She Was Undiagnosed for Years—Now She’s Making a Documentary

For documentarian Jessi Sorensen, ADHD wasn’t even on her radar until adulthood. Like so many others, she spent years misdiagnosed and struggling without answers. Now, she’s turning her personal journey into Anything But ADHD, a documentary that sheds light on late ADHD diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and the fight for recognition.

🚨 If you’ve ever wondered why ADHD diagnoses take so long—or why so many adults are overlooked—this episode is for you.

🔎 In This Episode, We Cover:
✅ How Jessi finally realized she had ADHD—and why it took so long
✅ Why ADHD is often mistaken for anxiety or depression
✅ What inspired Anything But ADHD and how it’s coming to life
✅ The emotional journey of diagnosis: grief, relief, and self-acceptance
✅ The challenges of making an ADHD documentary in a world that misunderstands neurodivergence

🎥 Watch Next:
👉 Focus Forward Podcast: Self Advocacy with Hanna Choi → https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=6s2jbc7q2e
👉 Invisible Disabilities & ADHD with Dr. Jessica Hicksted → https://youtu.be/JKsbmhpkGe0
👉 Bonus Clip: ADHD Comorbidities with Jessi Sorensen → https://youtu.be/2W9SbHVOg0k

💬 Have you experienced a late ADHD diagnosis? Tell us your story in the comments!

🚀 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more ADHD insights!

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🎙 Meet Your Hosts:
Melissa Llewellyn Snider
Melissa is an ADHD coach and the Executive Producer of Hypercast. She offers 1-to-1 coaching and corporate education. Learn more about her work at https://likemindcoaching.com.

Brianna Morton
Brianna is an ADHD coach and therapist intern. She’s passionate about helping individuals navigate ADHD challenges. Find out more at https://understandingadhd.ca.

🎬 Special Guest: Jessi Sorensen
📌 Director & Producer of Anything But ADHD (Wyman Media)
📌 Website: https://anythingbutadhd.com
📌 Instagram: @anythingbutadhd

📚 Key Figures in Anything But ADHD
🔹 Katie – @katie.adhd
🔹 Trina (My Lady ADHD) – @myladyadhd

📚 Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
🔹 https://www.neurodiversion.org


⚡ Additional Info 
🎙 Listen to Hypercast on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://hypercastpod.buzzsprout.com/

Melissa's Contact:
Email: melissa@likemindcoaching.com
www.likemindcoaching.com

Brianna's Contact:
Email: info@understandingadhd.ca
www.understandingADHD.ca

Follow Us On Instagram

Transcript

[00:00:00] 

I'm not depressed. I love life. I'm just not good at it.

I feel like everybody else

got the instructions or a cheat sheet and I'm just out here winging it. Hoping for the best. I knew that like the first time I tell anybody that I have ADHD, the first thing you're going to say is like, no, you don't, you're fine. And so I thought, well, I'll just make video. I wanted to make this as just kind of to help frame for more people, like what this really looks like for women, for some adults, for people who aren't the stereotypical type of ADHD.

The average therapist, unless they're an expert in neurodivergence or ADHD specifically, they don't know a lot of these things. And if I don't know these things, I'm not seeking out a therapist that's a specialist in ADHD, and I'm treating my anxiety again.

[00:00:56] Melissa: 

[00:00:57] Melissa: Welcome to Hypercast. Welcome to [00:01:00] Hypercast. 

[00:01:00] Brianna: today we're going to be talking about a recent documentary that's being worked on, that's about ADHD. 

[00:01:06] Brianna:  Jesse Sorensen, our guest today, is doing this documentary about ADHD and women and late diagnosis and just sharing people's real stories and real voices 

[00:01:14] Jessi: Thank you guys. really excited to be here.

[00:01:15] Jessi: Finally 

[00:01:16] Melissa: Well, welcome, Jesse. Um, Really, we wanted to know about what your inspiration was and why you decided to actually make this documentary. 

[00:01:22] Jessi: I have a background in reality TV, HDTV home renovation type where we teach people 

[00:01:27] Jessi: I've worked on mental health initiatives, COVID vaccine initiatives, 

[00:01:30] Jessi: I had no idea this whole time that I had ADHD and it wasn't until COVID when, lockdowns happened and I was kind of in a new job 

[00:01:42] Melissa: and all my systems completely broke down that summer.

