The Distracted Elephant

Jina Etienne and Ipalla Cooke, Co-Hosts
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We're two professionals with ADHD, sharing our journeys & strategies. Like elephants, known for strength and intelligence yet seeming distracted with non-linear paths, we harness our ADHD as a superpower, not a limitation. It helped us uncover unique strengths: creative problem-solving, thinking outside the box, and resilience. Our podcast is a community celebrating neurodiversity, offering a space to exchange experiences and strategies. Join us, as we redefine thriving professionally with ADHD.

Episodes

  1. Jan 6

    Best Laid Plans

    We had big plans for Season 2... and then got distracted. In this kickoff to Season 3, we’re naming the very real ways ADHD shows up in our creative process – like overplanning, perfectionism, and the classic procrastination loop. Consider this our official re-entry (finally).

    20 min

  2. 05/18/2025

    Living with ADHD: Dominick’s Story

    In this episode, we’re joined by Jina’s son, Dominick, for a real conversation about living with ADHD as an adult. We talk about how it shows up at work, in routines, in relationships – and how figuring out what doesn’t work is often how you discover what does. We also explore the connection between parent and child when both have ADHD, the freedom of embracing how your brain actually works, and the value of being open about it. It’s honest, funny, and one of our most personal episodes yet.

    32 min

  3. 03/19/2025

    So Many Symptoms - Is It Really ADHD?

    In this episode, we dive into the three main presentations of ADHD—Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined—and explore how they show up in real life. We’ll explore the most common symptoms, like inattention and impulsivity, as well as less obvious ones, like time blindness, emotional mirroring, and sensory sensitivities.

    31 min

  4. 02/24/2025

    To Disclose or Not Disclose. That is the question.

    In this episode we discuss the very personal decision of whether to disclose that you are a person with ADHD. Who you share your diagnosis with is dependent on a variety of factors. We share our stories of why and with whom in this episode.

    26 min

  5. 12/09/2024

    Coping With Loss

    In this episode we talked about our personal experiences navigating grief through the lens of ADHD. Recently, Ipalla experienced the loss of a close relative and, in sharing her story with Jina about the events of this week, we discovered parallels in our journeys and discussed how embracing our ADHD has helped us find strength and support.

    44 min

  6. 09/27/2024

    Kick-Off to Season 2

    To kick off our 2nd season, we wanted to reflect on the personal insights and self-discoveries that surfaced over our summer break. We explored how those experiences and insights on our ever-evolving journey of self-awareness. Tune in for candid discussions about lessons learned, unexpected aha! moments, and what’s ahead as we kick off the next chapter of our podcast.

    14 min

  7. 07/27/2024

    Looking Back at Season 1

    Our goal in launching the Distracted Elephant was to share stories about our personal and professional experiences with ADHD. In this episode, we look back at our first season and share takeaways and experiences in planning and producing the podcast.

    22 min

  8. 05/31/2024

    Time Blindness

    Time blindness is more than losing track of time or a time-management issue. In this episode, we dig into what it means and the challenges it can present, sharing a few of the strategies we've developed over the years to help.

    33 min

  9. 04/29/2024

    Are More People Being Diagnosed?

    In this episode, we'll discuss why it appears that more people, including women are being diagnosed with ADHD. The increase seems to have occurred in the last few years. Is this real or imagined?

    29 min

  10. 12/13/2023

    How did you know?

    In this episode, we look at different criteria and share which we have and how it shows up for us. We aren't doctors, so this isn't a show intended to help you make a diagnosis. For that, talk to your doctor. If you are wondering, then it's worth exploring. Because No - it isn't in your head. There are real criteria for diagnosing this very real neurodivergent condition.

    28 min
  11. When Did You Know?

    11/05/2023

    When Did You Know?

    For many, a diagnosis of ADHD came later in life. When did we know? How did we know? Did we have a sense that something was different or "wrong"? Because there is stigma around ADHD, was it even something we were willing to consider? In this episode, we talk about that moment when we learned of our diagnosis, how it helped explain some things, and validated others.

    25 min
  12. Welcome to the Distracted Elephant

    08/19/2023

    Welcome to the Distracted Elephant

    Welcome to the Distracted Elephant podcast, an open and candid conversation between two professionals who are not just observers, but individuals thriving with ADHD ourselves. We call ourselves Distracted Elephants because elephants, while known for their strength and intelligence, can also be perceived as distracted because they sometimes take non-linear paths. For many, ADHD is seen as a limitation, shortcoming or impairment. For us, it feels more like a superpower. By developing strategies to navigate the world with ADHD, we've found new strengths such as creative problem-solving, thinking outside the box, and resilience. Often honed out of necessity, they helped us transform challenges into opportunities. Our hosts share personal experiences, stories, and some of those hard-earned strategies, offering a firsthand glimpse into managing and leveraging ADHD at work. "The Distracted Elephant" is more than a podcast; it's a community where experiences are shared, strategies are exchanged, and neurodiversity is celebrated. If you're a professional with ADHD, a supportive colleague, or anyone interested in understanding ADHD better, join us as we redefine what it means to thrive professionally with ADHD.

    3 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

We're two professionals with ADHD, sharing our journeys & strategies. Like elephants, known for strength and intelligence yet seeming distracted with non-linear paths, we harness our ADHD as a superpower, not a limitation. It helped us uncover unique strengths: creative problem-solving, thinking outside the box, and resilience. Our podcast is a community celebrating neurodiversity, offering a space to exchange experiences and strategies. Join us, as we redefine thriving professionally with ADHD.

Information

  • Creator
    Jina Etienne and Ipalla Cooke, Co-Hosts
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jina Etienne and Ipalla Cooke, Co-Hosts
  • Show Website
    The Distracted Elephant