Steve August is a former startup founder, executive coach, and ADHD entrepreneur accelerator who helps founders work with their brains—not against them. After building and exiting his own startup, Steve spent years coaching founders across the globe. But it was a late ADHD diagnosis in his 50s that reshaped not just his work—but his life.
Humans of Fuzia is featuring Steve for his honest, grounded perspective on entrepreneurship, mental health, and leadership. His journey reflects what our global community of 5M+ changemakers stands for: embracing self-awareness, redefining success, and creating systems that allow people to thrive authentically.
Q. What inspired you to start your journey as an entrepreneur and coach?
My journey has evolved over time. I was a successful startup founder who took my first company from idea to exit. After the acquisition, I stayed on in corporate for a while and later transitioned into coaching other founders.
Everything shifted in 2023 when I hit a wall. Despite being at what looked like the peak of my coaching career—facilitating a founder retreat for a VC firm in Portugal—I was completely burned out. I couldn’t even finish the first sentence of an email. That’s when I was diagnosed with ADHD at 54.
That diagnosis helped me understand that what I was struggling with wasn’t just attention—it was executive function: task initiation, time blindness, prioritization. I had been compensating my entire life, and eventually, that stopped working. Once I understood how my brain actually functions, I began creating systems that worked for me—and then invited others into that process. That’s how my Focus Formula program and ADHD Entrepreneur Accelerator were born.
Q. Who do you primarily work with today?
I work with ADHD entrepreneurs who are ready to turn their brilliant chaos into consistent growth and momentum.
Q. What kind of transformation do your clients experience?
The Focus Formula is a weekly system designed specifically for ADHD brains. It helps people prioritize what matters, get started with ease, and stay focused through completion.
One of the biggest shifts I see is relief—people move from overwhelm to calm, from self-doubt to confidence. I’ve had clients who were ready to give up on their businesses completely. Today, they’re thriving—not just professionally, but personally too. One client completed an annual report three days early for the first time in 16 years. That kind of transformation changes how people experience life.
Q. Imposter syndrome is something we talk about often. Have you experienced it?
Absolutely. Imposter syndrome shows up whenever we step into something new or uncomfortable. For ADHD entrepreneurs, it’s often amplified. Many of us operate under constant urgency—getting things done just in time—so it can feel like we’re always “getting away with it.”
Even when the work is excellent, there’s a sense of Will they find me out? Understanding how your brain works helps reduce that internal pressure and builds genuine self-trust.
Q. Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I wish I had known earlier how my brain actually works. One person described it perfectly—it’s like getting the blueprint for the house you’ve lived in your whole life.
Beyond that, entrepreneurship still comes down to fundamentals: solving a real problem, offering something that resonates deeply, and making it easy for people to say yes. When your offer is clear and compelling, everything else—marketing, growth—becomes simpler (though never easy).
Q. What does success mean to you today, personally and professionally?
I think of success in terms of mission and vision.
My mission is to help ADHD entrepreneurs move out of overwhelm, reclaim their focus, and create a business and life that feel free. If I’m helping people move in that direction, I’m succeeding—even on slower days.
Vision is about how I want my life to look. Earlier in my career, I wanted high-growth startups and nonstop momentum. Now, in my late 50s, I value space, freedom, and sustainable abundance. If I’m serving my mission and living a life that feels spacious and aligned, that’s success to me.
Q. What challenges do you currently face as an entrepreneur?
The biggest challenge isn’t capability—it’s focus. I can do everything, but the real question is where my time creates the most impact.
With ADHD, executive function is limited, so I’m intentional about deploying my energy on high-value work. Entrepreneurship is both a business journey and a self-discovery journey. It surfaces triggers, patterns, and growth edges constantly.
I believe entrepreneurship is one of the greatest personal development platforms ever created—second only to parenthood. When you play both the business game and the inner game, there’s no real way to lose.
Q. Have you thought about the legacy you want to leave behind?
Less and less, honestly. Earlier in life, I thought about legacy more. Now, it’s simpler.
Did I help some people?
Did I care for my family and those around me?
Did I offer what I had to offer?
The rest is out of our control—and I’m at peace with that.
Q. Is there anything exciting you’re currently working on?
Yes. After guiding over 100 people through the Focus Formula last year, I’ve evolved it into a six-week live cohort program. The first cohort is currently running, and the transformations have been incredible.
The next cohort begins on March 24, and it’s designed to help ADHD entrepreneurs build sustainable focus, momentum, and freedom in both business and life.
Q. Any advice for someone just entering the entrepreneurial space?
Find the intersection between your pain and their pain—that’s where passion, purpose, and impact live.
Steve August’s journey reminds us that success doesn’t come from forcing ourselves into systems that don’t fit—but from understanding who we are and designing our lives accordingly. His work is a powerful example of how self-awareness can unlock clarity, confidence, and sustainable growth.
Connect with Steve August
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-august-b2b-adhd-business-founder-coach
https://steveaugustcoaching.com/
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