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7. Privilege, Poverty & Running a Business with ADHD - with guest Siobhan Strode

"I can check my bank account and I know I'm gonna be okay, but I still feel like I'm not gonna be okay."

That's how Siobhan Strode describes her relationship with money, even decades after the childhood loss that shaped it.

In this episode, Siobhan—advocacy consultant, mentor, and founder of This Sister Speaks—shares what happens when you lose everything at age seven, and how that experience shows up in business pricing, ADHD money management, and the long journey of understanding ourselves with compassion.

Siobhan was previously a teacher, has stood for Parliament, served as a town councillor, and as a Police and Crime Commissioner candidate. She's fierce in fighting for justice—from leading campaigns on fair school funding to speaking up for Palestine and Sudan. But when it comes to charging for her own brilliant work and managing money? That's where things get complicated.

TW: Includes discussion of trauma, inc. reference to alcoholism, domestic abuse

In this conversation, we explore:

  • What it's like when a seven-year-old's world completely changes
  • Why even now, when clients pay easily and things feel secure, Siobhan's nervous system is waiting for it all to fall apart
  • The moment she calculated her hourly rate and realised she was earning less than minimum wage—less than when she was 16
  • The stories we tell ourselves about what other people can afford (and why that's actually projection about our own experiences)
  • How ADHD adds another layer—why "simple" admin tasks feel genuinely difficult, and what actually helps
  • Generational trauma from Irish immigration—the pressure to prove yourself, the shame of failure, and patterns that go back generations
  • Why money struggles are structural, not personal—and the "boots theory" of why being poor is expensive
  • What workplaces get wrong about financial inclusion (like asking staff for £25 upfront when they haven't been paid yet)
  • The discomfort of financial ease when you're used to scrambling—and learning to sit with security when it feels unfamiliar
  • Why we need more compassion around the systemic things that keep people struggling

We also talk about doing tax returns by hand because spreadsheets overwhelm, the emotional labor of calling HMRC, why good app design actually matters for neurodivergent money management, and what it means to give yourself compassion while you're still figuring it all out.

It's a conversation about money, yes. But also about childhood, nervous systems, and understanding that struggling with money doesn't mean someone is careless or unmotivated—often, they're navigating real trauma and doing the very best they can.

Resources & Links

Read the accompanying blog article: Privilege, Poverty & Running a Business with ADHD: A Money Conversation with Siobhan Strode

Connect with Siobhan:

This Sister Speaks is Siobhan's group program for women and non-binary folks who want to speak up with more confidence and courage. The next round starts October 20th 2025. You can learn more here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about The Money Story Project and how to share your own story.

Connect with Harriet Formby: LinkedIn Instagram

🎧 Listen now — and if this conversation resonates, please follow the podcast and leave a review so more people can find these stories.