About Tori

My name is Tori Throckmorton (she/her). My absolute favorite color is orange, and I love owls.

I always knew that I wanted to be a coach even when I was toddling around…yeah, just kidding. I’ve been bumbling around adult life with the best of the bumblers. I didn’t have the slightest idea what I wanted to study when I was supposed to be applying for university. And couldn’t even imagine what I wanted to be when I grew up. Now in my late 30s, and after being diagnosed with ADHD, I’m pleased to report that I have an idea.

I spent a little over ten years of service in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot followed by a year as a management consultant. After a traumatic layoff, I landed a contract as the executive manager to the CIO of a medium-sized corporation in financial services. (No, I had no idea what that meant either.) After six months of the Devil Wears Prada (I’m kidding!) he offered me a full-time position as the Director of Enterprise Architecture. (Also had no idea what that was.)

At the start of my third year in that role, I began to hit a wall. I struggled to care about the minutia of corporate culture and politics and yearned to do something where I didn’t have to constantly pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I was saved from complete burnout by a round of lay-offs during the first year of COVID. Hallelujah! I was free and clear with a severance package to hold me over while I figured out my dream career. (That’d be a non-traumatic lay-off.)

Months later, I was still struggling with the same anxiety I’d had in my corporate role but with no idea why. My time was my own and I was figuring out how to become a writer. That wasn’t going very well. So when my sister told me that she’d been diagnosed with ADHD, I was grateful for the distraction. I threw myself into learning as much as I could about how to support her.

I read the usual sites, learning about the symptoms and treatment plans combining medication, coaching, and therapy for any mental health issues. Then a friend recommended Jessica McCabe’s HowToADHD. As I watched her videos, snapshots from my own life flashed in front of my eyes. Suddenly every challenge and hardship I’d ever faced made sense, including my current inability to do what I wanted to do most in the world.

I decided to get assessed for ADHD. Before I’d even gotten my diagnosis, I’d signed up for the ADD Coaching Academy’s (ADDCA) Advanced training program. With their education in all things ADHD and by applying their tailored models to my own life, I learned how to work naturally with my brain. I also finally discovered that my passion is communication! In addition to pursuing my coaching certifications, I am still working on becoming a writer. I also impulsively decided to learn how to make websites (communication!). I’ve made a couple for other people and this one for you! (And, yes! To me, coaching is also communication. Check out my definition of coaching.)

As a coach, my aspiration (btw, I’m allergic to the word “goal”) is to coach myself out of a job. I’d love for everyone to feel completely fulfilled and excited by their present, future, and day-to-day! Unfortunately, (or fortunately for my fledgling career as an author) that’s not likely to happen any time soon. Until my colleagues and I are successful, I am excited to get to know you, to learn what you have to teach me and to grow into my better self.