S2E7 - Running a Business With ADHD and Chronic Illness (Part 1 - Shai Focused)

Send us Fan Mail What does it really look like to run a business with ADHD and chronic illness? In this episode of Black Girl, Brown Girl… Squirrel!, Shai shares the real behind-the-scenes of Neurodivergent entrepreneurship, including executive dysfunction, impulsive spending, procrastination, chronic pain, burnout, energy management, and learning to build systems that work with her brain. We also talk about the strengths ADHD can bring to business, from creativity and big-picture thinking to pattern recognition, empathy, and innovation. Plus, Shai shares practical lessons around flexibility, finances, self-advocacy, boundaries, and using AI to reduce mental load. This episode is for Neurodivergent entrepreneurs, women of color in business, adults with ADHD, people living with chronic illness, and anyone learning to build success on their own terms. 🐿️ TIME STAMPS 00:20 Life Updates, Caregiving, and Finding Peace 01:52 Mom’s Moyamoya Diagnosis and Recovery 04:03 Family History, Strokes, and Community Support 11:28 Shai’s Career and What She Actually Does 17:55 Communication, Leadership, and Neurodivergence 22:21 Bringing Lived Experience Into the Workplace 27:57 Why Shai Became an Entrepreneur 33:50 Running a Business With ADHD 35:48 Impulsive Spending, Finances, and Hard Lessons 37:56 When a Working Relationship Had to End 42:57 Managing ADHD, Energy, and Burnout 49:59 Challenging Myths About Disabled Entrepreneurs 51:46 Advice for Neurodivergent and Chronically Ill Founders 56:21 Using AI to Organize Ideas and Reduce Mental Load 1:00:13 Final Thoughts and Closing RESOURCES Mental Health Resources 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Therapy for Black Girls Inclusive Therapists Clinicians of Color Neurodivergent Resources ADDitude Magazine Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) Association for Autism & Neurodiversity (AANE) The Color of Autism Foundation  Understood Job Accommodation Network (JAN) CONNECT WITH US Fan Page: Fanlist.com/BGBGSquirrel  IG: @BGBGSquirrel Threads: @BGBGSquirrel Email: [email protected]