
Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright offer support, life management strategies, and time and technology tips, dedicated to anyone looking to take control while living with ADHD.
Latest episodes

7 snips
Apr 13, 2023 • 46min
The ADHD Self-Compassion Challenge for High Achievers with Casey Dixon
Casey Dixon is a respected Life Coach with a unique focus on science-based, innovative, collaborative coaching and advising for high achievers with ADHD or executive function challenges.So, why is Casey back with us during our series discussing self-compassion and ADHD? Because it turns out that the way we talk to ourselves is universal. Even those living with ADHD who appear to have achieved success live with the threat of negative self-talk, denial, fear, and more. Creating a self-compassion practice is central to freeing ourselves from those feelings and moving forward.Learn more about Casey and her work at DixonLifeCoaching.com.
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(01:58) - Support the show: Become a Patron at https://patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
(05:09) - Introducing Casey Dixon
(09:48) - The ADHD Trifecta
(13:36) - The Roller Coaster of the Trifecta
(24:14) - Building the Habit of Self-Compassion
(29:31) - Burnout
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Apr 6, 2023 • 35min
Self-Compassion, ADHD, and all the [Difficult] Emotions
We've been talking about ADHD and self-compassion over the last several weeks. But how do these experiences tie into other difficult emotions like anger, fear, worry, anxiety, and grief? Nikki and Pete continue the series on the show this week.For background, we're working through chapter 16 of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, as well as Neff's TEDxTalk, "The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion.".The journey through difficult emotions starts and ends with acceptance. But finding that emotional release isn't easy, nor does it happen in a straight line. But by labeling our experience, by finding the areas in our body that are manifesting current struggle, we can find a path toward release.Breathing for Pattern Interrupt with James OchoaInterrupting Negative Patterns with Dr. Dodge ReaJerry Campbell and the Dynamic Tension Between Love and Fear
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(01:40) - Support the show: Become a Patron at https://patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
(02:42) - Tax Study Hall
(04:56) - GPS Enrollment!
(06:48) - All the Feelings
(14:13) - The Stages of Acceptance
(19:59) - Hyperfocus, Amygdala Hijack, and Strategies for Reset
(28:37) - Awareness and Soothing
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13 snips
Mar 30, 2023 • 46min
Wrangling the ADHD Perfectionist with Dr. Sharon Saline
Special thanks to TextExpander for sponsoring this week's show.We've talked about parenting with her. We've talked about therapy and ADHD. But my favorite episode with Dr. Sharon Saline was all about sinking thinking and self-compassion with ADHD. So, you can imagine that embarking on this series on that very subject would bring her back to the show.Sharon is the author of the award-winning book, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life and The ADHD solution card deck. She specializes in working with neurodiverse children, teens, young adults, and families and aims to help outside-the-box thinkers improve executive functioning and social-emotional skills while also building practical communication tools and self-esteem.Sharon says that she, herself, is a perfectionist in recovery, and she offers key insights into perfectionism and its impact on ADHD. How does perfectionism drive self-compassion down? How can you use "just one thing" to turn what seems to be impossible into a daily practice? How do you avoid compare-and-despair? All that and more this week with our great friend Sharon Saline!
(00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
(01:16) - Support the Show: Become a Patron!
(02:18) - Sponsor: TextExpander!
(04:38) - Tax Study Halls Now & GPS Open Enrollment Coming Soon!
(06:00) - Introducing Dr. Sharon Saline
(07:24) - Perfectionism
(12:58) - Perfect is Subjective
(18:56) - Procrastination
(23:14) - The Critic and the Cheerleader
(32:18) - Domain Perfectionism
(39:16) - One Step Forward
(41:00) - Making the Impossible a Practice
(44:08) - Learn more about Sharon
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Mar 23, 2023 • 33min
Shame's Greatest Hits: Self-Compassion and ADHD
We're continuing our conversation on self-compassion and ADHD with a walk through the garden of shame. You know that garden, the one with the plants we nourish and carry with us, the blooms we sniff regularly, all laced with the poison of regret and self-doubt. This week, we're tearing up that soil.The conversation starts with a recap of concepts from The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, as well as Neff's TEDxTalk, "The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion.". Quick reminder of the three core elements presented by Neff and Germer:Self-KindnessCommon HumanityMindfulnessThe biggest challenge to overcome, which we seem to struggle with universally, is the idea that just letting go of negative feelings is hard. You can't just read that in a book or hear it in a podcast and suddenly do it. But more important than that: it's ok for it to be hard to find yourself underneath all the shame. You're in there. And as long as you keep talking about it, one day you'll get there.
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(02:33) - Shame
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Mar 16, 2023 • 35min
Why Self-Compassion is Necessary When Living with ADHD
Why do you treat yourself worse than you would treat a dear friend?That's the central question of today's conversation and it centers on our ability to muster self-compassion, a practice of treating ourselves well when we need it, rather than thinking of ourselves only in terms of our struggles.The conversation starts with a walkthrough of concepts from The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, as well as Neff's TEDxTalk, "The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion.". Central to the conversation are the three core elements presented by Neff and Germer:Self-KindnessCommon HumanityMindfulnessWe walk through each with examples today, and take a tour of the interconnected elements of anxiety and depression that sidle up next to ADHD on this journey toward self-compassion, and review how that impacts the ADHD brain. From there: Tools to build the muscle of self-compassion before you hit an ADHD storm!
