Host Melody Edwards sits down with Danica Lefever, a former engineer who now coaches late-diagnosed or undiagnosed ADHD women.

They dig into the realities of getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, especially for women who’ve spent their lives masking symptoms to meet expectations. Melody and Danica swap personal stories about growing up, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and learning to embrace their uniquely wired brains. You’ll hear how Danica decided to move away from from engineering, the moment that changed everything, and why understanding your brain can change your business, and your life. They also break down the difference between coaching and therapy, how to manage energy instead of time, and why unmasking might be the most powerful move you can make.

Whether you’re a late-diagnosed bizfit, or a recovering perfectionist, this episode is a permission slip for you.

Visit Danica at http://www.danicalefever.com/

Time Stamps:

10:04 Navigating Life's Pressures and Identity

12:37 Life-Changing ADHD Diagnosis

17:47 Embracing Self-Diagnosis for Understanding

23:08 Learning to Pause After Tragedy

29:27 Optimizing Entrepreneurial Schedules

32:47 Struggling with Self-Connection

39:45 Transition from Engineering to Coaching

44:17 ADHD Awareness Evolution Through TikTok

53:21 Choosing Challenges Over Comfort

57:40 Jaguar Vision: Embracing Agency

01:03:42 Positive Intelligence for Mental Fitness

Melody Edwards is a lifelong entrepreneur with a sparkly brain and a passion for building purpose-driven businesses. Over the past 25 years, she has successfully started, acquired, operated, and sold a variety of unconventional businesses, ultimately leading her to co-found HomeServiceVA.com with her first assistant, Din. Together, they built the company they wished had existed when they first started working together—a virtual assistant matchmaking agency that helps entrepreneurs streamline their operations with effective systems and talented virtual collaborators.

Being diagnosed with ADHD as a young adult changed her life. With newfound insight and understanding, Melody set out to master her brain's unique wiring, creating systems that allowed her to thrive in the "sparkliest" parts of her brain while delegating tasks that drained her. One of the most transformative decisions she made was hiring an Executive Assistant, which expedited her impact by allowing her to focus on the big projects and ideas that energize her.

Through her podcast, The Business Misfits, Melody shares insights from her decades-long business journey and interviews fellow unconventional entrepreneurs to empower others to embrace their inner "Bizfit" and build businesses on their own terms. Her mission is to help purpose-driven business owners craft their path with creativity, intuition, and heart.

Outside of business, Melody is a creative human who loves ALL THE THINGS… friends, AI, singing, bike rides, camping, crafting, ice cream, and building things. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband Matt, their children Sophia and Max, and their dog Shaun.

You can find all her things on www.melodythings.com

All the music you heard on the show today was written and recorded by Melody Edwards.

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