Aidy Smith, The Three Drinkers, and The Evening Standard

Title: Journalist and TV Presenter

Location: Wapping, London, United Kingdom

Years in the Industry:
I’ve been writing about drinks for about 10 years, but began helping out at my family's winery from the age of about 20, so got hands on pretty from a fairly young age! I was a child actor with a show on ITV throughout my childhood, but after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, I was ostracized and instantly had that career robbed of me due to the stigmas of the disability. That said, I’ve never accepted ’no’ for an answer when it’s unjust. So I dared to dream and four years ago took back the career I’d wanted to pursue my entire life. It was time. 
 
My Top Three Challenges to Wellness:

1. Focus, trying to remove the daily distractions of technology to get on with the task at hand.

2. Allowing my body to rest.We all too often keep plugging away and don’t give our brain and bodies the time they need to re-charge.

3. Having Tourette syndrome, I encounter various hurdles the vast majority of the population doesn’t. While many people think TS is a ’swearing disability’ (it’s not and only 10% of those with TS swear; it’s called coprolalia), there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. The tics are just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve managed to train myself and contain my tics over the years, but that comes with a price. It’s exhausting and draining. Not to mention the lack of sleep when I’ve had a restless or stressful day. Trying to run two companies while dealing with this is... a challenge, shall we say. But with perseverance we get through.

How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
Boundaries. We’re going to work ourselves silly sometimes. It’s the nature of growing a business from scratch or pursuing something we love. The trick is balancing it out with other things that bring us a different kind of happiness where we can unwind and relax as well. Disconnect yourself every now and again to let your batteries re-charge and let your mind wander. That’s where your true creativity will unfold. 
 
What Inspires Me:
For every hardship we go through, we learn. For every tear we shed, negative experience we have or sad situation we find ourselves in, we must always realize that our emotional intelligence and cultural awareness are growing exponentially. Never dwell and mope, always look onwards and upwards. My childhood was rife with bullying, stigma and discrimination. I was made to feel worthless and like I’d never achieve anything. But I’ve never let that hold me back. I look at my disability not as a weakness, but as a superpower. It will never hold me back and only ever inspire me to be the very best that I can be. 

A Quote I Love:
The best things in life are always unseen. That’s why we close our eyes when we kiss, cry and dream. – Helen Keller 
 
You can connect with Aidy online at www.aidysmith.com and Instagram @Sypped and Twitter @Sypped