Executive Function for All | A Podcast by Untapped Learning

Brandon Slade
  • 5.0 (9)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Struggling with organization, time management, or focus? Welcome to "Executive Function Skills for All," the podcast dedicated to helping you master executive function skills and achieve your goals. Whether you're a student aiming for better grades, an adult juggling life's demands, a teenager seeking improved focus, or a student-athlete balancing academics and sports, this podcast is for you. We explore practical strategies for improving planning, organization, time management, emotional regulation, and more. Dealing with ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, autism spectrum challenges, or just want to improve without a formal diagnosis? Join us each week as we combine research insights with real-life examples to help you boost productivity, conquer procrastination, and establish strong habits and routines. Featuring expert interviews and inspiring stories, we're here to guide you on your journey to better executive function. Subscribe now and start unlocking your full potential!

  1. How to Support Your Teen Without Overstepping | Shawna Warner, MSW

    FEB 4

    How to Support Your Teen Without Overstepping | Shawna Warner, MSW

    Parenting teenagers often feels like walking a tightrope. You want to support them, but not smother them. You want to help, but not fix everything for them. In this episode of Executive Function for All, we’re joined by Shawna Warner, a parent coach and clinical social worker who specializes in teenage resilience, identity development, and family dynamics. We talk about what happens when a teen’s identity gets shaken by setbacks, how parents can tell when to step in versus step back, and why resilience is built through curiosity, not control. Shawna also shares practical tools for supporting highly sensitive teens, creating predictable after-school transitions, and helping kids develop a stronger sense of self without pressure or perfectionism. If you’re parenting a teen who feels overwhelmed, emotionally reactive, or stuck in self-doubt, this conversation will help you respond with clarity, compassion, and confidence. Want to learn more about how Untapped Learning helps students (and their families) build executive function skills? Learn more about Shawna's work here: https://cultivatingresilientteens.com/meet-shawna-warner/ Explore our 1-on-1 mentoring, workshops, and free resources at 🌐 Website: https://untappedlearning.com 📥 Free Downloads: https://untappedlearning.com/resource-type/downloads/ 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/untappedlearning

    32 min
  2. Supporting Kids Who Struggle: Tools for Parents and Educators | Ali Schroer, LCSW

    JAN 28

    Supporting Kids Who Struggle: Tools for Parents and Educators | Ali Schroer, LCSW

    In this episode of EF for All, we’re joined by Ali Schroer, LCSW—a psychotherapist, former classroom teacher, and nationally recognized expert on anxiety and executive functioning. As the founder of Schroer Counseling and Consulting, Ali brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and real-world experience supporting children, teens, families, and high-achieving adults. Ali’s background includes training at Children’s Hospital Colorado and The Kempe Center, where she helped develop programs for youth anxiety. She now runs a thriving private practice, teaches at the University of Denver, and consults with major organizations like Faegre Drinker on mental health and well-being initiatives. Together, we explore: The messy overlap between anxiety, ADHD, and executive functioningWhy high achievers often struggle silently—and how to support themHow perfectionism and avoidance show up in both kids and adultsWhat parents can do instead of “snowplowing” obstacles awayAli's perspective is practical, compassionate, and deeply human. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or professional looking for support, you’ll walk away with tools to face hard things and build lasting resilience. 🎧 Tune in and learn why preparing—not protecting—might be the most powerful way to support our kids. Learn more about Ali's work here: https://schroercc.com/ https://www.mentalscopeconsulting.com/

    32 min
  3. Understanding the Social Side of Executive Function Struggles with Lana Gollyhorn

    JAN 21

    Understanding the Social Side of Executive Function Struggles with Lana Gollyhorn

    Social struggles are often the most painful part of executive function challenges, and the least understood. In this episode, Brandon sits down with Lana Gollyhorn, a psychotherapist with nearly two decades of experience working directly with children, adolescents, and families. Lana brings a rare lens into what kids are actually experiencing beneath the surface when social situations fall apart. She explains how executive function challenges affect things like listening, remembering plans, regulating emotions, and reading social cues, and how those gaps can quickly turn into hurt feelings, perceived rejection, or intense after-school meltdowns. Parents will gain clarity on why their child may seem disengaged, overly reactive, controlling, or defensive with friends, even when connection is what they want most. This conversation offers practical guidance for how parents can respond in the moment, support reflection without blame, and help their child rebuild friendships without overstepping. If your child often feels misunderstood socially or comes home emotionally flooded, this episode will help you see those moments through a more compassionate and accurate lens. Learn more about Lana's work: https://lanagollyhorn.com/

    33 min
  4. Procrastination, Trauma, and Executive Function in Adults | Howard Baumgarten, LPC

    JAN 7

    Procrastination, Trauma, and Executive Function in Adults | Howard Baumgarten, LPC

    In this episode of Executive Function for All, Brandon Slade talks with Licensed Professional Counselor Howard Baumgarten about the emotional side of executive function that often gets overlooked, especially for adults and men with ADHD. Howard explains how suppression, anxiety, and past experiences show up as procrastination, distraction, and burnout. Instead of pushing harder, real change comes from slowing down, building self-compassion, and learning how to respond rather than react. When the nervous system calms, thinking gets easier, and follow-through becomes possible. This episode is for adults who feel stuck, parents supporting overwhelmed students, and anyone who has tried routines and strategies without addressing what lies underneath. 🎧 Listen now to learn how compassion unlocks executive function. Learn More about Howard's practice at: https://howardbaumgarten.com/

