But it's that whole – I, I really feel like the power of expresso is in the reflection. And they, there's a, there's a great saying,  and I really would love to know who said it, but I always quote this.

[00:07:28] nd it's, "If you reflect every month, you have better months; if you reflect every week, you have better weeks; and if you reflect every day, you have better days." And that, I feel like, is the, is the essence of what it is. Like, if you have a container that's held where you practice reflection on a day-to-day basis, you gain that self-visibility.

[00:07:47] That activates the prefrontal cortex anyway, which is quite dulled down by ADHD and distraction. So, that self-reflective practice of, like – sorry, something's just come up on my screen there. Threw me off a little bit. Sorry, one second. No. Um- 

[00:08:02] Marshall Stern: This is Business Unfiltered. 

[00:08:04] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, exactly. but that self-reflective practice, that container, like,  that I, I think, like, with ADHD, we can be quite, like, they can be quite, like, tuned out, I guess, to their patterns.

[00:08:15] And when we have the opportunity to kind of get on the day level and really notice, like, okay, well, I wasn't so successful today. Why was that? What tripped me up? And what could I try differently, even just 1% differently tomorrow to kind of get us on the way? Those small little, like, daily adjustments.

[00:08:34] it's that that keeps us on track. Because sometimes when you're working with someone on that month level, you're so Zoomed out you don't actually know what's going on. And when you get to that day level with people, there's just this, like, you can literally see, oh, like, that really tiny thing that seemed insignificant, that's where the success was.

[00:08:52] I remember working with someone ages ago, and he, he worked – we couldn't figure out why Thursday was always a successful day, and we were like, "Okay, this is really weird." And we figured out after a couple of weeks that he was volunteering at the school in the morning, and that volunteering session for him, it gave him a sense of purpose.

[00:09:11] It was something that really mattered to him. He felt like he was giving back to his community. And once we understood, okay, it's that quality that gets you going, then we could reapply that to, like, other days in the, in the week. You know, it's just something simple like sending a message to a member of his, his community just to reach out and connect.

[00:09:29] And, like, little things like that. So, I can actually feel like that day level is sometimes key to making lasting change because it's always in the simple stuff. The simple, tiny tweaks and changes. That's where the magic is for a lot of people. 

[00:09:42] Marshall Stern: Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, 100 – I, I love that. So you mentioned the word distractions, and one of the things I, I work with my clients on, and I want to go, really go here because,  distractions are probably, not just for non-business owners, but for business owners, for entrepreneurs, probably one of the, I've seen one of the biggest business killers. 

[00:10:03] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:10:04] Marshall Stern: How, whether you have ADHD or diagnosed or entrepreneurial ADHD – so we can talk about this as well because it, there is a superpower in that. 

[00:10:14] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:10:14] Marshall Stern: Right? I remember us talking about this before, so I want to get to that because I don't want people watching this or listening to this thinking, like, something's wrong with them.

[00:10:22] In fact, use it to your – like, there's power in that. That's why so many entrepreneurs, that's why so many entrepreneurs have it or so many people who have ADHD become entrepreneurs because of that. But the distractions for most people just, like, it just, just halts their growth, halts their progress.

[00:10:40] So, what are some strategies, and these are, we love the golden nuggets here on the Stern Truth. What are some strategies, what are some things that people can do to help them work through it and crush it? 

[00:10:51] Hannah Cummins: Mm, yeah, okay. Couple things. I feel like actually getting clear on what your smoke alarm is and noticing that is probably one of the, the best things to do with distractions.

[00:11:04] So, like, knowing what's your pattern. When you start distracting yourself, what, what is the, what's the pattern that you generally follow? Like, I had one client who every time he was distracted – there's always a reason, right? There's usually, for procrastination and distraction, right, there's usually fear or lack of clarity.

[00:11:21] Often fear is, if it's, if we've not got a clear plan, if things aren't broken down enough, we can get overwhelmed, then the fear kind of comes in. So often when we're procrastinating, there's something that we're avoiding or we're not – we're feeling a little bit uncomfortable. So, it's always like, what's the smoke alarm?

[00:11:34] Like, what is, what, what behavior sets the smoke alarm off so you can catch yourself before we go too far down the rabbit hole? So, one thing, like, one client, he kept finding himself reorganizing the wires on his desk to try and find a better system, or he would reorganize his organizing system  constantly.

[00:11:53] And whenever he found himself in that trap, he was like, "Okay, something's not right. Either I'm not clear, or there's fear there and I'm avoiding something." So, they're two things to really notice. Like, when we are distracted, why are we distracted? What's actually going on there?  and then noticing what behaviors.

