How my learning disability helped turn me into an entrepreneur

My learning disability and childhood gave me the strength to leap into becoming an entrepreneur a little bit faster. Read on to learn more about what learning disabilities are and how I used them to take such a leap.

What are Learning Disabilities?

Learning disabilities affect a person's ability to comprehend, use spoken or written language, perform calculations, or maintain concentration. My learning disability meant that I had to go through a special education program or IEP. When you don't meet those criteria to continue school, that's when the learning disability conversation comes into play.

I had my IEP until I was in high school. At that time, I wanted to remove my IEP from my learning situation and my file because this was something that I put a lot of pride in myself. I remember the shame behind having a learning disability was very hard for me to bear.

Most of the time, I was the only girl in the learning disability room amongst my classmates, so it was hard for me growing up. Some of my classes were separate from my other classmates, so I struggled to make friends and develop social skills, which affected my life.

The Turning Point

I got into college. For the first time in my life, I saw that an institution believed in me without my IEP. I used to have an advantage like extra time on my test, or even having someone sit in on my test and read the test to me out loud. Looking back, I probably might have benefited from an IEP, but it was a pride thing. I started to believe in myself, and it gave me this fire under my tush.

What This Means for You

Certain situations are thrown in front of you as you go through life. I see my colleagues who tackle them head-on, and they're successful doing them. These challenges lie in front of us, and many of us can overcome these challenges. But have we ever sat down and thought about the road that got us there?

Are you able to look back and say, "Wow, that made me feel bad when I didn't get that job, but I ended up getting this job, and it was such a better fit for me?" As you reflect on the story, how has it shaped you as an entrepreneur and who you want to be? These are also known as brand values, and you might want to encompass this brand because having a personal brand is important.

What do you want people to think about when your brand pops into their heads? With this learning disability, I want them to feel healthy and feel important, and feel appreciated all the time. 

I'm all about reassuring and helping people get there. Instead of saying no, we always follow up with a way that we can help you fix that or things that might help you ease that problem.

I learned more about people and how to approach people through writing. I have incorporated all those skills into what we do at Meraki Media. When you are working in a profitable field and you see your client being successful, it makes you feel successful too. And that's our biggest passion!

As I look back on learning disability, I could focus on the journey that got me here, in the end, that’s what the mind is all about.

If you want to know more about how I tackle this topic, just listen here.