Healing Out Loud: How Emotional Growth Impacts Your Small Business
⏰ Read Time: 5 Minutes
How to Navigate Inner Battles and Drive
(For Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs)
There’s a trend I keep seeing on TikTok:
"I’m healing out loud because I almost died in the silence."
It usually appears as text overlayed on videos of people unapologetically taking up space: someone singing karaoke on a bar top, cheering with abandon for a hole-in-one at mini golf, roller skating through a park while everyone else jogs.
Every time I see it, I feel it in my bones.
There’s something compelling about using your voice and choosing to be fully, unapologetically yourself, even when it's messy... especially when it’s messy.
TL;DR:
“Healing out loud” means embracing vulnerability and authenticity as you build your business.
Your inner world directly impacts your outer results: imposter syndrome, RSD, PDA, and low confidence can stall growth.
Learn tangible strategies for overcoming common mindset blocks so you can keep going, even when progress feels slow.
Building your business from a grounded, authentic place allows you to thrive without burning out.
Healing Out Loud:
What Every ADHD Entrepreneur Should Know
Prismatic Growth - this business I built - was born from two things:
My deep-seated need to create an ADHD-friendly lifestyle
The raw realities of healing from a traumatic childhood
It’s not just a business strategy or a clever brand name. It’s my way of healing out loud.
A prism that reflects disparate but unique light into a beautiful, technical rainbow.
(Okay, so I’m a little sentimental. I’m a 30-something woman. What do you expect from me?)
Because here’s the truth: when you run a business, you’re the biggest cog in the machine.
If you run a factory and a storm blows through, the power goes out, production stops, shipments get delayed, and the entire process slows to a crawl.
Now, imagine you are that factory. When your mental health, self-worth, or focus gets knocked off balance, your business feels the impact.
Business is a Healing Journey
(Whether You Want It to Be or Not)
If you’ve ever attended a networking event (especially one full of women willing to be vulnerable), you’ve probably heard a version of this:
“One of the biggest challenges I face in business is… my mind.”
And it’s true. Most of us start as solopreneurs or with a tiny team.
You’re the:
CEO
Marketing Manager
Customer Service Rep
Product Developer
And more!
It only makes sense that the inner storms you experience ripple out into your business.
That’s why entrepreneurship has a way of pulling your “stuff” to the surface. It will demand that you work through old wounds, patterns, and limiting beliefs to keep moving forward.
5 Mindset Challenges That Hold ADHD Entrepreneurs Back
(& How to Work Through Them)
Here are a few of the most common internal battles I see come up for business owners,
especially neurodivergent entrepreneurs:
1. Imposter Syndrome
That nagging sense that you can't possibly charge for your work because you are not qualified, experienced enough, or “legit”. Even after you've made the sale, it's what makes you question the value of your offer or your ability to execute.
What it looks like:
Underpricing your offers
Overdelivering to “prove” your value
Hesitating to market yourself or share wins
Getting overly perfectionistic and procrastinating
Strategies to cope:
Keep a “smile file” of testimonials, kind words, and results you’ve created for clients.
Create a standing meeting with an accountability partner who will call out your brilliance when you forget it.
Join online groups and spaces full of fellow neurodivergents. When you feel stuck, share your thoughts. Allow the power and kindness of strangers to build you back up.
2. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
We neurodivergents feel rejection (or even perceived rejection) like a gut punch. Something as simple as being left on read by a potential client or low attention on a new post can have us in the fetal position, questioning every life choice that got us to this point.
What it looks like:
Avoiding selling because you fear the “no”
Taking constructive feedback personally
Overanalyzing client emails or social media comments
Strategies to cope:
Adopt a philosophy that you need to hear "no" 1,000 times before your dream comes true. Would you make the offer more often? Get in front of bigger audiences to get through it faster? Every no gets you closer!
Use scripts or templates so you’re not overthinking every outreach message.
Create a self-soothing ritual for times RSD is flaring (think: a walk, a specific playlist, or calling a supportive friend).
Normalize “no” as data, not a reflection of your worth. Each rejection helps you clarify and refine.
3. Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
A nervous system response where even self-imposed tasks can trigger resistance. It can feel like "toddler mode," where you can't get yourself to do anything because lunch is on the red plate, not the blue. Even when you want to do the thing, executive functioning is simply unavailable.
What it looks like:
Procrastinating on important tasks for no “logical” reason
An inability to follow your prescribed plan or to-do list
Feeling paralyzed by deadlines or rigid schedules
Rebel energy kicking in when someone (or YOU) asks/tells you to do something
Strategies to cope:
Reframe tasks as choices: “I get to work on this today” rather than “I have to.”
Try the 5-minute rule: Tell yourself, "I only have to do this for 5 minutes," and set a timer. More often than not, you'll enter flow and keep going.
Use playful, low-pressure language in your to-do list (such as “experiment with…” or “play around with…”).
Break tasks into micro-steps that feel ridiculously easy to start. ChatGPT or goblintools are great at this.
4. Visibility & Self-Confidence
Putting yourself out there is terrifying when you fear judgment. Some people have faceless brands, but it's rare and difficult to execute. Your face will most likely show up on your branding. It's your network you reach out to first and most often. It can be intimidating as hell to share online.
What it looks like:
Posting online and immediately wanting to delete it
Downplaying your skills or avoiding photos/videos
Comparing yourself to others and deciding you’re behind
Strategies to cope:
Focus on service over self: “Who needs this message today?”
Find a networking group of people you respect and like. You'll be able to borrow confidence from them in times of fear.
Start small: commit to posting once a week on one platform. Don't overcommit and add more shame to the equation.
5. Perseverance When Progress Is Slow
Businesses take time to grow, and the waiting can test every ounce of your patience. Showing up week after week without a paycheck is no easy feat (even if it's a reality for new businesses). Investments in things like ads, support services, and certifications take time to yield results, and many people throw in the towel too early.
What it looks like:
Constantly pivoting because you’re not seeing instant results
Questioning whether you’re “cut out” for entrepreneurship
Feeling like everyone else is racing ahead while you’re stuck
Strategies to cope:
Set process-based goals (what you do) instead of only outcome goals (what you get).
Maintain a tracker with your goals, strategies, tasks/habit tracking, and results. Allow yourself to see the growth as you go.
Ritualize a weekly reflection process where you celebrate tiny metrics of progress - email sign-ups, comments, even finishing tasks.
Why Healing Out Loud is the Key to Sustainable ADHD-Friendly Business Ownership
Healing out loud isn’t about dumping every detail of your personal journey online in an early-days-of-social-media way. (Remember when we'd tweet things like "just finished my homework! Or "Can't decide tacos or spaghetti tonight?! rawr"
It's about:
→ Refusing to shrink or silence yourself just to fit in
→ Acknowledging the ways your inner world impacts your business
→ Implementing strategies to cope with the crap your mind throws at you
Sure, you might have to learn some new techniques and do things differently than you think they "should" have to be done. But in the process, you'll unlock a more authentic you.
And isn’t that why we started these businesses in the first place? To do things differently?
Your Turn:
How have you embraced “healing out loud” as a business owner? Or what’s one inner battle you’re currently working through?
Drop a comment, or send me an email . I’d love to hear your story.
✨ If you’re craving community as you navigate all of this:
May I recommend the weekly newsletter, ADHD Alchemy? ✨
Every week, I share practical tips for running a business as a neurodivergent entrepreneur, behind-the-scenes lessons from my own healing journey, and the reminders we all need that you’re not alone in this.
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