ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka – Details, episodes & analysis

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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A 10-year-old boy sat across from Dr. Kalaki Clarke, MD during her psychiatry rotation, and she saw herself. Smart, charming, good grades but couldn't get it together. That's when she knew she had ADHD too.

Dr. Clarke was in her first year of residency at UC Irvine, working 80-hour weeks in a system designed to test you constantly. She'd been the good kid, the high achiever, the one who always kept it together. But in residency, surrounded by neurotypical colleagues, sleep-deprived, and constantly performing, the mask finally came off. Her 2015 diagnosis became a turning point, launching her into advocacy for physicians with ADHD. She helped craft equity guidelines for neurodivergent resident physicians, spoke at the International Conference on ADHD, and delivered a TEDx talk called "Seeing is Freeing: How Observation Releases ADHD Potential."

Now, as a board-certified family physician and Associate Professor of Medical Education at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Clarke spends her time providing care for underserved communities in Los Angeles while shaping the next generation of doctors.

In this conversation, Dr. Clarke and Tracy talk about what it's like to have ADHD in a profession that demands perfection and how "seeing is freeing" applies to both patients and physicians. Dr. Clarke introduces her CAT method (Capture, Analyze, Transform), a framework for turning struggles into strategies. She also talks about leading by example, why she came out publicly about her ADHD at work, and what it means to create space for others to be seen when you've spent so long feeling invisible yourself.

Resources:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmclarkemd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/this_md_kalaki/
TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKmRyxlas3I

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Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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You walk into a room and forget why you're there. You miss deadlines even though you care deeply about the work. You can remember a random conversation from 15 years ago but not what someone just told you five minutes ago. Welcome to life with an ADHD brain and a memory system that works differently.

Dr. Daniella Karidi knows this firsthand. Diagnosed with ADHD in college, Dr. Daniella finally understood why she'd always felt "off" despite being highly successful. A researcher who earned her doctorate from Northwestern University studying memory and ADHD, Daniella is now the founder of ADHDtime, where she works as a professional ADHD and executive coach. She's spent years translating complex memory research into practical strategies that actually work for ADHD brains and in this conversation, she breaks down exactly why our memory fails us and what we can do about it.

Daniella and Tracy dive deep into prospective memory (remembering to remember in the future), why time-based cues are terrible for ADHD brains, and the five steps where memory can break down. Daniella explains why we forget we took our medication, why she needed multiple cues instead of just one, and why she believes people who master their own memory patterns can finally stop feeling like they're failing at life. She also shares the grief and relief of late diagnosis, and why she'll never stop advocating for better understanding of how ADHD women's brains actually work.

Resources:

Website: https://www.adhdtime.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ADHDtime
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADHDtime

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_

Barbara Baskin spent 30 years convinced she wasn't very smart. School was academic probation and "needs to try harder" report cards. Then came an ADHD diagnosis at 30, followed by three decades of raising four kids (including triplets), caring for her mother with dementia, and running a business while being everyone's executive function.

At 60, Barbara made a decision that shocked everyone: she moved from a small town in Florida to a fifth-floor walk-up in New York City and started online dating.

Barbara is a writer, journalist, and author of The Ponytailed Guy from Last Night. She discovered that journalism was perfect for her word-loving, curious ADHD brain after struggling through university with brilliant workarounds—alternating "hard" semesters that put her on academic probation with "easy" semesters of ceramics and tennis. She learned she could master anything if she could touch it, which made her an excellent videographer and producer.

But decades of being the family's executive function while masking her ADHD took its toll. High functioning, Barbara realized, wasn't the same as being okay. When a psychiatrist asked what she'd done for herself that week, she couldn't think of a single thing.

In this episode, Barbara and Tracy explore how she built a successful career around her learning differences, survived the chaos of managing everyone else's life, and found the courage to reinvent herself in her 60s completely. They talk about why New York City feels like home to an ADHD brain, how online dating became an unexpected path to self-confidence, and what it means to choose adventure over settling.

Her motto: if they're not interesting, they better be damn interested in me.

Resources:

• Website: https://hightechindustrynews.com  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaraqualmann  
• Website: theponytailguy.com 

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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We’ve known for quite some time that ADHD doesn’t just “go away” with age, yet only about 4% of boomers have a diagnosis. So why the huge discrepancy, what are the impacts, and most importantly, what can we do about it?

Dr. Kathleen Nadeau has been working to answer these questions for the last few decades. Along with many other accomplishments, she’s the author of Still Distracted After All These Years, the only book focusing on the needs of older adults with ADHD.

During my conversation with the brilliant Dr. Nadeau, she shares about her personal ADHD journey, her work in the field, the three biggest factors impacting older ADHD women, and ways to support your body, brain, and well-being through all stages of life. Dr. Nadeau’s work serves as an important reminder that life doesn’t have to stop at retirement, and we can always continue adding joy and meaning to our lives no matter our age.
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Resources:

• Website: thechesapeakecenter.com

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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Dr. Tamara MC is a cult, child marriage, and human trafficking Lived Experience Expert who advocates for girls and women to live free from gender-based violence worldwide. Married off at 12, Tamara has firsthand experience with fundamentalist cults, giving her valuable insight into how these organizations operate. She now uses her experience combined with her PhD in applied linguistics to research and educate others on how language is used to manipulate vulnerable populations.

