Masterminds Podcast

Walking Is the Cheapest Therapy There Is: Chichi Yakubu || Masterminds Podcast EP86

• Richie Mensah • Episode 85

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She spent years running away from the one thing she was born to do. Then a personal weight loss journey, one before-and-after picture, and a single invitation to a TV panel changed the entire direction of her life.

In this episode of the Masterminds Podcast, Richie Mensah sits down with Chichi Yakubu, founder of Nyonyo, whose energy and generosity are matched only by her discipline. Raised in a family where food was the family business, Chichi swore she would never sell food, until her own health journey taught her that eighty percent of fitness happens in the kitchen. She breaks down how she launched her business live on a broadcast panel, the obsession that made her friends fear she was losing it, why nobody is self-made, and the simple truth that walking is the cheapest and most effective therapy there is. She also opens up about sharing the unfiltered side of life on social media and why showing up regardless is the real work.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why eighty percent of your fitness results come from the kitchen and only twenty from the gym

Why you can never be fully ready, and why the person who shows up anyway wins

How Chichi launched her business live on a TV panel by seizing one opportunity

Why the obsession phase looks like madness from the outside and why you need it to succeed

Why nobody is truly self-made and why community is what keeps you going

Simple, sustainable health tips: portion control, meal timing, and eating the Ghanaian food you love

Why walking is the cheapest and most powerful therapy for both body and mind

Why sharing the unfiltered side of life makes us kinder and reminds us everyone is carrying something

How referrals and exceeding expectations built a client list including MTN, Cocobod and the NPA


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SPEAKER_04

Your food is amazing. How are you able to do that?

SPEAKER_00

I never thought I would be food business.

SPEAKER_04

Like I knew for sure I'll shy away from food business. You are in the corporate world, you are in HR, right? How did that switch happen for you to say, let me start my own business with you?

SPEAKER_00

I realized that I have the discipline, the energy to work out. But I had one part that I was struggling with. It was my dad. So I had to go back and get it right in the kitchen. Just one picture. Change my trajectory.

SPEAKER_04

When the business itself started, how were you received?

SPEAKER_00

It's a very powerful tool, you know. And people buy not the products, they buy the brands.

SPEAKER_04

What are some of the let's say easy tips that you can help us with on how to eat right?

SPEAKER_00

You know, people think when an idea comes, you've got to run with it. And when you see an opportunity, take it and go figure it out later.

SPEAKER_04

How profitable is the food industry? Um before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting and deciding to watch this episode. But now I have a favor subscribe to the channel. Subscribing to the channel helps me and the entire mastermind team to continue bringing you wonderful conversations and episodes that bring you closer to being the mastermind you deserve to be. So join the community. Welcome back to the Masterminds podcast. It's me again, your cute guide on this exciting journey to master your most powerful tool, your mind. I'm very excited today because the woman I'm about to talk to, I met her a few months ago, and I was like, who's this lady? Because her energy was just infectious. You know, you meet people, most people are trying to network around the world and stuff, but you meet people who are genuinely nice people for no reason, no reason whatsoever. They are just nice. Then I started to do some research on her, and I saw the business that she does, how she's been able to survive in a competitive industry for over a decade, and she's helping so many people with what she does. And for somebody who's on a health journey myself, I felt it would be only right to talk to someone who understands both the food and nutrition part of health and the fitness part of health as well because of her journey. So please help me welcome Chichi Yakubu. How are you doing, Chi Chi?

SPEAKER_00

I'm good, Rishi. I'm I'm so happy to be in this city.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04

Just so you guys know, this interview was supposed to happen last time, and then Ghana flooded, Accra floods. So we are here today.

SPEAKER_00

And it was almost about to rain.

SPEAKER_04

I know.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Thank you, thank you for coming. First of all, I have to admire what I've been seeing on your Instagram. You know, I like people who do two things. The first thing is actually pay attention to their health journey and then also use that to inspire other people. Okay, so it's not you're not just looking out for yourself, you're using yourself as an example for other people. But let's get to know you a little world before I jump right in. So, how did Yun Your Essential start? Because you are in the corporate world, you are in HR, right? How did that switch happen for you to say, let me start my own business in 2015?

SPEAKER_00

You know, there's this thing that we often hear a lot of people talk about that they started businesses based on passion. I never fully understood what it is till quite recently, and I was like, What is passion? It's what keeps you up at night, stuff you cannot help thinking about, or a solution you figured or a hack you seen that people actually need, because probably you have used it on yourself, you've seen that truly it works, and you realize that oh my goodness, I could probably help other people as well. And that was it for me as well. I it was a personal journey not to venture into business. Because if I ever wanted to go into food industry, I think I should have been in the industry close to maybe two decades because, as long as I can remember, all I know is food business. My grandmother, I mean, did catering for a living, passed on to my mom, not as a legacy, but something that my mom saw and realized that I also could possibly do this for myself. So it's not a transgenerational business in the sense of our food story, it's more like, well, I saw my mom do it. I'm not working with my mom, but I could also do it because I learned on the job, whether I like it or not. But after work or after school, my mom ended up supporting my grandmother. And it was the same thing with me. And in my case, it was even more wild because we were living upstairs, and downstairs was where my mom's job was happening. So there is no way you cannot get through to your room without going through downstairs. Whether you like it or not, you are part of the food business. So it wrapped off me. I I understood food, but which I'm telling you like no fluff, no cap. I never thought I would do food business. Like I knew for sure I'll shy away from food business. What I knew I'll do with regards to food was to open a beautiful restaurant for my mom because I saw a castle from the tabletop selling banco, then transitioning into Choba, into our home, and turning our home upside down, and we had to even move because now I mean it was no longer a home, it was a business space. Okay, so I always was like, Oh, if I get this cute spot, where open a restaurant and set my mom up. That was food business for me. So, like something to do for my mom. Yeah, then my personal journey came along. I've always loved fitness, I'm a fitness freak. I might not look like shredded and all of that, but trust me, I can beat you to a good walk. And it's not been recent days, it's been something I've been doing as long as I can remember. And I realized that I have the discipline, the energy to work out, but I had one part that I was struggling with. So, like I said, I never lose shredded or having the abs and whatnot because there was one part that was hanging, it was my diet. Okay, this um quotes we normally see around that says 80% of the workouts is done in the kitchen, and I think about 20 is done at the gym. It's fact. See, you cannot out um work a bad diet, you can't do that. So I had to go back and get it right in the kitchen. So, what I was running away from now I had to start cooking. I thought for for only God knows that when I start life and I set out to live large, I'll have a cook, I'll have a chef, I'll I won't cook. But I realized no, I can't afford a chef and a cook at about 22 when I started my weight loss journey. So I had to do it myself. And my mom is cooking bank, and I know that bank can be cooked in a different way, the soup can be done in a different way, and then I will achieve my weight loss goals or my healthy goals. So now I cannot eat anything everyone is eating in the house. I had to prep my own personal meals, so that's where I started. I mean, trying things, getting creative, you know. Once you are well traveled, well exposed, when you are playing with everything, you want to go extra. You see me whipping up a salad. I love making salad sandwiches, fresh uses, so that's where I started. Then I went on to eating good Ghanaian food, but making in a holistic manner that it serves my goals because I I cannot live without eating bang, I cannot live without eating carriage. I mean, I love my food, one of my favorites. Thank you. See that food, it deserves its own award. So, I mean, food for me was what opened my eyes to the possibilities as in what I can do for myself by investing in my body properly. And people see, people catch on whether you like it or not. So it was a personal goal, not for business. But before I knew it, I'd opened my whole world to another space, and Facebook was a big thing then. So it took just one picture, posting my before and after. So I did the work on myself, did my mail preps in private. People awake started scene, friends and family started scene. Then one day I decided to make a social media post because Facebook was a thing. Yeah, before and after, just one picture changed my trajectory. I mean, I'm a proper corporate girl, like even till now, I look more corporate than like everyday girl or someone who is running her own business and throwing on her jeans or something like that. That's what I wanted. So I always saw myself in the office face, corporate world, you know, leading meetings, doing a whole presentation. That was that was me, that was a dream for me. Yeah, and the picture just changed the whole story by an invitation to a show by Gifty Auntie. I'm like, eh, and to discuss healthy life changes, weight loss. And who was on the panel? Jessica.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, oh, okay, I'm doing something.

