Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington

Is ADHD really a "superpower"? Or is that just a toxic label that sets high-performers up for a massive crash?

In this episode, Dr. Jody sits down with executive coach Cathy Rashidian (aka The Candid Empath) to dismantle the popular "superpower" narrative. They unpack the visceral reality of leading with a "fast brain"—from the dopamine-fueled highs of hyper-focus to the crushing "hangover" that inevitably follows.

They also tackle the "Accidental Leader" trap: why so many of us are promoted eight years before we’re actually trained, why we become "self-appointed fire marshals" just to get our dopamine hits, and why "resilience" has become a dirty word for leaders who are tired of bouncing back.

In this conversation
The "Superpower" Trap: Why Cathy views her brain as a "messy roommate" rather than a superhero—and why that distinction matters.
The Hyper-Focus Hangover: The biological cost of flow states and why you need a "body budget."
The 8-Year Gap: The "peer-to-boss" transition and why you’re likely DIY-ing your leadership style.
Marination vs. Procrastination: Why doing nothing is actually when the real work happens.
Toxic Resilience: Why we need to stop proving we can handle it all and start setting boundaries that fuel us.

If you’ve ever felt like your "genius" comes with a heavy price tag, or if you are tired of being the most resilient person in the room, this conversation is the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.

🔗 Links & Resources:
Cathy Rashidian, ACCG, PCAC, PCC - ADD Coach Academy (Coach Directory): https://addca.com/adhd-coach-directory/coach/cathy_rashidian/
From Peer to Boss: How New Managers Overcome the Challenges: https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/management-tips/from-peer-to-boss-how-new-managers-overcome-the-challenges
How to Prevent Burnout in Leaders | DDI: https://www.ddi.com/blog/prevent-burnout
Leadership Fatigue: Burned Out Leaders Are Quiet Quitting At Work Too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianehamilton/2025/02/03/leadership-fatigue-burned-out-leaders-are-quiet-quitting-at-work-too/
ADHD Coaching for Professionals | Ready Set Choose: https://www.readysetchoose.com/
Cathy Rashidian - PAAC: https://paaccoaches.org/cathy-rashidian/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve done everything “right” and still feel anxious, disconnected, and like you’re somehow failing…this one is for you.

Dr. Jody and Grace Emmons unpack good girl conditioning burnout: how patriarchy, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can make high-achieving women look fine on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside. Grace shares her own rock-bottom (including why she felt stuck in a toxic relationship) and the surprising moment that reignited her sense of aliveness.

They also get practical about what it means to “wake up” again: intuitive vision, how intuition actually shows up (it’s not one-size-fits-all), and why reconnection to yourself might be the most important antidote to the disconnection we’re living in.

In this episode:
Why “doing it all” became the new impossible standard
The hidden cost of people-pleasing + perfectionism
How to tell intuition from anxious mental chatter
Five ways intuition can communicate (and how to find yours)
Spiritual connection without the pressure of organized religion
Why technology can deepen loneliness—and what to do instead

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Links & Resources:
• About | Forward with Grace: https://forwardwgrace.com/about
• Forward with Grace | A Spiritual Consultancy: https://forwardwgrace.com/
• Why Good Girl Conditioning Keeps Women Stuck | Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/self-made/202506/why-good-girl-conditioning-keeps-women-stuck
• Podcasts | Forward with Grace: https://forwardwgrace.com/podcasts
• Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington (show page) | Acast: https://shows.acast.com/everyone-comes-from-somewhere

Follow Grace Here:
@forwardwgrace
@topangacanyonoasis
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real talk, parents: if you’ve got a kid with access to a screen, odds are they’ve seen something they weren’t ready for. And guess what? That uncomfortable convo you’re avoiding? It’s exactly the one you need to have.

In this no-BS episode, Dr. Robyn Silverman joins Dr. Jody to crack open the truth about modern parenting:
Why “kids these days” aren’t broken — the world is just louder.
Why YOU need to say words like “porn,” “vagina,” and even (gasp) “clitoris.”
Why it’s never too late to start the conversation — even if you fumbled it the first time.
And how “parenting out loud” changes everything.

This one might make you laugh, squirm, and cry a little… but it will absolutely make you feel less alone.

Follow Dr. Silverman here:

https://www.instagram.com/drrobynsilverman/
https://www.facebook.com/DrRobynSilverman
https://www.tiktok.com/@bigtalkswithkids
https://www.youtube.com/drrobynsilverman
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So... do you have kids?”

That one question—THAT ONE—can derail a whole damn conversation. Because if the answer is no? Suddenly, you’re forced to explain your whole existence. This week on Unlonely, I dive into it with the brilliant, badass, and beautifully bold Emily Paulsen who is child-free by choice, and not here to play by anyone else’s rules. We unpack the stigma, the double standards, the asinine questions (Hi, Uber drivers 🙃), and the truth about why choosing not to have kids is just as valid, beautiful, and bold as choosing to have them. Whether you're a mama, an auntie, child-free, child-less, questioning, exhausted, or just trying to make sense of how to be a woman in this damn world—this episode is a deep breath of truth. And spoiler alert: You get to choose. Full stop. No explanation required.

Follow Emily Here:
https://www.instagram.com/curiouslifeofachildfreewoman/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Okay friends, listen. I think one of the most powerful interventions we can make in this next generation isn’t just another behaviour strategy or classroom tool — it’s helping big people understand how their own brains work. That’s why I could not wait to bring Natasha Dorsey on the pod. She's a clinical hypnotherapist, cognitive science researcher, solo parent, and soon-to-be PhD — and she’s doing some of the most important work I’ve seen around burnout, regulation, and why we’re all just so damn tired.

In this episode, we talk about why the nervous system has to come first (yes, before curriculum, before interventions, before another behaviour plan), and how self-awareness is the game changer we’re not talking about enough. Natasha walks us through what she calls “internal self-monitoring,” how to reframe our autopilot reactions, and why tiny, doable shifts (like changing your grocery store or taking a different route home) can literally rewire your brain for safety and connection.

If you’re an educator, a parent, a leader — heck, a human — who’s ever felt like you should be coping better, or that maybe you’re just not cut out for this anymore… please, listen to this. You are not broken. You’re likely just dysregulated. And you have so much power to come back to yourself.

Follow Natasha Dorsey:
@tashdorsey
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