The Dylan Gemelli Podcast – Episode #76

Guest: Shanna Pearson
Topic: A MASTERCLASS on ADHD – Impact, Misdiagnosis, Recognizing Signs, Relationships, and More
Date: December 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Dylan Gemelli sits down with Shanna Pearson, founder and President of ADHD Coaching and instant USA Today bestselling author of the book "Invisible ADHD: Proven Mood and Life Management for Smart yet Scattered Women." Together, they deliver an insightful, practical, and human-centered "masterclass" on ADHD – tackling what it truly is, its impacts across all areas of life, common misdiagnoses, distinguishing ADHD from anxiety, recognizing telltale signs, and powerful strategies for management. Shanna draws from 26+ years of coaching experience and her personal journey with ADHD to bust myths, offer actionable advice, and advocate for broader understanding and compassion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shanna Pearson’s Background & Book Origins

• [03:39-07:31]
  • Shanna’s coaching work spans over 60,000 sessions per year, serving individuals and corporate leaders internationally.
  • Her book’s bestseller status was unplanned: "I never wanted to write a book... Macmillan Publishers came to me and asked. The point was to make our program’s tools affordable and accessible, since coaching isn’t for everyone." (Pearson, 07:15)
  • She aimed to "give away 100+ proven tools and techniques" instead of using the book as a promotional tool or glorified business card.

2. Motivation & Values in Coaching/Publishing

• [13:02-13:54]
  • Both Shanna and Dylan emphasize the importance of genuine motivation and vetting – both in hiring and guest selection.
  • "You can feel these people and whether they’re good or not..." (Pearson, 13:54)

3. Breaking Down ADHD: Beyond the Stereotypes

• [15:07-18:50]

  • ADHD in essence: "Your brain has a deficiency in dopamine, end of story. And you’re born that way... It’s the way your brain is wired." (Pearson, 15:12)
  • External factors (diet, sleep) can worsen symptoms but don’t cause ADHD.
  • Everyone with ADHD is "unconsciously seeking stimulus to increase dopamine" – leading to distractibility, rumination, and challenges being present.

• [18:51-19:43]

  • "We live inside an everything-all-at-once reality... every category of your life is happening at the exact same time in your brain." (Pearson, 18:51)
  • Difficulty compartmentalizing leads to struggles with organization, time management, and being present.

4. Consequences of Untreated ADHD and Prevalence

• [20:31-22:38]
  • Untreated ADHD can feel worse as life's failures accumulate. "If you keep stacking these up over time... by your 50s and 60s, people are literally saying they haven’t amounted to anything. It gets sadder and sadder." (Pearson, 21:31)
  • Negative coping habits become entrenched over time.

5. Role of Stress, Hormones, and Natural Approaches

• [23:02-28:41]
  • Hormones, especially estrogen in women, directly affect dopamine and ADHD symptoms.
  • No universal "natural supplement" for ADHD: "Moving your body is a positive way to create stimulus... you need wins, small wins, every day." (Pearson, 25:04)
  • Exercise and pursuing achievable, meaningful goals are key for positive stimulus.

6. Recognizing ADHD: Signs and Overlap with Anxiety

• [30:50-35:57]
  • Chief everyday sign: "The experience of overwhelm all the time... overwhelmed all the time should be the catchphrase for ADHD." (Pearson, 30:54)
  • ADHD often gets misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression, especially by general practitioners using symptom questionnaires that overlap greatly.

Notable Segment – The GAD-7 Example

• [38:27-40:31]

  • Shanna reads out the GAD-7 anxiety self-assessment, showing every question also fits ADHD symptoms.
  • "You will automatically get this and be diagnosed with anxiety if you have ADHD... the symptoms completely overlap." (Pearson, 39:40)

• Differentiator:

  • ADHD is lifelong and characterized by chronic overwhelm and trouble compartmentalizing, versus anxiety which usually has a situational or specific onset (Pearson, 39:58-41:26).