SPEAKER_00

Because at the time she was also on a weight loss journey. So they invited the two of us. We sat down, she shared her part more about the workout bit. I shared my part about going back into the kitchen and just making some few changes with the Ghanaian foods I love and adding on more veggies, fruits, non-Ghanese, we don't like our vegetables, just incorporating all this stuff into you're not alone. So just adding all of those things actually got me the opportunity to sit on a panel with I mean, renowned people like Jessica, Gifty Auntie. I'm like, what am I supposed to say? But the conversation was so beautiful. It ended up by Gifty Auntie actually asking me, um, oh Henry, Gifty Auntie, I love that woman today. Shout out to you for seeing me. And she asked, Do you do this? Would you do it for me or something? And I said, Yeah, actually, yes, I can. I'm launching a business. Yeah, I saw the opportunity. Okay, you know what? Don't miss opportunities because by then I've done the work on myself, I've seen that it works. And I have my recipes already at hand, and that this is an opportunity. I have the audience, a live broadcast show of women who are also on the same journey or who actually want to share some weight. This is an audience, this is a client, this is like these are the people I'm looking for. So, what better place than to launch this business right here and then? And that's how Nunu was just bred.

SPEAKER_04

That's beautiful. Thank you. That's a beautiful story. First of all, talk to the passion, like you mentioned. I love how you took the opportunity because most people would have delayed, thought about it. Oh, let me go and make a business plan and everything. But you saw the opportunity, you self-analyzed and realized that you've done the work.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

So you jumped into it.

SPEAKER_00

You know, you posted something, I just I think yesterday or today it's about just that. And I commented underneath saying that you can never be fully ready. Yeah, none of us are ever ready. Today, I had every reason not to make it. I showed it to you again. Yeah, you know, so you can never be fully ready. But the difference between who is going to make it is the one who shows up, whether they are ready or not. So, I mean, just start. When an idea comes to you, run with it because God is so kind. You are not God's only favorite, God is so kind. So when He drops an idea to you, best believe He's giving it to other other people. Yes. Haven't you seen your idea come to life somewhere when you hold it for time? Yeah, and you go like, oh my god, who believe that this was my idea? Yeah, exactly. That should even firm the fact that when an idea comes, you've got to run with it. And when you see an opportunity, take it and go figure it out later.

SPEAKER_04

I think most people watch those who are succeeding and think they have it figured out. You know, it's like, oh, look at Chi Chi, everything is just going smooth for her, life is great, she makes plans and it happens. Why can't I be more like Chi Chi? They don't get that. You wake up every morning as confused as everybody else in the world, but you just keep going. So, how has it been like? So, now let's walk into the journey. So, you start with your personal weight loss journey, perfect your recipes and everything. When the business itself started, how how will you receive? Everyone's biggest aim is to build wealth. Now, anyone who knows what they are about will tell you the one true way to build wealth is to have a system that gains that wealth over time. Now, most people are suffering to what system or what tool can they use? How did they get to invest easily? How do they get to invest over time? Small amounts, compound interest, and build their wealth. Well, that tool is achieved by Petra. Download Achieve by Petra now and let's build wealth together.

SPEAKER_00

Um, social media is a very powerful tool, you know. And people buy not the products, they buy the brand.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

So um, social media was a good space for me. Sharing my journey, my pictures, and all of that, people realize that she's truly done the work on herself, we can see. So it was beautifully accepted, and I can say with so much conviction, the kind of sales I made on the day of the launch of 4th of May, I haven't been able to build that record, not in the sense of figure, but in the sense of how much people trusted something that was non-existent, and then you have to pre-order it, you have to pay in advance, you don't know me. I don't have a brick and a mortar. So if anything goes wrong, you can't trace me. Unlike today, this is 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So for someone to just take your word for it, based on what you've written on social media, and trust you with their money in advance. And I wasn't doing sales per day. So you have to order, it's a plan. So it's a weekly plan, bi-weekly or monthly subscriptions. So for someone to pay me even for a week for a food I'm yet to make, whether they will get it or not, that is trust. A lot of trust. That is so much trust. So I think I was so I was well received. I was well received on the first day. But, you know, when it's new, it's exciting. And people truly like to support people. When people say put online, I I people truly like support people. You know, on the launch of every business, the place is always full. So people truly want to support you, but the rest of the hard work is dependent on you.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So that is like um confetti being thrown at you because people are good. But what you see in people is what you get. If you think people are bad, people will be bad. It's still a mindset. Mindset. So for me, I believe people are good. But then most of the work will come in between the days nobody is there. Yeah. So the first day was amazing. So I thought, oh, this is how it's always gonna go. Then I realized, hey, first day is fanfare. The other day, it's real life. Because I was working, I had an eight to five. Now, how to manage my time. Every business owner, if you have nothing, you lack all the skills. You see, management, you need to have it on lock. Yeah. Management. So the fact that I still had an eight to five, then now I had to do this business. And it has to, food has to go out latest by eight, because it's a meal prep. And people's breakfast, lunch, and dinner is what I'm sending. So by 7:30, I should be on people's doors. They should be receiving their food. My courier should be doing these deliveries. What time am I going to wake up?

