The Atypical Achiever: Leading and Thriving When Your Brain Is Wired Differently

The Atypical Achiever: Leading and Thriving When Your Brain Is Wired Differently

Workplaces are designed for the "average" employee — fixed hours, open floors, one-size-fits-all motivation. But what if the average employee doesn't exist? In this episode of Tough Day’s Podcast, KVJ sits down with Morra Aarons-Mele — author, Harvard executive educator, and host of The Anxious Achiever podcast — to explore what it means to be neurodistinct, and how to design a workplace that embraces our distinct needs and complementary super powers to achieve our goals. Morra's new book, The Atypical Achiever: Leading and Thriving When Your Brain Is Wired Differently (coming June 2027), makes the case that the way most organizations think about high performance is leaving some of their best people behind. She also ran the Neurostrength Study — surveying 1,286 professionals across ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, learning differences, and more — and brings those findings into the conversation alongside her own personal experience and decades of work in this space. What we cover: * The difference between neurodiversity and neurodivergence * What Morra's Neurostrength Study reveals about identity and disclosure * The myths around neurodivergence that workplaces still get wrong * Using TAAM: Time, Attention, Agency, and Motivation to set yourself up to thrive * Why most mental health benefits aren't working—and what's actually driving the gap  * The four pillars of mentally healthy leadership Resources Mentioned: One Mind at Work Mental Health at Work Index: https://mentalhealthindex.org/ [https://mentalhealthindex.org/]  Incorruptible by Eric Ries: https://www.incorruptible.co/ [https://www.incorruptible.co/]  Sovereign by Emma Seppälä: https://www.iamsov.com/ [https://www.iamsov.com/]  Values Bridge by Suzy Welch: https://thevaluesbridge.com/ [https://thevaluesbridge.com/]  Lyra Health Report: https://www.lyrahealth.com/resources/report/2026-state-of-workforce-mental-health-report/ [https://www.lyrahealth.com/resources/report/2026-state-of-workforce-mental-health-report/]  Learn more about Morra Aarons-Mele: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele]  Website: https://morraam.com/ [https://morraam.com/]  Books: https://morraam.com/books [https://morraam.com/books]  Podcast: https://morraam.com/podcast [https://morraam.com/podcast]  Neurostrength Study: https://morraam.com/neurostrength-survey [https://morraam.com/neurostrength-survey]  Learn more about KVJ | Tough Day Website: https://tough.day/ [https://tough.day/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kvonjan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvonjan] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Scents and Sensibility: What Your Nose Knows About Work

We design offices for the eye. We obsess over lighting, layout, and noise. But what if the sense most directly wired to your brain’s threat detector, your memory, and your emotional center has been completely left out of the conversation? In this episode of Tough Day, KVJ sits down with Dr. Paule Valery Joseph—nurse, scientist, Guggenheim Fellow, TED Fellow, and elected member of the National Academy of Medicine—to make the case that smell isn’t a background detail. It’s a vital sign. Dr. Paule co-directs the NIH National Smell and Taste Center and has spent her career tracing how chemosensory science connects to everything from Alzheimer’s to workplace design. Her curiosity started in nursing homes, watching elderly patients grimace at applesauce—and it led her to one of the most underexplored questions in occupational health: what is the chemical environment of your workplace actually doing to you? In this conversation, she brings the lab to the office and gives listeners a science-backed framework for thinking about smell, stress, and space in a whole new way.  What we cover: * Why smell has a direct line to your brain’s threat and memory centers * The skydiving sweat study: your body reads a stressful room before your mind does * The silent cognitive killer hiding in your closed conference room * How smell loss can predict Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s years before diagnosis * Three things workplaces can do today — starting with the one that costs nothing * Why the hotel you choose for your offsite matters more than you think — and what familiar scents do to your team's brain Resources Mentioned: Pederson Foundation: https://pedersenpf.org/ [https://pedersenpf.org/]  Neuroarchitecture: https://sciencephilanthropy.org/focus-areas/science-ecosystem/cross-disciplinary-programs/neuroarchitecture/ [https://sciencephilanthropy.org/focus-areas/science-ecosystem/cross-disciplinary-programs/neuroarchitecture/]  Learn more about Dr. Paule Valery Joseph: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulevjoseph [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulevjoseph]  Book Coming Soon: Follow Dr. Paule on LinkedIn for updates! TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzzEUm_78Qw [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzzEUm_78Qw]  TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9KLDQOC8oI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9KLDQOC8oI]  Learn more about KVJ | Tough Day Website: https://tough.day/ [https://tough.day/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kvonjan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvonjan] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Super Human Skill: Storytelling

