Here Be Dragons
Howdy, welcome in.
I coach people struggling with attention in the age of distraction(and yes, that includes adhd/add)
We get about 4,500 weeks on this earth - if we're lucky.
Unfortunately, we spend most of our time distracted, especially those of us (like me) with ADHD/ADD. Meanwhile, the seconds trickle by.
What are those seconds? They're your life. Not someone else's - your very own life, slowly ticking away.
Now that's a scary thought.
So what to do? Well, you don't have to go it alone, for starters. Coaching is designed for us to be in it together - however you think about it - so you can start to pay attention to what matters most in your life...
....and go forth and achieve all that you dream.
ready to start paying attention?
hey there, the name's Nico
A coach, designer, chef, explorer, poet, silly-billy, and a human being.I specialize in working with people struggling to attend to their lives and careers to the fullest - especially if you have ADHD/ADD (diagnosed or undiagnosed), you know just how challenging this can be. Paying attention to what matters most in our lives seems harder than ever just when it is more important than ever.I've been at this work for 15 years, and have helped hundreds of folks just like you master their attention.
Qualifications
certified coach, mental health and wellbeing, kingstown college
certified designer, luma institute
meditation instructor, rigpa
black belt in shito-ryu karate do
a lifetime of experience surviving and now thriving with ad(h)d
what i'm chewing on
These are some of the works that inspire me and what we do in our sessions. Give 'em a go if you feel like it:
Radically Happy: A User’s Guide to the Mind - Erric Solomon & Phakchok Rinpoche
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover - Dr. Robert Moore & Douglas Gillette
Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche
Hero with a Thousand Faces - Dr. Joseph Campbell
Scattered Minds - Dr. Gabor Mate
Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered - EF Schumacher
Ness Labs - Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Slow Productivity - Cal Newport
A Sand County Almanac - Aldo Leopold
The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah
Education of an Idealist - Samantha Power
parable pause (hear me out)
imagine a fox finds its way to a cave, and follows a tunnel at the back deep into the earth. the tunnel bends into stone and ends at a low door. inside, a dragon sleeps on a hoard of coin and time. the fox steps closer and asks, "why guard what you do not use?”and the dragon mourns, “i guard because i have always done so and ... i never stopped to question why"
this is where their story ends and your story begins.
you are both the fox and the dragon
quick, bright, ready to ask tough questions
...
yet you sleep upon a hoard of strength, talent, and courage that you’ve kept hidden even from yourself
isn't it about time you did something about that?
the process (kinda, also some testimonials cause that's what you want, right?)
1. Go from analysis to action
Start here. We first work to stop overthinking your next move and put into practice the change you want to see in your life - right now. After all, you might be dead tomorrow.Through depth work that integrates all parts of yourself, you'll develop the inner awareness and authentic presence to take decisive action with confidence.
“nico’s warm presence, combined with his background and experience, helped me navigate ideas i had a hard time parsing out on my own. the experience was an energizing and helpful launch pad that offered clarity and calm."abby - therapist
2. Work with your wiring
Next we work with your mind and behaviors. Surface-level career coaching was never designed for neurodivergent minds. We use methodologies from Internal Family Systems, Jungian Archetypes, and Buddhist Psychology to experiment with what works best for your mind.
“nico brings an enormously thoughtful approach to the table, leaving space for the insecurities and deficiencies that make us all human, while focusing relentlessly on the strengths and techniques we can use to make us exceptional (in whatever way we'd like to be).”joey - tech startup
3. Break the perfectionism trap
Finally, we stop searching for the perfect solution. It's all right here, right now. Your mind gets stuck in endless research spirals and "what if" scenarios.We identify the exact patterns keeping you paralyzed—perfectionism, parts conflicts, fear of making the "wrong" move—and create a clear path forward.
“when i was looking for a coach, i felt lost and was looking for someone who could ground me and help me organize how i want to achieve my goals— and nico has done exactly that by helping me find the tools i that work best for me to focus and achieve my goals”john - ngo operations
Why does traditional coaching fails those of us who think differently?
