Jan 21
In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy chats with Danielle Ford from Las Vegas. Danielle dropped out of high school as a junior at 17, on the advice of her high school counselor. She was actually a good student who had to work to support her family. She then spent a decade in various entrepreneurial ventures working 10 times harder than everyone else and in her words “never getting the basic stuff right.” She self-diagnosed herself with ADHD in her early twenties but chose not to seek a formal diagnosis because she believed the stigma. Instead, she read every self-help book, tried every system, worked with coaches but never thought that the strategies may have been faulty and not her.
After a close call, Danielle decided to get treatment, was prescribed medication and other therapies and suddenly she could easily organize her thoughts, emotions, tasks...everything. That’s when Danielle went into full ADHD superpower mode and submitted her name for school board trustee for the 5th largest school district in the United States. She beat out a field of 9 candidates, including some seasoned politicians and won the election. Danielle was sworn in this past Jan and now she controls a nearly 3 billion dollar yearly budget and makes policy decisions for a school district that serves 48 schools. In this role she is responsible for over 322,000 students. Danielle is 33, a single-mom of two kids and she’s a digital marketing strategist who helps other entrepreneurs grow their online businesses. Her story is fascinating. How she manages her ADHD is instructive. You will also likely relate to how Danielle navigates life when her Ferrari brain works faster than her bicycle brakes (if you have ADHD you’ll know what we mean). It’s no surprise that Danielle is often compared to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Listen to Podcast Episode #27.
APPLE
SPOTIFY
YOUTUBE
"I honestly think that it started with me because my mother, again, experienced a lot of abuse. She definitely smoked when I was a child, and my son has ADHD too."
- Danielle Ford
"I am okay with it quite frankly I would rather be extra and regret doing too much than to regret not doing enough."
- Danielle Ford
"It is taking everything out of my mind and putting it on paper. Or when I say paper my iPad Pro in my all the notebooks in there also anywhere I can put things visible I write on mirrors I put post it notes everywhere."
- Danielle Ford
- Danielle shares her experiences with ADHD and how it has shaped her perspective on failure and resilience.
- Danielle and Tracy discuss the potential obsolescence of traditional higher education due to the rapid pace of technological change and the availability of information online.
- Danielle shares her personal experience with ADHD, including symptoms such as being always late and easily distracted, and how she has adapted her approach to managing her symptoms as an adult.
[20:54 - 37:21] ADHD Diagnosis and Support in Schools
- Danielle reveals that only 516 students with ADHD are known in the district, despite estimates of 8-11% of children having the disorder, highlighting the need for better diagnosis and support.
- Danielle shares her experience with ADHD and how it affects her behavior during board meetings, including using a derogatory term for a male genitalia measuring contest.
- Danielle disclosed her ADHD to the school board and news stations after a meeting where she made a mistake, and she asked them to report it in the future when they cover her mistakes.
[37:21 - 55:09] ADHD Workarounds and Organizing Strategies
- Danielle and Tracy discuss the term "articulate" and how it can be offensive, with Ford sharing her experience of being called articulate as a young woman in a professional setting.
- Danielle emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing one's brain function to overcome challenges associated with ADHD.
- Danielle encourages others to stop comparing themselves to others and find their own method of organizing that works for them, ruthlessly sticking to it until it becomes second nature.
