Late ADHD Diagnosis: The Business Advantage - Sue Pember

What if the one thing that made you a difficult employee is the same thing that made you a successful business owner? When I read Sue Pember’s introduction at the start of this episode, she got emotional, and once you hear her story, you’ll understand why. There is a version of Sue who spent decades believing she was a difficult employee. The diagnosis that arrived almost twenty years into her career reframed all of it. The thing Sue had quietly been good at the whole time, reading a room and thinking on her feet, turned out to be the engine behind everything she has built. Sue is the founder and managing director of AussieOS, the relocation and housing business she started in 2010, which has helped doctors, nurses, engineers and tradespeople from a dozen countries build a life in Australia. She was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, and that diagnosis became a turning point in how she understands the way she works, leads and runs a business. In this conversation, we discuss the grief that arrived alongside the clarity the diagnosis brought, and the two job descriptions every owner needs. What struck me most was how honest Sue was about the cost of always being in motion. She talks about her son pointing at every passing taxi and saying mum, because that was how often he watched her leave. She talks about what an eighty-five year old version of herself would be furious at her for missing. For someone who has achieved as much as she has, there is a lot of reflection here about what all of it is actually for. If you have ever felt like the way your brain works is something you need to apologise for, this is the episode I would want you to hear first. Mentioned in This Episode: 04:22 The sprint then catatonic rhythm of working with ADHD, and why pushing through does not work 08:45 The supermarket moment Sue first found out she had ADHD, trolley half full, taking an online quiz 10:36 The grief that arrived with the diagnosis, and the dark hole most people do not expect 22:59 Why Sue says she is a business owner because she has ADHD 30:11 The delusion almost every owner starts with about time 31:46 The two job descriptions every owner needs, and the one they keep hiding from 45:00 The $27,000 question the relocation industry will not ask out loud 1:01:17 What eighty-five year old Sue would be furious at her for not doing About Sue: Sue Pember is the founder and managing director of AussieOS, a relocation and destination services business she established in 2010. For more than sixteen years she has helped people moving to Australia find rental housing, choose schools and settle into a new country, working with everyone from trades and skilled workers to senior executives, and with organisations including Ramsay Healthcare and Regis Aged Care. She is also a qualified business coach, mentor and advisor who works with a small group of owners, many of whom also have ADHD. Business News 40under40 Awards winner, WA Today Female Entrepreneur of the Year and EY Entrepreneur finalist, Sue began her career in stage management after graduating from WAAPA and worked at the ABC before industry cuts changed her path. She was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, almost twenty years into her career. She lives in Perth with her husband Matt and their two children, Charlotte and Leo. Tools and resources mentioned: Life Wheel Exercise Example: https://tinyurl.com/Life-Wheel-Exercise Life Wheel LinkedIn Post: https://tinyurl.com/Life-Wheel-Linked... Connect with Sue: Website: http://aussieos.com.au LinkedIn:   / sue-pember-6b969b20   ☕This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel — https://cuppacartel.com/ Enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout. ✨Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery 🌐 Visit https://therealbizlifechronicles.com/ 📧 Email [email protected] 🎙️ About Tracy Fryer Host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. Tracy is passionate about helping entrepreneurs create brands that reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. 🔗 Connect with Tracy Fryer: LinkedIn ➝   / brandingperth   Instagram ➝   / tracyfryer__   TikTok ➝   / tracy.fryer   📌 Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: LinkedIn:   / therealbizlifechronicles   Instagram:   / therealbizlifechronicles   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... 📺 Watch More Episodes in This Playlist:    / @therealbizlifechronicles   🎧 Listen On (and on major podcast platforms): Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3bWM6WE... Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... #148 Sue Pember - Late ADHD Diagnosis: The Business Advantage