Dara Broadous is an ADHD creative generalist whose work spans fashion, bridal, graphic design, brand work, and art direction. She designs plus-size pants and jackets at Lane Bryant, freelances on bridal gowns, did the art direction for an intimate music experience called June's Room, and is launching her own podcast, Speaking in Draft, in June 2026.

This is a conversation about what it actually looks like to build a creative career when your brain works the way ours work.

Dara talks about how she figured out she had ADHD through TikTok, what changed after diagnosis, and what it means to be a Black woman finding the language for her own wiring in her 20s when the system around her was never set up to spot it. She walks through the full arc of her design career, what corporate fashion is actually made of (a lot more emails than people think), and how she's learned to lead with the creative and build systems underneath it so the boring parts stop crushing the work that lights her up.

We get into the maximizer's curse, the urge to tinker with something that's already done, and how she uses intent as the gate that tells her when to put the pencils down. James shares his own version of that struggle. We also talk about masking at work, how being upfront in interviews about how she actually operates has been a strength rather than a liability, and what she'd say to a younger neurodivergent creative wondering if there's a place for them in this kind of work.

Welcome to the island. We have cookies.

A Few Lines Worth Lifting

"I'm a person who highly, highly, highly values work-life balance, 'cause I can get burned out very quickly."

"Starting is often the hardest. So if I already know that about my brain, I'm going to make sure that the barrier to entry is as small as it can possibly be, because that is something that is a kindness to myself."

"People are much more receptive to, 'hey, here's a thing I see that might cause us a lot of extra work in the future. We could do this thing now that would prevent that happening.'"

"If we're going to ask people to spend their hard-earned money, let's give them something that is actually worth that."

"I think honestly the most interesting people have the most unexpected, crazy life path."

Topics in This Episode

• Meeting at the Generalist World event and the unique skill stack exercise
• Figuring out ADHD through TikTok, and what late identification looks like for Black women
• The hyperfocus and the burnout that lives right next to it
• Hobby graveyards (the two-week shelf life version and the six-month version)
• The full design arc: bridal, Abercrombie & Fitch / Gilly Hicks, Lane Bryant, freelance bridal, art direction
• Seeing your own design in the wild on a solo trip to Amsterdam
• Designing plus-size with the customer at the center instead of the edge
• Pockets
• Innovation, disruption, and finding your people inside a corporate team
• The neurodivergent-versus-allistic split: results-coded thinkers versus method-coded thinkers
• Intent as the test for when a piece of work is actually done
• The maximizer's curse and giving yourself permission to fail
• Masking at work, and what it looks like to interview as your actual self
• Just be direct: what Dara wishes managers and colleagues understood
• For the younger neurodivergent creative still figuring out where they fit

About Dara Broadous

Dara Broadous is a fashion designer and multidisciplinary creative whose work spans fashion, bridal, graphic design, brand work, and art direction. She currently designs in the pants and jackets category at Lane Bryant, designing plus-size apparel for real bodies in a market the industry has historically underserved. Earlier in her career she designed intimates for Gilly Hicks at Abercrombie & Fitch, and she has continued to take on freelance bridal work, including hand-beaded wedding gowns for individual clients. She recently served as art direction lead for June's Room, an intimate music experience founded by Mercedes. Dara identifies as an ADHD creative generalist and is launching her own podcast, Speaking in Draft, in June 2026.

Find Dara

• Website: darathedesigner.com
• Instagram: @becoming.dara
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darabroadous
• Her podcast: Speaking in Draft (launching June 2026), @speakingindraft.co

About the host

James Hickey is the founder of PathWays Collective and host of The Sight Side. He is an AuDHD systems architect, Licensed Peer Recovery Supporter, and author of Cyberspace Psychosis and the Virtual Reality Blues. He was identified as autistic and ADHD in his forties, after decades of being labeled unfocused, underperforming, or not living up to his potential.

Website: https://pathwayscollective.net/the-sight-side

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/james-hickey-9b8ab43a2

Hello everybody and welcome to The Sight Side, the podcast where we pioneer

the field of applied neurodivergence in the workplace and in life.

My name is James.

I'm an AuDHD professional, an author, and your host.

Today I'm very excited to introduce Dara Abratis.

Dara is a fashion designer, a multidisciplinary creative, and

an ADHD creative generalist whose work spans fashion, bridal, graphic

design, brand work, and art direction.

We met at the Generalist World event a couple of months back, and I knew right

away I wanted to get her on the show.

So let's get to it.

Dara, thank you so much for coming on the show.

Um, so first I wanna thank you for coming on.

Thank you so much for coming on the show.

I'm so happy you're here.

Um, you know, we, we connected at the Generalist World event.

It was awesome.

You know, Kizzmekia had us sitting across from each other, and you were

really, really supportive and nice.

You know, we're all in this, uh, kinda deer in the headlights

situation with this, um, y- you know, this exercise, this workshop.

And no, no one knew, uh, how amazing it was gonna be.

But before we get to that, can you tell everyone, just let us know a little bit

who you are, tell us about your path, um, and just let us know who, who is Dara?

Yes.

Thank you again so much for having me on, James.

I do appreciate it.

Um, but me, Dara, I am a fashion designer, multidisciplinary creative

that spans fashion, bridal, graphic design, brand work, art direction.

Um, and I am a creative generalist at heart, and also an ADHD generalist,

which I think is very important to specify because I think the ADHD

creative generalist brain works maybe a little bit differently.

Um, but I've definitely been on the journey of learning how my beautiful

ADHD brain works and what it looks like to honestly use it as a superpower,

'cause there are a lot of gifts and a lot of things that do come easy with it.

So definitely harnessing those, and then also giving myself the most support

with the things that are a lot tougher, AKA executive functioning things.

Right.

It's, um-- Yeah, I think that's so funny, especially as a, uh, creative person.

Um, 'cause understand, I'm a, I'm a writer, and I love

the creative aspect of it.

I love writing.

Um, but what I don't like is the editing.

I don't like it when it crosses the line from being like pure joy,

you know, once the, uh, uh, the novelty wears off a little bit.

So how-- Well, let me, let me ask you this.

So as a, you know, someone with ADHD and being a, you know, fashion designer,

and I looked into some of your work.

You come up with some beautiful, beautiful designs.

Um- Oh,

thank you

… James: when-- Okay, so what do you do when, um, you're not in that creative

space and you find yourself more in like kind of a maintenance or, um,

you know, editing or other, you know, other aspects of it that might not

be quite as, uh, glamorous or quite as, um, rich of a dopamine vein?

Hmm.

That is a great question because honestly, especially being in corporate

fashion, like, yes, you get to design and there's a lot of creativity, but a

lot of it is really like the production part, and a lot of that is like the

emails and checking in with the vendors and communicating and things like that.

So I've definitely had to learn how to attack those parts because

those parts are not the parts that I'm, that light me up, you know?

But still part of the job, still have to do them.

So it's definitely been a journey learning what it looks like to Kind of

have changed my, my, um, my framework, I guess, my mental framework in approaching.

'Cause I used to be very like, "Ugh, I hate doing this part. This is the

worst." But doing that part is what allows us to do the creative part.

