Ep 24: Overcoming Limitations and “Learning Outside the Lines” with Jonathan Mooney

Jonathan Mooney had a point to make.  As a person living with dyslexia and ADHD, he was told that he would not amount to much, but he proved them wrong.  Now a writer and speaker, Jonathan shares his experiences and empowers others to learn strategies and understanding when working with children and teenagers that are faced with similar learning challenges.

About the Guest:

Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer, speaker, and do-gooder who did not learn to read until 12 years old.  He faced several low expectations growing up—was told he would flip burgers, be a high school dropped out and end up in jail. Needless to say, there hopeful prophecies didn’t come to pass. Opposed to being a high school dropout Jonathan became a college graduate from Brown university with an honors degree in English lit; instead of flipping burgers he ended up writing books, the first of which he wrote at the end of the 23 as an undergrad; And instead of becoming an inmate he become an advocate creating organizations and initiatives that help people who get the short end of the stick.

Jonathan has won many awards for all of this —The Harry S. Truman fellowship for public services, Finalist for a Roads Scholarship, LA Achievement award from The Lab school of Washington where I shared the stage with Vice President Joe Biden—and been featured in/on HBO, NPR, The New York Times, NBC, Fast company, and many other media outlets.  But what he is most proud of is not that he proved some people who doubted him wrong—but that he proved the many people—his mom, a teacher named Mr. R, his wife Rebecca—right, not just about his potential but about the potential for all of us who live and learn differently.

Website: https://www.jonathanmooney.com

About the Host:

Matthew Cox spent his elementary and middle school years thinking there was something wrong with his brain. For him, schoolwork was a daunting, frustrating, and often embarrassing challenge. He was the kid who never seemed to catch up with his classmates, no matter how hard he tried. “Growing up with a disability was like having an elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about,” Matthew explained. Being diagnosed with a learning disability during high school helped he finally put a name to the problem, and to begin his journey to personal and academic success. “I’ve learned to befriend my elephant, I’ve named him George,” Matthew said. “George is not going away but I can choose how I feel about him.”

Through his own experience, Matthew knows what it means to be a teenager in trouble as well as what it takes to run a business. Matthew brings inspiration, humor, and practical strategies during his speaking engagements, inspiring change to those he works with.

Thanks to family members and caring adults in his life, Matthew was able to overcome the hardship of his disability and has dedicated his life to helping others find their purpose and help families succeed.

Matthew offers a variety of training workshops and speaking engagements to fit your needs including:

  • Effective Communication
  • Business personality profile (True Colors) based on the Myer Briggs.
  • Team Building.
  • Couples Retreats
  • Improving the relationships in your life
  • Rediscovering Superman- Matthew Cox’s personal story of growing up with a learning disability.
  • The art of conflict resolution, forgiveness, and letting go.
  • Parenting
  • Customized workshops
  • Keynote speeches

Links:

Website: https://matthewlelandcox.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewlelandcox/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo2HtLSravDuM59jMO5JXyw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewlelandcox/

Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app on your mobile device.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.