ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

By: Tracy Otsuka
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  • Summary

  • 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.

    © 2025 ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka
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Episodes
  • EP. 329: How to Stop Overthinking and Start Writing

    EP. 329: How to Stop Overthinking and Start Writing
    Apr 23 2025

    How do you build a writing life when your brain refuses to follow rules? For Paulette Perhach, the answer has always been a mix of creativity, structure, and compassion.

    Paulette is an award-winning author, writing coach, and creator of the Writer’s Mission Control Center and Finishing School for Writers. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vox, Glamour, The Washington Post, and Cosmopolitan. But before all that, she was a gifted kid with a brain full of ideas—and no clue why some things came so easily while others felt impossible.

    In this conversation, Paulette shares how growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and without financial resources—shaped her writing path, her self-image, and her relationship with money. She talks with Tracy about the emotional cost of feeling "less than," the unpredictability of social energy, and how finding a creative community changed everything. Diagnosed in adulthood, she finally began to understand the why behind her chaos and built systems that helped her move from intention to execution.

    Paulette also breaks down her FINISH framework, a six-part approach to help ADHD writers build structure, create momentum, and finally complete the work they care about. She shares how she bootstrapped her own software tool to support writers like her, and why creating spaces that center neurodivergent needs isn't just helpful—it's transformative.

    Whether you're a creative with too many ideas or someone still trying to trust your voice, Paulette’s story will make you feel seen, inspired, and ready to try again, with a little more self-compassion this time.


    Resources:
    Website: https://www.pauletteperhach.com
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulette-perhach-23b12832
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulettejperhach
    X: https://x.com/pauletteperhach


    Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

    Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

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

    Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/aok

    Visit our website: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com

    Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka

    Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class

    Unlock your best days with Blends: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/blends
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    1 hr
  • EP. 328: Intuition & ADHD: Unlocking Your Spiritual Gifts

    EP. 328: Intuition & ADHD: Unlocking Your Spiritual Gifts
    Apr 16 2025

    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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    If you’ve ever been told you’re “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” or just “too much,” this episode is here to tell you: you’re not. You’re intuitive, and that might just be your ADHD superpower.

    Julie Jancius, known as The Angel Medium, is a spiritual teacher, podcast host, and bestselling author who helps people reconnect with their intuition, their energy, and their purpose. Diagnosed with ADHD in middle school, Julie always knew she was different—driven, creative, deeply empathic, and always tuned in to something just below the surface. But it wasn’t until she experienced major life upheaval as a teen and later lost her father unexpectedly that she began to fully understand the power of intuition and energetic sensitivity—and how it had been guiding her all along.

    In this conversation, Julie and Tracy explore the link between ADHD and spiritual gifts, from intuitive decision-making to emotional depth and the ability to read a room without saying a word. Julie shares why traditional ADHD solutions didn’t work for her, how energy healing and spiritual connection became her lifelines, and why learning to follow your internal compass might just be the most important skill of all. They also talk about breaking cycles, building purpose-led businesses, and why listening to your intuition isn’t “woo”—it’s wisdom.

    If you’ve ever felt like your brain doesn’t follow the rules and your heart doesn’t either, Julie’s story will leave you feeling more seen, understood, and inspired to trust yourself.


    Resources:

    Website: https://theangelmedium.com
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelpodcast
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theangelmedium
    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theangelmedium

    Podcast & Membership Links:
    Podcast: https://theangelmedium.com/podcast
    Angel Membership: https://theangelmedium.com/membership
    Angel Reiki School:

    Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

    Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

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

    Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/aok

    Visit our website: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com

    Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka

    Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class

    Unlock your best days with Blends: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/blends
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    50 mins
  • EP. 327: Changing the ADHD Money Narrative with Nicole Stanley

    EP. 327: Changing the ADHD Money Narrative with Nicole Stanley
    Apr 9 2025

    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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    Money advice rarely works for the ADHD brain. We’re told to budget, track every dollar, and rely on willpower—but what if the real answer is to make it easier, not harder?

    Nicole Stanley gets it. A financial coach, Latina entrepreneur, and founder of Arise Financial Coaching, Nicole helps women ditch the shame, confusion, and overwhelm around money. But before she coached hundreds of women and couples to pay off debt and build wealth, Nicole was a young mom in financial survival mode. Married at 22, she had to learn about money fast when her husband’s modest salary wasn’t enough to make ends meet. With a baby on her hip and a brain that struggled with traditional systems, she slowly built a business that now serves over 100 clients and supports a full-time team—long before she even knew she had ADHD.

    Nicole was diagnosed with ADHD at 31, and everything started to make sense: the disorganization, the impulsive spending, the exhaustion from trying to do money “the right way.” She realized that what worked for neurotypical people didn’t work for her—or for many of the women she coached. That’s when she began designing tools and systems rooted in compassion, simplicity, and sustainability—approaches that honor how the ADHD brain actually works.

    Nicole and Tracy talk about the emotional weight many women carry when it comes to money. They dive into why ADHD women are often labeled “bad with money,” how to build dopamine-boosting routines that stick, and what it means to make peace with your finances—not through shame, but through clarity and choice.

    Resources:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arise.financial.coaching/
    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@arise.financial.coaching/
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/arise.financial.coaching/
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arisefinancialcoaching
    Book a discovery call:

    Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

    Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

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

    Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/aok

    Visit our website: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com

    Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka

    Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class

    Unlock your best days with Blends: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/blends
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins

What listeners say about ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

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Profile Image for LP

Excellent podcast. Really informative.

Suspecting I had adult ADHD, I came across this podcast and it has been so reassuring. I've listened to episodes that I feel relevant to me. There is a wealth of information here. Thank you Tracy for the hard work you do creating these podcasts.

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Profile Image for sarah

Back drop for my day

Life changing. Life saving. RSD. If you know you know. Literally the backdrop of my day.

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Profile Image for Alison Matthew

Loved this episode for its Positivity!!

If you struggle with ADHD or just know someone that does . this podcast is inspiring!!! And I don’t even drink Coffee!!! Helena has some excellent ideas of work- arounds . If you want to feel inspired today and positive listen to this !!!!

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Profile Image for Grace

A beacon of light.

I have spent life so lost and confused, struggling massively with my mental health since I was an early teen. I've seen doctor after doctor who labelled me with anxiety, depression and bpd but something still felt off. No matter how hard I worked to manage my conditions, I still felt like I was failing life as an adult. It wasn't until Christmas when I stumbled across a video about the symptoms of ADHD in women and it stood out, I related to almost all of them, I looked at the comments, it was the same situation, I then did some further research online and sobbed as I realised everything that I had been giving myself a hard time for throughout my life was listed in front of me. I contacted my doctor and have to wait for an assessment but I didn't want to wait 2 years for answers and that's when I found this podcast! I have learned so so much since listening, there has been so much comfort in the sense that I do not feel alone.I cannot begin to describe how much this podcast has given me hope. Both you and your guests are so inspiring and have taught me so much.
Thank you for being such an incredible human 😊❤

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