Podcast Summary: Tony Mantor: Why Not Me?

Episode: Garrett Wood – Finding Balance: Mental Health and Work

Release Date: February 18, 2026
Guest: Garrett Wood, National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Executive Functioning Specialist
Main Theme:
This episode centers on the intersection of mental health, neurodiversity (especially autism and ADHD), burnout, and the pursuit of balance—both professionally and personally. Garrett Wood shares insights from his 18+ years of coaching experience, focusing on how high-performing individuals can maintain their well-being, navigate sensory and emotional challenges, and achieve sustainable success without sacrificing happiness or health.

1. Introduction & Guest Background

[00:06 – 02:06]

• Host Tony Mantor introduces the episode’s mission: building understanding and acceptance for autism and mental health.
• Garrett Wood is introduced as a seasoned coach and therapist known for supporting clients dealing with burnout, masking, and imposter syndrome.
  • Quote:
    “He’s not just a coach, he’s your partner in unmasking the real you, healthier and happier, making you unstoppable.” — Tony Mantor [01:30]

2. Who Garrett Helps and The Client Experience

[02:11 – 04:03]

• Garrett works primarily with professionals who are highly successful at work but struggle in their personal, relational, and physical health.

• Increasingly, clients present with formal diagnoses of ADHD and autism, or describe symptoms aligned with those conditions even without formal diagnosis.

  • Quote:
    “When it comes to their personal life, their relationships, their health, they’re struggling...the bigger that gap is personally and the more successful they are professionally, those typically seem to be the clients that show up at my clinic.” — Garrett Wood [02:19]

• Discusses the diagnostic landscape's evolution and its impact on how clients view their experiences.

3. Garrett’s Approach to Coaching and Well-Being

Focus on Outcomes, Not Prescriptions

[04:03 – 05:15]

• Garrett’s philosophy: Increasing well-being is about reducing the friction in clients’ lives (sensory, emotional, systemic) and finding what uniquely works for them.
• Coaching is outcome-based and highly individualized:
  • “Every single person is different. What works for them doesn’t work for everybody.” — Garrett Wood [05:02]

4. Building Resilience versus Control

[05:15 – 06:30]

• Moves away from the idea of ‘control’ toward building resilience in the face of inevitable stressors.
• Small, personalized changes are more effective than generic advice.
  • Notable Insight:
    “Sometimes doing more is actually what beats or exacerbates some of the symptoms that people are having...sometimes we’re looking at, well, what are you doing that already works?” — Garrett Wood [05:38]

5. Certification and Standards in Health & Wellness Coaching

[06:30 – 07:30]

• Overview of National Board Certification for health and wellness coaches, focusing on integrating physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
• Certification emphasizes motivational interviewing and inquiry rather than prescriptive solutions.

6. The A3 Framework: Assessment, Accommodation, Alignment

[07:44 – 08:36]

• Garrett introduces his A3 Framework:
  1. Assessment: Understanding sensory profiles (e.g., sensory intelligence technique).
  2. Accommodation: Adjusting environments/tasks to meet sensory needs.
  3. Alignment: Designing work/life to fit individual profiles.
  • Quote: “Some people love vestibular stimulation...but then lights or sounds or noises are too much. So trying to make sure we know that and figure out how to accommodate it.” — Garrett Wood [08:14]

7. Case Study: Transforming Workplace Anxiety through Sensory Awareness

[09:01 – 11:05]

• Memorable story: Client suffered high anxiety during performance reviews.
• Discovery: The physical environment (bright sunlight, glass walls, echoing voices) was the root issue.
• Solution: Changed meeting location to walking outside, transforming the supervisor relationship and reducing anxiety.
  • Quote:
    “They went from having a fairly antagonistic relationship to now...have an interpersonal relationship that’s professional but still valuable for both of them.” — Garrett Wood [10:27]
  • Memorable Moment: Host’s astonished response: “Wow, that’s actually pretty amazing.” — Tony Mantor [11:05]

8. Holistic Collaboration and Professional Boundaries

[11:05 – 12:42]

• Garrett collaborates with other professionals (therapy, psychiatry, fitness, etc.) to address all aspects of client well-being.
• Recognizes the necessity of teamwork for complex or specialized issues.