[00:01:46] Jessi: There was a wildfire and smoke in the air. It was just like

[00:01:48] Melissa: Oh my gosh. Hug. 

[00:01:51] Jessi: I went to my therapist and was like, I have to address these anxiety issues.

[00:01:56] Jessi: I'm like completely spiraling.what is [00:02:00] happening. um, we started exploring that and I saw a coworker during this time, likesharing a lot of memes about ADHD I had no idea beyond the stereotype at that point, you know, little boys running around the classroom, flipping desks, having trouble reading, that was my impression. And I studied psychology, I have a degree in psychology with like a neuroscience focus.

[00:02:21] Jessi: And that was still my understanding of it. So he starts sharing these memes and stuff on social media. And I was just like, these are all me. Oh my God, these are so relatable. I'm searching about ADHD, the algorithm recommends how to McCabe's videos, again, relatable. Now I'm starting to click.

[00:02:39] Jessi: So it wasn't until I started seeing a lot of these things and people's personal experiences with it and kind of translated through the lens of here's me, I'm showing myself on social media. We're getting vulnerable. It's COVID your mess. and then it all clicked and it was kind of the thing that, you know, I think many of us late diagnosed women [00:03:00] experiences. My life kind of fell into perspective and I figured out why I've been having all these challenges and what I can fix and what I can't and the community has been huge for me.and I wanted to use my skills to make this. I'm not a social media person. I'm about making videos and teaching people, like, how to do things, how to understand complicated subjects, how to share people's personal experiences. And I wanted to get out of a creative rut, and I've been doing a lot of work on myself, this was just a way for me to help share that message in an understandable way, and maybe reach an audience. Outside of social media and also give them a little bit of credit for all the work that they're doing.

[00:03:35] Jessi: And you're doing to get this in front of people. 

[00:03:37] Brianna: absolutely. That is a story I've heard so

[00:03:39] Melissa: lot.

[00:03:40] Jessi: Yeah.

[00:03:41] Brianna: when COVID hit, everyone's structures fell apart, and that's when so many women started realizing that they had just been coping their entire lives.

[00:03:51] Melissa: And the fact that you're talking about, having a degree in psychology, however, not making those connections because you can read a textbook definition of what [00:04:00] ADHD is, but you connected through stories, through human connection. And that's how you realized that, oh, this is what it looks like in the real world.

[00:04:08] Jessi: and I think the perspective of women to it, like, it's different and I think I would like to say we're only starting to realize it. But 10 or 15 years ago. They started kind of noticing this difference, but it's taking a long time to get to the people who are the first line contacts, like the primary care provider, the average therapist, unless they're an expert in neurodivergence or ADHD specifically. They don't know a lot of these things. And if I don't know these things, I'm not seeking out a therapist. That's a specialist in ADHD and I'm treating my anxiety again. 

[00:04:39] Melissa: I wanted to make this as just kind of to help frame for more people, like what this really looks like for women, for some adults, for people who aren't ADHD.

[00:04:49] Melissa: And I don't think you're wrong. I mean, doctors, therapists, when they're in school, there's maybe what, part of a semester of education they get on ADHD.Brianna knows more about this than I do.

[00:04:59] Brianna: [00:05:00] can validate that I was the only source of learning for, in terms of ADHD in my entire master's degree. both of my master's degrees, there was not a unit on ADHD.

[00:05:09] Jessi: Yeah.

[00:05:09] Brianna: the DSM briefly and we covered, autism like ASD and skipped ADHD entirely. And I was like, Oh no, we're not having that. 

[00:05:17] Jessi: yeah, I think it was like a paragraph. In my one on one textbook and it was just like trouble paying attention and that leaves out

[00:05:24] Jessi: the hyper focus that leaves out the emotional dysregulation the time blindness and it's just

[00:05:29] Melissa: All those things that are hallmarks of ADHD. 

[00:05:32] Brianna: Literally all of the executive dysfunction, like decision making, time paralysis, like all of that isn't covered in the DSM. It's never mentioned unless you go online and it's all of these videos of people talking about how they're struggling with this and it is related to their ADHD and then you go to a doctor with that and they're like, oh that's not what the textbook said and I don't actually know enough about it so here's some like depression meds or some anxiety meds.

