ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

Nicole Bela, Director of Development at Advance Illinois and advocate for neurodiversity, shares her journey of being diagnosed with ADHD at 37. She reveals how burnout is prevalent in the nonprofit sector, especially among neurodivergent individuals. Nicole discusses the pressures leading to burnout, the importance of unmasking, and how embracing ADHD transformed her leadership style. She proposes practical changes for creating inclusive workplaces and highlights the need for open conversations about employee needs.

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup_____What happens when doing everything "right" still leaves you miserable? You start asking better questions.Shell Mendelson was a successful CEO of KidzArt, an international children's art franchise she founded, when everything fell apart. Despite looking accomplished on paper, she was disconnected, dysregulated, and drowning in work that no longer fit. At her lowest point, she found an ADHD book a therapist friend had sent years earlier, opened it, and finally understood why she'd always felt like an outcast. Diagnosed in her fifties, Shell realized the masking, hypervigilance, and constant feeling of being "off" had been ADHD all along.Now, after 35+ years as a career coach, Shell helps ADHD and neurodivergent adults stop job-hopping and start building careers that actually fit. She's the author of Unlock Your Career Path and creator of the Career Galaxy framework—a process that helps people define their must-haves in writing so they never forget what they need to thrive. In this conversation, Shell and Tracy explore why career assessments fail neurodivergent people, how DEI rollbacks are pushing ADHD professionals into hiding, the rise of workplace surveillance, and why people who need accommodations are often just in the wrong job.Shell also shares her recent move to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she's building a life by the beach with her two dogs—a story about reinvention, clarity, and refusing to stay somewhere that doesn't serve you, even when it looks successful from the outside.Resources: Website: www.careercoachingwithshell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareerCoachingwithShellLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourpassiontocareerWebsite: https://unlockyourcareerpath.comSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Skye Waterson, an ADHD strategist and founder of Unconventional Organisation, shares her journey from academic burnout to building ADHD-friendly productivity systems. She critiques typical productivity advice, emphasizing that it often fails ADHD brains and introduces her unique 'five-senses reward method' for task initiation. Skye also discusses the power of delegation, utilizing AI for business processes, and the importance of understanding one’s own mind for success. Her insights are a game changer for anyone looking to work smarter and reduce stress.

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup_____Sometimes the thing that saves you is also the thing that masks your greatest struggle. Swimming was Meg Hennessey Schofield's lifeline through college—three to four miles a day that kept her ADHD brain calm and focused. When she quit her senior year to focus on teaching, everything fell apart. The anxiety and depression that led to her diagnosis at 21 made sense in hindsight, but she pushed the ADHD piece aside. Everyone has a little ADHD, right? It wasn't until postpartum struggles led a provider to revisit that ignored diagnosis that everything changed. Two hours after taking medication, Meg saw herself clearly for the first time in years—the mental noise had quieted.Meg is a special educator with a Master's in Severe Special Education and co-creator of the SMYLE program, which blends sensory-based yoga with trauma-informed education. Her revelation about regulation didn't just change her life—it transformed her classroom. When she made subtle changes to help manage her own anxiety, her students with severe disabilities began accessing parts of their brains they hadn't reached in years.In this conversation, Meg and Tracy explore how chronic stress hijacks learning, why "acting out" is actually nervous system dysregulation, and what it looks like to start each school day with regulation instead of demands. Meg shares her coffee cup analogy for how students arrive each morning and how she teaches both kids and adults to reconnect their bodies and minds through breath and movement.Resources:Email: meghenscho@gmail.com Website: sensoryenhancedyoga.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-hennessey-schofield-784449102Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Dive into the challenges of ADHD, focusing on rejection-sensitive dysphoria and perfectionism. A personal struggle reveals how these issues can undermine confidence. Tracy introduces a clever 'table legs' analogy, illustrating how interconnected pitfalls support a shaky foundation of self-doubt. Gain insight into the power of presence in relationships and the value of genuine connection. Learn to embrace your strengths by turning perceived weaknesses into assets, with practical strategies for breaking free from negative thought cycles.

