Building Strength Where Most People Can’t See It
How clarity about my mental health transformed the way I lead, build systems, and define success.
I always thought success was about grit, pushing harder, planning longer, and controlling every detail. What I didn’t understand for years was how much my internal world shaped the way I worked, led, and lived.
For much of my life, my symptoms were treated as depression and anxiety, but that never fully explained what I was experiencing. It wasn’t until later that I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). That diagnosis didn’t weaken me—it finally gave me clarity.
It didn’t put me in a box either. It gave me language for patterns I had lived with for decades. It helped me pursue treatment and support that finally fit, and it changed how I built relationships, routines, and leadership habits. Most importantly, it helped me stop fighting myself and start working with who I truly am.
Clarity Changes the Way You Lead
Once I understood what was really happening in my brain, everything began to shift. I learned how to recognize early signs of mood changes instead of being blindsided by them. I developed stronger coping mechanisms and healthier boundaries. My relationships improved. My decision-making became steadier.
Stability did not mean the absence of hard days. It meant having tools to navigate them without losing momentum or self-trust. That stability became the foundation for building a business that could grow without burning me out.
Structure as a Form of Freedom
If you ask my team how I operate, they will smile and tell you I have written SOPs for everything. Literally everything.
That is my OCPD showing up in the most practical way. My brain looks for order, predictability, and control—especially when things feel complex or uncertain. I can delegate, but only after I have documented exactly how something should be done. Writing it down creates clarity for me. It quiets the noise, reduces ambiguity, and gives complexity a clear path forward.
Over time, I’ve learned that this wiring does not have to be a limitation. When channeled intentionally, it creates strong systems, consistent quality, and shared expectations across the organization. What once might have felt like rigidity has become one of our greatest strengths.
Structure, for me, is not about control for control’s sake. It is about creating stability—for myself, for my team, and for the business I am building.
Showing Up Looks Different on Different Days
Living with Bipolar II means my energy is not always predictable. Some mornings I wake up energized and ready to tackle complex problems. Other days, simply getting out of bed requires real effort.
But I always get out of bed, go to my office, and get my work done.
That does not mean forcing myself through exhaustion or ignoring what my body and mind need. Sometimes it means rescheduling meetings. Sometimes it means narrowing my focus to what truly matters that day. Progress still happens, just not always on the same timeline.
Consistency, I have learned, is not about sameness. It is about commitment.
Redefining What Strong Leadership Looks Like
There is still an unspoken belief that strong leaders must be emotionally bulletproof, endlessly productive, and unaffected by internal struggle. That narrative leaves little room for humanity and even less room for honesty.
Living with mental illness has sharpened my awareness, deepened my empathy, and pushed me to lead with intention rather than autopilot. It has taught me how to build systems that support people, not just outcomes. It has taught me how to listen to myself and to others before problems become crises.
Strength, I have learned, is not the absence of struggle. It is the willingness to understand it, manage it, and keep moving forward with clarity and courage.
For the Woman Building Something While Carrying More Than Most Can See
If you are creating something meaningful while navigating mental health challenges, you are not behind. You are building with depth.
Your resilience is not always visible, but it is real. Your progress may look different, but it still counts. You are allowed to build systems that support you. You are allowed to adjust when your capacity shifts. You are allowed to succeed in ways that honor your whole self.
Some days you will move quickly. Some days you will move carefully. But every day, you will move forward.
