Tiffany Sunday

Author | Poet | TEDx Presenter

Tiffany Sunday

Holiday Book Signing Event at Half Price Books in Dallas, Texas

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Half Price Book Signing Event 2015Half Price Books – Flagship Store[www.hpb.com/001/]
5803 E. Northwest Highway
Sunday, November 15, 2015
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

We will have copies of Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge and will be pre-selling the revised edition of You Posted What!?  This is my last book signing event for 2015.

To receive the latest news about upcoming books and events, please sign up for my newsletter / blog posts.

Where did 2015 go? Hard to believe we are five weeks from Winter Break!

If you are in Dallas, please stop by and say hello!

As always, best wishes!
Tiffany

How Dyslexic Employees Excel in Business

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London Photo for LinkedIn PostDyslexic employees may soon have an added advantage in the workplace. Technology is rapidly changing our business landscape as more traditional employment positions are becoming obsolete or have been automated.

From accounting to software engineering, companies are using programs to create systems faster with fewer employees.

As a result of these changes, demand for creative professionals with strong problem-solving skills is in high demand.  George Andres’ article Revenge of the Philosophy Majors in the August 17, 2015 issue of Forbes talked about how tech companies are seeking professionals with a liberal art background to build their companies because “creativity can’t be programmed.”

Andres’ article demonstrates how the business environment has finally caught up with the dyslexic brain.

In 2009, Thomas West predicted in his book, In the Mind’s Eye, how the demand for dyslexic employees would increase driven by technology and the need for visual outside-the-box thinkers.  He believed from his research and findings that dyslexics would thrive and help drive our economic engine.

Daniel Pink also wrote, in his book The Whole New Mind, about how dyslexics would have a huge advantage in our new economy.

Pink talked about how future job growth would be in non-technical jobs that require employees to have emotional intelligence, imagination, and creativity. For most dyslexics, these characteristics are our strengths and talents.

For employers, understanding how dyslexics can benefit your business is important.
Visualization

Most dyslexics are visual thinkers.  We create mini visual movies or 3-D images in our minds to create new products, solve problems, or develop marketing campaigns.  I interviewed dyslexic professionals for my latest book.

Every person mentioned how they create the final product or image in their mind, and then back into it.  We see the finished product and then build it.

The dyslexic brain loves visual input and often dyslexics are faster at recognizing patterns than non-dyslexics.  Our ability to connect unrelated dots of information and then quickly grasp the big picture is an invaluable asset.

Dyslexic employees can help your business in three areas:
  • finding the customer’s real pain point,
  • search engine optimization or analyzing market data, and
  • finding patterns that indicate subtle market trends that are not evident.
Big Picture Thinking

Dyslexics are often big picture thinkers. We use this skill to view and absorb significant amounts of data and then quickly distill the information to find the answer.

Dyslexics can provide a benefit by analyzing the information to determine what matters most and if needed, how the team’s resources should be allocated.  In our data-driven world, businesses that can find meaningful relationships in this data will have a market advantage.

Sales

Professor Julie Logan, of the Case School of Business in London, England, conducted a study researching the link between dyslexia and entrepreneurship.  Her findings again confirmed the link between the two.  More importantly, she found characteristics and traits that explained why dyslexic professionals also excel in sales.

Dyslexics are more verbal and generally are more emphatic to others.  We learned in school how to build informal teams and delegate tasks.  The dyslexic sales executives I interviewed mentioned how they built strong teams by finding the right people for the right job and then let them do their jobs.

For all businesses to remain competitive in today’s global village, hiring creative, dyslexic problem-solvers will become a necessity.

Photo Credit to London Vizthink group

RELATED: Dyslexia 2.0 The Gift of Innovation and The Entrepreneurial Mind 

Dyslexia 2.0: The Gift of Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Mind

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TEDx2On May 29th, I gave a TEDx Talk titled Dyslexia 2.0:  The Gift of Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Mind.  I truly believe dyslexics are hardwired for business ownership and innovative endeavors.

During the talk, I mentioned the momentum created by Dr. Brock Eide, Dr. Fernette Eide, Dr. Julie Logan, and Thomas West.  These individuals are working hard to shift the focus from the weaknesses of dyslexia to what dyslexics can achieve.

Dr. Brock Eide and Dr. Fernette Eide are internationally-known dyslexia doctors and experts.  In 2012, they launched the Dyslexic Advantage, a non-profit that focuses on the brilliance of the dyslexic brain and how it can be an advantage.

