Feb 23
After grooming her own Shih Tzu during the pandemic and posting a picture online, Elly Linam started having neighbors reach out to her, asking if they could pay her to groom their dogs. One thing led to another, and within a month of that first neighbor asking, she knew there was a passion brewing and enrolled in grooming school.
Now, only a few short years later, Elly is a Certified Pet Groomer with her own dog grooming business and a career she’s endlessly passionate about–one that’s dynamic, creative, and perfect for her ADHD brain. Elly found her dream profession at 35 by putting herself out there and growing her spark of passion into a flame, but she’s been able to maintain that flame by supporting her ADHD needs and giving herself permission to do things differently.
Join our conversation to hear Elly’s ADHD entrepreneurship story, what changed once she got her official diagnosis, how she builds a balance of work, creativity, and rest into her daily routine, and much more.
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"When we are set on something, there's no stopping us."
- Elly Linam
"For me, routine's the bane of my existence but I also have finally accepted the fact that I need it. Having not only the routine built into my life, but I have to have time every single day carved out for rest and think time. And if I can renew my mind and either think on something, research something that I've been thinking about, or play guitar and kind of just separate from the daily grind, as long as that's built into my routine I can do a routine."
- Elly Linam
"I'm a huge psychology person. I think a lot of people with ADHD probably are, because we innately know that our brains are wired differently and we really want to get to the root of that."
- Elly Linam
- Elly shares her journey of becoming a certified pet groomer and opening her own business, despite initial struggles with motor skills and anxiety in her Shih Tzu, Mo.
- Elly shares strategies for managing ADHD, including removing obstacles and using visual timers.
- Elly reflects on her experiences with ADHD, reading comprehension, and the role of sports in helping her stay focused.
[24:15 - 43:21] Career development, creativity, and passion
- Elly struggled to find a career that aligned with her passions, leading her to pursue a degree in recreation and work in various roles before finding her creative outlet in grooming.
- Elly explains that the dog grooming industry is experiencing a shortage due to COVID-19, leading to increased prices.
- Elly highlights the importance of patience and skill in dog grooming, emphasizing the holistic nature of the profession that involves both aesthetics and healthcare.
- Elly shares her personal experience of being a groomer with ADHD and the support she's found within the grooming community.
- Elly emphasizes the importance of built-in "me time" for individuals with ADHD, which can be anytime during the day when they feel the need to renew their mind and separate from daily tasks.
- Elly shares her self-care routine, including renewing and refreshing her mind and body through quiet time and physical activity.
