Becoming an unstoppable entrepreneur How Dyslexic Thinking helped me create a drinks brand that's good for people and the planet

When I was 24, I used my different way of thinking to start a drinks brand with my good friend Jack that totally disrupted the market. This year alone we will sell 40 million cans across 20 international markets. But, for 12-year-old me, who struggled with school exams, it was a very different story. And that's because, like 20% of the population, I am dyslexic.

My co-founder Jack and I come from farming backgrounds. When we discovered that 40% of grown fruit and vegetables don't end up on consumers' plates, we couldn't believe that this much 'wonky' produce was being rejected and wasted by supermarkets. We also realised that most chilled drinks are stuffed full of sugary, artificial ingredients. And that's when we had our lightbulb moment: why not use the wonky fruit to create a delicious sparkling drink without sugar or sweetener? And that's how DASH Water was born.#

Here are some of the lessons I learned becoming the dyslexic-powered entrepreneur I am today (and how they could help other entrepreneurs too):

1. Embrace your vision

Dyslexics think differently and 84% of us are above average at imagining. We see the big picture, often spot solutions to problems that others don't see and are good at simplifying. That different way of thinking helped Jack and I imagine an alternative to unhealthy drinks and food waste that's gone on to capture 58% of the market. But it wasn't an easy journey. In the beginning, we realised that setting up the facilities to create a wonky fruit-infused canned drink would cost around £17 million. For some people, this is where they turn back, daunted by the road ahead and the challenge in front of them. So instead, we simplified things – started small, creating batches by infusing wonky fruit into vats of water in our kitchens, and offered tasters from a pop-up table in parks around London for three consecutive months so we could refine our products without significant upfront investment. As an entrepreneur, your courage and conviction will see you through, even if others can't visualise what you can. Trust in this.

2. Don't be afraid to seek support and build a network
I could visualise exactly where we wanted to get to with DASH, because of my dyslexic thinking skills, but needed support to realise this. We pitched our idea to Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Startup who loved it and provided both the funding and mentorship to get the business off the ground. If you're in the same boat, seek ou like minded people who believe in your mission and don't be afraid to seek support. Leading a startup can be incredibly lonely, but there are loads of us out there!

3. Tell a compelling story
When we first started doing pop-ups back in 2017, no one was talking about food waste. But it was this exact messaging that resonated with consumers. Dyslexic Thinkers are often great at connecting with others and telling compelling stories, so this helped me understand what mattered to our customers, when the big drinks brands didn't. Ensure your brand is aligned with a purpose and clear values, and share these publicly – this is what will build a loyal customer base and differentiate yourself from larger competitors. DASH is now a proud B-Corp and also a carbon neutral business. Disruptive brands are purpose-led brands!

4. Leverage your strengths and trust in your team
I was lucky enough to know from an early age that I am dyslexic, but 80% of people leave school without their dyslexia being identified. Not knowing you are dyslexic can lead to low self-esteem and confidence issues. Before my dyslexia was identified, I struggled with things like languages in school. I felt stupid and humiliated. As a perfectionist, trying to perfect exam results in a system designed to measure my weaknesses (like spelling and writing) was tricky. In the UK, 35% of dyslexics pass GCSEs in English and Maths, meaning 65% are labelled as failures, when in reality, they are struggling to succeed in a system that is not set up to help them harness their unique skills. In fact, Made By Dyslexia's own research found that only 1 in 10 teachers truly understands dyslexic strengths.

As I've got older, understanding the way my brain works helps me focus on the things I'm good at and employ other people to fill the gaps. I don't beat myself up over something I find challenging, I surround myself with individuals whose skills balance my own and have built a strong team who specialise in areas that I don't. Don't be afraid to be open about your weaknesses – this approach will strengthen your business strategy and is something many other entrepreneurs do, including Richard Branson (who, as an ambassador for the charity Made By Dyslexia, said: "I am blessed to have dyslexia").

5. Don't take no for an answer
Dyslexic Thinkers are natural changemakers because our determined minds often don't accept the status-quo, something entrepreneurs around the world have in common. I recently spoke to Dyslexic Thinking expert, Kate Griggs, on her podcast Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking, where she told me 40% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. It's a mind- blowing statistic, but given just how many Dyslexic Thinking traits lend themselves to successful entrepreneurship, it's actually not surprising at all.

As AI continues to change the way we learn and work, the skills we need are projected to change by 50% by 2030. In fact, the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2023 report found that Dyslexic Thinking skills (like imagining, visualising and communicating etc.) are a direct match for the top 5 sought-after skills in business. As an entrepreneur, recruiting and hiring the right people is a skill in itself – so look past typos and consider the candidate that thinks differently next time!

Without dyslexia, Jack and I wouldn't have been able to imagine a drink that's good for people and the planet. Like many entrepreneurs, activists and campaigners before us (like Erin Brockovich, Muhammad Ali and NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who are all dyslexic) we didn't accept that sparkling drinks had to be bad for your health and bad for the environment. So, as Kate told me, if you're an entrepreneur, maybe even a dyslexic entrepreneur: 'find what you love and do it, and don't take no for an answer.

I've recently worked with Virgin and Made By Dyslexia on a free course designed to help entrepreneurs develop vital Dyslexic Thinking skills, as part of their new University of Dyslexic Thinking, or DyslexicU – a free platform built by the Open University to teach the most sought-after workplace skills, skills that dyslexics naturally over-index in but others can develop. Because you don't have to have dyslexia to think like a dyslexic!