What does it really look like to juggle entrepreneurship, parenthood, and personal growth without losing yourself along the way? In my conversation with Sara Orellana, executive mentor, founder, and CEO, we explore how mastering intentional routines can help you embrace challenges and turn setbacks into stepping stones.

Sara brings a unique perspective to the conversation. She has spent years empowering professionals and nonprofits to navigate complex challenges while building lean, effective teams. She is also the creator of Breaking Good, a feel-good TV show that highlights people turning tough circumstances into something positive. Her energy and honesty made this one of my favorite conversations.

ADHD as a CEO Superpower

When I asked Sara how she manages to accomplish so much, her answer surprised me. She credits much of her productivity to ADHD.

“ADHD is my CEO superpower. The way my brain works lets me see connections others miss, move fast when it matters, and stay energized through the chaos that would drain most people.”

Sara Orellana

“Really great time management, an incredibly easy child to raise, and the superpower of ADHD that allows me to really hyperfocus on things and get a lot done,” she says.

Sara explained that ADHD gives her the ability to cut through noise and zero in on what matters most. Instead of seeing it as a limitation, she has learned to harness it as a tool for efficiency. When she locks into a task, she can accomplish in a few hours what might take others an entire day.

The key, she says, is building routines that work with your brain instead of against it. She designs her schedule around her natural energy patterns and uses structure to channel her focus where it matters most.

Raising a Resilient Daughter Through Radical Honesty

One of the most genuine parts of our conversation was when Sara talked about raising her daughter as a single mom and entrepreneur. She did not come from an easy background, and she was open about that.

“Raising a resilient daughter means being radically honest with her. I don’t hide my struggles. I show her what it looks like to face challenges head on and keep going.”

Sara Orellana

“I was not raised in a healthy environment at all. And so, I knew I wanted to do better, but I did not know how to do better. So what I decided to do was just talk to my daughter about everything, include her in everything, let her see, let her learn from my mistakes.”

She shared a memory of her daughter at just two years old asking to play. Instead of choosing between work and parenting, Sara brought her daughter into the process. They folded laundry together, went to the office together, and tackled life as a team.

That approach paid off. Her daughter grew up understanding responsibility, teamwork, and the reality of what it takes to build something meaningful. Sara credits that openness for the strong bond they share and the resilience her daughter carries into her own life.

Turning Setbacks Into Fuel

Sara shared a powerful story about facing character attacks during her career in the nonprofit sector. Someone in her community actively worked to damage her reputation, and the experience was deeply painful.

“It was hard to keep going, but really understanding that I could be whatever I wanted to be and that it was an incredible opportunity pushed me forward to take risks like starting my own business that I never would have started if it was not for this person.”

She even said she almost wants to go back in time and thank the person who tried to tear her down. Because of that adversity, she started her own company, wrote a book, contributed to newspapers and magazines, and launched a TV show about turning terrible situations into something positive.

This mindset of transforming pain into purpose is something I see again and again in the entrepreneurs I talk to. Andreas Pettersson shared how a near-death experience reshaped his view on fear and leadership, and Leila Entezam talked about how emotional mastery became the foundation of better financial decisions. The pattern is always the same: the biggest breakthroughs come right after the hardest moments.

The Power of Intentional Routines

Sara is passionate about routines, but not the rigid, one-size-fits-all kind. She believes in designing routines that are intentional and flexible enough to adapt to your life.

“Intentional routines are the foundation of everything I’ve built. When you master your morning and own your daily habits, you create the stability that lets you embrace the unexpected.”

Sara Orellana

She starts each day with a consistent morning structure that includes time for self-reflection and setting priorities. The routine is not about controlling every minute of the day. It is about making sure the most important things get handled first so that everything else falls into place.

“It all comes back to intentionality, self-reflection, and designing routines that work for you,” she says.

For entrepreneurs who feel constantly overwhelmed, Sara recommends starting small. Pick one routine that anchors your morning, whether that is exercise, journaling, or simply reviewing your top three priorities for the day. Over time, that single anchor builds momentum that carries into everything else. This is closely related to what Ryan Herpin shared about creating a Focus, Flex, and Fuel framework to prevent burnout and maintain rhythm in your work and life.

Fundraising and Grant Writing for Nonprofits

Sara spent a significant part of her career in the nonprofit world, and she has developed real expertise in fundraising and grant writing. She was candid about how she fell into that world.

She never planned to work in nonprofits. It happened organically when she saw a need and stepped in. Over time, she developed a skill set around helping organizations tell their story in a way that attracts funding.

Her approach to grant writing is straightforward: be clear about the problem you are solving, show the impact of your work with real data, and make it easy for funders to say yes. She encouraged entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders to treat fundraising like a relationship, not a transaction.

Using AI as a Business Tool

Sara is a strong advocate for using AI tools in business, but she sees them as assistants, not replacements for human judgment.

She shared that AI helps her refine her writing, organize ideas, and even test hypotheses before committing resources. For example, she uses AI to draft communications and then edits them for tone and accuracy.

“You can put this all into AI and say run a simulation and show me what the possible outcomes of this idea could be,” she says. “And that is very powerful because normally we would just have to try things. It was constant try and pivot, try and pivot.”

For entrepreneurs who are hesitant about AI, Sara encourages starting with simple tasks like email drafting, content outlining, or market research. The technology is a tool for amplifying your strengths, not replacing your voice.

Breaking Good: Sharing Stories That Inspire

One of the highlights of our conversation was learning about Sara’s TV show, Breaking Good. The premise is simple but powerful: highlighting people who have taken difficult circumstances and turned them into something positive.

Sara describes it as a feel-good show that proves adversity can be the catalyst for extraordinary outcomes. Every episode features someone who refused to let their circumstances define them and instead used those challenges as fuel for growth.

It is exactly the kind of storytelling that resonates with entrepreneurs because, at some point, every business owner faces a moment where quitting seems easier than continuing. Hearing how others pushed through can make all the difference.

Key Takeaways

• Design routines that fit your life. Intentional structure beats rigid schedules every time. Start with one morning anchor and build from there.
• Reframe your challenges. The setbacks that feel crushing today can become the fuel for your biggest breakthroughs. Sara’s story is proof.
• Leverage your unique wiring. Whether it is ADHD or any other trait that makes you different, learn to work with it instead of against it.
• Be radically honest with the people you love. Sara’s approach to parenting through transparency built resilience in her daughter and strength in their relationship.
• Use AI to amplify, not replace. Start with simple tasks and let the technology handle the repetitive work while you focus on strategy and relationships.

If Sara’s story resonated with you, I encourage you to watch the full conversation above. Her energy and practical wisdom are contagious. And if you are looking to take control of how you manage your time, your money, and your future, grab my free guide on “Maximizing Success By Understanding How You Function.”

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