In this episode of the Translating ADHD podcast, Ash and Cam reflect on their five-year journey and announce significant changes ahead. Cam shares his future plans, focusing on training and educating ADHD coaches and supporting ADHD adults to have more agency in their lives.
Ash discusses the upcoming evolution of the podcast. Instead of a permanent co-host, Ash will introduce temporary co-hosts for shorter seasons of 8-12 episodes. This approach aims to bring fresh perspectives and diverse experiences to the show. Ash also expresses excitement about continuing to help listeners understand and articulate their ADHD experiences.
Both hosts express gratitude for their journey together and excitement for their future endeavors. They invite listeners to stay engaged and follow their individual projects through their respective websites.
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Episode Transcript:
[00:00:00] Ash: Hi, I’m Ash. [00:00:03] Cam: And I’m Cam. [00:00:04] Ash: And this is Translating ADHD. And wow, that is the last time, at least for a while, that this show will open that way after opening that way for five years. Whoa. [00:00:20] Cam: Yeah, I think I’m sort of in the midst of the world right now. [00:00:23] Ash: I can tell. [00:00:24] Cam: Yeah. Yeah. Well, it’s as we said, I think last week or the week before, to come in every Monday, have this be as a standard, right, as a standard of practice. And you know, it was something to look forward to something. It was a big part of my life. A big part of our life and our lives. So, it’s just really interesting to sit here knowing that this is the last time I’ll be doing this.So that’s the wall or a wow that I’m sitting with right now, Asher.
[00:00:56] Ash: Yeah. So why don’t you tell our listeners a little bit about what’s next for you? And then we’ll talk about what’s next for the show. [00:01:04] Cam: What’s next for me. We talked about this last week, of that we’re both going to be in this area of coaching around managing ADHD. And so I’m really, I’m drawn in a couple of different directions. I think I’ll speak first of all, to this, this calling that’s always been there, but it feels more pressing. Pressing, I would say pressing is not necessarily the word, but just clear to me of an area that is where I have some, a skillset, and that is around teaching coaches, training coaches.And I think that the area that I’m very interested in is speaking to what exactly coaching is and what it is not. We’re seeing this renaissance in interest in ADHD, or just there’s more interest. There’s a lot of online resources that makes it easier for diagnosis, makes it easier to learn about it and gain knowledge about it – understanding what to do.
And with that comes this whole coaching piece. And because ADHD is so kind of widely opinionated – people have, it’s a low information thing and a high opinion thing. People have strong opinions about ADHD and especially those who do not have it. Sort of like they have this sense of this is what I think about this, but they don’t know a lot about it.
So it’s really lacking in education. There’s an opportunity for education here. And put together coaching with ADHD. Coaching is not, it can mean so many different things. So I think I said this, it’s like when I share with people that I’m a coach, they often want to put me on a softball field, right? Lobbing softballs, you know, to batters. They just have this athletic.
Now that’s shifted a bit, but there’s so many interpretations of what coaching is. And so I want to be out there talking about what our definition is, what we’ve sort of talked about here, to continue on that. And the best way to do that is to not only talk about it, but to demonstrate it.
So in a few weeks, I’m going to be in Wales at an ADHD retreat center called Fairwood Escape. And I’ll be talking to local ADHD coaches and supporting them on their journey of, you know, how do you take care of yourselves? Because coaching can be very isolating, just like ADHD can be very isolating. And to also teach them in some fundamentals or basics around here are some, and this is what distinguishes effective ADHD coaching.
And it’s the power of knowledge. It’s the power of accurate information, because as this interest continues, the opportunity for people to misinterpret, misrepresent what coaching is, it just keeps going up. And so again, I come back to there’s a real opportunity to message around what coaching is, what it can do and what it is not.
So that’s one thing. I’m teaching, I think, a record number of classes this fall. So, I’ve got, like, my hands full. I like, it’s like, if anyone out there is sort of thinking, Oh, you know, what’s Cam going to be doing Monday afternoons? I’ve got plenty to do. And it’s, I was looking at my fall teaching schedule, and it’s looking at new offerings for Coach Approach training. And then also this thing that I’m doing with Tim or Rosier through this Center of ADHD Coaching Excellence. And so that’s really interesting stuff. It’s all new things that are in that training realm.
And then Asher, the thing that you know. Listeners, you are well aware of Adrenaline Response Cycle. And we’ve talked about that ARC and trying to get distance from ARC. And many of our clients, when they reach out to us for coaching, they’re like I really need to, I want to get some different distance from that ARC cycle that just, using urgency to get stuff done. And it’s, I’m just sort of fascinated by individuals that I’m working with who seem to be getting that distance finding ways to get traction on the stuff that matters to them and have an impact.
