My ADHD Journey as an Award-Winning Clinic Owner

By Kristin Rose, Peachy Skin Clinic, Mount Hawthorn, WA.

When I was diagnosed with ADHD, it was like someone had finally handed me the user manual to my manic brain! So many of the quirks and things that made me unique that I’d struggled with suddenly made sense. And I have to say, it was HUGE relief.

But what surprised me most was realising that my neurodivergence isn’t a weakness; in fact, it is my superpower and the reason I have been able to drive Peachy Skin Clinic to bigger heights than I ever imagined. This year alone I was so proud to win ABIA WA/NT Clinic of the Year 2024 and ABIA Dermal Therapist of the Year 2024 as well as exceed even my most ambitious 7 figure Total Sales goal.

When I won these awards, I had no words. I felt as though I looked ridiculous in front of all my peers because I was absolutely floored. This is such a common experience for those of us with ADHD and other mental health challenges like Imposter Syndrome. Overwhelming situations will make us completely over the top and we can appear more the class clown than the industry leaders that we truly are!

It was just another reminder for me to embrace my differences and unique strengths so that I can thrive, both personally and professionally. For those of you navigating your ADHD journey, I wanted to show you how these traits can be such powerful tools for your success, and also provide tips on managing a team that includes neuro-spicy individuals like me!

1. Endless Energy and Passion

One thing about ADHD is that when I’m excited about something, my energy is boundless. This works wonders in the clinic where every day is filled with new clients and when we are looking at trialling new equipment and techniques. I never run out of steam when it comes to learning, connecting with clients, or setting new goals and it gives me the enthusiasm to keep going when everyone else might feel drained.

When working with your ADHD employees, harness this energy by allowing them as much flexibility in their schedules and roles as possible. Provide them with lots of variety in their tasks to keep things fresh and engaging. If you help them stay focused and energised, you will get the best out of them.

2. Creativity and Outside-the-Box Thinking

Peachy is a creative hub, and ADHD is a huge creativity booster. My brain constantly jumps from one idea to another, giving me fresh inspiration for product offerings, salon decor, customer service and marketing. I’m always thinking about new ways to make the salon experience better for clients, and I don’t shy away from experimenting with very bold ideas- see @ theswearytherapist for a perfect example!

Encourage creativity in your ADHD team members by letting them contribute to design or branding concepts for your clinic. They will have unique ideas. Giving them ownership of smaller creative projects can make them feel more connected to your success in an authentic way.

3. Hyperfocus in the Flow

Look, I know I get easily distracted, but I can also “hyperfocus” like nobody’s business. When I’m deeply interested in a task, I can zero in and work on it for hours, completely losing track of time. This has been a game-changer for me in troubleshooting salon challenges and managing business logistics. When hyperfocus kicks in, I feel unstoppable, and I swear I could run the country quite easily.

For employees, try to help them identify the tasks they’re most passionate about and work them into their KPIs, as they’re likely to hyperfocus on these and you will get SO much more out of them. Providing quiet or focused work times where possible can also allow them to dive deep without interruptions.

4. Risk-Taking and Adaptability

Clinic ownership, like ADHD, means constantly adapting to new situations and risks. I’m never afraid to try something new or tackle a big or scary issue head-on, which has allowed me to grow my business beyond what I ever thought possible. My business coach has described us as a ‘unicorn’ because of the unbelievable numbers that we are achieving. My ADHD helps me pivot quickly when things don’t go as planned, whether it’s dealing with ex-employee issues, securing new staff or changing marketing strategies.

Employees with ADHD often love fast-paced or high-energy environments so encourage this for them. Allow them to take on roles that involve quick thinking or troubleshooting, as we tend to excel in high-stakes situations that make others crumble!

5. Empathy and Connection with Clients

So many of us are highly empathetic, picking up on clients’ emotions and making them feel more understood and valued than anyone else. At Peachy our key focus for 2024 was our energy and frequency as there is nothing more important than how you make people truly feel. Operating at an optimum frequency translates into some incredibly deep connections with my clients, who often feel more like friends or family than clients. This is so important to me as I created Peachy to feel like a warm hug and we are always focused on treating our clients like we would our beautiful grandmas. This intense connection though can also be quite draining so I make sure to have me time and focus on energy cleansing to ensure it doesn’t get too overwhelming.

Your ADHD employees will probably also have this natural talent for client interactions too, so encourage them to use their interpersonal skills in your client-facing roles where they can build trust and clients will love them. But be sure to always protect their energy and monitor their emotional output as well.

Tips for Managing ADHD:

I’ve learned some great strategies for creating a supportive environment for both myself and my employees. Here are a few approaches that I love:

• Provide clear goals and structure: Set expectations and deadlines, as our minds work better with clear, achievable goals. As part of this, delegate, delegate and delegate! Get the experts to help you if it doesn’t light you up, or it will never get done.

• Encourage open communication: Check in regularly and keep communication channels open for feedback. My team all know about my ADHD, and I am so open with them about how it affects me and how they can help me deal with the trickier aspects.

• Keep things fun: Monotony can be draining for anyone, but especially the neurodiverse, so be sure to give the team a mix of tasks to maintain engagement. At Peachy, we do lots of team bonding, get access to all the best and most exciting training and add in mental health focuses including breathwork and energy cleansing regularly.

• Find true motivation: Your staff might tell you that their motivation is doing a great job for their clients but let’s be honest, often that isn’t the number one driver and that’s OK. Find their true motivation whether it is more money, a designer handbag, a day off, regular yoga classes and leverage it to get the results you need.

• Recognise the need for downtime: When I’m in the flow I am unstoppable but when I crash, I crash hard. We need time to recharge and recalibrate and the more support you can give your team to do this, the more you can reap the benefits.

ADHD comes with challenges, but it’s also one of the greatest assets a business owner can have, and it is absolutely my superpower. It fuels my passion, creativity, and resilience—qualities that make running Peachy so fulfilling. Embracing it, rather than fighting it, has helped me become not only a successful business owner but also a mentor to others who are also dealing with it. So, if you have ADHD or work with someone who does, remember it might just be the secret ingredient for your success.

@peachyskinclinic