#61: It’s OK to not do it all, Amber’s Story | Guest Amber Duffney

In this episode, I have a special guest. Pier B, Homeopath, and Wellness Coach (pierab.com).  We cover holistic nutrition to optimize our brain to function at our best. She is a wealth of knowledge and a firm believer that the body, mind, and spirit need to be treated together. This episode is a must listen to.  

In this episode, I wanted to introduce you to Brian Fanzo, who shares his journey of a late in life diagnosis.

I was so inspired by his passion for life, family, and most importantly self-compassion as he moves through ADHD in adulthood.

Key points:

• Journey of ADHD diagnosis as an adult and his perspective and later how he is supporting his child’s diagnosis of ADHD.
• Brian shares how he sees his ADHD as a superpower and feels loud and proud of his brain wiring.
• Reflection on how he managed his corporate days while not realizing he had ADHD
• He leaned into his strengths and successfully transitioned into Entrepreneurship
• He explains why his zen place is playing Poker
• Brian’s share his unique way of how he approaches productivity while managing multiple business initiatives
• and so much more, be sure to listen to the entire episode.

About Brian:

Brian Fanzo is a digital futurist keynote speaker who translates the trends of tomorrow to inspire change today. His customized and personalized programs showcase real-world stories and examples of forward-thinking people and businesses. He teaches companies of all sizes how to leverage technology in real time in order to engage their customers at the right time. Brian has a gift for bringing people together online and offline. He has worked in 76 countries, highlighting his passion for change, collaboration, and technology. At age 14, Brian won a speed typing contest and his love for computers and technology was born. After years of playing The Oregon Trail, creating in Adobe Pagemaker, and using Napster, Brian earned a Computer Science degree. Prior to speaking, he worked for nine years at the Department of Defense where he managed a global team who deployed collaboration and cybersecurity solutions across all branches of the military – which required him to maintain the highest civilian security clearance. He then pursued his dream job as a technology evangelist for a booming cloud-computing startup, helping companies embrace the rate of change and new ways to innovate. Brian is currently the Founder of iSocialFanz, which has helped launch digital and influencer strategies with the world’s most iconic brands like Dell, EMC, Adobe, IBM, UFC, Applebee’s, and SAP.

Brian has been recognized as a Top 20 Digital Transformation Influencer; a Top 50 Most-Mentioned User by CMOs on Twitter, and a Top 25 Social Business Leader of the Future by The Economist. His followers on social media and podcast downloads rank in the hundreds of thousands, resulting in Brian being an influencer for 19 of the Fortune 100 companies.

More about Brian at https://www.isocialfanz.com/adhd-superpowered

https://brianfanzo.com/forced-to-work-from-home-with-adhd-now-what/

https://www.isocialfanz.com/post/what-adhd-can-teach-you-about-entrepreneur-productivity

In this episode, my friend and colleague Brooke Schnittman talk about the importance of community, especially for those of us who may have never felt like we belonged because we are a little different. There is something absolutely magical when I found my ADHD community, for the first time in my life I truly feel like I can be myself and I know that I have a kick-ass community that has my back and gets me.

We hope you enjoy this episode and also we wanted to share with you a little about our community and how you can join us.

To find out more about the program that Brooke mentioned visit ***3C Activation Group Coaching***

🎧 Episode Overview Join host Eric Tivers and three incredible panelists—Nathan James, Meg Zirger, and Christal Wang—for the second-annual Neurodivergent Queer Pride panel, organized by Shimmer. In this landmark conversation, we explore: Masking vs. Unmasking: Why hiding feels safe and how reclaiming your authentic self fuels resilience. Intersectional Identities: How ADHD, autism, and LGBTQ+ pride intersect—and why that intersection is a source of strength. Political Climate & Pride: Strategies for holding onto joy and courage when the world feels heavy. Power of Community: From isolation to solidarity—why peer support is essential for lasting change. Whether you’re neurodivergent, queer, an ally, or simply curious, this panel offers actionable insights, heartfelt stories, and affirmations to help you thrive. 🎯 Key Takeaways Masking Is Exhausting Childhood “survival mode” often becomes adult burnout. Unmasking is an ongoing, courageous process of self-discovery. ADHD + Queer = Unique Superpower Both identities challenge “scripts” society hands us. Embracing difference unlocks creativity, empathy, and authenticity. Pride Under Pressure Celebrate safely: balance vigilance with joy. Collective conversation and advocacy build courage. Community as Catalyst Small cohorts and online groups reduce shame and spark accountability. Shared experiences create “me-too” moments that heal and empower. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome & Episode Intro 01:04 What Is Neurodivergent Queer Pride? 03:07 Panelist Introductions & Backgrounds 09:30 Personal Identity Journeys: “Scripts” & Masking 17:36 Societal Expectations: Fitting In vs. Standing Out 29:18 Deep Dive on Masking & Self-Acceptance 38:59 Holding Pride in a Difficult Political Climate 48:12 The Role of Community in Connection & Healing 54:48 Final Affirmations & Advice 57:41 Closing Thoughts & Next Steps 🔗 Resources & Links Join ADHD reWired Coaching & Accountability Groups (Season 41) ▸ Live kickoff: Wed, June 18 • 2 PM CT ▸ Pre-registration due: Tue, June 17 • 2 PM CT ▸ 👉 Shimmer (Episode organizer; online ADHD coaching platform) ▸ Co-founder & panel host: Christal Wang 👉 Adult Study Hall (24/7 ADHD-friendly coworking) 👉 💡 Next Steps Subscribe to ADHD reWired so you never miss an episode. Share this episode with friends who identify as neurodivergent, queer, or allies. Explore our summer Coaching & Accountability Groups to turn these insights into real-world growth. Your whole self belongs. Let’s celebrate, connect, and thrive—together.

