

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

Mar 4, 2020 • 57min
EP. 61: Diagnostic Testing For ADHD With Laurie Harwood Peterson
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Join Tracy as she welcomes her guest Laurie Harwood Peterson to Episode #61 of her podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Laurie is the owner and director of Diagnostic Learning Services. Alongside her husband, Laurie runs five offices across Texas, specializing in ADHD and learning challenges in children. She spends every day helping kids get identified and teaching parents how to support them. Laurie holds a bachelor’s degree in Special Education and spent eight years teaching students with learning disabilities in grades K-12. She also has two Master’s Degrees—one in Special Education with an emphasis on assessment and the other in Professional Counseling.Laurie is also the mother of two boys. In this episode, you’ll learn about: the circumstances surrounding Laurie’s ADHD diagnosis, her symptoms in childhood, how she got into diagnostic testing, the difference between neuropsychological testing and diagnostic testing, where diagnostic testing fits into the ADHD picture, signs parents should look for when considering diagnostic testing for their children, the cost of diagnostic testing, how testing for giftedness and ADHD differs from standard ADHD testing, how Laurie’s ADHD makes her better at what she does, what Laurie believes is the key to living successfully with ADHD, and her number one ADHD workaround.______________Resources:How to use a bullet journal www.diagnostic-learning.comediagnosticlearning.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

Feb 26, 2020 • 54min
EP. 60: ADHD, Entrepreneurialism and Fearlessness with Dr. Brandi Noll
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 #60 of *ADHD for Smart Ass Women* as she welcomes her guest, Brandi Noll. Dr. Noll is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses. With 23 years of experience in education, she has taught children how to read and write, as well as adults how to best teach children to read and write. Brandi is also an author, presenter, and consultant in K-12 schools. She has co-authored a book on preschool literacy curriculum, written numerous articles for national journals on literacy instruction, and presented at education conferences across the country, sharing her passion for helping students succeed. Brandi is also the mother of three.In 2016, while recovering from her second major hip reconstruction due to hip dysplasia, Brandi founded the Bucket List Adventure Company Ohio. Her focus was on bringing people together by encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zones and overcome their fears. Over the last few years, Brandi has jumped out of a plane, free-dived with sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, walked across fire, kayaked in alligator-infested waterways, ice climbed, rock climbed, and rappelled through some of the United States' most strenuous and iconic trails. No surprise—Brandi also has ADHD!Brandi shares: how she completed her Ph.D. in three years while working two part-time jobs and raising three children, the circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis, symptoms she had always wondered about but now recognizes as clearly ADHD in hindsight, what has changed since her diagnosis, why she decided to start her travel company, why she founded the "Adventure Club," the knowledge she imparts to all of her students, what she believes is the key to living successfully with ADHD, her number one ADHD workaround, and her advice to a young woman just diagnosed with ADHD.______________Resources:Instagram: @bucketlistadventurecompanyohSend 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

Feb 19, 2020 • 50min
EP. 59: ADHD and Justice Sensitivity with Immigration Attorney Taylor Levy
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode #59 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces her guest Taylor Levy. Taylor is an immigration attorney in El Paso, Texas, and was the Legal Coordinator at Annunciation House, El Paso’s largest migrant shelter. During the summer and fall of 2018, Taylor worked with dozens of pro bono attorneys who traveled to El Paso from across the U.S. to provide free legal representation to immigrant parents separated from their minor children due to the “zero-tolerance” policy enacted by the Trump administration. Attorneys volunteering with Annunciation House provided legal consultations and pro bono reunification to more than 400 separated families. Currently, Taylor focuses on asylum-seeking families who have been returned to Mexico under the “Remain in Mexico” program. She also mentors attorneys from around the country on these cases and does advocacy, media, and policy work centered on protecting vulnerable asylum seekers arriving at our border.Taylor talks about an article that ProPublica just published about her clients, Honduran refugees Mirza, David, and their kids. Taylor also shares how she ended up in law school while working full time and raising a child as a single mother, the circumstances surrounding her own ADHD diagnosis, symptoms that she always wondered about but now, with the benefit of hindsight, she recognizes as clearly ADHD, what has changed since her diagnosis, how she ended up representing immigrants and asylum seekers before she even went to law school, what she believes the key to living successfully with ADHD is, her novel approach to medication, her number one workaround, and her advice to a young woman just diagnosed with ADHD. Information about the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Hybrid Program is also discussed.______________Resources:Email: taylorlevylaw@gmail.comwww.santafedreamersproject.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

