Curiosity Drives a Career in Big Problems

What if the problem isn’t your focus, your discipline, or your productivity, but the way you’ve been taught to work? In this episode, I talk with Ennis Olson, Global Innovation Lead at Google, about what changes when you truly understand how your brain operates. Ennis shares how his late diagnosis of ADHD and autism helped him make sense of a career built on creativity, curiosity, and constant reinvention and why those same traits can create friction in traditional work environments. We break down how to navigate days when your brain won’t cooperate, how to design your work around your energy, and why self-awareness is one of the most powerful tools you can build. Tune in to learn how to reduce anxiety, work more effectively, and lead in a way that honors how you’re wired.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why understanding your brain changes how you work.

05:15 How “seeing what others don’t” can drive success and anxiety.

12:00 Why great ideas aren’t enough without follow-through.

17:15 Tools for shifting focus when your brain won’t cooperate.

20:00 Why does your brain just not work some days?

28:45 How to advocate for what you need without overexplaining.

31:30 Tips to manage your energy when your schedule isn’t flexible.

34:15 How self-awareness and feedback build emotional flexibility.

37:30 Ways anxiety can become a tool for reflection.

45:45 The impact of a late diagnosis on self-understanding.

52:00 What does “neuroconvergence” mean?

58:45 What happens when you let go of what you’re bad at.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Ennis on LinkedIn: @ennisolson