This is episode 12, and today I'm talking with Sharon Pope. Sharon is the co-founder and CEO of Shelpful, the instant accountability service that pairs you with a real human buddy to help you build good habits. She's also a certified habit coach and was previously a startup advisor at Y Combinator. Today, we talk about how she started a company to solve her own problem and how that contributed to her own ADHD diagnosis story.
Show Notes
Guest:
Sharon Pope
Sharon Pope
Creators & Guests
What is ADHD Nerds?
ADHD Nerds is the podcast for Adults with ADHD to learn more about their unique brain through the stories of others. Learn tips and strategies for managing or hacking your ADHD brain and have some fun along the way.
ADHD Nerds is hosted by Jesse J. Anderson, an ADHD Creative with a passion for writing, teaching, and raising awareness about ADHD. In 2017, he was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 36, and has made it his mission to help others better understand what ADHD really is.
This podcast is a great place to learn more about Adult ADHD, whether you're officially diagnosed, self-diagnosed, stuck on a waiting list, or just want to know more about how your loved one's brain works.
Sharon Pope: I kind of
just thought I sucked.
Like I think I just thought I sucked
at life and was bad at doing things
like making dentist appointments
and paying a bill and making a
to-do list, and drinking water, and
taking care of myself, exercising.
Like I just kind of
thought I sucked at life.
Jesse: Hey, my name is Jesse J.
Anderson, host of the ADHD Nerds podcast.
The show where we talk about living with
ADHD, and have some fun along the way.
This is episode 12, and today
I'm talking with Sharon Pope.
Sharon is the co-founder and CEO of
Shelpful, the instant accountability
service that pairs you with a real human
buddy to help you build good habits.
She's also a certified habit
coach and was previously a
startup advisor at Y Combinator.
Today, we talk about how she
started a company to solve her own
problem and how that contributed
to her own ADHD diagnosis story.
But first I'd like to thank
our sponsor, Llama Life.
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Now let's get to the show.
Jesse J. Anderson: Sharon.
It is great to have you here today.
Sharon Pope: Thank you, Jesse.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah.
So, uh, I'd love to start the show
hearing about your history with ADHD.
Like how'd you find out that you had it?
What was it like growing up with ADHD.
All of those things.
Sharon Pope: Yeah, so I have, uh,
one of those late in life stories.
So, um, I guess kind of starting
from my early childhood, I, I have
a brother who was diagnosed with
ADD I guess was called at the time.
Cuz he was kind of that
hyperactive kid in class.
And so he had that and I, so I was aware
of the, I was aware of this condition.
But I, um, kind of grew up being,
I was fairly good in school and I
would kind of do well on tests, but
I, homework was always hard for me.
Um, my friend joked, like she would do
my homework for me and she she'd cheat
off me on the test kind of situation.
Not that we actually did,
but you know what I mean?
Like we kind that was the dynamic
that plagued me through schooling.
I think college was easier for
me because it was more test
focused and less homework focused.
So I could kind of, I could cram and get
it done, but there were multiple times.
So in college, um, and after college
where I would go to a doctor and say,
I feel like I can't start things.
I feel like there's blocks that
are stopping me from doing things.
My brother had ADD, do
you think I have this?
Like I was genuinely asking that question.
And it was just, it was just always a no.
It was, um, you know, it's anxiety
or they would really follow up
with, well, you're getting, sounds
like you're doing okay in school.
You wouldn't be, if you had this.
Um, sounds like you're doing well at
work, you wouldn't be if you had this.
And, and I think that I was
just, you know, creating systems
that helped me cope with it.
But the, the fact is, is, you
know, in college, I survived.
In work, I really thrived, cause
I went into an industry where it
was very compatible with ADHD.
I worked at a PR agency, so it's
basically like balls are flying at you
and you're catching 'em and hitting 'em.
You don't really have
to start things as much.
You just are reacting.
Jesse J. Anderson: That chaos.
I think we, we thrive in
that chaos a lot of the time.
Sharon Pope: Absolutely.
And I think that It was
kind of my superpower.
It was what allowed me to be successful.
Um, but of course the same, it was
the same reason why doctors argued
that I didn't have ADD, ADHD.
And so I kind of just thought I sucked.
Like I think I just thought I sucked
at life and was bad at doing things
like making dentist appointments
and paying a bill and making a
to-do list, and drinking water, and
taking care of myself, exercising.
Like I just kind of
thought I sucked at life.
