About

About Me

Melissa Smith is the sole owner, content creator, habit coach, and occasional programmer at DataSmithing. I use my talents and experience in problem solving, productivity, and my own neurodivergent lived experience to coach my clients to maximize their potential while minimizing friction. That’s productivity-speak for “stop being perpetually frustrated because you can’t seem to succeed at your life’s passion without burning out.”

But I am not a proponent of toxic productivity or positivity. Instead, my mission is to help you find joy and happiness in life by pursuing your strengths and your interests, by find out which strategies work for you and which ones just result in you tripping up again and again. Willpower isn't the answer. Together, we'll adjust your approach and your environment.

My Neurodivergence

My autism means that I'm wired to be direct, open, and honest. That means I won't shroud my message in euphemisms, and I'll dive right into getting to know you and the problems you face. My experience of life as neurodivergent – with others making it abundantly clear that I march to a different beat – means that I’m compassionate about your vulnerabilities and perceived shortcomings. Finally, I am intensely curious, and both problem solving and lateral thinking are my super powers. No issue is too niche or too mundane for us to troubleshoot together.

My ADHD means that I’ve been studying productivity and neuroscience forever, trying to figure out what makes human brains tick (including my own) and figuring out how to compensate for my own struggles with concentration, executive functioning, motivation, and anxiety. It also means I read and study across a wide field of topics, so I can bring analogies and articles that are meaningful to your situation.

I believe we are all innately pretty dang great. But we struggle and stumble when we try to be someone we're not, try to use methods that fit someone who is wildly different from us, or have an environment that actively or passively conspires against us. In addition to helping you identify strategies and modifications for your environment, I’ll understand your strengths and super powers to help you navigate, outsource, and delegate issues and tasks that are your kryptonite, not just so you can be more productive, but so you can be happier and less stressed. I’ve lived a life full of trying to be someone that I”m not. I fiercely believe I can help my clients escape similar traps.