Like, you have to have both hand-in-hand to get the final product.

So I've definitely learned to take it in stride, understand that not everything is

gonna be the fun, creative part, but also systems, any systems I can put in place

that make things that are hard easier.

If I can-

Right

… Dara: take three hours upfront and set up a system so I don't

have to think about something ever again, I will do that every single

time.

That's such a, I… That's a little bit of the autism showing through.

That's definitely all- Oh, yeah … the autism all coming out.

I'm the same way.

Like, I'll do, I'll put systems in place that's gonna save me steps,

like, three days down the road.

Exactly.

Um, and it's like, I think it takes a special kind of cognition to be able

to even look at a project like that and see, like, all right, well, if I do, you

know, X, Y, and Z now, it's gonna save me, save me some time down the road.

All right, so, uh, Dara, let's back up a little bit.

Um, how did you first come to understand that you're neurodivergent?

Was it, like, a slow build-up or a click, or how did you, you

know, how did you come about this?

It was… Honestly, the real story is that it was through TikTok.

I did not know I was neurodivergent.

I thought I was just, like, quirky.

And when I was, I think I was, like, 24 or 25, um, I started seeing these TikToks

of girls with ADHD, and I'm like, "Why does that sound exactly like my life?"

Like, how do you know exactly what's going on in my brain, and you're just

a stranger somewhere in the world?

So I was definitely like, "Hmm, interesting." And around that time, I had

just started seeing a new therapist, and she happened to specialize in ADHD and

autism, which I did not know at the time.

And meeting a couple times back and forth, she was like, "Yes, no, you

definitely, you definitely have ADHD.

Um, that is super clear to me the way that you present." She, like, knew immediately.

And in retrospect, I'm like, there, there were a lot of signs, for sure.

Right.

But it definitely wasn't something that was talked about much growing up, and

especially, like, you add the additional layer of being, like, a little Black kid.

It's like there was already a lot of, um- It's already pretty hard to get diagnosed

as a woman with AD- ADHD, especially if you think back, like, 20 years ago.

Um, but then you add that layer on top, and that was definitely something where

I'm like, "Hmm, I wonder how and if that played a portion." But learning

it as, as an adult has honestly been…

I'm glad I figured it out soon-ish, even though it was still well into my 20s.

But I think it allowed me to just understand myself more.

I think it allowed me to give myself a lot more grace, too, 'cause there were

a lot of things I would just beat myself up over, which if I knew it was just how

my brain was, then I could've just been like, "Oh, it's just how your brain is.

You just need a little extra time here and a little extra patience

and you're fine." You know?

So I'm super, super glad that I found out and that I, I definitely had a

hyper-fixation mode once I got diagnosed where I read, like, everything about

ADHD, all the papers, all the books, 'cause in true ADHD fashion, you know?

It's, uh, it's, it's wild how we, um, dive into

these rabbit holes with that.

Mm-hmm.

Um, I, uh, it's, it is, it's wild.

When I got my assessment… Well, before I got my formal assessment, I had done,

um, some online testing and, um, did, I think I did three different ones online.

They all came back that I was on the spectrum, so I compiled all of this

into, like, a literal PDF file and, uh, sent it to the woman who I had, uh…

I, I already made a, um, an appointment for an assessment,

but I sent that ahead of time.

I'm like, "Well, this is why, because of X, Y, and Z." And it made me realize

that normal, well-adjusted people would never do something like that.

You know?

That's something that's something that's so, like, neurodivergent coded.

Like, who does a deep dive into this whole thing- … and then compiles

it in a way that is easy to digest?

It's so

funny.

100%. And I honestly have thought about doing that.

I saw a girl on TikTok and she was like, "Yeah, I just made a binder

of all of my trauma so I could just give it to my therapist and they

can go through it, and then we can just skip a lot of that stuff."

And I'm like-

Great

… Dara: kind of smart, though.

I don't know.

Well, to re- I, I guess 'cause the first part, they have to get to know

you and they make their own, um, you know, they make their own judgments.

But it's kinda good to give them the kind of, uh, you know,

the biography a little bit.

For sure.

Um, which is, which is interesting.

Okay, so let me ask you this.

Okay, so when you look back at a younger Dara, okay, ba- wa- back, um, you know,

let's say not, um, you know, be- before TikTok, let's say, you know, te- teenage

years, um, right, adolescence, when you're trying to, you know, find your way in the

world and really start to develop your identity as a person, um, and without

having a word for it, knowing it was neurodivergence or ADHD, um, what would

you say, uh, she was actually navigating?

Um, you know, younger you.

That, what were you navigating that no one was able to name correctly at the time?

Mm. That's a great question.

I think one of the things was the novelty chasing 'Cause I didn't

really have language for that.

I didn't really have a way to explain that, like, oh my gosh, I will literally

learn everything about this thing, deep dive, buy all the things, start

a whole business, even as a kid, and then six months later want to do it

with a completely different thing.

Well, six months, that's a pretty long one.

I have a, um, most of my hobby graveyard in the garage has, like, a two-week…

It's about a two-week shelf life.

And honestly, two weeks is, like, the ideal sweet spot.

Right.

Dabble, dabble.

Okay, that was fun.

Next.

Oh my gosh.

I had a, I was going assisting my garage, um, earlier today

and I saw a, an ice cream maker.

I got really into making ice cream, um, really big into that for about two

weeks, and my maker's still out there.

I'm like, "Oh, man, I remember this." Um, it's just like, it's, like, one example.

Um, all right, well, let me ask you this.

So since, um, you know, from back then to now, what would you say,

like, stayed the same and, um, what were you always gonna do?

You know, regardless of what label you were, if it wasn't, uh, you know,

ADHD, uh, neurodivergence, what was something that Dara was always gonna do?

Dara was always gonna be a fashion designer.

Um, that was, like, pretty much one of the first things I ever wanted to be.

The first thing I ever said was an artist, and then I focused a little

more and said fashion designer.

I think this was at, like, seven or eight.

Um, so that was something I knew I always wanted to do, something I always wanted to

try just because of h- I loved how clothes made me feel, how expressive you could be,

and the fact that everyone wears clothes.

Like, everyone needs clothes, and regardless of what your style is, I

love that you can kind of tailor that to different people for different things.

Um, so I was always, always gonna be a fashion designer for sure, always

gonna be a creative of some sort.

Um, 'cause as a kid it was always art class, it was always music class,

piano lessons, all of those types of things were the things that lit me up

as a child, that I was like, "I have to do this with my life," because it

just felt like it was a part of me.

Like, there was no other option.

It had to be this.

Just felt your calling.

Oh, that's amazing.

Mm-hmm.

All right.

Well, I wanna know about your first project.

Okay.

Can you tell me about the very first pr- uh, fashion design, the very first

outfit that you ever, um, designed and actually were able to, you know, either

wear or see someone else wear and you're like, "Oh, you know, I created that."

What-- Walk me through that.

Ooh.

The first one, I'll say this one.

