Monday, August 2, 2010

Entrepreneurship Despite Learning Difficulties

There are many people that have overcome their learning difficulties and impediments to become very successful. Examples include Dick Smith and Richard Branson.

Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith is best known for the Dick Smith electronics store but also is known for his brand of Australian made produce. As a child, he was considered different by others and thought to never finish school. He also had a speech impairment which once resulted in him being humiliated in the front of the class by the teacher. In 1968, Dick Smith opened his first electrical store with just with just $610. He later sold the store to Woolworths for $25 million.

Some famous people with speech impediments:

  • Bruce Willis
  • Tiger Woods
  • Julia Roberts
  • Rowan Atkinson
  • Sam Neill
  • Elton John
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • James Stewart

Richard Branson from the UK is best known for his Virgin branded businesses. He has dyslexia. Just like Dick Smith, Richard Branson had difficulty at school and was embarrassed in front of the other students. His success in life began when he started a magazine for students with a friend. They then used the magazine to advertise their mail order record business. Richard Branson is now a billionaire controlling 150 different businesses.

Some famous people with Dyslexia are:

  • Pablo Picasso
  • Tom Cruise
  • Leonard Da Vinci
  • Thomas Edison
  • Jay Leno
  • Whoopi Goldberg
  • Hans Christian Anderson
  • Albert Einstein
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Orlando Bloom
  • Erin Brockovich
  • Cher
  • Jamie Oliver
  • Steve Jobs
  • Henry Ford

A common thread for successful entrepreneurs is that their skills were not recognised by others who instead focused on the impairment. This means that some people are thought by others to be dumb but really are smart. Entrepreneurs are able to get past obstacles through determination, taking risks and being innovative.

References (And More Info):