This week, we got to sit down with Simon Arnold, and we can honestly say this one hit different. His story is about what happens when you live decades without memory, without connection, and without an inner voice—until one day, a dose of ADHD meds unlocks it all.
That’s when he met Mo.
From there, Simon’s life turned inside out. He went from forgetting his kids’ childhoods to writing a book with 155 ADHD success strategies. From crashing out of med school to building a global podcast. From estrangement and grief to helping non-speaking autistic kids find their first words through light language.
Simon’s story is messy, vulnerable, funny, and deeply human. It’s not about curing ADHD or autism. It’s about learning to live inside it—and even thrive.
đź“… Episode drops Tuesday, 9/23/25 at 3 AM ET
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🚗 What’s Up with G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
🌉 The Crossroads That Changed Everything
A year ago last week, I stood at a crossroads I swore I’d never face again. The small consulting firm I worked for was suddenly being acquired by one of the Big 5. And here’s the thing I had promised myself, after taking early retirement in 2023, that I would never go back to corporate.
When I signed those retirement papers, it wasn’t just a financial decision. It was a vow to myself: I choose me. I was done performing, done burning out, done putting my worth in someone else’s hands. So when the acquisition came, it wasn’t just a business shift—it was the universe asking me point-blank: Are you going to keep that promise?
Looking back now, I see how much I’ve grown since that moment. Instead of running back into the safety (and suffocation) of corporate life, I bet on myself. I launched my own business. I’ve been creating, connecting, and stretching in ways I never thought possible. And for the first time in decades, I feel like I’m steering my own life.
🌀 Redefining My Story​ Last week, I made another decision that felt just as defining. I stepped away from co-hosting The Survivors podcast. Not because it wasn’t meaningful, but because I realized I was spread way too thin. Between building my company, recording this podcast with Dirty Skittles, connecting with amazing new guests, and saying yes to opportunities that light me up, I was running out of bandwidth—for myself.
And the truth is, my story isn’t just about my suicide attempt. It’s about what came after. The rebuilding. The boundaries. The joy. The fact that I get to live a life that feels more like mine every single day. Stepping back wasn’t a failure—it was an act of self-respect.
🌴 Dirty Skittles Check-In​ Meanwhile, Dirty Skittles and I are still holding it down together. We just recorded with our biggest guest yet—it’s the Season 14 opener, dropping 10/2/25. Were we nervous? Hell yes. But the energy in that conversation reminded me why we keep doing this: to hold space for real stories and messy truths that don’t always get told.
We’re still laughing at things we probably shouldn’t laugh at. We’re still growing. We’re still building something bigger than us. And we’re so damn grateful you’re here for the ride.
💌 Your Turn​ I’ll ask you what I’ve been asking myself: Where are you stretched too thin—and what would it look like to honor your own limits?
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🔥 Special Shout-Out: Women Supporting Women
Light Your Story, Fuel Your Fire
Meet Amy Nubson of Nufire Collective—where brand clarity meets soul strategy. Her “Rebrand You” framework helps folks unlock their voice and own their worth. 🔗 Learn More: https://nufirecollective.com/​
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đź’ˇ Mental Health Quote of the Week
"Getting to know self—that’s really it. Even if the day was bad, it was still good." — Simon
The 13 Hour Life Coach: Simon’s Journey with ADHD, Autism, and Healing
Simon lived the first 42 years of his life without memory. Without recall. Without an inner voice. And then one day, ADHD meds unlocked it all—and he heard Mo. His inner self had been waiting all along.
That moment cracked everything open. Suddenly he could read books. He remembered his kids. He started writing down ADHD strategies—and eventually turned them into a book. He launched a podcast. He began connecting with doctors, guests, and communities he never thought he’d reach.
But then came another curveball: an autism diagnosis in 2023. It shook him. He stopped podcasting for five months. He questioned everything. Even had a meditation where dragons showed up and told him to change course (yep, you read that right). Out of that moment, he found a new calling—helping non-speaking autistic kids find their first words through light language.
Simon doesn’t pretend healing is easy. He measures life in 13-hour windows of clarity. But in those hours, he shows us how much is possible when you finally hear your own voice.
💬 The truth about healing​ For the adults who went decades undiagnosed, for parents raising neurodivergent kids, for anyone who feels broken by what they can’t do—Simon reminds us: healing doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.
🫂 A quote that stuck with us​ ​"Getting to know self—that’s really it. Even if the day was bad, it was still good." — Simon
🎙️ Real Talk from the Hosts​ “When Simon said Mo had been with him all along—it gave me chills. Sometimes the voice we’ve been waiting for is already inside us.” – G-Rex “Simon doesn’t just live with ADHD and autism—he shows us how to create joy inside the limits of 13 hours. That’s resilience.” – Dirty Skittles
đź““ Reflection Prompts to Sit With
What part of you have you been waiting to meet?
If your inner voice had a name, what would it be?
How do you remind yourself that a “bad” day can still hold good?
🌱 Gentle Reminder​ Your healing timeline doesn’t have to match anyone else’s. Whether it shows up in 13 hours or 13 years, it’s still healing.
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🎙️ Meet Our Guest – Simon Arnold
Simon Arnold is a coach, podcaster, and author who turned late ADHD and autism diagnoses into a mission of healing and empowerment.
Once unable to remember books or even his kids’ childhoods, Simon’s life shifted overnight when medication unlocked his inner voice, Mo. From there, he wrote The 13 Hour Life Coach, launched a bilingual podcast, and today helps autistic kids find their voices through light language.
Living in the German Alps, Simon’s life is proof that healing doesn’t have to look polished—it just has to be yours.
Simon reminded me that healing doesn’t have to look clean or linear. Sometimes it looks like forgetting, fumbling, and finding an unexpected dragon in meditation. Sometimes it’s just 13 hours at a time.
Wherever you are—whether your inner voice is whispering, shouting, or still waiting to be found—you matter. And I’m so damn glad you’re here.
With love, 💛 Gretchen (aka G-Rex) & Dirty Skittles ​Changing the way we talk about mental health, one real convo at a time.
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G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
It's ok to be not ok, just make sure you're talking to someone
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