Um, that was just how I kind
of branded myself to me.
And, you know, fast forward
a lot of years, sadly.
Still, you know, did great at work.
And, had just had, had my second kid
and went back from maternity leave
and just had this moment of like,
staring at myself in the mirror at
night, judging myself for once again,
not getting anything done for me.
Yet working, you know, 14 hours and, you
know, got everything done for the kids.
And I, so I actually decided to
start a company like I, my solution.
And I, you actually said something
recently on one of your other episodes,
which I've said almost the exact
quote where I say, I'd rather start
a company than pay my dentist bill.
I think you said something similar.
And I, I, really just felt like
there wasn't enough support.
I felt like I needed, I needed
someone else to give a crap
if I stepped outside that day.
Um, and so I started this
company, called Shelpful.
Rhymes with helpful has an S in front.
That was my midnight domain buy.
It was like $30.
And my first name, Sharon, shh, helpful.
There you go.
And started with my,
my, I wrote my friend.
I like, I kind of pulled her.
She, she pushed me off the cliff and
I pulled her with me kind of thing.
So we just started it and just
thinking, oh, would somebody
else have this, these problems?
Would somebody else sign up for this?
And we had to switch to a wait
list over night, after launching
it on a few Facebook groups.
And we had people sign up and they
were messaging me saying, this is
perfect for me because I have ADHD.
And I was like, hmm.
And we got multiple messages of this
kind of little company that we're
trying to just get one paying customer.
And, you know, somewhat flooded within
this group is, are folks with ADHD.
And I was like, hmm, I'm
solving my own problem.
My problem is their problem.
I probably should take
another look at this.
So it was kind of a, so I started
a company to solve my own problem.
And then my own customers
told me I have ADHD.
Jesse J. Anderson: I feel
like I hear that story a lot.
I've seen there's there's been
like studies that show like people
that are entrepreneurs, the, the
percentage of them that have ADHD is
higher than the general population,
which makes a lot of sense to me.
I think a lot of people with ADHD,
run into those struggles in life.
And then eventually like the solution is
like, well, I'm just gonna create my own
thing because it doesn't exist out there.
And I, yeah, I, I have the creativity
to come up with my own solution because
I've had to do it my whole life.
Because the other things
aren't working for me.
So I have to make these other
ways, that do work with my brain.
And then, yeah, I feel like I've heard
that same story a lot where people
start something to solve their own
problem and then, low and behold.
Weird, all my customers seem to have ADHD.
Maybe this is worth looking into.
Sharon Pope: Yeah, it was,
it was very interesting.
I've heard the same and I actually I've
worked in startups my whole career.
Um, and so I know a lot of
entrepreneurs and, I'm not saying
that they all have ADHD, but I think
that some of the qualities, which I
certainly wouldn't paint with that
broad brushstroke, but I think that
those qualities certainly are true.
And I think also just, I've worked
in startups and I think it's been
a fit for me because it is such
a, it's fast paced, whatever's
interesting is what you're working on.
You're you're following the growth, right.
You're following the, what
what's shiny really at a startup.
Um, and so it was
compatible for me as well.
Even though I hadn't yet started
my own company, I was, I've
always worked for founders.
Jesse J. Anderson: So when you
kind of had that, you know, final,
like again, revelation of like, oh,
this really sounds like this is me.
Did you go and get an official diagnosis?
Like what did that look like?
Sharon Pope: I did.
So I, got in touch with my primary
care and kind of, I think I just had
my big advocate pants on because I was
so sure, like at this point, I, I just,
it, like, I had this kind of Hollywood
flashback moment of not only all the
moments in my life that were ADHD.
And I just was saying, I sucked at life.
But also the moments that a, a
medical provider looked me in the
eyes and made me feel crazy for saying
that I thought I had this thing.
But I was like, I was too good to have
it, which I'm using air quotes, which
did not, did not gel with how I felt.
And so, yeah, I was, I li I,
I do like my current doctor.
And so I did feel like
she would listen to me.
And so, but I was, I kind of
had I had a list ready, right.
Like I, I had done, I kind of did
the fun ADHD rabbit hole thing, which
I've always been very good at, but
this time it was on the topic of ADHD.
And I had my like long list
of things that, you know, this
is something that I deal with.
This is something that happens with me.
So that it wasn't, I wasn't
gonna get brushed off again.
Um, and she didn't even try to.
So she kind of gave me,
she gave me a little quiz.
