Author: Matt

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Do people with dyslexia make the best storytellers? 

There are many strengths which come with dyslexia. One of the more common strengths is our ability to effectively communicate and our typical way of doing that is through the medium of storytelling. 

Storytelling might come in the form of explaining complex concepts at work, or in the form of telling a joke to friends. 

Many people with dyslexia take storytelling to the next level by applying it to writing a book. There are many famous dyslexic authors such as Agatha Christie and WB Yeats. Today we can ad our guest Kirsty Heap to the list! 

In this episode, Matthew Head welcomes back Kirsty Heap, who shares her journey from HR professional to dyslexia coach and now children’s book author. 

Kirsty discusses the challenges of balancing her growing business with family life, her experiences in coaching, and the inspiration behind her upcoming children’s book, ‘Silent Snow’.

Kirsty emphasises the importance of creativity in storytelling and aims to create a stress-free reading experience for parents and children, particularly those with dyslexia. 

In this conversation, Kirsty Heap discusses her journey of creating a children’s book titled ‘Silent Snow’, focusing on the storytelling process through illustrations. She shares insights on how to build narratives from images, the challenges of publishing, and the importance of embracing creativity and vulnerability. Kirsty also highlights her strategies for promoting the book and her plans for future projects, emphasising the significance of collaboration and support in her creative endeavors.

In a world where children have more access that ever before to media such as YouTube, Netflix, Disney and social media, the importance of imagination and storytelling for young children is greater now more than ever before. Imagination and storytelling within young children can build bonds and relationships as well as develop new neurotransmitters in the brain demonstrating that storytelling and use of their imagination helps to build happy and healthy brains. 

Dyslexic Strength:

• Story Telling

Key Topics:

• Kirsty Heap has transitioned from HR to dyslexia coaching.
• She is writing a children’s book to help with reading challenges.
• Balancing work and family is a continuous challenge for her.
• Kirsty emphasises the importance of organic growth in her business.
• She passed her coaching qualification exam on the first attempt.
• Coaching neurodiverse individuals requires a different approach.
• Kirsty uses storytelling to address real-life issues faced by children.
• Her children’s book aims to empower both parents and children.
• Illustrations in her book are detailed and carefully planned.
• Kirsty believes in nurturing creativity from a young age. The storyteller has the freedom to interpret illustrations in various ways.
• Kirsty can create extended narratives from a limited number of images.
• The book aims to have international appeal due to its lack of text.
• Incorporating unique elements in illustrations can spark curiosity in children.
• Self-publishing was chosen after facing multiple rejections from traditional publishers.
• Kirsty found support from a publisher who understood her vision.
• The creative process flourished after leaving a corporate job.
• Embracing vulnerability is essential when sharing creative work.
• Testing the book’s concept with neurodivergent individuals provided reassurance.
• Promoting the book involves leveraging personal connections and professional help.

Selected Links

• Order Silent Snow
  • Book – paperback
  • Ebook

Chapters – 

00:00 Introduction to Kirsty Heap’s Journey

02:56 Balancing Business and Family Life

05:33 Coaching Experience and Challenges

10:40 The Birth of a Children’s Book

19:04 Creating a Unique Storytelling Experience

22:24 The Art of Storytelling Through Illustrations

25:39 Creating a Narrative from Images

29:46 The Journey to Publication

34:26 Embracing Creativity and Vulnerability

39:51 Promoting the Book and Future Plans

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Could this be the ‘cure’ for Dyslexia?

Do you know what is going on inside your dyslexic brain? Until you listen to this episode… you have no clue! 

In this episode Matthew Head meets with the brilliant Dr. Robert Melillo from New York, USA as they discuss how understanding the brain’s neuroanatomy and how if is different in dyslexic brains from neurotypical brains, is the key to understanding how to get the most out of our brains and practically eliminate the challenges of dyslexia whilst keep all the strengths!

Dr. Robert is one of the most respected specialists in childhood neurological disorders in America, and he has been helping children overcome learning disabilities for over 30 years. 

