For Paul Daniels, success lies beyond conventional thinking. As the founder of Peripheral Thinkers, a global keynote speaker, author, and executive advisor, Paul helps leaders unlock innovation where others only see limits. From working with Fortune 500 companies to generating over $21 billion in new revenue across 31 industries, Paul’s journey is rooted in transforming challenges into superpowers—both in life and in business. His mission? To equip leaders with the skills of history’s greatest innovators and help them uncover new possibilities in the world around them. At Humans of Fuzia, we are proud to share Paul’s story—a story of resilience, reinvention, and redefining the way we think.
Paul, how would you describe yourself to the leaders reading this?
Some people have called me The Innovation Whisperer. I’m a professional speaker, founder of Peripheral Thinkers, three-time board advisor, and an author. My focus is helping leaders enter new markets, unlock hidden innovation, and solve problems they thought were impossible—using the proven model of Peripheral Thinking.
Tell us more about Peripheral Thinkers and your mission.
Peripheral Thinkers is both a business and a movement. This year, my goal is to reach 100,000 business leaders with the message of Peripheral Thinking—and a million by 2030. The idea started early in my life. I was labeled stupid, lazy, slow—a daydreamer. But I rose through the ranks of Fortune 500 companies, founded businesses, and generated $1.3 billion in revenue, yet still felt like an outsider.
At age 40, I was diagnosed with dyslexia, which changed everything. I began studying history’s most innovative leaders—Ford, Da Vinci, Agatha Christie, Edison, Richard Branson, and more—and discovered a pattern. Many of them were dyslexic, and they used their unique cognitive skills to reshape industries and achieve the unimaginable.
The World Economic Forum has repeatedly identified 10 cognitive skills crucial for future success—eight of which dyslexic individuals often possess naturally. But only 10-15% of people are born with these skills. We can’t birth enough dyslexics to meet the demand—so I’ve spent two decades translating these skills for neurotypical leaders, empowering them to innovate, solve complex problems, and unlock new growth.
Today, I help organizations adopt Peripheral Thinking through keynote speaking, executive coaching, board advising, and soon, a global mastermind community for those ready to change the world.
What industries do you typically work with?
I’m the opposite of niche-focused. My work has impacted organizations across 31 industries, 27 countries, and counting. From pest control to global tech manufacturers, healthcare systems to government entities—the commonality is this: they all want to think differently, solve problems creatively, and achieve extraordinary results using what already exists around them.
What are the challenges you face in your business?
Like most entrepreneurs, my biggest challenge is time. Scaling isn’t the issue—the results are proven, and the demand is global. But creating enough hours in the day to write my upcoming book, speak, coach, and reach my target audience is the real hurdle. Thankfully, AI and technology are helping streamline the process, but time is always a challenge.
What are your short-term goals for this year and 2025?
I’m laser-focused on reaching my goal of impacting 100,000 business leaders this year—63,000 more to go. Hitting that target fuels the next step: reaching one million leaders worldwide by 2030. The ripple effect of creating more innovative thinkers will change industries—and even tackle global challenges like hunger and climate change.
What motivational message would you share with women entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and changemakers?
Everything you need to achieve your wildest, most unimaginable dream already exists. The elements are there—you just need to know where to look and how to assemble them. Impossible is just a perspective. When you shift your thinking, new paths reveal themselves, and extraordinary things become achievable.
“The unimaginable is possible—when you know how to look beyond the edges and connect what others overlook.”
Connect with Paul Daniels:
Website: Peripheral Thinkers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldanielsjr/
Want to be featured?
If you’d like to be part of the Humans of Fuzia series, email us at fuziatalent@fuzia.com.
