I help ADHD founders build their dream business without the constant doubt, overwhelm, analysis and rollercoaster of chaos.

I’ve built and sold companies.
Sold millions to countless Fortune 500 brands. 
Led teams to the Inc. 500 — twice.
Hired and managed dozens of people. 

But none of that compares to what I do now.

Because for most of my career, I looked successful on paper… while silently battling chaos behind the scenes.

As a founder with ADHD, 
I lived in cycles of burnout, 
inconsistency, 
and confusion. 

I knew I had potential but I couldn’t access it consistently.
And I couldn’t lead the way I wanted to.

That realization was that my brain wasn’t broken, just wired differently, changed everything.

I went deep: therapy, coaching, performance frameworks, behavioral science.
And rebuilt my life from the inside out.

Now, I run Accountable, a coaching platform and community for visionary founders who want to scale with structure, lead with clarity, and operate at their full capacity.

I help founders break the cycles holding them back:

⛔ Overwhelm, distraction, and emotional reactivity
⛔ Team misalignment, conflict, or delegation struggles
⛔ Constant firefighting and decision fatigue

And instead build:

✅ Calm, confident leadership
✅ Clear systems for execution and delegation
✅ Habits that drive focus, momentum, and scale

If you're a startup founder who knows you're capable of more — but can’t seem to unlock it — I’d love to connect.

Because when you shift your internal operating system, everything else follows.

DM me. 

Let’s talk.

Ian Tenenbaum

ADHD minds chase freedom in bursts.

We crave spontaneity, creativity, and the thrill of the moment.
But not all freedom is the same.

Some freedom is survival - the bare minimum to live, move, and breathe.
It’s temporary, necessary, instinctive.

It keeps us going, keeps us afloat, keeps our ADHD minds from feeling trapped.

Other freedom is earned - the luxury of choice, the pride of independence.
It comes from focus, persistence, and deliberate effort.

It’s the freedom that satisfies the mind, the ego, and the soul - the kind that lasts.

ADHD teaches us to feel deeply, act impulsively, and chase sparks of joy.

But true wisdom is knowing the difference between survival and achievement.

Between freedom we stumble into, and freedom we build.

Because life isn’t about constant flight -
it’s about harnessing energy, channeling creativity, and earning the freedom that truly matters.

You don’t have to do 2026 alone.
Join 150+ ADHD founders mapping their first 90 days with structure, support, and accountability.

👉 Save your spot: https://lnkd.in/gEfTMgw6

Video credit: veil.x.1

Most ADHD founders don’t lack ambition.

They’re drowning in it.

Too many goals.
Too many ideas.
Too much future packed into one plan.

Annual planning turns that into pressure.
And pressure is where execution quietly disappears.

What helps isn’t pushing harder.
It’s reducing the load.

Shorter timelines.
Fewer priorities.
A plan that tells you what now matters.

That’s the point of this 90-minute Q1 planning workshop for ADHD founders.

Inside the session, we’ll:
– step away from annual goal overload
– choose a realistic Q1 focus
– plan work in short, ADHD-friendly sprints
– break one priority into simple monthly actions
– leave with a clear Week 1 plan you can actually follow

This isn’t a motivational webinar.
It’s a practical reset.

Less noise.
More clarity.
Real momentum.

If you want to join us, you can register free here:
https://lnkd.in/g4cETF3S

Video credit: rustemgalei

Most ADHD founders aren’t failing because they can’t focus.

They’re failing because the plan they’re following doesn’t fit their brain.

Annual goals. Big roadmaps. “One plan for the whole year.”

They look impressive.
They also quietly die by February.

What actually works is smaller, shorter, and simpler.

One quarter.
A few priorities.
A rhythm you can actually stick to.

That’s exactly what we’ll build in this 90-minute Q1 planning workshop.

You’ll learn to:
– stop overloading your brain with year-long goals
– pick a realistic Q1 focus
– plan in short, ADHD-friendly sprints
– break one focus into monthly steps
– leave with a Week 1 plan you can execute

No hype.
No pressure.
Just a system that finally lets you move forward.

Plan less. Ship more. Gain momentum.

Join free here: https://lnkd.in/g4cETF3S

Video credit: alaricongofficial

5 Silent Systems ADHD Minds Use to Stay Grounded

ADHD isn’t always loud, chaotic, or restless.
Sometimes it’s quiet determination.
Internal rhythm.
Micro-systems we build that nobody sees.

We don’t always talk about it -
but these silent habits keep us steady.

Here are 5 grounding systems ADHD brains rely on:

1/ Emotional Calibration
➝ We check in with ourselves constantly.
➝ “Do I feel okay? What’s overwhelming me?”
➝ Emotional self-awareness becomes our compass.
➝ When we’re in tune, we stay balanced.

2/ Micro-Prioritizing in Real Time
➝ We don’t plan everything days ahead.
➝ We prioritize based on momentum + clarity.
➝ One step at a time.
➝ One meaningful task → then the next.

3/ Anchor Habits
➝ We don’t need 50 habits - we need 3 anchors.
➝ A morning reset.
➝ A workspace ritual.
➝ A nightly wind-down.
➝ These keep our brain from spiraling.

4/ Controlled Input Mode
➝ When overwhelmed, we reduce noise instead of pushing harder.
➝ Minimal notifications.
➝ Quiet room or headphones.
➝ Simplified tasks.
➝ Focus grows where stimulation shrinks.

5/ Purpose-Check Mechanism
➝ We don’t move on autopilot - we need meaning.
➝ If the “why” is real, energy unlocks.
➝ If not… we recalibrate, not quit.
➝ Our purpose fuels our presence.

ADHD grounding isn’t rigid.
It’s not forced discipline or hyper-control.

It’s small inner systems that keep us aligned -
quiet strength, not constant motion.

Your steadiness doesn’t need to look like theirs.

You don’t need perfection.
You need anchors, awareness, and intentional energy.

ADHD isn’t just fast minds -
it’s deep minds learning to move with rhythm, not chaos.

Start your 30-day free trial today!
Slow down, get clear, and follow through with weekly planning sessions, community support, and workshops. Don’t wait build momentum now!

👉 Join: https://lnkd.in/gEfTMgw6

Follow Ian Tenenbaum for more insights.

5 Silent Systems ADHD Minds Use to Stay Grounded.

🕶 Founder - CultureC Consulting ♟ Culture Strategist 📣 Keynote Speaker (SXSW 2021/22) 📐 Experience and Event Designer👂🏻 Facilitator 🤝 #CultureFirst Community Builder

I passionately believe better workplaces build a better world. This belief has fueled my career — and today, through CultureC Consulting, I partner with organizations to turn employee experience into a strategic superpower - driving measurable gains in engagement, performance and culture.

For the past 15+ years, I’ve helped hundreds of organizations make data-informed, human-centered decisions that spark action and lasting change.

My approach blends real-world consulting experience with a strong foundation in organizational psychology (M.A. in I/O Psychology) and academic involvement as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, supporting courses in Motivation and Groups & Culture.

Before founding CultureC, I spent six years as a Lead People Scientist at Culture Amp, advising organizations around the world on building thriving, high-performing cultures and helping grow the Culture First community.

Today, I partner with executive teams, HR leaders, and people-first organizations to:

- Build and optimize employee listening programs
• Translate engagement data into meaningful action
• Strengthen leadership capability and cultural alignment
• Drive measurable improvements in culture, performance, and retention

If you’re passionate about building a workplace where people thrive and results follow, let’s connect, or feel free to reach out here on LinkedIn, email me at craig@culturecraig.com or visit www.culturecraig.com to learn more.

Craig Forman

There’s something I’ve been keeping from all of you for a while.
And I think it’s time to share.

I have a book coming out next week! "Listen Up: Your Practical Guide to Building Employee Listening Programs that Strengthen Culture and Drive Performance"

That sentence still feels strange to write; it'll take a minute to get used to it. 

I was a kid who struggled early in school. I questioned myself academically for a long time. I spent years learning how to learn, eventually earning a master’s degree, but for as long as I can remember there was this quiet thought in the background: maybe one day I’ll write a book. I just didn’t know how that would ever happen.

This one came together differently than I imagined.

At the core of my work, and really my belief about organizations, is something simple: I don’t see a path to building a great culture without listening. Not performative listening. Real listening. Creating the conditions to hear people clearly, take the time to understand what you’re hearing, ask better questions, and then turn that insight into visible, meaningful action. When organizations do that well, so many other things begin to move.

When I started CultureC, I poured those ideas into a course. I wasn’t sure where it would go, but I knew I needed to get the thinking out of my head and into the world. Along the way, I met Nate Bagley the team at Nectar. They were leaning into the same questions, saw the work, and asked if I’d be open to turning it into a book. Six months later, here we are.

I’m still processing it. Still figuring out how this fits into who I am and how I talk about my work. But I know this: this community has been a huge part of my journey. Many of you have watched this evolve in real time, and sharing this with you now genuinely means a lot.

The book will be formally available next week. I’ll share a landing page, and I’ll be offering a free download through my site and through Nectar. You’ll hear more about it soon.

For now, is me saying: it’s happening. And I’m grateful. To the people who contributed, who challenged my thinking, who trusted me with their stories. I’ll be tagging many of you soon.

More to come. And as always, let’s keep building better workplaces together.

Thank you.

Adam Smiley Poswolsky - I owe you dinner, any place you want.

To my contributors 🙏
Al Adamsen, Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D., Claude Silver, David Hanrahan, Gianna Driver, Dr. Hilary Curry, Jerome Deroy, CPC, Kamaria Scott, Lars Schmidt, Megan Galloway, Nick Bloom, Pat McCullough, Penny Farinha, Tushar Pandit

Finally to William Werhane and Michael Gegg - the professional guidance and support you have offered in this journey means the world and I appreciate you both immensely; thank you from the bottom of my heart.

🕶 Founder - CultureC Consulting ♟ Culture Strategist 📣 Keynote Speaker (SXSW 2021/22)🎤 Podcast Host (Culture Conversations) 👂🏻 Facilitator 🤝 Culture First Community Builder

Some leaders build companies. Others build movements, communities, and careers.

This week, some big news dropped in my world.

Didier Elzinga announced that he is stepping down as CEO of Culture Amp and moving into the role of Board Chair. It feels like the closing of an important chapter, not just for Culture Amp, but for the broader world of HR tech, people analytics, and workplace culture.

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

Didier saw early that understanding people at scale could be both powerful and deeply human. That organizations of all sizes deserved access to insights once reserved for only the largest enterprises. And that technology could be built in service of better leadership, better cultures, and better work.

When I joined Culture Amp in 2017, I knew I was stepping into something different. Not just a product, but a mission. Supporting leaders with one of the most powerful listening platforms in the market fundamentally changed what was possible in conversations with executives. That experience reshaped my entire career.

Just as impactful was the organization Didier built.

Culture Amp gave me room to grow far beyond what I imagined. From client work, to marketing, to global events, to helping build the Culture First community, I was trusted to stretch, experiment, and lead in new ways. Those experiences opened up a whole side of my professional identity that ultimately led me to the work I do today.

None of that was on my original roadmap. It happened because of the culture. A culture built on trust, humanity, and belief in people.

As this chapter closes, what stands out most is the dent Didier has made. Not only directly, but through the people he empowered to go make dents of their own.

I’m deeply grateful for what you built, Didier. For the vision, the opportunity, and the impact you’ve had on my life and career. I’m excited to see what comes next.

#CultureFirst

Reflecting back on 2025, something big came to life for me and for CultureC Consulting.

What started as a simple idea, creating intentional spaces where HR and People leaders could actually connect as humans, turned into something far more powerful than I expected. One gathering led to another. Each room got better. The conversations went deeper. The connections stuck. And somewhere along the way, this became a meaningful part of the work I now care most about.

This dinner in San Francisco, hosted alongside the Responsibly Human at the end of last year, felt like a culmination of that momentum. A room full of thoughtful leaders. Real conversation. Music. Laughter. No pretense. Just people showing up for one another in a way that feels increasingly rare and increasingly necessary.

I’m sharing this now because I finally have the video back and because it feels like the right moment to say this out loud. Building community is not a side project. In a world where technology keeps accelerating, these human moments matter more, not less. They create trust. They create clarity. They create energy that carries forward long after the night ends.

Having Claude Silver with us that evening was especially meaningful. Her presence and perspective grounded the night in exactly what this work is about. Humanity, courage, and showing up as yourself, even in complex systems.

Also, I have to share a huge thanks to the partners who helped make this possible. AJ Thomas ⚡️and The Troublemaker Lab, Jodie Evans and Kenneth Matos from HiBob, and  Julia Markish from Elevate Leadership. These evenings only work when there’s support and alignment behind them.

As we move into this year, I’m excited to keep building more of these spaces and bringing more people together. 

And... if you happen to be an HR or People leader who will be in New York City in early February, or know somebody who is, feel free to send me a DM. We may have something coming up!

Grateful for what this has become and for the people who continue to show up.

Now to the next gathering...

undefined undefined

culturec

CultureC Consulting

Responsibly Human

Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX. Author of Be Yourself at Work and TEDx speaker. I help leaders build emotionally fluent, brave, high-performing cultures — and help humans find their mojo and joy at work.

Founder & General Partner at Good Trouble Ventures | CEO at The Troublemaker Lab | Forbes Contributor | Advisor & Executive Coach | Award-Winning Children's Book Author | Mom of 👧🏻👦🏻👶🏻 🇵🇭

The Troublemaker Lab

Global VP of Regional Marketing at HiBob | Ex-Culture Amp | IBM | Kenexa | CHPD

Organizational Psychologist | Transforming People Data into Executive Decisions that Drive Culture, Engagement & Performance

HiBob

Head of Strategy, Executive Coach & Facilitator at Elevate Leadership

Elevate Leadership

Carissa Karban

I’ve been a sh*tty friend. I’ll own that. And I want to make it right.

A while back, my dear friend and colleague Emily Goodson  sent me her book, Dating Disability. I was genuinely honored she sent it to me. And then… it sat on a stack of books in my office. I’d see it, think “I really need to read Emily’s book,” and then tell myself I didn’t have the time.

Spoiler: “later” never showed up.

Fast forward to recently. I’m packing for a trip to NYC and I know I’m going to see Emily. I notice the book sitting right there on top of the stack. I grab it, put it in my bag, and think, I cannot look my friend in the eye if I haven’t read her book.

On the plane, I settle in, pull it out, and start reading.

And then I absolutely flew through it.

Emily models what it actually looks like to walk the walk when it comes to vulnerability. Not the performative kind. The real kind. The kind our world desperately needs more of.

As an able-bodied human, I get to live with the luxury of avoidance. I can move through the world benefiting from systems built for me without having to regularly confront the harder reality that limited ability is something we will all face at some point, either personally or through someone we love. It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. And I usually don’t have to sit with it.

Emily doesn’t let you look away. But she does something far more powerful: she invites you in with honesty, humor, grace, and yes, a few chuckles along the way. I kept thinking, this is what bravery actually looks like.

And as if writing candidly about disability weren’t enough, she doubles down and takes on sexuality, desire, and attraction. Another set of topics most people avoid like the plague. The result is deeply human, refreshingly honest, and surprisingly life-giving.

My only complaint is that I wanted the book to keep going.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It will open your eyes. It will challenge you. It may even light you up a bit.

And if I’m being fully honest… I also thought it was quite hot 🔥 

Emily, I’m sorry for putting you (and your work) on a shelf. I’m here to own that and say bravo. This is a beautiful piece of literature and art.

I can’t wait to see you soon. What a gift it was to spend a plane ride with you through these pages.

Please go buy a copy you owe it to yourself. 

https://a.co/d/5rTb8x5

NYC - I’m coming to spend some time with you this week, and I love to connect with as my New York based #Culture friends. 

Please keep an eye on my feed as I may be sharing things planned where people can come and meet up when possible. 

That said, one of these is the Coffee & Culture gathering being organized by Julia Grassa (fka Smirnova) and her #CultureFirst chapter.

This will be 9 to 10:30 in mid-town on Tuesday 2/2. 

Not only will it be great to see everybody but I’m also sharing about my new book, Listen Up, which is officially launching on Monday and I’m so excited to begin sharing publicly. I can’t think of a better group, given how big this community has been in my career journey. 

If you are interested in joining us you can learn more and register here. 

https://lnkd.in/gtBxXFzv

I hope to see as many amid you possible this week, so we can huddle together like penguins 🐧 and stay warm; this California boy is scared of the cold 🥶 

Be there soon!

Open article: Coffee & Culture: Breakfast with Jessie Jacob & Craig Forman | Culture First by chapters.culturefirst.com

Coffee & Culture: Breakfast with Jessie Jacob & Craig Forman | Culture First

We’re kicking off 2026 with another CultureC webinar tomorrow, and I’ll also be sharing something big that I haven’t talked about publicly yet; but will be announcing tomorrow!

The session is called Getting HR in Shape for 2026, and it’s a live conversation about empowering leaders, anchoring on listening, and using technology with intention.

I’ll be joined by Anita Grantham, HR guru and Executive in Residence at Nectar who brings an incredible depth of experience and perspective on HR and leadership, and Natalie Egan, CEO of Znario someone I’ve admired for years who’s building technology to help humans have better conversations at scale. We’ll even be opening with a live, interactive experience.

We loved hosting monthly conversations like this over the past year and are carrying that momentum forward with more to come.

If you'd like to join us, just use the link below. Also, if you can't make it but want a follow up, that will also share the exciting news, register and we will follow up with a recording and summary.

Thanks and I hope to see you there!

https://lnkd.in/gTfcvrFP

I want to publicly echo what Will shared here and say how deeply grateful I am for the time, partnership, and work we’ve done together.

When I started CultureC, it was an idea, a set of beliefs, and a lot of lived experience. Will came in and helped turn that into a real business. He brought structure where there was ambiguity, pressure where there were assumptions, and steadiness where there was speed. He challenged me, made me better, and helped lock the foundation of CultureC into something durable.

This is what good partnerships do. They don’t just produce outcomes, they change the people inside them.

I couldn’t be more supportive of Will stepping into his next chapter as Director of Account Management at EverPro, I know he will do what he always does, make it better. 

As for CultureC: this moment is both an ending and a beginning. The work continues. The partnerships continue. The dinners, conversations, and listening-driven culture work continue. And we’re building on a stronger foundation because of what Will helped create.

Proud of what we built. Grateful for what we learned. And genuinely excited for what’s ahead.

Here’s to chapters well closed and new ones well opened.

Strategic Account Management Leader passionate about bringing people and data together to create high performing organizations.

After an incredible 18 months, I'm transitioning from CultureC Consulting to a new role as Director of Account Management at EverPro (more on that shortly). As I make this move, I want to express my deep gratitude to Craig Forman, founder of CultureC Consulting, for being an exceptional partner and mentor.

There's something full circle about our journey together—we first met when I hired Craig into Culture Amp, and he later brought me on board at CultureC to help build upon the solid foundations he'd already established. Together we've learned so much about growing a consultancy that truly makes an impact.

I'm extremely proud of what we've accomplished. We launched a regular cadence of monthly webinars for HR leaders that attract over 2,000 people registering to learn more about employee listening, performance management and culture change. We've also hosted meaningful dinners at Transform (shout out to Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D. at Groops, Jennie Blumenthal at Corporate Rehab Leadership, and Samara Jaffe at Transform), Responsive Conference (shout out to Christina Mills and Jenny Podewils at Leapsome and Robin P. Zander at Responsive), and Responsibly Human AI (shout out to HiBob notably Jodie Evans and her team, Hung Pham, AJ Thomas ⚡️ at The Troublemaker Lab, and Julia Markish at Elevate Leadership). All of these are continuing including upcoming dinners in New York and webinar later this month (see comment thread) so please continue to follow CultureC to learn more.

Craig is the kind of partner every professional hopes to work with—someone genuinely focused on improving the world of work and committed to furthering every individual around him. His dedication to creating better workplace cultures for organizations is both inspiring and infectious.

I also want to acknowledge the incredible partnerships we've built with Culture Amp, Leapsome, Klaar (Lana Peters, Sharthok Chakraborty Alexa Amatulli), Nectar (Nate Bagley and 🚀 Eric Serdar), HiBob (Kenneth Matos, Kimberly Ahn and Yuliana Donets and Scott Plonsker) , and AchieveEngagement (Zech Dahms, MBA and Barry Upbin)—organizations and people that share our mission of elevating people and culture practices.

While I'm incredibly excited about this next chapter at EverPro, I remain a strong supporter of the important work Craig and CultureC continue to do. Thank you, Craig, for an unforgettable journey and for building something truly meaningful.

**Resource Request** to my NYC friends - I am looking for leads on an amazing event photographer for an upcoming dinner event I am hosting in early Feb.

I am looking for somebody who has experience capturing intimate dinner type events that can really help tell the story and the vibe through their images. 

If you know of anybody, especially somebody who's work you have directly experienced, please pass some names my way. 

Also, a little teaser that I will be in town, all of next week, so reach out if you want to look to connect. 

Thanks.

taplio

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