Dr. Melillo helps adults and children with various learning disabilities. He is focused on addressing the primary issue in most learning disabilities and behavioural disorders which is known as a functional disconnection. Since he introduced this concept, functional disconnection has become one of the leading theories in the world related to Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and more. This work is leading the way toward understanding the underlying nature of these disorders and their causes.

Dr. Robert Melillo is the creator of the ‘Melillo Method’, his holistic approach to treating patients with a broad spectrum of brain related disorders.  The ‘Melillo Method’ is used to identify brain imbalances and treat many symptoms of mental, attention, behavioural, and learning disorders in patients of all ages. This revolutionary approach is paired with diet and nutritional counselling and lifestyle modification to help promote brain and body balance,  effectively correcting the underlying problems common to the entire spectrum of seemingly disparate childhood or adult neurological dysfunctions.

In this episode, Dr. Melillo shares how his research in this topic started when his children started to show signs of dyslexia, autism,  and ADHD. Wanting to know, ‘dad mode’ kicked in and Robert read every book on the subject and, over a 10 year period, wrote his own book about these disorders and his research into the concept around brain imbalances. 

Dr. Robert Melillo is a bestselling author of many books in the dyslexia and ADHD space which are all well worth a read for parents and educators wanting to support their dyslexic children.

Be prepared to think about dyslexia in a completely new way and see it from a new perspective, and maybe, find a new way of navigating the challenges and lean into your dyslexic strengths. 

Dyslexic Hack:

• do what you find fun and interesting 

Key Topics:

• The neuroanatomy of a dyslexic brain. 
• imbalances between the left and right sides of the brain and the link to Dyslexia and ADHD,
• How diet is a key factor if affecting the challenges of dyslexia,

Selected Links – 

• Dr. Melillo’s
  • Website
  • YouTube 
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram  
• Dr. Melillo’s books on Amazon
• Neuroplasticity

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What if it was possible to beat dyslexia?

Maybe Neuro Linguistic Programming can help?

In this episode, host Matthew Head sits down with Lou Barnes as they explore how Lou’s experience as a teacher led her to seeking alternative ways to help children (and adults) with dyslexia.

As a primary school teacher for 20 years, Lou loved teaching, being in a classroom, and watching children flourish. 

However, Lou always met children who simply couldn’t get to grips with reading, writing and spelling branded as ‘lazy’ or ‘naughty’. Not satisfied with this narrative and accepting that these children were lost causes, Lou knew there had to be a reason for their behaviour.

Lou shares how, even after praise for hard work and highlighting their strengths, these children who have been left behind, still called themselves ‘stupid’, thick or ‘rubbish’ which simply wasn’t true.

Lou believed that something had to change because the current system wasn’t helping.

After trying all sorts of different approaches to teaching children with dyslexia, and other neurodiversities, Lou came across Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and became instantly fascinated. Lou decides to delve deeper into NLP seeing the potential this could have for people with dyslexia.

Lou then spent the next few years training in NLP and incorporating what she had learnt into her lessons. The impact for children with dyslexia was so profound that she decided to take it full time and leave full time teaching.

So what is NLP? And how might it help me with my Dyslexia? 

Listen to this episode and see if NLP can help you!

Dyslexic Hack:

• Keep trying different things until you find what works for you.

Key Topics:

• Neuro Linguistic Programming,
• Problems with education system for people with dyslexia,
• Seeking alternative teaching methods for people with dyslexia 

Keywords

• Neuro Linguistic Programming
• Dyslexia 
• Dyslexic
• Teaching 

Selected Links

• Lou’s
  • LinkedIn
  • Website

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“Life was dance, and dance was life…”

Telling your story of life with dyslexia isn’t always expressed through the written word. 

Our guest in this episode, Aakash Odedra, shares his experience of the challenges with dyslexia through dance. 

In Aakash’s currently touring production ‘Little Murmur’, he shares his story of never fitting in at school, being cast aside by teachers and being moved from school to school, never finding his feet and never getting the support with the challenges of dyslexia. 

Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Aakash found school very challenging, dance became his outlet to fully express himself and enjoy his strengths of dyslexia.

Combining visual design and technology with dance and humour, Little Murmur explores the warped and exaggerated realities of living in a world you struggle to process. 