[00:05:53] Jessi: Exactly. 

Hey, just a quick heads up. Brianna and I were recently interviewed on the Focus Forward [00:06:00] podcast with Hannah Choi. We discussed self advocacy. Click the link below to check out the episode. 

[00:06:06] Melissa: going from your journey to starting the documentary. where did the inspiration for actually starting the documentary come from?

[00:06:13] Jessi: I'm looking at things on social media. I'm starting to connect with the community. and around this time, Katie, who's

[00:06:21] Melissa: Katie.

[00:06:22] Jessi: Yeah. we just connecting and chatting I'm firing off stuff And I don't expect people with huge followings to respond.

[00:06:30] Jessi: but Katie did, and we started chatting a little bit. And the same time, I'm kind of learning about ADHD and myself and looking at my career. that was honestly built on masking and built on, no, I can do all the things all the time.

[00:06:43] Jessi: I'm an A+ student. Great. Got it. And then I go home and panic attack and a migraine, 

[00:06:46] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:06:47] Jessi: and I'm still working on this, like what sustainable for me? What do I really want to do? But I think kind of post diagnosis and learning more, I had a little bit of a career crisis of like, I am not doing what I want to [00:07:00] be doing.

[00:07:00] Jessi: I'm not doing works for my brain. I'm going to try something else. And I joined a documentary film group. 

[00:07:08] Jessi: this documentary group and they had a one day documentary challenge and I called Katie and said Can I come up and just shoot with you for one day? I have like a 24 hour challenge to film. And kind of help share what this is like and help make this more relatable, for some of the audience. said, yes, there was a blizzard. It didn't work out.

[00:07:28] Brianna: we just kept talking and she said, we're doing this for women's retreat in Jamaica in the fall. Would that be interesting? And I was like, hell yeah, I would love to see that story unfold.

[00:07:37] Jessi: So connected with, um, Trina, Trina Haynes with my lady ADHD is the co host. I just. Got a new camera, brought an audio tech guy out with me, flew out to Jamaica

[00:07:52] Melissa: Wow.

[00:07:52] Jessi: and filmed these women that I honestly hadn't really even met yet. And I was just crossing my fingers and hoping that they would be [00:08:00] up for this. And, um, nearly everybody was excited to help this. And I'm so, so grateful for that experience.

[00:08:07] Jessi: It was super healing for me. And I'm just still blown away that everyone was just been so supportive of this.

[00:08:15] Melissa: Wow. that's an amazing story. a big part of documentaries is, to inform through story. but what did you learn while you were going through this process? 

[00:08:24] Jessi: I have learned so much and think that has been one of the biggest challenges of working on this for me too, I underestimated how much work on myself I would be doing

[00:08:34] Jessi: while I worked on this. it was still like about a year after I'd even opened up to the world. the connection of I might have ADHD had been less than a year since I was diagnosed.

[00:08:45] Jessi: It's been less than a year since I started trying medication. And I ran out and did this because of course I did.

[00:08:50] Jessi: um, got all the footage and just hearing all those stories and talking to all these women on the retreat and [00:09:00] realizing how much we all share Where we're coming from and not feeling understood and not being able to get the right of support. having

[00:09:11] Jessi: people tell us like, you need a better planner. It's just anxiety. It's just hormones. You're not sleeping, you know, and hearing that same story of, dismissal, from all these other women.

[00:09:23] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:09:24] Jessi: it was a lot for me. And then as I've been working on this, I think it's been a challenge every time I open it up.

[00:09:29] Jessi: I am crying half the time. I'm editing just like listening to these stories and, still learning more. So every time I come back, I have a little bit different perspective. 

[00:09:41] Melissa: we had the opportunity to watch the trailer, that you had put out for the documentary, and one of the things that really came across to me were two things. Both grief and And also relief, um, for actually receiving that diagnosis. 

[00:09:56] Brianna: we have the same brain, I was going to ask the same question about grieving and healing, and I wanted to [00:10:00] hear more about that. 

