The point of managing your ADHD well is it's about living a better life, right? It's about adding more of the good stuff to your life, not merely dodging the bullets. The problem is when you're not managing your ADHD well, too much of your energy feels like it just goes out of the negative and up to zero. I'm hoping for getting people really to something bigger and better. Like what really lights you on fire? How do you really want to spend your time?
SPEAKER_03Hello everybody, and welcome to today's episode of the ADHD Skills Lab. Before we get started, if you're a business owner making over 100K in a service business and you know that your ADHD is stopping you from getting the results that you want, then it might be time to build an operational layer. We do it for you for your ADHD brain. We find people, install people, get operators set up. Just click the link down below to do a free business build out with me to see if you're fit and we'll get started. Today I am so excited to bring you the wonderful Ari Tuckman. Ari is a psychologist with an MBA. He is an international presenter, an author, an ADHD thought leader. He has given more than 850 presentations and podcast interviews and routinely earns excellent reviews for his ability to make complicated information understandable and useful. And I'm excited to get into that today. He is the author of five books, including his newest, the ADHD Productivity Manual. He's a popular expert and advocate. He's been widely quoted in national media such as the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, and the Boston Globe. And he's also been an expert advisor for Institute of Challenging Disorganization, understood.org, which you guys know sponsored this podcast. So shout out to them, Insight Timer, and Chad's media team. So welcome, Ari.
SPEAKER_01It is awesome to be here. I'm really looking forward to this.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, me too. Me too. So I want to know, first of all, I want you to take me back to your original job. So did you do a psychology before you did the MBA or was it the other way around?
SPEAKER_01I actually did them at the same time. So yeah, when I started my psychology program, we had they just offered this like dual degree option. So you basically just do, you know, both of them at the same time. And as someone who tends to say yes to things, I was like, that seems interesting. And I thought I wanted to do business consulting. And I did, I guess, a little bit my first year out, but but I don't know. I just I I like the variety, you know, doing kind of squishy psychology stuff all day and then adding a business class at night. It just it was kind of a fun mix, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Because I think that's reasonably unusual. Do you know a lot of people who decide to do that combination?
SPEAKER_01Not at all. It is definitely unusual. But I think it it speaks at that kind of nuts and bolts sort of like I liked sort of nuts and bolts problem solving, and you know, so so it it kind of worked for me. It was kind of a good fit. Um, and it served me well in terms of working with clients to be able to understand kind of the you know, when they're talking about work stuff, and you know, I just sort of made me understand that a little bit better.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, 100%. Well, we do you know ADHD and business combined on this podcast. So this is the perfect place to have done podcasts.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I know, I know. It works out.
SPEAKER_03Take me through then, you know, you are in clinical, you've, you know, you're running your own practice and you're working with, you know, you're doing the private practice. Tell me what were some of the reasons that you decided to turn this into presentations and and interviews and kind of take this out of that practice space.
SPEAKER_01Truthfully, when I was starting out as a psychologist, it was a way to kind of to get business, you know, because nobody knew who I was, because why would they? So it was sort of an opportunity to get in front of people, share something useful, hopefully. And, you know, maybe one or two people in the audience would say, huh, that guy seems to know the things that would be helpful for me. So let me call him. So I did a bunch of presenting to kind of build my practice, and and it's it works, you know. Like if you show up and you offer good ideas and resources, people tend to appreciate it. So, you know, so that was my presenting, it was my writing. But at this point, it's really, I don't know, I kind of see clinical work, presenting, and writing as like the three legs of the stool. And each one of them makes you better at the other two, you know, so like clinical work, having like really understanding what's going on with people and all the like nuances and complexities and dealing with like, you know, real life things that people struggle with. And then being able to sort of communicate that clearly and effectively in a useful way, whether it's spoken to an audience or written word. But also when you're writing and presenting, it really again forces you to clarify your thinking and really sort of hone in on what you're talking about, which then benefits you when you're working with clients. So, um, so the three of them I think very much, you know, support each other.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. No, I agree. You had your lead flow pipeline all set up and ready to go.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So yeah, and it's very much a kind of DIY, like, or another way of saying is cheap bastard. So, um, so it was, you know, it was my way to do it without like spending money on advertising, like money I didn't have, and just you know, it I think it just it serves a community and it also kind of served me at the same time.
SPEAKER_03That's so interesting. Can you take me through? So you're you're in the room, you're talking to people, you know, a lot of them had ADHD, most of them had ADHD.
SPEAKER_01Most of them, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Was that a choice that you made? Was that just who was coming through your door?
