

ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka
Tracy Otsuka
Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy here : programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup*I have NEVER met an ADHD woman who wasn’t truly brilliant at something! This podcast, with nearly 7 million downloads, is for smart, high-ability ADD/ADHD (diagnosed or suspecting) women who see their symptoms as more positive than negative. If you want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and discover where your brilliance lies, this podcast is for you!**ADHD for Smart Ass Women is globally ranked in the top one-tenth of one percent of all podcasts in the world on any subject. It’s streamed in more than 160 countries and is downloaded by more than 150,000 listeners every month. My book of the same name, published by HarperCollins/William Morrow, was recently honored by Amazon Editors as a Top 20 Best Nonfiction Book of 2024.**I’m Tracy Otsuka, your host. I’m a lawyer, not a doctor, a lifelong learner, and a certified ADHD coach. I’m on a mission to change the conversation around ADHD because I believe it’s time to focus on the strengths that come with our unique brains. When I was diagnosed eight months after my son, my entire life finally made sense, yet all I read and heard about ADHD focused on what I should struggle with. What I discovered, though, was that my ADHD was responsible for some of my greatest strengths.**Another thing we constantly hear is all the success stories about ADHD men, but no one talks about the women. This podcast is here to change that. ADHD women are my people, and I’m here to acknowledge, support, and cheer them on. My experience as an adult living with ADHD, along with my expertise, is regularly sought out by top-tier media, including Bloomberg, Forbes, CBS Mornings, ABC News Live, Inc., Prevention Magazine, Verywell Mind, ADDitude magazine, and The Goal Digger Podcast, etc.**adhdforsmartwomen.com**The content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and does not constitute medical or professional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of anything you have seen or heard from Tracy Otsuka, her guests or this podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 22, 2020 • 33min
EP. 81: ADHD with Teen Author, Gracie Dix
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode 81 of ADHD for Smart Ass Wome*, Tracy introduces you to the incomparable Gracie Dix. Gracie is a rising high school senior and the author of two books she released in 2020: Journey to Superhero School and Welcome to Superhero School, a fantasy fiction novel. Both books were Amazon #1 New Releases in their genre. Gracie lives in Dallas, Texas, with her parents, Richard and Jennifer, her brother Nate when he’s home from college, and her beloved dogs, Snowball and Sandcastle. She attends Shelton School of Dallas, which is a school for smart students who learn differently.Learn about the article that Gracie wrote for ADDitudeMag, Gracie’s ADHD diagnosis, how she became so focused on her strengths, what she thinks her strengths are, and what she wishes she could change about her ADHD brain. Discover what made Gracie decide to write a book, what her books are about, whether there are any ADHD characters in her stories, and what she wants to study in college. Gracie shares the ADHD traits she feels are responsible for her success and her ADHD workarounds.______________Resources:“Don’t Buy Into the Myth That Your ADHD Characteristics are Flaws.”www.graciedix.comwww.shelton.orgSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Jul 15, 2020 • 1h 15min
EP. 80: ADHD and Female Friendships with Janet Murray
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Join Tracy in Episode #80 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she introduces you to Janet Murray, who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 45. Janet is a content marketing expert, author, and international speaker who has built a multiple six-figure business with multiple streams of income, including a membership community and online courses. She’s also the creator of a popular content planning tool for coaches, consultants, and entrepreneurs. Over the past five years, Janet has published over 400 podcast episodes, a book, and countless pieces of email marketing copy—despite, in her words, being one of the most disorganized people on the planet. How does she manage it all? Janet has developed easy-to-follow systems and processes to stay productive, strategies that can work for anyone struggling to stay focused.Discover: The circumstances surrounding Janet’s diagnosis, what her ADHD symptoms were and are, how drivenness relates to ADHD, how her ADHD presented in grade school, high school, and college, and what has changed for Janet since her diagnosis. Janet and Tracy also talk candidly about female friendships and ADHD, the challenges of not knowing the rules of female friendships, and why entrepreneurship is such a good fit for ADHD brains. They discuss how interpersonal intuition can sometimes interfere with relationships, how intensity plays a role in choosing relationships, and when to just walk away.Janet shares the ADHD traits that are responsible for her success, the key to living successfully with ADHD, and her top two ADHD workarounds.______________Resources:Website: janetmurray.co.ukHow I discovered my ADHD superpowerwww.onepeloton.comSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Jul 8, 2020 • 20min
