Join Tracy as she welcomes Francesca Rizzo to Episode 118 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women to share her tips on downsizing and setting up an organized home for ADHD living. Francesca Rizzo is a multi-media artist expressing powerful, provocative ideas in funny, human ways. Her work is prolific. The multiple medias she has distinguished herself in range from the fine arts and interior design to her work as an award-winning actor, writer, producer and director in theater, film, television and digital media. 

As a college dropout, Francesca left NJ and struck out on her own at 19, mining her creative talents for skills she could use to pay the rent in New York City. Along the way she carved out a career as a children’s book illustrator, professional actor, co-founder of a downtown theater company and eventually, as a filmmaker and CEO of MovieBaby Productions, a Tribeca-based media company creating innovative videos, independent films and tv promotional campaigns. Does that sound ADHD or what?

When she lost Moviebaby and her Manhattan apartment after 9/11, she landed back in Jersey and went back to the basics, earning her degree in Media Arts as well as the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. While making her mark in the fine arts and interior design, she penned and performed three theatrical productions, curated The Cinema-Femina film series and, created Believe Women, a rape activist initiative that championed the Cosby survivors along their journey to justice.

Francesca shares:

• What made her downsize from a 3,000 square foot, 3-story home in New Jersey to a 600 square foot apartment in New York City
• The 3 requirements every item must meet to end up in Fran’s world
• How to let go of things and make room for those things that you really want in your life
• Her decision making tier of 
• I love it
• I like it
• It does its job
• It annoys me
• I hate it
• When you need to just “pick the best”
• How she feels after getting rid of 98% of her possessions
• What she would do differently if she had to do it again
• How you can use Fran’s downsizing mindset to move through anything that causes you fear and overwhelm
• What the key to living successfully with ADHD is

Resources:

Simple Systems for Creative Minds

Join Tracy in episode #17 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she shares the #1 most impactful concept that she has learned this year. She talks about this concept every day with students and those who contact her because they’re struggling with rumination, RSD, and just plain not feeling good. 

Tracy shares:

• Who she learned this concept from
• Why our ADHD brains can get stuck in a loop of negative thoughts which leads to rumination, RSD and general brooding
• The role environment plays in all of this
• What epigenetics and neuroplasticity can teach us
• How you can change your brain at any age and be happier
• The network in our brain that lights up when we’re in action
• The network in our brain that is responsible for our creativity
• The network in our brain that is responsible for many of our negative, depressive thoughts
• The reason why so many people are starting to look so distracted whether or not they have or don’t have ADHD
• The part of our brain that is responsible for addiction and what we can do about it
• What 6-3-8-3 breathing is and why it works
• When our ADHD brains are happiest

Resources: 

https://drhallowell.com/read/books-by-ned/ 

https://bolt.straightforequality.org/files/Straight%20for%20Equality%20Trans%20Allies/2019-breaking-binaries-worksheet.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0GKwogV5LIBUoUvtsG0xPGazscoLyyEK86b9dopaWC3MFnBbTeznJiLss

https://www.theactivetimes.com/travel/how-to-be-a-better-lgbtq-ally-pride-month

https://bolt.straightforequality.org/files/Come%20Out%20as%20a%20Straight%20Ally/2020-10-things.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0vfEmvAQ4uSKzbq8qa9snL6JR7i5_fni9Q-mtV_gDBKvchKfptRHNYu18

5 Days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain 

Your ADHD Brain is A-OK!

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy talks about ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and why she took such an interest in this episode. Tracy starts by mentioning the connection between OCD and repetitive body focused behaviors (RBFBs) and then discusses what they are. She then goes on to share:

• What OCD is
• What obsessions are
• What compulsions are
• The conditions that make up the OCD Spectrum
• What OCD is not
• What Pure Obsession is
• At what age does OCD typically show up
• Where ADHD and OCD look very different
• Where ADHD and OCD look similar
• What those with OCD are most concerned about
• The role that executive functions play in both ADHD and OCD
• How hoarding plays into ADHD and OCD
• How OCD is best treated
• What Exposure Response Prevention is
• The reasons why ADHD with OCD is often misdiagnosed
• A Do I Have OCD? Survey

Resources: 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12402-014-0146-x

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322306005877 

https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-ocd-and-adhd-dual-diagnosis-misdiagnosis-and-the-cognitive-cost-of-obsessions/

https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/symptoms-of-ocd/

https://www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/10230_Understand-Conditions_is-it-ocd-or-adhd.pdf

https://www.ocduk.org/ocd/history-of-ocd/howard-hughes/

https://www.additudemag.com/howie-mandel-ocd/ 

Join Tracy as she welcomes Lynn Miner-Rosen to Episode 115 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Lynn Miner-Rosen, M.Ed., ACC, CDCS  is the founder of LMR Coaching and the creator of the ADHD JOB SQUAD™ where she provides coaching, instruction, and support to college students and adults with (and without) ADD, ADHD, Executive Functioning Deficits and Learning Differences worldwide. Lynn is a leading expert on ADHD career coaching and is an ICF Credentialed and Board Certified Career Development Coach, and an ADHD, Executive Function and Life Coach. She’s been a Special Education Teacher and an IEP coordinator and has a BS in business administration and two Masters Degrees in education and Special Education 

Like you she’s also learned how to manage the demands of her life and career whil navigating symptoms of ADHD. 