SPEAKER_01You know, when I started out in the late 90s, which is a bajillion years ago at this point, especially in the if you think about like the field of ADHD where we are now versus where we were then, you know, we're kind of doing a pretty good job at identifying and having services available for kids with ADHD, but adult ADHD, and this might be hard to believe today in 2026, but like it was really pretty neglected. It was sort of like in very much an underserved population. You know, we still had this idea that you sort of grew out of ADHD, or maybe it wasn't a problem because you didn't have math homework to do or something. Like, I don't know. It's hard for me to fathom exactly how that logic worked. But nonetheless, there are very few clinicians out there who really, you know, specialize in adult ADHD. So I kind of stumbled into it just kind of frankly, dumb luck. And it was just a really good fit for how I like to work and how I like to think. And, you know, then sort of in hindsight, I, you know, and as in connecting with like I connected with some of my high school friends, I don't know, like 10 years ago, and like two of them have ADHD, or told me they had ADHD. And I was like, wow, that completely explains a lot of things about our time together, you know, many moons ago. And I think about a friend of mine from grad school, and like seriously, I will bet everything I own that she has ADHD, didn't know it then. But like, so you know, you kind of gravitate towards certain people and situations, I think naturally, and it just like it all came together. And nobody else was doing the work. So, like, again, I could sort of do good for the community and also kind of do good for myself at the same time.
SPEAKER_03That's so interesting, you know, and we're gonna talk about struggles, but I want to ask you first, you mentioned the word gravitate. What do you think made you gravitate? Did you what did you like about just friends, people with ADHD?
SPEAKER_01I kind of like the energy, like the sort of zing, you know, like my friends with ADHD are all really kind of fun. So some of it is that. I just kind of like that that energy, if you know what I mean. And I think also I kind of like the the sort of like nuts and bolts problem solving of certain things, you know, like how do you keep track of what you need to do and how do you use your to-do list effectively? And, you know, so like some of the nuts and bolts sort of problem solving of it, and then also all the kind of deeper psychology, right? All the messy complexities of why we do what we do or don't do. So it just it it makes for kind of a good combination.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, I d I think so as well. I think obviously I'm gonna say that I have ADHD and my husband has ADHD, so we're just you know out here zinging together. But it there is an interesting, you know, situation where we know that ADHD is particularly it responds well to support in a way that other struct struggles that people could have don't necessarily. Would you say that's been your experience as well?
SPEAKER_01I I would, I absolutely would. So that ADHD is very much it, I don't know, I think double-edged sword is the wrong analogy, but you know, it's one of those things that on the one hand, it can really make your life harder, like it absolutely can in all the ways that we all know so well, right? You can look at the research or you can just look at your own lived experience. And also it does respond pretty well, like to treatment, to education, to understanding, to the right strategies. So it can really make a difference. I actually literally this morning I was evaluating someone diagnosed with ADHD, and we like had this conversation that part of what makes this work so fulfilling is that you really can make rather quickly kind of a tangible difference in people's lives, you know, and that I think is pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, 100%, 100%. So, you know, we've talked, you know, before the podcast, you don't have ADHD yourself. I'm just curious, you know, we know that there's this neurodiverse cloud, this neurodivergent cloud. Have you ever felt that although you might not have been diagnosed with anything or or you know, you don't know what, that you just feel like you might be a part of that cloud? I'm just curious.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I think, you know, obviously we all have certain things that we're really good at and other things that we're not and that we struggle with. And, you know, so I think like in that sense, we're all somewhere on something, you know what I mean? So so I think in that sense, yeah, I just sort of think of it as, you know, it's just about figuring out like, is this helpful to me? Like, does this help me understand myself? Does this help me understand what to do next? You know, and I think, and this is maybe a whole different direction, but you know, if we think about like everything that gets put under neurodiversity, it's a pretty darn big umbrella, right? It covers a whole lot of different situations. And while there are certainly some similarities, there are also some very big differences. But even if you look at like two people who both only have ADHD, there's still really big differences between those two people, potentially. So, you know, so I think it's that it's the stuff that sort of unites us, and it's also, and yet we're also still kind of unique and have our individual sort of strengths and struggles.
SPEAKER_03Definitely. So I'm curious. Uh I so I went to university for clinical psychology. I studied it, I went to postgrad, did neuroscience and psychology. So I've been through like quite a lot of psych and was originally going to be an academic. And I'm curious, you've taken a big shift into being this kind of thought leader, writing books, going through that process. What was that like? Like strategically, you know, obviously you did the MBA as well. Like, how did you navigate this path? What did you say yes to? What did you say no to to get to where you are today?