EP. 79: ADHD and Imposter Syndrome
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode 79 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy talks about imposter syndrome, where the term comes from, what it is and why so many women with ADHD have it. She shares: How Reward Deficiency Syndrome contributes to imposter syndrome, Why we rarely feel as we’ve accomplished enough, Why we might not trust our success and believe we can recreate it, How being hyper-critical of ourselves contributes to imposter syndrome, What inverse imposter syndrome is, What you can do to combat imposter syndrome, How to deal with shame, Why community and interest are so important to our ADHD brains.Send a Message: Your Name | Email | MessageInstead 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Jul 1, 2020 • 55min
EP. 78: What Does ADHD Look Like in Women? The Update
Discover the unique ways ADHD manifests in women, highlighting that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Learn about the complexities of ADHD symptoms, especially in girls who often mask their struggles. Explore the biological roots of ADHD and the impact of trauma, along with the importance of tailored strategies beyond medication. Uncover the strengths like creativity and hyperfocus that come with ADHD, and why smart girls might face greater challenges. Embrace a neurobiological perspective that recognizes the brilliance within ADHD.

Jun 24, 2020 • 46min
EP. 77: ADHD, Anxiety, Self-Care and Law School with Jaklin Levine Pritzker
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Join Tracy in Episode #77 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she introduces you to Jaklin Levine Pritzker (“Jak”). Jak is a certified health/life coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and an ADDCA-trained ADHD coach. After graduating from law school and receiving her own ADHD diagnosis, Jak founded *AuthenticallyADHD*, where she coaches, runs retreats, and hosts a membership group for women and/or non-binary individuals.Jak shares information about: Receiving her own ADHD diagnosis at the end of law school, her struggle with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, self-medication, her other health challenges, how she came to terms with walking away from the practice of law and instead found a new direction more suited to her, things she always wondered about but now sees as symptoms of ADHD, getting off medication when it doesn’t work for you and finding other workarounds, how her ADHD diagnosis changed her life, the key to living successfully with ADHD, and her number one ADHD workaround.______________Resources:Instagram: @authenticallyadhdFacebook: Authentically ADHDWebsite: www.authenticallyadhd.comSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Jun 17, 2020 • 21min
EP. 76: Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! My 6-Step System
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode #76 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces a 6-step system that she created for her ADHD brain to help make better decisions around her career, relationships, and interests. She shares why it’s so important for those of us with ADHD to pursue the right interests, how to stop getting sidetracked by the newest bright, shiny thing, why we need a process, structure, and system to tidy our brains, the 25/75% formula, the "Do I Do With My Life" formula, why it’s so important for those of us with ADHD to be clear on what we really value, how getting clear on your values helps you make better decisions, the importance of choosing a theme for your life, how knowing your character strengths helps you begin to live values that you’re not currently living, and why we feel disconnected when who we are is not in alignment with what we do.Tracy also discusses the importance of knowing what you’re passionate about, how to choose which of your many passions to pursue by discovering your purpose, her purpose formula, why purposes that give meaning to your past are often the best purposes to choose, the importance of identifying the overlap or the sweet spot where your interests, natural abilities, positive emotion, and motivation converge, and how to never forget what’s important to you again. If you’re interested in learning more about Your ADHD Brain is A-OK, you can find it.Send a Message: Your Name | Email | MessageInstead 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Jun 10, 2020 • 37min
EP. 75: Why ADHD Coaching Works
