Expert Village Spotlight: Martha Hoffman

At Hello Nanny!, we know that raising a family takes more than love—it takes a village. That’s why we’ve built ours: Hello Nanny!’s Expert Village.

This curated network of trusted professionals—spanning child development, family wellness, mental health, education, and more—exists to help parents and caregivers navigate the complexities of modern family life with confidence.

We’re thrilled to spotlight our community of experts, sharing their story, their work, and the insights that inspire them. Because behind every great caregiver or parent is a team of people who make the journey a little easier. And, we’re here to make sure you never walk it alone.

We recently chatted with Martha Hoffman, ADHD Coach and Founder of Martha Hoffman Coaching. As Martha states on her website, she’s helped hundreds of people with ADHD find peace within chaos. With a master’s degree in Special Education and ADHD of her own, Martha has spent over two decades working with people ages 3 to 70, in classrooms, in coaching sessions, and everywhere in between.

Her approach is simple: understanding and acceptance before action. Because strategies that don’t fit how your brain actually works don’t stick.

Name and occupation:
Martha Hoffman, ADHD Coach and Founder of Martha Hoffman Coaching

Do you have kids? If so, how old are they?
Yes, 10 and 8.

Tell us about your company/current role:
I’m Martha Hoffman and I run Martha Hoffman Coaching where your ADHD is not a problem to be fixed. That’s not just a tagline, it’s the heart of everything I do.

I’ve spent over 20 years working in Washington DC schools as an educator with a Master’s in Special Education, but it was my own personal ADHD breakthrough that changed the trajectory of my career and honestly my life. I stopped trying to fix myself and started truly understanding myself and that shift was everything. Now I help others do the same thing.

My approach is a little different from what most people expect. We don’t jump straight into strategies and systems. We start with understanding your ADHD, then we move into genuinely accepting it and only then do we take action that actually works for YOUR specific ADHD brain. That process weaves together mindset and thought work, somatics and realistic systems that are designed with ADHD in mind, not against it.

I work with absolutely everyone, from little kids to people in their 70s, because ADHD shows up differently at every stage of life and I genuinely love that range. One thing I’m especially passionate about is how differently ADHD presents in women and girls, because for so long that story just wasn’t being told.

No two sessions with me look the same because no two clients are the same. My vibe is warm, direct, a little funny and completely judgment free. The biggest wins I celebrate with my clients aren’t just landing the job or acing the class. They’re the moments when someone finally understands their brain, stops being so hard on themselves and thinks “oh wow, this actually makes sense.”

When I’m not coaching I’m in full mom mode with my two girls, likely at a skatepark with the whole family or cheering way too loudly for the Philadelphia Phillies. My husband runs our neighborhood restaurant and together we’ve been proud members of this DC community for over 25 years.

If you’ve been searching for someone who truly gets it, not just professionally but personally, I hope you feel like you just found your person. Because that’s exactly what I’m here for.

How would your kids describe you?
“My mom helps people with ADHD because she has it too. She’s really funny and sometimes says bad words. She skates with us and knows a lot about feelings. And her job is basically just talking to people all day which is weird but she’s really good at it.”

Go-to coffee (or tea) order:
London Fog

What piece of parenting advice has actually worked for your family?
I am really honest with my kids about everything. And I mean everything. ADHD, sex, politics, discrimination, what I need when I have my period. All of it.

But it’s not just about giving them information. It’s about showing them how that stuff actually shows up in real life. If I’m mad, I tell them I’m mad and I ask for a few minutes to feel my feels. And the most amazing thing happens when they turn around and do the exact same thing.

That kind of emotional honesty is something I model every single day and watching my girls start to do it too? That’s the whole point.

What is a common piece of advice you disagree with?
That ADHD is a superpower.

I understand where it comes from and I appreciate the intention behind it but honestly? For a lot of people it can do more harm than good. If you’re someone who is struggling to get through the most basic adult tasks every single day, being told your brain is a superpower feels tone deaf and dismissive.

How am I supposed to believe that when I can’t stay on top of my laundry, my inbox or my own thoughts?

I’m not saying ADHD can’t eventually become a source of strength. It absolutely can. But that only happens after you truly understand it and learn how to work with it. Skipping straight to “superpower” bypasses all of that real, hard, necessary work and it can leave people feeling even more broken when the superpower doesn’t show up.

We have to stop rushing people to the highlight reel.

3 things you never leave the house without:
Loop ear buds, a beverage (or 3), something to read or listen to.

Last thing you did solely for yourself:
I bought myself two new books (despite not needing any more books in my posession!) that are purely for creativity and fun.

If you had a magic wand to make one parenting challenge disappear, what would it be?
I wish more parents understood that when their kiddo is having a hard time, it’s almost always a skill issue rather than a will issue. Your child is not giving you a hard time. They are having a hard time.

If they could do better they would. So instead of asking “why won’t they just do it” the better question is “what are they missing that would help them get there?”

Honestly? Most spouses could stand to learn this distinction too. Just saying 🙂

Interested in joining our curated network of trusted professionals who share practical, evidence-based advice with our national community of parents and caregivers? When you join, you’ll be part of a collective of thought leaders whose expertise spans pediatric care, child development, lactation support, mental health, sleep consulting, career coaching, safety advocacy, and more.

Learn more and apply here. 

For more Expert Village Spotlights check out the below:

Angela Tait, Founder of Tait Consulting

Barbara Palmer, Top Broad at BroadPerspectiveConsulting and founder and coach, Your 4th Trimester

Kat Neill, Owner of CPR with Kat

Certified Parenting Coach Keesha Scott

Postpartum Doula Ashley Gerhard

Life and Relationship Coach Chelsea Skaggs

Katerina Jones, Founder of Full Bloom Fertility