ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka Tracy Otsuka

When I work with older ADHD women they often ask me, “I’ve made it through life this far, what would really change if I got a diagnosis?” Well, self-leadership coach and author Angela Raspass is here to answer that question, and her response is “everything.”
Angela was diagnosed last year at 53, and even she was shocked by just how drastically her life was altered when she started to understand and accommodate her ADHD. She was lucky enough to find a medication that works for her brain, but Angela credits the biggest improvements to lifestyle and positivity changes, which have manifested into better relationships with her business, her family, and most importantly, herself.
Angela’s ADHD diagnosis allowed her to finally feel like she was taking the reins on her own life after so many years of not realizing the reins were even there. I hope her story inspires you to grab your own reins no matter your age.
 
Resources:
Website: angelaraspass.com.au, angelaraspass.com.au/assessment  (a new program)
Insta:@angelaraspass
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaraspass/
Promo Codes:
https://www.angelaraspass.com.au/strengths-profile/ SMARTSTRENGTHS - for $50 off
https://www.angelaraspass.com.au/yournextchapterbook/ SMARTBOOK - for $10 off

ADHD women are known for being tenacious (probably because we’ve had to be!), but my guest this episode takes it to a whole new level. Jamie Cutino is a Master of Occupational Therapy, an entrepreneur, and an ADHD advocate and coach. Her tenacity has gotten her through a difficult upbringing, onto the TedX stage, and has driven her to found two different companies where she gets to do what she loves. 
 
Jamie never questions whether she can do something, she just takes the leap and trusts that she can make a net appear. Her secret, she tells me, is an unwavering dedication to her purpose: “My ‘why’ is showing women with ADHD that they are brilliant, and if I allowed my fear to get in the way of that I wouldn't be able to help anybody.”
 
Jamie has gotten to where she is today through her persistence and her refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer, and I’m so delighted to share her story with you. 



Resources:
TikTok: @jamie_outsmartadhd
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1094275877830692  
Instagram: @jamie_outsmartadhd
Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw-MJok_WBfSiKy8w10N4ag  
Website: Outsmartadhd.com  
Tedx Talk:  https://youtu.be/8rIzzoyU8IY

In true ADHD style, artist Micah Clasper-Torch has had a winding career path, leading her to a variety of jobs in art, fashion, and startups. When Micah discovered the traditional craft of punch needle rug hooking, however, she unexpectedly uncovered a passion that would finally allow her to focus her creativity in a single direction. After completing a rug hooking program in 2019, she successfully launched her own business, Punch Needle World, with a mission to uplift the craft and make high-quality supplies and training accessible to all. 
 
Micah’s passion may have inspired her to start her business, but it was when she received her official ADHD diagnosis that the rest of the entrepreneurship puzzle pieces fell into place. Her diagnosis taught her that her creative brain needs structure to thrive, and since building ADHD-friendly systems and supports into her days her business has only grown stronger. 
 
Join our conversation to hear how Micah structures her days to get the most out of her creativity, what’s changed since getting diagnosed, her thoughts on creative entrepreneurship, and much more. 



Resources:
Personal website: www.micahclasper-torch.com
Instagram: @claspertorch 
Punch Needle World website: www.punchneedleworld.com 
Instagram: @punchneedle.world 
If you're interested in learning punch needle, check out her online courses here  https://www.punchneedleworld.com/pages/online-courses. Use the coupon code ADHDPODCAST for 20% off of Micah’s online course.

Emily McKaskle grew up in the 70’s during a time when girls “didn’t have ADHD,” so when she started struggling with reading in the 2nd grade her teacher dismissed her as just not being very bright and left it at that. It wasn’t until she discovered a Harlequin Romance novel at age 11 that her passion for reading, and therefore her reading ability, skyrocketed.
Now, Emily is now an award-winning author of nearly forty books and co-founder of her own company, Book+Love Ink. Her impressive leap from struggling reader to bestselling author definitely improved her confidence, but the imposter syndrome and rejection sensitive dysphoria never really went away. 
Join our conversation as Emily shares how she quiets that negative voice by incorporating gratitude and positive emotion into her writing process, what’s changed since getting her ADHD diagnosis, how she survives the brutal book editing process, and much more. Emily’s journey just goes to show how crucial interest is for the ADHD brain and what we’re capable of when we follow it, and I’m so excited to share her story with you this episode. 
 
Resources:
Website: emmaleejayne.com; emilymckay.com
Instagram: @emmaleejaynewrites
Romance Writers of America

After grooming her own Shih Tzu during the pandemic and posting a picture online, Elly Linam started having neighbors reach out to her, asking if they could pay her to groom their dogs. One thing led to another, and within a month of that first neighbor asking, she knew there was a passion brewing and enrolled in grooming school. 
 
Now, only a few short years later, Elly is a Certified Pet Groomer with her own dog grooming business and a career she’s endlessly passionate about–one that’s dynamic, creative, and perfect for her ADHD brain. Elly found her dream profession at 35 by putting herself out there and growing her spark of passion into a flame, but she’s been able to maintain that flame by supporting her ADHD needs and giving herself permission to do things differently. 
 
Join our conversation to hear Elly’s ADHD entrepreneurship story, what changed once she got her official diagnosis, how she builds a balance of work, creativity, and rest into her daily routine, and much more. 



Resources:
Instagram: @ellywentwest; @elly.scissorhands
Time Timer: https://www.timetimer.com/

In my 200th episode I made a callout for someone to come on the podcast who’s been listening for a while, but who doesn’t think they’re accomplished or successful enough to measure up to my other guests. I personally know having interviewed hundreds of ADHD women at this point, that regardless of how much we've done in our life, we still think we haven't done enough. So I challenged our listeners to raise their hand, because every listener resonates differently with every guest and we can learn so much from each other regardless of our age or where we happen to be in life.
 
Well, listener Amanda Feliciano took a giant leap out of her comfort zone and volunteered for the challenge despite her fears, and I’m so glad she did. Amanda, who’s a customer service representative by day and the co-founder and president of Full Circle Theatre Collective by night, has seen huge changes in her confidence, anxiety, and self-talk since receiving her ADHD diagnosis at 32.
 
Her story is a great example of what we can accomplish when we get out of our ruminating brains and into action, and I hope Amanda’s leap of bravery inspires you to take even the littlest step out of your own comfort zone–I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with just how much you’re capable of.
 
 
Resources:
Instagram: @amanda_eff @thefullcircletheatrecollective
Email: fullcircletheatercollective@gmail.com