We tell ourselves the future belongs to whoever can code the fastest, analyze the most data, and automate the most tasks. But what if the real advantage in the age of AI isn’t technical at all—it’s the ability to make a room feel something? In this episode of Tough Day, KVJ sits down with Joe Lazer, award-winning content strategist, CMO at Pepper, and author of Super Skill, to make the case that storytelling isn’t a soft skill on the margins—it’s the foundational human capability that makes every other skill work better. Joe has spent his career at the intersection of journalism, marketing, and AI—and when ChatGPT hit its tipping point, he went looking for what human skills would actually survive. What he found: humans don’t just want good content, they want to know it came from another person. In this conversation, he breaks down his RENT framework for making storytelling stick, why the “AI won’t replace you” maxim points leaders in the wrong direction, and how one employee story will always outperform a deck full of data.  What we cover: * Why humans are wired to reject stories they know came from a machine, even good ones * The RENT framework: the four elements that make a story stick in your audience’s mind * Why scoring employees on AI usage is leading companies in exactly the wrong direction * How the most effective storytellers use AI Learn more about Joe Lazer: Website: https://joelazer.com [https://joelazer.com]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-lazer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-lazer]  Book (Super Skill): https://joelazer.com/superskill [https://joelazer.com/superskill]  Substack: https://storytellingedge.substack.com [https://storytellingedge.substack.com]  Podcast: https://storytellingedge.substack.com/podcast [https://storytellingedge.substack.com/podcast] Learn more about KVJ | Tough Day Website: https://tough.day/ [https://tough.day/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kvonjan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvonjan] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Agree to Disagree

We've all sat through a meeting where two people carry the whole room while everyone else leans back and watches. Or a panel where every answer sounds polished, rehearsed, and completely useless. What if the problem isn't the topic—it's that we've mistaken performance for thinking? In this episode of Tough Day, KVJ sits down with Matt Chmiel, Head of Discourse and Chief Agitator at ON_Discourse, to explore what it actually takes to disagree well at work—and why productive friction might be the most underrated leadership skill nobody's talking about.  Matt has spent his career creating the conditions for real conversation—from Capitol Hill to digital media to facilitating hundreds of high-stakes C-suite roundtables. He's also co-founder of Domain, an AI collaboration platform built on everything he's learned from years of professional agitation. In this conversation, he breaks down what separates genuine discourse from performative noise—and how to build a culture where people actually engage instead of nod. Plus, he tackles three listener scenarios: managing a lovable troublemaker dynamic, when anonymous hot takes cross a line, and how to contribute to a combative team when you're not a natural agitator.  What we cover: * Why the best ideas don't come from polished presentations—they come from the moment right after the pushback  * The three pillars of discourse: provocations, listening, and genuine openness to changing your mind  * Why "I don't know" and "I was wrong" are the most powerful things a leader can say in a room  * How to tell productive friction from performative noise—and what it costs a team when no one can  * The report model: how capturing unattributed quotes from one session can unlock lasting organizational learning  * Why the quietest person in the room might be the most valuable contributor to a discourse-driven team * Learn more about Matt Chmiel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-chmiel-04503a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-chmiel-04503a4/]  Website: https://ondiscourse.com/ [https://ondiscourse.com/]  Website: https://ondomain.ai/ [https://ondomain.ai/] Learn more about KVJ | Tough Day Website: https://tough.day/ [https://tough.day/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kvonjan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvonjan] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Antidote to Burnout

We've all felt it—that Sunday dread, the flat feeling at your desk, the sense that your energy is running on empty and no one seems to notice. But what if burnout isn't just about working too hard? What if it's about working in the wrong direction? In this episode of Tough Day, KVJ sits down with Serena Martino, executive and leadership coach, to explore what it really means to fuel your own fire at work—and how to get it back when the flame goes out.  Serena has spent her career helping professionals move from surviving to thriving—first as a leader across tech, e-commerce, and travel, and now as a coach supporting individuals and teams through change, burnout, and the search for meaningful work. Her new book, The Unwritten Job Description: How to Redesign Your Work and Life on Your Own Terms, captures the full arc of that journey. In this conversation, she shares the simple but powerful mindset shifts that help people stop waiting for things to get better—and start steering their energy with intention. Plus, she tackles three real listener scenarios about staying grounded when a colleague's mood takes over the room, never feeling a "spark" at work, and coming back from sabbatical still feeling flat.  What we cover: * Why energy—not time—is the real resource worth managing, and how to start tracking it  * The difference between surviving, managing, growing, and thriving—and what stage most people get stuck in  * Why burnout recovery isn't a switch you flip, and how to rebuild your spark without overwhelming yourself  * The three-step reset when things spiral: pause, identify what you can control, and ask how you can help  * How small daily celebrations compound into genuine motivation over time  * Why the best leaders don't just give energy—they ask for it back, too * Learn more about Serena Martino: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenamartino/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenamartino/] Website: https://www.serenamartino.com/ [https://www.serenamartino.com/]  Book: https://www.serenamartino.com/the-unwritten-job-description [https://www.serenamartino.com/the-unwritten-job-description] Learn more about KVJ | Tough Day Website: https://tough.day/ [https://tough.day/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kvonjan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvonjan] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.