Lynn shares:

• Her ADHD diagnosis story
• The truth about our current pandemic job market
• Why women are struggling the most
• What we need to consider when trying to decide if we should make a career change
• Advice for those of us who are reentering the workforce decades after we left
• Why she decide to start the ADHD Job Squad
• A special deal just for ADHD for Smart Ass Women listener

Resources:

learn.adhdjobsquad.com/smartasswomen

http://www.adhdjobsquad.com/

Instagram: @adhdcoachlynn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnminerrosen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdjobsquadcommunity 

https://adhdpalooza.com/women/ 

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy talks about women, ADHD and hormones. She starts out by thanking those female pioneers, most of whom have ADHD, for leading the charge in teaching us about what ADHD looks like in women. Experts like Dr. Kathleen Nadeau, Dr. Ellen Littman, Dr. Patricia Quinn, Dr. Sari Solden, Dr. Sandra Kooj who she has learned so much from. 

Tracy shares:

• Why ADHD has always been about the boys
• How ADHD looks different in girls
• The biggest problem among health care practitioners that impacts women
• Why girls/women are often misdiagnosed
• Who struggles more with ADHD, men or women
• How societal pressures and gender role expectations affect ADHD women
• Her thoughts around perfectionism and ADHD
• How estrogen impacts ADHD symptoms and is not stable during our lifespan
• New research about hormone related mood disorders that may impact ADHD women
• Whether or not there’s such a thing as adult onset ADHD
• Some information on is it dementia or ADHD

Resources: 

https://www.tracyotsuka.com/aok

https://adhdpalooza.com/women/

https://chesapeakeadd.com/home/our-team/kathleen-nadeau/

http://www.drellenlittman.com/

https://www.sarisolden.com/

https://www.eunetworkadultadhd.com/author/sandra-kooij/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPerPxb-RNs&fbclid=IwAR2WmX55i1V5jCoGxVsRJLK7Ee42KeYaiVKvGcV8sftahJ6kvpq_IZigilw&ab_channel=BroadcastingADHDEurope

https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/adhd-in-women-symptoms-treatment-support-podcast-337/

https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/adhd-in-older-adults-dementia-medication-podcast-331/ 

https://www.additudemag.com/pmdd-adhd-in-women/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=diagnosis&fbclid=IwAR2R6hdGmEN53XqbecFAeGE9caRriHos9nE184yoeryTTBKg8f3szC99Cnw

https://adhdpalooza.com/women/

Join Tracy on Episode 113 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she talks about how to live a life of meaning and to your potential with an ADHD brain. 

Tracy shares:

• How to know that the decisions you’re making in your life are the right decisions for you. 
• What are the questions that you need to ask regarding if you’re in the right career, relationship, friendships, etc.
• Her 6-step Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! system
• How to answer the What Should I Do With My Life question
• Whether or not ADHD women care more than neurotypical women of living a life of meaning and to their potential
• Her favorite ADHD strength-focused resource
• What ADHD women need to be doing in order to be happy
• Her 25%/75% theory
• The sweet spot that plays right into our ADHD brilliance
• Why environment is so important to our ADHD brains

Resources:

https://adhdpalooza.com/women

tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain

https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-life-plan-questions/

• In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Raven Baxter. Raven is also known as Raven the Science Maven, she is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed science communicator, educator and molecular biologist who is working to  share science and champion for inclusivity and diversity in STEM. 

  Raven is also the founder of Science Haven, a non-profit organization that operates at the intersections of science, education, and the public. Science Haven houses STEMbassy, a live web series that connects the public with science and technology professionals, and Black In Science Communication, a group that works to build relationships in the science community, equipping others with the knowledge and resources necessary to share science with the world in their own flavor.

  Raven is an entertainer and content creator known for her unique style of combining science and hip hop music that teaches and empowers those in STEM and beyond. 

  She has recently been featured in Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 List of the most influential young leaders for the year, BuzzFeed News, Mother Jones Magazine, on the mayor of Buffalo’s social media accounts trying to convince teenagers to stay home in the age of Covid; and of course, she has her own TedX Talk. 

   

  Raven shares:

  • The circumstances surrounding both her ADHD diagnoses
  • The tweet that she shared regarding her struggle to memorize even small snippets of text
  • What has changed since her last diagnosis
  • Why she started her science rap music videos
  • What she thinks the key to living successfully with ADHD is

  ADHD brains work so that they too may discover their amazing strengths. And your reviews really help in that regard. 