And then referred me out to, to a
provider to get a diagnosis, which I did.
Jesse J. Anderson: Right, right.
That's so, uh, that's, that's
great that you finally got it.
And it's so frustrating hearing your
history of like, you actually went
and like were specifically saying, and
your brother had it, it just seems,
it's so frustrating that, and I've
heard that story time and time again.
Where people, especially women get like,
oh no, it's just anxiety or it's just
depression or it's some other thing.
I hear that story all the time.
Sharon Pope: I, I
definitely have now as well.
Um, my story is not the only one.
And it, it is, it does overindex in women.
Um, you hear this story all the
time, not just with ADHD, but women
in healthcare often aren't believed.
Um, and so it definitely that kind
of came crushing down on me as well.
That I, as you know, a professional
college graduate, like say
what you will about anything.
There was no reason why they
shouldn't have taking the time to
consider what I was asking them.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah.
And like you, like you said, when
you finally got your diagnosis, it
sounded like your doctor, you didn't
need it, but I feel like that's
what I, I try to prep people for it.
Like you need to go in there
and don't take no for an answer.
Like if you really strongly believe you
have ADHD, like you need to prepare to
like, almost make your case because yeah.
It's so, so many doctors are just
gonna kinda dismiss it outta hand
and like one thing I always tell
people, try because with ADHD, we
have, you know, memory deficits.
And like in the moment they
might, a doctor might ask to
hear what are some examples from
childhood that match up for ADHD?
And you might not be able to
think in the moment, like,
I've, I've like you freeze up.
Like, I can't, I can't even
remember being a kid anymore.
Now that you've asked
me when I'm on the spot.
So I always try to prep people.
Write things down, like get a notebook
to bring, and one of the things
write down is examples from childhood
that you think sound like ADHD.
Things that line up with the symptoms
so that you can kind of make your case.
Cuz there's some doctors they'll
just hear like, oh, you can't think
of a story from your childhood?
Done.
Like I'm not gonna diagnose
you, like you're out.
Sharon Pope: Yeah.
I you're, you're, that's very
good advice to give that advice.
And I also, I think if someone's feeling
conflicted and not, I guess I'll say
two things to other things about that.
the reason to get a diagnosis isn't
to get medication or anything.
It honestly is for me, has been
kind of a journey of forgiveness.
And self discovery.
And so I would say the first step to
that is making that list that Jesse
just said to make, because going through
the, my past, you know, and reading
online about symptoms of ADHD and
going through my own memory of these
occurrences, I was hard on myself.
Like I just kind of thought that
I wasn't good at adult stuff.
And it wasn't a good feeling and so being
able to just kind of make that list.
Not only gives you fodder to speak
with a medical professional and
give them examples, but also kind of
allows you to release that a little
bit and hopefully know for yourself
that there's there's stuff going on
in your brain, that is really great.
And actually probably deserves credit
for some of the success you've had,
but also that, you know, some of the
reasons why stuff was hard sometimes.
Jesse J. Anderson: Right.
Yeah.
And like on that list, we, I, I
did an episode, a solo episode.
I think it was episode 10 where I
talked about, I actually went through my
notebook that I brought to, so all the
symptoms that I had kinda written down.
And yeah, like you said, I, so when
I got diagnosed, I, I did eventually
try medication, but it wasn't until
almost a year later, I was just like,
I need to understand that this is
real because it seems to explain so
many of the struggles I've had, that
I've never been able to explain.
And so for me, like the number one
reason for getting my diagnosis was
just like that validation of what
I felt like I knew something was
wrong and kind of like what you said,
like, I felt like I sucked at life.
But that almost didn't jive with,
like, I knew that I was smart.
I knew that my brain like worked
a certain way and was good.
Like, I was good at tests, kinda
like you said, and I was terrible at
homework and I knew that there was,
there had to be some reason for that.
Other than me just having, you know,
poor willpower or something like that.
So getting that diagnosis was, uh,
so validating, even though I didn't,
like I said, I didn't take any
action on medication for a while.
It was just like, knowing that
this is a real thing and I have it.
Sharon Pope: Yeah.
And it isn't, it.
It does not have the effect of, oh, now
I have an excuse for the stuff that I do.
It actually just, it decreased the cycles
in which I was just judging myself.
Like the time that I spent judging myself
was kind of almost removed and I could
more productively deal with my crap.
Like I could, you know, I knew, okay.