SPEAKER_04

Because you have to close from work, prepare for people's crazy.

SPEAKER_00

That was when I was like, hey, do I really want to do this? But it taught me so much resilience and so much hard work and so much discipline. Because if it was easy, everybody will be doing it.

SPEAKER_04

My favorite saying.

SPEAKER_00

If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. So when I see people want things to come easily, I wonder. If it's easy, it should rather scare you.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Because that means it's very accessible.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's very accessible.

SPEAKER_04

People think soft life is easy. It takes hard work to get soft life.

SPEAKER_01

They don't know.

SPEAKER_00

Richie, it's been a journey, and I finally realized it's not um a hobby. It's not a Chi Chi meal prep thing. Now, people are involved. People are depending on what I say I'm selling to see results. So it's one thing even the product, is a product going to do what you say the product will do. Yeah. So I had to now realize that we have different metabolism. I have to learn about nutrition. I have to talk to my clients that okay, it might work for you. Somebody for one week they will see results, visible results. It might work for you in six weeks. Or somebody too has other bad habits that they have resolved. I realize that I've going to carry too much on my head. So the for the first two years in the business, it was a roller coaster for me. It was a roller coaster. It was exciting, it was confusing, it was stressful, it was chaotic, it was nerve-wracking. I had to change my number, I had to cut people love, I had to go in isolation because it's time management, it's managing my schedule, it's managing my client's meals, it's managing my corporate work because I was an HR. So, I mean, you have to practice what you are telling us to preach at work. You can't show up late, giving excuses. You cannot say you are not meeting your KPIs because you have this. Nobody cares about that. So it was the most difficult time of my life. I'll say from 2015, 2017. My friends thought I was losing it. I remember, because I changed my number, so it was hard to reach me. So some of my friends had to come to my house and they thought I was losing it. Because I was acting very off. And truly, when an idea comes to you, right, when you are really zoned in on what God has placed on your heart or whatever you're passionate about to do, there is there is this moment, it could be six months, it could be a period for certain people that you have to isolate yourself.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You zone in so much that to the world you look mad. So they were so concerned. My loved ones were concerned. Why is this consuming her? She's cut everybody off. I was like, God, you guys don't know what I'm doing. I'm in deep. And now people were like, you still have a career. Why are you worrying about this and stuff like that? Even myself, I you, and even you, you might not have the answers to why you're doing what you're doing, but you feel it and you it's inexplainable. Like, you can't put it in words. But those times they make you or break you. And I'm glad I came out of those two years refined.

SPEAKER_04

If you hadn't come out, we'll be telling your story of, oh, what happened to Chi Chi. But I think most people don't know that obsession is one of the most important traits to succeed. You know, when people get obsessed, like you said, sometimes it looks too crazy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

But if you don't go through that phase, you'll never succeed to the top. You'll always just be mediocre.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, mediocre.

SPEAKER_04

And that's why I understand when people say I had a calling. But like you're saying, you can't explain it. You just feel it. You wake up in the morning and you're like, I have to do this, I have to do this. Yeah. But so when did you stop the corporate work completely? One of the biggest lessons I've learned in life and in business is that not everything deserves access to you. Your attention is valuable, your focus is valuable. And in this world full of noise and distraction, the ability to control your world is your true power. Lynx Reverb was designed for premium sound, complete silence, and amazing clarity. So head to any Compute Ghana shop or to our website, linkselectronics.com, down in the description, and grab yourself a headset now. Lynx Reverb, now that's clarity.

SPEAKER_00

Two and a half years in, I just knew I had to. I realized this is truly what I was a bit prepared for. This is why my mom had a chauba. This is why my grandmother did food for a living. This is why, whether I liked it or not, I was still supporting my mom because she didn't ask me, she didn't force me to, but I will still do it. Those years were preparation I didn't even know. And I understand food. Who better than me? You know. Sometimes we're always looking for somebody else to do the thing that we are called to do. Because at the time I I was looking down upon it. That's why maybe I didn't want to do it. Because there were remarks like, oh, you have a proper job. And they'll say it in this when they say in cheek, right? Oh, person continue, Johnny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. And then it's still gonna say I'm like, yes.

SPEAKER_00

I want to sell food. Food, good food, not just any food.

SPEAKER_04

Isn't food one of the most important things in the world?

SPEAKER_00

We need it. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food, and that's what I wanted to do.

SPEAKER_04

The only thing you can sell that's more important than food is air, and now. You can't sell it exactly. Well, give them time, they'll find a way to sell it. For most people who start a side hustle, I'm sorry to call it that, but a side hustle, and eventually they stop. They say it was a like a level, an amount that they reached that they knew. For you, was it about okay, I'm finally making enough to take this on full time, or was it more of a career and growth decision?

SPEAKER_00

Um, honestly, security is so important to me, financial security. So for the first two years when I was juggling, I mean Nunu and then corporate, I knew I couldn't fully depend on Nunu at the time. But when I realized that this is actually a business, it's no longer a sidehouse. I could I could really make so much out of this and no longer have to do meal prep. I could actually cater to the everyday Ghanaian, every um the corporate Ghanaian social events. Because food is a big part of our story as Ghanaians, you know, it's a big part of our culture. And to promote healthy living and healthy eating, I can only be doing salads, juices, smoothies. Yeah. The Ghanaian palette is not used to just that. So, how can I do it on a larger scale where Jolof can be eaten and it's still very yummy and healthy? Banku and Uku can still be eaten and it's healthy, fufu can still be consumed without guilt. So I realized I have to I have to let go of the corporate world. And I knew that now Nunu could soar. So I had to test the waters because security, like I said, is so important. So when I realized that now Nunu is no longer a baby, Nunyo can go into something bigger. I had to let go.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. So how were you able to come up with it? I mean, I know it's not like you just came up with a plan, but how are you able to transition from just being able to do healthy food for people, meal prep and all, to now, because now you do catering, you have multiple branches, you know, your food is amazing, by the way. Guys, her food is amazing. Look, let me tell you the story. So Baba is a big fan of Chi Chi. So, I mean, when I didn't know Chi Chi, she insulted me that how don't you know Chi Chi? And Baba kept telling me her food is good, her food is good. One day I'm sitting there and Chi Chi calls me and says, I've sent you food to try. My god, your food is amazing. Thank you. Thank you, Chi.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for the endorsement. It means a lot to me.