   

  Resources:

  
  Instagram: instagram.com/raventhesciencemaven
  Twitter: twitter.com/ravenscimaven
  Facebook: facebook.com/raventhesciencemaven
  Website: scimaven.com

  
  5 Days to Fall in Love with Your ADHD Brain: tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain

Join Tracy as she welcomes Dr. Diana Mercado to Episode 111 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Dr. Mercado is the daughter of Mexican immigrant workers. She graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas and did her residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Diana became a family medicine physician so that minority patients would have a physician who “looks like them.” Today Dr. Diana Mercado is a Nurse Practitioner mentor, Clinic Medical Director and was just elected Chief Medical Officer for Jackson County Hospital in Texas.

Diana shares with us:

• Her struggles in medical school
• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her symptoms in childhood
• What changed once she was diagnosed
• Her struggle with imposter syndrome
• The medication that works best for her
• The ADHD traits that make her a better doctor?
• What she believes to be the key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her interest in coaching

Resources:

• Brooke Castillo, The Life Coach School
• Mydais Medication
• Dr. Diana Mercado's email: [email protected]

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Dr. Amy Cain. Dr. Cain is a Molecular Biologist who uses genomics to study deadly, antibiotic resistant bacteria. She completed both her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry (graduating with first class honours) and then her PhD in Microbiology at the University of Sydney, Australia. After PhD submission, she moved to Cambridge, UK, for a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (where they first sequenced the human genome!) and was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Cain then moved to Malawi in sub-Saharan Africa to track outbreaks in hospitals, employed by the Wellcome Trust charity. 

Since 2018, Dr. Cain has been a Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor at Macquarie Macquary University, Sydney, having received a number of grants to develop new antibiotics and study antibiotic resistance; setting up her research group across 3 different labs. Dr. Amy Cain is also Deputy Director of the JAMS organisation, a microbiology society that runs over 5 countries and she has just started a podcast called JAMSpod to spread microbiology knowledge far and wide. She loves travelling (having visited 70-odd countries so far), scuba diving, live music and cooking.

Amy shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her diagnosis
• The ADHD symptoms that she always wondered about but now recognizes as clearly ADHD.
• Why she became an infectious disease and genetics expert
• What has changed since her diagnosis
• Why she loves science so much
• Why she started a podcast interviewing microbiologists
• Her advice to young women with ADHD
• Her ADHD workarounds
• What she believes the key is to living successfully with ADHD

Resources:

Amy's Facebook Profile Page

Amy’s Twitter handle: @flamycain

The Waking Up App

Manuka Honey

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Sarah Gise. Sarah is an award nominated Chicago actor who got her BFA degree for Acting at the University of Southern California (USC). She’s worked a thousand different jobs and gigs because she experiences intense FOMO (fear of missing out), so in addition to acting, she’s dipped her toes into teaching, writing, directing, podcasting, bartending, and coaching. She is currently an ensemble member with Interrobang Theatre Project, and has performed in numerous shows with different companies around Chicago. Her performance in Interrobang Theatre Project’s production of the one woman show THE AMISH PROJECT (2016) was nominated for Best Solo Performance at the 2017 Joseph Jefferson Awards. In addition to theatre, she has appeared in several web series, films, commercials, and audiobooks. Sarah currently works as an Executive Functioning Coach for Effective Artistry, and is the Host/Producer of The ADHD Artist Podcast, which explores and celebrates the lives of artists with ADHD.

Sarah shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her childhood symptoms
• Why she chose to study the arts
• Her experience with medication
• What made her start The ADHD Artist Podcast
• The key to living successfully with ADHD

Resources:

Actor website: http://sarahgise05.wixsite.com/sarahgise

ADHD Artist Podcast: https://linktr.ee/Theadhdartistpod 

Effective Artistry: EffectiveArtistry.com

UCLA Mindfulness (the one Sarah uses every day is the first one, "Breathing Meditation" 5 min): uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations

The Headspace App

Interrobang Theatre Project: interrobangtheatreproject.com

Tracy's FREE 5-day workshop, How to Fall in Love with Your ADHD Brain

Join Tracy in episode 108 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she introduces you to Judith Houlding. Judith has been a professional organizer for 11 years. She is also an ADHD coach who has trained in “brain-based differences” and has received certification from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, Coach Approach for Organizers, and the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. Judith is the mother of three adult children, two of which were diagnosed as having ADHD. She describes herself as being on the ADHD spectrum … but not quite at the tipping point. Judith understands the frustrations and struggles that the ADHD brain deals with when it comes to organization. She believes that perfection is an illusion that no organizer will ever promise you. Judith believes that, good enough is truly Good Enough!

Judith shares:

• Her own personal story with ADHD.
• Why she decided to become a professional organizer

• What the Institute for Challenging Disorganization does
• Concepts that she uses with ADHD clients to help them with organization 
• The questions to ask when you’re trying to decide what to keep and what to get rid of 
• Organization tips and workarounds for the ADHD brain
• What to start with when everything is a mess
• Tips on school organization 

Resources:

Judith Houlding's Website

Institute for Challenging Disorganization

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

Join the waitlist for the FREE 5-day Workshop, How to Fall in Love with Your ADHD Brain here.