9. The Scope of Burnout and Work–Life Integration

[12:42 – 14:17]

• Focuses coaching on workplace well-being to keep outcomes actionable and avoid overwhelming scope.
• Cultural differences affect clients abroad, but most have U.S. cultural roots; sometimes, new environments reduce friction rather than adding stress.

10. Personal and Professional Reflections

Garrett’s Own Burnout Journey

[15:58 – 18:44]

• Shares his least favorite job—pool attendant at a deserted hotel pool—as an example of the kind of numbing, unfulfilling work he strives to help clients navigate.
• Recognizes most people can’t simply quit unsatisfying jobs and works to add support/insulation where possible.
  • Quote:
    “If you have to quit to get better...that’s not a real viable option for most people.” — Garrett Wood [17:47]

11. Supporting Neurodivergent Individuals (Especially Autism)

[18:20 – 19:29]

• Emphasizes “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one autistic person” — everyone’s needs and strengths are unique.
• Garrett’s role is partnership, curiosity, and customization over one-size-fits-all solutions.
  • Quote:
    “My job is to stay really curious. If you've met one person who has autism, you've met one autistic person...what it means for them and the environment they’re in.” — Garrett Wood [18:49]

12. Self-Care for Helpers

[19:36 – 20:35]

• Garrett discusses the importance of his own support network and activities (rock climbing, reorganizing books) to avoid burnout and overinvesting emotionally in clients’ struggles.
  • “If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will.” — Tony Mantor [20:35]

13. Burnout is Not Limited to Diagnoses

[21:05 – 21:33]

• Garrett often works with high-performing, high-masking individuals who may not have formal diagnoses but experience considerable suffering.

14. Knowing Limits and Referring Out

[21:33 – 22:47]

• When confronting issues outside his scope (like severe agoraphobia), Garrett refers clients to specialists and provides complementary support once they’re stabilized.
  • Host’s analogy: “You are kind of like the booster that helps people.”
    “I’m a booster. If I’m helping boost people up, I’ll take it, you know.” — Garrett Wood [23:11]

15. Changing the Narrative: Self-Worth Beyond Productivity

[23:38 – 24:42]

• Garrett’s advocacy: Disconnect self-worth from productivity and output.
• Lasting, sustainable success is built through well-being, not at its expense.
  • Quote:
    “If we’re sacrificing to get some outcome, we already got the equation backwards.” — Garrett Wood [24:18]

16. The Difficulty of Realignment

[24:49 – 26:49]

• Acknowledges that prioritizing well-being over professional metrics is conceptually simple but incredibly difficult in practice—in part due to deep-seated cultural messaging.
• Shares his own personal wake-up call after a colleague’s tragic experience with burnout.
  • Notable Story: Realized the personal cost of sacrificing well-being for work after a respected coworker, after losing his job, lost the will to live. [25:55]
  • Quote:
    “I hope all my clients don’t have to ever go down that route...Anything and everything we can do to help prevent that or reverse it...” — Garrett Wood [26:44]

17. Closing Thoughts

[27:02 – End]

• Tony thanks Garrett for his openness and insights.
• Final encouragement for listeners: Sustainable change and well-being are achievable, but require ongoing conversation and community support.
  • “Our conversations are inspiring guests that show you are not alone in this world.” — Tony Mantor [27:11]

Memorable Quotes

• “Sometimes doing more is actually what beats or exacerbates some of the symptoms that people are having.” — Garrett Wood [05:38]
• “If you've met one person who has autism, you've met one autistic person.” — Garrett Wood [18:49]
• “Lasting success...isn't built through the expense of your well-being. It's actually built through your well-being.” — Garrett Wood [24:16]
• “If you have to quit to get better, that's not a real viable option for most people.” — Garrett Wood [17:47]

Suggested Listening Timestamps

• Garrett’s client story on sensory-aware solutions: [09:01 – 11:05]
• A3 Framework explanation: [07:44 – 08:36]
• Personal burnout and partner’s tragedy: [25:30 – 26:49]
• The self-worth vs. productivity myth: [23:38 – 24:42]

Tone & Style

Conversational, honest, warm, and deeply compassionate. Both host and guest speak with a mixture of professional authority and personal vulnerability, making the episode accessible and relatable for anyone navigating neurodiversity, mental health challenges, or workplace burnout.

This summary covers all core concepts, stories, and advice, with direct quotes and timestamps for listener reference.