A couple of weeks ago, I came across my old school reports. I’m not really one to spend too much time thinking about the past, but I do enjoy the odd trip down memory lane.

Now, school wasn’t really my thing… “Needs to listen more.” “Disruptive in class.” “Talks too much.” “Could try harder.” “Needs to stop causing trouble.” You get the gist…  Looking at my school reports, they don’t paint a very good picture. If they were all you had to go on, I’d have been written off as a troublemaker who’d never amount to much. I even left school with no qualifications to my name.

Fast forward a few years, and I’ve built myself not only a solid career in freight, but a great business that celebrated its 28th anniversary this past year. And I’m not the only one with this story. Some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs didn’t exactly thrive in school either… Richard Branson dropped out at 16 and was told he’d never achieve anything because of his dyslexia. Alan Sugar left school at 16 with a small savings account and a lot of ambition Deborah Meaden left college after just a few months because she felt it wasn’t the right path for her. None of them let their school reports, grades or teachers opinions hold them back. They found their own way, and they’re proof that success doesn’t come from being “top of the class.”

I mentioned these reports to an old friend of mine. He’s in his mid 60s and still has his reports too. He’s a massive Villa fan (like, yours truly), and one of his teachers wrote this gem back in 1973: “Needs to learn to concentrate and stop talking about Aston Villa all day long.” Honestly, it made me laugh out loud. Some things clearly never change!

Sure, I was the kid who couldn’t stop chatting, didn’t show up half the time, and seemed allergic to authority. But maybe that’s what gave me the resilience, the creativity and the drive to do things my way later in life. Look at my Villa-mad friend – he’s had a brilliant career and still makes time for his passion. 

And me? I may not have done well in school, but I’ve learned that the best lessons don’t always come from textbooks. As a business owner, you might not have been a great fit for school too. You’ve probably found yourself in more than a few situations as an adult where you feel you don’t quite fit in. And you’ve almost certainly had some well-meaning friends and family members giving you “advice” and suggesting you should maybe play it safer and get a real job. But that’s ok. Because business owners are just built different. 

Embrace it. Accept that you’ll always be a square peg and stop trying to fit into round holes. Surround yourself with other people who “get you” and who understand the entrepreneurial journey you’re on, and don’t let what others say about you influence your beliefs about yourself. If I’d listened to those teachers back then who told me I was a troublemaker, just imagine how different my life could have been? 

So how about you? What did your school reports say about you? I’d love to hear it…