What does violin tuning have to do with building a business culture that thrives? Turns out, everything. And it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being in sync.
This story comes from Grow Disrupt founder (and fellow ADHD-er) Stephanie Scheller, who delivered this insight during a keynote that left business owners with goosebumps and a brand-new mental model for culture.
Let’s break down the metaphor and learn how you can apply it to your team today.
Good Cultures Come from Attunement
When Stephanie first learned to tune her violin, she assumed it meant memorizing exact notes.
Nope.
Turns out, it’s not about hitting a perfect note. It’s about how the notes play together.
Each string on a violin is tuned to a perfect fifth apart, and when they’re truly in tune, the sound waves blend so seamlessly they almost disappear into each other. You stop hearing two notes. You hear one resonant, powerful tone.
In business, resonance shows up when your team is aligned. When your values, communication, and operations hum along together. But when things are out of tune, it’s felt across the board. Miscommunication. Missed deadlines. Motivation drops.
As a person with ADHD, you’re not wired to micromanage every detail. You are wired to sense patterns, energy, and harmony. And that’s precisely what this kind of tuning requires.
ADHD Brains Crave Resonance
This metaphor is especially powerful for ADHD entrepreneurs. Why? Because many of us struggle with internal friction daily: conflicting priorities, emotional dysregulation, or feeling "out of sync" with neurotypical systems. Tuning your business culture gives your brain something to resonate with, not resist.
Research suggests that people with ADHD can achieve high levels of creativity, flow, and focus when the environment is supportive and aligned with how they work best. ADDitude Magazine’s article on flow state vs. hyperfocus is a fantastic read on this concept.
When Stephanie’s violin is in tune (not just close, but dialed in), the sound is transcendent. Resonant. Effortless. The same is true of your team.
“When your culture is in tune, your music goes further.”
– Stephanie Scheller
When everyone’s moving in rhythm, you don’t have to force productivity. Innovation flows. Collaboration clicks. There’s less second-guessing, fewer dropped balls, and more forward momentum.
And that’s a win for any entrepreneur, especially one managing ADHD.
Want to see how other ADHD entrepreneurs bring clarity into their fast-paced lives? Explore daily routines designed for ADHD brains.
You Can’t Just “Set It and Forget It”
Here’s the big reality check: violins don’t stay in tune just because you tuned them once.
Neither do teams. You’ve got to check in. Realign. Retune. Especially after changes, stress, or growth spurts.
“I can play in the morning and still need to tune in the afternoon. The work never stops, but it doesn’t always have to be heavy.”
Even your energy and workflow systems need retuning from time to time.
Your Team Culture is Unique
One of the most powerful metaphors came from Stephanie’s early mistake: tuning the violin by plucking, even though she plays with a bow.
Plucking produces a different tone. So the violin sounded fine when she tuned it. But it fell flat when she actually played.
“If you tune in a way you’re not going to play, it won’t sound right.”
Don’t design your team culture around someone else’s playbook. Adjust it to align with your actual operations.
Honor your pace, your energy cycles, and your communication style. Otherwise, the culture might look “right” on paper but fall flat in practice.
What “Tuning” Looks Like in Practice
- Daily Check-ins: Just like a violinist does a quick tune before playing, schedule five-minute team huddles or solo intention-setting.
- Post-Pivot Deep Tune: Any time you make a big change (new hire, new software, new offer), put in the extra effort. Revisit values, roles, and expectations.
- External Feedback Matters: Violinists go to instructors. ADHD entrepreneurs need mentors and a community to reflect back on what we can’t always hear ourselves.
Looking for that kind of support? Here’s how to build a supportive ADHD-friendly community.
5 Quick Culture Tips for ADHD Business Owners
Ready to bring this to life in your biz? Start here:
- Micro-tune daily: 3-minute check-ins can prevent 3-week messes. You don’t need a full meeting. Just keep your finger on the pulse.
- Recalibrate after big changes: New team member? New offer? Big event? These are the perfect times to check alignment and retune.
- Design for how you lead: Don’t copy-paste culture strategies. Build something that works for your brain. And your team’s.
- Listen for “wah-wah-wah”: When things feel off, pause and listen before reacting. ADHD brains often notice tension before it’s verbalized.
- Tuning isn’t sexy, but it’s powerful: Yeah, it’s not the dopamine high of a big launch. But it’s the daily discipline that creates a business that works even when your brain is bouncing.
Your Culture = Your Instrument
The best thing you can do as an ADHD entrepreneur isn’t to force yourself into rigid systems. It’s to create a resonant rhythm that supports how you already operate and build a team that plays in harmony with that.
Want More ADHD-Aligned Business Culture Tools?
At Grow Disrupt, we specialize in building systems that work with your neurodivergent brain, not against it.
Explore our ADHD-friendly programs, strategy sessions, and resources designed specifically for business owners like you.
Because when your culture is in tune with your brain... your whole business starts to sing.