SPEAKER_04

Honestly speaking, you do such an amazing job. And I had you cater an event, and the presentation was excellent, the timing, the professionalism. So I want to know how you were able to because one thing most people struggle with is scaling up a business. You know, oh, I have a nice idea, I can do a meal prep for people, I can help people with their like weight loss um journeys. But how to transform that into an actual food, you know, conglomerate, let me call it that. How are you able to do that?

SPEAKER_00

So before going into restaurant or scaling it, I went back to school. Okay. Um in Harvard. It was a very short course. I realized that I cannot just go in naive. I cannot just go in with um the experience I've had on the ground where I was trying food. But I really need the educational aspects of things, the mindset shift. Because all I've studied in my whole life was HR. I love HR. That's what I did in school, and that's all I pursued career-wise. But business management is a different thing. So I had to go back to school to learn business management and marketing.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And I like to say that no one also makes it this big alone.

SPEAKER_04

Definitely.

SPEAKER_00

I've had an amazing support. I'm not self-made. No one can be self-made. No one. Okay. When I hear that, I cringe. I'm like, how? The team, the um independent contractors that you pay, the people who tear and what I tear down your setups, they are all part of the story.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I was blessed enough to have a good, amazing team. And also my foundation with my mom doing food as in real food. So it was the salad and the juices and the smoothies that I would say that I had to come up with recipes. But for the local Ghanaian authentic dishes, my mom already had the blueprint. So I mean, this makes life a lot easier. And I got married, my husband is into farming. Okay. I was like, I really wanted you know, it was in the right place at the right time. And our vision for Nunio was to source from local farmers we trust. We wanted to give the typical farm to fork experience. So our goat, our cow, our corn, there are certain products that we get straight from local farmers we know. And my husband happened to be farming these things. So we started, you know, working together. So he was also a big support. And then my mom, I stole a lot of her recipes, added on top, and it was like this was the whole idea the whole time. So transitioning, I had an amazing support, and I just knew the timing was right. And I had accepted that this truly is what God has called me for. I shied away from it from a long time. Like God after school, like hey, I mean, I'm coming do chopper. I'm coming support. But yeah, I was like, Choba took me to school. What are you even saying? Exactly. Choba made me made me like and my vacations, my summer vacation, all of that. I mean, it's my mom's chopper money that took me. Yeah, I went to a good school. I had good, I mean, experiences in life, the little she could do for me. And my mom is such an amazing woman. So she was one person that truly helped me, my husband, and then my team. I have people that started working with me from when I opened the restaurant who are still with me, like Chef Olivia. She was a cook. We now took her to school. My husband said we should take her to school last year. We took her and she's gonna graduate this December, and she'd be a certified chef. So all these people made the transition really easy. They made the transition really easy.

SPEAKER_04

You know, I need to send this episode to Kabnor Bain Dark and to watch because he spoke about something like this, and you've lived it. He spoke about the fact that um part of the reason we don't have enough successful people in Africa is because we shy away from what's made us. Like, like you're saying, your mom had a chop bar. The money from that chop bar took you to school, made you educated, built a life for you.

SPEAKER_00

And what we And she even took a loan for me. I forgot that. Thank you. When I wanted to eventually skill, I had I needed money. Yeah. Because American House rent ain't cheap. At all. My first restaurant was at American House. She literally took a loan for me.

SPEAKER_04

And most people after that now look down on the industry that made them. But he always talks about the fact that why don't you now use the education that you have gotten to come back into that industry and elevate what was already happening. And I love um you I was going to talk more about health, but now I'm going a different direction. I love that you even jumped straight into community. Yeah. Because most people don't have the success they need because they are failing to have a community. Everyone wants to be self-made. I can do this by myself, you know, I got me. But they don't understand that. It's the fact that your husband is there, your mother is there, your friends, your people who you work with who've now become like family.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. That community is what keeps you. And we lack partnership. I think that's the thing. We lack partnership. We want to everything to be attributed to us.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

If everything is attributed to me, I think I've failed. If out of Nunio, people cannot brag that, oh, I bought this land because I was working with this woman, or now I'm a satisfying share because I'm working with this woman. I took my first trip to Dubai because Madame Chichi took me to Dubai.

SPEAKER_04

You haven't done anything.

SPEAKER_01

We haven't done anything.

SPEAKER_04

We need to get to a point where our goals are outside of us. And I think that is when we actually like the world gives to you when it realizes that you are giving to the world. Yeah. Yeah. And community in Africa for a long time has what has kept us going. But these days we're starting to shy away from it. We just want to sit at home by ourselves and watch Netflix and then go do a boring job and then come back to that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. No, we are not meant to do life alone, neither are we meant to do uh career aspirations alone, neither are we meant to do business alone. We are social beings to begin with. Exactly. So nothing happens in isolation unless, of course, you have chosen to be there, just you know, have a mindset shift to do something for yourself, to pour into yourself away from the annoyance of the world. But if you want to build something that outlifts you, you can't do it by yourself.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, now let's jump into help. Someone like me, see my pot's belly. I know the camera is not showing it as much, but it's a pot's belly. What are the right steps to take? What are some of the, let's say, easy tips that you can help us with on how to eat right?

SPEAKER_00

You know, people think eating right is eating less. So you realize a lot of people say, Oh, I only eat once. How am I gaining weight? Once, but what is on the plate? What time are you eating it? All those factors actually matter. So it's about spacing your timing of your meals and also your portion control and what your plate looks like. Okay. So you see a typical Ghanaian plate, a lot of rice, then some one protein, and typically no vegetable. That is not healthy. So you need for a balanced meal, you need to have your vegetables in there, you need to have your proteins in there, you need to have your carbohydrates in there, you need to have some legumes in there. That is a balanced meal. So when I hear proteins, I've even stopped eating rice entirely, I'm no longer eating foo food. No, that's not the way, it's not sustainable because we grew up on this. Unless you grew up on other things like salads and stuff like that, then maybe you can do it for you will miss it. So you have to find a way to eat good portions at good times. You don't have to eat, let's say, 8 p.m. and then you are in bed by 9:30, watching or snooping on social media. No. After every meal at night, if you can at least a good 20 minutes walk around your house, people say, Oh, my area, I cannot. Around your house, start with what you have. Just walk around your house, and that will go a long way. When I hear people saying, I can't afford a gym and all of that. God is so wise, eh? He gave us two legs. Two legs a night. You can you can walk without going to ever going to the gym, and you'll be as fit as a fiddle. So walking is something that I always tell anyone who's asked me, Oh, I can't go to the gym, I can't afford a gym, or my time will not permit me to go to the gym. Walk around your house. If you have a stairs, just go up and down the stairs, time it. And watch your body thank you. Watch your brain thank you. Even the way you think when you are living a fit, firm life, is different from the way it affects you. It shifts something within you. Your ideas, even the way ideas come to you when you are going on a walk. Try it. My best ideas come when I'm on a walk.

