Linda Roggli is the Founder and Director of Possibilities for the ADDiva Network, which supports women 40-and-better with ADD-ish tendencies and diagnoses to (finally!) discover Who They Want To Be When They Grow Up despite the challenges of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
The ADDiva Network, launched in 2007, connects hundreds of women across the globe, via the internet-based ADDiva Forum, monthly ADDiva Connection webinars and ADDiva retreats for women and couples. Roggli created the ADDiva Network (pronounced ay-dee-dee’-vah) as a natural extension of her life coaching work with women in transition and her own ADHD diagnosis at age 45.
“After I was diagnosed, I was desperate to talk to other ADD women who understood how I felt,” said Roggli. “There weren’t many opportunities for adult women to connect, especially midlife women.” Today hundreds of ADD women – dubbed ADDivas by Roggli – communicate via the whimsical ADDiva website (www.ADDiva.net) for a heaping dose of education, support and optimism.
“Women diagnosed after 40 have spent a lifetime trying to fit in,” said Roggli. “They have developed some highly personalized coping strategies that allowed them to survive in a linear world, but the toll on self esteem is high. That’s why ADDivas need (and deserve) an extraordinary amount of encouragement, applause, hugs and hope.”
Roggli developed the “Encouragement Model” of coaching for midlife ADD women, which accents positive thinking accompanied by education about ADHD. “Developing a positive attitude about ADD does not negate its dramatic impact on the lives of ADHD women. Yes, ADHD is serious. And yes, positive thinking has been clinically proven to improve our outlook on life. That’s a very good thing for women who have tried to pass as ‘normal’ since they were young girls,” said Roggli. “There is a vast reservoir of talent among ADHD midlife women that is being underutilized. With the right support, we can unlock that potential and allow ADD women to share their gifts with the world,” she added. Roggli is living proof of that phenomenon.
After a long career in journalism and advertising in newspaper, radio and television, she founded her own award-winning advertising agency in North Carolina. She closed the agency at the end of 2000, retrained as a retreat facilitator through the Conversations with God FasTrak Leadership program, as a life coach through Coach for Life and as a certified facilitator though Speaking Circles International.
Roggli began coaching in 2002 and hosted her first women’s retreat in 2005. She facilitates retreats from Emerald Isle, NC to Maui, HI. In 2006, she manifested her deepest dreams by opening GardenSpirit Guesthouse (www.gardenspirit.com), a private women’s and couple’s retreat center in central North Carolina.
She holds designation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and as a Certified Life Coach (CLC) through Coach for Life. She has done additional training with Jack Canfield (“Chicken Soup for the Soul”), Marcia Martin (“The Secret”) and T. Harv Ecker (“Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”), among others.
She is vice-president of ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association) and chairs the Program and Webinar committees. She was a featured speaker at the international 2013 ADDA conference. She is a founding member of the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) and the Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaching (IAAC). She is also a professional member of CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD), ADD Resources, the North American Menopause Society and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA).
She lives in Durham, NC with her husband, two Shelties and lots of hungry bluebirds. And yes, her office is still disorganized.
Gentle Nudge Me online coaching and accountability program at http://gentlenudge.me
Retreats for women with ADHD http://addivaretreats.com
"Why are you trying to fit in when you were born to stand out?"
Adults with ADHD far too often doubt their own worth, are sure no one else understands them and try hard to "do it right" when the truth is that they are doing it right ADHD-style!