Part Two.

I'm fascinated by high-functioning mental illness and addiction.
David Shamszad knows that world firsthand.
A Dartmouth graduate, entrepreneur, and founder of a successful real estate company, David appeared to have everything together. Behind the scenes, he was battling untreated bipolar disorder, addiction, and a life-threatening downward spiral that nearly cost him everything.
Today, as conversations around mental health, addiction, loneliness, and recovery continue to intensify across America, David brings a perspective most experts can't:
He lived it.
This conversation goes far beyond awareness:
• The hidden reality of high-functioning addiction
• Why success often masks mental health struggles
• What families miss before a crisis happens
• The truth about bipolar disorder and stigma
• Why recovery starts with honesty—not willpower
• How someone can rebuild a meaningful life after hitting rock bottom
His story is raw, timely, and deeply relatable for anyone who has struggled personally, or watched someone they love struggle in silence.

I'm fascinated by high-functioning mental illness and addiction.
David Shamszad knows that world firsthand.
A Dartmouth graduate, entrepreneur, and founder of a successful real estate company, David appeared to have everything together. Behind the scenes, he was battling untreated bipolar disorder, addiction, and a life-threatening downward spiral that nearly cost him everything.
Today, as conversations around mental health, addiction, loneliness, and recovery continue to intensify across America, David brings a perspective most experts can't:
He lived it.
This conversation goes far beyond awareness:
• The hidden reality of high-functioning addiction
• Why success often masks mental health struggles
• What families miss before a crisis happens
• The truth about bipolar disorder and stigma
• Why recovery starts with honesty—not willpower
• How someone can rebuild a meaningful life after hitting rock bottom
His story is raw, timely, and deeply relatable for anyone who has struggled personally, or watched someone they love struggle in silence.

Part Two.

Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S., is a dynamic ADHD/executive function consultant, coach, and speaker. A veteran educator and former teacher, principal, and mental health clinician, he specializes in helping people affected by ADHD, autism, and anxiety redesign their lives to lessen the impact of their struggles.

An internationally recognized expert and engaging speaker and podcast where he helps individuals, families, and institutions better understand the emotional, productivity, and lifestyle impacts of ADHD and other neurodiversities.

Drawing on well over a decade of experience coaching hundreds of clients, Brendan developed his groundbreaking Wall of Awful™ model, which helps people better understand the emotional barriers behind procrastination, avoidance, and overwhelm so they can solve challenges more effectively.

Brendan works with entrepreneurs, nonprofits, educational institutions, mental health agencies, and businesses across the country and around the world. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, ADDitude, Verywell Mind, How to ADHD, and other leading media outlets focused on mental health, parenting, and neurodiversity.

Brendan’s new book, Overcoming the Wall of Awful (Balance/Hachette; September 1, 2026), greatly expands upon his groundbreaking Wall of Awful™ model, helping people understand the challenge they face at a deeper level so they can solve them more effectively.