I struggled to get
exercise in the morning.
I struggle to get outta bed, but I
know that exercise will help my ADHD.
So for some reason that made it easier
for me to justify, you know, it helped,
it helped my mind kind of, make sense
of, the things I already knew, which
was when I got exercise, I did better.
I felt better.
I was better, even 10 minutes.
Um, and then it was like, oh, it's
bec well, I'm sure it's probably
true for everyone, but especially for
people with ADHD, getting 10 minutes
of exercise every morning is like,
is like taking a pill in many ways.
And so I think that it kind of allowed
me to adjust lifestyle things in a
little ways and also just decrease
the cycles of, of judgment, self
whatever, criticism, all of that.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah, that self blame,
that shame that just sort of like, I think
most people, you grow up with ADHD and
you don't know where to put the blame.
And so eventually everyone
else is putting it on you.
So eventually you just sort of like
are taking all that blame and that
shame, and it just sort of builds up.
Which is why, like, I feel like
getting diagnosed, I was 30,
35 or 36 when I got diagnosed.
And it was like this, you know, still
ongoing process of like, kind of
restoring my self esteem because it had
just been torn down so much, growing
up and just acc, kind of accepting the
blame that I gue I guess I'm
Jesse J. Anderson: just lazy, I
guess I'm just, you know, stupid or
whatever those negative labels were.
Um, so you were talking about, uh,
to transition, you were talking
about kinda like exercise in the
morning, and I think there's a lot of.
A lot of things like that that are kind
of these habits that we want to start,
that we know will make our life better.
And a lot of times
they're really difficult.
Uh, we talked just before we
started recording, um, about the
book Atomic Habits by James Clear.
And I read that book and I loved it.
And then I found that it didn't
actually change anything.
Like I read it and like every chapter I
was like, oh, this is such great content.
This, these ideas sound really good.
I love what I, I love the promise
that this book is kind of selling.
And then the reality at the end of it
was like, I didn't actually, I have no
new habits, like nothing changed my life.
And yeah.
I wonder, uh, kind of what your experience
with being a habit coach and what yeah.
The promises of habit
books and all of that.
Sharon Pope: Yeah, and I mean,
I've had that experience too.
I, I like the book Atomic Habits a lot
but I think I've had the experience of
just reading any book and having a plan
to, to do the thing and not doing it.
So we, I, I mentioned that I
started a company called Shelpful
and the main service with Shelpful
is like accountability buddies.
So you sign up, we pair you with
an accountability buddy who we hire
them, kinda like an Uber driver.
So we match you with somebody
who's, just seeps empathy.
They're amazing people who really, really
care if you get your things done and they
hold you accountable to whatever habits,
routines, tasks that are on your list.
So we started this, that was
the company that I mentioned.
We kind of built overnight and started.
And, as we had people come through
and started helping them, we noticed
that a lot of people kind of come.
I wanna do these 20 things and kind
of are trying to make this big change.
And intuitively I knew that starting
small was probably the way to go, but
also that I, I had a lot of geeking
out to do about habits, to learn, to be
able to support our members who were,
you know, who were getting a lot of
help by just somebody checking in with
them and reminding them to do stuff.
But I wanted to help kind of build a kind
of more education and, um, and systems for
people to be able to learn and then put
things into practice with their Shelper.
We call our accountability
buddies, Shelpers.
You mentioned atomic habits,
there's another book called Tiny
Habits, very similar concept.
Um, and it's written by Dr.
BJ Fogg, who's probably one of
the most prominent behavioral
scientists, um, in the world.
He runs the behavioral lab at
Stanford and, his research is
heavily cited in Atomic Habits.
And his, his premise, I just, I just
drank it up, and so I was super excited to
become a certified coach with him and his
sister who runs their training program.
And it essentially goes like this.
Number one, stop judging yourself
for not achieving big things.
And number two, take those big aspirations
and make them make them super, super tiny.
Um, like hilariously, embarrassingly tiny.
And then give yourself credit
for the work you're doing.
So basically if you had a goal and.
Actually Jesse, what is a habit
that you're trying to, to work on?
Not to turn it on you.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah, let
me, let me think for a second.
Um, I mean, exercise is one.
Exercise is a habit that I, I have done
for a while and then I fall off and
then once I fall off, it's gone forever.
Um, and then I'll go six months and
never exercise again and forget that
it was even a thing I was trying to do.
Sharon Pope: Or even existed.
Yeah.
