An Introduction: My Journey with ADHD and the Birth of The Cliq Timer

This is a personal story—one I hope will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by literally everything or struggled to keep up with the pace of life. I’d like to tell you a little about myself and how Cliq came to be. 

The Early Struggles

I’ve lived with ADHD my whole life, though I didn’t know it for a long time. In high school, I wasn’t diagnosed. I could never sit still, I could rarely complete my homework on time. My report cards would always say, “Frequently disruptive in class”. But when it came to tests, I did great. As long as I was interested in the subject, I had no problem learning the material. My grades weren’t stellar, but they were good enough.

Then came college—and my coping mechanisms fell apart.

Hitting Rock Bottom

The freedom of college was too much for my unstructured brain. I failed classes left and right, spiraling into depression and self-doubt. Cannabis became my escape. It dulled the pain and gave my restless dopamine receptors something to latch onto. But deep down, I felt broken. Why couldn’t I do the things everyone else seemed to manage so easily—show up to class, finish an essay, hold a normal conversation?

Failing the same required class twice was my breaking point. I knew I either had to get help or give up entirely.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

When I finally saw a psychiatrist, she told me I had one of the clearest cases of ADHD she’d ever seen. Suddenly, everything made sense. I started therapy and medication, and it was like flipping a switch. For the first time in my life, I could sit down and focus on a task for hours. My grades turned from D’s and F’s to A’s and B’s and I was able to complete college with a decent GPA.

But medication wasn’t a perfect solution. After a couple of years, the side effects—emotional numbness, disrupted eating and sleeping—became too much. I decided to stop taking it. My personal (anecdotal) experience was that medication was not a healthy long-term solution to my problem. Luckily, by then I’d learned enough tools and techniques to manage my ADHD pretty well without it.

Learning to Work With My Brain

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that ADHD isn’t just a “disorder.” Sure, it can be chaotic and frustrating, but it also comes with advantages. It is merely a different brain. My ability to hyper-focus, for example, lets me solve puzzles others might give up on. ADHD brains also tend to excel in creative thinking and problem-solving—skills I’ve leaned into in my career as an art fabricator.

The tools I’ve learned to use over the years have been game-changers. I always wear a watch. I live by my to-do lists. And I’ve developed strategies to harness my focus when I need it most. These tools have helped me build a successful career, pay off my student debt, and save for the future.

The Lightbulb Moment

My brain can still be disorderly at times. Case in point: one day, I swore something would take 10 minutes, and an hour later, I was still at it. Frustrated, my wife lovingly suggested, “Why don’t you just always carry a timer with you?”

And that was my lightbulb moment. I didn’t just need any timer—I needed something simple, portable, and intuitive. Something designed for people like me, who lose track of time but don’t want the distraction of another screen or app. I scoured the internet but, to my surprise, could not find it available.

That’s how Cliq was born. I'm creating it because I friggin’ need one. And if it can help me, I believe it can help others too! If you're interested in getting your hands on a Cliq  timer then stick around—subscribe to the email list below for updates!