For Aakash, dance was his way of escaping into another world away from the challenges of his dyslexia. Today, ‘Little Murmur’ is his way to help others with dyslexia to see that they can, and have permission to lean into their dyslexic strengths and live a fulfilling life.

Aakash’s Dyslexic Life Hack is to ‘Just Dance’ which is a way of saying ‘do what you love’ which is a great lesson for everyone with dyslexia to learn.

Dyslexic Strength:

• Creativity 
• Big picture thinking 

Dyslexic Hack:

• Just dance!

Key Topics:

• Not being accepted and supported in education 
• Dancing to escape 
• Finding your rhythm with dyslexia 

Find Aakash at: 

• Website  
• YouTube 
• Link Tree

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35% of entrepreneurs have dyslexia. 

Up to 50% of people in prison have dyslexia.  

It’s clear that, for people with Dyslexia, the path between success and ending up on the wrong side of the law can be narrow. 

So what’s different between these groups of people and what’s the thing that sets them head on the right path? 

For entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author, Jamie Waller, it all comes down to the support from people in your early years of your life. 

Jamie is a serial entrepreneur and the author of the book ‘The Dyslexic Edge’.

Growing up in the west end of London, Jamie’s teachers had written him off from the start and didn’t give him the support he needed at school. 

If it hadn’t been as a result of a motorcycle display team and a supportive mother, Jamie believes he could have ended up in the wrong group of dyslexic people, being let down by society and living a life in prison.

Having been given the chance to join the Imps Motorcycle Display team with help from a supportive mum, Jamie turned his back on education and followed a life into entrepreneurship. 

Despite leaving school with no qualifications he started multiple businesses, became a multimillionaire in his twenties and featured in a prime-time TV show that followed him starting his first business.

The idea for the book ‘The Dyslexic Edge’ came from a conversation with one of the most famous dyslexics on earth, Sir Richard Branson during a cycle ride in early 2022. The Dyslexic Edge challenges the narrative that views dyslexia as a deficit or impediment to success, presenting compelling research and case studies from interviewing some of the worlds most successful dyslexics (Paul Orfelia, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne and Kelly Hoppen to name a few), to demonstrate quite the opposite. By delving into the lives and experiences of some of the best-known dyslexic minds worldwide, Jamie and Dr Helen Taylor highlight the distinct advantage that dyslexic thinking brings.

Jamie wants to change the perception of dyslexia and help everyone see the great value and strengths dyslexia has.

Dyslexic Strength:

• Grit
• Big picture thinking 
• Creative 

Dyslexic Hack:

• Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT)

Key Topics:

• Entrepreneurship
• Cast aside by school 
• Motorcycles 
• Sharing stories from those without a voice 

Selected Links

• Jameis’s
  • Website
  • LinkedIn
• Book – The Dyslexic Edge
• Book – Unsexy Business

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If you’re an adult just having been diagnosed with dyslexia, if you’re a parent whose child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, there is often a lot of confusion and questions that need answers. It can also feel so isolated and lonely.

Where do you turn? 

How do you know the advice you’re getting is legitimate? 

Who can you trust to talk to to seek answers? 

Our Guest in this episode of the podcast is that person who, as a person with dyslexia, has seen it all. He was written off at school and at work and through grit and determination and lots of self-belief, he completed a Masters Degree and went from a failing child in school to advising businesses how to grow. He managed this through leaning into his dyslexic strengths.

Our guest is the brilliant Philip Long!

Having his own success story with dyslexia, Philip wants to share his story so that no child can go through the trauma he did through school and early career. Now Philip shares this with the community he set up to ensure parents and children got all the support in the early days/weeks/months and years of a dyslexic diagnosis.

Philip has set-up a free dyslexic community ‘Success with Dyslexia’ as a safe space for parents, children and adults to come to get answers they desperately need by utilising the power of community to support one-another.

As well as offering support, Success with Dyslexia also contains resources and coaching so that everyone can find support in a way that works for them.

In this episode you will hear an inspiring story from being discarded by school and and discriminated at work, to achieving a masters degree, leaning into your dyslexic strengths, and creating a community to support other people with dyslexia!