In today’s show, Eric is joined by Dana Crews!  Dana has been a coach, educator, facilitator, and trainer in the behavioral health and mental health field for over 15 years.  She is currently combining her own personal practice, unique life experience, and education in the ancient wisdom traditions together with modern psychology and behavioral and neuroscience research in her newly-created mindfulness ADHD life-coaching business: Second Arrow Life Coaching!  Dana is an advocate for invisible disabilities and neurodivergence.  She believes that knowing and connecting to your core values and practicing basic mindfulness and yogic techniques allows us to transform self-judgment and fear into constructive reflection, insight, compassion, health, and creative solutions. Find Dana on LinkedIn Learn more about Dana at her website secondarrowlifecoaching.com Find Dana on Instagram @secondarrowlifecoaching Questions/Topics:  [00:01:11] Introducing Dana  [00:03:08] What is the difference between satisfaction and contentment?  [00:05:03] Exploring contentedness and its different avenues  [00:06:32] Where is the overlap and what is separate between contentment and gratitude?  [00:11:51] A discussion about the discomfort in familiarity  [00:14:24] Is the struggle of holding onto contentment an issue of emotional self-regulation?   [00:20:00] How much of the struggle around contentment comes from societal ideas of feeling content and ADHD brains needing novelty?  [00:21:40] A discussion on Buddhist psychology and philosophy  [00:23:52] How does one strive through the lens of Buddhist philosophy?  [00:27:27] Not thinking about the future vs. over-planning for the future  [00:29:40] Overidentification, rumination, and separation of self  [00:31:32] How much of being able to experience being content has to do with resilience?   [00:39:40] Dana shares more about growing up, undiagnosed ADHD, travel, and meeting the Dalai Lama  [00:41:58] What is Ayurveda  [00:44:33] How can self-awareness inform our understanding of our experiences?  [00:46:30] A moment of an idea of contentment  [00:48:26] Closing thoughts  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired’s award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

🎙 Guest Info: Today’s guest, Elise Fillmore, is a queer and neurodivergent financial educator, bestselling author, and the founder of  Elise focuses on identity-based finance, helping people navigate money through the lens of their lived experiences, challenges, and strengths. She’s also the author of Keeping Finance Personal and the host of the Dopamine Dollars podcast. 💡 Episode Highlights: How traditional financial advice often fails neurodivergent people Why financial planning should be tailored to your identity, lifestyle, and brain Strategies for making money management less overwhelming and more engaging The importance of automation and dopamine-driven finance systems Why shame and financial struggles are often systemic, not personal failings Common financial myths and why some mainstream advice (like Dave Ramsey’s) doesn’t work for ADHDers Practical ways to infuse joy into budgeting and create sustainable financial habits How to set up “fun money” accounts and make saving more rewarding Why financial tools and strategies “expire” for ADHDers – and what to do about it The role of external accountability in managing money 📌 Resources & Links: Elise Fillmore’s Website: Instagram: TikTok:   Book: Keeping Finance Personal – Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook   Podcast: Dopamine Dollars – Available on , , and more 🔗 Mentioned in This Episode: A list of dopamine-boosting activities to help manage impulsive spending 📢 Support ADHD reWired! Leave a rating & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen Share this episode with someone who might find it helpful Become a to help us keep creating great content! 🚀 Join ADHD reWired’s Coaching & Accountability Groups! Our Spring 2025 Coaching Groups are coming up soon! April 24 – June 19 Registration Events: March 27 & April 2 Learn more & sign up: 🖥 Adult Study Hall – ADHD reWired’s Virtual Co-working community.   New Zen Tangle and Journal with me sessions on Sundays at 8:30am PT / 11:30am ET 🎧 Don’t Miss the Next Episode! Subscribe & follow so you never miss an episode of ADHD reWired!