Learn Who You Are and Do It On Purpose with Alex Campbell and Katie Friedman

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Aug 4, 2025

In a captivating discussion, Alex Campbell, an ICF-accredited ADHD coach and one of the UK's first diagnosed with ADHD, teams up with Katie Friedman, a TEDx speaker and fellow coach. They delve deep into how personalized coaching can empower individuals with ADHD beyond just goal-setting. The conversation touches on survival mode, internalized ableism, and the vital role of self-connection. They emphasize understanding one's strengths for better self-advocacy and the importance of community support in navigating the ADHD journey.

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INSIGHT

Survival Mode Fueled by "Shoulds"

"Shoulds" often drive ADHD behaviors through survival mode but lead to inefficient and burnout-causing motivation.
Recognizing this helps understand maladaptive coping and reduce self-blame.

ANECDOTE

Curiosity Misunderstood in School

Alex recalls being told his curiosity was disruptive in school.
This led him to dampen a natural strength until coaching helped reclaim it.

ADVICE

Learn Yourself through Details

Zoom into details of your experiences to identify when and why behaviors occur.
Use this understanding to empower yourself to change patterns and manage ADHD better.

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Hey team!

Today I'm talking with Katie Friedman and Alex Campbell, the brains and heart behind Gold Mind Academy, an ICF-accredited, ADHD-friendly training program, crafted to support ADHDers on their journey to success. And their new book, "ADHD… Now What?", aims to give you the tools you need to find a coach that is right for you and how to advocate for your needs. And honestly, I love this approach to the book because while there are a lot of ADHD coaches out there, it's important to find someone who is going to work best with you.

So who are these people?

Katie is a long time educator turned ICF-accredited ADHD coach and also a TEDx speaker.

Alex is also an ICF-accredited ADHD coach, but also a psychotherapist and one of the first children in the UK to be diagnosed with ADHD back in 1990.

In our conversation today, we explore what coaching really looks like beyond surface-level goal setting. Alex and Katie break down how understanding your strengths can lead to better self-advocacy and less burnout. We also talk about survival mode, how internalized ableism and societal "shoulds" trip us up, and why connection, with ourselves and with others, is essential for building sustainable strategies.

I had a great time with this conversation and it gave me a lot to think about, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Gold Mind Academy: https://goldmindacademy.com/

ADHD… Now What?: https://goldmindacademy.com/adhd-book

Katie Friedman Tedx: https://youtu.be/_G91NFmKpF8

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/235

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

1. Work on shifting from a deficit lens to a strengths lens. We want to understand not just what we're good at but what we need in place to express those strengths effectively.

2. It's important that we integrate identity first and strategy second. For real change to happen, we need to understand and accept who we are before trying to layer on productivity tools.

3. ADHD isn't easy to manage in isolation. With teamwork and support systems, we can drastically reduce burnout and overwhelm, so it's incredibly important that we work on building connection and community.