And I’m not quite sure how they’re being successful. I don’t know. They still have ADHD. They still have ADHD moments. They still, you know, struggle with their ADHD, but that’s something that I’m really interested in. This is going back to my kind of roots of where I started with this. My blog was called the global creative global and vision, creative and action.
And so kind of getting back into individuals who are in leadership positions and being able to have an impact. But again, my interpretation of leadership is not conventional. I remember on this podcast several years ago talking about a music teacher in public school system – in the public school system – and how we did leadership coaching because it was this sort of taking the lead in her own agenda, taking the lead in her ADHD. And kind of shifting away from this crisis management to a more of a strategic proactive stance.
And as I said, I’m not quite sure what these people are doing, so it’s, I’m bringing that keen observer, that curiosity, and it’s worth sort of exploring that because I want to find ways to then share that with a larger population. Much of what we’re doing here, Asher. I think this is, it’s like I appreciate you saying, well, don’t point them anywhere where you don’t have any content, Cam. That was a really good sage advice right there. Because the thing, it’s like that I can be here, and I can have a conversation with you.
The thing that is really difficult for me is to look into a camera and to speak. Fascinating. I mean, it’s just like having you, and we talked about this, the chemistry, but also our roles, and how I might bring something, and then you will finesse it and nuance it and reframe it. And we’re like hitting a tennis ball back and forth. And we’re engaging in some kind of a volley, and back and forth, and back and forth, to this method of medium where I don’t have that partner to engage with.
And it’s it’s very challenging. And I kind of want to tinker with that. I want to kind of get in and like early days of our podcast – where it was a struggle – early days of like, how do we do this? And how do we have this conversation? And how do we know this is landed? You remember back in the early days when we had no data. We’re putting this out into the world and having no sense from anyone of is anyone listening, you know. And then the numbers started to kind of creep up, and then we started to get reviews and feedback. And that was very helpful.
And I’m seeing the same thing here, of this is a really challenging area – sit and talk about these very similar things and continue this conversation around how to have an impact and create change. Thank you very much. And add value with ADHD on board. That’s sort of intriguing. It’s a little scary. And I think I want to move in that. I’m moving toward what’s scaring me. Which is kind of fascinating.
[00:09:05] Ash: Ooh, I like it. I like it. You said last week, not while we were recording, but when we were talking, as you were talking about your solo content, why can’t I just let it be bad? That’s where we’re very much where we started with this podcast, is let’s do the best thing we can do at this time and then see what happens.And so I appreciate that you’re challenging yourself to that. And I look forward to seeing what comes from that. And by the way, a couple of things…
[00:09:37] Cam: Me, too. [00:09:38] Ash: Just a couple of little things I want to add. Number one, any coaches listening definitely follow along with whatever Cam is doing. We’ve talked a lot about how Cam has influenced me as a coach on this show. What we have talked a lot less about, just because it’s not been as relevant to the show, is Cam has had a lot of influence on coaching excellence when it comes to the intersection of ADHD and coaching period. He is an incredible person to learn from. I still learn from you all the time.And number two, we’re going to help you follow along. So when Cam does have a place to point you all, I will let you all know what he’s up to and where to find him.
[00:10:22] Cam: Yeah, I’ve had, I’ve been in discussion. And you get all this information about what, say you know, just a YouTube video, for example, or an Instagram post. It’s sort of like these do’s and there are don’ts, you know, these best practices how to capture people’s attention.What’s really fascinating to me is, and this is sort of this, I’ve got to be careful about the renegade. The renegade rebel is like, I really don’t want to, I don’t want to capture people’s attention. I want to help you understand your attention so you can direct it in ways that you want to direct it. Right. So it’s this – to what you said about allowing it to be bad – it might be really bad. You know, if you want to come, it’s like early days of whatever I’m doing, it’s going to be a little clunky. I mean, it’s definitely going to be clunky. I do think that there’s, I feel that there’s a real need.
And again, along what we’ve been doing here is to push back on this wall of information that is not necessarily accurate with respect to ADHD and with respect to coaching. Especially this whole you have a problem and I have an answer for you. I see it time and time again from people who are calling themselves coaches. Here’s your dilemma. Here’s my plan to solve your dilemma. Here’s my seven step strategy to solve your dilemma. That is such an uncoach-like statement of you want to get different results, I have the program for you. Trust me, follow my seven step program, and you will get those results.
And Asher, you know, you and I, what we’ve learned over these five years is just how powerful this beautiful intersection – might not be the right word here – but this melding or integration of coaching with our clients who have ADHD. And they don’t just have ADHD, they have their lived experience with so much that is going on.
