As a Turbo Thinker© executive and coach, I have the pleasure of working with an amazing executive assistant (thanks Handed by Hayden) who understands neurodiversity. When I asked about their experiences supporting executives over the years, hoping to avoid common pitfalls, their observations struck a deep chord. Most challenges they described relate directly to patterns we Turbo Thinkers© often face. Below are their insights, gathered from 15 years in direct support roles, followed by my perspective as both a Turbo Thinker© and an ADHD coach.

As a coach for Turbo Thinkers©, I often see clients struggling to ask for what they need at work. Let me share Sarah's story - it might sound familiar.

Through our coaching process, we discovered what Sarah's brain needed to succeed. What does our unique brain need to succeed? How can we ask for that support? How might reviewing our history of success help us find the courage to take risks? What possibilities open up when we know, deep down, that we'll be okay?

Through coaching, I gained clarity on my core values and purpose. I defined my vision and confidently embraced how my brain worked best. I learned to communicate and advocate for my own needs, finally experiencing the calm, consistency, and contentment I'd been seeking.

This transformative journey inspired me to become an executive coach specializing in Turbo Thinkers©. Now, I help others who are where I once was — overwhelmed, stressed, and unsure why.

As Turbo Thinkers©, we have incredible strengths. But sometimes, we need a guide to help us harness these unique qualities. How might your life change if you learned to prioritize your needs? What dreams could you achieve if you understood and embraced your Turbo Thinker© mind?

A recent yoga class got me thinking about belief systems and our Turbo Thinking© brains. What do we always carry? What physical objects do we deem essential?

Sometimes, we might feel like we're blowing in the wind. What do we grasp onto? Is it something we truly need, or does it stem from fear or resistance? As Turbo Thinkers©, Our ability to make unique connections is our strength.

A close friend shared that she has decided to go back to graduate school and was awarded a scholarship to Tulane School of Social Work, a decision driven by the foresight that her job as a graphic designer was being replaced by the rapid advances in AI." There will always be a need for mental health support, and I value the human connection," she explained. I could not agree with her more! And, as a fellow Turbo Thinker©, I see how her strengths make her well-suited for her newly chosen career. As an executive coach specializing in high-achieving professionals, what unique qualities do we Turbo Thinkers© possess that can't be replicated by machines?

As election season heats up, conflicts often arise in our conversations. As a credentialed coach specializing in high-achieving Turbo Thinkers©, I'd like to share some thoughts on how we can navigate these challenging communications.

As election season heats up, conflicts often arise in our conversations. As a credentialed coach specializing in high-achieving Turbo Thinkers©, I'd like to share some thoughts on how we can navigate these challenging communications.

For many of us, Labor Day marks the start of a new year and season. New school years begin, fall activities kick off, and social calendars fill up. Before we know it, we're either overextending ourselves or doing nothing at all.

To navigate this transition successfully, I've developed a framework based on three key questions.

Overcome imposter syndrome with proven strategies. Explore the roots of self-doubt and learn practical techniques to build authentic confidence. Discover how to reframe failures as learning opportunities, embrace your strengths, and accept compliments gracefully. Engage in interactive exercises designed to shift your perspective and boost self-esteem. Perfect for high-achievers and "Turbo Thinkers" struggling with feelings of inadequacy despite external success. This workshop provides tools to cultivate a growth mindset, recognize your true worth, and create a supportive environment for yourself and others. Learn to leverage your unique gifts, drive innovation, and build a stronger professional identity. Join us to transform your self-perception, enhance your career, and unlock your full potential. Say goodbye to imposter syndrome and hello to a more confident, authentic you.

Discover how Turbo Thinkers© can leverage mindfulness for enhanced productivity and well-being. Learn to harness neurodiversity, challenge assumptions, and embrace uncertainty using Dr. Ellen Langer's research. Explore practical strategies to reframe challenges, shift perspectives, and actively notice new things. Unlock your potential for creativity, focus, and intentional living in this guide to mindful productivity for neurodiverse individuals.

Last week, while visiting the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), I was immediately captivated by the exhibit "John Scott: Blues Poem for the Urban Landscape" in the Great Hall. Scott's monumental woodcut prints, which capture the very soul of New Orleans, confronted me in a stimulating and thought-provoking way. As I studied his work, I couldn't help but notice how his creative process embodied the concept of "spherical thinking," a non-linear approach to simultaneously looking at the past, present, and future. This idea resonated with me as a Turbo Thinker, and I began to see parallels between Scott's artistic mindset and the way our minds work.

To create each print, Scott carved into the surface of large sheets of plywood with a power saw and routing tools, creating lines and forms that are impressionistic yet visually imposing. The composite nature of these prints exemplifies Scott's jazz-inspired explorations of spherical thinking. Like a jazz musician, Scott improvised, riffed, and layered elements to create a cohesive whole that tells a story — in this case, the story of New Orleans.

There has been a significant amount of recent buzz surrounding executive function skills. You may have come across discussions about them in relation to children facing difficulties in school, resulting in behavioral issues in the classroom and struggles to complete homework.

Every brain develops in its own unique way. Executive function skills develop throughout childhood, usually with metacognition as the last in early adulthood, but so many factors come into play including genetics and environmental factors.

For us Turbo Thinkers, a little bit of meditation can go a long way. I like to think of my meditation practice like sitting with a cute, curious, cuddly puppy. The puppy sits in front of us, then wanders away. It can waddle or pounce or spring, but it’s so cute! It’s in its nature to wander off. We gently pick it up and bring it back. It will surely wander off again, and we simply pick it up and bring it back. Such is the Turbo Thinker’s mind. It wanders off.

In today’s Turbo Think Tank, the topic of a morning routine came up for discussion. Our Turbo Thinker shared that starting her day with a morning walk put her in a fantastic mood and set a positive and energetic tone for the rest of the day. With a consistent morning routine, she could ride the momentum throughout the week. In exploring how to make that happen, she discovered that the key to success was actually sticking to an attainable evening routine!

My family and close friends know that I regularly need to get my nature fix or I will go crazy. Like mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, sleep and human connection, I prioritize my need to spend time outdoors in a natural setting. While many studies have shown that time in nature improves ADHD symptoms, I personally need it, and will create time for it in my schedule.

As Turbo Thinkers, we often struggle with patience. Our racing minds produce so many ideas and we feel like we must act on them immediately. We feel that our bodies need to move immediately. We anticipate the next move, the next activity, the next best thing, and have trouble simply enjoying the present moment for what it is. Sometimes we have a book, fidget toy, stress ball or other tactile distraction to entertain our brains. Sometimes we find ourselves unexpectedly forced to enjoy our own company with nothing to do but to wait.

As Turbo Thinkers, our minds can easily go down a road of negativity, regret, self shame or catastrophizing. In those moments when our emotions override all rational thought, our memories have trouble accessing what we know to be true about ourselves. Our minds can get stuck in a story told by the severe inner critic, the mean girl whispering in our ear, or the evil judge who deems us unworthy of any future success

As Turbo Thinkers, our minds tend to race like the wind, like Category 5 hurricane winds. How can we put our brains in the eye of the storm, where peace, calm and quiet reside? How can we let the storm pass, taking all of the debris with it and leaving us with our most important thoughts intact?Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to the present moment with kindness and curiosity. It involves pressing the pause button to thoughts racing into the past or into the future.

Summer is here! At least in New Orleans, we are up to 90 degrees fahrenheit daily with high humidity. It is downright steamy! The change of seasons introduces a new variety of challenges that crop up in my ADHD coaching practice.