[00:10:00] Jessi: you look back and it's like, what could have been that's a hard part to get over. it's a bit of shame, but also anger. And, you know, like why wasn't I listened to, why wasn't I supported? Why wasn't I believed when I said this didn't work for me? there's quite a bit of grieving, I think that comes with kind of realizing, um, the, what could have been. And then there's the acceptance piece, which I'm, I'm still working on. I know a lot of other, I think that's always just a constant work in progress.

[00:10:31] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:10:32] Jessi: um, that's kind of in the healing part for me is, is just, again, going back to this community and realizing that I'm not alone in way I'm feeling on this.

[00:10:42] Brianna: Yeah, community is absolutely

[00:10:44] Brianna: huge. 

[00:10:44] Melissa: Connecting with the community. Does it help?

[00:10:46] Jessi: so much, so much. And I still, um, I regularly meet with, I went through a coaching program. So I regularly meet with some other alumni of the coaching group. I'm talking to Katie and Trina a lot. They've become really good [00:11:00] friends. I've become friends with other content creators.

[00:11:02] Jessi: They've connected me to more and more people like you. I've been going to the conference last couple of years. I think it's just, um, You know, even as I'm building my own business, I'm working on this. I keep going to these film groups and I'm still getting traditional advice. You know, you got to do it this way. You got to hustle. You got to put this out consistently. You got to do all these things that I'm like. not work for me. I think connecting with this community and staying really involved has been very, very helpful because it's good to keep hearing those reminders that that doesn't always work for us.

[00:11:36] Jessi: That's okay if it's not usual way of doing things. You're not doing anything wrong you're not weird. For having a

[00:11:46] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:11:47] Jessi: breakdown over something small. also just a lot of like comorbidity issues. I've got, um, a few other health issues that cross over.

[00:11:54] Jessi: And I recently learned about some more that's common in the community. 

[00:11:59] Brianna: the [00:12:00] invisible disability piece where got a full time job and you're expected to have a full time job and not address these, you know, don't let it get you down.

[00:12:11] Melissa: Dr. Jessica Hickstead, her specialty is invisible disabilities. We had her on the podcast. She's doing amazing work right now, both, both in speaking around the country and starting a system that, actually can help corporate businesses work with their employees who have invisible disabilities.

[00:12:26] Melissa: It's really fascinating and amazing work. 

[00:12:28] Jessi: It's awesome. And it's so

[00:12:29] Jessi: needed right now. 

[00:12:30] Melissa: And if you want to see that video, Click right here. 

[00:12:33] Brianna: would like to ask a question about the acceptance piece that you mentioned, and it ties back into your documentary, like the for it being the raison d'être or whatever of like, I'm making this documentary, I want these women's voices heard. Is acceptance, and I guess understanding the main goal, is that what you're hoping to get out into the world?

[00:12:52] Jessi: And just quick side note, I want to thank you both for doing this podcast. Cause I've been listening to it lately too. And

[00:12:58] Melissa: Oh, thank you.

[00:12:58] Jessi: it's so relatable and it's [00:13:00] just great to hear stories from the community and. You guys both sharing your perspectives, having people to share theirs. And that's, that was the goal with this too, is, um, just one, like I put in the trailer, Katie mentioned something in her interview that, um, you know, she was trying to kind of explain to her parents or explain to her family, she felt like it wasn't going to be understood when she says you have ADHD, it's like, well, you're fine.

[00:13:25] Jessi: You've, you've got this going on. You did that. And that you seem fine. And that's not the message. It's not, I'm not okay, but it's, Hey, I'm dealing with something that is a little bit different. And, um, I, I have different needs and having the advocacy for that.

[00:13:44] Brianna: Right.

[00:13:45] Jessi: she wanted to make a video that helped explain that.

[00:13:47] Jessi: And it had ended up helping me and so many other people. And I think that was just kind of the goal is I want, um, you know, maybe again, a different audience, like if you're not seeing it on social, or even if you are, I [00:14:00] want it to be. Feeling seen, um, for other people to see this kind of have a way to, to bring a friend, bring a family member and be like, this is what it looks like for me.

[00:14:11] Jessi: It may not be what you thought it was, but this is what it looks like for me too. That's kind of what I was hoping people would take away from this.

[00:14:18] Melissa: It's great.

[00:14:19] Brianna: So not just like self acceptance and finally understanding like, Oh my God, this is why this is happening to me, or this is all connected, or I can finally have grace and forgive myself and alleviate some of that shame. But also sharing the message with neurotypicals and like the support systems and being like, this is why I am this way.

[00:14:36] Brianna: It's a reason. It's not necessarily an excuse. But now you understand where I'm coming from. 

[00:14:41] Jessi: Totally. And I think it's also a little bit of, um, validation to the content creation community. Because I think \working 

[00:14:48] Jessi: in the commercial world too, I'm in these meetings with, um, lots of people, lots of bureaucrats, lots of companies who are just Debating to death, how we're going to do a TikTok [00:15:00] video. And then there's these content creators who are just putting out this amazing stuff and doing their best. Like they're attending these industry conferences on their own dime and they're putting in like a full time job. And you know, like you both to podcast hosts too, there's all these different ways that people are trying to get the message out.

[00:15:18] Jessi: And, um, it's a little bit invalidated sometimes from like, well, it's not. A research paper, it's, you know, not expertise. And, and then I'm in these meetings where it's like, how do we reach these kids? And it's like, work with this community. They're all doing such great work to put this information out and be factual.

[00:15:39] Jessi: Check their sources. I wish there was a little bit more of a like blue check that you don't pay for, but like from communities 

[00:15:48] Brianna: yeah, because the information that I'm trying to search for right now to complete my thesis is in the TikToks. It is in the social media content, it is in the community, 

[00:15:56] Brianna: it's my personal experience. not peer reviewed, so I can't put [00:16:00] it in my paper.

[00:16:00] Jessi: And coming from the commercial world too, there's a bit of like, the funding has a PR angle too, you

[00:16:05] Melissa: Mm hmm.

[00:16:06] Jessi: research that has a clickbait headline will get funded easier than ones that don't. And people aren't always interested in funding these like complex, hard to quantify issues that are largely anecdotal. And that's been a challenge too. 

[00:16:24] Melissa: I spent like probably a good six months just trying to take what I'd filmed and pitch it to the film community and kind of the traditional paths of funding for that too. And there's, there's a lot of gatekeeping. There's a lot of neurotypical men that also don't relate to this.

[00:16:42] Jessi: Um, on the other side, I think I've seen a lot of neurodivergency in the production industry.

[00:16:48] Brianna: it's, um, a little bit of, of a scary thing sometimes for somebody to hear that they might have a neurodivergent, you know, underlying issue that they're not addressing and a lot of people kind [00:17:00] of will close off and back up from that too, so that's been a challenge that I've had

[00:17:03] Jessi: pitching this outside of the community. 

[00:17:05] Melissa: it does take bravery because you've been through this process as an adult. You know, you, you were conflicted realizing that all your coping mechanisms had gone away, the rug had been pulled out from underneath you, and you knew you weren't coping. And so you, you actually sought out an answer to why.

[00:17:20] Melissa: Not everyone is ready to do that. Um, and it's, there's a lot of stigma. Yeah.

[00:17:25] Brianna: if you have to go and get a condition saying it's permanent, this is for life, this is your brain,

[00:17:29] Jessi: Mm hmm.

[00:17:30] Brianna: because that's the message you've been holding your whole life about ADHD and autism and things is like, you know, they're less than, then you are a part of that less than it's really hard pill to swallow.

[00:17:41] Melissa: It took me a while to come to the point where I feel like I'm a badass now. Like I, I'm not broken. I can do things a neurotypical can't, and I'm just gonna own that. 

[00:17:50] Jessi: I'm working on it. That's been this. That's been part of the healing. I think of working on this project is I'm I'm kind of forcing myself to do things like this where I'm talking about it with [00:18:00] people. and talking with other people who are like. Owning that they need to do things differently. I still feel a lot of shame when I'm going to, you know, real world, we'll call it. And I'm getting, you know, thrown back these same old messages.

[00:18:14] Jessi: And it's so good to know that I have this support and these friends in this community that backed me up of like, you're not doing something wrong by accommodating your brain the way you need to. 

