What inspired the creative direction for Refocused Together?
Keith Boswell: Lindsay’s passion and commitment to an audience that was still relatively brand new and growing. From the very beginning, we were inspired by the possibility of raising awareness, the diversity of perspectives that are out there, and our hopes that sharing stories would help people see themselves and feel less alone.
Winner Story
Refocused Together: October ADHD Awareness Monthby ADHD Online, LLC
We spoke with Lindsay Guentzel (Podcast Host and Producer, ADHD Online LLC) and Keith “Bos” Boswell (VP of Marketing, Mentavi Health) about their Communicator Award-winning podcast Refocused. Produced in partnership with ADHD Online, the podcast focuses on ADHD treatment and mental health. Last year, Refocused won the 2023 Award of Excellence in Podcasts: Series – Causes & Awareness, the 2023 Award of Excellence in Podcasts: Series – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and a 2023 Award of Distinction in Podcasts: Series – Educational. Read more to learn what it was like to produce one podcast episode per day last October for ADHD Awareness Month.
Lindsay Guentzel: As we moved through the interviews, though, what really inspired us to keep going, and to bring the project back again this year, was the stunning vulnerability of our guests. We were asking people who did not know me or ADHD Online, to come in and trust us with their stories. Unfortunately, people in this community can get so stuck in stigma and shame. But all it takes is a few, in our case 31, people to give voice to their experience and we can begin to change the narrative.
How does ADHD Online define creative success?
Keith Boswell: Providing a sense of comfort, understanding, awareness, or a feeling of being seen–if any of these is present, we’ve succeeded. When we talked about creating the podcast, we thought of it as a gift to the community, no strings attached.
Lindsay Guentzel: When listeners write in and say things like ‘I finally feel understood and to understand myself, it’s a feeling I’ve never felt before’ we know that we’ve hit the mark.
Keith Boswell: Recently, we’ve added ‘surprise and delight’ as an important component of our creative success. Everything from our marketing, in which we use purposely unusual images, to Refocused, in which we do things nobody else is doing and have conversations nobody else is having, is designed to surprise and delight. Because these topics can be heavy and difficult. But they are much easier to engage with and feel seen in when we add some levity.
Tell us about the first brainstorm session you had about the podcast.
Lindsay Guentzel: As the host and executive producer, I wanted to do something big for the podcast’s first ADHD Awareness Month. How an ADHD brain like mine could land on 31 episodes in 31 days is still a mystery, but it felt right. There is so much power in knowing you aren’t alone in sharing that human experience. I feel so blessed to not only be a part of it but also that my team trusted me enough in that initial pitch meeting that not one person said anything except, “Yes, we have to do this!”
Keith Boswell: Imagine a group of neurodiverse people in a room; the ideas were flying! We wanted to create a community and create a resource for patients. And, of course, from a business perspective, we wanted to explore this new area of content marketing. None of us had ever done something like this before, even our seasoned marketing team, and it gave us a space to expand into and be creative. Giving Lindsay the reins to run it as she saw fit, with our feedback and input, felt like the best collaboration we could create. And it’s proven to be right.
Describe your biggest obstacle or challenge for the series.
Lindsay Guentzel: Our biggest challenge was the work needed to create the series. We knew it would be difficult, and we’d have to ask for help, pull in resources for support, and go into the all-hands-on-deck mode to make it to the finish line. Managing editor Sarah Platanitis was instrumental in building a path forward for us. Her leadership allowed us to lean into finding people with diverse backgrounds. But that took time, and there was also an emotional effort that could be draining. That said, going through those challenges and finishing strong last year just set us up to be even more successful this year. We know that we can do it, we’re more prepared, and we’re excited for the stories we have to share.
How did Refocused Together contribute to ADHD Online’s mission?
Keith Boswell: ADHD Online’s mission is to improve the lives of those with ADHD and other mental illnesses. We saw very quickly through our webinars that people want these resources. People are eager to hear other people’s stories, experiences, challenges, and learnings. And we want to be that leader and that resource. The unspoken part of our mission is that we just want to give everyone a big hug. So that’s what Refocused Together is. It’s a big hug with experiences, stories, and resources.
How did your team celebrate your wins?
Lindsay Guentzel: We celebrated by planning even earlier this year! Each time we get an award or an accolade or a response from someone who listened, we take a moment to soak it all in, and then we keep going. This year, we’ll have 11 interviews done for October by the end of August. We’re challenging ourselves to keep going, keep finding diverse experiences to share, and keep telling stories.
Keith Boswell: Winning for us was a great recognition that we should keep going and pushing ourselves for our audience. Often, with projects like this internally, it’s easy to lose sight of its impact outside the organization. Refocused has become an integral part of who we are now as a business and I look forward to continuing this amazing journey with Lindsay over the coming years.
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