This was an… It might not be, like, the actual first, but this was the first

one that I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna make this piece." I submitted it to,

like, my high school fashion show, and there were some judges from different

fashion schools there and things.

But it was this two-piece set, a little corset kind of top with a, like,

blue, green, and magenta kind of like Nigerian fabric with a pleated skirt.

And I was so happy and proud, 'cause at that point I didn't-- I basically kind of

taught myself how to sew at that point.

So it was, looking back, it looked a little scary.

But at the time, that was, like, my pride and joy.

You couldn't tell me anything.

I was so proud 'cause I was like, "This is something that started in my brain,

and now it's out in the world, and people get to see, like, something that literally

didn't exist before it came out of me." So I definitely think that was one of the

impactful moments where I was like, "Okay.

Wow, this is awesome."

I love it.

And I can just imagine, 'cause I'm ADHD too, so when, um… I, I can imagine when

you're sewing, you have that hyperfocus, and you're just, like, locked in on-

Yeah

… James: putting it together.

I can just, uh… That's, those are the best moments.

I get the same way with writing.

Um, and I think as, like, a creative, is there something to be

said about, um, you know, actually seeing something you created?

100%.

It feels like magic, truly.

Right.

'Cause it's something that truly did not exist, that y- only you saw in

your brain, and then you were able to bring it into the world so other

people can also interact with it.

I'm like, "That's just so cool."

It is.

It's amazing.

That's the thing I love about being, like, in this space and running into other

creatives who are actually, um, doing it.

And that's the thing is, like, I really enjoy meeting other neurodivergent people

that are able to get over that hump.

Um, and you know what I mean?

It's like we are, um, we're, we're creative ballplayers.

You know, we come up with great ideas on the front end, and, uh,

follow-through is not always so… You know, it's not, not always the best.

And, um, in order to make something happen, sometimes you

have to go through the drudgery.

You have to go through the trenches.

Um, to push it out.

Um, so it's, you know, I think it's really, I love running into people who are

able to, um, you know, actually do things.

You know, they can either talk about it or they can be about it.

For sure.

Absolutely.

Okay.

So, um, I know that your work spans, I mean, you're fashion, you do

bridal, freelance, um, brand work.

You've been in a lot of different areas of the fashion industry.

Um, can you walk us a little bit through that arc and how

one thing led to the next?

Yeah, for sure.

Um, so starting off in bridal actually.

In fashion school, that was one of my, um, focuses for kind

of like my senior collection.

So I ended up making a wedding dress, hand-beading a shawl that went with

it, and creating basically like a whole wedding gown collection.

So that was definitely my in into the fashion world, and then once I graduated

from school and started looking for jobs, I was like, okay, like I really

wanna try something new, something that I haven't done before, which is

great because there's lots of things when you're a fresh graduate that

are new that you haven't done before.

Um, and I ended up applying to Abercrombie & Fitch and getting a job there.

So I started off my career designing intimates for Gilly Hicks and, um,

got to design a lot of cool things throughout my time there as well.

And I'm now currently designing plus-size clothing for women at

Lane Bryant, which has been really cool, um, to start up there.

But in the midst of that, I've done, um, bridal freelance as well, where I'll help

brides create their dream wedding dress.

So I got to do that for myself and for some other people.

I actually have… I'm gonna show you so that you can see.

Okay.

Um, can you see?

Oh, I like that.

There's a piece I'm working on.

That's sort of right there.

Oh,

okay.

All

right.

Like,

just like a random, uh, what, what, is it a mannequin?

Like, what do you, I don't know what you design.

Do you call that a mannequin?

Is it a- Yes,

a little mannequin.

Great.

Okay.

So I have it just looking over there in the corner.

Oh, that's so great.

I

like that.

But I've got to do a lot of really cool things in my career, which honestly

has been relatively short so far.

So I'm very thankful for the opportunities I've had and for how

I've been able to grow as a designer.

And also working for like global companies is kind of crazy, 'cause

you, you could be anywhere in the world and see people wearing your clothes

and things that you've designed.

Um, so I've definitely had a lot of very surreal experiences being

all over the world and being like, "Oh my gosh, I designed that top."

That's awesome.

Tara, I, I wanna hear about one.

Tell me like, you know, random airport somewhere and you see a top and you're

like, "Oh, wait." I te- tell me about what, what's one that made a, made an

impact for you, one of these moments?

There was-- Okay, my top two.

The first one was a solo trip I took last year, and I went to

Amsterdam for the first time.

And I was just walking around, um, like by the canal, by one of the, um, main spots

downtown, and I see this girl wearing this like nubby sweater that I designed.

I'm like, "Oh my gosh, that's crazy.

Like, I literally designed that." And then I keep walking, and I see the store,

and I could literally look through the window and see the whole display, and the

whole display was of things I designed.

And I was just like, "I'm in a literal different country right

now looking at the finished product that started in my brain."

And obviously, it's not just me.

It's an entire team that gets product in the stores.

Like, it's designers, merchants, sourcing, planners.

Like, it's, it's definitely a big team effort.

Um, but yeah, that absolutely never gets old, seeing it in the wild.

That's amazing.

That's-- Uh, what, what a feeling, right?

Wow.

Did you go up and talk to the girl?

Like, "Oh, I have a, I have a top just like that." That's-

Literally.

That's great.

Oh, I love it.

Okay, so is it-- Uh, like moments like that have to make you feel like you're

alive, you know, connected to it.

Um, which is, you know, and that's something that's totally unexpected too.

When you take a solo trip, you're not expecting to be…

You know, usually we take vacations to get away from work.

But, you know- Totally … it followed you to, followed you to Amsterdam.

Um, so, uh, besides moments where you feel alive, uh, as a neurodivergent,

where do you feel like most out of place through this whole process?

I think one of the toughest things is figuring out where you fit in different

systems and like systems that are bigger, whether it be like the job that you work

at and how they operate, or just like the system of corporate America in general.

I think that has definitely been a huge one in learning, like what, what

I actually need to be successful, understanding what I need in a

space to be successful, what I need in other people, in myself, in

the environment, things like that.

Um, so it definitely has been a journey learning those things, and I've definitely

realized that I'm a person who highly, highly, highly values work-life balance

'cause I can get burned out very quickly.

Um, so that's something that I very much prioritize and make sure

there's some good balance there.

It's, um, it's very difficult to balance that, especially with,

uh, hyperfocus, you know- For sure … to get a lot of things.

I'm not, um, I don't, uh, I'm not gonna stop till it gets done.

You know, I don't have an off switch, and I think that's just

something about our cognition.

Yes.

Um, it's difficult to, um, you know, ba- take, take a, take the

long view, you know, or take the, the 40,000-foot view and back up and say,

okay, you know, I can… I don't, this doesn't necessarily have to be done today.

But, um, I feel like with, um, when I'm riding that dopamine train, there's

still that sense of ur-urgency, you know?

Um, it's hard to get off.

Oh,

this is good.

And also I think one of the things that makes it really hard to not

fully rely on it is I know I can get a lot of shit done during that time.

Right.

Like that first, especially like that first, if I'm working

on a new project, the first like month or so, I'm like, I could do

in a month what some people could probably take a year doing because

I know that I'll just be like, ugh.

