From a young age, I always dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. My dad was my biggest inspiration. He travelled all the time and would return home with stories, gifts, and tales of people and places that made the world sound so exciting. He would describe the restaurants he visited and all the different foods he tried — and I knew then that I wanted to be just like him. I wanted my own business so I could make my own money, travel the world, meet people, and eat at fancy restaurants. When I moved back home to Ghana, I started working in my dad’s company. For about a year, I rotated through different departments before he finally handed me one tomanage. Thenhe toldme something that would shape the rest of my journey— he wasn’t going to pay me a salary. The department had to make enough to pay both the staff and me, contribute to the company’s running costs, and still have savings left over. It was going well until one day he asked me to represent the company at a meeting overseas. When we checked the accounts, there wasn’t enough money for the trip — not if we wanted to pay salaries. The trip went to another manager whose department could afford it. That was my wake-up call. I realized my dad had been teachingme how to run a business all along — how to be self-sufficient, innovative, and responsible. That’s when I began to truly understand what entrepreneurship meant. I started thinking differently: how could we make more money, reduce waste, and build stronger client relationships? I began askingmy dad questions, watching howhe operated, and learning how to manage and grow what I had. After a few years — and many mistakes — I finally decided to take the leap. I registeredmy own company and started building something that was mine, on my own terms. Almost 20 years later, I’m still doing it. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve failed, and I’ve succeeded — but through it all, I’ve lived my dream. I’m in my element when I’m running my business. Whatever I put my mind to, I give it 110%, and I make sure I’m passionate about it. Becoming Self-Made Every dream starts somewhere. Mine began with a desire to create, to lead, and to live life on my own terms. 52 The Birthday Journal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTAyMTM3NQ==