SPEAKER_01So mostly I tend to say yes. And generally that's pretty good, you know. But it's also sort of a thing of like, you know, putting yourself into different situations. And like, I don't know, I'll I kind of say like things lead to things, you know, like one situation leads to another, which leads to another. So you don't know where it's gonna go until it happens, you know. So, but I think having a willingness to say yes to things allows opportunities to sort of develop. So it's really just been that. Like I've tended to say, you know, yes, and it wasn't necessarily my plan, but like, you know, lo and behold. So, you know, as an example, I don't know, for like maybe 12 years, I don't know, I'd have to actually do the math. But something like that, I've been the co-chair of the big ADHD conference here in the States, and I didn't start out with a plan to become the co-chair, but you know, I started, and this is like a lot of volunteer stuff, right? They get you in on a little thing, and then like somehow you're like holding the whole thing.
SPEAKER_03We had the president of Chad on, and she was like, I mean, no one else wanted to do it.
SPEAKER_01Exactly the same situation. So what happened was, you know, I started just doing reviews. Like I was one of the many reviewers who would score the proposals, and then you know, they'd use that to decide what to accept. Then myself and another woman, you know, were asked to come down and meet, help with the co-chairs to select the sessions. So I was like, okay, I guess we're flying down to I don't know, wherever it was and staying in the hotel. That sounds exciting, sure. And then we do that, and then we're like at the very end, and they say, Okay, so you and Linda, the two of you guys, we're stepping down. You're gonna be the new co-chairs. I was like, wait, what? You know, which was completely not a thing I was expecting, and I felt completely unprepared to do it. So I was like, oh my God, how did this happen? Now, thankfully, they stuck around for a year and you know, we sort of shadowed them and we learned a lot of things kind of the hard way, but like we learned it, you know, and it has been a really great experience and it connects me with a lot of other people in the field. And so, like, you know, so it it worked out well, and it's still a lot of fun, so I'm gonna keep doing it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, it's that's really interesting. And I I wanted to get your perspective on this because often, you know, your bio says like thought leader, you know, ADHD thought leader. And I have clients who, you know, talk about I want to be a thought leader, and it's always like, how do you become a thought leader? That's a that's a complicated thing. You can't just like, you know, it doesn't just appear. So I want to know, like from you, like what do you think makes you somebody who has that title?
SPEAKER_01I think it's a combination of things. I think some of it is, well, it's the saying yes, right? I keep showing up all over the place. So I think some of it is that. But I think it's also like, frankly, having something to say, right? Having something to say that's a bit unique, that's sort of interesting, that's helpful, that offers something that not just like everybody else is saying. And, you know, that doesn't come by accident. You know, that comes by being sort of intentional about really kind of, you know, learning as much as I can or being open to other people's ideas of sort of spending time really thinking about like what does this mean and why is this and why is that. So, you know, all the time I spend doing clinical work. I think I did the math, I don't know, a year ago when I the new book came out. And, you know, I've done more than 40,000 client hours at this point. So, like, you know, you learn a few things in 40,000 hours, but also like listening to other people present and, you know, not only what do they say, but how do they say it? And really spending time, you know, on my presentations and spending the time to get it right after I've done it once, going back and like, how do I make this better? So my presentations sort of evolve as I continue to give them. You know, spending time kind of listening to my own presentations sometimes, right? Because like that's how you get better by being intentional about really understanding what's going on. Or, you know, like what am I saying? And like, oh, wait, I can say that better next time, or like, ooh, you know what? I think that's a pretty good line. I'm gonna use that again. So, like being intentional about sort of the craft of how I deliver the, you know, what I'm presenting on. So, um, so I think it's all of that, right? And it's really kind of like investing the time and the effort to to kind of be be good at what I'm doing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I love that. I love that. You know, it's funny when you say that, the impression that I get from our conversation is that you have quite an abundance mindset. There's a lot of saying yes, there's a lot of opportunity, there's a lot of like taking the time to make it good. And, you know, for a lot of people, I think when we're talking about things like thought leadership, there's almost a scarcity mindset where they're like, but what if I waste my time and it doesn't work out and da-da-da, that kind of thing. How do you stay in that more giving space?
