987: Sumur Williams: ADHD in Women: Why High Performers Are the Last to Get Diagnosed Inclusive Leadership

Ever since my own ADHD diagnosis in my mid-forties, I’m on the lookout for other women who are talking about their later-in-life diagnosis. I stumbled across Sumur Williams on LinkedIn, and her posts on ADHD consistently resonated with me. So, I reached out to ask her to join me on the show to talk about high-performing women who have ADHD. Sumur Williams is the founder of The Unpolished Brain, and an ADHD coach and AI strategist for late-diagnosed professionals. She helps newly diagnosed adults finally understand how their brain actually works and build systems that support their current needs. She is passionate about changing how ADHD is understood and helping people move from survival mode into intentional, supported growth. As a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD at 47, Sumur didn’t fit the traditional narrative. She spent decades masking, overcompensating, and performing at high levels while quietly struggling underneath it all. Today, Sumur combines lived experience with practical tools, including AI, to help people reduce overwhelm, improve task initiation, and stop spinning their wheels. Her work focuses on building real-life scaffolding, systems that still work on hard days, not just good ones. Listen in to hear Sumur share: How she was diagnosed with ADHD at age 47, and the layers of grief that ensued after her diagnosis Some of the misconceptions and common characteristics you see in high-performing women who have ADHD Her experience in choosing to disclose having ADHD at work and her recommendations around workplace disability disclosures What executive dysfunction looks like for middle-aged women The importance of energy regulation and boundaries for neurodivergent women How to use AI as a tool for task management, decision fatigue mitigation, and emotional regulation Links Mentioned: Free Workshop on April 16th: Trust Your Voice: Communicate with Courage When the Stakes Are High: Connect with Sumur: Sumer on LinkedIn: Sumur on Instagram: @theunpolishedbrain Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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987: Sumur Williams: ADHD in Women: Why High Performers Are the Last to Get Diagnosed Inclusive Leadership is an episode from The Shameless Mom Academy | Motherhood | Parent | Lifestyle | Inspiration | Motivation | Education | Mother | Full Life | Life of Your Dreams by Sara Dean.

This episode is 40:13 long.

This episode was published on Apr 14, 2026.

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