[00:18:24] Brianna: that is such an important message. I want that heard. I want that paused on and remembered and whatever. I've just like, yeah, that it's not that you're not doing anything wrong to accommodate your brain and you are not broken. We are not broken. 

[00:18:38] Melissa: I had a therapist that I was explaining these feelings of an inadequacy and like frustration and wondering what other people thought about me, and she just stopped me and she was like, like, screw them.

[00:18:47] Melissa: why does their opinion matter? They're not living in your head. They're not living your life. That was a moment when something really clicked for me that I realized, like, oh yeah, maybe their opinion doesn't matter.

[00:18:57] Melissa: I need to focus more on what I [00:19:00] need. In the moment and just be okay with 

[00:19:02] Brianna: So back to this documentary, cause I, Everything that I've heard from you so far has been very exciting and I want the world, either those who don't have access to social media or would prefer a more long form platform, to have access to this kind of information. So what are the barriers and what do you need?

[00:19:18] Brianna: How, when can I see this?

[00:19:21] Jessi: Yeah. And this has been one of my challenges too. Cause I'm, I'm again, so used to like the TV and commercial world where it's just like, You're paid for your time and we want to turn everything around as quick as we can. And I think the other thing that I've been realizing is that, um, you know, this is really important message and this is a really personal story for everyone involved, myself included. I a lot of shame about how long it's already taken, but at the same time, I'm still learning and working through it. it's been a lot of learning. Um, I jumped into this without the technical skills. do a lot of this, honestly, and without the funding to hire the [00:20:00] people with the technical skills,I've connected with some people now in the film community that have kind of taught me about, uh, Screening events and more community events and how to partner more on the ground with just reaching audiences again where they are instead of through traditional pathways, which don't really want to work with us anyway.

[00:20:18] Jessi: And the whole film industry, you know, everything is kind of up in the air and weird right now with with

[00:20:23] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:20:24] Jessi: covid. We're all trying to figure out. What media looks like.

[00:20:28] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:20:29] Jessi: again, I'm trying something new. I'm trying to figure out what works for me.

[00:20:32] Jessi: um, end of March, I'll be at, uh, an event called neurodiversion in Austin and,

[00:20:40] Jessi: um, Putting something together for that. So I'm going to be reaching in different ways and I have a little bit of social media coming out. We're going to do this. Um, I think a panel is what we're thinking about at neurodiversion. I did put out that five minute, we're calling it a trailer sneak peek for the conference. I'm looking to put out a few more of those things this summer. 

[00:20:59] Melissa: [00:21:00] You're learning to be your ADHD self through creating an ADHD documentary.

[00:21:04] Jessi: Yes.

[00:21:05] Jessi: you're collecting donations right now through a certain website, right? 

[00:21:08] Jessi: Um, you know what? I was, and that was the only thing that I kind of, you know, I put that together for the conference. And then once I got out there, I kind of felt like crowdfunding wasn't the right way to do

[00:21:20] Melissa: Okay.

[00:21:21] Jessi: I am, you know, available to collect funding. I'm going to be setting up a web page that has the trailer that has, um, where you can donate. And I'm also just looking at. Ways I can provide more content benefits to the community. I guess I don't feel right saying like, Hey, please support this. Give me money. I want to put something together. So it's, you know, maybe it's like 5 to watch another sneak peek. And if you can give more, that would be amazing. Um, maybe it's a partnership. And there's a sponsor brand who might be interested in doing a community screening or a panel with what we have put together so far. So those are some [00:22:00] of the options I'm exploring 

[00:22:01] Melissa: Do you see this being a start of something that could become bigger later for you? 

[00:22:04] Jessi: possibly. there's a pull to just like go all in on this. this documentary, this community and just build like an ADHD awareness, PR advocacy machine, but at the same time, I also still really love doing film and I don't really want to give that up. but I do see this going to, um, you know, more events. I think my goal with this now is not to like win a festival or get it on streaming. I think my goal now is to use this as a platform to connect the community further. And give people a chance

[00:22:38] Jessi: to bring people to understand themselves to understand their friends or family. 

[00:22:42] Brianna: Yeah, so that community aspect that was so helpful to you is what you're hoping to bring 

[00:22:46] Jessi: Yeah, 

[00:22:48] Brianna: That's 

[00:22:48] Jessi: absolutely. I think now more than ever to, it's important for us to kind of get together and realize that you have support within your local community. You have support more broadly on the online community.