Join Tracy and her delightful guest, 18-year-old Lucy Van den Heuvel. At 16 Lucy left high school, not knowing how she was going to go forward with her education. She eventually found a college that accepted students as young as 16, and applied. In May, Lucy will graduate from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Massachusetts, where she will receive her Associates of Arts degree instead of a high school diploma. In college she is studying sustainable agriculture, and co-manages the campus farm. When she’s not farming or studying, she spends her time hiking, oil painting, rock climbing, and crocheting. 

Today she looks at the decision to leave high school without graduating as one of the best she’s ever made.

Lucy shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her childhood symptoms
• How her love of storytime got her into trouble in pre-K
• Her life-long struggle with school
• Her struggle with anxiety
• Why she decided to drop out of high school
• Why Bard college was the perfect fit for her curious brain
• Her plans after graduation
• What has changed since she was diagnosed
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success?

Resources:

Lucy's Facebook

Bard College at Simon's Rock

Join Tracy as she breaks her women only guest rule by welcoming Dr. Edward Hallowell to Episode 106 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. If you know anything at all about ADHD you recognize Dr. Hallowell’s name as the leading authority in the field of ADHD. Dr. Hallowell is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, and a New York Times bestselling author. He, along with Dr. John Ratey wrote what Tracy considers to be the bible of ADHD, Driven to Distraction. Now retired from the faculty of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Hallowell has been featured on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Oprah, PBS, CNN, Today, Good Morning America, and in The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Time. He is a regular columnist for ADDitude magazine, and is also the host of his weekly podcast called Distraction. Dr. Hallowell is the founder of The Hallowell Centers in Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Seattle. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and their three grown children. 

Dr. Hallowell shares:

• The circumstances surrounding his ADHD diagnosis
• Why he and Dr. John Ratey decided to write their new book ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction.
• Who he wrote this book for
• Why most medical professionals have ignored the strengths in ADHD for so long 
• His opinion on ADHD and intelligence
• Exciting research around the task positive network and default mode network and how you can use them to benefit the ADHD brain
• The ADHDers need to create and constantly improve their life
• Why those of us with ADHD should never worry alone
• Where he believes the field of ADHD research and treatment is going
• Whether he believes that there’s a relationship between introversion/extroversion and ADHD types
• Why ADHD women have not been part of ADHD studies

Resources:

https://drhallowell.com/
ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction

Amazon: ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction - from Childhood through Adulthood

Fall in Love with Your ADHD Brain, 5 Day Challenge

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to 21 year-old, Mikayla Kee. Mikayla is currently a senior, finishing her bachelor’s degree at The Evergreen State College in Washington. She will be entering the Master’s in Teaching program next. Mikayla also volunteers as a para educator at a local elementary school and, in true ADHD fashion, Mikayla has been doing all of this while working as a semi professional soccer player for the past three years. 

Mikayla shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her ADHD symptoms
• Her struggles during her first year in college
• How collegiate athletics is the perfect ADHD compliment to her education 
• When she connected soccer as a workaround for her ADHD
• How her college addresses different learning styles and why this works so well for her ADHD brain 
• How important trust is in dealing with emotional dysregulation
• What has changed since she was diagnosed
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success
• The key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her number one ADHD workaround

Resources:

Instagram - @mikaylakfit

John Ratey's book Spark

Tracy Otsuka welcomes you to Episode 104 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she talks about goal setting, planners and planning, the perfect subject for the last podcast of 2020.

Tracy talks about

• Why goals and planning can be hard for our ADHD brains
• The truth about multi-tasking
• Other episodes of this podcast that might be helpful when it comes to time and planning and ADHD. 
• • Ep. 8: Why Am I Always Late? ADHD and Time
  • Ep. 9: Practical Strategies for Being on Time and Better Planning

• Why ADHD brains may need to externalize time
• What it means to have a short time horizon
• What time is actually linked to
• What it means to develop an awareness around time and how that can help you
• Why focusing on the actions rather than the goal might work better for you
• How to choose the right goal
• Why looking inside yourself rather than outside of yourself works better for us in choosing a goal
• Why knowing your values and what’s important to you helps makes goal setting so much easier
• Why having goals is even important
• The thing that most of us with ADHD share in common
• When a practice of gratitude may make goal setting easier
• Creative themes/mottos to help you reach goals and generate positive emotion
• What to look for in a planner for the ADHD brain
• Her A-OK! Brain Download and how she uses it to get everything out of her brain
• Her Goal Decode process that allows her to break down her goals into much smaller tasks
• Why Saturday morning planning sessions are the best thing that Tracy does
• If you’re procrastinating what the problem may be

Join Tracy as she welcomes Stacey Machelle to Episode 103 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Stacey is a multi-hyphenate doer of things. She is a sketch writer/performer, producer, comedian and former broadcast news reporter and anchor. Stacey’s credits include on-air contributor and writer for TMZ, commercials, television and film roles. She is also a live studio audience warmup comic in Los Angeles, most recently for the late-night show "A Little Late With Lilly Singh."