[00:12:10] For me, I always know when things are a little bit off in the morning if I've not made my bed, which I know is a bit of a weird thing, but, like, if I've not made my bed in the morning,  I'm like, "Okay, I know that things could go sideways today, and I'm going to pay attention to that." So, everybody has their little quirks, so get clear on, on the smoke alarm of, like, what, what behaviors are setting your smoke alarm off that we need to pay attention.

[00:12:31] And then it's understanding, do we, are, are we lacking clarity, or is, is there fear? And fear has an Achilles heel, because fear shrinks in the light of consciousness. So if there's a fear holding us back from something, and we bring it into the light of consciousness, it helps us to really see what's actually going on there, and we're much more likely to be able to move through that fear once we shine a light on it and bring it to the surface.

[00:12:53] Another thing with  distraction,  there was something else I wanted to touch on here, which was, um... sorry, I'm just checking my notes, because I made some really good notes before we jumped on here – is in the recovery. So, we have the smoke alarm of, like, okay, this is, this is the behavior that is helping us notice that we're going off track.

[00:13:17] Then it's about, like, okay, how do we get back on the horse? How do we recommit? What's needed in order for us to get back on track? So, again, and this is why I was talking about, like, the day level, that daily reflection and self-literacy becomes really important. Because everyone's getting back on the horse looks really, really different, right?

[00:13:36] For some people, it's just getting some movement in, and then they'll be back to it, or we can look at this from, like, a bigger, more zoomed-out cycle perspective. Like, I have a client who starts veering off track, and then they're like, "Right, no, I need a deep journaling session. I've got to process whatever's here.

[00:13:51] And then once that's done, I can park it and move on," right? So, it's what, what is your getting back on the horse strategy? What gives you that reset, right? Some people, it's breath work, meditation. It can be just giving yourself a shake, right? Or I know one person I worked with used to imagine a big pair of scissors above her head, like, chopping the thought, and then that would be how she moved on.

[00:14:13] So, it's almost like the getting back on the horse, it's almost like what's your pattern interrupter? What do you need to get in place to then help you reorient once distraction has taken you off track? And they sound quite zoomed out in general, and this is why that day level is so helpful. Because if you're reflecting every day, you're catching yourself when you're going off track, you're noticing what the subtleties were, and then you're understanding, okay, well, what worked that day where I reset really quickly?

[00:14:40] What was that? I didn't go off for two hours there. I went off for five minutes. What helped me re- like, like, reset and get back on track? Another client that I work with will have to go back to his plan and just re- reconnect with the plan. And then as soon as he's done that, then he can get back into the day.

[00:14:58] So, yeah, they're just a couple of things that I've seen work with people. But again, like, you know, that container for daily reflection is so helpful in that process of really seeing, okay, like starting to understand what sets you up for success. Because the – everyone is so wonderfully unique.

[00:15:16] And they all have these different, like, quirks that they can really lean into when they really understand themselves, and we get that through that, that daily reflection and self-visibility. 

[00:15:27] Marshall Stern: So, look, there, there, there's all these books out there and podcasts out there and, and experts out there. You know, there's Atomic Habits.

[00:15:35] There's, you know, building the, building the, the, the proper habits. There's the, you know, the four-day workweek. There's so many productivity tools out there for people. There's no shortage of it, right? How does… Okay. Talked about this a bit before. So, I was in a follow-up session with someone who was looking to hire me as their coach.

[00:15:57] And this was the, they kept scheduling the follow-up chat, gave the proposal, we had a couple follow-up conversations on it, and he just kept saying he's just doesn't think – and I've heard this from a couple people, actually – basically in a, in a way, "I don't, I don't think you can handle me. I don't think I'm the right client for you."

[00:16:19] I, I, and we dug deeper. "I don't think I'm going to do the work. I'm just all over the place." And I had another one earlier in the year that, simply, and said the same thing. Like, "I really, I'm too much of a challenge. There's just no way. I don't think I can do it. I don't think you'll be able to do it. You just, I'm too much."

[00:16:34] Yet they want it, but they're so, they're so, I don't know what the word, I guess scattered. 

[00:16:39] Hannah Cummins: Yes. 

[00:16:40] Marshall Stern: And, and, and a lot of people, and one of the things I do help my clients with is to get through that, and because there's so much noise out there, right? There's so much noise, first of all, in here, like within the six, seven inches or whatever, right?

[00:16:55] There's so much noise just in our own, in our own mind, but then online there's so much noise. And in, in the world right in front of us, there's so much noise, employees, all that kind of stuff. What do you say to people who – first, you have to want it, right? You have to want the change, okay? Whether they bring on a coach or mentor to help them or guide them, whether they come to you or they come to me or they go to someone.

[00:17:18] In the end, it, it does come back to – you, you said something a few minutes ago. I wrote it down. Fear shrinks in the light of confidence. 

[00:17:26] Hannah Cummins: Consciousness. 