5 snips
Feb 12, 2020 • 39min
EP. 58: 5 ADHD Hacks That Change How I Work
Explore ADHD hacks and organizational tools for enhancing productivity, like Sticky Notes and Multiple Desktops. Discover apps such as TabResize and Bear for efficient workflow management. Learn about New Kajabi for simplifying business operations and empowering online businesses. Tracy shares her love-hate relationship with Post-it-notes and how to stay focused within one computer screen.

Feb 5, 2020 • 47min
EP. 57: A Mid-Life Diagnosis of ADHD with Sandra Centorino
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode #57 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy invites her good friend Sandra Centorino to the podcast to talk about her recent mid-life ADHD diagnosis. Sandra is currently the founder of RealWomenGoLive where her mission is to help, inspire, share and connect real women to the power of their voice through audio and video.Prior to that, Sandra ran a non-profit called, the CUREchief Foundation where she recruited and trained thousands of volunteers for more than a decade. Sandra shares: Why she decided to seek a diagnosis, how her symptoms got worse in midlife, her family's response to her diagnosis, what has changed since she was diagnosed, her experience with medication, her number one ADHD workaround, and her advice to anyone who’s listening who has not yet been diagnosed.______________Resources:Facebook Group:: RealWomenGoLIVESend 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

Jan 29, 2020 • 49min
EP. 56: Is it ADHD or Non-Verbal Learning Disorder? with Linda Karanzalis, M.S., BCCS
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Join Tracy and her guest Linda Karanzalis, M.S., BCCS in Episode #56 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Linda is a board-certified cognitive specialist and parent/student coach who provides executive function training and social-emotional learning programs for people of all ages. Linda recently wrote an article for ADDitude magazine’s Winter 2020 issue on ADHD and Non-verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD). Linda shares with us: Her symptoms in childhood, her ADHD diagnosis, how she figured out that she had something more than just ADHD, her Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) diagnosis, what NVLD looks like What percentage of communication is verbal vs non-verbal and why that matters, why those with NVLD actually talk more, not less, what it means to not understand the meaning behind words and take things literally, how to tell the difference between ADHD and NVLD, why those with NVLD are often misdiagnosed with ADHD, why NVLD is still not recognized in the DSM even though they are both brain-based conditions, what happens to those with NVLD who are left untreated. Linda then discusses current treatment options for NVLD and explains why she believes they don’t work. She also shares what she has discovered does work.Resources:Addvantageslearningcenter.comSymptom test for adults: Could I have Non-Verbal Learning Disorder?Article that appeared in ADDitude magazine on NVLDAnother article by Linda Karanzalis for ADDitude magazineIf you’d like to write a review for the podcast ADHD for Smart Ass Women, on your phone only, scroll down to the very bottom after all episodes to "Ratings & Reviews." There you will find a link that says “Write a Review.” Thank you!______________Resources:[Self-Test] Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) in AdultsADHD vs NVLD or Non-Verbal Learning DisorderSend 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