Um, first of all, me too big time,
my entire life I've struggled with,
I know, I like how I feel afterward.
I just can't make myself do it.
And I always could justify something
else being the bigger priority.
Like I gotta get to work,
gotta respond to this email.
Um, so let me tell, so this, this
is actually how Tiny Habits was
transformative, personally, for me.
Was being able to kind of shift
my thinking from this felt like
all or nothing mentality, right.
I want a 45 minute workout every morning.
Right.
Was how I was thinking, going into it.
And so, but what, what I was
struggling with was getting out
of bed before my kids woke up.
Like that was a very
difficult thing for me.
And if I didn't get outta bed before
they woke up that I was on their schedule
and I was basically, the workout was,
was a dream that just passed me by.
So I'll tell you my tiny habit that I,
that I worked on, so it goes like this.
After I hear my alarm, I will
put one foot on the floor.
And that's the whole habit.
And that is what, so I
have one foot on the floor.
So then you kind of walking through
with me, I've done my whole habit.
I can feel good about it.
I could put my foot back in the bed
if I feel like I had COVID recently,
my foot went right back in the bed.
Did not work out.
But my foot's out, and so I have a
decision to make and it's uncomfortable.
And so it, it got me a little
bit more out of my sleep, which
is what I was battling with.
Cuz I couldn't get that morning
workout if I couldn't get outta bed.
And so I started getting outta bed
and I was working out consistently,
um, and still have been for at
least 10 minutes every morning.
So sometimes gets interrupted.
Sometimes I work out more.
Sometimes I work out less, but
if I put my foot on the floor,
I can feel good about myself.
And that's kind of the, the theme
of this method, um, is that you take
something that might not even be the habit
itself, but it's, we call it a starter
step, like a, a step toward the habit.
So if you have a goal to walk, maybe at
lunch, maybe your habit is after I put
my lunch dish away, I'll put on one shoe.
Jesse J. Anderson: Right, right.
Sharon Pope: So like, this is the,
kind of tiny habits method that
like, we, we have a workshop for us.
We try to get our members to
come through that so we can kind
of give them that framework.
because it honestly, like we're
talking about how an ADHD diagnosis
is very freeing in that you kind of
get, can give yourself forgiveness.
I would say the same thing about
when you take the habit goals you
have and make them smaller, then
you can celebrate more wins and you
actually are helping your brain build
neuro pathways to make that habit
actually happen because you feel good.
When you're shaming
yourself, you feel bad.
We know that positive reinforcement works.
Cuz we tell kids, yay,
you put the blocks away.
Or we tell the dog good job doing potty
in the right place and give them a treat.
We know that it works for others,
but we don't do it for ourselves.
So that, that has been
transformative for me personally.
And for a lot of people that have come
through Shelpful and then the positive
support that they get from another person
caring about the small wins in life.
Like my husband loves me, but when I
tell him I drank three whole big bottles
of water that day, he's not gonna like
throw me party, but my Shelper will.
And so I think that there's
something about just having a hype
person on the little things in
life to make you prioritize them.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah.
That, uh, that reminds me of,
so this was years ago, was it?
Yeah, it was before I
knew that I had ADHD.
But I have like a, a best friend.
That's how I got diagnosed.
He got diagnosed.
And then that is how I,
I found out about it.
Sharon Pope: I'm like you
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah.
Cause we've been, we've been
friends since like sixth grade.
So we, because we understood each
other and turns out, oh, ADHD,
probably a big reason for that.
But, uh, years ago, before we knew
about ADHD, he, he and I both knew
that we struggled to do do the dishes.
And we knew that that affected our
marriage, that our wife didn't like, like
it, when we weren't doing the dishes.
But we also knew that kinda, like
you said, like my wife, isn't gonna
throw a party when I do the dishes.
Cuz she's like, you haven't
done it for three weeks.
Why would I celebrate that
you finally did it one time.
Sharon Pope: Congratulations
on being a functioning human.
Jesse J. Anderson: Right.
Yeah, exactly.
But, but in my head I knew that like,
If she did, I would do it way more.
Like I knew that that that
feedback would help me.
And so we basically just like,
started doing that for each other.
So when I did the dishes.
Yeah, my friend and I.
So I would text my friend and
be like, I just did the dishes.
You'd be like, yeah, you're amazing,
and we kinda like became, uh, I guess
kind of like your company, the Shelpers,
like we became that for each other.