[00:17:27] Marshall Stern: Consciousness. Consciousness. Sorry, consciousness. Oh. 

[00:17:30] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:17:31] Marshall Stern: That's even more powerful. Okay. Actually, could be on confidence too, but consciousness.

[00:17:36] Hannah Cummins: Mm-hmm. True. 

[00:17:37] Marshall Stern: How do you know when fear, like with your clients, okay? How do you know, and do you know where it is actually fear? Like, there's tools and strategies you can give them, but procrastination, I mean, I'm going all over the map here because it really is all the, all over the map. Maybe I need a session with you.

[00:17:55] People procrastinate for different reasons. How do we, I'll just say we, myself included, right? How do we – we want something. Everybody wants something. Everybody wants to achieve something or grows to something. Everybody wants more. Let's say it's everybody wants more in some part of their life. How do we slow it down and on, on our own, how do we slow it down and focus on what is right in front of us?

[00:18:23] Not right in front of us, but the important things right in front of us, and avoid, I guess really it is the distractions. It's the noise out there. And it's not just necessarily the noise like all the experts, online experts and the, but it's also the email, the, the dings and the tings and all the distractions there, and the dog coming in the room, and kids and all the stuff in our life, but how do we calm the noise?

[00:18:47] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, this is an interesting question. I think, I think, well, one, one really, really brilliant tool that I got actually was from The Values Factor by Dr. Demartini. I don't know if you've ever looked at any of his work. Sure. He's an incredible person, and his book is brilliant if anyone is interested in reading it.

[00:19:06] But it's an exercise where you, you, you determine your values, and it's not on what you think matters to you, it's what you actually spend your time doing. So, it's quite a confronting exercise. But it's really interesting, and I get a lot of clients to do that because, or just really ask them, you know, what is it that truly matters to you?

[00:19:25] What's your why, right? And I think you mentioned that earlier as well. Because when the why is big enough, the how is easy. But also, when we're really connected with our why, it gives us – and our values, right, they give us a filter through which we can make decisions. So, you know, one of my values is spaciousness.

[00:19:40] Like, I love that sense of spaciousness in the day, and that's really important to me. So, when making business decisions, that's actually a huge thing that I use to filter any decisions or anything that, that I want to do. Similarly, you know, if I was choosing an exercise routine, I really like spaciousness, so I don't want to feel like I have to exercise every single day for an hour a day.

[00:20:02] That's too much for me. But what feels spacious and juicy? And that, for me is sustainable because it plays into what really matters for me. And people with ADHD are very interest-focused, so this becomes even more important for them because that's where that natural intrinsic motivation comes from.

[00:20:20] Because when something truly matters to you, you feel an emotional connection with that thing, you're much more likely to be able to do it. I had a really interesting conversation with an ADHD the other day and she was saying, "I really struggle with time management. I'm always late, and I can't seem to get there on time.

[00:20:37] And then a friend of mine said to me, “It really hurts me when you,  don't respect my time and when, when you don't turn up on time, because it feels like you don't respect my time, and my time is really important to me." And she said, "As soon as she said that, I was never late again." And I was like, "That's really interesting, because it's clearly playing into something that is a really core thing that really matters for you, to you, which is you being there for a friend," right?

[00:21:01] Or, you know, whatever the, you know, the value is when you strip it back at the core. So, I think that it, it's that. It's, it's that deep work, getting really still, really quiet, connecting. Like, when you're in that moment of flow, what is it? Like, what is that feeling of like, like, for me, like, I found spaciousness because I was like, "What, what actually matters to me?"

[00:21:22] And it was like, I like just hopping in the car and nipping off to different meetings and stuff, and it was that feeling of like, you know, it was not just one sit at a desk all the time. And that's a, quite a weird thing to finally get to. So, it's a lot about kind of finding the threads of what, um- What feels good, even if it doesn't make sense.

[00:21:41] And as, when you start to follow them back, they tend to lead back to one place. And when you find those core values, they can be really incredibly helpful from keeping you on track and keeping you, helping you filter out the noise to really connect with what's right for you. 

[00:21:56] Marshall Stern: I, I love that, and it really does come back to our why, and the values.

[00:22:00] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:22:00] Marshall Stern: And, and what’s, what's important. And I, and I think as entrepreneurs, especially as entrepreneurs, we forget about that, right? And we just get lost in the day-to-day – 

[00:22:09] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:22:10] Marshall Stern: Of, of all the, the mess, all the to-dos, all the, all the noise. Because that's – and I work with my clients. A lot of my clients, you know, or a lot of people out there, especially small business owners, especially solopreneurs, the one-person show, get stuck in that employee mindset, which is just doing what's right in front of them, and just doing, doing, doing, doing, doing.

