Claim OwnershipADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka
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© 2025 ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka
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Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy here : programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup
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I have NEVER met an ADHD woman who wasn’t truly brilliant at something! This podcast, with nearly 7 million downloads, is for smart, high-ability ADD/ADHD (diagnosed or suspecting) women who see their symptoms as more positive than negative. If you want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and discover where your brilliance lies, this podcast is for you!
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ADHD for Smart Ass Women is globally ranked in the top one-tenth of one percent of all podcasts in the world on any subject. It’s streamed in more than 160 countries and is downloaded by more than 150,000 listeners every month. My book of the same name, published by HarperCollins/William Morrow, was recently honored by Amazon Editors as a Top 20 Best Nonfiction Book of 2024.
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I’m Tracy Otsuka, your host. I’m a lawyer, not a doctor, a lifelong learner, and a certified ADHD coach. I’m on a mission to change the conversation around ADHD because I believe it’s time to focus on the strengths that come with our unique brains. When I was diagnosed eight months after my son, my entire life finally made sense, yet all I read and heard about ADHD focused on what I should struggle with. What I discovered, though, was that my ADHD was responsible for some of my greatest strengths.
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Another thing we constantly hear is all the success stories about ADHD men, but no one talks about the women. This podcast is here to change that. ADHD women are my people, and I’m here to acknowledge, support, and cheer them on. My experience as an adult living with ADHD, along with my expertise, is regularly sought out by top-tier media, including Bloomberg, Forbes, CBS Mornings, ABC News Live, Inc., Prevention Magazine, Verywell Mind, ADDitude magazine, and The Goal Digger Podcast, etc.
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adhdforsmartwomen.com
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The content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and does not constitute medical or professional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of anything you have seen or heard from Tracy Otsuka, her guests or this podcast.
355 Episodes
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Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup _____ Sometimes, the most humbling moments teach us the most about ourselves. Tracy recently found herself in Santa Barbara, recording courses for major companies like LinkedIn Learning and Google. After three flawless, scripted trainings, she was asked to do an impromptu training on ten ADHD tips. Despite having written a book and recorded 350 podcast episodes, Tra...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup _____ From the outside, you look like you've got it all together. But inside? You're drowning in the endless mental load, feeling guilty because you need breaks from your kids, and wondering why other moms seem to breeze through daily routines that leave you completely drained. Amy Marie Hann was diagnosed with ADHD at just five years old in the mid-1980s—making her...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup Natasha M. Nurse lived 37 years not knowing she was neurodivergent. Then motherhood changed everything. The crying, the overwhelm, the dark thoughts that felt like more than typical new parent struggles—all of it led to a discovery that would reshape her understanding of herself completely. Diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 37, Natasha finally had answers for a life...
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 deci...
*This episode has been updated* Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup _ What would it be like if you could see music as colors dancing in front of your eyes? For Justine Glaser, that's just a normal Tuesday. Justine is a creative force who doesn't just hear music, she sees it. Diagnosed with ADHD at age 3 and born with synesthesia, a rare neurological trait where sound shows up as color, Justine has a...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup _ You know that feeling when someone tells you you're "too intense" or "ask too many questions"? Lucia Kanter St. Amour has built an entire career on exactly those traits. Lucia is a negotiation expert, law professor, and the kind of ADHD woman who writes Amazon reviews so detailed she got invited to their exclusive Vine program. She's the author of For the Forces o...
3Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup _ You want to make changes, but can't seem to start. Or maybe you're doing the work, but it's not working fast enough. This solo episode tackles the number one thing that keeps ADHD women stuck, and it's not what you think. Tracy Otsuka breaks down why change feels so hard even when you really want it, and why having access to all the tools in the world won't help...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup __ Sometimes the biggest breakthrough comes from dropping the mask and reclaiming your story after decades of living someone else's version of your life. Dr. Shafer Stedron knows this journey intimately. Dr. Shafer is a neurologist, life coach, author, and host of Talks with Dr. Shafer. Drawing from both clinical expertise and lived experience, she helps others refr...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ Aging with ADHD isn't about decline—it's about finally coming into your own. Sandy Reynolds is challenging everything we've been told about getting older, especially as neurodivergent women. Sandy is a coach, facilitator, and fierce advocate for women navigating their third act. With more than 25 years of leadership and adult education experience, she helps wome...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ When you're the eldest daughter of immigrants with ADHD and autism, you learn to mask early and master systems—but at what cost? Meral Alizada knows this story intimately, and she's using it to transform how companies think about neurodivergent talent. Meral is the founder of Results of Kindness (ROK), where she helps organizations build workplaces where neurodi...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ People with ADHD are built for the future of work. While everyone else worries about AI taking over jobs, we're the ones who'll figure out what to do with it next. Muxin Li studied at UVA and Rice, but her real education came from following a winding path through anthropology, teaching, journalism, and now AI. Today, she's building tools designed to reduce cogni...