Trust me I'm a Professional

I took these personality tests so you don't have to (just kidding, you never had to, but they were still fun)

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I've been taking a lot of tests lately to find our more about myself, how best I work, and to confirm that my intuition led me down the right path. I find it interesting and for those of you considering working with me, it may be helpful to understand who I am. Here's a quick rundown:

🔖 The High 5 Strengths Test is focused on business and management. I'm conflicted with self-reporting tests. How can we be sure we are the best judges of our own character, how can we be sure we are answering truthfully and not from the assumption of our best selves' actions? Yet, who could possibly answer better? Like a piece of writing, the best we can do is be honest, with critical compassion, and be open to what comes of it.

My results: Empathizer, Coach, Thinker, Believer, Philomath. I didn't expect these to be on a business test. Notably, there is nothing on here about being an organizer, accountant, or having the sort of personality a CEO might have — hence the business classes. I've been finding my work as a coach to be the most rewarding job I've had and I can't resist a good pondering (sometimes to my detriment), so I was happy to see this alignment.

📖 According to the quiz I took as part of a free web design bootcamp with Paige Brunton, my client acquisition style is "content creation." Basically, I'm a storyteller. Even as a small business owner and a person who helps others tell their stories, it's the narrative I love, the why behind every person, every word choice. I can wax poetic all day, but I also love to learn about others' passions and help them tell their stories.

📓 Perhaps this one shouldn't be listed here, but I find it fascinating. I went to a neuropsychologist and it was confirmed that 1) yes I have ADHD with some challenges highlighted due to concussions, and 2) yes I (still) have dysgraphia. A proper diagnosis followed by adequate care has been essential to my growth as a small business owner and human. Our experiences are our own regardless of someone's interpretation, but there is a way — if you need it — to set yourself up for success beyond the skills you've learned to adapt over the years. As for dysgraphia, I was diagnosed at a young age and hoped it would be wiped away as a symptom of my other two diagnoses, but it's still there which is OK. It impacts my ability to literally write (oh, the irony), as my output is delayed in comparison to the swiftness of my thoughts. I love this. While I can't easily hand-write a love letter, I do choose how I communicate more carefully than the average person because I process it at least twice without noticing. Combined with my other diagnoses, sometimes my speech also gets delayed and I have pauses between my words. It gives me a chance to pull my thoughts together, like my brain is taking a breath, and assess that what I'm saying is how I truly feel. 

Why is this important?

It feels navel-gazing to be talking about my diagnosis, but I do have reasons. I had a student years ago whose son wanted to be a writer and was diagnosed with dysgraphia. Not many people know what it is, and he felt only the limiting aspects of the diagnosis and was swept up in limiting self-talk around his future. She gave him a copy of my book to let him know that the diagnosis is just information, and in many ways a helpful tool for writing.

When I started planning Pedal & Prosody, I had suspicions I had misdiagnosed ADHD. The first question I asked in my initial pitch was, "Are you an outdoor kid with indoor talents?" What that meant to me wasn't just about bicycles and nature, I wanted to reach people who love writing but have a hard time sittin down to actually write. Movement and processing don't need to be separate acts. I wanted to blend them in a way that helped people get their creative juices flowing, not feel trapped to their desk, and feel free to write and move as needed, not sit fidgeting until it was time to ride, then feel guilt while riding that they weren't writing.

I'm proud to be a certified, card-carrying empathizing coach, believer (in your work and in mine), and content creator with a brain that works a bit differently. I love to make things, fix things, and think (and feel) deeply about problems big and small. If you want to hire someone who uses Miro instead of Excel to organize her thoughts, and leads with questions to navigate together rather than a cookie-cutter solution with a false guarantee, schedule a time to chat today. I'd sincerely, certifiably, love to help you tell your story.

book 15 minutes

email to discuss

Services