Unstoppable: How Harriet Hadfield Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society With Tourette’s and OCD
An interview with Kelly Reeves
Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean it’s who you are. It’s something you have, it is something you experience but it definitely doesn’t define you.
As a part of our “Unstoppable” series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Harriet Hadfield.
Harriet Hadfield is a huge A-list celebrity makeup artist (IE Olivia Rodrigo), Youtuber, and business coach. Tired of the starving artist narrative and the common misconception that freelance goes hand in hand with sacrifice, Harry made it her mission to empower creative freelancers with the tools & strategies to step into the CEO role in their business, book celebrity clients and global brands without needing an agent, and without relying on word of mouth. Alongside co-creating an award winning beauty Podcast ‘Full Coverage’ with over 1 million + downloads, and a YouTube channel ‘Harry Makes It Up’ with over 4.5 million views then Harry went on to start her own Podcast ‘Freelance With Freedom’ in 2021. Harriet also has Tourettes and OCD, but has still learned to have a highly successful business with a neurodivergent brain.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is really an honor. Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I started out as an A-List celebrity makeup artist where I was serving clients like Olivia Rodrigo I was then tired of the starving artist narrative I heard so many of my peers saying. I had learned how to truly be a CEO and see myself as a business owner, not just at the whim of the industry. It then became my mission to show other freelancers how to step into this role while building top clients and brands, even if they did not have an agent. I stepped into business coaching where I showed the ropes to my peers in the industry in how they could have this success too. I then went on to co-create an award-winning podcast called Full Coverage with over 1 million downloads and featured in Elle and Marie Claire. Next, I started a YouTube channel ‘Harry Makes It Up’ with over 4.5 million views then I went on to start her own Podcast ‘Freelance With Freedom’ in 2021. The unique part about me is I have Tourettes and OCD, but I have still learned to have a highly successful business with a neurodivergent brain.
Do you feel comfortable sharing with us the story surrounding how you became disabled or became ill?
I was diagnosed with Tourette’s and OCD around age 24. As a child, I always felt like the odd one out. I thought I was weird, but I didn’t have the understanding of the terminology that I do now to describe my beautiful brain. In the 90s and early 00’s discussions around mental health were nowhere near as openly discussed as they are now, so I also had to deal with the stigma around mental health.
What mental shift did you make to not let that “stop you”?
My neurodivergent brain truly is my superpower. Yes, I had therapy and I now take medication, but I’ve learned to work with my brain instead of using it against myself.
Can you tell our readers about the accomplishments you have been able to make despite your disability or illness?
I have made multiple 6 figures in my business, was on a list of celebrity makeup artists, have a top-ranked podcast, and a successful youtube channel and I am making an impact in my industry.
What advice would you give to other people who have disabilities or limitations?
Honor who you are. Love yourself unconditionally and while there may be challenges and it might look different from what you thought, don’t let anyone make you believe you can’t do something you feel called to do.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
So when it comes to someone who supported me, I definitely would say my husband he was with me in the very early years of our relationship yeah into being together was actually when I got diagnosed with OCD and Tourettes. His unwavering support really was life-changing I think to see that I’m lovable and people love and care about me and want to be there with me.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I really have! I encourage others with a neurodivergent brain that they can do these things too. I also am impacting them by not just keeping my skills to myself but really teaching the industry how they can build their business.
Can you share “5 things I wish people understood or knew about people with physical limitations” and why?
1 . Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean it’s who you are. It’s something you have, it is something you experience but it definitely doesn’t define you.
2. The second thing I wish people knew is that no matter what they see or experience, there is a person whose disability may be new to them. They may be just figuring out how to navigate the world with this disability so patience will always be the most supportive thing and really thinking about how can you support a person versus giving advice.
3. The third thing I would say is to always see the person, not the disability and really honor who they are.
4. When we talk about diversity that does mean seeing disabled people in our campaigns. It should mean as well that if we want everyone to feel included then it should be disabled bodies as well as bodies that we see on our screens on social media, on TV and publications, and on billboards. I think the brands have a huge part to play and I would like to see that be more commonplace versus I think sometimes it can feel like tokenism rather than actually genuine.
5. For anyone who has a disability really considering that you don’t owe anyone an explanation you get to decide whether or not you want to answer questions about it or explain it when someone has a question and you also don’t have to explain it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?
My favorite life lesson quote is it’s better to be a first rate version of yourself than the second version of someone else and anything that can be imagined as possible
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂
If there was someone I would want to read this who I would absolutely love to be my on my own podcast I would love to take him for dinner and have a chat with him, it is Lewis Capaldi because the way I’ve seen him navigate his Tourette’s in a very public setting has been so inspiring and I just love how much his personality comes through. He’s a beautiful person so I would love to have a chat with him. I’m grateful he exists and for the conversations he’s having, I especially admire him putting his mental health first being able to cancel the tour to put his mental health first is super inspiring.
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Kelly Reeves is a published writer, copy editor, speaker, and certified entrepreneurship and personal growth coach. She is passionate about working with entrepreneurs and executives over 50 to help them discover their life’s purpose, unlock their full potential, and thrive in the second half of life. As an award-winning public relations professional with multi-industry knowledge Kelly worked with global brands, startups and media personalities including the Tony Hawk Foundation, Barrett-Jackson, Targus, Kingston, WD, and Howard Stern. Kelly successfully launched a variety of consumer electronics and B2B brands and executed highly successful PR and social media campaigns. With an average track record of generating more than 50 million media impressions on a monthly basis, she placed clients in leading media outlets such as InStyle, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNet, TechCrunch, AllThingsD and Mashable; and landed spots on high profile programs such as Extra, the Today Show, ABC News, CNN and Good Morning America. She also played an integral role in helping clients increase sales revenue by over 350%. Her community service includes mentoring students in the Masters of Entrepreneurship Program at the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. She also mentors students in the College of Communications at California State University, Fullerton. Kelly serves as the Co-Founder and President of Paw Prints in the Sand Animal Rescue, a 501c3 animal welfare organization where she oversees the operations, donor relations, and marketing and PR strategy.
Unstoppable: How Harriet Hadfield Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society With Tourette’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.