When Your Struggle Becomes Your Assignment | S1 E6

When Your Struggle Becomes Your Assignment | S1 E6

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/fan_mail/new] From ADHD to NeuroFloe. When Your Struggle Becomes Your Assignment | Featuring Shawana Gatlin What if your biggest struggle became the very thing God used to help thousands of other people? In this episode of Distracted, Not Disqualified, I sit down with entrepreneur, author, and NeuroFloe founder Shawana Gatlin for an honest conversation about living with ADHD, receiving a diagnosis in adulthood, and building a solution from the challenges she experienced firsthand. After years of navigating executive dysfunction, overwhelm, impulsive spending, overstimulation, and the invisible weight that often comes with ADHD, Shawana decided to create NeuroFloe, an all-in-one app designed specifically for women with ADHD. More than just another productivity app, NeuroFloe combines practical tools, coaching, community, faith, and accountability into one supportive space for women who are tired of feeling like they have to figure everything out alone. In this episode, we talk about: Receiving an ADHD diagnosis in her 40s * Why ADHD is often misunderstood as laziness or a lack of discipline * Hyperfocus, executive dysfunction, and succeeding in corporate America * The hidden mental load of high-achieving women with ADHD * Building NeuroFloe from the ground up with a developer in Nigeria * How faith shaped every step of the journey * Why your struggle may actually be your assignment This conversation is honest, funny, encouraging, and deeply practical. Whether you've been diagnosed with ADHD, love someone who has, or simply feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with life, you'll leave reminded that your challenges do not define your potential. Your brain isn't broken. Your purpose isn't diminished. And you are not disqualified. Resources Mentioned * Join the NeuroFloe waitlist [https://neurofloe-yqsvh5.subscribepage.io/] * Bella's Sticky Situation by Shawana Gatlin [https://a.co/d/014a2jBo] If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs the reminder that their diagnosis does not determine their destiny. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/support] Cutting Up With The Crawfords  * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuttingUpWithTheCrawfords * IG: https://www.instagram.com/cuttingupwiththecrawfords/?hl=en Distracted, Not Disqualified * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DistractedNotDisqualified * IG: https://www.instagram.com/distractednotdisqualified/?hl=en Podcast Website: https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com [https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com] Podcast Email: crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com [crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com] Riverside Link: https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford [https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford]

Hiding In Plain Sight. Loán Lake's Story of Trichotillomania | S1 E5

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/fan_mail/new] Hiding in Plain Sight | Loán Lake's Story of Trichotillomania, Shame & Self-Acceptance For more than 30 years, Loán Lake has lived with Trichotillomania, a body-focused repetitive behavior disorder that causes compulsive hair pulling. Most people never knew. As a communications strategist, public relations professional, and community leader, Loán spent decades managing a successful public-facing career while privately carrying a struggle that few people understood. In this episode, she shares her story publicly for the first time since 2009. Together, we discuss Trichotillomania, hidden struggles, anxiety, shame, self-image, faith, and the exhausting reality of looking "fine" while carrying something difficult behind the scenes. Whether you live with Trichotillomania, ADHD, another invisible challenge, or love someone who does, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone and that healing often begins when we stop hiding. Key Topics: • What Trichotillomania really is • Living with a hidden struggle • The connection between stress, anxiety, and coping behaviors • Self-acceptance and healing • Faith, identity, and vulnerability • Why awareness reduces shame Scripture Featured: "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature... For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'" — 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV) #DistractedNotDisqualified #Trichotillomania #MentalHealthAwareness #ADHD #FaithAndMentalHealth #ChristianPodcast #BodyFocusedRepetitiveBehaviors #MentalHealthMatters #LoánLake #HiddenStruggles Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/support] Cutting Up With The Crawfords  * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuttingUpWithTheCrawfords * IG: https://www.instagram.com/cuttingupwiththecrawfords/?hl=en Distracted, Not Disqualified * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DistractedNotDisqualified * IG: https://www.instagram.com/distractednotdisqualified/?hl=en Podcast Website: https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com [https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com] Podcast Email: crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com [crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com] Riverside Link: https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford [https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford]