The doctors started Dyslexic Advantage after a young patient asked them to tell him what he could do instead of telling him what he could not do.

The Eides’ also wrote The Dyslexic Advantage, which discusses how to use your dyslexic brain to your advantage.  I highly recommend this book, especially if your child is in high school or college.

Dr. Julie Logan is a professor at the Case School of Business in London and has conducted extensive research on the link between dyslexia and entrepreneurship.  She found that 35% of the business owners surveyed in the United States and the United Kingdom were dyslexic. 

From her research, she discovered that dyslexics accelerate their companies faster, have multiple businesses and are strong leaders with no fear of delegating.

Thomas West is dyslexic.  He is a researcher, lecturer, consultant, and author of In the Mind’s Eye.

In his research, he found “within a study of targeted traits among highly successful individuals in business, that the most common trait is, in fact, dyslexia.”

He mentioned that from these findings “it would appear that teachers, researchers, and educational planners should find ways to balance their efforts.” To help with both reading, writing, and spelling while teaching entrepreneurial skills.

I believe it is important for entrepreneurs and inventors, especially dyslexic entrepreneurs, to reach out and encourage dyslexic students.  To explain to the students how dealing with adversity in school, bouncing back from failure, and thinking outside the box are invaluable characteristics.

My TEDx talk had one purpose – to accelerate the momentum started by Dr. Julie Logan, Thomas West, Dr. Brock Eide, and Dr. Fernette Eide.

My goal is to inspire and motivate our entrepreneurial communities to reach out and support dyslexic startups and students.  For example, create a Meetup group for dyslexic entrepreneurs, inventors, and business owners.

When you look back in history, many of the greatest inventions and discoveries were created by a dyslexic individual.

I think about our dyslexic brain and all of the possibilities.  I also think about the students we may miss.

I think about how one of these students could hold the answer to a complex problem we face in society such as developing better systems for clean water or discovering a cure for a major disease.

We can’t wait any longer the time is now to make a difference.  Think about what we can do to accelerate the momentum. 

What Are You Waiting For?

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What are you waiting for?

The perfect time,

The right moment,

When things get better,

When you have more money,

When you have more time,

When you feel smarter,

When the economy is better,

When your friends like your idea,

When your spouse likes your idea,

When you feel more confident,

When you start college,

When you graduate college,

When you move to Austin,

When you save more money,

When you youngest son starts first grade,

When all the kids are in college,

When you get older,

When you have more money,

When your friends are wealthier so they can invest,

When you have more energy,

When you are not so busy at work,

When you have enough money to hire someone to help you….

All of these are excuses.  These excuses will continue to keep you from taking action and changing the direction of your life.  You must make the choice and take action. Now, not tomorrow or next week, but now.

Remember, there is never the perfect time, place, or situation for launching a business, realizing a dream, or pursuing your passion

You have two choices – either move forward with your idea or stay stuck and continue waiting. 

 

 

Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge Published on May 5, 2015

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Tiffany Sunday, AuthorExcited to announce that my second book Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge was published on Tuesday, May 5th.  The book is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com

Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge is different from You Posted What!? in many ways.

First, this is a book that I had been mentally writing for years; it is the book I wished was available earlier in career or even in high school.

Second, this book is more personal and includes a section on the challenges I faced as a dyslexic student when there were few if any accommodations.  I truly believe finding ways to adapt and developing tenacity and a resiliency was the best “training” ever for business ownership.

I learned a lot about self-publishing last year with You Posted What!? and incorporated the lessons learned to make Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge better.

Below is the copy from the back cover of the book.

“Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge is a book for every dyslexic entrepreneur, business owner, and professional. Tiffany’s book is full of strategies and insight, but most important she showcases the value of dyslexia and how it is a competitive advantage.”

Skip Howard, Managing Director of Dallas Partners, Entrepreneur, and Inventor

“Brilliant idea! One of the best resources for dyslexic entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals I’ve ever come by.”

Gary Smith, Founder & CEO of Brainbook Ltd. and Creator of the Dyslexia Toolbox

“What a great positive message you are putting out there!  I am learning so much by reading your book.  I had no idea of all of the skills a person with dyslexia brings to the table and how invaluable those skills are.”

Mary Lewis, Retired Supervisor and Manager