Business Builders

From Grief To Purpose: Building ADHD Now | Danny Buckley

• Conor Kearney • Season 13 • Episode 6

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0:00 | 51:49

🔔🔔 Danny Buckley shares how grief, purpose, and an ADHD diagnosis at 32 led him to build one of Ireland’s fastest-growing healthcare businesses 🔔🔔

Danny Buckley joins Business Builders to share the remarkable story behind ADHD Now and how a series of deeply personal experiences transformed both his life and his career.

For much of his life, Danny believed there was something wrong with him. Undiagnosed ADHD left him struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation, and self-understanding, while family health crises and the devastating loss of his wife forced him to confront some of life’s hardest challenges.

After receiving his own ADHD diagnosis at the age of 32, Danny discovered that understanding himself was only the beginning. Determined to ensure others wouldn’t face the same barriers he had encountered, he set out to build ADHD Now — an online service designed to provide fast access to diagnosis and meaningful support beyond it.

What began with a mission to help others has quickly grown into a thriving healthcare business employing almost 100 people, alongside the launch of Autism Care and a broader vision to improve access to neurodiversity and mental health services across Ireland.

In this episode, Danny reflects on grief, faith, purpose, emotional resilience, and why success means far more than money. He also explains how building a mission-driven business has helped turn pain into something that positively impacts thousands of lives.

This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, loss, personal transformation, and the power of finding purpose through adversity.

“I thought there was something wrong with me my whole life.”

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Danny’s own ADHD diagnosis at 32 changed his life
 â€˘ Why diagnosis is only the beginning — and why aftercare matters
 â€˘ How losing his wife inspired him to pursue entrepreneurship
 â€˘ Why emotional awareness transformed his mental health
 â€˘ The story behind founding ADHD Now and Autism Care
 â€˘ How the business scaled to almost 100 staff in just a few years
 â€˘ Why purpose matters more than profit
 â€˘ The importance of structure and discipline for people with ADHD
 â€˘ How Danny thinks about success, grief, and happiness
 â€˘ Why Ireland can become a world leader in neurodiversity and mental health support

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - Cold open
 00:40 - Introducing Danny Buckley
 01:20 - The vision behind ADHD Now
 03:00 - Why diagnosis isn’t enough
 07:20 - Growing up undiagnosed
 08:30 - Family health struggles and adversity
 09:50 - His wife’s illness and cardiac arrest
 11:00 - The conversation that changed everything
 12:20 - Grief and discovering ADHD
 14:00 - Receiving his diagnosis at 32
 15:00 - Building ADHD Now
 17:30 - The role of faith and purpose
 20:20 - Emotional regulation and self-awareness
 23:00 - Why children need better support
 25:50 - Redefining success
 27:00 - Faith, entrepreneurship and the “magic formula”
 29:00 - Scaling ADHD Now
 35:00 - Leadership and knowing your strengths
 37:00 - Why he no longer has bad days
 38:30 - Parenting, support and family
 41:00 - EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
 45:00 - Imposter syndrome and self-belief
 48:00 - The future of ADHD Now and mental health in Ireland
 49:30 - Final thoughts

Topics covered:

ADHD, entrepreneurship, neurodiversity, autism, mental health, grief, resilience, purpose, leadership, emotional regulation, startups, healthcare, personal development, parenting, faith, business growth, founder mindset, emotional intelligence, Ireland, ADHD diagnosis, Autism Care, entrepreneurship and purpose.