From Dyslexic Dropout to Multimillion-Pound Empire: The James Martin Story

In this inspiring episode, Brad sits down with James Martin better known online as "Dyslexic James" to uncover how he transformed his early educational struggles into a multimillion-pound property and business empire. Expelled from school at 14, unable to read or write, James used his familiarity with failure as a superpower, leaning into his relentless determination and unmatched social skills. KEY TAKEAWAYS Early struggles with severe dyslexia made James immune to the fear of failure. Because he was already used to failing in traditional academic settings, he had nothing holding him back from taking risks in business. Instead of letting his inability to read and write stop him, James hired a Personal Assistant at just 18 years old. By outsourcing his weaknesses, he freed himself up to focus entirely on his strengths—sales, networking, and growth. Business is fundamentally about people. If you lack certain technical skills, lean heavily into authenticity, relationship-building, and trust. People buy from people they like and trust. There is a clear evolution from being a "solopreneur" (doing the mechanical work), to an "owner-preneur" (managing the business and team), to an "invest-preneur" (buying businesses and providing stewardship while others run the day-to-day). To scale, you must let go of the tools. Don't rely on the government or external economic conditions to dictate your success. Build a highly profitable business by delivering exceptional, "surprise and delight" customer experiences that keep your pipeline full regardless of the broader economy. BEST MOMENTS "When you're used to failing as much as I did from say six years old to say 14... failure was my friend. It was more prominent in my life than most other things. So I just tried everything and anything." "We are on sale. As business people, we are salespeople of us every single day. I soon learned that my superpower was to be very social and be very capable of meeting new people." "A brand is just about promise. More than anything, that is what defines what your brand is. You say you're going to clean windows, they're going to be clean... and they're going to be at a price point. That is the promise." "They've got to have their own set of scars themselves. You can't just have your scars told to them, they need to feel them... you have got an environment where they are allowed to make mistakes." "You need to be your own economy. You need to make sure your company is making profit to afford these turnover taxes that are crippling companies." HOST BIO Brad Staines is a founder in the thick of it - but by design, not by default. As the face of Aquamark Cleaning, he’s built a multi-million-pound operation with 30+ team members, strong systems, and a culture that gives people space to grow. He’s still involved in the business a couple of days a week - but only doing the parts he genuinely enjoys: building relationships, growing the brand, spending time with the team, and spotting new opportunities. The day-to-day grind? That’s been handed over to a structure that runs without constant firefighting. Brad’s also found his rhythm outside of business - with a deep commitment to physical and mental training. Whether it’s strength work, early morning runs, or cold plunges, he’s a believer that how you show up for yourself shapes how you show up as a leader. Working On It is where he brings it all together - growth, grit, and getting better every week.