Jan 22, 2020 • 29min
EP. 55: What I’ve Learned in the Year Since I Started my ADHD for Smart Ass Women Podcast
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Tracy talks about what she’s learned in the year since she started her podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. She hopes her story might inspire you to tackle that one big bucket list item that you’ve been scared to start. After all, she’s been there.Tracy shares: Why she started the podcast, What her biggest fear was around having a podcast, How she feels about planning, Her thoughts on accountability vs. responsibility, The importance of structure, Why she listens more and talks less, How her podcast helped her develop more tools and strategies for herself, The importance of reminders, How starting a podcast solidified her belief that ADHD isn’t a disorder but rather a brain difference that just requires another way of doing things, How those with ADHD are gold star people, How members of her ADHD for Smart Ass Women Facebook Group and listeners of the podcast helped her grow her knowledge of ADHD, and What her podcast taught her about confidence.______________Resources:addca.comFacebook Group: ADHD for Smart Ass WomenSend 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

Jan 15, 2020 • 45min
EP. 54: How Proper Breathing Reduces Stress, Stabilizes Emotions and Makes the ADHD Brain More Mindful
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In this episode, Tracy invites Esther Nagel to the podcast. Esther is a yoga teacher, author, and writer from South Wales in the UK. She is also an expert in breathing and was recently diagnosed with ADHD.Esther shares: Why learning to breathe properly is a powerful tool in managing the ADHD brain, How she connected breath to so many of her own personal struggles stemming from ADHD and how it changed her life, How proper breathing reduces stress, stabilizes emotions, and makes us more mindful, How breathing balances the autonomic nervous system and helps us to be more attentive (focused) and more relaxed, and Some simple steps for breathing properly and doing it anywhere in her FREE 10-day breathing course.______________Resources:spacetobreatheacademy.com(this is the FREE 10-day breathing course that Esther mentioned) How Deep Breathing Opens Up the ADHD BrainJust Breathe: Diaphragmatic Breathing for ADHDSend 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

4 snips
Jan 8, 2020 • 18min
EP. 53: Neuroplasticity, Mindfulness, Meditation and ADHD
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___In Episode #53 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy tackles the science behind meditation, specifically neuroplasticity. Tracy introduces the book Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD, An 8-Step Program for Strengthening Attention, Managing Emotions and Achieving Your Goals* by Lidia Zylowska, MD.Learn: what neuroplasticity is and how it affects not only our ability to learn but also the brain’s ability to change and adapt, when neuroplasticity occurs in our lifespan, several interesting examples of neuroplasticity, what one key factor is in neuroplasticity, how the concept of neuroplasticity has completely changed the thinking around meditation, what long-term meditators' brains look like in regions related to attention, self-monitoring, and emotional regulation, what long-term meditators' brains look like as they age, what attentional blink is and how it is affected by meditation, how long you must meditate in order to start seeing its benefits, what areas of the brain are enhanced by mindfulness or meditation training and why this is important to those of us with ADHD, and why meditation is especially important to those of us with inattentive ADHD, especially those suffering from Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria.______________Resources:The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHDMindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and the Adult ADHD BrainMindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in AdulthoodYour Child’s Brain on Mindful MeditationYes, the ADHD Brain Can Be Trained to ImproveSend 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

Jan 1, 2020 • 20min
EP. 52: How Choosing a Word for the New Year Helps Me Better Manage 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 #52, Tracy shares a New Year hack that has helped her to be more productive and move her life forward in a manner that is consistent with her values and purpose. It also happens to work especially well for her ADHD brain in that she’s able to stick with it throughout the entire year.Discover: how the word NERVY helped her to get completely comfortable with live video and visibility in her business, how the word CONSISTENCY helped Tracy create this podcast and show up every week for a year to consistently deliver it, why choosing just one word every year works so well for our ADHD brains, how to choose a word that represents what you’d like to have more of in your life, and how Tracy chose her word for 2020. Tracy also tells us what big project she has planned for 2020, and how her word will help her achieve it. She also lists some resources for options beyond the traditional one-word bracelets that she’s been using for the past two years.______________Resources:myintent.orgwww.etsy.comwww.etsy.com/listing/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