ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Today Jessica talks to Crystal Chittick—writer, founder, and unfiltered life guide—about what it really means to live, work, and build a life with ADHD when your brain doesn’t follow conventional rules.
Crystal shares her late discovery of ADHD alongside becoming a mother—and how that collision forced her to re-evaluate everything: how she learns, how she works, and how she defines success.
This conversation goes straight at the frustration so many women feel when the advice is “just get started”… and their brain simply won’t cooperate.
Inside this episode:
- Why “just start” is one of the least helpful pieces of ADHD advice
- What executive dysfunction actually feels like from the inside
- Growing up labeled “smart but distracted”—and how that shapes identity
- The hidden cost of being forced into rigid systems that don’t fit your brain
- Creative learning strategies that actually work (and why they’re often penalized)
- How to structure your day around one core focus instead of overwhelming to-do lists
- ADHD and relationships: explaining yourself without over-explaining
- The power of relationship check-ins and shared accountability
- Redefining success as feeling alive instead of chasing external metrics
- Letting go of perfectionism and learning to work with your brain—not against it
This one is deeply validating if you’ve ever felt like you’re capable of more—but stuck in patterns you can’t “logic” your way out of.
You can reach out and learn more about Crystal at her Substack or LinkedIn.
Your Lab Kit:
- Replace a to-do list with one win.
- Build a trigger chain.
- Say less, but stay connected.
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The ADHD Alchemy Podcast is where bright, sensitive women finally stop masking and start thriving—with clarity, confidence, and shameless potential.
We’re sharing real stories that help us turn friction into flow, liability into leverage, and resistance into rhythm. If your brain feels like a thousand tabs are open and five radio stations are playing at once, you’re in the right place!
I’m Jessica Covington and I’ve always had a slightly different way of doing things, including ADHD. In my work, we leverage the body-mind connection to harness the beautiful potential you’ve always known is there but haven’t been able to use. My guests and I are here to help you quiet the shame, trust yourself again, and create a life that feels calm, focused, and fully yours.
These are the stories of women like us: the ones who think differently; who’ve tried every damn system, planner, and app but nothing sticks; who’ve spent years and all their energy trying to seem "normal"; and who are finally ready to see ADHD without shame, guilt, or apology.
Stick with us here to remember you are NOT a failure, you’re not alone in the chaos, and you are certainly not deficient or disordered.
Apply to be a guest and share your own story here.
Join the conversation – it’s in our own little space away from algorithms, and it’s free!
Co-work with us in Focus Labs – Tuesdays at 1pm eastern. Free and open to any Fancy Brain (but we need your registration to attend).
Grab your copy of “Distracted to Done”
Help yourself to the “Move Your Body - Move Your Mind Map”
Learn more about ADHD Alchemy Coaching (private and group pathways are open now)
On the socials (sporadically!):
Music credit goes to my son, TAZZFANTO, who composed and produced this song just for us.
This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes; always check with your healthcare provider before making changes to diet, exercise and mental health care. This episode may contain affiliate links and mentions; we are grateful for your support.
