Daniel Ortiz Is A Representation Of Strength And Perseverance
Explain to the readers who Daniel Ortiz is in a nutshell.
Daniel Ortiz is a very confident, outgoing, funny person. I’m also a very loveable, authentic person. Regardless of who I’m around, I’m always going to be myself. I never had to be something I wasn’t to receive validation or get along with somebody. If someone doesn’t like me, then that’s on them. With me staying true to who I am and having Christ as the source, I can get anything I want in this life.
At what age did you find out you had ADHD? How did this alter the direction of your life moving forward?
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was seven years old. My mom got me medicine to take, which was when I started understanding what I was dealing with. I thought I had a disease because of the medication I was taking. I took it for a year, and as opposed to the medicine calming me down, it gave me Tourette Syndrome, which I dealt with until high school. Once I got Tourette’s, I couldn’t take any more medicine, and I haven’t taken any since then.
There’s a stigma surrounding kids who have ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Specific labels such as hyper, disruptive, and unmanageable are usually attached to them in a public-school setting. Explain some specific challenges that you faced and how you were able to overcome them on your journey.
Once I stopped taking medicine, I had to stay focused in school. It wasn’t easy because I was being suspended, and I had to go to various meetings, but no matter what happened, my goals never wavered. I preserved through it all with the help of my mother.
My mom and I used to attend important meetings regarding my ADHD. The reason why she made me go is so I could tell my side of the story, which gave me a lot of confidence. Most of the time, I was the youngest person in the room with various teachers, principals, and other school officials. While my mom focused on the meeting aspect, all I had to focus on was passing my classes, which allowed me to graduate from high school.
Honestly, I was never given the resources I needed to go to the next level in school. But, I knew I had to keep God first and focus on the plan he had for me.
ADHD isn’t a disorder. For me, I renamed it ADHP (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Power) because having ADHD is a gift. People with ADHD are innovative, creative, and we make things happen. We operate the best when we’re under pressure. 70% of American CEO’s have ADHD! We’re superheroes in this society.
At 23 years old, you became a top salesman at Art Van (now called Loves Furniture and Mattresses) and a youth speaker. Describe the nuances of producing in two arenas at a high level.
Before working at Art Van, I got a landscaping job when I graduated from high school. At that time, I was pretty selfish and didn’t appreciate the opportunity I had in front of me. Looking back, I was depressed and experiencing a ton of anxiety because I was trying to find myself in the midst of it all. After I left the landscaping job, I started attending The Art Institute of Michigan, and I worked at Finish Line. After three months, I left college and ended up getting fired from three different jobs in 2017. I believe God took these jobs from me due to my selfishness, ego, and arrogance.
I started working for Art Van in 2018. This was my first introduction to Corporate America. My first year at Art Van wasn’t easy. I always had the gift of talking to people and selling items, but more importantly, I love connecting with people. Furniture is an item that’s going to be a person’s home for several years, so it was more than solely selling furniture for me. With the help of one of my mentors, he introduced me to leadership, and he understood that I had ADHD, which helped out a lot. He and I had the same mission while at Art Van, and he told me that he would help me make six-figures, which became a reality for me at the end of my first year.
Akin to the other opportunities that I received, God blessed me with my job at Art Van. I was making money, and I had great clients, but he had more in store for me. From my clients encouraging me to speak to changes that happened at Art Van, I decided to make the shift toward becoming a Youth Speaker.
When I started out, I reached out to my elementary, middle, and high school, and they all said no because I didn’t have any experience. In early 2020, I went to an event called “Young Moguls With A Plan,” hosted and created by Detroit’s own Chi Uwazurike, aka Lé Don. At this same event, I met Keyon Clinton who’s the owner of 1% Better Nation, amongst other things. He introduced me to Fair Consulting Group, spearheaded by training expert Shawn Fair. In April of 2020, I joined the Fair Consulting Group and received my first speaking engagement in September of 2020. Once I went to ministry school, I changed my title from a motivational speaker to a youth speaker because my sole focus is our generation’s youth.
Talk about your connection with God and how your faith has led you throughout the totality of your life.
A few years ago, I wasn’t strong in my faith at all due to my shortcomings. One day, I realized that I couldn’t do everything by myself, which led me to cry out to God and ask him for guidance, knowledge, and understanding. When this happened, my faith grew, I started reading the bible, and I haven’t been experiencing any anxiety, which accompanies ADHD. Even in ministry school, I had to read the bible, which I was initially afraid of. God has been revealing himself to me due to my dedication and faith in him.
What can we expect next from Daniel Ortiz?
I’ll be a guest speaker during the five-day virtual Comeback Champion Summit from February 16–20. I’ll also have a documentary coming out in March. In all things, I’m seeking out God for direction and believing in him with each step that I take.
If you want to learn more about Daniel Ortiz, CLICK HERE.
