What It’s Like Living and Working with Severe Dyslexia
This edition of the Real McCoy is deeply personal. I want to talk about something I live with every day — severe dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but for those of us who live with it, it’s more than just mixing up letters or struggling to spell. It affects how we process written information entirely. Growing up, I was sent to a behavioural school because of my learning difficulties — and to be honest, I just never “got it.” I couldn’t make sense of things the way others did.
Even now, as an adult and business owner, I still can’t spell properly. I’m not ashamed of that — it’s just the way my brain works. But I’ve learned that it also gives me strengths that are hard to teach: problem-solving, creativity, and the ability to see things from completely different angles. I approach business challenges differently. I spot solutions that others don’t. That’s my edge.
When I first started RMG, I was just a man in a van with a paper diary. My wife Nikki would tell you — no one could understand a word in that thing. It was scribbled in my own version of spelling. To anyone else, it was nonsense. But to me, it made sense in my own way. Still, trying to remember addresses, job details, and materials I’d written down — that was a nightmare. It wasn’t until technology caught up that things started to click for me.
Voice-to-text has been a game-changer. It’s allowed me to express myself clearly without having to write in the traditional way. For the first time, I can get my thoughts down without feeling like I’m constantly hitting a wall. It’s given me the confidence to run my business in my own way — and it works.
I often think: if I’d had today’s technology when I was younger, I might not have developed the skills I’ve now mastered out of necessity. Not having what I needed forced me to find other ways. And I wouldn’t change that.
There are people out there who feel embarrassed about being dyslexic. If that’s you — please don’t be. It’s not a weakness. It’s just a difference. And that difference could be your greatest strength.
Some of the most successful people in the world are dyslexic. Just look at these names:
Richard Branson – Founder of the Virgin Group
Steven Spielberg – Legendary film director
Jamie Oliver – Celebrity chef and entrepreneur
Whoopi Goldberg – Actor and activist
Albert Einstein – Theoretical physicist (believed to have been dyslexic)
These names prove that dyslexia doesn’t limit your potential. It just means your journey will be a bit different — and that’s not a bad thing.
Next time, I’ll be sharing a follow-up article about living and working with severe ADHD — another condition I know all too well. But for now, this one’s for all the dyslexics out there. You’re not alone, and your brain is brilliant — just in a different way.
Stay real,
Daryl Cooke
Director, RMG Roofing & Solar
For more information about Dyslexia and Dyslexic thinking, please visit Made by Dyslexia website https://www.madebydyslexia.org/ . Made by dyslexia are a global charity with the goal of recognising the brilliance of dyslexic thinking and empowering individuals with dyslexia while teaching others to embrace a way of thinking that is different from there own.
