Influencer
Katy Weber: Building A Community For Women with ADHD
Who is Katy Weber?
Katy Weber is the host of the Women & ADHD podcast, a platform that aims to demystify the various symptoms of ADHD and help more women receive a diagnosis. Weber was diagnosed with ADHD in 2020 at the age of 45. During her in-depth research of the condition, she discovered how ADHD can present itself differently in men and women. She goes on to explain her experience with various online ADHD tests.
‘It was when I took the one that was specifically for women and I just aced it. It was just through the roof. I really sort of connected the dots of what it looks like in adult women. This idea of a hyperactive little boy that keeps on getting into trouble was sort of the stereotype that I had and it was very different from my own experience.’
Aside from her podcast, Katy Weber creates an abundance of ADHD-related content across a wide variety of social media platforms. She has gained 33.9K followers on her personal Instagram page and a further 31.8K followers on TikTok.
The Beginnings of the Women & ADHD Podcast
The Women & ADHD podcast acts as a lifeline for many undiagnosed women, creating a support network for people whose neurodivergence was ignored as children. The podcast now has 350K downloads to date and is categorized in the 1% of all podcasts globally. Weber describes how she began her journey as an ADHD advocate and influencer.
‘I was just curious if other adult women were having the same experience as me. I wanted to hear other people’s experiences and I think my background in journalism made me realize that I wanted to interview people. But I had no platform, so I was like, well, why don’t I start a podcast?’
The first episode of the Women & ADHD podcast was released in December 2020 and quickly gained a large amount of traction amongst professionals and regular listeners.
‘I started hearing from therapists who were recommending it to their clients. I heard from clients who were recommending it to their therapist.’
After sharing her own experiences and learning more about the condition from others, Weber had collated an assortment of resources that she was excited to share with more women. As such, she founded Women & ADHD LLC to help others like her.
‘So I started an online community where we could kind of get together, chat, hang out over zoom. And then there was a place for me to keep all of the resources that I enjoy, that I was recommending.’
Destigmatizing ADHD on Social Media
Weber has managed to build a unified community on social media, teeming with women who wish to learn more about ADHD. She also uses her various platforms to have frank discussions about how certain symptoms can deeply impact a person’s everyday life.
‘A lot of us have issues with hitting the buy button online and the novelty and dopamine fix of buying things. That impulsivity is a type of hyperactivity.’
In an attempt to shine a light on these issues and help women understand their significance, Weber also began posting on Instagram and TikTok.
‘Some of the videos that I put on TikTok and Instagram are restorative. My more popular videos are like weird things that I thought were just me but were actually traits of ADHD.’
She goes on to explain how this honesty has allowed her to connect with more women on a deeper level.
‘ I think that just a better understanding of what ADHD looks like and those sort of strange things that we all have in common that make us all kind of feel better. Like I’m not the only one who does that.’
After spending countless hours learning more about the nuances of ADHD, Weber also focuses on dissolving the shame attached to it. Plus, she helps to transform the condition into a collection of positive traits.
‘I can help people with ADHD to kind of reframe their own inner narrative about who they are and lean into their strengths and find environments that foster their creativity and interests.’
Building Upon The Women & ADHD Platform
Weber’s vast collection of resources and anecdotes perfectly complement her growing platforms. On her podcast, she has interviewed experts such as KC Davies and Sari Solden. However, Weber also enjoys discovering more about her listeners.
‘My favorite interviews are when I’m just interviewing listeners who are just talking about their own experience and talking about that inner transformation that happens from this diagnosis.’
The host of the Women & ADHD podcast also recognizes how TikTok has supported her growth and brought her closer to other women with ADHD.
‘I guess for the neurodivergent community, TikTok is such an incredibly important tool. The one-minute video format is such a valuable source of information and it has been so interesting to watch the trajectory of that platform.’
Katy Weber has always been a fan of podcasts and sees them as an accessible form of content creation for many aspiring influencers.
‘It doesn’t seem like we’ve hit over-saturation with podcasting. I think a lot of people started podcasts over the pandemic because we were all at home and you could easily buy a microphone on Amazon and start.’
This ADHD influencer also uses her platform to offer personal coaching sessions. This has enabled her to connect with newly diagnosed women and help them live life to the fullest alongside their condition.
‘I love working with women who have just been diagnosed, who are really looking at, what do I do now? What are some of the tools? What are some of the systems I can put in place to really kind of lean into my strengths?’
Using Brand Deals To Boost Engagement on Social Media
As Women & ADHD continues to see a plethora of success, more opportunities seem to be flooding in. Despite so many potential opportunities available, Weber finds collaboration a simple process. Like her clients, she is learning how to play to her own personal strengths and trying to find a mutual connection from that.
‘I think most people find me through the podcast but I think more and more people are finding me through TikTok and Instagram. My methodology is I just try to be as goofy, fun, and real as possible. If you’re attracted to that personality, then you’re going to want to work with me. It doesn’t get any more calculated.’
Weber is also a strong supporter of various telehealth organizations as they help women gain a diagnosis quickly and with very little stereotyping attached. She further explains how these processes tend to work.
‘These are experts and these people know exactly what questions to ask. They know exactly what to look for. You don’t have to wait six months. You can just sort of get it done and get your diagnosis and then begin your treatment plan.’
In the past, Weber has built affiliate links with Better Help and ADHD Online, allowing other women to reach these resources with ease.
Overcoming Challenges as an ADHD Advocate and Influencer
Katy Weber provides a wide amount of engagement on her social media. Although this has helped her build a strong community, she also recognizes how social media can affect her well-being.
‘I would say it’s kind of like burnout, which is wanting to do all the things all the time and getting super excited about things and feeling pressure to keep that momentum.’
She continues to explain how she feels that being an influencer causes a lot of stress and can lead to creative exhaustion.
‘I think social media creates that sense of Oh my God, I have to be here 24/7. I have to answer every single comment and I have to do all the things and then we get really burnt out.’
Plans For The Future
As Weber’s presence on social media continues to grow, she has no plans to slow down. Alongside the in-house therapist at Women & ADHD, Jules Edwards, Weber hosts monthly Q&A sessions where listeners can ask a plethora of questions about the condition. She has also built a waiting list for group sessions, which can be found on her website.
Weber summarizes her work with a comment about her intuitive community of women with ADHD.
‘The community is like a mighty network. An online community for women.’
