The Positive Echo: Dr. Gary Coulton on His Autistic Awakening at 65 and the Maverick Mind

What if the “weird kid who wouldn’t shut up” was never broken — only misunderstood?

In this episode of The Inspired Choice Podcast, Dr. Caroline Biesalski sits down with Dr. Gary Coulton — former academic, executive coach, and author of Demons to Champions: How I Fell in Love with My Neurodivergent Maverick Mind.

At 65, Gary received an autism and ADHD diagnosis that reframed six decades of masking, anxiety, and self-doubt. Rather than treating it as a late arrival, he turned it into a doorway — one that led him into what he now calls leaving a Positive Echo: a conscious, lasting imprint on the world through daily choices, relationships, and work.

Together, Caroline and Gary explore:

• What it means to discover your neurodivergent identity in later life

• How to conquer the internal saboteurs that keep us small

• Why the “maverick mind” is a cognitive advantage, not a flaw

• The practice of conscious aging and finding purpose after a long career

• Building Adaptive Intelligence — in leadership, business, and life

Dr. Coulton is the founder of Adaptive Intelligence Consulting, a sought-after public speaker with more than 40 years of experience, and is finalizing three new books for 2026 — including Wisdomize and a poetry collection titled Hoofprints of a Maverick Mind.

This is a conversation about courage, late becoming, and the quiet power of choosing to be fully yourself — at any age.

Being. Becoming. Beyond.