When I was young, I unknowingly had an autoimmune condition that affected how I learned and made reading and writing far more challenging than they should have been. I spent a lot of years feeling more than a few steps behind in school, not because I wasn’t trying, but because my brain needed a different kind of support. Once I was diagnosed and properly treated, things improved, but the experience stayed with me.

To this day, I have a lot of empathy for anyone who sits down to read something and feels their focus drift or their energy dip. Not everyone processes information the same way. Some of us learn by listening. Some learn by watching. Some learn by doing. Some need movement or visuals or quiet. Reading is not easy or enjoyable for everyone, and that is completely okay.

And if you identify as neurodivergent or simply learn a little differently than the “traditional” way, you are in very good company. There are so many ways to take in information, and none of them are wrong.

As business owners, we are constantly learning. We read PDFs, blog posts, website content, guides, and how-tos all the time. And if reading isn’t your ideal way of learning, that can make the process feel heavier than it needs to.

If you prefer listening over reading

If you’re someone who absorbs information better through audio, or you simply enjoy listening more than staring at a screen, I want to share a tool that might make your life feel a little easier: Speechify.

Speechify is a text-to-speech tool that reads written content out loud. Think of it like turning any article, blog post, website page, or PDF into something similar to an audiobook. If sitting still to read isn’t always your thing, you can listen while you walk, clean, drive, or give your eyes a break. It is especially wonderful for neurodivergent business owners who find traditional reading overwhelming, slow, or draining.

How Speechify works

There’s a free version you can use forever, and you can even use it to listen to any of my blog posts with it. If you end up loving it, Speechify has paid plans and browser extensions that make the experience even smoother. You can adjust reading speed, choose voice styles, and customize how you listen (yes, you can even choose to be read to by Snoop Dogg or Gwyneth Paltrow on the free plan… how fun is that?).

Why I’m sharing this

This isn’t an ad and I’m not affiliated with Speechify. It’s simply a tool I wish I would have had for myself years ago. And because I often refer clients to my blog articles throughout our work together, I want them to have a way to consume that information in a way that fits their learning style.

Whether you are neurodivergent, easily distracted, prefer auditory learning, or just want business content to feel more accessible, I hope this helps.

I use it myself and recommend it because it might genuinely help someone who learns differently or wants reading to feel more accessible and easeful. If audio feels better for you, Speechify is a wonderful option to explore.