The Faster Than Normal Podcast: Add | Adhd | Health

Today’s guest Rachel says:  I was a distraction. I could be disruptive. I used to think this was the way it was always going to be.  I used to believe the labels that had been assigned to me through my life were who I was. My brain was like popcorn and would work at four million miles per hour. I really thought this was my identity and who I was. I had allowed myself to be defined by the labels and experiences, rather than using them to shape me. I believed I would never be good enough because ‘that’ was who I was, and you can’t change …. Or can you? Powered by a supercharged ADHD driven mind. I am sharing the motivation, inspiration and perspiration from the university of my life.    I’m Rachel Young, I was put on this planet to make a difference to people’s lives and to get people moving, both physically and mentally. I am a highly motivated (and very easily distracted) character.  Simply put, I love the fitness industry and I love nothing more than helping others to become the best version of themselves. 

David is not only my best friend, he is my running partner, he's my triathlon coach and he was the one who got busted with me when we both got a summons for exercising in Central Park in the morning before it opened. He's been with me through thick and thin and I'm glad he was around to join us. Today we’re learning how things have been going for him during these weird days, his advice and perspective as a teacher, a husband, father, and an Iron Man coach who is also- you guessed it- ADHD. Enjoy!   ***CORONA VIRUS EDITION***   In this episode Peter & David discuss: :58-  Intro and welcome David Roher! 2:00-  How’s it going right now from your perspective as a Special Education teacher? 3:30-  How are the kids handling it? 4:22-  Why do you think elementary schoolers are having such a tough time of it? 5:04-  Does T-Pain have all the answers? No, just a wild-timed digital audio glitch! 5:32-  On a child’s mental process & adaptation during a pandemic 6:28-  How are you holding up? 7:40-  On acknowledgi

New York native Eric D’Alessandro has always found his place in the spotlight. His passion for comedy is equally credited to his creative mindset, as well as his big Italian family which inspires his raw comedic sketches and uncensored,relatable rhetoric.  Having grown up with a camera in his hand, Eric created a YouTube channel where he developed his comedic skills from a young age. Through his sketches which feature original characters like “Maria Marie,” as well as impressions of celebrities like Drake and comedic covers of popular songs, his YouTube platform helped Eric build a loyal fanbase. The millions of views on his videos laid the groundwork for Eric to gain over 98k followers on Instagram. Through social media, Eric is able to share original, timely and relatable content for the everyday American. A pivotal moment in Eric’s career was when he moved cross-country to Los Angeles in order to pursue his passion as a creator. California has helped Eric generate a new fanbase that lies beyond the five bo

Deitra is a single mom from the Scranton area who’s living and loving life! Growing up, like most kids with ADHD, school was really rough for her. She was diagnosed with ADHD at around age ten after a lot of fighting her mother performed on her behalf. That experience instilled a drive and passion within her to help others. She currently works as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Wesley village in Pittston, PA. Now a mother to a 7 year old daughter who has a passion for the Arts, and especially for theater and singing. She is grateful for all of the support she receives from coworkers family and close friends- it takes a village! She says it’s good to know that people are seeing just how awesome is it to be Faster Then Normal! Today we learn about her journey and what all she’s doing to stay SANE during these historic times. Enjoy!   ***CORONA VIRUS EDITION***   In this episode Peter & Deitra discuss: 1:04-  Intro & welcome Deitra Banning!  1:54-  You are a normal person- but you wouldn’t be without yo

Lauren Comito is a cape wearing, ukulele playing, sword swinging, activist librarian in NYC. She is currently a Neighborhood Library Supervisor at Brooklyn Public Library, Library Journal's 2020 Librarian of the Year, and is founder and the Chairwoman of the Board of Urban Librarians Unite, a national c3 not for profit focusing on providing training, advocacy, and support for front-line library staff working in large urban systems. Lauren has spent the last 30 years figuring out how to make her ADHD work for her, and has done a pretty good job of it. She is creative, passionate about connecting library patrons to the services they need, and a true believer in the ability of the library to change people’s lives and communities for the better. Enjoy!   ***CORONA VIRUS EDITION***   In this episode Peter & Lauren discuss: 1:32-  Intro and welcome Librarian of the Year, Lauren Comito!  Ref: Library Journal 3:05-  So what happens at a Librarian of the Year awards banquet?? 4:15-  What are the lion’s names at t

