Who am I?

My ADHD journey began in my early teens, well at least that was when I was officially diagnosed (there were oh so many signs for years). Back then, I was told to keep my ADHD under wraps, to avoid ridicule and judgement. This led to years of masking, shame, and frustration as I floated from job to job, and hobby to hobby. Now, while all of my struggles for the next 25 years could easily connect to ADHD, I never allowed myself to “make excuses”, and took every one as a personal failure, and chalked it up to me just not trying hard enough.

Everything changed when I started experiencing panic attacks, which I thought were heart attacks. I was drowning in the pressure that I was putting on myself. Then along came some advice from a friend—’When you’re hurting mentally, work out your body; when you’re hurting physically, work out your mind’. It was time to try therapy. And it was here, that I was reintroduced to my ADHD.

While therapy didn’t do much for my ADHD on it’s own, it unlocked a door I never knew existed. I was encouraged to seek out answers instead of just blaming myself for the problems. I allowed myself to explore and be curious without shame, and find out more about who I was. In my exploration, I stumbled upon my love for sharing my perspective, creativity, and helping others. It was always there and in my life, but now I was bringing it center stage. And it was intoxicating.

Taking the leap to become an ADHD Coach was a monumental decision. For once I was doing something that made me happy, not something that I thought I was supposed to be doing, or something that would make my parents proud. Something that made me proud. I enrolled in ADDCA to become a certified coach, and was extremely nervous at first. A year of certification classes? Online?! Ron, you never were able to get through online classes in school. What are you thinking?!?!

This time was different. I was doing it for me. Not to mention, I had the most amazing support from my partner. I was not focusing on the “what if’s”, I was focusing on the right now. This was what I wanted to do right now. And I maintained that mindset for the next 4 years. Along the way I started discovering ways to keep myself engaged, and I did so at my own pace and my own way. I couldn’t be more proud of myself.

When it comes to coaching, I believe the goal isn’t just growth, but knowledge. The more we learn about how our brain works, the better we’ll be at putting ourselves in situations designed for our success. My methods for this aren’t black and white. While I ultimately believe in letting my clients steer their own journeys, I also know the power of sharing and working with one another. That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you what you should be doing! I’m never going to do that. Collaboration is key. I am a thinking partner. We bounce ideas off of one another and get excited about trying new methods and strategies. I’m your biggest fan and cheerleader and try to make things as fun as I can along the way.

Advocacy drives me. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing my clients stand up for themselves, realizing they are whole and worthy. To me, ADHD coaching isn’t just about the growth of ADHDers, but societies acceptance of the way our brains work. It’s a two way street. This passion extends to my long-term goal; through my non-profit, The Monoceros Initiative, where I aim to help ADHD professionals collaborate to create inclusive and accessible resources that make a real difference.

Beyond coaching, I’m a speaker, online educator, content creator, and podcaster. I’ve shared my insights on multiple panels at the International ADHD conference and co-host the podcast, “I Forgot to Tell You Something.’ And when I’m not working, you’ll find me playing softball, watching sports, diving into video games, belting out karaoke tunes, being a complete goofball, dancing (constantly), or enjoying life as a new parent.