Turning ADHD-Fuelled Focus into a Recipe for Success
In 2016, Aaron Yeo co-founded Waa Cow!, a flame-torched wagyu donburi restaurant, with two business partners, one of whom is now his wife. The restaurant has served more than two million donburi bowls, sprouted five more outlets, employs 60 workers and racks up eight-digit annual revenues. Aaron also advocates for greater awareness about ADHD.
Quotes
“Don’t waste too much time trying to fit someone else’s template…Once I stopped chasing what I thought ‘success’ was supposed to look like, things got a lot clearer.”
“You’re never going to learn the way others do or follow the same path. Learn how to work with yourself, not against yourself.”
Epiphany
I was the guy who never paid attention, always forgot what the teacher said, never handed in homework on time. I was loud, restless, always moving. Eventually I just accepted that maybe I wasn’t cut out for school. That something was wrong with me.
Then one day someone mentioned ADHD, and I looked it up. And suddenly, a lot of things made sense. I got tested. It made me realise I wasn’t just being difficult for the sake of it, just that my brain just worked differently. Honestly, that was such a relief.
Turning Points
Once I knew what I was working with, I could plan around it instead of constantly reacting to chaos. I also got smarter about how I planned my schedule. When I was allowed to go at my own pace, I started doing well. That gave me confidence. And that confidence eventually led to Waa Cow!
I did a video interview with “The Straits Times” about living with ADHD. I was nervous but after it aired, people messaged me, saying they saw themselves in my story. That was when I realised that talking about this stuff mattered. It wasn’t just about me anymore.
Strategies to Success
I always try to “make it real” as fast as possible. Too much thinking always paralyses me. Surprisingly, because of ADHD, I tend to hyperfocus and get things done fast! So sometimes I can bring “real world” experiences back to the strategy table and tweak our responses to problems faster than usual.
Achievements and How ADHD Helped
Waa Cow! is probably the thing I’m proudest of because we built it from nothing. The don (beef rice bowl) probably went through 30–40 versions. That kind of tunnel vision used to be a liability but in business, it became one of my biggest strengths.
When COVID hit, we built a delivery system practically overnight. ADHD teaches you how to operate in chaos. You learn to make decisions, pivot, adapt – all while being fast!
Advice to Younger Self
Don’t waste time trying to be normal. You’re never going to learn the way others do or follow the same path. Learn how to work with yourself, not against yourself.
Also, stop carrying shame. It’ll take you years to let go of the idea that you’re “less than.” You’re not. But until you believe that, you’ll keep underplaying your strengths.
How You’d want the world to perceive ADHDers
We’re not lazy. We’re not trying to be difficult. We move fast, get stuck in ideas, jump between thoughts. It can look messy but there’s a lot of creativity in there if you know how to work with it.
It’s hard to do this alone. But with the right people around you, ADHD isn’t a disadvantage. It’s an edge.
Where are you now?
Waa Cow! has come a long way since that first tiny stall at the National University of Singapore, but there’s still a lot I want to do – not just with food, but also with how we run things, how we treat people, and how we create space for folks who think differently.
I’m also a husband and a dad now. That’s changed things. It’s forced me to slow down a bit or at least be more intentional about where my energy goes.
Support the ADHD Community
If you’d like to read more stories like these, consider donating $150 or more to receive a copy of our book, Differently Wired Minds as a thank-you. Limited quantities available.
Your donation helps Unlocking ADHD provide counselling, psychoeducation, and other vital support services to those affected by ADHD.
Special thanks to our sponsors whose generous support made this book possible:
MINDSET, Singapore Pools, Chua Foundation, Hyphens Pharma
Leave a Reply