SPEAKER_04

Very true.

SPEAKER_00

When you're alone with your thoughts and just walking. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_04

So normally I even leave my phone in the house when I'm going on my walk so that no disturbance, just me and my thoughts.

SPEAKER_00

It's like an idea factory when you go out there to just walk. Yeah. And just hear yourself. So let's start by walking. Don't, don't, don't complicate work out, don't complicate healthy living. Yeah. Simplify it. Work with what you have.

SPEAKER_04

I think that that word is important. Simplify it. You know, we forget that a lot of the things you want to do, they're actually very simple. It's not easy. It's not easy, but it's very simple. Yeah. So the the simpler you make it, then maybe you can do it. Like if you say, okay, every day I'll work for start with 10 minutes. Yeah. Then in a week, oh now I'm doing 20 minutes. Next three weeks, you see, you're doing an hour. Then one day, you know, you are walking a marathon without even noticing it. But when you say, Oh, day one, I'm going to do deadlifts and then go to the gym and then go and play this and do then it becomes too much and you can't keep up.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, wherever said little drops of water makes a mighty ocean. I mean, they knew what they were saying. You just have to start small. Yeah. And then you build up and it compounds.

SPEAKER_04

So, what do you think about intermittent fasting? That's what I'm asking for me.

SPEAKER_00

Hmm. Intermittent fasting, see, I don't I'm not the expert, but I'll say when intermittent fasting is like um a fast track thing for me. It's not sustainable. So maybe you have a goal, you have something. I'll use myself and typical examples. When I do intermittent fasting, please don't say I'm vain. So, like I have an outfit I really want to fit into. I'm going. You can do a good intermittent fasting within two weeks and you shed all the weight.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

You know, so it's really fast to see results, but it's not a long-term sustainable something. So let's say someone wants to stop um glutening or stop eating too much. You can start from intermittent fasting, just so that your body will adapt and go into ketosis, and then you can bend the fat faster. Then after that, maybe the first two weeks, then you transition into maybe eating twice in a day. Then you build onto having your real three square meals a day, depending on the portions you are having. A breakfast shouldn't be a big thing. Just two bananas is breakfast for me. Just two bananas is breakfast for me. Okay. Then lunch, I have my proper meal. I'll have my Ghana Yun five jollof. I'll have my grilled chicken, I'll have my salad with coeslock. I'll eat what I'm truly craving for.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Then in the evening, I eat into something lighter. It could be a quick salad, a bowl of salad. It could even be, I want realistic examples that you don't have to overthink it. Oats.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And you are good. So I we need to simplify things. By intermittent fasting is just the first way of you know seeing results.

SPEAKER_04

I've been doing it for some years now. But so what I do is by intermittent fasting, I have the standard one, which is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oh. And that's quite normal to me.

SPEAKER_00

It's very normal. Because you know, we tend to eat around two. Yes. Two to three.

SPEAKER_01

And then it can sustain you.

SPEAKER_04

Exactly. You know, once I started the intermittent fasting, I realized it's actually all just in the mind. Because there are days, let's say I have work and I won't eat until 3 p.m. And I may not eat the rest of the day. So now that I force myself to say, okay, I'll I won't eat before 10 a.m. and I won't eat after 6 p.m. You know, of course, there are the cheese days and every once in a while. You are human. Exactly. But I came to realize it's actually not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. It's not. Then when I really want to, you know, mine is not fitting to address that, set a goal for myself. Then maybe I'll push it to like a from a 12 to 6 or something like that. And I came to realize, like you're saying, the portion control is important when you combine it with the intermittent fasting and keeping it simple. And keeping it very simple. Making sure it's not something that's so difficult that I'm passing out. I remember sometime, this story, whenever I say it, I watched some diets online and I said, hey, let me try this. They called it an apple diet. Right. They said you eat 10 apples in the day and you don't eat anything else for the whole day. Richie. So I said, let me try it. By 12 noon, I had finished five apples. And I was about to faint. You collapsed. Oh, two o'clock. Nobody told me to find some jalov to eat.

SPEAKER_00

You don't have to do everything we see online. Yeah. But you know, once in a while, fasting too is very good. So intermediate fasting is even spiritual. Yeah. Yeah. You know, when the body is deprived of food, the brain accelerates.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Because I've read a lot of research on how I mean these days I've read it. I have the knowledge, but I don't have the physical ability yet. Maybe one day I'll sit here and give testimony. But how if you're able to fast for two days to three days, the body starts to heal itself of disease. My husband does that. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00

Three days water fast every other two weeks. One day, one day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

I'll give testimony.

SPEAKER_00

But right now, he hasn't taken any medication in seven, eight years.

SPEAKER_04

Wow.

SPEAKER_00

No malaria, not panadol, nothing. Three days water fast.

SPEAKER_04

So how often does he do that?

SPEAKER_00

So the last time he did it was two weeks ago. He's been doing it consistently for the last three years. So like every two weeks. Every two weeks every day water fast. Yeah. But in the week, on his bond day, every Thursday he fast. He fasts. So that's and that one is every week. Every Thursday he will fast.

SPEAKER_04

I said I was going to try that where every Saturday I would fast.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, this is giving me once a week. You can that one you can do it.

SPEAKER_04

Sorry guys, this interview is not for me. It's not for me. Interesting. Because I've read so many health benefits that come from being able to fast, you know. And I remember when when um I was learning about lions and learning the fact that lions eat like once every four days. And that's the well-fed lions in the you know, that are being kept on the on like parks and stuff. In the wild, lions eat like every two weeks.

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_04

And I started learning about other animals and realizing that it's only human beings that eat so much. You know, and if you if you look back at before civilization, we didn't have that much access to food. So I don't think our bodies have always been used to eating as much, but now the mind has gotten used to it, you know. So now I'm telling my mind, yeah, go three days only drinking water. No. Your husband is a strong man, guys. I'm going to do this, I'll let you know the results. If you don't see masterminds in a while, to me, say it didn't go well. Okay, let's go to your fitness. You mentioned walking. I I was uh watching your Instagram and I saw you post, I think you had just done a 12,000-step walk and everything, and I was like, wow. So, how did that also start for you?