But then, you know, then there comes the issue of because I'm so locked in here,

everything else falls to the wayside.

So there definitely does… I'm still learning like what does

it look like to both harness the hyperfocus and like use it as fuel,

but also not burn out super quickly.

Right.

Well, let me… How does that work in a, um, you know, obviously 'cause

you mentioned, you know, any of the, um, you know, fashion products that you guys

put out is, um, part of a team effort.

What does it look like for you when you are in one of those hyper-focused

tunnels and yet you're part of a team and you're working with allistic

minds that just can't keep up?

And how would you, how do you handle that, uh, type of professional latency

when you're like all, you know, way, way ahead and you're doing a year's

worth of work in a month and everyone else is doing a year's work of work, you

know, a year's worth of work in a year?

Girl.

Um, I think honestly one of the things has been like slow down a little bit.

It's like, okay, oof.

And something that I've also realized is prioritizing where it is that I wanna

give my fullest, fullest 100% energy.

Um, so for me, I'm always gonna give 100% in my resources, energy,

time, especially if it is something that I own, it's something that,

um, is kind of like my brain baby.

Um, with corporate obviously, since there are so many hands that touch it, you

do have to have much more open hands, especially when it comes to creativity

and design because it's not just what you want that matters at the end of the day.

Like, there are still targets that you have to hit number-wise.

There are still, um, plans that you have to hit.

You still have to, um, communicate with different vendors and make sure

things are on cost and things like that, which can all impact design.

So I think in those situations, a lot of it has been slowing down for

me a little bit, looking around, and also just assessing, like, who's on

the team 'cause not everyone wants to be an innovator, not everyone

wants to be pushing things forward.

Some people just wanna show up and do their job, you know,

which is absolutely fine.

But I found that I definitely am a bit of a disruptor, definitely an innovator.

So I definitely try and find, um, other people who kinda have that same spirit,

who are always looking to see, like, okay, we have this thing, it's working,

but it probably could be working better, so how can we get it up to speed to

where it's working at a better place, which then gives us creative time back?

Which, which designer doesn't love more creative time, you know?

Right.

Um, and it's, it's funny how they work 'cause, uh, you know,

water always seeks its own level, and we always find our people.

You know, you're always gonna find whoever's, uh, you know, on your frequency

or at the same, uh- Exactly … same vibe.

You know, we always find it.

Okay.

Well, let me ask you this as a, um, you know, and I s- you know, you can

tailor your answer because I understand you have, you know, a career, and I

know-- I'm not trying to get you in trouble with your bosses or anything.

Mm-hmm.

But do you… W- how do you deal with friction when you are in a situation

where you're coming in, um, from a love of design and creativity, and the

company you work for is coming in with a love of, you know, making money?

Obviously, they only are gonna back designs that are gonna sell.

Mm-hmm.

H-how do you, how do you navigate that friction?

I mean, a lot of it is just conversation, communication,

and curiosity, honestly.

Um, 'cause at the end of the day, like for fashion, it is a business, so you do have

to take into account the business portion.

But also we have to take into account that especially when it

comes to women's fashion, like women want things that are new.

They want some trend.

They want things that will make sense for them and for their life

and for the things that they do.

Um, so I'm always gonna lead with that.

I'm like, even if it's like, okay, we have to make X cost and we have to cut this,

I am always going to put the customer first, um, in how I design anyway, even

if we do have different constraints.

So usually that just looks like prioritizing, okay, like what is the

best thing we can do in this situation where we can meet obviously like

the cost requirements, the business plan requirements, but also create

something that is a great product and that she actually would want

to spend her hard-earned money on.

Because that is a lot to ask for something that is not Like necessary for life.

You know, this is a tertiary purchase.

It's not something you absolutely have to have.

So I personally wanna make it worthwhile.

If you're going to spend money on something, I want it to be something

that is cute, something that you like, something that's comfortable, something

that makes sense for your life, and that you actually feel like you have

value from it, because there's a lot of things in this world that want

us to give our money to you know?

Right.

Yeah.

So, um, I do try and be very mindful of that.

Pockets is a big one for me.

I, I despise when women don't have pockets.

So very, very, very rarely do I ever design anything without pockets.

It, it's one of the things I love about, um, like like anytime, um, any

woman with a, with a … If I say, "I love your dress," they always say, "Oh, hi.

Oh, it has pockets." And then they show you.

Exactly.

It's always like they do it.

Is that the selling point?

It's

just like

pockets on dresses.

That's the selling

point.

It's

like, it's such a, um, that, that's so funny.

I, I love that.

And you, and you as a designer, you understand.

I mean, someone, 'cause they started designing dresses with pockets, so

designer somewhere, somewhere along the line was like, "Hey, we need, we

need pockets," which is fantastic.

Wonderful.

All right.

Well, let me … So I understand you, um, you design for plus size women, you know,

among a lot of other, other, other things.

Yeah.

Uh, what does it actually take to do that well?

Um, like what parts of the craft do people who are outside

of the work never get to see?

Mm-hmm.

I think a lot of that is understanding the customer, um, which I talked a

little bit about that earlier, but you can't really make clothes for someone

that you don't understand, you know?

So if you don't understand like what she does in her free time, how she

likes to spend her weekends, what kind of like hikes she likes to do,

or the kind of media she likes to consume, 'cause all of that really

does affect the clothes that you wear.

Um, and I think a lot of that work is what helps make good products.

'Cause at the end of the day, there are lots of people making lots of

things, but there aren't as many people making things that people

actually need and specifically want.

Um, so I think that's a huge, huge, huge thing for me in making sure that

whatever we're designing, we're asking like, okay, what is the intent of this?

Well, how is she using this in her life?

Is this something, is this a pant that she's wearing to work?

Is it something that's versatile that she can wear to a baby

shower and then wear to the park?

Like what is she actually doing?

How is she moving?

And then based on that, what does she need in her clothing to be able to do that?

Um, so it's definitely a lot of that.

A lot of- A lot of psychology, honestly, which I personally really love.

Um, and I've done a whole deep dive into UX and doing, um,

des- UX design and research.

That was one of my little side quests that I did.

Side quests, all right.

Yeah.

But that really, I think, informed my fashion design as well

because it really taught me how to prioritize the user and how to remove

barriers and constraints so that we can actually give the user something

that they want, something that they can easily find, easily wear.

Um, yeah, because like I said, there's a lot of things in the world that

there's excess in a lot of things.

So if we're gonna be making things, let's try and make things that have purpose

and, um, yeah, can be used mindfully.

How would you, um, I, I, a thought occurs, like if you are designing a piece

of clothing, like, do you look at it as, uh, something that would be versatile

that they could use for multiple things?

Like not necessarily for work if it's like a nice, you know, blazer or

something they can wear to a, um, you know, social function or different

things, or if they have a, um, you know, like weekend clothing, you're

right, that's a whole other thing.

I mean, someone can be a lawyer, you know, Monday through Friday,

and they're riding a Harley from, you know, Saturday to Sunday.

They're out, you know, leather chaps, whatever.