[00:22:31] As Michael Gerber says in E-Myth, doing, doing, doing. And you really are, forget about the vision. You forget about the why. You forget about the important stuff, right? 

[00:22:41] I want to talk about, well, two things. Time blocking for people who are distracted or ADHD or entrepreneurial ADHD, which is almost everyone, and I want to talk about accountability.

[00:22:53] Hannah Cummins: Okay. 

[00:22:53] Marshall Stern: These are two areas that I really focus on with my clients. And I know time blocking is different, should be different, set up differently for someone who has ADHD versus someone who doesn't. Yes. 

[00:23:07] Hannah Cummins: I'm probably going to challenge this one a little bit. 

[00:23:09] Marshall Stern: Please. Yeah. 

[00:23:11] Hannah Cummins: I have seen time blocking work brilliantly for some people and is that absolute detriment for other people.

[00:23:18] And I think, again, it comes down to that individuality. And, you know, I think sometimes we can be quite, you know, like, I guess we can almost put people in boxes a little bit to, to a, to an extent of, like, neurotypical, not neurotypical. Okay. But actually, you know, I like to... I'm not saying that, you know, like, I don't look at the fact that people have ADHD or they're not, right?

[00:23:37] That is, of course, in consideration. But really, it actually comes down to the individual and what works for them. I'm very neurotypical, and time blocking for me feels horrendous. But, I, I'm much more b- I'm much better at being a little bit more, like, I'll protect a block, I'll protect a block of time, but I'll be intuitive with what I put in it.

[00:23:57] Like, my, my strategy of, like, how I deal with that is different. With ADHDers, I've noticed that some of them need the structure, and they need the specifics. And particularly the AUADHDers, the, you know, ones with autism,  as well, they tend to need a bit more structure and consistency, and it can kind of get a bit wobbly if something kind of comes in and, and changes that structure.

[00:24:20] So there needs to be a strategy of, like, reorientation involved in that. That's really important.  but I have also seen ADHDers that cannot even understand a time block and can't see it, and they – but they can have, like, anchor points or like protected areas of the day that have a rough idea of what they're going to do.

[00:24:41] Then, and there's a, there needs to be a containment of sorts, but specific time blocking can become like really, really overwhelming because they can't keep up and they can't, a lot of them can't even see the specifics of what they've put in, even if they've made it. So, you know, we might say, right, this is our protected creative time.

[00:25:00] This is our protected business development time. Or some people, like windows can be more helpful than exact blocks. So, you know, like say even if we're leaving the house, say, right? We need to have left the house anywhere between 8:30 and 9, 9:15, right? So not having as much rigidity in time blocking for ADHDers can be a lot more helpful because that, that can kind of be a little bit anxiety-inducing essentially.

[00:25:27] So a little bit more flexibility, I would say, for ADHDers that do use it. I have some that like to set intentions for the day and leave it really loose. So, they will get really, really clear on their top three priorities, but as soon as they create structure and time, that creates pressure, and they panic, and they freeze.

[00:25:46] So, some people, if they have their three priorities for the day, they need to just be completely fluid with when that happens, as long as there's always an anchor point and a containment to an extent, right? So how they begin the day could be like light a candle, open a window, have a glass of water. And at the end of the day, something like a 15-minute walk, right?

[00:26:08] So they do have bookends to an extent, but how they then fill that time is a lot more intuitive and fluid. And again, it's so unique to that person, and you only know and start to learn what works for you, again, by experimentation. Like you mentioned before, like Atomic Habits, all of the systems out there, none of those are bad.

[00:26:29] None of them. No. However, I see people get caught in the trap all the time of like, "I need to make these 5:00 AM miracle mornings work." No. "And if I do that, I am a successful human being." And I'm not saying that 5:00 AM miracle mornings are bad. They're not. For some people, they are fantastic. They'll do that for the rest of their lives.

[00:26:46] It works amazing. But like so many people, I see them trying to fit into these systems and boxes that aren't made for them, and then they get so frustrated. And it just chips away at your self-esteem over time to a point where you just create the belief that you can't function like a normal human.

[00:27:03] And if you don't fit into these sometimes fairly unrealistic systems of success, then, you know, you're broken, and that's just not true. It's all about, you know, pick, cherry pick, you know, learn from different systems. They're amazing, and there's so much information out there. But it's all about the experimentation and the implementation.

[00:27:23] And if it doesn't fit for you, that is okay. Let's try something else, right? Because you will find your little golden nugget eventually. But again, it's, it's all about trial and error, and I really, really see that with clients, especially because I get to see them on that day level as well. 

[00:27:37] Marshall Stern: Yeah. Yeah. No, I, I love that.

