Nicholas Kelly, MS, RD, LD joins Adulting With Autism for a powerful, practical conversation about chronic illness, resilience, executive function, and redefining success one day at a time.
Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at just three months old, Nicholas brings a rare dual perspective to this episode: he's both a registered dietitian and a lifelong patient. He shares what it's really like to build a meaningful life while managing a condition that demands constant planning, medication, and energy budgeting—and how those skills overlap with what many neurodivergent adults are already doing to navigate daily life.
Nicholas has lived through high-stakes medical moments—multiple emergency surgeries, severe hospitalizations, and years of time spent admitted—yet he's also built a life that's intentionally expansive: clinician, speaker, poet, dancer, artist, educator, and advocate. In this episode, he breaks down how he turns "big concepts" like resilience, psychological safety, and confidence into steps you can actually use, especially when your bandwidth is limited.
We also talk about the difference between motivation and systems, why "well-meaning advice" often misses the point when you're dealing with complex health realities, and how to define success without toxic productivity—especially during flare-ups, burnout, or major life disruptions.
Through his work with Define Your Success LLC, Nicholas creates workshops for adults and young people (including neurodivergent audiences) focused on practical tools, self-expression, and advocacy. He's delivered 85+ speeches, completed a TEDx talk, appeared on local and national TV, and has spoken directly to the FDA as a patient advocate—always with the same goal: help people live bigger than their circumstances, without pretending the hard parts don't exist.
In this episode, you'll hear:
Living at the intersection of chronic illness + adulthood + identity
What a "dual lens" looks like as a dietitian who's also a lifelong patient
Nutrition as support (not perfection): practical approaches for low-energy days
Executive-function strategies for managing meds, appointments, and daily planning
Redefining success: measuring progress day by day when life is unpredictable
Psychological safety + real support vs. "helpful" advice that doesn't fit reality
Advocacy skills: how to speak up in healthcare settings and be taken seriously
Creativity as regulation and resilience (poetry, dance, art) when life is heavy
"Multiple passions" and the patience it takes to actually build skill over time
Holding grief and hope together after loss within chronic illness communities
Guest: Nicholas Kelly, MS, RD, LD
Nicholas Kelly is a Registered Dietitian, public speaker, and cystic fibrosis advocate. Diagnosed in infancy, he combines clinical training with lived experience to teach practical tools for resilience, self-advocacy, and daily-life systems. He also creates workshops through Define Your Success LLC.
Where to find Nicholas
Workshops and speaking through Define Your Success LLC
Nicholas is also known for his advocacy work and public speaking (TEDx, media features, FDA patient advocacy)
Australia