Unleash the Dragon! (Speech-to-text)

In this podcast episode, Elizabeth Takyi shares her inspiring journey from a traumatic childhood in Ghana, where she was penalized for poor spelling and experienced the cane in the classroom, leading to feelings of inadequacy. After moving to the UK for secondary education and facing disassociation with schooling, she eventually left an abusive relationship.

Determined to prove her worth, Elizabeth enrolled in a college HR course but faced initial failure. It was only later that she discovered her Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, leading to a search for answers in the pre-Google era. With college support and assistive technology, she excelled in subsequent years.

With newfound confidence, Elizabeth founded “Aspire2 Inspire,” offering support to dyslexic business owners and others. She now serves as a neurobox ambassador, raising awareness about dyslexia and intersectionality. Despite being a single mother of three, Elizabeth continues to inspire through her resilience.

Key topics covered include childhood trauma, leaving an abusive relationship, discovering and overcoming dyslexia, supporting dyslexic entrepreneurs, navigating job searches with dyslexia, and finding one’s sense of belonging.

Entrepreneur and author Jamie Waller believes that early support is crucial for people with dyslexia, impacting whether they achieve success or fall into adversity. Dyslexia affects 35% of entrepreneurs and up to 50% of prisoners, highlighting the narrow path between success and failure for many. Jamie, author of *The Dyslexic Edge*, shares his story of overcoming a challenging childhood in London, where his teachers gave up on him. With the help of a supportive mother and joining the Imps Motorcycle Display team, Jamie found his way to entrepreneurship, becoming a multimillionaire by his twenties. His book explores how dyslexia can be a strength, showcasing interviews with successful dyslexics like Sir Richard Branson, Theo Paphitis, and Kelly Hoppen. Jamie aims to shift perceptions, demonstrating how dyslexic thinking can offer a distinct advantage in life and business.