7. Impact on Self-Esteem, Relationships, and Communication

• [42:16-48:32]

  • People with ADHD often feel they’re on a "different frequency," misunderstood, and not present – especially damaging in relationships.
  • Listening is difficult; internal thoughts are "loud and demanding."
  • "There's a lifelong feeling of being misunderstood... you feel like even communications get missed a lot." (Pearson, 43:37)

• Dylan’s Admission:

  • He recognizes his own past frustration with inattention, realizing: “I’m actually feeling really sorry for the person that is struggling and how they may feel... and how I may have gotten pissy at someone in the past.” (Dylan, 48:28)

8. Coaching Approach & Practical Management

• [50:38-59:31]
  • Coaching is highly individual, "like having a personal trainer" with targeted, actionable plans for each client.
  • Focus on "wins," accountability (proof required), and real-time adjustment.
  • "A lot of these wins are things people have thought about for 20 years and never did... because they're in so much overwhelm, they didn't know how to start." (Pearson, 53:51)
  • Most clients begin to see results immediately and stay on average for 8-12 months.

9. Who the Book is For & Its Universal Value

• [61:55-63:41]
  • While the book is titled for women with ADHD, "the tools in this book are for everyone. There's no human that's not going to benefit from learning how to listen better, or to manage their focus and mood." (Pearson, 62:09)
  • Dylan: “Just because you don’t have a diagnosis doesn’t mean you don’t have a little bit of it.”
  • Both agree its lessons are life management skills for all.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the universal struggle:

  "ADHD is a deficiency in dopamine. The way to increase dopamine is through stimuli... That's why ADHD medication is a stimulant."
  — Shanna Pearson, [16:25]

• On misdiagnosis:

  "Every point on the GAD-7 is an ADHD symptom. You're going to get diagnosed with anxiety if you have ADHD and don't check out the ADHD diagnosis."
  — Shanna Pearson, [39:40]

• On what living with ADHD feels like:

  "We live inside an everything-all-at-once-right-now reality. Every category of your life is all happening at the exact same time in your brain."
  — Shanna Pearson, [18:51]

• On management:

  "The number one telltale sign for all humans who have ADHD is the experience of overwhelm all the time."
  — Shanna Pearson, [30:54]

• On the importance of compassion:

  "I feel almost bad right now thinking about a person that wants to hear and wants you to think they are, and they're struggling so bad."
  — Dylan Gemelli, [48:28]

• On the book’s universal value:

  "If these tools work for people who have ADHD, they'll actually work a lot more easily for people who don't have ADHD."
  — Shanna Pearson, [62:44]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 03:39 – Shanna’s intro and background
• 07:31 – Why she wrote the book and its purpose
• 15:07 – Simple explanation of what ADHD is
• 18:51 – The “everything all at once” brain reality with ADHD
• 21:31 – The cumulative downside of untreated ADHD across life
• 23:15 – The impact of hormones on ADHD symptoms
• 25:04 – Why supplements are unreliable; focus on movement and daily wins
• 30:50 – Key sign: “Overwhelm all the time”
• 35:57 – Misdiagnosis of ADHD as anxiety/depression (esp. for women)
• 38:27–40:31 – The GAD-7 questionnaire overlap with ADHD
• 42:16 – Relationship struggles and communication problems
• 48:28 – Dylan’s empathetic realization about people with ADHD
• 50:59 – Details of Shanna’s coaching methodology
• 53:51 – Achieving "wins" clients dreamed of for years
• 62:09–63:41 – The universal value of Shanna’s book and ADHD tools
• 64:37 – Where to follow/connect with Shanna

Where to Connect and Learn More

• ADHD Coaching: adhdcoaching.com
• Book: InvisibleADHD.com
  Also available on Amazon and major booksellers.
• Shanna’s advice: "If you end up reading it, I’d love to know what you think. Get what you get from this book and go prosper." (Pearson, 65:12)

Tone and Takeaways:
Both Dylan and Shanna approach the topic with candor, practical wisdom, and a focus on compassion. Shanna’s message is clear: ADHD is real, lifelong, and highly manageable if recognized and methodically addressed. Her work and book serve anyone seeking to overcome overwhelm, better understand themselves or others, and achieve tangible wins in life.