271 - Edward Hallowell, Switch From Running on Square to Round Wheels

The Ultimate Entrepreneur

In this episode, Jay interviews Dr. Edward Hallowell, an American psychiatrist, speaker, author, and podcast host. He specializes in ADHD and is the founder of the Hallowell Centers. He is also the author of 20 books, including Driven to Distraction, and the host of the Distraction podcast.
Dr. Hallowell shares how to manage and harness the power of ADHD, or what he calls VAST, so you can preserve what makes you special while properly treating your “trait”. You’ll also learn what’s going on inside an ADHD/ADD brain and how to effectively maintain focus so you can live life and run your business with ease and certainty.
Listen in to discover the importance of creative outlets, finding your “right difficult,” and medication—and hear the success that Dr. Hallowell has seen with entrepreneurial patients when they make the switch from running on square to round wheels.
00:00 - 06:30 - Introducing Dr. Hallowell, his work, VAST, how to manage the “trait” to make it an asset versus a liability, and what Ed does to maximize the upside of the trait.
06:30 - 10:00 - What happens when you preserve your special sauce while properly treating ADHD, and why the treatment he offers is like getting glasses.
10:00 - 16:30 - The “Task-Positive Network,” the “Default-Mode Network,” and how to navigate the brain to refocus, “snap out of it,” and “find your right difficult.”
16:30 - 27:30 - Creative outlets, untreated VAST, medication, making your own personal decision about tools and medication, and the healing power of connection.
27:30 - 29:00 - On ADHD as a superpower, the successes that Dr. Hallowell has seen, and how people have become creative and dynamic with proper treatment.
29:00 - 32:00 - On life with round wheels versus square wheels, how to get in touch with Dr. Hallowell, and Jay’s endorsement.