ADHD for Smart Ass Women

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Latest Episodes

Episode 194: ADHD & Trauma

ADHD and trauma overlap quite a bit in how they affect the brain, so much so that clinicians often misdiagnose one for the other. 

EP. 194: ADHD & Trauma

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. ADHD and trauma overlap quite a bit in how they affect the brain, so much so that clinicians often misdiagnose one for the other.

Episode 193: ADHD, Money and The Keyless Life with Denise Duffield-Thomas

When ADHDers are faced with a problem, we often try to either go around it or develop new strategies to get better at it. My guest this episode, author and money mentor Denise Duffield-Thomas, has mastered the art of stepping back from the problem and determining whether she can eliminate it altogether, which is the foundation of her “keyless life” philosophy. Born from the idea to literally go keyless by installing keypads on the doors after losing her house keys so many times, Denise’s keyless life philosophy is all about protecting your mental energy by automating, delegating, or removing the difficult-to-manage tasks that drain you the most, rather than trying to muscle or self-improve your way through them

EP. 193: ADHD, Money and The Keyless Life with Denise Duffield-Thomas

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. When ADHDers are faced with a problem, we often try to either go around it or develop new strategies to get better at it.

Episode 192: ADHD and Imposter Syndrome with Artist and Entrepreneur, Katie Hayes

It isn’t a stretch to say that imposter syndrome likely takes up space in most ADHD brains (and how could it not when we’re constantly feeling like we aren’t reaching our potential?), but there’s an extra layer of self-doubt that comes with the vulnerability of putting yourself out into the world creatively. Artist and entrepreneur Katie Hayes always felt drawn to art growing up and knew she had a great talent for it, but she never considered that she was good enough to turn her art into a full-time creative career. 

EP. 192: ADHD and Imposter Syndrome with Artist and Entrepreneur, Katie Hayes

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. It isn't a stretch to say that imposter syndrome likely takes up space in most ADHD brains (and how could it not when we're constantly feeling like we aren't reaching our potential?), but there's an extra layer of self-doubt that comes with the vulnerability of putting yourself out into the world creatively.

Episode 191: Raising Differently Wired ADHD Kids with Debbie Reber

Parenting activist and author Debbie Reber had a difficult time with the structure of school growing up, so when her son Asher also started struggling to have his unique learning needs supported in the classroom, she knew she had to do things differently. Incorporating expert advice and a strengths-based philosophy, Debbie started creating the resources that she wishes she’d had when she was younger, and, after much collaborating and fine-tuning, she found an approach to teaching that supported Asher’s ADHD learning needs and encouraged emotional intelligence and self-understanding. 

EP. 191: Raising Differently Wired ADHD Kids with Debbie Reber

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. Parenting activist and author Debbie Reber had a difficult time with the structure of school growing up, so when her son Asher also started struggling to have his unique learning needs supported in the classroom, she knew she had to do things differently.

Episode 190: PTSD, Trauma and EMDR: When Your Career Makes You Sick with Former Lawyer, Lara Connolly

Talk therapy can be a valuable resource, but what happens when you’re all talked out and still feel your body is holding onto trauma? This is where teacher’s assistant Lara Connolly found herself after years of trying talk therapy and never feeling like it was quite enough to help alleviate her physical exhaustion and stress. It wasn’t until she tried EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), a form of psychotherapy designed to alleviate the distress caused by traumatic memories, that she finally started to feel her body come back to life.

Ep. 190: PTSD, Trauma, and EMDR: When Your Career Makes You Sick with Former Lawyer, Lara Connolly

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. Talk therapy can be a valuable resource, but what happens when you're all talked out and still feel your body is holding onto trauma?

Episode 189: Trauma and Mindfulness with Tenrikyo Priestess, Latoya Williams

ADHDers are often stereotyped (accurately, admittedly) as being obsessed with psychology, personality tests, birth charts–anything that might give us answers on why we do the things we do. But when we’ve spent our whole lives feeling different and not knowing why, is it any surprise that we’re so hyperfocused on trying to understand ourselves? 

EP. 189: Trauma and Mindfulness with Tenrikyo Priestess, Latoya Williams

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. ADHDers are often stereotyped (accurately, admittedly) as being obsessed with psychology, personality tests, birth charts-anything that might give us answers on why we do the things we do.

Episode 188: How to Manage Our ADHD in the Kitchen with Food Blogger and Pastry Chef, Rebecca Eisenberg 

Our ADHD brains are driven by interest, not importance, meaning that boring tasks can feel almost physically painful to us. On the flipside, when we find something that sparks our interest, we have the power to become unstoppable forces. Pastry chef and food blogger, Rebecca Eisenberg, felt this spark with cooking and baking, and, to even her own surprise, turned it into a full-time career through her blog The Practical Kitchen.

EP. 188: How to Manage Our ADHD in the Kitchen with Food Blogger and Pastry Chef, Rebecca Eisenberg

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. Our ADHD brains are driven by interest, not importance, meaning that boring tasks can feel almost physically painful to us. On the flipside, when we find something that sparks our interest, we have the power to become unstoppable forces.

Episode 187: ADHD and How to Feel Good and Inspire with Teen Recording Artist, Devyne Bean

I always say that ADHD has the potential to be our greatest superpower if we can learn how to harness it, and my guest this episode, recording artist Devyne Bean, is the living embodiment of that. At a young age, Devyne figured out that if she could channel her hyperactivity and add structure to her days, her entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic would allow her to follow her passions wherever they led her, and she hasn’t looked back since.

EP. 187: ADHD and How to Feel Good and Inspire with Teen Recording Artist, Devyne Bean

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. I always say that ADHD has the potential to be our greatest superpower if we can learn how to harness it, and my guest this episode, recording artist Devyne Bean, is the living embodiment of that.