[00:27:39] And, and 100%, I mean, it's – there, there is – people do think they need to, like, whether it's Atomic Habits or something else, another system, it does chip away. It chip, chips away at your self, self-esteem. And not, like we talked about, not one size fits all. So, when, even when I talk about time blocking, I know it's like a...

[00:27:57] I do it in a certain way. I'm not saying you should do it exactly the same way. I'm not telling my clients, do it this way. I have my sort of my five core blocks that I have, right? But it is about setting the intention, and it does – like, I- I'm not going to move the camera, but I keep a whole stack of Day-Timers that I bought over the years

[00:28:18] I was a Day-Timer junkie. I loved – like, I, I couldn't, I couldn't – but I, I kept buying new ones. One year I think I bought four throughout the year, four or five throughout the year, trying different ones because, oh, this one looks sexy. Oh, this is nice. It's leather bound. Oh, this one has all this.

[00:28:33] But then it comes with all this fluff, you know? 

[00:28:35] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. 

[00:28:36] Marshall Stern: Write down your daily journal, write down what you want, your manifestation, write down all this stuff, and then inside of it is, like, they give you, like, this much for the actual day, and it's a bunch of just fluff around it, right?  I created my own, what works for me.

[00:28:50] Hannah Cummins: Nice. 

[00:28:51] Marshall Stern: So again, yeah, I don't think one size, one system fits, well, I know, we know one system doesn't fit all, regardless of what all the experts are saying. And we do feel better about ourselves. When we try it and it's like it's not working for us, like, 5 AM Club, God bless you. You can do it, good for you.

[00:29:08] If I'm doing it, I'm sleeping, I'm falling asleep at probably 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon. 

[00:29:14] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, exactly. I know. I've, it just made me laugh then because I, I, the amount of clients that have jumped on their first call with me and shown me all of the Day-Timers that they have on their desk really makes me laugh.

[00:29:24] But again, like, Pomodoro cycles are a huge thing that we lean on, with, with ADHD clients, and they do tend to help a lot of people. But people, they're, it's kind of like Marmite. They either love it or hate it. Do you have Marmite in the US? 

[00:29:35] Marshall Stern: What is it? No? What is it? 

[00:29:36] Hannah Cummins: Oh, no. 

[00:29:37] Marshall Stern: What, what is it? 

[00:29:38] Hannah Cummins: Okay.

[00:29:38] It's like this spread, but it's really, like, bitter. 

[00:29:42] Marshall Stern: Oh, okay, okay, okay. 

[00:29:44] Hannah Cummins: Okay, so, and you either love it or hate it, but that's their marketing. Sorry, that's so funny. I just forgot that that probably wouldn't translate. But any, any Brits listening, you'll get it. 

[00:29:52] Marshall Stern: Okay. Accountability. Talk to me. Talk to me how...

[00:29:56] Accountability. How do you hold your clients accountable? Someone who's struggling with, with executive functioning, whether it's diagnosed or not or whatever, how account- like, how – for them to hold – it's always hard for all of us. Doesn't matter who we are, what we have or don't have. Accountability's hard for us to hold ourselves accountable.

[00:30:19] When you're an employee, you got a boss to, to hold you accountable. When you're in school, you got a teacher or a prof. When you're a kid, you have, whether you do it or not, your parents. Okay. What do you think? How does accountability work with someone who actually has a little bit more on their plate to deal with?

[00:30:39] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. I think accountability, especially in, like, the role that I play, often just comes back to just holding a mirror up to people. Because it's just easy to forget what's important, and I think a lot of us will have, like, a core tendency to, like, keep coming back to the same thing over and over again.

[00:30:57] Like, my thing with my coach was like, "But I just need to do more." And every time she'd be like, "Hey, remember all of this stuff that we've spoken about?" And I was like, "Oh, yeah. Okay, yeah. Okay." Back on track. So, I think that having someone to act as a mirror to you can be the most helpful thing, and social accountability is probably one of the most powerful.

[00:31:18] I think we, like, people who get, like, more out of human deadlines than alarms and reminders, I think it's like you get five to 10 times more out of social accountability than you do from, you know, like, just setting little things for yourself. So I would say, you know, even if you can create that with a buddy, you know, like,  you know, it doesn't always have to be a coach if you feel like you're not in a place where you can invest in that.

[00:31:40] It can be an accountability partner. There's so many places that you can find those online on different forums and stuff like that. But again, it comes down to that container to notice what's working and what's not working to come back to yourself every day, and to get – have someone to hold up a mirror to you to remind you.

[00:32:01] Because it's so easy to fall back into those patterns, because it's really difficult to see ourselves when we're just in the washing machine of the day-to-day, right? So having that moment, protected time for you to pull yourself out and have someone to hold a mirror up to you just to remind you of what you said yesterday, or, like, you know, when you set your monthly goals or whatever that is.