So with, uh, so, so with that in mind, like how, uh, like how

do you determine how versatile a piece of clothing's gonna be?

I mean, a lot of that is not just determined by the designers

but also determined by a lot of like merchants and planners who kind

of oversee the more business part.

Um, at least where I am currently, the business is very split between

more casual and more refined.

Um, so it's usually like a good kind of mix between the two.

But what is interesting though is seeing how much culture and what's going on

in the world affects fashion and other industries because even since COVID, like

pre-COVID, like the work pant was like a huge thing, and then COVID happened.

Everyone was inside.

Everyone was inside wearing elasticated pants for a year.

And it, it was kind of tough to get back to more structured pants 'cause we all got

used to wearing stretchy, comfy clothing.

Um, so seeing how that impacted the, the industry and how that

ef- affected like the types of clothings people would shop for.

Even with Bridgerton.

When Bridgerton came out, corsets were everywhere.

You couldn't go anywhere without seeing a corset just because of how much that

media has invaded life in general.

So it is always interesting seeing how the world around us

also impacts these things too.

I just had to Google what Bridgerton is.

Okay, I see now.

All right.

Sorry, I'm, I'm, I'm a sci-fi guy.

I have no idea.

I'm like, "Okay, is this one of those costume things?" So no,

that's really, that's awesome.

Um, this kind of, this kind of, uh, reminds me of, um, you remember

that time in like the late, um, '90s when everyone got really into

swing music for like six months?

Yeah.

Um, and everybody had like zoot suits and shit.

Like, that was everywhere, and then it disappeared, like gone.

Um, but it's kinda one of those trends.

So when it, um, like when you see things like this that is either, um, influenced

by media or, um, you know, some trend that's going on, uh, what does that

look like beyond the, behind the scenes?

Are you guys trying to, um, you know, get on it while it's,

you know, happening quickly?

Or how… I mean, it just seems like if you come up with a design and you're

gonna make a clothing line and start, you know, distributing it and selling

it, um, that's a multi-step process.

Um, and in 2026, we have, you know, fads and trends, like,

pop in and out so quickly.

How do you guys keep up with that?

I mean, part of it is you don't and you can't and probably shouldn't.

But, um, it really is a balance.

So for me in like freelance work, for example, I think, um, in the things

that I've done, it's definitely been observing some of the trends, seeing

like what's happening right now, what are things that are emerging that may

be happening in the future, and kind of taking all of that information.

It is a lot of research, honestly, and understanding the market,

understanding what people are wanting.

Um, but the research part usually comes first.

Sometimes you'll be-- there'll be a portion where you can test things as well.

So you'll have like a small portion of the assortment where you can say, "Okay,

let's see if there's appetite for this."

So we'll just do small quantities, put it online, see if people are

liking it, and that can usually give some great information too.

Um, but there's definitely a lot of work that goes into it, and

then there's even depending on category too, because different

category trends move differently.

Like activewear, for instance, the trends tend to move a lot slower

than something like dresses.

Dresses, it's like every season there's like a new kind of it dress that pops up,

whereas activewear it might be maybe it's a color that you see throughout the year,

but the silhouettes are kind of the same.

So it's, it's definitely a little bit of everything for sure.

Well, I guess like I, I mean there's…

You say activewear and I immediately think about like tracksuits, but

there's only, you know, if something works, it's gonna work, you know?

Um- Yeah … you can put whatever designs on it, but it's like

people wear activewear to, you know, be active, not necessarily,

um, um, you know, be fashionable.

But I understand that this is, you know, you could do both.

Um- For sure.

Well, let me ask you this.

With, um, you know, 'cause obviously as, you know, someone with, on,

on, you know, with neurodivergence, um, you're gonna have a high degree

of, uh, creative intuition when it comes to things like this.

Uh, how do you reconcile that when you're at work?

When you're in the middle of something, you know, um, 'cause we have like

this innate ability to be able to peek around the corner a little bit, um,

call with our, you know, predictive risk mapping, whatever you wanna do.

Um, how do you handle that when you are, you know, in the midst and you

see something, something's about to happen and the other people on

your team just don't, you know, they don't recognize the pattern yet?

Yeah, that can be tough, 'cause I feel like neurodivergent

people can find themselves in that situation a lot, whether it's at

work or in personal life or whatever.

Um, but it's definitely hard to be in that situation.

Um, when I've previously been in that situation, I think I've tried a

bunch of different things, honestly.

I've tried doing nothing.

I've tried trying to like blow the horn of like, "Okay, guys, maybe we shouldn't

do this. Maybe let's do this instead." Um, and then also kind of in between.

But I'm definitely someone who's much more prone to say something

and at least bubble it up of like, "Hey, these are the concerns I have.

This is why I have those concerns.

What do you think?" And sometimes they're like, "No, I don't think

that's a concern." I'm like, "Okay." And sometimes like, "Oh, that is

a… That's a good point, actually.

I don't think we thought about that." Um, but I will say, I think the environment

definitely matters, because if you're in an environment where that kind of

conversation is championed and that's something that, um, is sought after,

then those environments, you tend to have much more success in having those

kinds of conversation than if it was an environment where Maybe it's hard to have,

like, those open lines of communication.

I agree.

Um, I think a lot of it is, um, and, and we're starting to see this trend,

um, it get a little easier as more and more neurodivergent professionals are

entering the workspace- Mm-hmm … uh, where especially leadership management

is a little more, um, educated and aware of neurodivergent cognition.

Um, and they're able to, um, you know, keep that line of communication open.

Um, and it wa- it wasn't always this way.

Um, and it's difficult to, uh, overcome that, especially if you're dealing

with a lot of egos are involved.

Mm-hmm.

Um, you know, 'cause people, you know, it, it's just one of these quirks of life that

people will forgive you for being wrong.

They won't forgive you for being right.

Mm-hmm.

And, you know, if you're right about something, and then it comes out

that you were right the whole time, and you were ta- you know, talking

to your boss about it and say, "Hey, if we don't do this, this is gonna

happen." And then, oh, no, consequences.

Um, and then they look at you like it's, you know, like you're

the asshole, and it's like-

"Well, I tried to tell you, but you didn't do it." But they would get, you know,

almost a sense of resentment about it.

Um, and thankfully, like, you know, like I said, it's getting better.

It's just, I understand what you mean by, um, you have to choose your battles, and

it's- Mm-hmm … it does take a lot of trial and error, and a lot of times we

don't have a lot of runway for the error.

Mm-hmm.

And that's the part that can be really tough.

So I definitely understand why people fall on all ends because it really, it

is so specific to the circumstances.

Um, like it could be a particular boss that's challenging where you

have to navigate, like, how do we communicate through that, you know?

Or it might be a great environment where you can bring all these

things up and it's, everyone's pretty open and receptive.

Um, but I think for me, regardless of the situation I'm in, I will always

lead with a collaborative spirit.

Like, I'm not here to make people's lives hard.

Like, I want to do this to make our lives easier.

So let's see if we can come to some solution where we can all

get what we need, you know?

Absolutely.

