Woman Achieves Business Success Despite ADD
Today I’m going to introduce you to one of my newest clients, Ariane Benefit, of Neat & Simple. Ariane started her own business in 1993 after a long and successful corporate career. No one was more surprised than she was when she was diagnosed last year with ADD. Like many of us, she had always assumed that people with ADD are unreliable, can’t sit still or focus on tasks, and never accomplish anything.
Ariane has learned that ADD is not that obvious. She says it’s kind of like having back pain - you can’t see it, but it sure makes it hard for you to walk, and you find a way to do it anyway. She is amazed at the number of people who thought her achievements came to her so easily, but for her, it was a painful struggle that she worked very hard to conceal. She has said that for almost every project she finishes, she probably has at least two that are unfinished, as well as countless new ideas, and as her virtual assistant, I can confirm that this is true! Sometimes it can be challenging to work with her, but because she has been open and honest with me about her ADD since day one, I’ve come to understand that a lot of what we’re doing is brainstorming, and that I shouldn’t try to get a clear picture of what my assignment is until the conversation is reaching a close and decisions have actually been made.
To learn more about Ariane’s experience and how she has learned to thrive despite the challenges of ADD, please read her blog post, How I Survived My Life with Undiagnosed Adult ADD and Learned to THRIVE! If you know, work with or live with someone else who has successfully overcome ADD, I’m sure she would love to hear about it.
If you’re struggling with ADD or another challenge, whether it is physical, emotional, or mental, just remember that you too can overcome it and be successful, just like Ariane and many others have done.
Great article, Janet! Not only is it a tribute to a wonderful and fearless woman, but it also shows insight as to how to work with professionals who are living with ADD. THANK YOU!!!!!
Comment by Suzanne — February 18, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
Janet, thank you so much for helping to spread the word about what ADD is and contribute to neutralizing the stigma of ADD. Your patience with my torrent of ideas and changes of course are most appreciated. Having some to listen and help me think through the details of my ideas so they can actually be implemented is a huge value to me. Thank you for all your support!
Comment by Ariane Benefit — February 22, 2008 @ 9:27 am