Feb 9
Emma Dodi is the founder of Emma Dodi Cakes in London, a luxury cake and hand-painted macaron business. In true ADHD fashion, Emma’s path hasn’t been a straight one. In a previous life, she was a banker working at top financial companies. Now with four kids, a hands-on husband, and a business of her own that’s creative and dynamic, she couldn’t be happier with where she’s ended up, no matter how unexpected.
In our conversation, Emma shares her ADHD journey and diagnosis story, the challenges of socializing as you age, how she carved out a niche for herself in the baking world, the value in getting an ADHD diagnosis, and more.
Not only am I blown away by Emma’s incredible edible works of art, but I’m inspired by her drive to discover her true ADHD self and live an authentic life, and I couldn’t be more excited to introduce this episode.
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"People think of ADHD as really negative. No, it's up and down. Sometimes the bad symptoms kick in for a period and then you just move on and you learn to deal with it. And I do think hormone changes play a huge role in how you are affected by your symptoms."
- Emma Dodi
"The key to successfully living with ADHD is loving it. I love being different. It's my extra gear, it's my magic power; the ability to look at things in a completely different way, in a different angle. The ability to hyperfocus is great. What employer doesn't want somebody that obsesses about what they pay them to do? I mean, that's wonderful. So I think that the best thing to do is just love it and embrace it. It's who you are."
- Emma Dodi
"I always knew I was a little bit different. The activity in my head, which is nonstop, which is exhausting, is also my sort of secret weapon, isn't it? That's the thing that makes me different. It's the excitement, it's the constant idea generation, and therefore I see it as my extra gear."
- Emma Dodi
- Emma discusses her experience as a former banker and how her ADHD has influenced her career path.
- Emma shares her experience of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, discussing how she attributes certain behaviors to ADHD that she exhibited as a child.
- Emma shares her struggles with social situations due to ADHD and hormone changes during puberty, including hiding her true feelings and forgetting arguments with others.
[18:51 - 36:18] Socializing and Creativity
- Emma struggles to balance work and personal life, feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for social events.
- Emma describes her ADHD as an "extra gear" that helps her think and live life more creatively.
- Emma shares her experience with medication, finding it helpful in focusing on a single task but also acknowledging the potential for distraction if not properly planned.
- Emma shares her experience of starting a cake business after feeling lonely and bored with four children.
- Emma advises others to surround themselves with supportive people and focus on their strengths, rather than trying to fit in or hide their ADHD.
- Emma shares her experience with ADHD and how she overcame impostor syndrome through self-reflection and therapy.