Um, so that's always the attitude I'm gonna come at it with, which

has helped a lot for sure, 'cause I think if you come in and you're not

like, "This is wrong, this is bad."

Right.

You know?

People are much more receptive to, "Hey, here's a thing that I see that might cause

us a lot of extra work in the future. We could do this thing now that would

prevent that happening. While it might be a little sucky now, think about how much

time we'd save on the back end." Right.

Right.

But that can be hard though sometimes because it's hard to- put in the

work sight unseen to then get the result.

A lot of times people wanna see what it's going to be, what the result will be

immediately, which can definitely be like a barrier to, like, moving things forward.

It's so funny 'cause it's, uh, there's always this, um, friction between

allistic people and neurodivergent people when it comes to… Like, I do

not understand the neurotypical obsession with, um, methods over results, um,

'cause we're very, like any neurodivergent person is very results coded.

Of course.

And, uh, allistic people are just, they want the methods.

Yes.

And, um, I can understand 'cause you said at the start of, you know, the

start of this episode where, um, you like to get your systems in place.

It sh- you know, saves some moves down the road.

Um, it makes sense to you.

You know, you got it all worked out in your brain.

Um, but now you have to explain that process in a way that the

neurotypical mind can easily digest it.

Um, and that's where, you know, it takes a, a lot more communication.

For sure.

For sure.

And it's not always easy.

Right.

Right.

Um-

Yeah

… James: it's, um, but you know, we're getting, I, I like, I like

to think that we're getting a lot, uh, getting a lot better with it-

For sure

as we, um, as we go on.

Okay.

So, um, uh, some, some of the things you, um, talk about, you know, you

understand with, um, you've always said that, like the, uh, heart of your work

is the people work, creating spaces where people can feel seen, heard clear.

Um, can you walk us through what that actually means to you?

Yes.

Which is funny 'cause some of this actually came from the Generalist

World event that we met at, um, where we were talking about our

unique skill stack of like, okay, we all do a lot of different things.

What are, what is the heart of all of that?

And after conversation with you, other people, um, on our table and some

reflection as well, I realized that that was really the heart of it all, was the

making people feel seen, heard, clear, um, allowing people to be themselves.

I think whether, and if it's the things I'm actually making or just

our interaction as I'm making that thing, I think that is something that

I bring to pretty much everything I do, regardless of if that's, like, at

the forefront of my mind, you know?

Um, so I really do think that the, the meaning making part, 'cause at the end

of the day it's like, it's clothes.

Right.

Like, they're clothes.

It's not like changing the world or doing anything crazy like that.

But I do appreciate that I can bring all of myself to that.

I can bring my an- analytical mind, I can bring my curious mind and use that to

basically impact the work that I'm doing, that will impact people that buy it.

So even though it's something that someone might not think of that much

when they just, like, pick it up at the store and try on, it's like, "Oh,

this is cute," and it's like that went through hundreds of hands, you know?

Um, and I really appreciate being able to put in the thought upfront so that

someone can just pick it up, put it on, it works, it's great, and they

don't really have to think about that.

Um, so I think that's definitely a through line for all of my work, whether

it be fashion, whether it be music.

Music is a big thing for me as well.

Like, that thread of people feeling seen and heard, I think music is one

of the most beautiful ways that you can express a full range of emotions.

And also, sometimes people say things in songs that you felt and you've

never been able to put words to, and I think that is something that's

really, really powerful, being able to, um, kind of say that thing out

loud that a lot of people have thought, that a lot of people feel seen by.

Right.

It's all- That is, it's like you listen to a song and you get,

like, goosebumps or something.

Mm-hmm.

It touches you, you know, where it kinda affects you on a level.

Exactly.

It's just really, um, I, I, I really enjoy moments like those.

Um, one thing I did wanna ask you about is the, um… So with, um, you

know, with neurodivergence, dealing with both, um, systems thinking

and creativity thinking, okay?

And, uh, you know, science would have, like, right left brain and

obviously analytical creative.

Um, and you seem to mesh it together pretty well, you know, finding that

common thread as far as helping, helping people be seen, um, and seeing these

projects, you know, come to fruition.

Um, what does that look like for you, um, to be successful?

And this kinda touches on what you were talking about earlier as far as

when, um, you know, in a different job situation, what you need to be successful.

What does success look like for you?

Mm. See, I feel like this is a question that I'm probably gonna

be asking myself forever, 'cause the answer will probably change

depending on what's happening in life.

Um, but for me-

Okay.

We'll tell you what, Dar- I'll tell you what, um, we'll, I will book you

again for one year from today, okay?

Okay.

We'll, uh, we'll come back, right?

Okay.

We'll re- we'll revisit.

We-- But, all right, so today, as of, um, you know, May 25th, 2026- … what

does success look like for you?

Right now, it is definitely, um, the ability to create with purpose,

um, and being able to create with people in mind, whether that be

through fashion, through, um, creative direction, art direction and music

spaces, whether it be through my client work with brides and things like that.

I think that is definitely what success is.

It doesn't have to be this, like, big flashy thing of like,

oh, all these people recognize.

I think for me, that one-on-one, especially anytime where I can, um,

see the impact is always honestly the best, even if it's just in passing

or whether it's I'm literally sitting right in front of s- of how my

work has af- affected other people.

Um, I think that is definitely a huge thing that I, um, realize

drives how I think about success.

Like the impact of how it, how it touches people, how it helps people, how it…

Maybe it's really just that this is the thing that they put on that is comfy.

They know it works, and they can just throw it on and go out the house, and they

don't have to check themselves, you know?

But to give that little extra layer of ease, um, to me, that's

definitely success for sure.

It's f- it's fantastic.

So it's like more of a one-on-one, um, you know, you get, you get the one-on-one,

like, feedback or just that you, um, c- can make an impact on a person.

Um, it's measurable instead of just throwing out a, you know, a clothing line.

And I guess you could see your impact when it comes to, like, sales metrics

and, you know, you designed a shirt that sold, like, you know, X amount,

and that's one form of success.

But it's-- I, I feel like that would be, um, uh, you might be a

l- inoculated against that a little bit from, uh, you know, insulated,

that's the word, insulated from feeling that, um, as opposed to,

like, one-on-one with a client.

So I can understand.

Mm-hmm.

Um, so when you are, um, so, so when you have your, uh, system side and

your creativity side, I'll pull-- both pulling in the same direction, um,

how does that actually work together?

Together?

Definitely has been trial and error, but I think where I'm at now, they

definitely feel much more hand in hand.

Um, so I typically, I will always lead with creative first.

Um, I'm much, definitely much more of like a big picture thinker, like overarching

how do all the pieces fit together.

Um, so I always lead with that, and I think that helps me kind of set the

direction, the pace that I want to go.

And then it's a moment of, okay, we have this great idea.

We have all these things that we can make, whether it be like a podcast I'm launching

or a lingerie line, whatever it may be.

Um, so but then it's like, okay, what do I actually need to support that?

What do I need to make that happen?

And that's where it's like rubber hits the road.

What can I set up that will make this easier for me?

'Cause if I already know my brain and I already know that starting things

is really hard, like actually just the first step is often the hardest.

