Rejection Sensitivity: An ADHD Entrepreneur's Guide to Thrive | Dr. William Dodson
Release Date: 06/10/2024
The Impulsive Thinker®
You didn’t get innovative because you were born with ADHD. You got there because you survived the friction. The world wants friction-free — but ADHD Entrepreneurs are forged through resistance, not by default. In This Episode: Friction: how real growth happens for ADHD Entrepreneurs Why life experience — not just brain wiring — shapes creativity When to quit, when to persist, and why resilience is earned What You’ll Take Away: ADHD does not guarantee problem-solving or creativity — life makes you build it Too much friction leads to burnout. Too little?...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
Disaster always hits before a breakthrough. If you’re rebuilding your business after chaos, you’re not alone. The Impulsive Thinker® explains why ADHD entrepreneurs never get a smooth path forward — and why that’s the real sign of progress. In This Episode: Why every big leap in business comes right after everything blows up How old habits come back — even when you know better Setting boundaries to keep your business built around you, not everyone else What You'll Take Away: Your worst business disaster is the price of actual progress, not a sign you failed ...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
You didn’t burn out. You got bored, and your brain did the rest. André Brisson, The Impulsive Thinker®, breaks down what actually happens when ADHD entrepreneurs walk away — or get forced out. It’s not about losing. It’s about refusing to do it on someone else’s terms. In This Episode: Why “putting yourself first” is non-negotiable for ADHD Entrepreneurs Setting boundaries and learning which clients and team members still respect you Regulating your batteries before your brain and business crash What You'll Take Away: Running your own company doesn’t mean...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
Anger isn't the problem. It's what happens when the world ignores it. The Impulsive Thinker® tears apart the lie that ADHD entrepreneurs have "anger issues" — and calls out why nobody ever asks why. In This Episode: Anger versus aggression — the difference nobody sees Why ignoring anger creates bigger messes for ADHD entrepreneurs How shame and gaslighting feed emotional blowups What You'll Take Away: Anger is a signal, not a character flaw — aggression is what happens when it's ignored Shame keeps ADHD entrepreneurs from even feeling anger "Anger problems" are...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
You’re not angry. You’re activated. And the world keeps confusing anger with aggression—at your expense. The Impulsive Thinker® and Patrick Murphy break down what no one tells ADHD Entrepreneurs about emotional fire. In This Episode: Anger vs. aggression—actual difference and why it matters Emotional regulation, “activation,” and dysregulation in ADHD Entrepreneurs Using anger as a boundary and value detector What You’ll Take Away: Suppressed anger is what turns into rage or sideways aggression—not the feeling itself “Activated” isn’t the same as...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
You don't just lose a business. You get erased from the thing you built, and nobody talks about that. The Impulsive Thinker® pulls the curtain back on what actually happens when an ADHD Entrepreneur walks away. In This Episode: Surviving vs. building as an ADHD Entrepreneur Why quitting feels like failure even when it’s not Who you're really proving yourself to (and why it matters) What You'll Take Away: Walking away hits harder when your company erases you Survival mode sacrifices go unnoticed by everyone — including you Staying too long often has nothing to do...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
You didn't burn out — your ADHD brain set your business on fire the second it got bored. Nobody talks about what it really costs to walk away from the company you built. The Impulsive Thinker® and Dr. Brandie Keates drag it into the light. In This Episode: Walking away from your own business as an ADHD Entrepreneur Boredom, burnout, and why success feels like a slow death The fallout when your brain blows things up just to feel again What You'll Take Away: Running your company on empty will cost you your health and your identity Your team thinks you’re quitting — you know...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
Stuck in “fight or flight” and don’t know why? Your triggers aren’t flaws — they’re old programs nobody asked about. The Impulsive Thinker® breaks the silence on trauma’s real business cost. In This Episode: Why past trauma, not ADHD, drives most Entrepreneur triggers How your nervous system sabotages you without warning Why asking “why” beats slapping on another label What You'll Take Away: Trauma gets missed — even after years of therapy ADHD isn’t the cause of constant fires and emotional resets Your labelled “issues” might be survival...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
You look successful. But inside, you’re scrambling to hold it together. Trauma isn’t just a history—it’s shaping how your ADHD Entrepreneur brain fires today. In This Episode: Complex trauma’s hidden impact on high-performing ADHD Entrepreneurs Nervous system reactions, meltdown triggers, and “masking” adulthood ADHD, trauma, and the myth of emotional dysregulation What You'll Take Away: Looking put together often means you’re suffering in private Emotional meltdowns aren’t ADHD — they’re your nervous system on overload Trauma is rarely one event...
info_outlineThe Impulsive Thinker®
You didn't burn out. You just finally called your own bluff. The diagnosis isn't the story — what you do after it is. In This Episode: Why the ADHD diagnosis is just a moment — the real story starts after Owning your triggers before things go nuclear in business and life Why awareness without action is useless for ADHD Entrepreneurs What You'll Take Away: Labeling yourself isn't progress — changing your actions is Spotting the small triggers stops the big explosions ADHD isn't your personality — it's wiring, not a headline No system or diagnosis fixes you unless...
info_outlineAndré, The Impulsive Thinker, sits down with Dr. William Dodson, a top psychiatrist specializing in adult ADHD, to dive deep into Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). Emotional dysregulation in ADHD is often overwhelming, especially in the U.S. where it's overlooked. Dr. Dodson breaks down what RSD is—a quick, intense emotional response to perceived rejection or failure. It feels unbearable but doesn't last as long as typical mood disorders.
🧠Check out the ADHD Simplified™ online course - coming soon! Join the waitlist for a special discount!
📃Download The Sh!t List™, my weekly planning tool.
👂🏼We want to hear from you! Send us your ideas, questions, or feedback Here.
📰Join the Impulsive Thoughts newsletter.
🔗Connect with me on LinkedIn.
💻Check out our website.
Guest:
Dr. Dodson is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who was one of the first practitioners to specialize in adults with ADHD 25 years ago. He is the recipient of the national Maxwell J. Schleifer Award for Distinguished Service to Persons with Disabilities in 2006. He was named a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2012 in recognition of his contributions to the field of adult ADHD.
He is part of a group doing initial research programs to validate the concept of RSD and its treatments. They are recruiting people who are willing to give 20 minutes of their time to participate in the study to determine whether RSD is a distinct syndrome and whether it is invariably associated with ADHD. If you are 18 years of age or older and have been formally diagnosed by a professional and are interested in participating in the study, contact Dr. Dodson directly for the initial screening at billdodson19@gmail.com.