Building through Setbacks
Esmond Wee is a father of four, entrepreneur, and corporate professional who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in 2018. From co-founding a music label to running a clothing distribution business, and now working in an MNC, he has navigated setbacks, sensory overload, and self-doubt. Today, he continues to navigate corporate life, raise his children, and retool his approach to life with resilience, empathy, and humour.
Quotes
“Each day is part of a journey of retooling, trying new solutions, and finding new ways of operating. ADHD is not a crutch. It’s part of my story, and one I’m still learning to write.”
“I’ve learned that humour helps. Having the mindset of just laughing failures off, instead of it ruminating in my head all the time, works better than dwelling on it.”
Early Awareness
I probably first became aware that something was different in Primary 5, when I switched back to Singapore’s education system. Suddenly it was a lot more sedentary, desk-based, and academically pressured.
In class, I could focus if the subject interested me. “If it wasn’t interesting, I just wouldn’t give a damn., I would tune out completely. I carried these struggles through my teenage years and adulthood, finding ways to cope but never fully understanding why.”
Diagnosis
In 2018, a series of events led me to get assessed. One catalyst was a holiday in Japan with my family and friends. With six kids and four adults in a small house, the noise and thin floors became unbearable. The sensory overload caused me to shut down, and a long-time friend, who had ADHD, recognised the symptoms (paying attention to everything all at once) and urged me to get tested.
Another reason was my daughter. I noticed she was acting a lot like me—struggling with organisation, focus, and daily tasks. I decided to be assessed first to understand if what I saw in her could be ADHD too.
The final push came when I had to shut my business shut down and I had to build it up and manage administration on my own again. That was when things really started to crumble, and I remembered my friend’s advice. Through my wife, I connected with a psychologist specialising in ADHD. I went through a full assessment. The diagnosis was a relief, but not a surprise.
Learning to Live With ADHD
Since then, life has been about learning balance–—knowing I have ADHD, figuring out how to fit into society with it, and making things better for myself and my loved ones. I’ve realised that my brain works differently. For me, movement is key. I excel when I’m on my feet. I intentionally introduce newness into tasks to spark interest and keep myself engaged.
I’ve learned that humour helps. Having the mindset of just laughing failures off, instead of it ruminating in my head all the time, works better than dwelling on it.
When you have lived with ADHD your whole life, you don’t care what people think about you, because every step of the way has been a struggle. There’s a fair bit of resilience you build up.
Achievements and Strengths
I never thought much about achievements until recently. Looking back, I’ve managed to run and build three small companies and then land a job in an MNC with zero corporate experience. ADHD has given me empathy, perspective, and lateral thinking—strengths that help me bring fresh ideas to the table. Just because we can’t do admin well, doesn’t mean we’re losers!
Where I Am Today
Today, I’m still figuring things out. Discipline may be boring, but I’ve learned it’s good for the ADHD brain. My life feels “chaotic”—raising four kids across different stages of life, from teens to a toddler. One of them has ADHD too, which means I need to be very mindful. How I respond to stress and overstimulation will leave lasting imprints on them.
Working in a corporate environment also challenges me. I often feel like the dumbest guy in the room. But each day is part of a journey of retooling, trying new solutions, and finding new ways of operating. ADHD is not a crutch. It’s part of my story, and one I’m still learning to write.
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