About Me

Jolanda Kieda

 

As a child I was always late, always losing things and messy. Boisterous and talked too much. Always said things I later regretted, sometimes without fully understanding why they were wrong to say. Written off by teachers as “smart but lazy” – no desire to work hard at anything, no concern about my future. Deemed a disappointment by family members and close friends for not pursuing my potential.

 

No one considered that anything was wrong with me because I was smart and because I was a girl.

 

As an adult, I settled for a career in retail because it was too hard to try to find a job in my major (I never prepared for it.) I left retail and entered what was supposed to be an 18 month fast-track program for branch managers.  In 9 months I was promoted to branch manager, still having to complete the program. Between overwhelm and imposter’s syndrome, I sabotaged my job and was fired.

It was right before that when I found out what adult ADHD was, and that I probably had it. I
was 37 when I was diagnosed.  I spent the next several months reflecting on all those years of "failure" that I wish I had back.  I spent the next 15 years spinning my wheels trying to figure out how to consistently manage my ADHD, with and without meds, while trying to be a good wife, mother and employee. Therapists came and went. I couldn’t find ‘the one’ that could help me. They either focused on “underlying issues”, imposed strategies that didn’t work, or straight out didn’t believe in ADHD.

 

That’s when I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to help people like me.  Educate and help them with well-advised information, and let them know that THEY ARE OK. I wanted to make the world aware of ADHD and that THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

That’s why I’m here. I’m glad you’re here too. Let’s do this together.