So, picture this: I’m having lunch with my dad, we’re mid-bite, chatting about David Carradine, and out of nowhere he says, “You don’t usually die that way.”

My dad’s a psychiatrist, by the way — which somehow makes that line both better and worse.

That comment sent me down a totally unexpected rabbit hole into his past life as a medical researcher… and, apparently, a minor expert on autoerotic asphyxiation. Yeah. My childhood suddenly made a lot more sense.

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwo

My grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/

Timestamped summary (use the chapters if you're on Apple Podcasts)

00:00 "Different, Not Broken Podcast"

05:00 "70s Study on Fatal Act"

07:34 Psychiatrists and Strange Stories

12:28 Navigating Awkward Social Transitions

13:15 Interjecting in Conversations Respectfully

16:50 "Celebrating Progress and Growth"

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

Ever find yourself carrying earplugs in every bag and pocket, just in case the world gets a little too… loud? Or maybe you’ve written letters to your doctor, explaining that “no, you don’t look autistic” is not the hot take they think it is? This is the episode for you.

I had the absolute privilege of sitting down with Natalie Diggins, technologist, deep tech investor, and—most importantly—the author of The Autistic Adults Toolbox. I’m not even exaggerating when I say her book lives permanently on my desk, just waiting to solve another of life’s neurospicy puzzles.

I didn’t tell her that before we interviewed, but, okay, surprise Natalie: you’re basically my lifeline on days when the world feels like a construction site inside my brain. I know some of you feel that too.

Here’s what you’re going to get from this episode:

Natalie doesn’t spend her time pontificating about “overcoming adversity” or “finding your purpose.”

No, she gets down to the real stuff: reverse engineering a life that works for your brain, documenting every semi-absurd hack, and making sure sensory survival is always step one.

You’ll hear how she wrote a pre-op letter for her surgeon (“Strangers touching me = nope”), only to find the medical world has a lot of catching up to do.

A little bit of hope: not all doctors are stuck in the 1990s, but spoiler… plenty of them are.

You’ll get the inside scoop on the magic tool-making mindset that yields everything from bespoke sensory plans to New York City restaurant negotiation tactics (earplug, anyone?), and what happens when you decide you can mask or unmask, by choice, not requirement.

Natalie even breaks down her “hot meter” for dealing with the “you don’t look autistic” crowd.

Why should you listen?

Maybe you’re late-diagnosed, or you’re still in the “is it sensory? Is it burnout? Am I just quirky?” phase.

Natalie’s journey is a cheat code for ditching shame, building support systems, and treating diagnosis as just another plot point—not the whole story. I

f you want to hear how anyone can build actual, actionable strategies for living well, even when your brain is extra spicy (and sometimes extra tired, extra loud, or extra meltdown-y), hit play.

My helpful offers for other people with neurospicy brains - https://stan.store/elletwo

Something's shifted in my podcast journey while recording "Different, not Broken" for half a year now.

I didn't see it coming.

Question is, did YOU?

When my dad — a doctor — started losing the ability to walk, I thought we’d find answers quickly. Instead, we ran straight into a wall of hospital red tape, conflicting protocols, and doctors too afraid to take a risk.

This is a true story about how I fought the healthcare system to save my father’s life.

It’s about standing up to bureaucracy, finding the right information when no one else would, and learning how compassion sometimes matters more than protocol.

Expect platelets, hallway confrontations, and neurosurgeons who definitely didn’t expect me to show up armed with research from the Cleveland Clinic.

Oh, and also, the tooth fairy industry almost suffered a financial blip thanks to my husband...

Check out my programs to help you do better in your business and marketing:

https://stan.store/elletwo

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

When a bad headline blames Tylenol for autism, L2’s had enough.

This is her blistering, hilarious takedown of pseudo-science, mom-shaming, and the politicians who thrive on both.

It starts with keyboards, ends with capitalism, and somehow makes perfect sense in between.

Click play, have a listen, and then check out her Stan Store.

https://stan.store/elletwo

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

Wanna learn to write like me?

Here's how you can!

Writing Course

My Brain Short-Circuits for This

I have a confession.

For someone who claims to be a relatively smart, responsible human and someone who can calculate numbers, analyze situations, run a business, and (at least sometimes) do 'The Adult Things', I have one irredeemable weakness.

We’re talking a 'lose the thread of reality, babble in vowel sounds, and forget my own name because, oh my gooood' kind of weakness.