Just like celebrating each other
every time we did the dishes.
And I mean, it, it never got to the
point for us where it was a habit, but
I probably did it 10 times more than I
would have otherwise, just knowing that
there was that little bit of positive,
uh, reinforcement from my buddy.
Sharon Pope: I love that story, by
the way, I just, what a great friend.
Um, and I think that not, not
everyone feels comfortable asking
their friends for things like that.
Like, I have some friends in my life,
but I, I, it would be hard for me to
ask them to like cheer on my dishes.
And so that's, I think that's, that
was, the reason for this, because my
friend who I started this company with
Lydia, she is an amazing friend of me.
We talked every day, she was there
for me for everything that was
hard, but honestly, I wouldn't have
even asked her to do that for me.
Cause you know, got stuff going on.
And so I think that that was, or, and
she probably would've if I asked her,
I think that that should be said, but I
think that we, we as, as humans hesitate.
We hesitate to ask for things
for ourselves, even like those,
especially little things like that.
Um, so I think that, I love that
your friend did that for you.
And, and I think that support helps
and it, but it's not the whole story.
And that reading the habit book,
isn't the whole story, right?
It's hard.
It's hard to form new habits and it's
something that I'm still working on.
And like, there are some habits, like
I mentioned, the foot on the floor.
That I've been really successful with,
and there are others that I was less
successful with and I'm, I'm still kind
of trying to introduce them and, and
have it be kind of a regular practice
that I'm doing is bringing new habits in.
And the cool thing is once you
start and, and nail it on one, you
feel good and you kind of wanna add
another one and especially because
they're small, they're easy to add.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah.
That's what I, I love the whole foot
on the floor habit, because like,
like you said, it's ridiculously easy.
It's like just a foot on the floor.
Like I can do that any day.
No problem.
But because it's so tiny, like it
enables, there's like the, the Jerry
Seinfeld method, which is the idea
of like, he, he talks about like his
ability to consistently write jokes, is
he just says, every day I write a joke
and then I put a check on the calendar.
And my method is just
never not to do that.
Like every single day I will put
another check mark on the calendar
and write at least one joke.
And that's the sort of thing
that before that's always got me
frustrated because I like try to.
And then I get three days in and then I'm
like, oh, I don't wanna do that thing.
Putting, putting the foot on
the floor is like nothing.
So I love that idea of
making it consistent.
consistent
Sharon Pope: think if, if you were an
aspiring comedian, I would, I would be
asking you, like, I would start asking
you kind of, what time of day are you more
creative, and try to, I try to get to.
So if you told me that you were
most creative when you walked into
your home office in the morning.
Like I would, I would
try to find an anchor.
Like, so I mentioned that after my
alarm, that's my only anchor in the
morning, cuz I'm dead asleep before.
But for other, for other things like we're
basically trying to, and they talk about
this in Atomic Habits as well, trying
to find existing habits, things that we
already do every day and attach things
to it, like, walking through a door.
And you're not thinking anything
of it, but if I could get you, so
one other habit of mine, um, I have
a little timer that's on my desk.
And I have a habit.
We were talking before the podcast
about struggling to keep offices clean.
So I, I have a habit that I've
been working on that with.
And I, after I walk into my
office, I turn my timer on for five
minutes and that's the whole habit.
My intention is that I will
clean my office for five minutes.
Sometimes I turn it and I clean
for one minute and then I see
Slack pop up and run over to it.
Sometimes I end up cleaning for
like 10 minutes, if I'm on a roll.
Um, but the timer's the habit, and
I can feel good having done that.
Jesse J. Anderson: Awesome.
I think that's a great spot to
transition, to, uh, talk about shiny
objects, And I noticed you showed, uh,
on the video, you showed me a timer.
And I think that might be a great
a, I've seen that one before.
So why don't you tell me
about that shiny object?
Sharon Pope: It is a hexagon shaped
timer that is orange-ish red.
I got on Amazon And it basically
it's, you could just turn to a
different side of the hexagon.
Oh, Jesse has the same one.
And it has different
increments, five minutes, 1530.
And so I actually use the five
minute, one more than anything,
but I'll use the 60 minute one.
Sometimes if I'm trying to kind
of get into the zone and work on
something, I really don't wanna work
on like legal documents or something.
And so it's really helpful to me because
it basically just makes it feel like
something isn't gonna last forever.
Jesse J. Anderson: Right, right.
Yeah.
I, I have timers running all the time.
