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The Gift of Dyslexia: Entrepreneurship

Many dyslexics are entrepreneurs. In Fact, a survey found that 35% of businesses owners in the U.K and the U.S were dyslexic. Dyslexics are creative thinkers and can adapt easily. These traits are made for entrepreneurship. Just ask Richard Branson, Tiffany Sunday or Theo Paphitis. They all contribute their success to their dyslexia. Many dyslexics are called thick and are told they will never amount to anything but that couldn't father from the truth. They have an average or even above average I.Q. Their brains are wired differently which doesn't equate to being dumb.
Theo Paphitis is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Britan. While dyslexia is difficult Paphitis said he drove him to find solutions to any given problem. This is a great skill not just in life but in running a business. Paphitis contributes his success to his dyslexia so much that he said he wouldn't be successful without it. Dyslexia gave him the confidence to tackle anything.
Tiffany Sunday also sees dyslexia as a gift. Sunday was always looking for solutions in school to keep up with her classmates. Every word that she has ever written or typed she has memorized through a unique system she created. Because of finding constant solutions for her dyslexia she is a great entrepreneur. She believes dyslexics' brains are wired for entrepreneurship although not everyone believed she could do it. All her life she has heard "you can't do that," even today. The can't do's gave her the confidence to prove them wrong. She wants dyslexics to focus on the can do's. Dyslexics can do so much as long as they put their minds to it.
Richard Branson also believes dyslexia makes him a better businessman because dyslexia taught him how to delegate. Branson knows his weaknesses as a dyslexic, so he delegates those weaknesses to other people. He has said this frees up his time to expand his brand. This is how the Virgin brand has gotten so big. While he struggled in school he used his dyslexia to succeed.
So, we know many dyslexics are successful entrepreneurs, but why? Research shows that dyslexics develop coping strategies to compensate for their dyslexia. This helps later in life and gives them the resilience required to run a business. While many dyslexics are entrepreneurs they are very few in higher management. This is because they tend to have a different management style that is perfect for startups where their creativity can shine instead of being stifled.
In conclusion, dyslexics are creative thinkers that are built for entrepreneurship. Dyslexics have a hard time reading but they are not dumb. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence as some of the greatest minds have had it. It is a constant challenge, but it is this challenge that makes dyslexics successful. Own your strengths and use them to your advantage while delegating your weaknesses. Don't fixate on the things you can't do and focus on the things you can do!





Information from this article was taken from these websites:
http://fortune.com/2015/10/15/richard-branson-dyslexia/
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/18/businessman-theo-paphitis-on-dyslexia-and-his-career.html
http://brainblogger.com/2018/06/20/are-dyslexics-more-entrepreneurial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAGyHpggMQY

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