Dr. Anhalt was one of the first interviews I ever did on Faster Than Normal, and now she's back! Emily Anhalt, PhD is the founder of a new project called COA, an innovative mental fitness studio that is currently offering free therapist-led workshops on managing work stress from home, how to deal with anxiety, building mental health & mindfulness through routine, how to be a fit leader during this time, and more. We learn her advice for dealing with: anxiety, there being ‘no end in sight’, finding new structure(s), the 3 best pieces of advice Peter has ever received, and all around good mental health. This is a really good one, enjoy! ***CORONA VIRUS EDITION*** In this episode Peter & Emily discuss: 1:04-  Intro & welcome back Dr. Emily Anhalt!  Emily’s first interview on FTN 

Tedi is a Fitness Coach & Runner, Public Speaker, Author, and Health Educator.  She is a Washington state native who calls the Utah mountains home for the past 20 years. A longtime advocate for outdoor adventure and physical wellness for ADHD. Tedi is a strong believer in building a healthy mindset which has helped her deal with ADHD and anxiety. She took up trail running during an especially difficult time in life and kept on running. Loves teaching teenagers and speaking to inspire positive changes in people’s lives. We learn today about what she’s learned to do in order to stay mentally and physically healthy, what works for her and why. Enjoy!   ***CORONA VIRUS EDITION***   In this episode Peter & Tedi discuss: 1:00-  Intro & welcome Tedi Searle 2:14-  You originally self-diagnosed, then again officially in your 30’s. Tell us your story! 3:25-  What problems was your ADHD causing after you first self-diagnosed? 4:09-  How did you find out that physical fitness actually helped you? 4:48-  What’

Can cannabis actually improve your focus when you are ADD or ADHD; what does the research say? Is it only misinformation and perception that keeps cannabis a Schedule 1 drug? Will we see more research in the US? What can cannabis possibly do for your community? Today we examine all of these questions with leading expert in the field, Max Simon. A bit more about our guest today is below. Enjoy!   Max Simon, Founder/CEO Green Flower Media, Inc. With the vision of building a media company that would change the world’s perception of cannabis, Max Simon co-founded Green Flower in 2014. Green Flower has since become the industry leader in cannabis education, producing thousands of hours of premium content; bolstering a network of over 700 top cannabis experts; and building the largest library of cannabis education content in the world. Today, Max leads an incredible 30-person team united around the mission of becoming the global leaders in cannabis education. Max’s mission to educate people about cannabis and discr

Investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney has worked in some of the most dangerous and unlikely corners of the world. His work blends narrative non-fiction with ethnography. What Doesn’t Kill Us was a New York Times bestseller; other works include The Red Market and The Enlightenment Trap. Carney was a contributing editor at Wired for five years and his writing also appears in Mother Jones, Men’s Journal, Playboy, Foreign Policy, Discover, Outside and Fast Company. His work has been the subject of a variety of radio and television programs, including on NPR and National Geographic TV. In 2010, he won the Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism for his story “Meet the Parents,” which tracked an international kidnapping-to-adoption ring. Carney has spent extensive time in South Asia and speaks Hindi. He attended Kenyon College and has a masters degree in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently lives in Denver, CO.  Today we welcome him back on FTN to talk about his new bo

Alex Shebar experiences all that life has to offer like it's his job, which, truthfully, it is. He is the new Director of Experiences at Culture Trip, one of the world's leading travel, media and entertainment sites. Previously, he was also the first Brand Manager for Bumble and Director  of Community for Yelp. His goal is to try and make everyone's travel experiences just a little more interesting so if you're heading somewhere new, message him on Instagram at @AlexShebar or find him in person. He's always up for a conversation on how to travel like a local.  Today we talk about what it’s like to be a “breaking news journalist”, how it feels to be ADHD and always three steps ahead, how sharing is kind of our favorite thing, inspiration for The Hall Of Justice, how to list for success, and perhaps what to do after you get fired from your first job. Enjoy!     In this episode Peter & Alex discuss: 1:01-  Intro & welcome Alex Shebar! 1:50-  You weren’t diagnosed until your college years; what was young

