Barbara Corcoran once revealed her ‘painful’ battle with dyslexia — and why it was the ‘whole reason’ for her success. How the millionaire mogul turned pain into a superpower

Battling dyslexia

Dyslexia, a neurocognitive disorder that impacts a person’s ability to read, affects roughly 20% of the population, according to The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. Despite how common this condition is, Corcoran told Entrepreneur.com that she didn’t realize she was dyslexic until her son Tom was diagnosed in second grade.

Undiagnosed and untreated dyslexia can lead to feelings of anxiety and a lack of self esteem, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, Corcoran told Kate Griggs on her podcast “Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking,” that she used her insecurities as fuel to develop thicker skin.

“I don’t think you get the same motivation or the ability to deal with rejection the way you do if you’re dyslexic.”

Surprisingly, many entrepreneurs have had a similar experience. Sir Richard Branson is dyslexic and has previously called the condition “a blessing in disguise.” Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary, both Corcoran’s co-stars on Shark Tank, are also dyslexic. A study from the Cass Business School, found that entrepreneurs in the U.S. and U.K. were more likely to be dyslexic than the general public.

Like Corcoran, overcoming the insecurities and academic failures associated with dyslexia seem to have fueled success for many entrepreneurs.

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Persistence is key

In an interview earlier this year with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, Corcoran said her ability to persist after rejection was one of the key reasons for her success. When Donald Trump refused to pay her a $4 million commission one time, she successfully sued him and got her money. Similarly, when she was rejected for a spot on Shark Tank, she emailed the creator, Mark Burnett, directly and convinced him to give her another shot.

Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has done extensive research on how high-achievers deal with setbacks. After interviewing several high profile leaders, from [JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll, she concluded that “grit” — the ability to learn from failure and rejection and persist — was a key indicator of success.

For regular investors, with or without dyslexia, the lesson is clear: don’t give up.