Episode 186: Make Managing Money Fun with Money Coach Siw Slevigen

Curiosity is one of our most powerful ADHD strengths, but it can also be one of our greatest hindrances if the people around us see our curiosity as a challenge to authority, rather than a genuine interest in understanding the world. When my guest, Siw Slevigen, was growing up she always had her strong curiosity met with either excitement or disdain by teachers, and–surprise, surprise–it always impacted her ability and willingness to learn. 

EP. 186: Make Managing Money Fun with Money Coach Siw Slevigen

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. Curiosity is one of our most powerful ADHD strengths, but it can also be one of our greatest hindrances if the people around us see our curiosity as a challenge to authority, rather than a genuine interest in understanding the world.

Episode 185: ADHD and Politics

ADHD and politics has been at the top of my ‘topics I want to cover’ list for quite some time now, but given the extreme political division within the United States and around the world, I wanted to wait until I had something to share that could possibly make things better and wouldn’t add more fuel to the fire. 

EP. 185: ADHD and Politics

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. ADHD and politics has been at the top of my 'topics I want to cover' list for quite some time now, but given the extreme political division within the United States and around the world, I wanted to wait until I had something to share that could possibly make things better and wouldn't add more fuel to the fire.

Episode 184: ADHD and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Danielle House

Last episode I did a solo overview of imposter syndrome to lay the foundation for my wonderful conversation with my guest this episode, Danielle House. Danielle is a shining example of how imposter syndrome can weasel its way into the lives of even the most accomplished ADHD women. At  30 she became the CEO of a medical device company, yet, up until recently, she held the belief that her success was due to luck, a mistake–anything but her own intelligence and ability. 

EP. 184: ADHD and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Danielle House

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. Last episode I did a solo overview of imposter syndrome to lay the foundation for my wonderful conversation with my guest this episode, Danielle House.

Episode 183: Why ADHD Women Might Struggle More with Imposter Syndrome

Every day I meet amazingly brilliant ADHD women who cannot see their own brilliance. These women may have an impressive list of accomplishments, but because they struggle to keep up with the behind-the-scenes tasks that society tells us are a measurement of our value, all they can focus on are those struggles. 

Episode 182: ADHD and Habits with Expert Aggressive Canine Behavior Consultant, Rene Smith

rustrating social behaviors and anxieties crop up as a result of missing out on crucial socialization time. Between the nightmarish vet appointments and the anxiety-fueled barking, my dog is driving me bonkers and I’ve been at a loss for what to do about it.

EP. 182: ADHD and Habits with Expert Aggressive Canine Behavior Consultant, Rene Smith

Listen to this episode from ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka on Spotify. If you got a puppy during the COVID lockdown like I did, you've probably seen some weird and frustrating social behaviors and anxieties crop up as a result of missing out on crucial socialization time.

Episode 181: Meet Tracy's Oh So Clever Podcast Producer, Grace Bourey

We ADHDers are often unfairly labeled as “flaky” in the workplace, but in my experience, if you find the right ADHD person who’s motivated by an interest and investment in the work, there is truly no one better for the job. I believe I’ve found the cream of the ADHD crop in my podcast producer, Grace Bourey, who has reorganized everything for me and put systems in place that keep the podcast running smoothly, leaving me with the mental energy to focus on the work that matters most to me. 

Episode 180: Interpersonal Intuition and ADHD 

Of all my ADHD gifts, interpersonal intuition is the one that I consider my ultimate superpower. I’ve always had this ability to walk into a room and know what’s going on without hearing one word, it’s like I can read the energy of everyone around me and determine who’s happy, who’s pretending to be happy, who’s struggling, who cares about others and who doesn’t.

Episode 179: ADHD, Relationships and Sex with Sex Educator, August McLaughlin

At this point in the podcast I’ve covered just about every ADHD topic under the sun, but  one area I’ve always tiptoed around has been sexuality and ADHD; I’ve never been quite sure how to approach it, or whether my listeners even wanted to hear me talk about it for that matter! 

Episode 178: NO, it's NOT ADHD! and Other Bullshit Women Hear from Medical Professionals Who Should Know Better

ADHD women have heard every excuse under the sun for why their doctors won’t consider an ADHD diagnosis or take their concerns seriously; everything from the classic “it’s just anxiety,” to “you’re too smart to have ADHD,” to even “you just think it’s cool to have ADHD and that’s why you want a diagnosis.” Seriously, what the hell?! 

Episode 177: Medication, Diagnosis and Curating Your Own ADHD Team with Pharmacist and Patient Advocate, Kalin Johnson

There’s nothing quite like the ‘aha’ moment of realizing you have ADHD after a lifetime of trying to understand yourself, but after the initial shock wears off many of us are left wondering: okay, so what comes next? I’m frequently asked how to go about pursuing a diagnosis and finding a team of medical and mental health professionals who actually understand ADHD, which is why I’m so excited to invite Kalin Johnson onto the podcast to answer these questions and more. 

Episode 176: ADHD and Being a Smart Ass in Male-Dominated Fields with Danyell DiLena

I always love talking with ADHD women who are making waves in positions traditionally held by men, so when my guest this episode, Danyell DiLena, mentioned she was kicking ass in not one but two male-dominated fields, I knew I had to have her on to share her story.

Episode 175: ADHD and How to Take an RSD Moment and Turn it Into Opportunity with Leslie Robbins

Those of us with ADHD brains know that no matter how vigilant we are, slip-ups are bound to happen, especially when sleep deprivation is thrown into the mix. We can only do so much to prevent mistakes, but what we can control is how we choose to react to them. This episode I’m joined by ADHD coach and reformed people-pleaser, Leslie Robbins, who took an embarrasing ADHD moment and turned it into a brilliant teaching opportunity. 

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