I cannot, my seven step program may work for one person and not work for another person because of their own unique experience that is in part ADHD, is also the people and the dynamics that occur around them and the environments in which they’re trying to be successful or not. Alright, so it’s all-encompassing.
What’s so fascinating to me is that our – back to our statement of understand, own, translate – and it’s that ownership thing. It’s taking this ownership of, okay, I’m recognizing there’s a dilemma. And if I want to create change, I have to move over to the driver’s seat. It’s that place is so essential.
So it’s this acceptance, which is so difficult for us. But in order to accept, you have to understand. So this learning about this and learning from lots of different sources. That’s the other thing, is that when people say, Oh, this is the only place where you have to go to find solutions. No, it’s that really diversifying your threads that you’re finding information, so you can build that knowledge base and understand yourself and how you engage with other people to get to that place of acceptance and ownership. So then you can start driving your bus.
[00:13:47] Ash: I love that, Cam. And I think what’s interesting is that’s really exactly what we’re doing. So here, you just spoke to what you’re leaning back into, right? Really leaning back into that educator, that coaching mentor, that bigger why of excellence in coaching that has certainly been with you as long as I’ve known you and probably much longer than that.And I am really leaning into what am I good at? I’m good at language. I’m good at putting words to this lived experience. I’m also really good at recognizing when my client’s language is something that might be relatively universally helpful to bring to this platform. And there’s power. There’s so much power in having a language to describe your experience.
We talk about awareness. Awareness is impossible if you don’t know what the experience you’re having is or why you are having it. That whole question of there’s this unwanted behavior, I’ve been through this cycle a hundred times, and I don’t know why. And that’s what you and I do when we’re coaching people one on one, is we’re helping people figure out that causation.
But there are other ways to get there. I hear all the time from listeners and from clients that something I’ve said on the show, some way that I described, or some client experience that I brought, or some language that I brought to the show helped them better understand themselves.
That’s the language that gets reflected back to me every day as my clients are saying, Oh, it’s kind of like this thing from this episode. So the more that we talk about it, the more you can just listen to language around this lived experience. And so I love that we came together and we’ve both our understanding of the work that we do and of our particular areas of interest in that work has grown so much. And now we’re both going to take that growth and run with it in a new direction. .
[00:16:05] Cam: When you talk about language, I think about the power of story, right? This sense of when we share our stories of ourselves and our clients, it deeply resonates. And this is what I’m really looking forward to, right?The change here is that I’m going to become a listener. I’ll be listening to you. And it’s so exciting to see, to watch where you take this, and in that realm of the deep exploration of translating and storytelling and the power of word and the power of story. Because story and context, it’s sort of just activates our brains.
So what’s in store? Like, what do you, what are you seeing the future holds for Translating ADHD? Yeah, sure.
[00:16:54] Ash: So here’s what I do know. I don’t know the particulars yet, but I thought a lot about how do I move this show forward in some way? And I realized when we started this show, when I had this idea, I knew at that time that A, you would get it. B, we would be good at it. If we put enough effort towards it, which we did, and we were and see, you’re the only person I could imagine sitting next to doing this every week, who could speak this language with me.Since then, a couple of things have happened. Number one, I’m a lot better at this than I was five years ago. And number two, I’m really seeing an opportunity to diversify the language. And so what I’m not going to do – at least at this time, what I don’t think I’m going to do – is bring on another permanent co-host.
However, bringing people on for just one episode, you don’t get enough. There’s not enough meat on those bones. And there are other great shows like Brendan Mahan’s ADHD essentials. There are other great ADHD interview shows out there already that are meeting with one guest for one episode. So, we’re just going to try something completely different.
I am going to bring on temporary co-hosts. So we’re going to do shorter seasons. It’s going to be eight to twelve episodes with a co-host, with the same person for eight to twelve episodes. And that opens up a lot of interesting opportunity, because just as you and I talked about our particular areas of interest, the people I have in mind, I’ve already got my first one secured, but I’m not going to tell y’all who it is just yet. They have something new and fresh to bring. And they’re also bringing their who into the room.
So that alone, right? Still playing tennis, but with a different partner. And I think that presents some really awesome opportunities to keep this show really fresh moving forward. To really keep that idea of deeper dives and translating alive, but to keep it fresh by bringing in a new voice for each season.
Beyond that, I haven’t worked out the particulars yet, but I will say that I am very optimistic that we’ll be back in September. So I know I said before, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be September or if it was going to be the new year. I am pretty darn optimistic that there will be episodes for you back here, new ones in September.
And you might’ve noticed at the beginning of the show, I said, Cam, this is the last time we do this for now. This is the last time we say this intro like this for now, depending upon what the final form of this show takes from here. If there is a final form, right, we’re going back to sandbox mode.