Most coaches give you tactics without addressing what's really keeping you stuck. I use three depth approaches that create lasting change by helping you face the dragons that lurk beyond the edge of your mental map so you can achieve all that you dream:
Jungian Archetypes
We are children masquerading as adults
- Dr. Robert MooreWe work with connecting to mature archetypes Sovereign (inner authority), Warrior (decisive action), Magician (strategic thinking), and Lover (authentic expression).The first step is taking responsibility for where we are in this moment. We can only start where we are - and build upwards from there.Eventually, you will make decisions as a mature human, opposed to our usual fragmented, child-like decision making.
Internal Family Systems:
All they ask for is presence
- Dr. Richard SchwartzYou contain a kaleidoscope of parts - your inner critic says "don't risk it," your entrepreneur part says "go for it," and your protector says "research more first." Sound familiar?We map your parts and help them collaborate instead of sabotaging your decisions, giving each part the attention it deserves.In the coaching container, we will meet and connect with your inner entrepreneur, protector, critic (and many more) to align with them on where you actually want to go.
Buddhist Psychology
With our thoughts we make the world
- Shakyamuni BuddhaBy cultivating a mindfulness practice that is yours and yours alone, you begin to have power over your attention. You stop making decisions from anxiety and ego-driven "shoulds."Through integrated mindfulness practice in the coaching container, we develop embodied presence and interdependent thinking.These help you identify your true direction without forcing it too much or over-intellectualizing.
download our activity sheet and give some of the exercises a try
Got questions?
We got answers
How is this different from therapy?
Coaching focuses on your current situation and looks forward at how to achieve what you want. Therapy focuses on your current situation and looks backwards to understand why you are where you are.More specifically, I work with current resistance patterns and future vision, not past trauma processing. If therapeutic needs arise, I'll refer you to qualified mental health professionals while we continue the career-focused work.
I have ADHD and always start things but never finish them.
Everything about my approach is designed for ADHD minds (like my own) that can struggle with follow-through when things get difficult.I use tangible experiments instead of overwhelming goals, felt changes to your world instead of abstract planning, and regular accountability that works with your dopamine patterns, not against them.When your internal resistance dissolves, follow-through becomes natural.
I've tried career coaching, life coaching, even therapy. Why would this work when other approaches haven't?
Most approaches either give you surface-level tactics or focus on past healing.This method addresses what's actually stopping you in real-time: the internal resistance patterns specific to people with ADHD or attentional issues.When your parts are fighting each other, no amount of resume tweaking or networking will create breakthrough.You have to resolve your internal conflict first.
What's the time commitment and investment for ADHD professionals who hate long commitments?
We start with one free 60-minute session, no commitment beyond that. You'll know immediately if this approach resonates with you.From there, you choose: quarterly group workshops ($250), short-term breakthrough work, or deeper transformation programs.Everything is designed with ADHD attention spans and commitment fears in mind.
I'm successful but miserable. Will this help me figure out what I actually want?
This is exactly what this work is for. High-achieving neurodivergent professionals often succeed at things that don't actually fit them, then feel trapped because "it looks good on paper." We'll help you distinguish between what you think you should want and what you actually want, then create a path to get there.
THE PATH
meeting your dragons is not easy, otherwise you wouldn't have the difficulties that you have now. they lie in wait in the places you have not yet dared to go...
...through the coaching container, you and i will venture forth on a journey together, from where you are, over the hills, and far away to the edge of your map...
...as your coach, i will help you connect to your meaning, embrace your authority, locate the knowledge you need, and practice taking appropriate action to ultimately prepare you to meet your dragons...
...you will learn to sit with your stress, banish your isolation, conquer your fear, acknowledge your anxiety, and channel your anger...
...but the final step will always be in your hands
"the wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out"tolkien
Here Be Dragons
the edge of the conscious mind is where your wild things roam - here, you will find titans and hydras, minotaurs and chimeras, while scylla and charybdis wait to swallow the unaware...
in this place, you will find and meet your dragons
these are your emotional and psychological struggles made manifest as the challenges, fears, and inner obstacles that feel overwhelming or insurmountable...