So if I already know that about my brain, I'm going to make sure that

the barrier to entry is as small as it can possibly be, because that

is something that is a kindness to myself, 'cause I already know that

that's something that's hard, you know?

So why would I make it harder?

Like, let me try and make it easier on myself.

But it definitely takes time.

I've definitely made a system, abandoned the system, made a new

one, abandoned it, made a new one.

Right.

And

I think I just, at this point, I'm like, that's how my brain works.

That's part of the process.

So instead of trying to tell myself like, "Oh, well, you just need to

figure it out," or like, "You just need to pick something," I'm like,

"No, this is just part of my process.

I know this is how my brain works, so I'm just gonna incorporate that into the plan

as much as I can and give myself space so that if I am learning or discovering

things that do help or don't help, I can adjust and keep moving forward."

I love that.

Um, and I like how you, um, phrase that as far as like, um, you know,

starting being a kindness to yourself.

Mm-hmm.

Um, because it's like I have fallen victim to my own analysis paralysis

so many times- Mm-hmm … where it's, um, you know, so much is up, you know,

up in my head, and it's just, I… A- and the reason is, is, um, you

know, with my ADHD side, it's, uh, th- this level of like perfectionism.

Mm-hmm.

And it's, uh… O- one of the biggest lessons I've had to learn is,

uh, giving myself permission to fail

Yep.

It's, you know, 'cause it's really, you know, it's hard to do.

We live in this world, uh, especially like in Western society where it

is, you know, it's either, you know, uh, what did Ricky Bobby say?

You know, if you ain't first, you're last.

Mm-hmm.

So u- unless you can be perfect right out of the gate, um,

it's this level of expectation.

Um, but it's an unrealistic expectation.

Mm-hmm.

You

know?

And it's really, um… So I have to like give myself, you know, permission to fail.

Okay, so if this doesn't work out, it's, you know, we got out and we did it.

You know, we tried something.

Exactly.

Exactly.

And it's, it's part of the process, and if we know it's part of the

process, let's expect it to be part of the process, give our space.

Um, but the mental hump can be very large, 'cause it's very, very, very

easy to get stuck up here in your brain in like the thinking and the planning

and the analysis of it all without actually just making the first move

to bring it into the world, you know?

It's, I, I, I get it.

Um, all right, well, let me ask you something else about, uh,

so with the creative process.

It's, um, I, you know, as a writer, I struggle sometimes to, uh, to be done.

Uh, I like to tinker, you know?

And especially when it comes to writing, it's like I change this,

this phrase, this one there.

There's like a lot of little, little things that can be adjusted.

Um, what does that look like for fashion design?

Because I know that as a creative you're gonna have your urge to tinker,

you know, um, and get in there.

What, what does that look like for you, and how do you know when enough's enough?

Mm. You know, when I find the answer to that fully, I'll let you know.

Great.

' Dara: Cause I think it's very hard sometimes, 'cause like you said, it's

like- For me, I always wanna do more.

I always end up wanting to do more.

Even something as simple as my nails, 'cause I do my own nails, and I'm

always like, "Oh, I'm gonna do a cute little simple set," and then three

hours later there are jewels everywhere.

It has 3D flowers and I'm just like, "Well." But, um, I think

a lot of it has to do with whatever the initial intent was.

So if I'm like, okay, my intent is to bring this image to life, so say I

sketched a, a wedding dress for someone, and my intent is to bring that image to

real life, I'm not gonna stop until I feel like the intent has been completed.

But when it gets to a place where it's like I'm looking at what I've created,

I'm looking at the original intent, and I'm like, okay, it's, it's the same.

We're in the same place.

I think that's when I'm like, okay, we can put pencils down.

It can be done.

Um, but I think with other things it's definitely harder.

With garments there's definitely, like, a very visible, like, doneness usually where

you get to a point and it's like, okay, there's not really much else I could do

anyway if I wanted to, so it's, it's done.

But I think it's definitely harder with, um, things like graphic

design, things like brand direction.

Um, even this past art direction that I had done for, um, this new music,

um, kind of experience, an intimate music experience called June's Room,

and I was one of the people that was helping bring this to life visually.

And working with the founder, Mercedes, we had a lot, a lot of images back and forth.

A lot of images back and forth, a lot of iterations.

I probably made maybe, like, 15 different versions of the final poster

and had to really, really narrow down, like, okay, which one w- do we really

feel like is hitting the intent?

Um, but again, the intent is definitely, I think, the thing that helps me

circle in on is the, is it done or not?

Because if you have a clear intent, I think that definitely helps illuminate

when we can put pencils down.

But even then, especially with events and things like that, oof,

that is tough, 'cause there's always something you can add.

There's always something you can do.

Right.

It's

hard.

So even then, like, I definitely do wanna make sure that even if there is something

I can do- It doesn't always need that extra thing, and sometimes you just

have to trust the original vision and trust that what you have done is enough.

And that can be really, really hard when it doesn't-- Sometimes

it might not feel like it's enough, but it actually is, you know?

Um, so sometimes it really is just trusting yourself

in that I did a good job.

I can put the pencils down.

I don't have to keep reworking it over and over and over again.

It's great, you know?

Um, so definitely giving myself that affirmation sometimes too.

Right.

It's obv- it, it's hard sometimes because it's, um, uh, you know, obviously I

don't, obviously I don't do my nails or anything, but I can, uh, I, I can

recognize the trait of being a maximizer.

That's funny.

And, um, you know, I wanna take it.

And it's like, and I, I could get, uh, and I'll second-guess

myself even with good work.

I'll be like, "Yeah, I did a good job, but did I do a great job?

Can this be great?

Can this be greater?

Can it-- Did I do the greatest job?" Sure.

Um, and it's really difficult because again, uh, with that focus tunnel,

I don't come with an off switch.

Mm-hmm.

And it's really, um… I think it takes a lot of self-awareness

and knowing, um, y- you know, having, having faith in yourself.

Definitely.

You know, trusting yourself to be able to do it.

Um, 'cause it's, uh, what do they, what, what's the phrase?

Like continuous improvement via improvement.

Um, you know, we're always, like, looking for ways to improve, obviously.

You know, in all aspects we wanna get better, we wanna get more efficient,

we wanna have better productivity.

Sure.

Um, uh, but you can get to a point where it's too much

Exactly.

Now it's 1:06.

All right, so I, I wanna, uh, switch gears a little bit.

Let's go back to talking about, um, you know, neurodivergence

in the professional world.

And obviously, um, with, um, you know, my podcast, I talk about what I call applied

neurodivergence, which is our, um, you know, leveraging neurodivergent cognition.

We talked about it a little bit with your systems, uh, you know, your systems

thinking, your, um, ability to take a, take an idea, and then navigate through

everything and how to get it to fruition.

Um, what's been the hardest part of navigating your professional

world as a neurodivergent person?

Mm. I, I think the hardest part, honestly, was that I didn't know I

was neurodivergent when I entered.

Um, so once I started working, um, in corporate America and started

become- as a fashion designer, I didn't know I was neurodivergent.