    34 min
  5. A Forbes 30 Under 30’s Approach to Student Mental Health | Tessa Zimmerman

    12/17/2025

    A Forbes 30 Under 30’s Approach to Student Mental Health | Tessa Zimmerman

    What if improving student mental health didn’t require more time, more programs, or more pressure? In this episode of Executive Function for All, Brandon Slade sits down with Tessa Zimmerman, founder of Upstream Education, TEDx speaker, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, to explore how short, intentional practices can reduce student stress and strengthen executive function. Tessa shares how her own experience with severe anxiety shaped her work, why mental health tools belong in every classroom, and how just five minutes a day can help students build self-regulation, focus, and emotional awareness. From calm being contagious, to simple classroom and home strategies like breathing, movement, and micro-wins, this conversation offers practical, brain-based tools for parents, educators, and school leaders who want to support students before burnout sets in. Learn more about Tessa work here: https://www.upstreamedu.org/our-team

    32 min
  6. Coaching the Whole Child: Jodi Sleeper-Triplett on 30 Years of ADHD Advocacy and EF Support

    12/12/2025

    Coaching the Whole Child: Jodi Sleeper-Triplett on 30 Years of ADHD Advocacy and EF Support

    Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, MCC, SCAC, BCC, joins us for a powerful conversation about how ADHD and executive function coaching have transformed over the past three decades. As the founder of JST Coaching & Training and the creator of the first ICF-accredited student coach training focused on coaching students with ADHD, executive function, and learning challenges, Jodi brings deep expertise and a compassionate approach to helping students thrive. In this episode, we explore how coaching students with ADHD and executive function challenges requires empathy, collaboration, and a shift in mindset for both adults and kids. Jodi shares what she’s learned from training thousands of coaches worldwide and what it truly means to support the whole child. We talk about • Why coaching works when other interventions fall short • How to move from compliance to connection • The difference between enabling and empowering • What parents and teachers often miss about executive function • How student voice and agency are key to long-term growth Jodi’s insights will challenge and inspire anyone working with young people. Whether you're a parent, educator, or coach, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about what support can look like. Learn more about Jodi’s work at jstcoachtraining.com Want to learn more about how Untapped Learning helps students (and their families) build executive function skills? Explore our 1-on-1 mentoring, workshops, and free resources at 🌐 Website: https://untappedlearning.com 📥 Free Downloads: https://untappedlearning.com/resource-type/downloads/ 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/untappedlearning

    33 min
  7. Finding Joy in the College Application Process with Nita June

    11/14/2025

    Finding Joy in the College Application Process with Nita June

    What if the college application process didn’t have to feel like a crisis? In this episode, Brandon talks with Nita June, Founder of June College Counseling — an independent educational consultant who brings joy, intention, and humanity back into college admissions. With a background in theater and film, Nita helps students with ADHD and other learning differences find their voice, manage overwhelm, and approach the application process as a rite of passage, not a test of worth. They discuss practical strategies for breaking writer’s block, balancing structure and creativity, and helping students advocate for themselves before they ever step foot on campus. Whether your teen is anxious, perfectionistic, or just stuck, this episode reframes the process as an opportunity to build executive function, resilience, and self-knowledge—skills that last long after the acceptance letter arrives. 🎧 Tune in for insight, laughter, and a much-needed reminder: this process can (and should) be joyful. #ExecutiveFunction #CollegeAdmissions #Neurodiversity #ParentingTeens #UntappedLearning

    36 min
  8. Student-Athlete Strategies: Planning, Study Skills & Self-Advocacy with Isaac Green

    11/07/2025

    Student-Athlete Strategies: Planning, Study Skills & Self-Advocacy with Isaac Green

    In this episode, we sit down with Isaac Green, former University of Washington Track & Field All-Pac-12 runner and current Untapped Executive Function Coach. Isaac opens up about his own academic struggles, like failing statistics (twice), and the skills that helped him bounce back. Together, Brandon and Isaac explore practical strategies for: ✅ Time management and planning routines ✅ Building study systems that actually work ✅ Developing self-advocacy with teachers and professors ✅ Learning from failure and building resilience ✅ Balancing athletics, academics, and personal growth Want to learn more about how Untapped Learning helps students (and their families) build executive function skills? Explore our 1-on-1 mentoring, workshops, and free resources at 🌐 Website: https://untappedlearning.com 📥 Free Downloads: https://untappedlearning.com/resource-type/downloads 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/untappedlearning

    24 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Struggling with organization, time management, or focus? Welcome to "Executive Function Skills for All," the podcast dedicated to helping you master executive function skills and achieve your goals. Whether you're a student aiming for better grades, an adult juggling life's demands, a teenager seeking improved focus, or a student-athlete balancing academics and sports, this podcast is for you. We explore practical strategies for improving planning, organization, time management, emotional regulation, and more. Dealing with ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, autism spectrum challenges, or just want to improve without a formal diagnosis? Join us each week as we combine research insights with real-life examples to help you boost productivity, conquer procrastination, and establish strong habits and routines. Featuring expert interviews and inspiring stories, we're here to guide you on your journey to better executive function. Subscribe now and start unlocking your full potential!

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