Episode 028: Rewiring Your Brain for Peak Performance with Virtual Neurofeedback Expert Elle Dalebroux
What if I told you that you could literally see your brainwaves in real-time and train them to work better for you? As a neurodivergent entrepreneur, I'm always fascinated by tools that can help us work with our brains instead of against them. That's exactly what Elle Dalebroux brings to the table with her revolutionary approach to virtual neurofeedback.
In this eye-opening conversation, Elle shares how she went from working 60-hour weeks in traditional neuroscience practices to creating her own virtual neurofeedback business - complete with a mushroom-fueled epiphany that changed everything. If you're tired of feeling like your brain is working against you instead of with you, this episode is pure gold.
Episode 028: Rewiring Your Brain for Peak Performance with Elle Dalebroux
What if I told you that you could literally see your brainwaves in real-time and train them to work better for you? As a neurodivergent entrepreneur, I'm always fascinated by tools that can help us work with our brains instead of against them. That's exactly what Elle Dalebroux brings to the table with her revolutionary approach to virtual neurofeedback.
In this eye-opening conversation, Elle shares how she went from working 60-hour weeks in traditional neuroscience practices to creating her own virtual neurofeedback business - complete with a mushroom-fueled epiphany that changed everything. If you're tired of feeling like your brain is working against you instead of with you, this episode is pure gold.
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Elle's Journey
Elle didn't start out planning to revolutionize brain training. She was working in traditional neuroscience practices, putting in 10-hour days, six days a week. But like so many of us neurodivergent entrepreneurs, she hit a wall. The rigid structure, the lack of autonomy, and honestly, the "big dick measuring contest" culture of traditional neuroscience wasn't sustainable.
The breaking point? When looking at her phone would trigger fight-or-flight responses. Sound familiar? That Labor Day weekend when she quit everything and headed to the mountains with her boyfriend for some mushroom-assisted clarity led to her biggest business breakthrough.
"People need to be able to have access to this care," Elle realized. Traditional neurofeedback was only available to the elite - people dropping tens of thousands of dollars for treatment. But what if you could get the same brain training through a device that connects to your phone?
What Is Virtual Neurofeedback (And Why Should You Care)?
Here's where things get fascinating. Elle takes an assessment that quantifies your brainwaves in real time. We're talking about seeing where your brain overproduces or underproduces certain waves on a day-to-day basis. Then she creates a specific protocol unique to your individual brain.
Think of it as going to the doctor for a broken leg - they take an X-ray before treating you, right? But with mental health, we typically just throw strategies at the wall and hope something sticks. Elle's approach actually shows you what's happening in your brain and trains it through operant conditioning (like teaching a dog new tricks with treats, but for your neurons).
The device connects to your phone through an EEG sensor. You're not putting anything into your brain - just monitoring what's already happening. Then through specific protocols, your brain learns to self-regulate over time.
The Data That Changes Everything
One of the most powerful aspects Elle mentioned was how validating this process is for her clients. As neurodivergent people, we've often been told our struggles aren't real or we're "just being sensitive."
Elle's clients get actual data points showing their progress. They can see their brainwaves changing, their anxiety patterns shifting, their focus improving. It's not just "try harder" - it's "look, here's scientific proof of what you're experiencing and here's how we're fixing it."
For those of us with medical trauma from being dismissed by healthcare providers, this validation can be life-changing.
Working With Your Energy Cycles (Not Against Them)
During our conversation, Elle and I dove deep into something close to my heart - working with your natural rhythms instead of forcing productivity. Elle works extensively with peak productivity hours, helping clients identify when their brains naturally function best.
"I can get more done in the three days that I'm ovulating in a month than I need to do the whole month," Elle shared, and honestly, same. She films 30 TikTok videos, creates all her content, does podcasts - then right before her period? Absolutely not.
We both track our cycles religiously now. Elle has found that cycle tracking combined with understanding her peak productivity hours (typically 9 AM to noon for most people) has been an absolute game-changer.
The Permission to Rest Revolution
Here's something that really hit home in our conversation - the radical act of taking a nap. Elle talked about how she refuses to wake up to an alarm anymore, letting her body naturally regulate its sleep cycles. I shared my own breakthrough moment of taking a 7:30 AM walk, coming home, and going back to bed until noon without guilt.
Why is rest such a mindfuck for us? Elle grew up on a farm where you milk cows at dawn and earn your fun through work. I had my own productivity programming to unlearn. But here's the truth - your walk might BE the productivity for the day. Everything else is icing on the cake.
This isn't lazy. When you come out of chronic fight-or-flight mode, your body finally feels safe enough to sleep. Of course it's going to want rest. Of course it's going to prioritize recovery over grinding.
The Hormone Connection
We spent significant time discussing how hormonal fluctuations impact neurodivergent brains. For those of us dealing with PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, or perimenopause, understanding these cycles isn't optional - it's survival.
Elle introduced me to something fascinating - the carrot salad protocol. Raw shredded carrots with apple cider vinegar help eliminate recycled estrogen from the body. Since estrogen is single-use (your body can't recycle the molecules), poor elimination means reabsorption, which can wreak havoc on our systems.
The luteal phase - that 10+ day stretch before your period - often becomes the longest and most challenging part of our cycles. Elle and I both described the very real experience of PMDD making us want to run away from our entire lives every single month. The key is recognizing these thoughts as hormonal, not factual.
Beyond Mindset: The Neurofeedback Advantage
While I love mindset work (obviously), Elle's approach offers something different. Traditional coaching relies on willpower and conscious effort. Neurofeedback does the heavy lifting subconsciously through operant conditioning.
"Your brain learns through this operant conditioning just as if you would teach a dog a new trick by giving it treats," Elle explained. The beauty is that while you're receiving feedback for 20 minutes, you're not having to will the feedback to be better. Your brain just learns.
You can't read thoughts or specific emotions on the device, but you can see patterns. You can track progress. You can literally watch your brain get better at regulating itself.
The Rejection Sensitivity Reality
We bonded over the universal neurodivergent experience of rejection sensitivity. When someone doesn't text back immediately, our brains go to "they're probably filing divorce papers." Even knowing this isn't rational doesn't stop the spiral.
Elle's neurofeedback can help with executive dysfunction that fuels these spirals. When we start to spiral, we activate survival systems. The training teaches your brain to activate the prefrontal cortex instead - creating that crucial space between thought and reaction.
Practical Takeaways for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs
Track Everything: Your cycles, your energy peaks, your productivity patterns. Knowledge is power.
Honor Your Limits: As I always say, to become limitless, you have to learn your limits first.
Separate Tasks by Energy Requirements: Do demanding work during peak hours, emails during energy dips.
Create Different Toolboxes: Have high-energy self-care options and low-energy alternatives ready.
Practice Focused Discomfort: Elle's version of exposure therapy - intentionally showing your brain it's okay to be uncomfortable for five minutes at a time.
Ready to Master Your Mind?
If you're curious about virtual neurofeedback or want to follow Elle's journey, you can find her on:
Elle is currently enrolling for one-on-one sessions and offers a four-week worry cleanse. She also hosts regular Brain Summits - free virtual events featuring conversations with practitioners in the nervous system regulation space.
And if you want more insights like these delivered straight to your inbox, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter where I share the latest in neurodivergent entrepreneurship and peak performance strategies.
Remember, you don't have to choose between being successful and being comfortable in your own brain. With the right tools and understanding, you can absolutely have both.