[00:22:57] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:22:58] Jessi: I'm looking at a lot of, um, [00:23:00] partners and coming out to where they are, or maybe at least virtually putting together some of these. Talks

[00:23:06] Brianna: to see a behind the scenes of you facing all these barriers and trying to figure out

[00:23:11] Jessi: It's a lot of me sitting at my desk and crying and typing, typing

[00:23:17] Jessi: until like nine 30 at night. While my husband's like, what do you want for dinner? I'm like, don't talk to me. 

[00:23:21] Brianna: They need to understand! The community needs this! 

[00:23:25] Melissa: you want to make a thing and you have a good message, but there is a whole machine of, of marketing and PR and work

[00:23:35] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:23:36] Jessi: There's contracts, there's releases, there's forms 

[00:23:41] Jessi: of work and it requires a whole team doing a full time job.

[00:23:45] Melissa: a lot of admin, I mean, which is like, like the enemy of ADHD. 

[00:23:49] Jessi: Oh, for sure. 

[00:23:50] Brianna: I hate forums.

[00:23:51] Brianna: All of the like behind

[00:23:52] Brianna: the scenes business stuff is awful. I just want to do what I love and not all the other

[00:23:56] Jessi: yeah, 

[00:23:57] Jessi: oh man. And it's just like, you know, like anything, I [00:24:00] think one of the comparisons I was trying to use for a friend was like, it's, you know, there's art and there's like, if you think about painting, you know, there's somebody who can just sit down and do the whole thing and it's beautiful.

[00:24:11] Jessi: And there are filmmakers out there who are just one man bands and they do these amazing, amazing projects. And. That's not me though. It's like, I'm coming up with a concept and then I work with a sketch artist and then I work with a painter and then I work with a finisher and I work with a framer and then I work with, you know, like a gallery.

[00:24:27] Jessi: And it's like all these little niche positions along the way that I'm not personally as skilled in. And I believe in paying people what they're worth. even though I've had some volunteer help, that's been wonderful. And I'm keeping like little IOU if, and when I get funding, it's like you're getting paid, but it's, I've been a struggle to like, kind of find these pieces.

[00:24:50] Jessi: Maybe there's someone out there who like is in the community who wants to reach out to you and be like, I'm really good at like editing and post production. Yeah.

[00:24:56] Brianna: And it's like, what is it? Hobby swapping? You're just like, you [00:25:00] know, I have this interest. I have this interest. Let's swap

[00:25:02] Melissa: 

[00:25:02] Jessi: If you enjoyed this episode, click right here or in the show notes to check out our bonus material, where we discuss ADHD comorbidities with Jesse Sorensen. 

[00:25:11] Jessi: We have had Jesse Sorensen on to talk about her documentary about, um, late diagnosed ADHD women sharing their voices, sharing their journey, sharing their stories. And then also, um, Jesse shared her own story of how she was diagnosed and this has been, this project has been a personal learning journey for her. And, uh, we, then we talked about some nerdy tech stuff, which is essentially just the barriers of how to get the scene by people because. I want it seen, I want to see it, and I want the world to have the opportunity to go on the journey that you've been on, which is acceptance and understanding.

[00:25:47] Melissa: We really enjoyed having you. Jesse, if anyone wants to get in touch with you or learn more about the documentary, where can they find you?

[00:25:52] Jessi: Yes. Um, right now the best way is honestly on Instagram, um, at anything but ADHD. I've been sharing some clips. I [00:26:00] will occasionally post some updates, 

[00:26:02] Jessi: um, website in progress at anything, but ADHD. com. I'm really going to be working neurodiversion at the end of March in Austin.

[00:26:13] Jessi: If anyone wants to meet in person. 

[00:26:15] Melissa: Fantastic. And if you are in need of further ADHD support, you can find me at likemindcoaching. com. 

[00:26:23] Brianna: you can find me at understandingadhd. ca.

[00:26:26] Melissa: Until next time. Thanks. Bye.

[00:26:28] Brianna: Bye!

[00:26:29] Jessi: Thank you