Our guest today is Justin Randall. A former 2-tone-Mohawk wearing punk who has received a lifetime ban from all K-Mart stores, was once Woody Harrelson’s personal bodyguard, had an argument with Johnny Cash, then NITRO, (among others), has served time in jail, done a ton of drugs, and naturally- he repeatedly failed Math. Raise your hand if you can relate to any of these grand “achievements”? Justin has since earned his MBA, a BS in Computer Science and has built an amazing career as a transformational servant leader in the Fin-Tech vertical, working with some of the top fortune 100 and 500 companies on how to manage anxiety in uncertain times. How the heck did he do all that, especially having ADHD?! Even more, how does he continue to do that in 2020? True story folks. Enjoy!   In his own words: I am a former 2-tone-Mohawk’d Skate/PUNK who has received a lifetime ban from ALL K-Mart stores in the USA, 3 lifetime bans from the Fiesta mall, and 5 lifetime bans from Mill AVE in downtown Tempe (Where I currently

This is a special episode that calls for a special man. Our guest today is Judson A. Brewer, MD PhD. He has trained ministers of foreign government, Olympians and their coaches, has been featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes, The New York Times, Business Week, TED talk, and on and on. (see below). Today we talk with this kind medical professional about something we are all dealing with:  how to manage anxiety in uncertain times.    A bit more about Dr. Jud: Jud Brewer, MD PhD (“Dr. Jud”) is a thought leader in the field of habit change and the “science of self-mastery”, having combined over 20 years of experience with mindfulness training with his scientific research therein. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at the Schools of Public Health & Medicine at Brown University. He also is a research affiliate at MIT. A psychiatrist and internationally known expert in mindfulness training for addictions, Brewer

Grant currently works as a full-time contractor and virtual event video coordinator for Dell Technologies. A man wearing many hats, he was previously a three-time social media manager on both the agency and brand side, a past YouTube channel manager for Fortune 100 enterprises, a nationwide conference speaker on video marketing, a former professional editorial cartoonist and talk radio host, a comedy club staffer, and a dabbler in documentary film production. He is a proud fighter of free speech for everyone and was represented by the ACLU during his college years. Grant volunteers with Karen as foster parents for a cat and kitten adoption and rescue organization. For fun, he enjoys running in thousand-acre forest preserves, looking for the best craft beer deals across state lines, listening to offbeat podcasts, enjoying quirky documentaries, open mic nights, and getting into spirited dialog with humor. His first solo book, GRANTASMS! is the culmination of many years of word creations from his big ideas, smal

Ellin Bessner is a Canadian journalist based in Toronto. She is the author of a new book about Canada’s Jewish servicemen and women who fought in the Second World War. The book is called “Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military, and World War ll”. Ellin was born in Montreal and graduated with a degree in journalism and political science from Carleton University. Her career as a journalist took her around Canada and around the world, working for CTV News and CBC News, and also stringing for the Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press and other organizations. As a foreign correspondent based in Rome, Italy, during the 1990s, aside from reporting on the Vatican, the Mafia, Italian food, fashion, and opera, and of course, on Italian soccer, Ellin also covered several brutal civil wars in Africa. She’s interviewed Prince Phillip and the Dalai Lama. She was a business anchor for many years at Report on Business Television, now BNN. Ellin has also taught hundreds of budding young journalists, in her capacity as a prof

Aaron Perlut is a cool ass dude. He is the founding partner of St. Louis-based integrated communications firm Elasticity, with some 25 years of diverse experience in journalism, public relations, digital marketing, yet perhaps is best known as the world's foremost freedom fighter for people of Mustached American descent. A modest pants enthusiast and former senior counselor for FleishmanHillard, as well as a communications executive for two of the nation's largest energy companies, he has helped a range of organizations – Fortune 500s, state governments, professional sports franchises, economic development authorities, well-funded startups and large non-profits – manage their reputation and market brands across diverse channels in an evolving media environment. Today we talk about his experiences growing up with ADHD, academics, medication, getting through college, fighting stereotypes, and how he feeds his non-stop hunger & curiosity. Enjoy!     In this episode Peter & Aaron discuss: 1:09-  Intro &am