But here you will also find the strength, power, and energy to accomplish all that you set out to do.For dragons are not only challenges to overcome......they are guides to the hidden strengths and untapped potential within you.
My Story
Here Be Dragons sprung into being after a trip to my hometown in the mountains of California. while speaking with a mentor of mine, I mentioned that I felt like I was off the edge of the map. Turning to look at me, he said quite seriously, "that's where the most important work takes place, Nico, for there be dragons."He was right. When you go over the edge of the map, you find potential within yourself you never thought possible.
I take a mental fitness approach to coaching, applying my deep experience in mindfulness training through Tibetan Buddhism and Shito-Ryu Karate Do.If the dragon metaphor doesn’t sit well with you, that’s OK!The point is that in our sessions, we keep in mind the underlying dynamics at play in your life, such as habitual patterns, negative thought loops, previous failings, lack of self-confidence, etc.These dynamics are sunk deep into your unconscious and ultimately hold you back from achieving your goals.
By facing these dynamics, you not only alleviate stress, isolation, fear, anxiety, anger, and a host of other negative emotions...you build your resiliency to those emotions and can better pay attention to the things that matter most to you.This means you can better adapt to such experiences and maintain your well being in the face of adversity. through this practice, you can focus clearly on achieving your goals.but a word of caution…doing this is not easy, otherwise, well, everyone would do it!
This is why the coaching relationship is so vital - the conversation and journey we go on together is the platform that will transform:
Your life
Your relationships
Your idea of what's possible
And your very sense of self
Return Home
Here Be Dragons
Payment plans / sliding scale availableIf it's a "hell yeah" from both of us, we'll find a way to make it work
always free - full session, the works...
60 min discovery
session
$0
...so you decide to try the waters out...
60-90 min session
single rate*
$200
...aaand you're on your way to meet your dragons
full 8-month coaching program*
$3000
2x 90 minute sessions / mth
1x 30 minute sprint sessions / mth
whatsapp support & check-ins
"all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."gandalf
Return Home
A place for men to connect, hold, and explore the connections between your mind, the man you are, and the man you are capable of becoming
The Dharma Shed is a place of refuge from the world at large, a space for gathering and connection in open masculine energy. Anyone who identifies as a man is welcome, and we always encourage you to bring a friend
What can I expect?
Everyone is encouraged to “Bring What You Can” to the Shed. If you can bring food, bring food. If you can bring tea, bring tea. If all you can do is bring yourself, then bring yourselfWe never charge admittance to the Shed, but we do encourage you to sign up in advance so we know how many people will be coming
Are there any rules?
The Dharma Shed is a place of reflection and creativity. We discuss the tough topics of life, therefore, this is primarily a sober space - unless the theme of the week is exploring the power of substances such as alcohol or tobacco - so we can be as alert and open as possible.
How does it work?
Each month we focus on a different “Dharma”The word "dharma" comes from the Sanskrit root "dhri," which means "to hold," "to sustain," or "to uphold", and has many more elaborate interpretations within Buddhism and HinduismIn the Shed, this dharma usually takes the form of a question that we explore for a month or moreWe hold the question close and try to feel into how it sustains us, how we uphold our answers to it, and how we can move forward in life
my approach
I work with you to identify, meet, and eventually ride your "dragons" through the Coaching Container.Once you do, you'll be able to handle all that life throws at you and more.My approaches include IFS-style Parts work, Somatic Mindfulness, Breathwork, and Jungian pyschoanalysis through the MAKA framework.
The first step to any coaching relationship is the discovery call. You’ll get to ask questions, experience my approach, and see if we might be a good fit.
If you are ready to set forth to live the life you want...then let's get started.At the end of our time together, you will have all the skills, confidence, and bravery to:
Effectively impact the world around you
Improve your work/life balance
Use your inner strengths
Own your time, energy, and purpose
my commitment to you:
I am here to support you as you walk this journey, to see you there and back again. I will challenge you when you need to be challenged, and I will cheer you on when you need to be cheered on.And I will always help you find the best way to go after what you want.
Return Home