So that was definitely the hard part of like, sometimes I felt like I was

so capable, I had so much capacity, and sometimes I felt like I had zero.

Um, so trying to understand like what that crazy back and forth was,

was definitely really, really hard.

Um, but I think as I began to learn more about ADHD, understand

that I had ADHD, and also just try and help myself essentially, and

that now I know this information, how can I better support myself?

How can I set myself up for success, essentially?

Um, and that made a huge difference, I think, in the way that I was able

to navigate that space because I was able to You can't always change,

like, the spaces that you're in.

Obviously, yes, you can impact and change can always be made,

but more often than not, the space that you're in is gonna change you

more than you changing that space.

Um, so I definitely have to figure out the balance of what do I

need to do to make sure I'm good?

What do I need to make sure that my needs are being met, that I'm

able to do this work sustainably?

Um, as well as, like, are there things that I can help, um, kind of push

forward in the space where I know that's something I'm always gonna do

regardless of the space that I'm in.

Um, 'cause I'm like, if I'm gonna do it for me, it'll be easier for me, odds

are it would help other people as well.

So I will always try and, like, push to get the most collective action

possible, but also while understanding that often takes time, um, that takes

people too, and you can't put all of that responsibility on your back

as one singular person, you know?

So it's definitely a balance of taking care of yourself, understanding your

environment, and doing what it is that you need to do to make sure

that you're gonna be okay, you know?

Absolutely.

Um, I think that's important to realize that there is, um, you know,

what you can and cannot control.

Mm-hmm.

And it's, uh, something because I realize there's zero control over people,

places, and things, you know, full stop.

Um, but I can control, uh, you know, my attention, my attitude, and my actions.

Mm-hmm.

You know, ultimately my agency.

That's something we can't, you know, we can control.

Um, so it is… You know, so I've always had to struggle with, um, you know,

maintaining my, uh, you know, looking at the bright side of things, um, as far as

where my attention is, uh, 'cause that's gonna dictate my attitude, how I feel

about the room that I'm in, and ultimately that's gonna dictate the action.

So, and it sounds like you have a really, really good handle on it.

Um, so let me ask you, what does, uh, like do you still mask, uh,

since, you know, post-diagnosis and living, you know, finally realizing

that you are neurodivergent?

Do you find yourself living the, uh, neurodivergent life authentically?

Um, I think definitely much more authentically than I ever have.

There are definitely still moments where I'm figuring out the balance of

like, okay, how much do I wanna show?

How much of that do I want to be, um, at the forefront?

But I'm also just a very open person in general, so I'm like, I'm not really

great at like compartmentalizing anyway.

Yeah.

So I'm like, I pretty much show up the way that I am, um, everywhere.

And even if it isn't something that is like explicitly disclosed, 'cause

some places I've worked, I have officially, some places I haven't,

um, it is definitely something that I lead in, even in with interviews.

When I got this current job, I was very mindful of how I was presenting

myself 'cause I was like, I'm not gonna present myself as someone who's gonna

like come early and stay late every day and is ugh, 'cause I'm like, that's

not realistic and that's not who I am.

So I was very clear on like, if you provide these conditions,

this is the work that you'll get.

Um, and I found that to be really, really helpful in just being upfront

about how it is that I work, the things that help me succeed, 'cause I'm like,

if you set me up, I'm a huge asset.

There's a lot of things I can do.

I can do them a lot faster than most other people at a super high quality.

Um, so that's something that I've definitely learned to show as a

strength because it is a strength.

Obviously, yeah, there's the parts of ADHD where you're banging your head

against the wall sometimes 'cause you're like, "This is a simple thing.

Why is it so hard?"

Like…

But it's a both/and, you know?

Great.

Uh, well, what's something that you wish like managers, colleagues,

industry, um, under- at large understood about people like us?

Honestly, just be direct.

Just be direct.

I think it's really, really hard sometimes being neurodivergent and

trying to understand, like, some of the office politics and, like, the

things that people don't actually say but are, like, silent rules.

I think those can be really, really hard to navigate sometimes.

Um, so I am always like, if we can make things explicit, if they could

be clear, if they can be written down, I am always, always, always going

to advocate for that because I think that helps not just neurodivergent

people, but honestly everyone.

Right.

It's, uh… People don't… It's, uh, difficult to get

a straight answer sometimes-

Mm-hmm

um, you know, for whatever reason.

All right.

Well, um, if… Let, let me ask you this, okay?

If there's a younger neurodivergent creative listening right now, trying

to figure out if there's a place for them or in this kind of work

or just for them, what's something that you would want them to hear?

Hmm.

I think the biggest thing would definitely be that it's okay to like

to do lots of different things, and there's nothing wrong with you for

liking to do lots of different things, and that that is actually a really cool

strength that not a lot of people have.

Um, I think so much of the world and so much of kind of like holistic

thought is very much you have to pick a lane, you have to do it your

whole life, and if you don't do that, like, are you even successful?

Like, what's … And I just don't believe in that at all.

Um, I think honestly the most interesting people have the most unexpected,

crazy life path where they're like, "Oh, I've done a little bit of this

and a little bit of that, a little bit of this." Um, and I think that is

something that should be embraced, and it shouldn't be something that is like

a cause for shame or anything like that.

I think it's something that should really be celebrated because there

are so many innovations in the world that we all benefit from that come

from neurodivergent brains, and it's because that's how we think.

Um, so I would just let them know welcome to the club.

It's really fun over here.

There are some great people.

Right.

Well, welcome to the island.

We have cookies.

Yes.

Right.

We have the best cookies.

Okay.

Uh, so what is one thing that you would want the fashion industry at large to

know?

I think something I'd want the fashion industry at large to know is

We need to prioritize the people

Um, and I don't think that's something the fashion industry doesn't know, but

it's very easy to get into profits over people instead of people over profits.

And obviously, it being an inherently capitalistic business

of like, "Okay, well, I'm making this thing so you can buy.

Come buy my thing." Um, since that's already the nature, I'm always like,

we need to make sure that we are prioritizing the people, and that we

are giving them value and giving them things that they actually want instead of

just taking their money and giving them some BS, 'cause a lot of people do that.

Right.

Well, give them what they… Yeah, take their money, but give them pockets.

Exactly.

So I'm like, if we're going to ask people to spend their hard-earned

money, let's give them something that is actually worth that.

Um, so I think that would definitely be my, my word to the industry, for sure.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Uh, we're, we're just about out of time.

Um, Dara, where can people find you and your work?

Yeah.

So you can find me, uh, at my website, www.darathedesigner.com.

You can see a lot of my work there.

If you have different things, projects where you need a designer, whether

it be fashion design, creative design and direction, or graphic,

um, all of my stuff is on there.

You can also find me on LinkedIn at Dara Broadus, and then also

on Instagram @becoming.dara.

Okay.

And I'll put all the links in the show notes for everyone.

Awesome.

Um, all right, Dara, thank you so much again for coming on.

Um, and thank you again.

Oh, of course.

It's been

a pleasure.

Okay, everyone.

Thank you for listening to another episode of The Sight Side, and

we'll see everyone again on Thursday with another fantastic episode