Distracted No More: How One Entrepreneur Turned ADHD Into a Superpower

By Tyler Russell

At first glance, Anthony Raibick, 31, doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a three-company CEO.Well, at least that’s what he’s been told.

Growing up in East Hanover, New Jersey, just short of 25 miles from New York City, Raibick was the kid who couldn’t sit still, he was always bouncing around and seeking a new thrill.

“He had so much built-up energy,” his mother, Laura Raibick, recalled. “It was constant.”

That energy carried its way to the classroom, where in pre-kindergarten, one teacher didn’t mince words, blatantly telling Laura that her son was a “problem child.” 

“I didn’t know at the time that he had ADHD, but hearing that my first, and at the time only, kid was a problem child, that 

Raibick wasn’t fully aware yet, but he was living with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which made even simple classroom tasks feel overwhelming.

Sitting through lessons, completing assignments, and following routines were daily battles, while on the other end, Raibick’s peers adapted to structure. He pushed against it, often finding himself out of sync with the system that was built for the neurotypical. 

But what looked like a disadvantage early on would eventually become his greatest asset.

As he grew older, Raibick began to better understand how his mind worked and instead of trying to force himself into a rigid mold, he started learning how to channel his energy into areas that held his attention. The same restlessness that once caused disruption in the classroom began to translate into drive, creativity, and a willingness to take risks.

That shift didn’t happen overnight, though. 

Like many young adults navigating ADHD, Raibick faced numerous setbacks, such as staying consistent and finishing projects while maintaining focus, which all three combined, were ongoing challenges. But over time, he developed systems, ways to manage distractions, stay organized, and follow through on ideas in the correct manner.

More importantly, above all, he reframed the way he saw himself.

Rather than viewing ADHD as a limitation, Raibick began to treat it as a superpower, he has a gift that not many people get to capitalize off of. 

His high energy, yes, that same high energy that labeled him as a “problem child,” became fuel, and his tendency to jump between ideas turned him into an avid learner, where he would absorb all the material that he researched after going down different avenues. 

That mindset shift changed everything and it enabled Raibick to be the high-end, driven individual that he had always aspired to be. 

By his early 30s, Raibick had not only completely found his footing, he had built an empire.

He now serves as CEO of three companies, Service Stadium, Architectural Outdoor Lighting and NextGen Irrigation, a busy day-to-day task that requires the skills he once struggled to develop.

Raibick’s journey challenges the basic narrative that gets stapled to ADHD, however, more specifically, his journey shows everyone, those with ADHD or not, that anything is possible.

“If I’m ever struggling with focus or motivation, I just remember that my brother has gone through this and that he always, no matter what, pushed through,” Ashley Raibick, Anthony’s younger sister, said. “He truly is such an inspirational human-being.” 

From not being able to sit still in pre-K, mixed with negative conversations about things he simply could not control, to leading multiple businesses, the turn-around is drastic, and it’s something that Raibick knows and often reflects on. 

“I always knew I could do it, I knew that I would be in this position one day,” Raibick said. “But I think that the uncertainty of not knowing exactly when messed with my mind for a long time, and once I finally let that thought go, and began building block by block, that’s when I saw who I really was and what I was really capable of building.” 

Today, Raibick stands as an example of what can happen when someone stops trying to “fix” themselves and instead learns to work with who they are.

For every student who’s been told they’re too distracted, too energetic, or too difficult to manage, Raibick’s journey sends a clear message: those traits don’t have to hold you back. In the right environment, they might just be the reason you move forward.

And for a former “problem child” from East Hanover, that forward momentum has turned into something much bigger than anyone could have predicted.