But the biggest reason that Stacey really needs to be here with us today is the YouTube show that she created to raise awareness in black women and women of color about ADHD. It is called ADHD Is The New Black.

Stacey shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis the first time, and the second time
• The symptoms she had as a child and now recognizes as ADHD
• What made her decide to start her YouTube show, ADHD is the New Black
• How ADHD is different when you’re a woman of color
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success?
• Her number one ADHD workaround? 

Resources:

Stacey Machelle's YouTube show, ADHD is the New Black

The A-OK! EVERY DAY Planner

In Episode 102 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy welcomes Dr. Melody Kuphal. Dr. Kuphal has a bachelor’s in Special Education with a minor in music, a Master’s in Educational Administration, and a Doctorate of Worship Studies. She currently works as Adjunct Professor at Judson University, is a member of the Teaching Faculty of IWS teaching research writing, works full-time as Music Director at Hosana Church, teaches private music lessons,and is a recording artist who records at least one new album per year. 

Melody shares:

• Her own ADHD story
• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• RSD and her struggle with the emotional aspects of ADHD
• Her experience with medication
• The Qb-test and what she learned about herself
• Advice on better reading and note taking for ADHD students pursuing higher education
• Advice on better writing for ADHD students pursuing higher education
• The key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her theory of leaving life with empty pockets

Resources:

Melody's Website: melodysmusic.com
Tracyotsuka.com/podcastindex

Episode 101 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, is actually part two of the 100th episode of this podcast. In the 100th episode Tracy reviewed all previous 99 episodes of her podcast and shared the key thoughts that reframed her personal understanding of ADHD. There was so much content that this ultimately ended up becoming not only podcast episode #100 but also episode #101. Episode #101 starts with a discussion on ADHD and RSD or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Tracy also created a 100th episode gift for her listeners which is a Podcast Index that organizes all 99 episodes. You can find it here. tracyotsuka.com/podcastindex

Episode 19: ADHD and Rejection Sensitivity

Episode 25: ADHD and Addiction

Episode 29: Psychotherapist Perry Janssen who talks about ADHD, emotion and feelings.

Episode 30: My Favorite Tech Tool, How the Apple Watch Saved My ADHD Brain

• Apple Watch
• Bear App

Episode 34: ADHD and Repetitive Body Focused Behavior (RBFB)

Episode 40: How to Prepare for a Meeting with Your ADHD Doctor

Episode 49: What you can do about it

Episode 50: ADHD Life Coach, former therapist and former USC adjunct professor Diann Wingert about meditation is also a must listen.

Episode 53: Neuroplasticity, Mindfulness, Meditation and ADHD

Episode 62: Cannabis and ADHD

Episode 63: Choose to be the Hero, not the Victim in Your ADHD Life

Episode 75: Why ADHD Coaching Works

Episode 78: What Does ADHD Look Like in Women? The Update. (Ep. 2)

Episode 87: ADHD Means That You’re Never Too Old

Join Tracy as she celebrates her 100th episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. For her 100th episode, Tracy reviewed all 99 episodes of her podcast and shared the key thoughts that reframed her personal understanding of ADHD. This was a lot of content to go through and ultimately ended up becoming not only podcast episode #100 but also episode #101. Tracy also created a 100th episode gift for her listeners which is a Podcast Index that organizes all 99 episodes. You can find it here.

Episode 1: Tracy Otsuka Shares her ADHD Story and her ADHD Superpowers

Episode 3: Kids and ADHD: Why Their Journey is Important to You

Episode 4: The One Trait That Everyone with ADHD Has

Episode 8: Why Am I Always Late?

Episode 9: Practical Strategies for Being on Time and Planning Better

• Time Timer
• Datexx cube
• Apple Watch
• Google Calendar
• Tiny Calendar
• Amazon Echo
• Focusmate - (you can find the link to join our ADHD for Smart Ass Women specific Focusmate group by joining our Facebook Group)

Episode 10: ADHD and Exercise

• Spark by Dr. John Ratey

Episode 12: Learned Helplessness and ADHD

Episode 16: Intuition and ADHD

Episode 17: The 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Been Told About ADHD When I Was First Diagnosed 

• Pomodoro Method

Episode 18: Message to My Kid’s Teachers

100th Episode Gift: Podcast Index

Join Tracy in Episode 99 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women as she welcomes executive function coach and math tutor, Julia Clements. Julia has a strong affinity for teens with ADHD and has working with them for 23 years. She attended the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at The University of Redlands and believes this is where she developed her love of the individualized and creative learning process.

