Embracing Intensity

I met today's guest through the neurodivergent community on Twitter. Join us to learn more about his inspiring story. Joseph Gitau is a writer, singer, and blogger who has been diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar I. With his childhood and youth being spent between his native Kenya and the US, he has a unique perspective about how neurodivergence is treated differently in both countries. Joseph uses hi...

Today's conversation is with a creative who has overcome obstacles to find her place in the world where she isn't afraid to be seen and heard. She helps others connect and engage, no matter how they have been "othered" by society, and she has learned how to effectively use her superpowers. Join us to learn more about making the world a brighter place for us all. Jen Sujin Yoon is a creative consul...

We had our first neurodivergent book club on Saturday, and one of the things we talked about was the complexity of labels. On the one hand, they serve as a tool to get information, support and connect with others, but it can also serve to separate us into "us and them" if we're not careful.  In this episode: Why I avoided using the terms gifted and twice exceptional for so long, and why it's helpe...

Today's show is all about taking a holistic approach to achieve balance and take back control of your life. Join us to learn more. Zarya Rubin is a physician and functional medicine health coach. She is a formerly stressed-out mom who now helps women in mid-life get to the root of their health issues and manage their stress to take back control of their lives. Show Highlights: What is stress? The...

The foundation of my work on my blog and podcast has been about intensity, and it's origins came from my work on excitability, also known as over excitability. Excitability is when you receive and respond the world more intensely than others.  In this episode: Excitability as a sign of high developmental potential The 5 areas of excitability Using your strengths Links: Free workbook on Harnessing...

Today's show is with yet another intriguing person I met on TikTok. I'm especially interested in her experience with twice-exceptionality and the work she's doing in TV. Shadi Petosky is an Emmy winner and Wendy's Employee of the Month-winning TV showrunner. She co-created and showran the Emmy-winning Danger and Eggs for Amazon Prime Video, which was also a Critics Choice and GLAAD nomination. She...

I once again had other plans for this episode but I realized I've hit survival mode for the school year. Every year since 8th grade, I've had what I called Spring Fever when I'd crash at the end of the school year. I've come to realize that it's the fatigue that comes from over taxing my executive functioning skills for too long.  Add a pandemic, last minute taxes, aging hormones, unfavorable med...

Today's guest had all the markers of traditional success, an Ivy League Education, letters after her name and a well paying career, but she realized she was miserable because she was not being authentic to herself. She broke out of the medical system to help people in a more holistic way. Join us! Dr. Zarya Rubin is a Harvard-educated physician and certified health and wellness coach who is passio...

I've observed a lot of themes around integration and disintegration recently so I thought it would be a good time to do a quick overview of Kazmier's Dabrowski's theory of Positive Disintegration. You can find a more comprehensive overview on ep. 154: On Positive Disintegration with Chris Wells , and my Blog Post "Finding Treasure in Ruins." Dabrowski believes that intensity/excitability is a sign...

Today's show focuses on strategies for success. My guest combines her late-in-life diagnoses, training, and experience to help clients accomplish their goals. Maaya Hitomi is an ADHD coach and academic strategist who supports ADHD, autistic, and otherwise neurodivergent clients to build strategies for better coping. At Structured Success, Maaya's own coaching and consultation practice, she builds...

I'm super thrilled to share the recording of Nneka Coxeff's talk on Writing to Heal from this month's guest community call! You can find the full discussion in the Embracing Intensity Community ! The wRITE to Heal Project was developed by founder and editor-in-chief of BLP magazine, Nneka D. Coxeff. As a Master Life Coach and Empowerment Practitioner, she offers transformative writing classes, wor...

Have you ever felt like you were taking up too much space? My guest today shares how he moved from talking up space wherever he went to channeling his own unique powers to bring out the best in others. Join us! Landon Young is someone I met on TikTok, which is unique as a social media platform that allows people to connect across social groups that might not normally interact. Landon describes him...

