From "The Naughty Kid" to High-Performing Entrepreneur: My ADHD Journey

Here's how I went from "the naughty kid with ADHD" to a high-performing entrepreneur running two businesses.

Let me preface by saying this:

I haven't got it all figured out - no one has…

But I am in control of my ADHD, every day.

The Beginning: Severe Combined ADHD at Age 10

At age 10 I was diagnosed with severe combined ADHD.

I had no idea what this meant for me.

Throughout my early years I was told I was:

• "Wasting my potential"
• "A lost cause"
• "Unable to focus on the right stuff"

To most people who saw me, I was just "the naughty kid."

My attendance across 7+ schools was <30% because I was constantly getting kicked out.

School was incredibly draining for me until around the age 14 when I came across the ADHD subreddit.

The Turning Point: Discovering I Wasn't Alone

And it blew my brain out of my skull.

For the first time, I realized that my differences and what I thought made me unique… was all part of how my brain is wired differently.

And that there were millions of people across the globe that got me.

That moment sparked an obsession.

I dove DEEP into understanding my ADHD—not through the lens of what society says, but what it actually means for me.

Research on adult ADHD experiences shows that understanding your specific presentation of ADHD—not just accepting the label—is what transforms outcomes. Self-knowledge is the foundation for everything else.

8 Years of Obsessive Learning

Over the course of 8 years from then, I obsessively learned about how ADHD affects every facet of my life (and it does affect every single area!).

And it worked.

I went from the kid who did a single piece of homework throughout my entire secondary school experience to securing two A*s and an A at A-levels and going to University.

Let that sink in for a second.

The kid labeled "lost cause" with <30% school attendance didn't just pass. He excelled.

Not because ADHD disappeared. Not because I suddenly became neurotypical.

Because I learned how MY brain works and built systems around it.

What Actually Changed: Understanding vs Accepting

Here's what most people get wrong about ADHD transformation:

It's not about accepting you have ADHD and moving on. That's step one, not the destination.

It's about UNDERSTANDING your specific flavor of ADHD:

• How your working memory fails you (I forget things within seconds unless externalized immediately)
• When your executive function crashes (afternoons are brutal for me, mornings are golden)
• What triggers your emotional dysregulation (overwhelm from too many decisions, not having clear next steps)
• How your attention actually works (I can hyperfocus for hours on interesting things, can't sustain 5 minutes on boring ones)
• What environments drain vs energize you (chaos destroys me, structured systems save me)

This deep self-knowledge isn't navel-gazing. It's strategic intelligence.

Once you know EXACTLY how your ADHD brain operates, you can design your life around it instead of constantly fighting it.

Where I Am Now: On the Right Trajectory

Since graduating Uni, I can confidently say that I am on the right trajectory.

Thanks to all those years of learning and building the right systems around me that work alongside my ADHD brain, I am in control of my ADHD almost every day.

Which is a major success in itself.

I'm now running two businesses:

• Neuro Notion - Helping people with ADHD take control of their lives through systems built for ADHD brains
• A Marketing Agency - Working with clients to build effective digital strategies

Both require intense focus, organization, and consistency—things that supposedly people with ADHD can't do.

Except I can. Because I've built my life around systems that work FOR my ADHD brain, not against it.

The Systems That Changed Everything

People always ask me: "What changed? How did you go from expelled to entrepreneur?"

The answer isn't a miracle cure or some revolutionary productivity hack.

It's systems. Specifically, systems designed around how ADHD brains actually work:

• External memory systems - I don't rely on my working memory for anything. Everything is externalized immediately.
• Task initiation support - Breaking everything down into micro-steps so small my brain can't generate resistance
• Dopamine-friendly design - Quick wins, gamification, and reward systems that work with my brain's chemistry
• Time-awareness tools - Because time blindness is real and I need external help to understand how time is passing
• Decision minimization - Reducing cognitive load wherever possible so I have capacity for what matters

Understanding why every decision depletes you was one of the key insights that helped me build systems that actually work.

What You Need to Know About Taking Control

If you're struggling with ADHD and feeling like it's:

• Holding you back from what you want to achieve…
• Making you feel like you're constantly failing…
• Stopping you from living the life you know you're capable of…
• Controlling you rather than the other way round…

You've gotta do two things:

1. Learn

Get your hands on absolutely everything you can and become an expert of how your own brain works.

Not ADHD in general. YOUR ADHD specifically.

Read books. Watch videos. Join communities. Try strategies. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. Keep a running log of your patterns.

This isn't optional. This is the foundation everything else builds on.

2. Use Systems That Work Alongside Your Brain

Once you understand how your brain works, build or adopt systems designed for that brain.

Not neurotypical systems that you have to force yourself into.

ADHD-specific systems that compensate for your challenges and leverage your strengths.

For me, that means:

• Externalizing ALL working memory (nothing stays in my head)
• Building routines that autopilot executive function
• Creating environments that remove decision fatigue
• Using tools that capture thoughts instantly
• Scheduling based on energy types, not arbitrary time blocks

These systems work FOR my ADHD, not against it.

Your Past Identity Does NOT Define Your Future

Ultimately, the message I want to leave you with is that your past identity does not define your future one.

All those negative attributes you hold as your identity - you can rewrite them.

I was "the naughty kid." "The lost cause." "Wasting my potential."

Every teacher, every school, every report card reinforced those labels.

I could have accepted those identities. Lived into them. Let them define my entire life.

Instead, I learned about my brain. Built systems. Rewrote the story.

Now I'm the person helping thousands of others do the same.

If I can go from <30% school attendance and constant expulsions to running two businesses and helping others thrive with ADHD, you can rewrite your story too.

Your current identity is just a story you keep telling yourself. You can write a different one.

I Want to Hear Your Story

Would love to hear your stories!

Where are you in your ADHD journey? What's working? What's not?

What negative identities are you holding that need rewriting?

Share your story. You're not alone in this. Millions of us are on the same path.

And remember: it doesn't matter where you started. It matters where you're going.

You have the power to understand your brain, build systems that work, and rewrite every story you've been told about who you are and what you're capable of.

Get started today. Learn about YOUR ADHD. Build systems for YOUR brain. Rewrite YOUR story.

The trajectory you're on can change right now. You just have to decide to change it.

By Josh Budd | Founder @ Neuro Notion