Ruth Danoff

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

Hi, I’m Ruth Danoff. I’m the founder of Arctic Undies, elevated cooling essentials for people who run hot, and the author of the memoir Holy ADHD: A Late Diagnosis, Loud Feelings and Divine Timing. I’m also building notRUTHless, a community and platform for late-diagnosed women navigating ADHD, menopause, and midlife reinvention.

I am originally from Norfolk, Virginia. I moved to Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area, where I spent much of my corporate career. I’m now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I’m focused full-time on building Arctic Undies and supporting other women who are starting over later in life.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

I love the sense of community in Raleigh. It’s a place where people are open to reinvention and new ideas, and it feels possible to build something meaningful while still having room for real life.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Arctic Undies is on a mission to create everyday underwear that actually helps people who run hot. We design pieces with better breathability, moisture management, and comfort in mind — so you can go through your day (and night) without that constant feeling of cling, dampness, or overheating.

It started from a very personal place. I’ve always run hot, and as I got older, especially through menopause and with ADHD, body temperature regulation became an even bigger challenge. I was tired of underwear that didn’t do anything to help — and in some cases made things worse. After years of frustration, I decided to do something about it. What began as a simple idea to create better, more comfortable underwear for people like me has grown into a product we’re now bringing to life.

For our customers, the goal is simple: help them feel cooler, drier, and more comfortable in their everyday lives. Whether it’s long workdays, hot nights, or just living in a body that runs warm, we want people to have one less thing working against them. Because life’s hot enough.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

Solve a problem you’ve actually lived. Arctic Undies started because I was tired of underwear that didn’t help people who run hot — especially through menopause and ADHD temperature swings. When the problem is personal, you stay clearer when things get messy.

Don’t try to do it all alone. I spent years powering through by myself. Now I’m deliberately looking for partners who are strong in operations and finance so I can stay focused on the creative side and the mission.

Be kind to yourself. Starting a business at 64 after a late ADHD diagnosis taught me that self-compassion is more useful than the old “power through at all costs” mindset. Progress isn’t linear.

And don’t wait for perfect. We’re launching on Kickstarter knowing the product will keep evolving. Getting something real in front of people who feel the same problem is more valuable than waiting until everything is polished.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

Because we’re still pre-launch, the feedback I’ve received so far has mostly come from friends, family, and early prototype conversations — and one comment has stayed with me. A woman in her early 60s who also runs hot said, “I didn’t realize how much energy I was spending just trying to feel comfortable in my own underwear until you described what you were making. The idea that something could actually help with that feels like a relief.”

It stuck with me because it wasn’t about the product features. It was about the quiet exhaustion of dealing with something so ordinary that most people don’t talk about. That’s exactly why I started Arctic Undies — to take one small but constant source of discomfort off people’s plates.

Where do you see your company in the future?

In the near term, I want Arctic Undies to successfully launch and prove that there’s real demand for everyday underwear designed for people who run hot. Our Kickstarter is the first big step toward that — getting the product into the hands of early supporters and learning from real feedback.

Longer term, I see Arctic Undies becoming a trusted name in temperature-regulating essentials. Not just for menopause or hot flashes, but for anyone who deals with body temperature dysregulation — whether from hormones, ADHD, medications, or simply how their body works. I want the brand to stay gender-inclusive and focused on comfort and practicality rather than trends.

Personally, I’d love to stay in the role of founder and creative lead — shaping the products, the story, and the community — while partnering with people who are strong in operations, finance, and logistics. The goal isn’t just to sell underwear. It’s to build something that quietly makes daily life a little more comfortable for people who have spent too long feeling overheated and overlooked.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that temperature regulation issues — especially in underwear — are only a women’s or menopause problem. For a long time, the conversation was framed that way, and a lot of products still are.

The reality is that plenty of people run hot for different reasons: hormones, ADHD, medications, medical conditions, or just how their body works. When we treat it as a niche women’s issue, we miss a much larger group of people who are dealing with the same discomfort every day and don’t have great options.

That’s one of the reasons Arctic Undies pivoted to be gender-inclusive. We’re designing for people who run hot, full stop. The problem is more common than the industry has traditionally acknowledged, and the solutions shouldn’t be limited by outdated assumptions about who needs them.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

One of my biggest struggles has been trying to do too much alone. For most of my career I operated with what I now call “ruthless armor” — over-delivering and powering through by myself. When I started Arctic Undies at 63, that same instinct kicked in. I was handling the product idea, branding, outreach, and strategy largely on my own while also navigating menopause, a late ADHD diagnosis, and the emotional weight of reinventing my life.

It worked until it didn’t. I eventually hit a point where I realized I was slowing the business down by trying to be good at everything. The way I’ve dealt with it is by getting clearer about what I’m actually best at — the vision, the story, and the creative direction — and actively looking for partners and co-founders who are stronger in operations, finance, and logistics. I’ve also had to practice something that doesn’t come naturally to me: asking for help earlier and being kinder to myself when progress feels slow.

Building this has forced me to unlearn the idea that doing it all alone is a strength. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s made the business healthier and me more sustainable.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Growing up, my favorite music artist was Luther Vandross. There was something about his voice — smooth, emotional, and completely captivating. I could listen to him for hours.

On the sports side, it wasn’t one athlete for me — it was a team. I was a big Washington Redskins fan back in the days when “the Hogs” ruled. That offensive line had such a presence, and watching that era of football was a lot of fun. Those were good years to be a fan.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

I’m grateful for the early believers in notRUTHless and Arctic Undies — the friends and family who have listened to me talk about underwear more than any reasonable person should have to, and who are showing up as we get ready to launch. Building something from scratch is a lot less lonely when you have people who genuinely want to see you succeed.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

@notRUTHlessADHD and @ArcticUndies on socials, www.ruthdanoff.com, www.arcticundies.com