SPEAKER_00

Um, fitness and going on exercises and this kind of walks has always been a part of me, but this time it's just been so different because, like, I realized for some time I always wanted to do it for a goal. So, oh, my birthday is coming, then I'll, you know, I'm going on a holiday. Then I'm like, what am I doing? This has to be a lifestyle. So I decided I have to add it to my everyday living and accountability's sake, I said I'll post on social media because you know there's this thing about when you post on social media and you don't do it yourself. You're like, hey, this girl, you started, you stopped. You know, so for me, I'm putting on social media just so I'm accountable. Yeah, so I know people are watching, so that even if I've not posted for a week, someone should be curious to ask, hey, what's up? Because other people leave DME and say, because you're going on a walk, I've also started working, it's inspired other people, it's building a community from there, exactly, and I am held accountable because now you've asked you've inspired people to start this work and you've stopped. Yeah, so work, I believe, will be a part of me for for as long as I have life because I've seen the benefits, I sleep better now. You know, I was I was like other people who depend on um what's this called? Um magnesium. Yeah, and I was introduced to it, I think, just about six months ago. And I was like, I don't want to be on this. You don't sleep should come to me because I have never had a challenge with sleeping, but I think adulting has a way of just messing up your whole system. Family, kids, the branches, everything springing up, anxiety, you worry so much because now it's not just about you and five of your workers, no, it's bigger than you. So all those things started getting to me the whole time. I realized that my health was also at risk. I did a vital side and I was like, no, I need to I need to get back to this. It's not um twice going to the gym kind of thing. And I mean I started slow, I'm not saying everybody should start working every day, but I challenged myself that at least in five days, in seven days in a week, five out of it, I will do a walk. Yeah, and I want to do it for as long as I have life, and I've seen the benefits. I sleep better, my brain is at ease, anxiety, where is it? It's not even in the room with me anymore. So I I'm really liking this phase of my life, and it's walking that has actually helped. And I thank my husband. Like, I I will reference this guy because partnership is so beautiful if you find the right person. He's really inspired me to do so many good things when it comes to my healthy life journey.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, so I need to understand how did you do 12,000? Because I I remember the day I did, I remember I can give you exactly 7,700 steps in one walk, and I was feeling so proud of myself. And then I saw you do 12,000. I was like, I need to go further. Yeah. Like, how were you able to keep um consistent? Because that's the most important part. Anything can be achieved if you stay consistent. So, how are you able to stay so consistent that you can now do that easily?

SPEAKER_00

Um I remember the very first day. Made a post about it when I started working again. So I joined two friends um at Lagon campus and they do 14,000 in one walk. I did about 5,000. I was like, guys, I stopped an Uber. I stopped an Uber and went back to where we parked and waited for them after them close to an hour and a half for them to join me. And I like challenges. I felt so embarrassed that I couldn't finish. Like, no, I will keep at it. And also, community is beautiful.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Then the next Saturday, before I could look at my phone, Faroka has already woken up and said, Bigger is calling us. Bigger was the guy who went for the walk with, and bigger won't let you stop. So somehow you need to find people that hold you accountable and people that have started their journey way before you that will tell you, cheer you on and say, we can do it. Yeah. So bigger will not take no. So you need that friend. True. You need a friend that takes no for an answer. Bigger will ensure you are there. So we went again. And before I knew it, they in day out. And I had these people that I'm working with. Now you are the one lagging us behind, you are the one dragging the whole process. So you have so now when we get down with the Saturday, I have mandated to find the window to you know build momentum and get my that truly has helped me keep at it, and now I can do 14,000 in a day. So even the 12,000 is good news.

SPEAKER_04

Please, Mandy, I'll come and work with you. I'll wait when I reach 11,000, then I'll come and join you because we're in a day. Oh, but I want you to talk about the mental part of fitness. A lot of people are going through depression, anxiety, mood swings, and they've never been told that like the correlation between having a fit body and a fit mind.

SPEAKER_00

Working is therapy. Unpaid therapy is the cheapest form of therapy for me. And I know other people who can actually attest to this. I am yet to meet anyone who has come back from a walk in a bad state or worse than they went. It really lightens your mood. You should try it. Anyone listening, just give it a try. When something is very heavy on your mind, go for a walk. Take time off and just walk it out. And you realize that for some reason it helps you, it eases your brain, it stabilizes you, and you realize that oh, you can figure it out. And even on the walk, if it's something that you're struggling with, if it's something that you are unable to get your head around, solutions will come. Walk is very therapeutic. You should try it. Everyone needs to go for a walk.

SPEAKER_04

I like that. Everyone needs to go for a walk. That's like a whole slogan there. Yeah. And I think a lot of people don't know that walking is actually the best way to get into your fitness journey. Because a lot of the things are too difficult to do, and it actually affects your mental in the opposite way. Because now you start to feel bad, you're not being able to do this. But when you are walking, it's it's just the relief. Yeah. And that fresh air on your face. On your face. Yeah. Hmm. That was a moment. Okay, now let's talk about something I saw you post a while back. You posted something about coming out of not being okay. Let's talk about it. I want to understand, first of all, what you are going through and how you were able to keep going even though you were going through it.

SPEAKER_00

You know, that post really gained so much traction. And before I share anything, you know, I'm an open book. I have been through, I'm trying to conceive journey. I shared it before I even had kids. You know, a lot of the time people share after they have a testimony. But I realized in doing so, a lot of people feel like no one is going through anything. But I was showing up, I was building a business at a time, and everything seemed to look okay. You've gone to school, you have good community, I mean, you've married your college sweethearts. What could go wrong? So I took a personal decision to just share. Not the not so great, because we are also accustomed to posting the highlights. And those watching, those we are inspiring, they beat themselves to rate sometimes because they feel like Chi Chi always has a good. So I decided I'll use my social media for something different. Because everybody can post, I just got the new car, I just got the new house. Yeah. I've moved into a new house close to some weeks now. I haven't written anything about it. Because for me, show us something real, show us something wrong. No picture perfect, no the edited, filtered life. Show us something that we can relate to. Not to say that people cannot relate to good news. People can relate to good news, but somehow let people on the other side know that we show up regardless. So don't have a victim mindset when you're going through your own personal challenges and just feel as though the world is coming to an end. Because you know there are people that when they're going through things, everybody around them will go through it with them. They are nasty, they are not warm, everything is just like please, not today. But I want people to understand that there is this saying that to get a testimony, you need to have a test.