This week is a bit late and short again, but it's for a great reason! I hyper focused on a project the last two days that's ready to share as a collaborative effort! The 2E Hub! A place for gifted, creative and twice exceptional folks to share, learn and explore! Links: 2E Hub Free Workbook on Harnessing the Power of Your Intensity  

My guest today shares the keen awareness he's developed of his ADHD diagnosis and how it impacts his life. Join us to hear the story of the good he's doing in the world. Ross Watt hosts the International ADHD Party on Twitter and is one of the ADHD-Hub co-creators. He's working hard to make a difference for kids and adults with ADHD. Show Highlights: Why Ross is intensely passionate about ADHD, wr...

This week I get to share the talk from our March guest call is on Honoring Your Sensitivity with Leah Walsh. You can find the full discussion and video in the Embracing Intensity Community ! In Sanskrit there are 96 words for love. I seriously wish we had that many words in English for the word sensitivity! A word whose origins mean "capable of feeling and sensation," what does being sensitive mea...

Today's show focuses on support for highly sensitive and introverted leaders. Join us to learn more! Leah Walsh is a speaker and life coach who is motivated by the desire to support conscious and creative people in uncovering their potential and bringing their light into the world. Leah sees every human as a beautiful and unique flower in life's garden, but she knows that being your own flower can...

This week's episode is a fairly quick one as I got inspired for a new project this week and went down a hyper focus rabbit hole for days!  In this episode: Update on my latest project & upcoming course. Do it yourself mentality.  Being a maker, not a marketer. Links: Free Harness Your Power Workbook Adult Learning Assessment Embracing Intensity Community Community Events Calendar

Today's guest launched into the world of twice-exceptionality because of the unique strengths and challenges that came with parenting her two sons, now teenagers. Her work now meets the needs of kids like her sons, along with helping other parents and educators through her therapy practice, support groups, and parenting programs. Join us to learn more! Debbie Steinberg Kuntz is the founder of the...

I'm excited to share our first guest call for the 2021 season in the Embracing Intensity Community with Brendan Mahan, of ADHD Essentials, on the Wall of Awful! From Brendan's website : "Everyone fails. Some, like those with executive function challenges, fail more than others. Each failure brings negative emotions – guilt, disappointment. These smaller emotions become stronger feelings of anxiety...

I found today's guest in a most unusual place! It was on TikTok that I first noticed her work with gifted and twice-exceptional people, and I knew I had to get her on the show. Dr. Kimberly Douglass is president and CEO of Remote Learning Solutions. She coaches neurodivergent PhDs/EdDs on the personal, social, and technical aspects of career and entrepreneurship. In addition to moving clients from...

I've been hearing a lot more comments lately along the lines of "I relate to your work, but I'm not really gifted." In this episode of Embracing Intensity, I discuss why gifted folks might not recognize their own gifts and some resources to explore if you suspect you might be gifted.  In this episode: 5 Reasons gifted folks might not think they are really gifted. My own experience and why I actual...

I'm excited to share today's show with you. My guest has an interesting perspective as an obviously gifted person who has dyslexia. Her experience is fascinating, but there is so much more to her story and work. Join us! Brenda Bryan is a kickass inspirational speaker and The Diviner of Human Potential. As a transformational coach and Mastermind facilitator, she supports women to unmask and nurtur...

A couple of weeks ago I participated in an event called Camp ADHD, where folks around the world shared talks and discussion on topics related to ADHD. I spoke about twice-exceptionality, specifically as it relates to ADHD, and the topic seemed to resonate with a lot of folks, so I decided ot share it on the podcast as well!  In this episode: Why the topic of twice exceptionality is important to me...

My guest today is twice exceptional and was recently diagnosed with ADHD. She's super vocal about many things, including social justice, dressing up as Elsa for storytime, and showcasing her great style. Fortunately for me, she lives in my area, so I hope to meet her in person very soon! Dusti Arab is an entrepreneur and writer who leads the reinvention co., a boutique marketing agency specializin...

This week  I wanted to take a moment to share about the upcoming plans I have for the year to help gifted, creative and outside the box thinkers connect and realize their potential.  In this episode: Upcoming topics and speakers for the Embracing Intensity Community. Refreshing my website Adult Learning Assessment and Coaching information.  Creating lots of fun and hopefully useful content. Links:...