We Didn’t Know It Was ADHD | The Grief of a Late Diagnosis | S1E3

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/fan_mail/new] What happens when you finally learn you have ADHD… and instead of just relief, you feel grief? In this episode of Distracted, Not Disqualified, I sit down with Latrice Prater, neurodivergent CEO, author, and founder of The Digital Solutions Team, to talk about late ADHD diagnosis, growing up Black where mental health wasn’t centered, and the complicated emotions that come when clarity finally arrives. This isn’t a fixing episode. It’s a naming episode. Psalm 34:18 (ESV) “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Latrice Prater: Click here to purchase Latrice's book: https://a.co/d/0h5Rywzq IG: https://www.instagram.com/thevirtualpro/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latrice-prater/ Website: https://thedstagency.com/ PS-I record my podcasts on Riverside because I care about quality. Clean audio. Separate tracks. No tech drama. If you’re starting a podcast or recording virtual interviews, this is the platform I trust. This is my affiliate link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/support] Cutting Up With The Crawfords  * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuttingUpWithTheCrawfords * IG: https://www.instagram.com/cuttingupwiththecrawfords/?hl=en Distracted, Not Disqualified * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DistractedNotDisqualified * IG: https://www.instagram.com/distractednotdisqualified/?hl=en Podcast Website: https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com [https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com] Podcast Email: crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com [crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com] Riverside Link: https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford [https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford]

Why Clear Communication Matters | S1 E2

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/fan_mail/new] Why Clear Communication Matters (When Common Sense Isn’t Common) We say “it’s just common sense” like everyone received the same instructions. They didn’t. In this episode of Distracted, Not Disqualified, I sit down with Tawana Wiggins to talk about ADHD brains, executive function, and why unclear communication creates unnecessary frustration in parenting, leadership, education, and the workplace. This conversation is about ADHD processing, not excuses. It’s about why assumptions fail, how vague instructions increase anxiety, and what intentional communication actually looks like in real life. We introduce the WIN framework: • What I Need • What’s Important Now This episode is for leaders, parents, educators, and professionals who want better outcomes without burnout or shame. James 1:19 (ESV) - “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Colossians 4:6 (ESV) - “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Topics Covered • Why “common sense” isn’t common • ADHD and executive function. Processing vs responsibility • How vague instructions increase anxiety • The WIN framework for clear communication • Parenting ADHD brains without lowering expectations • ADHD burnout in the workplace • Why clarity reduces shame and builds trust If this episode resonated, share it with someone who leads, parents, or works with people who think differently. Clarity is love in action. Especially for ADHD brains. Connect With Tawana Wiggins LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/tawanawiggins Website: bit.ly/tlcollaborative Executive Function at Work: It’s Not Disrespect: https://www.linkedin.com/events/executivefunctionatwork-it-snot7404589511877480448/ If You’re Asking, Are You Supporting?: https://www.linkedin.com/events/ifyou-reasking-areyousupporting7416596300973932545/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/support] Cutting Up With The Crawfords  * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuttingUpWithTheCrawfords * IG: https://www.instagram.com/cuttingupwiththecrawfords/?hl=en Distracted, Not Disqualified * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DistractedNotDisqualified * IG: https://www.instagram.com/distractednotdisqualified/?hl=en Podcast Website: https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com [https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com] Podcast Email: crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com [crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com] Riverside Link: https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford [https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford]

Successful on Paper. Struggling in Real Life. | S1E4

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/fan_mail/new] You can be exceptional in some areas. Strategic. Bold. Visionary. And still struggle with basic follow-through, admin, or the everyday things that “should” be easy. In this episode of Distracted, Not Disqualified, I sit down with Alice Draper, Founder of Hustling Writers and host of My Rejection Story, to talk about the tension of being successful on paper but struggling in real life. We unpack high achievement, hidden deficits, the fraud voice, rejection, and the emotional weight of being brilliant in one space and inconsistent in another. We also talk about ADHD, systems, shame, and what shifts when you stop trying to be good at everything. If you’ve ever thought, “If people saw the full picture, they’d question me,” this conversation is for you. You can be brilliant and limited. Strong and still struggling. Gifted and still human. You are not disqualified. Alice Draper: IG: https://www.instagram.com/hustlingwriters/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-m-draper/ Website: https://hustlingwriters.com/ Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCWN9L6KslZHH2ixLNkM25vQ  PS-I record my podcasts on Riverside because I care about quality. Clean audio. Separate tracks. No tech drama. If you’re starting a podcast or recording virtual interviews, this is the platform I trust. This is my affiliate link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224050/support] Cutting Up With The Crawfords  * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuttingUpWithTheCrawfords * IG: https://www.instagram.com/cuttingupwiththecrawfords/?hl=en Distracted, Not Disqualified * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DistractedNotDisqualified * IG: https://www.instagram.com/distractednotdisqualified/?hl=en Podcast Website: https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com [https://crawfordmedia.buzzsprout.com] Podcast Email: crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com [crawfordpodcastmedia@gmail.com] Riverside Link: https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford [https://riverside.sjv.io/DariCrawford]