Disability as a Superpower with Lezlie Karls, CEO of Mid-Day Squares, on the VWS Pathfinders Podcast with Jenny Stojkovic

Summary

On this episode of the VWS Pathfinders Podcast, Jenny chats with Mid-Day Squares co-founder and CEO Lezlie Karls. Lezlie is the co-founder and CEO of Mid-Day Squares, whose functional chocolate bars offer the decadence of everyone's favorite treat with the health benefits of a protein bar.

Lezlie shares the rocky road that led to her founding Mid-Day Squares and the many failures that came with it. They delve into Lezlie's childhood, where she opens up about being an outcast and how the negativity she felt after being diagnosed with severe learning difficulties fuels her ambition. She shares her thoughts on her ADHD and how she has now turned it into her superpower.

Lezlie shares her thoughts on how to run an effective business and the turbulent nature of running a rapidly expanding company. She lets us in on her plans for the future, how she wants to be bigger than Nike and hopes to break into the public sphere and American market within a year.

This Podcast Covers

[0:36] Introduction

[02:08] What is Mid-Day Squares?

[03:22] Growing up and the origins of Mid-Day Squares

[16:11] Reflecting on childhood and mistakes

[17:14] The haters come crawling back

[18:32] Fighting for acknowledgment and 'White Dude' central

[20:48] The school system and turning disabilities into superpowers

[25:23] Staying focused and having a safe space

[26:68] Making ADHD work for you

[30:57] First pitch and paying dues

[34:58] Being a Canadian company and entering new markets

[39:00] Biggest mistake and finding the right team

[42:29] Phasing changes

[44:55] Mid-Day Squares's future

[48:20] Why does Mid-Day Squares matter?

Follow Mid-Day Squares on:

Website: https://www.middaysquares.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middaysquares
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaysquares

Follow VWS on:

VWS Newsletter: veganwomensummit.com/newsletter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/vegan-women-summit/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/veganwomensummit/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/veganwomensummit
Twitter: twitter.com/vegwomensummit

Quotes

"I was doing that 10 hours a day, 12 hours a day I realized that this career isn't for me, and that was really hard. That was a really hard realization."

"ADHD is my superpower. The ability to have a million thoughts is what makes me whacky what makes me be able to lead the creative team at Mid-Day Squares."

"I don't know how parents give Adderall to their children. My recommendation when people ask me is take a pill yourself and see how you feel and then identify if you want to give this to your child."