Chewmarks

I did a thing! You probably didn't know about it...
because I committed to it months and months and months ago. It was future Brandy's thing to take care of.

But months turned to weeks, then days, then ... P**f. It was done.

Nothing left but the adrenal and cortisol, excitement (& shame).

Oh right, the thing! I did a brief showcase for the Accessibility Cafe this morning! Hi if you're here because of it.

I wasn't going to do it. I felt (feel) like my struggles are not as ... Much? Real? Hard? Tangible? as others. But asked and assured me, that I was welcome. That I belonged. That I had things worthy of sharing. One moment I believe that. The next I don't.

These are just a tiny few ways being an ADHD woman diagnosed in adulthood affects me and my business.

I have been squashing down all sorts of "me" so no one will find out my dirty little secret. Why? Because an excited Brandy was diagnosed in 2018. She felt like she had found the golden ticket. She started telling people her exciting news! Finally, she could fix things! Reach all the crazy goals and build all the beautiful dreams. Until... people started responding. You can't. You must be wrong. So what. Yeah so. Excuses, excuses. Medication is bad. ADHD doesn't exist. Have you tried... trying? Yep. And so much more.

So, I took my diagnosis and all the things that it gave me (positive & negative) and packed it up in a box and tucked it away from sight. If no one sees it they can't judge me for it, right? Wrong!

By hiding my diagnosis, I didn't STOP having ADHD. I didn't rewrite my history, my hardwiring, or my software. I simply tried to drywall over it and slap on some primer and paint. Hoping you'd not find the skeleton.

Well, folks. No more! It's going to take time but I'm getting out the sledgehammer and breaking down that wall. If for no other reason than, other openly neurodivergent folks, especially women, have helped me have the courage and capacity to work with my brain, instead of against it. 🤓😏🎉

Hard conversations are tricky and emotional. I've been sitting on this post for months. I've been sitting on this idea for years.



The words aren't just catching copywriting; I genuinely hate mentioning it. I could get into all the reasons why, but it ultimately comes down to the fact no one likes to hear this sort of feedback about their business name.



Why? Because our businesses are our babies. They are the offspring of our passions, our values, our identities. They are often so woven into who we are we struggle to separate them.



No one will tell you your name sucks.



To your face.



It's not malicious; everyone tries to keep the metaphorical peace, trying to keep-on, keeping-on.



The issue with that is that a sucky name (a weak name) might not stand up to the test of time. If it's too generic or similar to other businesses, you'll spend considerable time, energy, and money desperately trying to set yourself apart like the dozens of descriptive names in my last hometown. (I moved recently, and I can perform the same exercise in my new town with the word "Limestone").


Many great businesses with many great offerings, lost, because when I tried to google them, or even ask a friend, I couldn't always find them. Over time they may surface. Someone might know the owner, connect me directly, but often valuable traction is lost because they were just too similar to their digital neighbours.



This is just one example of Marty Neumeier's naming criteria, differentiation. Would you like me to discuss others? Any specific one?






@ Kingston, Ontario

Serendipity has a way of finding you when you least expect it and need it most.
A little isolated pre-covid as a and new parent (okay... a lot isolated). I was doing my digging to integrate into my new community online. I found an event was hosting with and thought, "This looks super cool. I should go." I was wait-listed.
Then I wasn't. I hadn't slept much the night before (re: a couple of hours), but I also hasn't been to a networking event in over a month. I pulled my socks up, got my some caffeine in my system, and made it.
It was one of the most beneficial workshops I've been to. It was also the last in person event on March 13th before things got a little different.
And here I am. Here we are. You never know what choice will lead you where, until you arrive.
.bouvier