SPEAKER_01So I think that that abundance mindset is exactly right. And I'm really glad that you said that because I really do believe in abundance on these things, right? And that I'm always sharing opportunities. So if someone's like, oh, who, you know, who's a good podcast guest, I'm like, let me tell you. Or if we need speakers, I'm like, oh, I know someone who's great. I saw them over here. Let me, let me pass them on to you. So, like, because there are enough opportunities, right? And as much as I suppose, you know, I guess in a way we're all competing for, you know, eyeballs and attention, I still think like good deeds come around and that we're very much in this together and we don't have to compete with each other. That's just not how I see the world. So, you know, so kind of lifting everybody up. And you know, and I think that that helps too in terms of, you know, I treat people well and I do favors, and in return, I have a bunch of awesome friends out there who treat me well and do favors, you know. So so I think like you just you don't get more than you give.
SPEAKER_03It's that relationship that not networking, but having a network of people that you can connect to other people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and being genuine about it, right? Like I suppose there's always some unspoken tit for tat or something, but but not but not letting that be first and foremost, you know, like that you do it because it's a good thing to do.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Well, you're a psychologist, you'll know. You know that that stuff is subconscious, you don't have to make it weird.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And and also if you come across as a BSer or a scammer, man, you're dead in the water, right? Like people hate that. People hate feeling like they're being, you know, manipulated or whatever. So, like, you know, yeah, you gotta be genuine or don't do it.
SPEAKER_03That's a really good point. You know, you have an excellent reputation. You've worked with a lot of great organizations, you've helped with a lot of great organizations. Like, what do you feel has helped you have that great reputation? And have you ever found, have you ever had a moment where you've like, I wouldn't say something has affected it, but you've sort of gone like, had I made that decision, maybe that wouldn't have been the case.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I think, you know, reputations are earned. And, you know, really being sort of, I don't know, intentional about how you show up in the world. And that's easy to say it is hard to do, you know, especially when we're stressed out and overwhelmed, and it's, you know, tempting to cut corners or not respond to something or not kind of hold hold up your end of the bargain, or to just, I don't know, you're having a crappy day and you just kind of like let it get the best of you. So it is hard, like it is, but but I think it's just that thing. Like you just keep showing up in in a good way, right? You deliver what you're supposed to deliver, you take it seriously. If you can't, you know, then you make it clear, you know, that you know, you apologize for it, you make the amends that you can. And I think like that's how you maintain a good reputation. You know, it not everyone's gonna, you know, love what you're doing, and that's okay too. But, you know, I think if mostly you feel pretty good about what you're putting out there, it's much easier to take the hits when someone isn't happy with what you're doing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's a really great point. In terms of your latest book, you wrote a book called The ADHD Productivity Manual. So, what made you feel like this book needed to be written?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, it's a good question. There's a lot of ADHD books out there. Do we need another one? So the book sort of came out of just like all these many, many, many conversations I've had with clients, like mostly with ADHD, but about just sort of like getting things done, how hard it is to get things done sometimes, all the different things that either can get in the way or alternatively need to be managed so they don't get in the way. And that, you know, it's really so the book was sort of all of the different things that somehow or other affect whether you're a bit more likely to get the thing done or a bit less likely to get it done. And it makes me crazy when I see these sort of simplistic things of like the top five hacks that are gonna supercharge your productivity. It's like, no, they won't, like they don't. Or when I see people saying like transformational or revolutionary, I'm like, no, it isn't. Like it is not. I it just it isn't. Like they're great marketing spin, but it's just not the truth, right? People are complicated and and life is hard and stuff is messy sometimes. So, you know, the overpromising makes me crazy because it hurts people, you know, like you don't need another thing to be disappointed because it didn't work. So so I wanted the book and all the presenting and everything I've done since then to really be the stuff that actually works, right? Like the the nitty gritties that make the difference, whether it's you know, boring things like how are you using your to-do list. All the way up to, I don't know, all the sort of tricks that our mind plays on us, or the ways that we get ourselves into trouble. Like, you know, by sort of talking ourselves into bad ideas of like, well, I'm tired now, I can just do a tomorrow, but like tomorrow's never not going to be any better. Or I don't have to get to bed yet, or this needs to be perfect if in order to be good enough, or I can't ask, you know, this person to give me some, you know, a bit of grace or a bit of clarification, right? All the all the things like as people we do and as a psychologist, I talk with my clients about, you know, like all of that stuff to really kind of set people up to be the best able to be successful at what they need to do, and also deciding what they're not gonna do, you know, because that's part of being productive too, is what you're gonna pass on.