Julia shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her philosophy on teens and learning
• The one thing she never employs with her students or her child
• What ADHD teens need more than anything to learn
• What are executive functions
• Why she uses Sarah Ward’s executive function program with her students
• How it is different than other programs that help students learn
• Some suggestions for distance learning in the time of COVID
• How ADHD makes her outstanding at her job
• What she believes the key to living successfully with ADHD is

Resources:

Sarah Ward's Executive Function Programs

Time Timer

Datexx TimeCube

In Episode 98 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy shares information about planners and planning for 2021. She talks about her decades long struggle with planners and schedules. She had tried everything from Filofax, Steven Covey, Quo Vadis, Daytimer, the Palm Pilot, The Elephant Planner, The Passion Planner, The Bullet Journal (which she actually never used despite purchasing all the necessary materials) and her favorite, a planning system that felt like a restaurant menu.

Tracy talks about:

• What a planner needs to work for ADHD brains
• The writing implement that Tracy now swears by
• A-OK! Every Day, The Unplanner System for Planning Success
• Gold stars, literally
• Her goals in creating a planning system
• Her beta launch for A-OK! Every Day
• What it will include
• The four simple resources that Tracy feels are a must for gaining control of your life.
• Who A-OK! Every Day is for and who it is not for

Resources:

A-OK! Every Day Waitlist

Podcast with Francesca Rizzo

Muji Pencil

Google Calendar

The Momentum App

Alexa Echo Spot

The Apple Watch

Tiny Calendar App

Bear App

Join Tracy as she welcomes Michelle Nickel to Episode 97 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Michelle earned a degree in liberal arts and followed that up with an MBA. She went to work for a major brokerage firm at the age of 25.  Along the way she earned AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist) and CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designations and also holds series 7, 63 and 66 Securities Licenses.  Working in a small town, Michelle did everything from making sure little old ladies didn’t run out of money, designed retirement plans, set up college savings accounts and everything in between.  Her favorite thing to do is to take a giant pile of financial statements and data and turn it into a comprehensible and workable plan for her clients. 

Michelle learned how to manage investments from her company, but managing day to day finances was harder, because of her ADHD. After 23 years working as an advisor, Michelle was able to retire at 48. Michelle lives with her husband and two teenage boys, both of whom have ADHD, in Alabama. 

Michelle shares with us:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her ADHD symptoms
• How to save
• The importance of automating everything you can
• How to save if we’re self-employed
• What we should do with credit cards
• How to pay bills
• How to budget
• The importance of cash
• The ADHD traits that Michelle feels are responsible for her success
• The ADHD traits that Michelle still struggles with
• Her key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her number one ADHD workaround
• What it means to make decisions in advance
• Her future plans for “retirement”

Resources:

Michelle's Blog

Raymond James

Edward Jones

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

In Episode 96 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Juliann Decker. Julie Ann earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Massachusetts and her master’s degree in Training and Development from Lesley University in Cambridge. She is a coach and an expert in leadership program design and delivery with broad work experience in industries such as technology, banking, consumer goods, retail and finance.

Juliann designed, delivered and launched Monster.com‘s first global Management Development Program for high-potential leaders and trained and coached participants in their newly created MBA executive program. She also developed global leadership programs at Aspen Technology and founded her own leadership and coaching company.

Juliann shares:

• Her childhood symptoms
• The circumstances surrounding her initial ADHD diagnosis
• Her recent re-diagnosis

• How midlife affected her symptoms 
• What has changed since her recent diagnosis?
• Her experience with A-OK!
• What the key to living successfully with ADHD is

Resources:

Juliann’s email: [email protected]

Aleta and Tracy talk about:

• The link between ADHD, disordered eating and eating disorders
• The grim statistics on bulimia and anorexia for ADHD women
• Which type of ADHD is the best predictor of an eating disorder in girls
• The circumstances surrounding Aleta’s own ADHD diagnosis
• Why she chose to study Nutrition Science and Psychology?
• The difference between disordered eating and eating disorders
• Why eating disorders and disordered eating are so prevalent in ADHD women?
• Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) and how it relates to ADHD
• How problems with self-regulation and executive function deficits can lead to disordered eating and ultimately, eating disorders
• What the pyramid of food needs is
• How to use this pyramid to address disordered eating
• How Aleta uses the hunger and fullness scales
• What to do if you are in the middle of an eating disorder but think you can’t afford to get help?
• Aleta’s favorite resources for a good relationship with food, your body and yourself
• What Aleta thinks about intermittent fasting
• How meal delivery services can help
• Aleta’s new eating with ADHD program 
• Aleta’s favorite ADHD workaround

Resources:

Wise Heart Nutrition

Instagram: Wise Heart Nutrition

Understanding Girls with ADHD

Hello Fresh

Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition

The Anti-Diet

Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison

Join Tracy as she welcomes Aleta Storch to Episode 95 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Aleta has earned Master’s degrees in both Nutrition Science, Dietetics, and Clinical Health Psychology. She is an anti-diet Dietitian, Therapist, and Certified Body Trust Provider, specializing in eating disorders, autoimmune conditions, and ADHD. Her work is centered around helping folks move away from diet culture and instead develop an intuitive, trusting, compassionate relationship with food and movement. She firmly believes that everyone is the expert of their own body. When she is not focused on her work, she can typically be found skiing or foraging for mushrooms in the mountains, snuggled on the couch with her dog, partner, and a good book, or making a creative mess in the kitchen.

