Episode 107: Making Peace With The Mess
What is radical self-acceptance? And could it really hold the keys to business success!?
In this episode of Unconventional Business Podcast, I chat with Donna Henley, a business strategist who helps women who constantly second-guess themselves to build solid strategy foundations while practising radical self-acceptance.
Donna shares her journey from burnout, self-doubt, and “doing business the right way” to embracing her messy humanity, honouring her ADHD brain, and building a business that prioritises peace and freedom over hustle and perfection.
Together, we unpack what it really means to build a business you don’t need time off from, how to work with your brain instead of against it, and why authenticity, needs-awareness, and self-compassion are non‑negotiable for sustainable success—especially for neurodivergent entrepreneurs.
In this episode, we cover:
Donna’s unconventional approach:
Building a business by embracing messiness, self-doubt and imperfection
Letting go of “doing it the right way” and industry shoulds
Burnout, self-doubt & the fluke narrative:
Feeling like success was an accident, not ability
Burning out from trying to follow every popular strategy and schedule
Radical self-acceptance in business:
Choosing peace and freedom over performative “seven-figure” perfection
Building a business you don’t need time off from
Potato days vs. powerhouse days:
Designing work that honours fluctuating energy and capacity
Helping clients ditch the noise, get clear on what they actually want, and then build strategy to match
Rethinking productivity & work norms:
Questioning the 40-hour work week in a world of AI and higher output
Why “part-time” hours don’t equal a lack of commitment
ADHD as operating instructions, not an excuse:
Donna’s self-diagnosis journey and deep research
Using ADHD as a lens to design better strategies, not as a label to hide behind
Masking, ableism & the hidden cost of coping:
The physical and emotional toll of decades of pretending to be “fine”
Internalised ableism and why invisible needs are so often dismissed
Permission, peace and being a “masterpiece in progress”:
“Borrow my permission until you can give it to yourself”
You can be both a work-in-progress and a masterpiece at the same time
Parenting & power phrases for self-acceptance:
Teaching kids they’re already awesome while they’re still learning
Simple phrases like “Did you mean to hurt my feelings?” and “I didn’t ask for your feedback” to hand other people’s stuff back
Enjoyed the show?
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Find out more about Donna
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnahenleyco/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/donnahenleyhogg/
Donna’s free business strategy board: https://donna-oodtlcyw.scoreapp.com/
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Step into Siobhan's Unconventional World
Connect with Siobhan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhanrfox/
Learn more about ADHD business coaching: https://bigpicturebusinesscoach.com/
Get in touch: siobhan@revealmarketinguk.com