Christopher Mitchell is a travel blogger, freelance writer, photographer and podcaster hailing from Toronto, Canada. He's also a Co-Founder of the Toronto Bloggers Collective, an organization which aims to help Toronto content creators turn their passion into their profession. He's lived on three continents, traveled to 80 countries, and has no intention of slowing down any time soon.  We talk about his ADHD, how he keeps himself on task and together while traveling, how he got his start, and his take on being a busy entrepreneur today. Enjoy!   In this episode Peter & Chris discuss: 0:45-  Intro & welcome Christopher Mitchell!   1:30-  So what’s your story; when were you first diagnosed? 2:43-  So meds worked for you, cool! What did you do after you finished school? 3:40-  On how traveling & being displaced may inspire a feeling of liberation 5:05-  Did you ever have any doubts or fears about going out on your own?   6:30-  How do you manage your ADHD during your work week, and when traveling? 8:

The first interview with our guest today was so informative, we had to bring him back! If you haven’t listened to “Nutrition Wellness and ADHD w/ Fitness + Dietary Expert Andrew Wade” maybe try to start there. Either way this is a great one! We left off with “don’t eat cookies alone”… Today is a continuance of that interview. He expounds on that sentiment and we talk more about how important nutrition is in our hectic, everyday ADHD lives. Enjoy!   A little bit more about our guest today- He is a Registered Dietitian, and owner of Case Specific Nutrition (CSN), a Dietitian Group Practice with 4 locations in Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding area. CSN has various contracts servicing fitness centers, corporate wellness initiatives, health and rehabilitation sites, and family medical offices. Andrew completed his Master’s in Wellness & Human Performance at the University of Pittsburgh in the Fall of 2015 and is currently credentialed as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). In addition to his p

Mental conditioning is something many people don't know about- today's guest is trying to change that; meet Dr. Jonathan Fader. We’re talking Performance Coaching, APE- (Attitude Preparation Effort), the 2015 Mets, shorthands for dealing with stress, mindfulness, and about constructing a good mental performance routine. Enjoy!  A little it more about our guest today-   Dr. Jonathan Fader is a licensed clinical and performance psychologist. He is best known for working with professional athletes in the MLB and NFL, including The New York Mets and The New York Giants. He is the co-founder of Union Square Practice, a mental health center, and SportStrata, a performance coaching group, located in New York City. Dr. Fader regularly works with athletes, performers, entrepreneurs, businesses, schools, physicians and with first responder groups such as The New York City Fire Department (FDNY). He speaks to groups, on topics of mindfulness, motivation and Motivational Interviewing, improving performance, stress reduct

This is not one for the kiddo’s folks, today we’re taking about Sex. It IS really important and good though, and you are very likely to feel better afterwards! Today we talk a little about Ari’s new book, “ADHD After Dark: Better Sex Life, Better Relationship”. We then discuss: The Neurotypical+ADHD relationship, Meds & Sex, Does our ADHD make us extra kinky, Why don’t we ever talk about Sex & ADHD at the same time, Communication habits, and Ari gives us lots of great advice. Enjoy!  A little more about our guest today:       Ari Tuckman, PsyD, CST is a psychologist, certified sex therapist, international speaker, and author of four books on ADHD, including his newest, ADHD After Dark: Better Sex Life, Better Relationship which helps couples with one ADHD partner improve their sexual and relationship satisfaction. He has appeared on CNN, National Public Radio, and XM Radio and been quoted in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USnews.com, The Daily Mail (UK) and many

Author, Father, and Medical Salesperson Tyler Menke’s philosophy is: “Be present in the moment, live for the day, and build for tomorrow. Work for impact not reward.”  Today we’re talking about how Tyler found his way to a career in Sales from the impetus of simply wanting to help others through medicine.  He shares with us about his struggles throughout school, his late diagnosis of ADHD, on staying positive during slow seasons, his daily ADHD routines and all about his new book, “The Pirate’s Guide to Sales”.  Enjoy!     In this episode Peter & Tyler Menke discuss: 0:53-  WELCOME NEW LISTENERS! And an intro & welcome to Tyler! 2:18-  Where did you get the idea to do an infographic?  Link to Tyler’s custom infographic template 2:48-  What’s your story? What do you do for a living? 4:24-  You were already in the workforce when you were diagnosed; tell us about that? 6:00-  On getting your child tested in 2019! 6:55-  When it comes to selling, people with ADHD seem to either love it or hate it. What i