Why am I telling you this? Because in this episode of Different, Not Broken, I pull back the curtain on my not-so-secret life as a highly functional adult who simply cannot function when this one piece of (adorable) Kryptonite is present in my life.

But this episode is more than just confessions of the thing that makes me gooey. It's an honest exploration of what it means to embrace what makes our brains different.

Press play. Your pack is waiting.

Have you visited the Stan Store yet? - https://stan.store/elletwo

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

What if everything you think you know about occupational therapy (OT) is… not quite right?

Here’s a confession: until recently, I thought OT was just glorified PT for your arms. Someone stands you up, hands you a toothbrush, checks a box, and off you go back to life, hopefully less miserable.

Turns out, that’s not even close.

In this episode of Different, not Broken, I, Lauren Howard (aka L2), sit down with the very person responsible for blowing up everything I thought I knew: Jayna Niblock. She leads our OT efforts and, frankly, if there’s ever a Hall of Fame for affirming neurodivergent care, her (sensory-friendly, weighted) cape deserves to be on display.

Let’s hit pause on everything you’ve heard about adult autism care. Because what actually happens after an adult diagnosis? Not much, honestly. There’s a chasm—no bridge, barely a ladder—between finally knowing you’re not “broken” and actually figuring out how to live as yourself in a world designed for, well, not you.

Spoiler: the aftercare programs that support adults who’ve lived decades masking, muddling through social scripts, wondering why life feels like pushing a boulder up Mount Neurotypical, do not exist. (Except now, they kind of do, and Jayna’s at the center of it.)

But what is OT for adults, especially for neurodivergent adults? It’s not about workplace “occupations,” and it’s definitely not just “PT from the waist up.” We talk about what “affirming” OT truly means—because trust us, not all therapy is created equal. We break down how “meaningful engagement” is radically more important (and therapeutic) than any checklist. Cookies, margaritas, grandkid snuggles—sometimes the route to healing starts with the things people actually care about, not the ones prescribed by someone who just met you.

Jayna gets real about why so much of the OT world hasn’t caught up to neurodivergent realities, and what an education (not treatment) program can unlock for adults desperate for answers after a lifetime of feeling “othered.” Plus: why most information out there (hello, TikTok) is validating but not always actually, you know, evidence-based.

And then there’s the stuff NO ONE TELLS YOU about sensory processing as an adult. Like why your eyes work in mysterious ways even after every eye doctor swears you’re “fine.” Or why “touch” isn’t just about what fabric you like, and brushing your teeth means something different for everyone.

We also get into the messy, beautiful, lifeline-level importance of consent, motivation, and adapting “therapy” to what matters for real people, not just what looks good on an insurance form. (Hint: if getting up in the morning for yoga is torture, you’re allowed to say no. Here, consent isn’t optional, it’s foundational.)

Maybe you’re wondering: why should YOU listen?

Listen if you were ever told you’re “normal now”—but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Listen if you believe neurodivergent adults deserve more than DIY diagnosis and crowdsourced therapy from social media. Listen if you want to know what care could actually be when it’s crafted for us, by us, with us. Listen if you want to hear two humans occasionally tearing up because, yeah, dignity in healthcare shouldn’t be this rare.

You’ll walk away with a radically new understanding of OT, equipped with ideas, hope, and probably a newfound appreciation for doing things your way—whether that’s baking cookies, mixing a margarita, or advocating for yourself in a doctor’s office full of “experts” who still haven’t figured it out.

No spoilers, but don’t miss Jayna’s answer to “if you could snap your fingers and create the OT system every neurodivergent adult should have…” (We’re not crying, you’re crying.)

Different, not Broken is for everyone who’s spent a lifetime feeling like the system wasn’t built for them—because, newsflash, it wasn’t. And we’re here to change that.

Come...

Infertility isn’t just a medical diagnosis — it’s a daily ache that reshapes how you see yourself, your relationships, and even good news from people you love.

In this raw, unfiltered episode, I'm opening the hell up about four years of unexplained infertility, pregnancy loss, the jealousy nobody admits out loud, and why asking “When are you having kids?” can quietly devastate someone.

If you’ve been there, you’ll feel seen. If you haven’t, you’ll understand why silence, empathy, and better questions matter.

Have a listen. It might just make you feel better about all... that *gestures wildly at everything*

Oh, and check out all the other ways in which I can support you, here. https://stan.store/elletwo

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better