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(01:08) - Support the show! Become A Patron
(03:30) - Self-Compassion and ADHD
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16 snips
Mar 9, 2023 • 45min
Aron Croft Brings ME into Building your Business with ADHD
The last time Aron Croft was here, he shared his story of his education and personal background meeting ADHD reality. But you know what else? He built a successful Fortune 500 career and a highly successful training business teaching his 8% Productivity Habit, which helps ADHDers complete what we like to call clogging tasks, those tasks you've put off for months, and need more than simple willpower to get them done.He's back with us this week to share how the ADHD reality meets the business world and how you might find success by pivoting a business school classic model for your own needs.We're talking about the 4PM model: Product, Promotion, Pricing, and Process come together to illuminate the M, Market Fit. But Aaron argues that ADHD business owners need a second M: the ME Fit. Listen in as we explore how to prioritize the Me Fit into your operations, how to figure out what your Me and Market Fit really is, and how to use this model to decide if your best business inspirtation is really a good fit for your hard work.Learn more about Aron at FreeADHDTraining.com and check out his TikTok summary of 4PM2 here!
(00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
(03:42) - Introducing Aron Croft
(07:56) - The Four Ps for ADHD
(15:02) - The Round-Robin
(35:23) - Prioritizing the Me-Fit
(39:10) - What if you're not an entrepreneur
(42:12) - Learn More
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Mar 2, 2023 • 37min
Morgan Hancock on ADHD in the Military and Success as an Entrepreneurial Troublemaker
Morgan Hancock calls herself a troublemaker. This week, you're going hear about her being a troublemaker in high school. And again in summer school. And again in the Army.And then you're going to hear how she was diagnosed with ADHD and channeled that restless energy into commercial real estate, motherhood, and her passionate advocacy of the arts, including her art-focused bourbon charity, Bourbon with Heart, Inc.Morgan joins us this week to talk about her experience doing all those things living and working with ADHD.
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(01:20) - Support the Show • Become a Patron at https://patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
(04:15) - Introducing Morgan Hancock
(11:18) - Making the Turn with Attention
(18:10) - Bourbon with Heart
(24:46) - A look at systems
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Feb 23, 2023 • 47min
Getting Unstuck and Speaking ADHD Truth to Power with Maggie Isely
Maggie Isley is a designer, coach, and speaker. She’s the co-founder and creative director of 929 Studios, where she works with businesses around the world to form cohesive brand identities. She is also the co-founder of Be Unemployable, a podcast and educational brand for neurodivergent entrepreneurs with our new best friend of the show, Jamie Cutino. Maggie joins us today to talk about her work with neurodivergent entrepreneurs and how to get unstuck in our professional growth.In her recent TEDx Talk, she discussed her revelation that business plateaus are rarely just business problems. Working exclusively with a neurodivergent population, she found a connection between people becoming stuck in their own professional growth and their current state of healing from past trauma.
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(01:06) - Support the show• Become a Patron!
(02:25) - Group Coaching is Here!
(03:24) - Sponsor: TextExpander!
(06:51) - Introducing Maggie Isely
(13:20) - Boat anchors are temporary
(22:42) - What about the data?
(26:32) - Trauma and Self-Awareness
(33:12) - Pattern Recognition
(34:51) - Maggie's Coaching
(39:03) - Taking Advice
(42:26) - Provoke Yourself
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Feb 16, 2023 • 52min
Building Your Day when You’re the Boss
It's not easy to get out of bed every day with your eye on building and growing your own business. Whether you have people depending on you as a part of your own team, or you're working as an indie contractor, the responsibilities, emotional, and intellectual weight on you as a business owner is simply different than it was when you went to work for someone else. This week, we're talking about the experience of owning your day. We talk about the pros and cons of hustle culture and the value of time blocking. We talk about finding the support you need to get the work done and the challenges to memory and organization that come from the outside -- the state, licensing entities, and regulators. It's not easy, being the boss, but it's incredibly rewarding if you find your way forward. From two people with more than a decade each owning their own businesses, we bring our hard-won experience to you this week.
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(05:08) - Getting Down to Business
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Feb 9, 2023 • 43min
ADHD Entrepreneurs ❤️ Business with Occupational Therapist and Coach Jamie Cutino
At first blush you might think that ADHD would hinder your chances to successfully start a business, but this week's guest has something to say about that. Jamie Cutino offers occupational therapy based coaching for women with ADHD and sings the praises of ADHD as a bouquet that can truly benefit the entrepreneur.Jamie Cutino is a Master of Occupational Therapy and founder of Outsmart ADHD and co-founder of Be Unemployable, an educational brand and podcast for entrepreneurs. We talk about her journey discovering ADHD in the face of trauma in the family, her work as an Occupational Therapist and how that practice helps with ADHD. We lean into rejection sensitivity and how we can heal through normalizing past rejection to get through future rejection.Check out Jamie's TEDxCWRU talk here.But most important we dissect what it takes to pull apart the lessons of your ADHD and how it can help you when starting and running a business, and where the sharp edges are for you to care for as you march your way toward being unemployable!
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(01:58) - Support the show: Become a Patron!
(04:04) - Group Coaching is Open: Winter-Spring 2023!
(07:00) - Introducing Jamie Cutino
(08:04) - Being an Occupational Therapist
(15:04) - Entrepreneurs ❤️ Business
(18:10) - Rejection
(24:00) - Adjust to the Miss
(27:10) - Being the Boss, Fighting the System, Embracing the Energy Swings
(30:38) - Celebrating the ADHD
(32:20) - Early Lessons
(38:10) - Be Unemployable
(42:22) - Learn More
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