SPEAKER_03

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00

So, how do you want all the good things without going through it? Even look at look at how the day comes. Before we transition, we have a very dark hour before dawn, before sunrise, then sunset, then it gets dark again. Even the cycle of a day. Yeah. So it can't always be bright, it can't always be sunshine. You go through things. And if you are okay sharing while you're going through it, that's fine. But not everyone can do that. I can do that. But a lot of people can share only when they are done going through it. So they'll share from a place of experience and a place of finding solutions for it, resilience, and building character. So when I post these things, I just want people to know that you see me posting this selfie, happy go, lucky girl. I'm doing this, I'm here, I'm on a trip, I'm there, I'm there. It doesn't mean that's how it is all the time. No human has it like that all the time. I mean, it's not who show me. So I use my platform to just let people know that we all are carrying something so we can be kinder, warmer, I love that, nicer. Because you just don't know what somebody's carrying. And in that those weeks to that post, I'd had an accident. Oh, I've had an um a work accident on the job, one of my team doing training came with their toddler. So many things from all sides, not everything I can even share. Like it was like life was dragging me. And I realized I come on social media and it's like everybody has something exciting to say. Meanwhile, there are other things. So people are focusing on the good, which is excellent. I mean, that's what I want everybody to gravitate towards. But sometimes people with huge following and a big platform and a community show us the unfiltered side so that we can even relate more and we can also know that if she went through this and came out this way, meaning it's going to be fine eventually. It always pans out fine. Back then when I think there was SSY and all of that, we would those kind of exams. I remember some of the results came and people wanted to be the world to just end. People got suicidal because the world was coming to an end. Look at you now. That is life. Life is not a straight line, it's it's bumpy.

SPEAKER_04

It's a constant care.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a constant care. So I share these things just so that people know that everyone is going through something. So just be kind.

SPEAKER_04

First of all, let me clarify. Thank you. One thing I talk about all the time, and I watched a documentary that confirmed it, is that social media is actually like contributing to a lot of depression, anxiety, even you know, like death rates through suicide, and everything's on the high. Because everyone is putting the highlights of their life. You know, everybody's showing the end results, they are showing the good moments, they're showing the vacation. Yeah, they are not showing the work that they had to do for months to save up to go on the vacation. Yes. And even if it's pointed. And if thank you. So what is happening is that people are there consuming all these highlights and looking down on themselves. Somebody is there thinking that, oh, everything is so great for Chi Chi, and why is my life not going well? And why am I suffering with this? Why that, why that, why that? Not understanding that everybody's going through something. Everybody, everybody is really struggling, you know. Um, if you listen to Buddha's teachings, you understand the fact that life is suffering, so it's a part of life. Life is not just the rainbow, life is the storm, and then the rainbow comes after it. So when we are only showing the rainbow all the time, it makes the person in the storm feel like something is wrong with them. Yeah, not understanding the fact that oh, I turned my camera off when it was raining. So sometimes let's let's show that too. And I love how you say it will make people kinder and warmer because social media has become such uh a ground for bullying, where people are so mean, antagonistic, like angry all the time, hateful comments, and it's all because they think everything is rosy. You know, somebody is watching you, somebody's watching me, and they really think our lives are just perfect, and their life isn't.

SPEAKER_00

So they are triggered, yeah. They're triggered.

SPEAKER_04

I saw something and I was so sad. I saw um Cristiano Ronaldo being like leaving the World Cup, and this is his last World Cup, and he was crying, and I saw hateful comments under that. People insulting him, people laughing at him, and I'm thinking, why? Why are you happy that somebody who's done so much for football for like for decades is sad that he couldn't win a World Cup before he leaves international football, and you are happy and you are insulting him and saying all these things. And the reason is anytime you look at Ronaldo, anytime Ronaldo posts, it's glory. It's after scoring goals, it's after winning a championship, it's after doing this. You look at Georgina's life and it's vacation after vacation, everything is just beautiful. When you hear the fact that he's making 4.4 million dollars a week, it's like, hey. So all you see is the beautiful parts. You don't see the training, you don't see the depression from the days things are not going well. You don't see when he was growing up and there wasn't food at home, you don't see what his mother feels like, you don't see when his dad passed away and he still had to keep going. Nobody sees those parts. So you look at the person and now you are happy when something goes wrong. Yeah. Not understanding that everybody has something going wrong every single day. I I I love seeing you post that. My first thought when I saw it was I was concerned. So I checked on you. Yeah, you didn't, and then I realized, oh, okay, she's good. I'm so good. Yes, she's good in a way of I am not okay, but I'm okay with that.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly. Because it can be always good.

SPEAKER_04

Yes, and I loved that, and I just imagined how many people who follow you, who are inspired by you, who would watch that post and smile thinking that I can be okay too.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's a choice. Yeah, happiness is a choice. You choose to be happy. I know.

SPEAKER_04

Like you you know, we have all the ingredients to be happy in our brain, right? It has all the right hormones to release for us to be brain, it just chooses not to. Yeah, we turn it off. So, what advice would you have for people who are going through it and really don't think there's a way out for them?

SPEAKER_00

It's not over until it's over. So once you're here, you're breathing, God has a plan for you. I know this sounds spiritual and cliche, but it's true. There is so much hope for the living. So once you are alive, just know that better days are ahead. So don't ballow in self-pity. But you can go through all the emotions as well, and it's okay not to be okay, I just want to borrow your words. And stay grounded and keep showing up because the darkest hour at your lowest, you are either building character, you are building resilience, and it's all part of the bigger picture. How boring would your story be if it was all roses? You won't even be called for an interview. You have a story to tell.

SPEAKER_04

No, Violet, you ran away. Now I want to know this one. I'm asking for me again. It's like I'm being very selfish to do. How profitable is the food industry?

SPEAKER_00

Um, it's decent, it's decent, it's just decent. It is decent. Are you sure Chi Chi? You go in. Is it not Instagram? It's decent.

SPEAKER_04

It's decent, yeah. So if somebody is trying to enter the food industry right now, they have the skills. Is it an industry you would advise people should come into?