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, I think that's a really, really good point. Do you have a particular thing that people have said to you since the book came out? Like, man, that really helped. That's really stuck with you.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I think in general it depends on the person, but you know, one of the things that I really sort of like latched on to in writing the book, and since I again, since I've been presenting on productivity-related topics, it's sort of this idea of that the point of managing your ADHD well, the point of like, frankly, what any of us are doing, is is it's about living a better life, right? It's about adding more of the good stuff to your life, not merely kind of dodging the bullets, you know, not merely like, well, I didn't get into trouble, you know, because I didn't get into trouble is a pretty low bar. It is definitely not inspiring, you know. Like, I don't know, I made this joke earlier today, but like I'd never seen an inspirational poster with like a kitten hanging off a branch that said, don't get in trouble, right? Like that nobody's inspired by that, right? So, but the problem is when you're not managing your ADHD well or whatever your circumstances, too much of your energy feels like it just goes into getting to zero, right? Out of the negative and up to zero. I'm hoping for getting people really to something bigger and better. Like what really lights you on fire? How do you really want to spend your time? What are you not getting enough of in your life? And how can we get you more of it? Right. That's the good stuff that we want more of.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. And do you work with many um entrepreneurs? Because obviously, when you're working with business owners, they have the option to work with an EA, which is very different from other situations.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And I mean, I do have a bunch of business, you know, sort of entrepreneurs who own businesses, you know, small businesses, kind of owner operator stuff, all the way up to people who are, you know, much higher up in a bigger organization. And yeah, I mean, part of the advice I give to folks, if they're lucky enough to have people who work for them, if they're lucky enough to have an assistant, is you know, tell your assistant to have a backbone, right? Like, or if you're hiring, hire someone who's not just organized, but also like is going to tell you, like, stop doing that, you need to do this, or like, you need to get me this by the end of the day. You're not allowed to leave until it's done. Or whatever, right? Like, to be that external executive function, to be able to have some accountability or hold you to accountability so that you can, you know, focus on the parts of the business, the tasks that really are your strength and that you're best at without shooting yourself in the foot with just dropping the ball in those kind of like standard but oh so frustrating ADHD ways.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, 100%. And and this is why I was asking, because I definitely feel like, you know, I've worked with people who have the flexibility to have support and the people who don't. And I really feel sorry for people who don't, because it's it's really difficult. I would say having an an assistant like that is almost like the ADHD glasses. Like it just has such a big impact and it helps so much.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, it really can because it allows you to focus on the parts that you where you bring the most value and probably get the most joy as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and where you get the most value. Like you said, it's like it's not about just making it easy, it's about allowing you to do what you're good at more.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03Within boundaries, within within limits.
SPEAKER_01Right. Morally and ethically, yes.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Well, I just have a couple of questions that I like to ask everyone. So, what is a professional achievement that you are the most proud of?
SPEAKER_01I think it would be co-chairing the conference. And now, I'm lucky enough that we have an awesome team of people. There's a whole lot of people involved in making something like that happen. I've got, you know, one of my co-chairs, Tamara Razier, who's awesome and has been a co-chair for, I don't know, six years or something. And we have a new co-chair as of last year, Emily Rubin Persons, and she's great too. But but not just sort of the fact that we like somehow managed to pull this thing together, but at the conference, three-day conference, three keynotes. So the three of us get up there before and after the keynote. We do, you know, like all the announcements and like, hey, welcome to you know, Baltimore and whatever. But more to the point that we very intentionally sort of set the culture of the conference, right? That like we are here together, you watch out for each other, you know, be good to each other, like have those conversations, go talk to people, do not be intimidated, like that speaker or author or Instagram, like just go up and say hello. And that we're really sort of fostering like connection and opportunity, and I don't know, like bringing people up, you know, like the new people bringing them up and giving opportunities. And my hope is, without being too grandiose about it, but that that this very much goes beyond just this three-day gathering, but that it sort of leads to other things that happen over the course of the year, and that, you know, it it sort of like it's that culture of abundance that you talked about, you know. So, like we very intentionally kind of support that idea from the keynote stage and in everything else we do with the conference.
SPEAKER_03100%. I love that. And on the other side, do you have a professional embarrassment or failure that you've had and how have you dealt with it?