Join my conversation with the delightful Dr. Tamara MC to hear about her harrowing story and the bravery it took to leave, how ADHD, autism, OCD, and complex PTSD contributed to both her confinement and her freedom, ways to identify when a community is exhibiting cult-like behavior, and how to find optimism in the face of hopelessness.
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Resources:

• Website: https://tamaramc.com/
• https://muckrack.com/tamaramc/portfolio
• https://linktr.ee/tamaramc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TamaraMC11
• Twitter: @TamaraMCPhD
• Instagram: @tamaramcphd
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramcphd/

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought the topic of ADHD and gratitude couldn’t be more perfect. Gratitude is so important for every single human to feel good, but for those of us with ADHD, it's crucial. With our dopamine deficiency, we can't get anything if we’re not in positive emotion!

Positive emotion has been shown to increase dopamine, which drives our memory, our behavior, our focus, and our motivation. When we're in positive emotion, we get stuff done, we're happier, and we're more driven, and it all begins with a simple shift in mindset.

Join me for a special solo episode, where I’m sharing some easy and effective ways to change your thoughts from self-doubt to gratitude. Our thoughts have the power to create the lives we want, and I think you’ll be amazed by how different life starts to look when you make positive emotion a priority.
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Resources:

• 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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When Dr. Nanci Smith realized her neurodiverse childrens’ needs weren’t going to be met by the public school system, she knew she had to try a different approach to education. Luckily, Nanci has a background in psychobiology and is motivated by a challenge, so the transition to homeschooling was a no-brainer.

Nanci learned how to support her childrens’ sensory, socio-emotional, and executive functioning needs, and along the way she learned how to support her own unique brain as well. She has since gone on to become certified with the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) social skills program, is an expert in teaching executive function skills, runs Improv classes for kids on the spectrum, and is training to become an ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider.

Nanci’s belief is that kids do well where they can, and her empathetic approach to education will have you seeing neurodivergence in a whole new way.
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Resources:
Get $15 off classes at Outschool by entering coupon code NORELPODCAST15 at checkout. Promo available until Nov 28, 2024.

• https://outschool.com/teachers/Nanci-Norelli-Smith-Ph-D
• wyzant.com

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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For years, Kalin Johnson was operating with a dysregulated nervous system and putting her body through unnecessary stress, and it was only once she started listening to her body’s needs that she realized how much easier things could be.

Kalin now combines her personal experience with her professional training as a healthcare provider to help others bridge the gap between mental and physical health. Through her work, she shows high-achieving, neurodivergent, and hypermobile individuals how to “unmask their health” and feel their best.

Join me in welcoming Kalin back onto the podcast (you can listen to her first episode here, #177) as she shares her knowledge on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the ways it impacts ADHD, why so many of us are stuck in fight-or-flight, and how to regulate our nervous systems and get our brains back online so we can start feeling our absolute best.
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Resources:

• Website: https://www.kalinjohnson.com/
• TikTok: @kalinpharmd
• Insta: @kalinpharmd

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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Lisa Lewis's skill of talking to anyone and everyone has taken her on unexpected adventures around the world, from the Scottish Highlands to the running of the bulls, and now she's here to talk to us about her ADHD journey.

For the last twelve years Lisa has worked as an HR professional who focuses on diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace. She received a late diagnosis of ADHD and now attributes her diverse background and success to her neurodiversity.

Join my conversation with Lisa to hear her take on disclosing ADHD in the workplace, ways to advocate for your needs without fear of judgment or stigma, why ADHD awareness is so crucial for our success and well-being, and more.
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Resources:

• Website: www.mindmosaic.ca
• LinkedIn: Lisa Lewis
• Instagram: @lisajolewis

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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When Alice Gendron entered the workforce, she struggled to manage the workload of a nine-to-five job and also stay on top of the endless demands of adulting. When she was diagnosed with ADHD at 29, it all finally made sense.

Alice started making doodles about her ADHD experience, a skill she had been honing since grade school. Before she knew it, her illustrations had grown into the popular online platform 'The Mini ADHD Coach', with over half a million Instagram followers and a brand new book of the same name.

Looking at them, it's easy to see why so many ADHDers are drawn to Alice's illustrations; her simplistic doodles get right to the heart of what having ADHD feels like in such a sweet and relatable way.

Join our conversation to hear how Alice was able to turn her passion project into a fulfilling career, what she's learned about leading since becoming an entrepreneur, the cultural shifts around ADHD in France, and so much more.
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Resources:

• Instagram: @the_mini_adhd_coach
• Website: www.theminiadhdcoach.com
• Youtube: The Mini ADHD Coach
• My new book: The Mini ADHD Coach

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

Explore more from me:
🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift
📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn
📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book
🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok
🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start with the free training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com...