“I was dyslexic, I had no understanding of schoolwork whatsoever. I certainly would have failed IQ tests.” ~ Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born on July 18, 1950, at Blackheath, London. His father was a barrister and his mother a flight attendant. His academic performance was poor. He was always interested in becoming an entrepreneur, so he dropped out of school at age 15, to start his first business…a magazine named Student. Listen to this interview in which he credits dyslexia with helping him.
He founded the Virgin Group in the 1970s. In 1984, he started Virgin Atlantic Airlines. In 2004, he founded spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic, based at Mojave Air and Space Port, for the SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane designed for space tourism. Today, his group controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Having faced a lifetime of failures, Branson noted, “I suppose the secret to bouncing back is not only to be unafraid of failures but to use them as motivational and learning tools.”
Branson learned he was dyslexic as an adult. In one of his many interviews, he counseled, “Never give up… Fight, fight, fight to survive.”
Talking about dreams, he says, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.”
Do you have a dream that scares you?
Have you asked your children (dyslexic and non-dyslexic) about their dream lately?
This is a great example Florence.
Thanks, Doug. There are many exceptional entrepreneurs who are dyslexic.
Thank you, Flo!!
I’m also born in 1950 and dyslexic! Fortunately, simply teased for my bad spelling, not beaten!! (Yikes!) And did well in school.
I didn’t realize till my daughter was diagnosed in the early 80s – ah! So that’s why, though I’m a voracious reader, spelling was not my super power! I am an artist, and love patterns! Would much rather pay a strategy game liks Peggity than one involving spelling like scrabble!
Thanks for stopping by, Nadya. Nice to meet you. My dyslexic daughter is also thrilled by patterns…sees them everywhere. As you may know, dyslexia has quite a variety of characteristics and runs on a spectrum from mild to severe. Regardless of where one falls, it’s always relieving to know why you’re struggling with things that seem simple to others.
That’s inspiring. So many people have challenges and perhaps reading about him will give them hope.
That is my intention for sharing his story. You hit the nail right on the head, Virginia. Thanks for stopping by.