[00:32:21] Or to remind you when they notice that pattern coming up again that keeps coming up, right? That person that can hold that space for you will just gently nudge you in that direction. But a lot of the time I think- accountability. Like, it, a lot of it is just holding space for the person to see it themselves.

[00:32:40] Because in that daily reflection, even if someone goes off track and starts making that mistake that they always make, sometimes it's really helpful to just hold for that space for them while they do it. Because they're reflecting, they start to notice when something comes up that's really going to send them off track, and that's actually sometimes more powerful than someone telling you, right?

[00:33:01] Because you've had the felt experience of going down that pathway again, noticing, stopping yourself, and being like, "Oh my God, I did that thing again. Okay, next time I'm going to catch myself earlier, and earlier, and earlier," until you get a lot more practice at noticing when you start veering off.

[00:33:17] So I actually think the accountability in the mirror is helpful, but the container for reflection is so empowering, because that's when you start to catch yourself, and you don't need someone else to catch you. If that makes sense. 

[00:33:28] Marshall Stern: Yeah. No, I, I really like that. Okay. You've already shared a ton so far.

[00:33:38] Okay? And before we go, I know there's a few more golden nuggets- that you can share with us. So, you're, you're on. 

[00:33:44] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, okay. 

[00:33:45] Marshall Stern: This is your time now. Give it to us, give it, give the Stern Truth. Give us some golden nuggets that can help us.

[00:33:52] Hannah Cummins: Okay. I would say the first principle, that I work with is, like, you are your greatest resource.

[00:33:59] So, make sure you're resourced, right? Like, as much as you can. And it can be so interesting with clients, where they'll come and they'll have these huge goals of the things they want to achieve, and we'll get on the day level, and it's like they're not eating, they're not sleeping, and they're not exercising.

[00:34:13] And it's like, okay, right, we need to kind of strip things back. So that foundation of wellbeing is the key to everything.And I think people can really misunderstand how vitally important that is. And what I do see with a lot of clients, especially the business owners, they'll have these huge goals, and they're absolute geniuses.

[00:34:32] And once that foundation's in place and strong, they start taking care of the goals anyway, and they almost don't really need me to help them with that. They need me to help them with the foundation because the foundation holds everything. So that is my absolute number one for working with people.

[00:34:49] The second thing is with ADHDers in particular, but I think all human beings, is like practicing activating that prefrontal cortex. So that's the part of the brain that's dulled down by distraction and ADHD. And getting emotionally connected with your goals and where you want to be, or your why, as you said.

[00:35:08] And that container for daily reflection, that, that self-literacy that we gain from that, that relationship to self and that self-understanding of what sets me up for success as a unique human being, that is also activating the prefrontal cortex. It helps us with emotional regulation. It's a really, really, really powerful tool.

[00:35:27] So emotional connection and practicing daily reflection. Contain it. Find a way to contain your daily reflection because it will help you leaps and bounds. There's a great saying in Chinese medicine that if you put a piece of paper down every day, in a year you'll have a board you can't break, and I love that so much. So.

[00:35:44] So that container for daily reflection. Also, what's the micro action you can take today, right? It does not have to be all or nothing, so try to leave that mindset behind. Even if we're just taking the 0.1% action, that Atomic Habits thing of just go to the gym. Even if you don't go in, just sit in the car park and go home.

[00:36:03] Because – 

[00:36:03] Marshall Stern: I do that all the, I do that all the time. But you- 

[00:36:06] Hannah Cummins: But be- it's that thing, isn't it? Like, just become the person that goes to the gym every day, and then slowly we start to build from there. But it's so powerful to build your self-esteem, because it's not just going to the gym, right, and just getting in the car park

[00:36:19]. What you're saying to yourself is, "I'm showing up for myself." And that builds your self-esteem. And if we're doing the tiny little 0.1% every day, that compounds over time to make a massive difference, and we start moving in a very, very different direction. And then, so yeah, like leave the all or nothing mindset behind.

[00:36:38] What are the micro actions? And those small, tiny things that we do every day make the biggest difference, and I've seen this time and time again with clients. I've had the privilege of working with people for over three years and witnessing them every day. This is the most powerful thing that you can do to get yourself there.

[00:36:53] Even if it seems so silly, you're like, "Of course I can do that," they're the best ones, because they will get you there.  And finally, I would say develop your get back on the horse muscle. So, like, how – what is your recovery time? How can we get that recovery time to be shorter? Because every time when we fall off and we go off track and we notice and we reorient, there is so much power in that.

[00:37:16] It's not about setting a, a routine and a system and staying in that forever, and then we'll, like, happy clappy skip off into the sunset. Not – that doesn't, that doesn't exist, right? We're human beings. Like, we'll fall off track all the time. A holiday will come up, you know. Something will send us off in a different direction.

