TPP 077: Peter Shankman of Faster Than Normal on the Gifts of ADHD
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
25 min
2 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 9 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What inspired Peter Shankman to view ADHD as a gift rather than a deficit?
I've had some success in my life, right? I'm not a trillionaire or anything like that, but I've I've done okay. I sold a couple of companies, I've done all right. And so I've just always been of the belief that if you have any modicum of success, you have a responsibility to send the elevator back down. And so for me, this is the best way I know how to do it. To explain to kids and other people, hey, I'm not you're not broken. And the things that everyone has been telling you are bad things are actually tremendous gifts. And I want you to understand that and embrace that.
Welcome to the Tilt Parenting Podcast, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. I'm your host, Debbie Rieber, and today I'm excited to bring to the podcast Peter Shankman, a multiple startup founder, best-selling author, and creator of Faster Than Normal, a leading ADD-ADHD podcast, focusing on the benefits of being gifted. With ADHD, which also happens to describe Peter. Peter's new book, Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge, Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD brain, comes out today. So we're gonna be talking about that, along with getting really deep into Peter's personal story, specifically how he's learned to not only manage his ADHD, but tap into the many gifts that come along with his.
Diagnosis. As the mama of a boy with ADHD, I loved this conversation and Peter's infectiously positive attitude in the way he moves through the world. But even if your child doesn't have ADHD, or perhaps isn't even differently wired at all, Peter's perspective on the importance of self-knowledge and setting yourself up for success, as well as his ideas around productivity and creativity, are messages. Everyone can benefit from. Before I get into the episode, did you know that some of the production costs for the podcast are being offset by generous donations from listeners like you? I'm now able to outsource my final post-production costs, which is fantastic and so very appreciated. My goal is to eventually have all the post-production tasks outsourced.
If you'd like to help us reach our goal, please consider supporting us through our Patreon campaign. Patreon is a simple membership platform that allows listeners like you to make a small monthly contribution, as little as $2 a month, to fund our efforts. If you want to help us, visit patreon.com slash tiltparenting. And now I'll get on with the show. Hey Peter, welcome to the podcast.
Pleasure to be here, Debbie. Thanks for having me.
Well, really excited to have you on the show. I'm a fan of your podcast and I'm sure a lot of uh the parents in our community are as well. And before we talk about what you're doing with your podcast and your new book, I'd love if you could just tell us a little bit about the highlights of your childhood with ADHD and and maybe some of the the moments along the way that kind of led you to where you are today with this project.
Yeah, I mean so when I was growing up, uh I grew up in the eight seventies and eighties and we didn't have ADHD. It wasn't called ADHD, it was called sit down, you're disrupting the class disease. And, you know, every report card and a lot of notes from the teacher in between those report cards were usually um needs to pay attention to focus, needs to stop interrupting the class, things like that. And um it was sort of just who I was. And I was fortunate enough that I had some artistic talent, musical talent, and I I got into High School of Performing Arts, the Fame School, where everyone was a little weird and uh a little crazy. And so I went there and you know still was was definitely socially awkward.
I had the social uh acuity of a of a of a hedgehog. But you know, I learned a little bit more about myself there. And it didn't really kick in until probably in my late twenties, early thirties, when I sort of got over my social awkwardness and realized. There were better ways to be a human being.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What inspired Peter Shankman to view ADHD as a gift rather than a deficit?
0:00–4:40
2
How did Peter’s childhood experiences in the 70s and 80s shape his view of ADHD?
4:40–8:08
3
What non‑medication strategies does Peter use to manage his ADHD and boost productivity?
8:08–11:04
4
How does Peter structure his daily routine and exercise to fuel focus and creativity?
11:04–13:22
5
What are the core principles behind the Faster Than Normal podcast and its interview format?
13:22–16:34
6
What practical advice does Peter give parents of differently‑wired children?
16:34–18:40
7
How does Peter address stigma around ADHD and encourage self‑knowledge?
18:40–21:01
8
Where can listeners connect with Peter and access his new book and podcast?
21:01–25:39
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids