207 | Creating Your Own Path with Kwame Dougan

Kwame Dougan is an attorney by training, an investor by experience, and an advisor by design.  He earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia University and a Master of Science from London School of Economics, attending as a rotary ambassadorial scholar.  Previously, Kwame practiced commercial litigation with a global law firm.  His journey overcoming poverty and an undiagnosed learning disability has been documented in various publications and is the subject of a Ted Talk.  In 2015, Kwame was honored as a trailblazer by the National Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.    In this conversation, you will hear Kwame describe his background as a refugee from Ghana who grew up in Canada.  He talks about his unique experiences as a black man in China.  Kwame went through a lot of personal growth in China, and he explains why he felt successful in his time there.  Kwame was diagnosed in 2006, and until that point, he had been thriving in chaos and learning in a state of drowsiness.  Kwame is intentional and thoughtful and I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.    Connect with Kwame Dougan      You’ll Learn:  [08:35] - Born in Ghana, Kwame grew up in Canada.  He shares his childhood story and explains how technology led to him not being diagnosed.    [11:50] - Kwame talks about his education history and the testing that identified some of his strengths, weaknesses, and diagnoses.   [17:20] - Kwame shares that he has also been diagnosed with sleep apnea. He shared how he learned to learn in a state of drowsiness.   [21:33] - Kwame survived a fire in China, and he shares this story of this situation.   [27:25] - Kwame talks about being black in China.  [34:06] - Kwame explains why he felt successful during his time in China.    [41:11] - We talk about attention, focusing, and leaving a trail of crumbs.   [45:00] - Kwame talks about how ADHD helps him encourage creativity with his daughter.   [46:45] - Algorithms to Live By is something that made sense to Kwame. He explains why.    [49:43] - Kwame talks about his intuition when it comes to a specific task that needs to be accomplished.   [53:20] - We talk about the concept of satisficers and maximizers.   [55:13] - Kwame shares that he was a successful nightclub promoter when he was in school.    [57:24] - Kwame says that the death rate is 100%, so we know what’s going to happen.  He talks about leaving a legacy by having a logical approach.    [1:01:03] - Kwame talks about being black with ADHD and creating your own path.   Your Resources:    Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles:    ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group  Early registration of our 12th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group is now over. To learn more and schedule your interview, .  Registration is open through March 15th.   Support the podcast on Patreon  Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall.  Learn more at    ADHD reWired Facebook Group:  If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to  and fill out an application.  Productivity Q&A  Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30pm.  Go to.  ADHD Women’s Palooza   If you missed the ADHD Women’s Palooza, don’t worry.  They recorded all 33 sessions in audio and video, and they are available for purchase. Go to  for more information.  Want to be a guest?  Hey! What about you?  Do you have a story?  Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician?  If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call .