207 | Creating Your Own Path with Kwame Dougan

Kwame Dougan is an attorney by training, an investor by experience, and an advisor by design.  He earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia University and a Master of Science from London School of Economics, attending as a rotary ambassadorial scholar.  Previously, Kwame practiced commercial litigation with a global law firm.  His journey overcoming poverty and an undiagnosed learning disability has been documented in various publications and is the subject of a Ted Talk.  In 2015, Kwame was honored as a trailblazer by the National Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.   

In this conversation, you will hear Kwame describe his background as a refugee from Ghana who grew up in Canada.  He talks about his unique experiences as a black man in China.  Kwame went through a lot of personal growth in China, and he explains why he felt successful in his time there.  Kwame was diagnosed in 2006, and until that point, he had been thriving in chaos and learning in a state of drowsiness.  Kwame is intentional and thoughtful and I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.   

Connect with Kwame Dougan 

kwame.dougan@scotchpalm.com 
Kwame Dougan on LinkedIn 

You’ll Learn:  [08:35] - Born in Ghana, Kwame grew up in Canada.  He shares his childhood story and explains how technology led to him not being diagnosed.    [11:50] - Kwame talks about his education history and the testing that identified some of his strengths, weaknesses, and diagnoses.   [17:20] - Kwame shares that he has also been diagnosed with sleep apnea. He shared how he learned to learn in a state of drowsiness.   [21:33] - Kwame survived a fire in China, and he shares this story of this situation.   [27:25] - Kwame talks about being black in China.  [34:06] - Kwame explains why he felt successful during his time in China.    [41:11] - We talk about attention, focusing, and leaving a trail of crumbs.   [45:00] - Kwame talks about how ADHD helps him encourage creativity with his daughter.   [46:45] - Algorithms to Live By is something that made sense to Kwame. He explains why.    [49:43] - Kwame talks about his intuition when it comes to a specific task that needs to be accomplished.   [53:20] - We talk about the concept of satisficers and maximizers.   [55:13] - Kwame shares that he was a successful nightclub promoter when he was in school.    [57:24] - Kwame says that the death rate is 100%, so we know what’s going to happen.  He talks about leaving a legacy by having a logical approach.    [1:01:03] - Kwame talks about being black with ADHD and creating your own path.   Your Resources: 

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions - Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths 

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