[00:37:32] It's not about getting it perfect, but it's about, it's about becoming an expert about getting back on track. What's your strategy for that? How do you reorient and what are the key things that you need to have in place to get you back on track and help you recover quicker when we do go off track? Because we always will.

[00:37:51] Marshall Stern: Do you do workshops? 

[00:37:52] Hannah Cummins: Um- 

[00:37:53] Marshall Stern: Or webinar? Webinars? 

[00:37:55] Hannah Cummins: No. No, not at the moment, actually, no. No. 

[00:37:56] Marshall Stern: We might have to... ee might – I might have to do one with you. I might have to, we might need... Like, seriously, like, there's so many things here that are just, like, so amazing, and I really hope that people are listening to this.

[00:38:10] So, I'm just going to talk to the, to our listeners right now. If you're – I'm going to assume you're still with us because this has been so powerful. Like, share this with your friends. Like, whether they are in business or not, like, the, the, the tools and strategies that Hannah's given, given us today, and the way to just think about things, the way to think, the way for us to think about ourselves and how we roll.

[00:38:35] Because everyone, like you, you said, everyone's different. That's why one daytimer does not work for everyone, right? Even a written daytimer. Like, I, A quick story. Like, I always tell my wife and my daughter, like, I live by my – so, I have an iPhone, so I live by the notes section. I use the, I use a written, written, like, written daytimer.

[00:38:58] Right? And a calendar, like, online calendar, but also, I use my, sort of my notes app on the iPhone, like, the just the, the iPhone app,  for scheduling and for the important things. Or, you know, if I have an idea, I put it in there, and then I'll set a date to remind me about it. That kind of thing, right?

[00:39:18] That's what works for me. If I had a physical daytimer, first of all, I'm not with it all the time. I'm not going to carry this big – but that works for me. So, I would, I always tell them, like, they always say, my daughter will say, and she's, like, 23, she'll say, "Oh, can you email me this?" Or, or not, "Text me this so I remember."

[00:39:35] Like, put it in your notes thing and put a time on it. Or you could put a location reminder, right, to remind you when you're in a certain – she says, "No, no, I don't want to use it." I said, "Well, you should try it." But she, but she, it won't work for her. She would never use it. Okay, fair enough. So, she sends herself reminders all the time.

[00:39:52] She'll text herself as a reminder. That's what works for her. I don't get it but that's, everyone's different. 

[00:40:00] Because the notes app is actually quite, can be quite powerful. But everyone's different, and some people love writing things down, right? And having that, that just – it – and there is power in writing.

[00:40:10] We know that. 

[00:40:10] Hannah Cummins: Absolutely. Yeah. And I think it's just being active in the process of troubleshooting and improvement. And as long as you're engaged in life, that's why, again, the, the container for daily reflection intention setting's so powerful. Weekly, whatever you can manage. But, like, that sense of being actively engaged in life of, like, okay, this thing keeps tripping me up.

[00:40:29] What system can I put in place, right? So, I get so many clients coming to me be like, "What's the answer? Give me the strategy." And I'm like, "There isn't one," right? You have to go out there and start playing around, and I'm going to make sure that you keep experimenting until you find the way. That there's so many ways out there, and there's so many pathways you can take

[00:40:46] So yeah, it's all about, like – and if you say, like, your notes system, like if you tried to sell that in a course, it probably, like it's, it's, it's quite simple, right? Like, you don't need to sell that. It just exists. But it's like, that's the thing, because you've just developed it and it works for you.

[00:41:00] But absolutely everybody is, like, wildly different, and there's so much information out there and stuff we can try. So yeah. That's the magic. I love it. I love the individuality of humans. I love getting into the nitty-gritty with people. It's my favorite. 

[00:41:12] Marshall Stern: So, having said that, I just wanted to correct myself, because I don't want people looking at their iPhones, like, he uses the notes app.

[00:41:18] No, the reminders. It's the reminders app. 

[00:41:20] Hannah Cummins: Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I call it notes.  

[00:41:21] Marshall Stern: Sorry. It's, it's the reminders app because you can put the time and whatever. It's the reminders app. The notes, you can't do that. Notes are just notes. But I do use the reminders even for notes as well. So, I have different, like, folders in there.

[00:41:32] So, if I remind, to remind myself, but then I'll put a time on it so it's not just this, this – because even on Gold, like, Google Docs, like, trying to find – you do something in Google Docs, and then someone, like it's, doesn't, it's not a proper filing system. 

[00:41:46] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:41:47] Marshall Stern: But for me, the reminders thing works.

[00:41:49] Okay. So, I've kept you longer than I told you I would, because I knew you were going to be delivering so much. And this is, this conversation is so, so important. One final – is there one final – you, you shared so much with us, and thank you. Is there one final gold nugget, tidbit? 

