The Founder of Kinkos — Paul Orfalea

Early Struggles

Paul Orfalea faced significant challenges in his early life, struggling with dyslexia and graduating near the bottom of his high school class. Despite these setbacks, he transformed his perceived weaknesses into strengths, eventually founding Kinko's, a multi-billion dollar business 1. Paul emphasizes the difference between academic success and real-world success, suggesting that life allows for specialization and focusing on one's strengths 2. He reflects, "The only thing we took serious is the service we provided to our clients" 2.

   

Learning Disabilities

Paul's learning disabilities, including dyslexia and ADHD, played a crucial role in shaping his business strategies and perspective. He views these challenges as opportunities, encouraging others to focus on their strengths rather than conforming to traditional educational expectations 3. Paul notes, "A startling number of successful business people have dyslexia," highlighting how many have turned perceived deficits into advantages 4.

   

Emotional Struggles

Paul openly discusses his emotional struggles, particularly his issues with anger, which he describes as his "dark side." He acknowledges that his emotional extremes contributed to Kinko's success but also caused personal and professional challenges 5. Paul admits, "The dark side of the Kinko story is that the company was built, at least in part, on emotional extremes, most of them my own" 6.