I love timers.
I think it's so, it's so helpful to have
something that I can glance at and see
that, oh, this much time has passed.
And it almost like injects that little
bit of urgency, even though there's not a
real deadline, just like knowing that that
timer's going down, it kind of helps me.
Yeah, get more stuff done or kind of
stay focused I'll glance down and see
the timer and be like, oh, that's right,
I'm supposed to be doing this right now.
Um, yeah.
And the, the one thing that's great
about the timer that you showed is
it's so easy to hit a timer because so
it's a hexagon shape, like you said.
And each one of the sides of the
hexagon is like a time increment.
So if you wanna set a five minute
timer, all you do is set it on
that side of the timer and it
just starts going five minutes.
So kinda related on that
for my shiny object.
I, when I do timers, a lot of
times I'll do music with them.
Like I just sort of crank, I
have a couple of different albums
that I crank for my focus music.
And one that I particularly love is the
Arrival, uh, score from the movie Arrival.
It's kind of a weird soundtrack.
Like it's maybe not everybody's jam,
but because of that, it really like
stands out to me and it's almost become
a trigger for my brain when I put
that on, that's like, I need to really
focus on whatever it is I'm doing.
And so that's been kind of my go to like
sit down and focus right now, Jesse.
This is, uh, the big thing to focus on.
Sharon Pope: That's amazing.
And I think if you take nothing
away from this episode is
that we are simple creatures.
Where like rewards help
us and music helps us.
I think that's really good.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah, absolutely.
So I kind of forced you to do that.
Uh, shiny object.
Did you have another
thing you wanted to share?
Sharon Pope: Well, I love, I genuinely
love this, so I'm happy with that.
Um, I, I just, I think the thing I
was gonna spit out is, but they're,
they're kind of boring, maybe.
Is I love, um, Airtable It's like
an Excel software, um, or like
spreadsheet software and Zapier.
Which are, these are two, basically
they're automation engines for
me, where I can have things.
I like, I think, I think part of
something that is a little bit
ADHD, maybe just me as well, is that
anything that feels like it could
be faster frustrates me to no end.
Um, but I mean, I think that is at ADHD.
Like how people listen to podcasts on 1.5.
And for me, if I, if I, if there's
ever anything that I'm gonna do
again, I wanna somehow automate it.
Um, and so those are tools that
allow me to automate small things
in my life and it makes me happy.
Jesse J. Anderson: Yeah, I do
think that is kind of like an ADHD
common thing of like always wanting
to be more efficient with things.
So, yeah, I love Zapier when
I can make things automated.
It just like, uh, it connects
with all sorts of different apps
and you can make it do like,
oh, you got an email from this.
So then that causes this other thing
to trigger in a different product
and the way they all can connect.
Uh, that's great.
I haven't used Airtable.
I know it's sort of similar to Notion.
I've used Notion a lot, but I
think Airtable's kind of halfway
between Notion and Excel.
Is that about right?
Sharon Pope: Oh, yeah, I think
that's well, I've, I've used.
Um, I think Airtable tries to be
a little bit more like a database.
So, whereas Notion I think is like, it
works really well for like engineers,
like it and knowledge workers like it.
Airtable, like Airtable and Zapier are
like peanut butter and jelly because they
have like everything, everything can be a
field that does something like it can all,
every field can have action happen to it.
So it kind of feels like a
spreadsheet that's alive.
Um, and it feels like you kind of a
software engineer came and, you know,
waved a magic wand over your spreadsheet,
cuz like it, it looks simple and it, it
does the job of being a spreadsheet, but
it, it can do stuff like it can, it can
take action, it can change automatically.
It can do all this stuff.
Jesse J. Anderson: Awesome.
I love that.
That is a, uh, super nerdy sort
of pick, which I really love.
Sharon Pope: I, I've always
said Airtable's my boyfriend.
Jesse J. Anderson: Awesome.
Well, thank you.
Uh, so much for being here.
This has been great.
Sharon Pope: Thank you
so much for having me.
Jesse: That's our show, thank
you so much for listening.
I especially want to thank our VIP
patrons, Charise Carlson, Dan Ott,
Jessica Cherry DePaul, Luce Carter,
Richard Stevens, and Todd Barnett.
Your support helps me do this show and
the other work I do, so thank you so much.
If you want to support the show,
you can go to patreon.com/jessej
that's J E S S E J.
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Full show notes and transcript
are available at adhdnerds.com.