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup_____From the outside, you look like you've got it all together. But inside? You're drowning in the endless mental load, feeling guilty because you need breaks from your kids, and wondering why other moms seem to breeze through daily routines that leave you completely drained.Amy Marie Hann was diagnosed with ADHD at just five years old in the mid-1980s—making her what she calls an "ADHD unicorn." She was the straight-A student taking medication alongside the little boys in the nurse's office, the one who followed all the rules and excelled academically. But when she became a mom to three neurodivergent kids, everything fell apart.Amy is the author of Master the Mundane, a practical guide for ADHD moms juggling life, home, and family. In this conversation, Amy and Tracy explore how early diagnosis shaped her identity, why traditional parenting advice fails ADHD families, and what it really means to "master the mundane" when your brain craves novelty. Amy shares her game-changing approach to limiting taxing tasks, why she gave herself permission to be bored by the boring things, and how she learned to model self-acceptance for her three ADHD kids.Resources:Website: www.amymariehann.com Website: www.amymariehann.com/mtmbooklaunch Instagram: @amymariehannSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signupNatasha M. Nurse lived 37 years not knowing she was neurodivergent. Then motherhood changed everything. The crying, the overwhelm, the dark thoughts that felt like more than typical new parent struggles—all of it led to a discovery that would reshape her understanding of herself completely.Diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 37, Natasha finally had answers for a lifetime of feeling out of place. The child who preferred HBO to Sesame Street, who spent her Manhattan childhood with books instead of friends, who excelled academically while feeling painfully lonely—suddenly it all made sense.Now Managing Director at MRM Education, she’s turning her neurodivergent perspective into a strength by building systems that celebrate, not just accommodate, different learners.With Tracy, Natasha explores why traditional education fails, the double edge of hyperfocus, and why knowing your brain is the ultimate workaround. She also shares what it’s like to parent a neurodivergent child while healing her own wounds, the power of being seen, and how she’s helping families navigate systems never built for brains like theirs.Resources:Website: www.dressingroom8.com  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/natashamnurse   Instagram: www.instagram.com/natashamnurse Schedule a call: cal.com/natasha-nurseEmail: natasha@mrmeducation.com MRM Education Info:   Phone: (973) 997 8274Website: www.mrmeducation.comEmail: info@mrmeducation.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/mrmeducate  Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/1611107013001431 Instagram: wwSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Barbara Baskin, a writer and author of 'The Ponytailed Guy from Last Night,' shares her inspiring journey of self-discovery at 60 after a late ADHD diagnosis. She discusses the challenges and humor of online dating, particularly navigating the urban landscape of New York City. Barbara reflects on prioritizing self-care while managing motherhood and career, and emphasizes the importance of clear communication in modern dating. With wit and wisdom, she explores the unique experiences of women over 60, proving that it's never too late to embrace new adventures.

In this engaging conversation, Justine Glaser, founder of Blue Midnight Music and Colors by Midnight, shares her journey as a creative powerhouse with ADHD and synesthesia. She reveals how she sees music as color, turning sensory chaos into artistic brilliance. Justine discusses the challenges she faced in a traditional school setting and how art school liberated her creativity. She explores the power of synesthesia in shaping her identity, innovative songwriting, and the importance of embracing neurodiversity, especially for women navigating the nuanced world of creativity.

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup_You know that feeling when someone tells you you're "too intense" or "ask too many questions"? Lucia Kanter St. Amour has built an entire career on exactly those traits.Lucia is a negotiation expert, law professor, and the kind of ADHD woman who writes Amazon reviews so detailed she got invited to their exclusive Vine program. She's the author of For the Forces of Good, a guide to everyday negotiation that flips traditional power dynamics, and The Covert Buccaneer, a nonlinear novel that mirrors how her ADHD brain actually works. With a background in global law and leadership at UN Women, she combines strategy with a genuine understanding of how women navigate the world.Diagnosed with ADHD at 54, Lucia finally understood why she'd always felt like a "disco ball" in a world of dimmer switches. Her childhood was marked by misdiagnosed seizures (likely panic attacks) and years on experimental medication that left her struggling. But she found her superpowers in foreign languages, piano, and tennis, activities that naturally regulated her nervous system.Lucia and Tracy explore how the traits that make us feel "too much" actually become negotiation superpowers. Our intensity, emotional intelligence, and hyperfocus are assets, not liabilities. They discuss why women avoid negotiating, how to practice with everyday situations like getting your toddler to eat dinner, and why deep listening transforms every interaction. Resources:Website: https://www.pactumfactum.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santaluciasf  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luciakanterstamour/ For the Forces of Good: The Superpower of Everyday Negotiation: https://www.amazon.com/Forces-Good-Superpower-Everyday-Negotiation/dp/B0B92HCMWBThe Covert Buccaneer: Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com