Meet Coach Summer Varde: Helping Brilliant But Scattered Creatives Find Their Focus

What initially drew you to coaching, and how has your own personal journey shaped your approach as a coach?

As an architect, I spent the first 20 years of my career working for high-profile and boutique architecture and construction firms in Los Angeles.

Despite what could be considered an impressive resume, I really struggled. I worked myself too hard and still couldn’t keep up. I was frequently confused and nearly always overwhelmed.

Then I was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid-30s.

Thanks to therapy and coaching, I eventually became more effective at juggling work and feeling a happiness and calm I didn’t think was possible.

I became fascinated with career fulfillment, ADHD, and how the brain works because for creative professionals, it’s a paradoxical struggle - how do we be both the inspired artist and the organized manager? Now, I help brilliant, scattered creatives with a million ideas finish what matters - without burning out.

Do you have an established coaching practice / business and what is it called? Do you have a coaching niche that you specialize in? What is your website?

I’ve been coaching professionally since 2022.

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In 2023, I launched Scattered Creatives to help ambitious and brilliant but scattered professionals (with and without ADHD) to gain clarity, find purpose and follow through with more ease – and, frankly, more fun.

You can find me at www.scatteredcreatives.com

What online tools / applications / platforms do you use to help you stay focused and streamlined in managing your practice, especially if you’re a solo / small business owner without a big budget for expenses?

CoachVantage – of course!

As a coach with ADHD, it’s an invaluable tool for keeping my client info organized and making scheduling and invoicing easy.

And, if you have ADHD, never underestimate the power of other people! “Body doubling” (a.k.a. co-working) is magic for me and most of my clients. My favorite space for that is Focusmate. It pairs me with a partner to meet up with online, we share our tasks, get to work, and debrief at the end. The format supports focus, accountability, and a structure for sensing time – it’s brilliant.

How do you maintain your own self-care and emotional well-being while supporting others through theirs?

I provide my clients with a Mental Fitness Roadmap because when you become stronger and more confident with your scattered brain, life feels less draining, and more fulfilling.

 

This system is also the foundation of my own mental and emotional well-being. I call the stops on this journey “The 5-S’s”:

 

1. State before Solution: Emotional regulation comes first. I used to rely on 20-minute mediations daily. Now, my go-to practices are are simple: getting out of my head and into my body by noticing my senses for 30–90 seconds throughout the day.

 

2. Self-Discovery: Know thyself – and with ADHD, know thy brain. My brain thrives with support from others: talking things out, collaborating with a partner, and learning in community.

 

3. Small Experiments: I traded grand plans and “failed” projects for tiny, doable goals. Everything is an experiment, and every outcome is data that adds to my success pile. (Inspired by Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff.)

 

4. Success Spotlighting: Like puppy training or cheering a baby’s first steps, celebration reinforces a positive behavior. I celebrate tiny wins—washing one dish, opening one piece of mail—because small moments of praise quickly strengthen confidence and shift my mood. (Inspired by Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg.)

 

5. Self-Advocacy & Self-Leadership: Inspired by Internal Family Systems’ “no bad parts” philosophy, I build compassionate relationships with all parts of myself—even the ones that judge, avoid, or procrastinate. This helps me show up with greater compassion and presence for my clients.