Aleta and Tracy talk about:

• The link between ADHD, disordered eating and eating disorders
• The grim statistics on bulimia and anorexia for ADHD women
• Which type of ADHD is the best predictor of an eating disorder in girls
• The circumstances surrounding Aleta’s own ADHD diagnosis
• Why she chose to study Nutrition Science and Psychology?
• The difference between disordered eating and eating disorders
• Why eating disorders and disordered eating are so prevalent in ADHD women?
• Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) and how it relates to ADHD
• How problems with self-regulation and executive function deficits can lead to disordered eating and ultimately, eating disorders
• What the pyramid of food needs is
• How to use this pyramid to address disordered eating
• How Aleta uses the hunger and fullness scales
• What to do if you are in the middle of an eating disorder but think you can’t afford to get help?
• Aleta’s favorite resources for a good relationship with food, your body and yourself
• What Aleta thinks about intermittent fasting
• How meal delivery services can help
• Aleta’s new eating with ADHD program 
• Aleta’s favorite ADHD workaround

Resources:

Wise Heart Nutrition

Instagram: Wise Heart Nutrition

Understanding Girls with ADHD

Hello Fresh

Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition

The Anti-Diet

Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison

Join Tracy as she welcomes Jaimie Harris to Episode 94 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Jaimie is from Essex, just outside of London. She is 29 and was a paparazzi for a decade. She now works for celebrity magazines as a picture researcher, a job which she absolutely loves. 

In this podcast, Jaimie shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her childhood symptoms 
• How she felt different her entire life
• How she ended up working as a paparazzi?
• Why this career was very ADHD friendly
• How her ADHD makes her very good at her job
• The ADHD traits that Jaimie feels are responsible for her success?
• Her key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her number one ADHD workaround

Jaimie's Instagram:
@whatjamiedid
@diaryofagirlpap

Resources:

Website: www.tracyotsuka.com

Waitlist: www.tracyotsuka.com/waitlist

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/1541724249266515

In Episode 93 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women,Tracy talks about the difference between being past and future-focused and which one is better for our ADHD brains. 

She shares:

• How you can tell if someone is future vs. past-focused
• Why it’s so important for those of us with ADHD brains to be future-focused
• How most of us start out being future-focused but then we opt for the security of being past-focused
• Which of the three types of ADHD struggle more with being future-focused and why
• How everything that is possible and what we dream about is built from our future and not our past
• Why being future-focused builds confidence
• Why being future-focused builds positive emotion

Resources:

Website: https://www.tracyotsuka.com

Waitlist: https://www.tracyotsuka.com/waitlist

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541724249266515

Join Tracy as she welcomes guest Isabelle Baker to Episode 92 of her podcast ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Tracy interviewed Isabelle as one of four students who completed her Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! program. That episode aired last week but Tracy didn’t include Isabelle because she felt that Isabelle needed her own episode. In this episode Isabelle talks about trauma, never fitting in, giving up, thinking it was too late for her because she was too old. She also talks about AOK and ultimately falling in love with her ADHD brain. 

Isabelle Baker is from Lakeland, FL. With over 25 years of business development, C-suite partnerships, and enterprise training; Isabelle is now her own CEO. Today she combines her professional experiences along with her love of problem solving, listening to understand, and relentlessness, to serve her clients whom she loves to see succeed.

Some of her best successes are personal though: she is passionate about helping children in the foster care system and looks forward to being a coach to those who age out.

Isabelle shares:

• Her childhood trauma
• Her struggle with school
• Her struggle with social problems and always feeling different
• Her discovery of ADHD
• Her experience going through the A-OK! Program
• Her new found love and appreciation of her ADHD gifts
• The key to living successfully with a non-linear brain
• Her number one workaround

Resources:

Sign up for Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! here

ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Ep. 76, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK!, My 6-Step System 

Isabelle’s Email

In Episode 91 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Hayley Lin, Trinlee Chodren and Juliann Decker who are all graduates of her Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! System. 

Hayley Lin is 25 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago while in college. She graduated last year from the University of Toronto with a specialist in Computer Science and a major in Cognitive Science. Haley is also a makeup enthusiast with two full bookcases of makeup and a social media account with 470k followers! Haley’s  #1 value is living to her full potential. 

Trinlee Chodren is in her early thirties and is a former pharmacist, novelist, teacher, personal development junkie, an advocate of kindness and doing things that benefit humanity but most of all Trinlee is an ideation machine. She is entrepreneurial to her core. 