[00:42:08] Hannah Cummins: I guess it's just for ADHDers out there that are kind of like, you know, that, that client you mentioned before that you were on with that just feel like that, that it, that they can't change.

[00:42:16] Because I have seen so many people completely change their perspective on that. And again, it – you don't have to overhaul your life. You don't have to, like, have these huge goals that you need to work towards. Like, it's those tiny 1% changes that make the world of difference. And the more I get why you're there as well, like so many people, like, they, they, they've tried to fit into boxes that don't fit for them.

[00:42:40] They've chipped away at their self-esteem and their self-belief, and it, it makes sense that they're feeling that way. But I've seen people time and time again, you know, start, start making small changes, stay on track with it. And again, it's not, it's not falling into that all or nothing mindset. If you just make those tiny little tweaks and changes, you know, 1% every day, 0.1% even, like, you will get there.

[00:43:02] But yeah, like, trust that you can absolutely believe that you can get to that point of, like, really building on your self-esteem, building momentum and making lasting changes. I've seen people who thought it was impossible to create routines that they've been really consistent with for years, right? Like, this is absolutely possible for people, but it's just finding your way to get there.

[00:43:23] Marshall Stern: I love that. That's a great, that's a great, great final gold nugget, and I thank you. So, I know in the show notes I've got all the information of how people can get in touch with you. If they want to, I guess in there as well, if they want to, is there, like, a discovery session? Like, if they just want to...? Yeah. 

[00:43:42] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. So, I'm over on LinkedIn for anyone who wants to connect with me. 

[00:43:45] Marshall Stern: Perfect, perfect. 

[00:43:46] Hannah Cummins: And then my webpage is also below, so you can book a discovery call with me if anyone wants to have a chat about the micro-coaching and see if it's a fit for them. Or even just have a conversation. We offer, like, a free 15-minute strategy session for people to kind of break down their goals a little bit as well.

[00:43:59] So, yeah, I'd love to connect with anyone who feels like this could really help them. 

[00:44:05] Marshall Stern: That, that's awesome. And I think what you're doing is amazing. The work you're doing is amazing. So, and, and I'm glad we connected, and I really thank you. Me too. And whether we do a, a webinar or workshop together or I have you back on this podcast, something's going to have to happen because there's so much more I know you can help us with.

[00:44:21] Hannah Cummins: Yeah, absolutely. Oh, I'd love to get involved. I love talking about this, and I love just helping people. It's such a nice feeling to kind of, yeah, know that it just gives anyone a sense of even, like, a little bit of relief. It's... Yeah. It means the world, so. 

[00:44:36] Marshall Stern: Perfect. Perfect. Yeah. So, thank you. And, and for all of you listening, like, seriously, give this thing, give this thing – 

[00:44:42] Scroll down to the main page, give it a five-star review. Yeah. Comment, like, share, subscribe. Share it, but really share it with your friends. Share it with colleagues. Just say, "Hey, check out this episode." It might really change the way you – it's going to really help people, I think, change the way they look at themselves and what is possible.

[00:45:04] Because even if it's like going to the gym, and I've done this before, I have my routine and one day I might not be feeling so great about it, but I just, I get there and maybe I don't do the full workout. Maybe I'm on the treadmill for 10 minutes instead of 30 because I'm just – I've had a heavy dinner or whatever, and I'm just not feeling it, but I'm there, as opposed to just sitting on the couch and not doing it, not following through on the commitment I made to myself.

[00:45:30] So, at least I'm there and I know tomorrow or the next time I'll have a better workout. Or even just driving there, right, is a step, as you said, that .01 or the .1%, just driving there. I've driven to the gym on the weekend and it's packed, like I can't find a parking spot and I'm circling for 10 minutes, and then I go home.

[00:45:47] It's like, but I, but honestly, but at least in my mind, I have gone. Like, I haven't actually worked out, but I did make the attempt, and that is just the one,  the, the tiny little step makes a huge difference. Now, I don't do it all the time because driving around it's not going to do anything. And that's what I think people forget.

[00:46:03] It's like, "Oh, yeah, I'll just drive around. You know, I'll just open up, I'll just open up my computer. I'll just do something," and then you continually just do that. It's, it's about progressions, about little steps, right? 

[00:46:14] Hannah Cummins: Yeah. Getting started, absolutely. 

[00:46:16] Marshall Stern: Getting started. So, okay, enough with me rambling on.

[00:46:18] Thank you so much. I'm going to let everyone go. We'll see you again next week on an- another episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered. 

[00:46:27] Thank you so much for tuning in to The Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share, and leave us a review. Also, if you'd like to be a guest in an upcoming episode or join us in one of our momentum accountability group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net. 

[00:46:46] That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.