Dyslexic Strength:

• Grit
• Entrepreneurial 
• Empathy/Listening 
• Communication 

Dyslexic Hack:

• Software and AI (Assistive Technology)

Key Topics:

• Struggling at School
• Bullying 
• Early days of a career and the discrimination 
• Getting a masters degree 
• Founding a dyslexic community 
• Helping others to thrive with dyslexia 

Keywords

• Dyslexia,  dyslexic, success, masters degree, 

Selected Links

• Find Philip at:
  • Skool
  • X
  • Youtube
  • Website

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7 Marathons, 7 Continents, in 7 Days! 

This is the World Marathon Challenge, the ultimate endurance running competition! 

Our guest in this episode, Jared Blank, shares with us his amazing journey with dyslexia and how running became his outlet for escaping and coping with the stress and challenges from dyslexia at school and college.

Jared completed the World Marathon Challenge in aid of raising awareness and money for Dyslexia charities. 

What goes into preparing for the ultimate running challenge? How does it work? And, Why would you do it!? Jared tells us all in this episode, and how he used his dyslexic strengths to complete the world’s hardest running challenge.

Jared was diagnosed with dyslexia aged 5. Like many people with dyslexia, Jared had that person in his corner backing him all the way. For Jared this was his mum! With this support, nothing stopped Jared from being able to achieve academically at school and university, achieving two masters degrees! 

Sports has always been a big part of Jared’s life and through his career he has worked with athletes and American Football teams. Today Jared is the Football Chief of Staff for University of Texas, Austin. Jared shares what this career entails and how he managed to find his way into an area he is passionate about.

Having completed the World Marathon Challenge, Jared shares his story around the globe to continue to support the dyslexic community and inspire young people struggling with dyslexia in demonstrating that EVERYTHING is possible if you work hard at it!

This is a story of true grit and determination, using strengths of dyslexia to complete the hardest running challenge in the world! 

Dyslexic Strength:

• Grit
• Empathy
• Pattern Recognition

Dyslexic Hack:

• Recognise the Opportunities within Dyslexia.

Key Topics:

• American Football – Working for an American Football team in the states
• International Dyslexia Community – Engaging with the community and rising awareness and money through running
• Running – Using running as an outlet for stress from school/work
• World Marathon Challenge – Training and running the World Marathon Challenge, 7 marathons, in 7 continents, in 7 days. 

Selected Links

• Find Jared at:
  • Website
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
• His Book – Running The Distance
• World Marathon Challenge

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Have you ever been on a ‘digital detox’? Do you think you could do it? Would you know what to do?

Well, in this episode of the podcast, Host Matthew Head is joined by Neil Jones, a coach from Lincoln, UK.

Neil has had a varied career over his life and has spent some of that living abroad in Switzerland. 

Throughout Neil’s career, Neil has become specialised in Mental Health, and more so Mental Fitness, describing mental fitness as something you do with intention so that you don’t have to treat the symptoms of mental health by preventing them occurring in the first place. 

More recently, Neil has started coaching people in Digital Detox helping people to break away from a dopamine fuelled connection to our smart devices. 

Neil tells us about the time he was diagnosed with dyslexia (though it wasn’t called that back then!) and at the time was told to keep it secret so as not to get bullied about it. Though that didn’t stop the bullying! To cope with the vigorous bullying, Neil found an outlet through Judo and learning about Japanese culture, which introduced him into the concept, and life long love, for meditation. 

Neil is a Psychologist and a Chartered HR professional with extensive experience of industry and commerce. Currently assisting companies serious about Mental Health to make the right changes to improve the mental health of their staff as well as boost the bottom line.

If you want to know more Mental Health/Mental Fitness, or a Digital Detox, this is the episode for you!

Dyslexic Strength:

• Pattern recognition,
• Empathy 

Dyslexic Hack:

• Mind Mapping

Key Topics:

• Mental Health and Mental Fitness Coaching,
• Digital Detox,
• Judo and Japanese culture. 

Selected Links

• LinkedIn
• Zen mediation
• REM Sleep
• Flow State
• Colin McRae
• 8 – Track radio
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• The Dyslexic Advantage
  • The book – Amazon – Audible
  • Episode with one of the authors