Oct. 4, 2022

35: Dr. Tracy Winter, "Nerd Coach," on Neurodiversity, Stormtroopers, and Solving the World's Problems

35: Dr. Tracy Winter,

Being “gifted” doesn’t only refer to intelligence; people can be highly skilled in other areas, such as emotionality, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Neurodiversity captures the broad range of unique strengths of individuals who don’t neatly fit the typical molds that society creates. But who is serving this population of gifted adults?

Dr. Tracy Winter, aka the “Nerd Coach,” is on the show to discuss her experience coaching gifted adults and why their quirky brains are so important. She believes that neurodivergent people can change the world; they just need to live in a world where they’re able to flourish and function at their highest level.

Take a peek at Tracy’s LinkedIn profile or website for Nerd Coach and you’ll see this exemplified in one photo that shows a row of ducks, with one odd duck having a stormtrooper helmet for a head. Not everyone is “normal;” some of us are ducks, some are stormtroopers strong in their armor, and some are something entirely different — like a squirrel.

Tracy has been hired by both businesses and gifted adults in various stages of life, many of them also having ADHD, autism, and other disorders. Just like the unique brains of her clients, Tracy’s coaching process is completely individual to each person.

Whether you need help thriving in your career as an artist, scientist or stay at home parent, this episode can give you some insight and a place to look for help!

Topics discussed in this episode:

  • The concept of giftedness
  • Tracy’s career and educational background
  • The philosophy behind Tracy’s coaching business, “Nerd Coach”
  • How Tracy’s Stormtrooper photo reflects the philosophy of her business
  • What drew Tracy to her profession as a coach for gifted adults
  • Discussion on the definition of “gifted”
  • Asynchronous Development
  • Tracy shares her experiences being a gifted child
  • The importance of being around others like you
  • Tracy’s typical client profile
  • Examples of famous celebrities that fit her client profile
  • Myers–Briggs Type Indicator and the gifted population
  • Being gifted and finding success in your career
  • How the COVID pandemic affected Tracy’s clients
  • Tracy’s LinkedIn Series, “If I’m so smart, why can’t I…?”

Be sure to follow Tracy on LinkedIn and check out her website for more information on Nerd Coach: https://www.nerdcoa.ch/

Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:

Website

Instagram

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

YouTube