02/09/2026
In case you’re new here… hi, I’m Amanda, the heart behind Gather & Garnish!
Winter would typically be my “offseason,” but I’ve spent it hard at work optimizing systems and learning everything I can to improve my client experience. It’s tedious work, so for my sake and yours, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a bit about how I got here and what keeps me going.
Being a business owner is a dream I’ve carried since childhood. I’ve always been a problem solver, chaos coordinator, and dreamer, and Gather & Garnish has become the perfect combination of everything I love.
But the journey hasn’t been easy. My adulthood ADHD diagnosis gave me answers, but it also left me with a lot of questions. For years, I tried to force myself into boxes that didn’t quite fit and ended up burnt out and out of place. Eventually, I learned my ADHD traits didn’t have to hold me back. They could become my strengths. My creativity, my hyperfocus, and the way I think outside the box are now some of my greatest tools.
My hope is that, by openly sharing my ADHD journey, I can inspire hopeful entrepreneurs like me to break free from neurotypical molds that just don’t fit.
When the days are long and I’m up to my elbows in bookwork (oops 🙈), it’s my support system that keeps me going. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my parents, who have always encouraged my creativity (RIP to all of my paint-stained childhood clothes). My younger siblings, Aaron and Julia, have been my constant motivation to set a good example. Cheddar and Meatball, my cats, are always there for stress-relief cuddles (and keyboard sitting when my laptop interferes with those cuddles). And of course, I wouldn’t have had the courage to embark on this journey without my boyfriend, Ryan. He truly brings out the best in me, and building Gather & Garnish is a labor of love for our future. Plus, he’s GREAT at loading and unloading truckloads of supplies 😉
To all my friends and family: you’re the reason I keep showing up, pushing through hard days, and dreaming bigger than I ever thought I could.
Thank you for being here and supporting this journey. It means more than you know.