Juliann Decker, 56, is a coach and an expert in leadership program design and delivery with broad work experience in industries such as technology, banking, consumer goods, retail and finance. She designed, delivered and launched Monster.com‘s first global Management Development Program for high-potential leaders and trained and coached participants in their newly created MBA executive program. She also developed global leadership programs at Aspen Technology and founded her own leadership and coaching company.

All three women share:

• The circumstances surrounding their experience with ADHD
• About their childhoods and growing up
• Their experience with our coaching system, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK!
• Their key to living successfully with a non-linear brain 

Resources:

Hayley Lin: 

• Instagram
• Red

Trinlee Chodren: 

• Facebook

Juliann Decker

• Email

Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! Waitlist

ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Ep. 76, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK!, My 6-Step System

In Episode 90 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Katelyn. Katelyn is a special educator who has her masters in Reading and is the author of the childrens’ book, “Hi It’s Me! I have ADHD!” She just launched a podcast for kids titled Journey With Me Through ADHD which is designed for children with ADHD to listen to and feel understood. Katelyn lives in Wisconsin with her husband and 4 young kids and passion is to speak into the hearts and minds of children and families with ADHD so feel connected and understood!

In this podcast Katelyn shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her childhood diagnosis
• The question that she was often asked by adults as a child that rocked her self-esteem
• Why she decided to get a master’s degree in Reading
• What made her start her new podcast for kids
• How to talk to your kids about their ADHD in such a way that instills confidence in how their brain works?
• How do you tell your child that he/she has ADHD?
• The best way to talk about your child’s weaknesses?
• How to teach your child to respond to other kids when they make inaccurate comments about ADHD?
• How to work with you child on mindset
• The “red dot” method
• The importance of breaking things down into bite-sized pieces

In Episode #89 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy talks about how she gets so many emails and DMs from young women with ADHD who have been positively affected by this podcast. This makes her want to have more young women on the podcast because the younger we start to see our ADHD brains for the brilliant brains that they are, the better. Tracy wants them to hear stories of young, inspiring women who are just like them so in this episode, she introduces you to Jade Le Quesne who just turned 23 yesterday.

Jade is from the U.K. and was diagnosed with ADHD at the beginning of the year. Jade struggled through school, was always behind her classmates academically but since childhood she had a dream. Her dream was to attend college in the U.S. Jade did just that and graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s in International Studies from the University of Tampa. 

Jade is currently back in the U.K. studying nutrition and fitness which she uses as a way to manage her symptoms. She believes that mental and physical health are intrinsically linked and looks forward to starting her own business very soon. 

In this podcast Jade shares:

• Her life-long battle with anxiety and emotional dysregulation
• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• How she always felt different than others
• Her interest in motorcross
• What has changed for her since being diagnosed
• Why she decided to write for ADDitudeMagazine
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success
• How she manages her ADHD symptoms
• The link between empathy and emotional dysregulation
• The key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her number one ADHD workaround

Resources:

https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-women-missed-signs-low-self-esteem/

https://www.instagram.com/jadeeatsfit/

In Episode #88 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy shares her own personal experience with rumination. She talks about how even when you’re in your own zone of interest and genius and doing what you really love it’s still difficult to be on even the smallest platform because you will be roundly rejected by some. 

She shares:

• All about her critics on Reddit
• Information on essential oils
• Information on medication
• Her biggest fear around delivering this podcast every week
• How she feels about paying it forward
• What it means to be a Karen
• Her commitment to BLM: diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism
• Her favorite podcast for learning how to be anti-racist
• Why you’re no different than she is
• What to do when things don’t go so well
• The importance of getting back in the arena regardless
• Why what people say about you is none of your business
• How ADHD women are meant to lead
• The ADHD women that struggle the most

Resources:

That's Not How That Works

https://brenebrown.com/

In Episode 87 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy announces that this podcast is now the #1 podcast for ADHD women and among the top 10-14% of all podcasts regardless of subject. Tracy then shares:

• Her experience with her amazing Your ADHD Brain is A-OK! students
• The fear that many of her students have, that it’s too late or they’re too old to do something really meaningful that allows them to make a difference in the world and live to their potential
• Her story of why it’s never too late to live to your potential and find and do what you love
• Her purpose and her big WHY
• How she became an expert in ADHD in an unconventional way
• The ADHD trait she’s discovered in all her A-OK! Women
• Information about inspiring women who reimagined their lives after the age of 50
• • https://www.instagram.com/trainwithjoan/
  • https://www.trainwithjoanofficial.com/
• Statistics about startups based on age
• Why she won’t share her age

Resources:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/312943

https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/entrepreneur-statistics/#gref

https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-27-million-startups-found-ideal-age-to-start-a-business-and-its-much-older-than-you-think.html

https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/resource-center/older-entrepreneurs-the-startup-mentality-is-not-bound-by-age-000959494/