Moving Towards "Neuroconvergence" with Google's Ennis Olson

Mar 31, 2026

Ennis Olson, Global Innovation Lead at Google and neurodiversity speaker, shares how his late ADHD and autism diagnoses reframed a career of curiosity and creativity. He discusses neuroconvergence, balancing ADHD energy with autism focus, designing work around fluctuating energy, and practical ways to get flexibility without overexplaining.

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INSIGHT

Reframe Problems To Reveal New Solutions

Reframing problems (e.g., savings as spendable allowance) can unlock different product solutions.
Ennis used that lens to create early AI-driven savings that now appears as round-up features in fintech.

ADVICE

Persist Through The Idea Factory

Persist: innovative ideas usually require repeated trials, discipline, and follow-through, not just a single reframing.
Expect many failures before success and plan resources and patience accordingly.

ADVICE

Match Task Phase To Your Brain Mode

Decide whether a task needs divergence (exploration) or convergence (deep focus) and choose your brain mode accordingly.
If you can't lock in, gamify small rewards or partner with someone who enjoys the deep-dive.

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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