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode #75 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy talks about why she changed her introduction to the podcast. She shares her experience with coaching and why she initially didn’t believe it worked. Since she's always concerned with authenticity, she felt she owed her community an explanation and wanted to tell you why she changed her mind—and why she now believes that ADHD coaching is the best thing for anyone struggling with ADHD symptoms to try.Tracy shares: How she connected her need to be crystal clear on her values and purpose with her ADHD, her constant quest around living to her full potential, her experience with regular life coaching, how developing a program to coach herself ultimately led her to create Cartography and Your ADHD Brain is A-OK!, how her desire to learn more about ADHD and how to respond to women and help them get out of their victim mindset in her Facebook group led her to consider ADHD coaching, why telling people with ADHD what to do never works, why regular life coaching doesn’t work for the ADHD brain, how the ADHD coaching model needs to go much deeper than traditional life coaching to be effective, how important prompts are to the ADHD brain, what it means to charge neutral and why ADHD coaches can’t do this and be successful with ADHD clients, why the best coaches for ADHD people are those who also have ADHD, and the steps of the ADHD coaching model and why they’re so successful with ADHD clients.______________Resources:addca.comYour ADHD Brain is A-OK!Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Jun 3, 2020 • 48min
EP. 74: Overcoming Procrastination with Focusmate and Rachel Elliott
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Join Tracy in Episode #74 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, where she introduces you to Rachel Elliott. Rachel is a life-long resident of Washington, D.C., where she earned a BS in Biology at Salisbury University and will begin classes for her Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at George Washington University. Rachel has been using Focusmate to conquer her short-term and long-term goals for over two years. She has more recently realized the power of Focusmate to maintain daily routines and now uses it for her morning routines, to meditate, practice yoga, and finish those nagging projects that need to get done.Rachel shares with us: The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis as a sophomore in high school, the symptoms that she always wondered about but now recognizes as clearly ADHD, how Focusmate works, how Focusmate revolutionized her life and increased her productivity, why Focusmate is so effective for her, how she has made friends on Focusmate, tips for using Focusmate, how 4-7-8 breathing can help with anxiety, panic attacks, and focus, the ADHD traits that are responsible for her success, the key to living successfully with ADHD, and her number one ADHD workaround.______________Resources:Email: crush.all.your.goals@gmail.comPodcast Ep. 14: What's a Body Double and How Can it Help Me Get My Work DoneInternet + App Blockersfreedom.toStay Focused - Bloqueador appsStayFocused Chrome Extension4-7-8 breathingSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

May 27, 2020 • 37min
EP. 73: ADHD Hacks Recommended By Our Members
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode 73 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy shares ADHD hacks contributed by members of her Facebook Group, also of the same name. There were so many good tips but here are some of the most popular ones.Discover: What every ADHD women needs in the shower, how big is too big for a bathroom clock, the trick to keep your bathroom clean, how much time you really take for your morning routine, how music might help you get to work on time, the one thing you need at your front door, how many laptop chargers do you really need, how to never forget anything when you travel, the best place to write down your morning and nighttime routines, how to finally schedule appointments so you’re on time, how to sign up for free trial apps or software without ending up paying for it, what a Not Now List is, what to keep in your desk at work, why you should always hit snooze and not turn off an alarm even though you’re going to get to the item next.______________Resources:ADHD for Smart Ass Women PodcastADHD for Smart Ass Women Facebook GroupEllieGridBullet JournalFacebook Minimalist Bullet JournalsOurGroceriesFocusmateSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

May 20, 2020 • 36min
EP. 72: What The Pandemic Taught Me About My ADHD Brain
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode 72 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy shares what social distancing has taught her about her ADHD brain. This episode is for those of you who have been practicing social isolation for a while, are growing weary, and are struggling to find more positive emotion in your life.Discover: why awareness is so important to our ADHD brains, how one little shift that we don’t even realize can contribute to a downward trajectory in our positive emotion, how quickly we can bounce back if we’ve just recently fallen in the hole and haven’t yet buried ourselves in it, how important routine and structure is not only to our ADHD brains but also to positive emotion, the importance of nature to the ADHD brain, how Covid reconnected me to nature, my family, and myself, and what you actually need to feel more connection to others.______________Resources:ADHD for Smart Ass Women PodcastFacebook Group: ADHD for Smart Ass WomenFocusmateSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message 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/book2Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com