We’re going to, we’re going to try out this idea of a rotating guest host. And then y’all are going to tell me how you feel about it. And then we’ll take it from there. But if that is the shape that the show takes, then there is a very good chance a year or two down the line when Cam and I have had some time apart, we both have some new moves to bring to the table, that Cam comes back and does one of those shorter seasons with me.
[00:20:28] Cam: So there’s a great, there’s let it be easy and journey thinking right there. What a, what great modeling for our listeners, is that I’ve got some ideas. I’m not attached. It doesn’t have to be a certain way. You have a sense of what you’re striving for. I love the the term diversify around translating. And then you’re going to get that with these different voices. And being able to, it’s not just a one-off or a permanent co-host, but these chances to dig in for eight to twelve episodes with one individual who’s going to be, of course, very interesting and very dynamic. So that’s cool. [00:21:11] Ash: I think so. I’m super stoked. I’m feeling really energized. I think that this is, again, we talked about this last week, this was so expansive for both of us. But there’s been a rut. There’s been a rut because there’s no more meat on this bone at this time. And that is okay. I’m stoked to see where your exploration leads.And I’m stoked to do this with some other people and see where that might lead for me. And that wouldn’t have been possible five years ago, because the thing I have now that I don’t have then is I have a lot of podcasting skills, so I can help catch someone else up to a similar dynamic to what we have without having had to sit down and practice with them for as long as we had to practice to get good at this. I got some shortcuts now that I didn’t have before. So I’m really stoked to see what comes of it. And listeners, I’ll be stoked to hear your feedback as well, when we get there,
[00:22:19] Cam: There’s one more point I’ll make before we finish up today. And you use the word refresh, to freshen up, to refresh, to make the difference between reinventing and refreshing. I think that if we’re, if we’ve like done something where there’s, again, we’ve like taken all the meat off the bone, we can have this sense of like, I’ve got to retool. I’ve got to re-engineer. I’ve got to reinvent. I’ve got to start over again.And yeah, I think that if I’m going to do some kind of, you know, content generation where it’s me by myself, that will be feeling like starting over. But as you said, it’s like having certain skills that are already there. I taught for 13 years before I was a coach, right, going way back to 1991. I know what it’s like to be in a classroom. So it’s sort of like getting back to the classroom is what I’m thinking.
But I love your thinking here around it’s not about a matter of starting over, or it’s really kind of taking the best parts, and as you move forward, this way to refresh, to make it interesting again for our interest-based nervous systems.
[00:23:33] Ash: The last thing I will say before we wrap is I am going to be running a Purpose group coaching course in the next couple of months. I do not have a date for it yet. I intended to have one before today’s episode since this is our last recording, but life got in the way and that’s okay.The application is already on my website. So if you go to coachasher.com and click on the Purpose course, fill out that application, I will let you know as soon as I know what the dates look like. It will be in the evenings, I just don’t know when yet. So if that’s something that is of interest to you, go ahead and apply, and we’ll work out the timing from there.
[00:24:18] Cam: Yeah. And I already made my announcement about Equanimity. So I have a course in the fall, Equanimity. And it’s so interesting is again, it’s this, these things that are so interesting to us anyway, right? For you purpose and really digging in with clients around what is next for them? What is there?While for me, Equanimity is around this utilizing emotions more than just something to be managed or regulated, but to resource them like what Susan David does with emotional agility. It’s emotional intelligence, it’s positive intelligence, and I think that emotions are an underutilized resource. And you can find that at my website, CameronGott.com.
And that’s, if you want to know what’s next for me, that’s the place to go. It’s, again, my website. My newsletter is there, and I’ll be rolling everything out through my newsletter. And I know Asher is going to share Cam sightings in the fall.
[00:25:17] Ash: When I spot you in the wild. [00:25:19] Cam: Yeah, well, I’m going to say thank you. I’m going to say thank you to the listeners. This has been amazing. And I would, just want to say to Asher this has been a magical ride. [00:25:30] Ash: It has been. [00:25:30] Cam: And I can’t imagine doing it with anyone else. [00:25:32] Ash: Me either. Thank you for believing in me, or hopping on this train with me with so much enthusiasm. This has been awesome. I cannot wait to see what you do next. And I know we’ll be doing something together at some point in the future. We will always be in each other’s orbits, and it’s a journey, right? So we’ll know that stepping stone when we find it. And until then, we’ll be in touch. So for the last time for a while, I’m Ash. [00:26:06] Cam: And I’m Cam. [00:26:07] Ash: And this was the Translating ADHD podcast. Thanks for listening.
