Sam Bell: From 'Too Noisy' School Kid to International Stylist — 'Dyslexia Is My Superpower'

At school, Sam Bell was told she was too noisy, too mischievous, and too intense. She dreaded reading aloud in class. She left school with no clear career path. Not long after, she was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Now 47, Sam runs her own hair salon in Bristol, England. She has worked as a stylist for film, television, and fashion shows around the world. And every year, she takes on apprentices to help other young people like herself find their way.

At 17, Sam walked into a hair salon looking for work. She had little to offer beyond her outgoing personality. "I didn't want to be a hairdresser," she told the BBC. "But my mum was going to kick me out if I didn't get a job."

The owner hired her as an apprentice for 45 pounds a week — about 70 US dollars at the time. She remembers being "amazed" to learn that her job would involve chatting with clients all day while washing their hair and sweeping the floor. "I loved it, and it was so liberating to finally be told I was good at something," she said.

The Hidden Struggle

Sam recalled that school was a difficult place. Reading aloud in class was terrifying. "I knew I couldn't read as well as the others, and the other kids would laugh at me," she said. "So I behaved badly on purpose so the teachers would throw me out of class."

Nobody ever noticed that she was dyslexic. Today, she believes her dyslexia has been invaluable to her life and career. "I think being dyslexic is my superpower," she said. "I have more imagination than other people, and I'm really good at communicating."

Sam worked at that first salon for more than a decade, learning the craft before opening her own business in 2009. Over the course of her career, she has styled hair for celebrities and actors on television shows and in films, as well as for models at fashion weeks in London, Paris, New York, and Milan.

From Bad Student to Business Owner

Sam says the very behaviors that made her a "bad student" at school — being loud and chatty — helped her thrive outside the education system. "The things my teachers saw as flaws are what led me to prosper in life," she reflected.

She now helps other young people enter the industry by taking on apprentices every year. "I think apprenticeships are a really good opportunity for people who aren't academic," she said, adding that it gives her great joy to see young people flourish.

Tony Mitchell, a former apprentice who has worked at Sam's salon for more than a decade, described it as a "really supportive" environment. He joined at age 20 after switching from carpentry. Now 33, he is a hairstylist. "At a previous salon, I was told I was too moody," Tony said. "But I felt like nobody took the time to show me the ropes the way Sam did. I was always a shy kid, and this place has helped me become more confident and feel like I belong."

A Superpower, Not a Limitation

Sam's story resonates with millions of people living with dyslexia. According to Dyslexia and Literacy International, at least 10 percent of the global population — roughly 800 million people — have dyslexia. Yet many go undiagnosed for years, struggling through educational systems that often fail to recognize the condition.

A spokesperson for the British Dyslexia Association described dyslexia as a "lifelong neurological difference that affects how the brain processes information." While it can present challenges in education, employment, and everyday life, each person has a unique profile of strengths and difficulties. "Many dyslexic people develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and other valuable strengths," the spokesperson noted.

Sam's journey from a child labeled as a troublemaker to an internationally recognized stylist embodies that message. She didn't let an undiagnosed learning difference define her limits. Instead, she found a career that played to her natural strengths — creativity, communication, and imagination — and built a life and business around them.

Today, Sam's salon in Bristol is more than just a place to get a haircut. It is a beacon of support for young people who, like Sam once was, may not thrive in traditional academic settings but have extraordinary potential waiting to be unlocked.

"I think being dyslexic is my superpower," she says again, with conviction. And for the young apprentices walking through her door every year, that message could change everything.

Source: BBC News — originally reported by BBC Radio Bristol (August 2026)