Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here.
May 13, 2026
You worked harder than everyone around you and still felt like you were falling behind. This episode unpacks why the workplace was never built for your ADHD brain.
Meghan French Dunbar, author of This Isn’t Working, is an entrepreneur, former business journalist, CEO, speaker, and workplace consultant. After years of building and selling a company, going to grad school, launching a media career, and burning out more than once, Meghan was diagnosed with ADHD only four years ago.
That diagnosis reframed everything. Instead of forcing herself into traditional work models, Meghan started building systems around how her brain works best, from stronger boundaries and values-based decisions to AI support, intentional work hours, and a new definition of success.
In this episode, Tracy and Meghan talk about late ADHD diagnosis, ADHD workplace burnout, entrepreneurship, guilt, toxic management, and why so many high-achieving women leave jobs before anyone connects the dots with ADHD.
If achievement has always been your scorecard, this conversation offers a better one: purpose, passion, quality of life, and work your brain is able to sustain.
“Writing my book was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my entire life. Every day, I woke up so excited to get back up and write.”
- Meghan French Dunbar
“I never would have launched that magazine if I wasn’t neurodivergent. It seemed totally logical to me that I would just make it work.”
- Meghan French Dunbar
“That ability to have no experience, just jump, and somehow figure it out is such an ADHD thing.”
-- Meghan French Dunbar
"The happiest leaders I met thought about success completely differently. It wasn’t title, money, influence, or power. Their definition of success was built around purpose, passion, and quality of life."
-- Meghan French Dunbar
"Your manager has a huge impact on how you see yourself and how you feel when you come home."
- Meghan French Dunbar
"Having an intentional life vision and clear values gives me guardrails for what I say yes to and what I say no to."
-Meghan French Dunbar
- Meghan shares being diagnosed in 2022 after years of burnout, overwhelm, and panic attacks
- Strict upbringing and high achievement masked ADHD symptoms throughout childhood and school
- Losing sports after a knee injury removed key regulation systems and contributed to struggles in college
[24:44 – 44:37] Redefining Success and Building Healthier Workplaces
- Meghan explains how writing her book helped her rethink leadership, burnout, and fulfillment
- Women leaders she interviewed prioritized purpose, passion, quality of life, and strong boundaries
- Discussion on toxic workplace culture, disengagement, and why modern work systems are failing people
[44:37 – 01:06:56] ADHD, Rejection, and Using AI as Support
- Meghan reflects on rejection sensitivity, exclusion experiences, and people-pleasing patterns growing up
- AI tools help organize ideas, reduce overwhelm, and create structure around her creativity and content
- Emphasizes intentional living, values-based decision making, and seeking professional support after diagnosis
ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.
That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here
- Website: meghanfrenchdunbar.com
- Instagram: @meghanfrenchdunbar
- LinkedIn: @meghanfrenchdunbar
- TEDx talk: Why success isn't making you happy & how to fix it | Meghan French Dunbar | TEDxSan Diego Studio