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ What if your doctor could prescribe a fishing group instead of another medication? A birdwatching club for your anxiety. An art class for your depression. Welcome to social prescribing—a healthcare movement that's changing how we think about healing by focusing on connection, not just pills. Julia Hotz is a journalist and author of The Connection Cure, the first...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ Nobody prepares you for ADHD pregnancy brain. Decisions become impossible when choosing between 200 strollers for a baby you've never met, how appointments can completely derail your routine, and focus. The brain fog that hits like a wall, or the surprising clarity that some women experience when hormones align just right with their neurodivergent wiring. Dr. Ka...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ When you live with ADHD, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of overwhelm, shutdown, and shame. But what if there’s a way to interrupt that pattern without judgment, without spiraling, and without trying to “fix” yourself? Vanessa Gorelkin is a licensed therapist, executive coach, and returning favorite on the podcast. With 30 years of experience across clinical c...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ How do you thrive in one of the most demanding industries in the world, while quietly navigating ADHD the whole time? Nancy Shapiro spent 33 years as a senior executive at the Recording Academy, home of the GRAMMYs, where she led all twelve regional chapters and built groundbreaking programs that changed the face of music education and artist development. But be...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ You can’t out-organize trauma. You can’t schedule your way out of burnout. But you can begin to heal, and in doing so, everything else starts to shift. Dr. Lorre Laws has spent over three decades helping people do just that. Known affectionately as “Dr. Lorre,” she’s a bestselling author, integrative nursing professor, and founder of The Haelan Academy, a nonpro...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ Vickie Howell discovered something most people never do: the exact moment her brain went quiet. It happened when her hands were busy with yarn and needles, long before she had words for ADHD or understood why making things felt like medicine. Vickie has spent over two decades at the forefront of the modern craft movement. She’s best known as the host of Knitty G...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ What happens when your brain is loud, your schedule is chaotic, and your best coping skill is making people laugh? Jessica Michelle Singleton is a no-filter comedian, podcast host, and the kind of ADHD woman who can command a stage, lose her keys, and write a killer joke—all before lunch. She’s dropped two #1 comedy albums, racked up millions of views with her s...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ What happens when the thing you thought wasn’t for you, like meditation, turns out to be exactly what your brain needed? Kelly Smith is a meditation teacher, yoga instructor, podcast host, and the creator of Mindful in Minutes, which has guided over 23 million meditations to date. Diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, Kelly grew up feeling like she didn’t quite fit...
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup ___ What if the systems you were told to follow just… never worked for you? Latrice Prater spent years trying to fit into traditional jobs and structures, feeling like she was always falling short, until her ADHD diagnosis in her 30s made everything click. A Navy veteran, certified Director of Operations, and now founder of The Digital Solutions Team, Latrice has si...
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very helpful and insightful as always
Here's me, listening to this podcast whilst putting everything into piles, just as you're telling me not to put everything into piles 😂
Great episode. This is exactly what I needed. I've been looking at investments and such lately. I usually am very hands-off and let it sit. Thank you!
Who cares about books?! Maybe not you lady but speak for yourself! I consume hundreds of books every year; they are essential! The banning of books matters, people still read a great deal. I'm so turned off by that flippant comment that I'm not finishing this episode and am unsubscribing immediately!
OMG! I LOVE this! This is so me and the ADHD lying. So relate, and I still do this. Thank U for this podcast!
I appreciate ur podcast. However, I strongly suggest u not give uneducated advice on skipping medication or taking a break on this. Regardless of ur feelings or experience with medication, there are individuals who do benefit from medication. To these individuals, it is extremely dangerous for them to skip medication. Again, thanks for ur podcast
I just discovered this podcast. I struggled to stop myself from crying because the guest in this episode made me feel not a chaotic mess. From the trauma, fatigue and chronic pain, struggling with life and kids, and trying to understand why I am failing, I finally feel like maybe things are not hopeless.
This lady is TOTALLY AWESOME!! WHO does any of these things?? .... starting with excelling on SAT at 11 yr old?! I LOVE her spunk, spirit, attitude, skill set, ... outlook on life! She's my newest hero! (Sorry, Tracy, you're still my hero for your brilliance and positive outlook!)
This podcast hit so close to home. I can relate to SO MUCH of what you've shared of your experience. holding you in love and light. <3
that was great👍👍
Great
Dear Tracy, I'm Fardane's friend. As you know, she wants to translate your podcast into Persian And I want to translate it into Turkish along with her and introduce your podcast Do I have this permission?
I wish I had the right to translate this podcast and talk about it in my IG with my followers and friends. this is incredible. I feel this is going to change me a lot to become more peaceful with me and my issue
this made me cry, and you know what's so painful? when people says " don't label yourself with these nonsense, You are just instilling it into yourself. there is no such thing u are just lazy🥲🥲🥲
Episode starts at 2:12. Blank audio after featured snippet in intro.
I soo appreciated this podcast. Thank you!
I am crying happy tears while listening to your podcast! I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and am currently working on getting my son evaluated. how can I get a list of all the books you have mentioned in your podcasts? I am ready to start reading.
No epsisodes in awhile? 😭😭😭
thank you for this! Denese is lovely and I enjoyed the energy between you, two. I'm one who wants to just barrel through. Amazingly Denese's example of one who minimizes by saying "oh my mom... oh my uncle..." is literally me. Its no coincidence I'm listening. Time to get stop bypassing! great show again, Tracy!
I wonder if neurotypical people can follow her stream of thought?