SPEAKER_01So, you know, the last book, the ADHD Productivity Manual, right? I've written four books before. I've been doing this for like more than 25 years. And so, you know, I wrote the book, I wrote the proposal, and I started sending it out to agents, and I was like, this is gonna be fine, like it's gonna be easy. I've got friends who got book deals, whatever. And nobody was interested in picking it up. And it was really kind of surprising to me that some of them either they're like, you know, ADHD book space is too crowded, or you know, something. Like they're just, I don't know, somehow they didn't get it. And I think in hindsight, I didn't I didn't really figure this out at the time, but like I was just not doing anything on social media. And I think that was part of it, right? That they looked at my social following and they're like, this guy's got like a thousand people on Instagram, but he never posts anything, right? And it just, and I think that was it, right? That and maybe it was even like an intern who was like looked me up and was like, How many socials? And then they're like, Well, he's out, you know. So, so that was definitely like an ego blow and kind of confusing. I was like, I don't understand this. So, what I decided then was I'm just gonna self-publish it. Like, I don't, you don't need a publisher at this point. And a friend of mine, again, right, having a good friend network, said, like, just look, just self-publish it. I've got this consultant who's great. She'll do all the back end stuff, she'll walk you through it, which is great because I don't want to learn how to self-publish because I don't know, it's like, how often am I going to use that skill? You know, and it's all gonna change in two years anyway. So, so it was great. Like, I hired her, she was awesome. I found someone to design the cover the book, and he was great to work with. And I just sort of like, you know, did it on my own. And it was a really, I don't know, it was kind of cool, and it gave me a bit more creative control over it, and it got the book out like way, way quicker than it would have if I'd gone through a traditional publisher.
SPEAKER_03100%. That's such a cool story. And I'm just curious because I feel like people hear this all the time. How many of like when you said a friend gave you this advice? Is this somebody in your in your life IRL? Is this somebody you know online? Like, are you how are you connecting with with all of these different people?
SPEAKER_01She, how did I get to know her? I think that was so she's a professional organizer, a woman named Ellen Fay. I think I presented for like a local organizer, local chapter of the organizers association, and that's how I met her. But then we just kept, you know, I kept seeing her at events and stuff. But it, you know, like we just kept interacting and, you know, traveling in some similar circles. There's definitely people I only know from online, but like part of what I think is so awesome about the conference is that we get to see people in person, right? And you get to like schmooze in the hallway and you go out, you know, for dinner afterwards, or you have drinks in the hotel lobby, and you know, every conversation gets interrupted because someone else walks in and you're like, oh, hey, good to see you. Right. So like I think that that's also part of what's important about the conference or just IRL events, is that you do get to have those random conversations that you don't if it's only online. So yeah, you just keep showing up to stuff.
SPEAKER_03I love that. I love that. Ari, if you had one quote that you had to pick for your life, what would it be?
SPEAKER_01I think it would be, and I said this earlier, but things lead to things, you know, that like, or as I also say, nothing happens from sitting at home. So, you know, put yourself out there, put yourself into situations and, you know, be good to the people around you, be curious, be interesting, be interested. And, you know, stuff happens, you know, like random moments. So, you know, I think about, I don't know, I can give a bajillion examples, but there's this guy, Eric Tivers, who is in the ADHE space, and I I don't, yeah, great guy, right? If I don't know how long I've known him, 15 years or something. And I remember we're at one of the ADHE conferences, there was a small group of us, and you know, we wander into the hotel bar, and Eric's just sitting there by himself at one of the tables. And one of the people I was with was like, Oh, wait a second, I think I met that guy. Let's go over and just let's go say hello, we can sit with him. And like, and that was it, right? Like, bam, now we're friends kind of thing. But like, if he'd been sitting in his room, right, I wouldn't have met him, at least not that year, you know? So, like, just that putting yourself into the situation is then what leads to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. I can give all sorts of stories about like I did a presentation here and someone saw me and was like, Oh, would you like to present there? I'm like, Yes, I would. So, you know, like I've I've gone to some pretty cool places as a result of, you know, doing one presentation which led to the next ones. So so yeah, I think it's just that, right? It's that willingness to show up. And I guess also know when to say when. So you don't have, you know, you can't chase everything, but you know, but still, right? Yeah, you'll get enough interesting opportunities if you keep putting yourself out.
SPEAKER_03I love that. What great advice. And thank you so much, Ari. Tell everybody where they can find you in your books.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So best place to find me is my website, drari tuckman.com. And I've got information about all this stuff I'm doing. I am on Instagram, and I actually hired someone, I'm gonna be honest, but she's so much better than anything I would have done. So that was like super smart of me to do that. And so at so my Instagram is at Ari Tuchman P S Y D. So that's a place to find me there.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the ADHD Skills Lab. If you liked it, leave us a five star review. It helps other people learn more about us. And thank you so much to our wonderful team for making us sound good, look good. We couldn't do it without you.