We think when we are 20 years old that this is the only way. Right? We see this linear path. You go to college, you get an internship, you get a job, and that's what you do for the rest of your life. And that is just not true ever. That's so limiting. If you stick us in a box and leave us in that box, we are never gonna meet our greatest potential. If you would have asked me 10 years ago, I thought you'd be crazy that I was an author, and then I'd be doing podcasts.

Thomas Edison, Richard Branson, John f Kennedy, Mozart, Michael Jordan, Will Smith. That sounds like a list of highly successful titans in a variety of occasions. Why is it that we rarely hear that they have or had ADHD? And you know what we hear even less about? Serena Williams, Emma Watson, Mel Robbins, Whoopi Goldberg, Agatha Christie, Erin Brockovich, Cher. Yeah. The successful women navigating ADHD, and that's exactly why I started this podcast, ADHD for smart Ask women. I'm your host, Tracy Otsuka. I'm a lawyer, not a doctor. A lifelong student, now a coach.

I'm also the creator of your ADHD brain is a okay, a system that helps people like you figure out what they should do with their life. And we're here today to talk ADHD, your strengths, your symptoms, your work arounds, and how you proudly stand out instead of trying to fit in. I credit my ADHD for some of my greatest gifts. And you know what? I spy a happier life for you too. So without Further ado? A shiny new episode is starting now. Hello. Hello. Hello.

This is Tracy Otsuka. Thank you so much for joining me here for episode number 248 of ADHD for smart ass women. I hope you'll subscribe to this podcast and our newsletter at tracyotsuka.com. And you know but my purpose is always to show you who you are and then inspire you to be it. In the thousands of ADHD women that I've had the privilege of meeting, I've never met a one that wasn't truly brilliant at something, not one. And so, of course, I am just delighted to introduce you to Siobhan Hong. I got that right, Siobhan.

You did. You did. Brilliant.

Brilliant. Wonderful. So Siobhan Hong is a dedicated professional with over 2 decades of experience across multiple industries and roles. This includes esteemed positions as a professor at New York University Stern School of Business and as a former partner at the Bridgespan Group. In her current endeavor, Siobhan is the author and illustrator of the best selling children's book series, The Super Fun Day Books, of which I have one of them. Yay. Hi. Which celebrate the triumphs of neurodiverse children as they face challenges with determination and courage.

Her work has been recognized by NBC and News 12. And beyond her writing, Siobhan is an active trustee on the board of the Rita Allen Foundation, where she contributes her expertise and passion for making a positive impact. Outside of her professional life, Siobhan is a devoted mother devoted wife, Mother too. Right?

That that makes you

totally lovely children along with her cherished dog and cat, and she resides in Connecticut. Siobhan, did I get all that right?

Perfect. Perfect. Wonderful. Welcome.

Welcome. Welcome. Well, as you probably know in this podcast, we always start out with the ADHD story. So would you mind sharing yours with us?

Sure. So like many of us, with a later diagnosis of ADHD, You and I was younger, growing up in the seventies eighties, nobody really looked at girls and said, oh, you have ADHD. Right? That just Wasn't a thing. It was always this, this boy thing, the boys who couldn't sit still and jumped around and whatever. It was never a girl thing. So nobody ever raised it. And when I became the mother of 2 incredible boys who also both have ADHD, They were diagnosed. And suddenly I started to say, you know what? There's a lot of what goes on with them that goes on with me.