SPEAKER_00

You have to come ready. Okay. You know, it's very competitive. Like after every kilometer, there's a restaurant, isn't it? Yeah. So you have to come ready and come with something slightly different. Because food is the beast, so it's going to be food. But the service, the approach, come with something different, something that you think the industry is lacking, and definitely you stand out.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. Because, like you, for instance, that's what helped you. The fact that it'll set you apart. Exactly. Interesting. But how did you also handle the fact that, you know, when you are doing weight loss, right? You know, when it comes to food, I'm judging you based on the taste of your food. So let's say, like I said, your food is good. So I know I can buy your food. But when you are dealing with an industry like weight loss, the person is also judging you based on results that you cannot control. How do you deal with that? Can you take the question again? So let's say, like, the fact that you're putting me on a meal plan. I've way past that. I no longer do meal preps. This is eight years ago. No, so what I mean by that is like the reason I'll come to Nyonyo Essentials is the guarantee that your food is healthier. Right. Do you get me? So instead of going to eat my regular jollo from this place that I know they're probably not using the right oils and this, even though I really like the taste, I'm coming to Nyon Yo because I'll lose my pot's belly eventually. So now I've put some extra layer of pressure on you to deliver. Yeah. Yeah. How do you deal with that kind of because you know people can be stubborn?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. People can, you know, and um, you can't satisfy everybody. Yeah. So there are people that will still have issues with it. But just to put on record, we are no longer serving the purpose of buying our food for weight loss, but we are serving you healthy, Ghanaian, authentic meals. Okay. What we are trying to tell the people who are buying into our products is that you can still eat your jollof and not have any guilt because of the kind of products we use and making our jolov. Okay. The kind of oil we use in making our jolov, the portions and even the kind of salt. I don't want to mention certain brands, the things that go into the food. You can trust that when you come to nyunu, you are safe. Okay. And with that, I also want to say that eating is one part of the job.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But how much you consume of nunu is dependent on you. So your portion control is very important. I still eat my lunch from nyunu every day, Monday to Friday. Fridays I eat my watch because we have daily specials. So every day I have what I want that might not have on other days. But my portion, my plates of nunyo might look different from your plates of nunu. So work on your portions. But you can definitely eat nuno when you're on any weight loss goal. Because you still have to eat the things you enjoy. The goal is to have a sustainable lifestyle. Yeah. Not a fast track thing that's within one month or two months you fall off the wagon. No. But with our meals, they're going to eat the things you love, the things you grow up eating, and at the same time, you're going to meet your healthy goals. Okay. But you have to work on the portions. If a pack of our pack of meal is so generous. I don't know if you've seen the pack of Nunion. It's so generous. I have people take a picture and go like, hey, I couldn't even eat all. I'll have some the next day. That is what portion control.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. But the person who decides to finish it all in five minutes. Wow, awesome. I think I asked that question because sometimes I wonder and worry about that, you know, because the purpose of masterminds is to give people knowledge for them to use to better their lives. Sometimes I wonder, how do I help the person who I don't see? Because I may give you the information, but you need to use it in your life. So sometimes I feel like, is there a way to be able to help that person after giving them the information? Because it comes to like yours, like you've given them the healthier food, but you are not at home with them. They're doing is you. Now, if they eat three packs of it.

SPEAKER_00

We can give it the manual, but if you don't read it to fully understand and to apply it, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Sorry. It's about understanding that your responsibility is half the journey. Yeah, the other half depends on the person. Okay, okay. My last question for you. This one is for me. I'm wearing you. Your clients, you know, a lot of people do this, and oh, there are seven, some neighborhood places, and this, oh, this office next to my house. Your clients, let me look. Look, when I was researching MTN, Coco Board, National Petroleum Authority, like you are handling the big dogs. Two, one, how are you able to get such top clients? And two, what's are the steps you take to maintain them? Because landing and maintaining are two different things.

SPEAKER_00

Word of mouth is powerful and referral is something that I wish for every business owner. You can run all forms of arts, all forms of marketing. If the product cannot sell itself, if your customers are not willing to tell the next person about your services, then you're doing something wrong. But if the product is so good, trust me, people will want everyone to know about it. Think about it this way: when you try something, you want and it's good or it exceeds your expectations, you are likely moved to call your friend even immediately. Charlie, I go here, the thing be you. Hey, the guys, hey, even I expected this, but it was beyond that, isn't it? So for us, every client we've landed is because the previous client we served, we exceeded their expectations. We underpromise and over-deliver. Now we leave everything on you, and you become what? A working billboard and an ambassador and talk about the services. Because people say, oh, um, Ghanaians don't give feedback. I know bad feedback travels faster. I know that. But exceeding somebody's expectations, they might not write you a Google review, they might not comment under your post, they might not make a video post for you. But trust me, when they are at a table and a conversation comes up and the services requires you, they will bank on you.

SPEAKER_03

Very true.

SPEAKER_00

And also, it's their reputation. So they will bank on who they can trust, can deliver, and even over-deliver. So, time and time again, anytime you've had any experience, we call it experience because all our social events is to deliver an experience. The product is one thing. But how our staff make you feel, how our the dates, the setup, how we spoke to even the event planner, the communication from the logistics team, from the chefs arriving on site, the outlook, what they are wearing. Are we invisible or we've taken over the event? That also matters. No, because the service we are rendering, we are part of the event, but we shouldn't make it about us. That is what we are selling. So somehow, somehow, the product, the service, and the experiences we give to the clients, it draws in new clients. So a lot of these corporate clients you've mentioned, it's just one person probably walk into a restaurant, pick a pack of food. Some we don't even know. So the companies will even call you, invite you over because someone has mentioned your name and then will tell you, oh, we are tendering this. Would you want to tender? We have opened this slot. Would you want to send a proposal? And we we just go in as who is going to plug us in. And the work has already been done by someone who tried the service and doesn't have any personal connection with me or any of my team. And they've validated your service. So it's just that ripple effect, and it goes on and on and on. And then now how to retain them. Um client retention is important to me than finding new clients. Because with the service industry, the service side of our kitchen or the restaurant side, if I cater to someone's wedding and I do an excellent job, yeah, there's a high chance when they have, let's say, a baby shower, they'll remember me. If the newborn baby arrives, they'll call me. Anniversary, they'll call me. Among them, even if they're family or three, there are three birthdays. If there is a milestone they want to celebrate, they'll call me. So when I get a client, my goal or the team, and our goal is to retain that client. Because if you serve the person well, you have a client for life. So that is how we've been able to retain them by going the extra mile, giving them a service that truly is worth their money. Because people are paying so much for the service industry. You know, the service industry is quite expensive now. And you don't want people to give you so much and then you come and just give them something substandard or so, just to wow their expectations go beyond the extra mile, and then we can retain them.

SPEAKER_04

So it means you're always focusing because from both answers, I notice you're always focusing on the value that you are given. The value. So that means your your biggest marketing trick is the fact that you're actually valuable. Yeah, yeah, beautiful. I like that. Did you get value from this conversation?

SPEAKER_00

I did, I did, Vichy. Thank you. Like you are so you are you you sound you come off as an avid reader. I can tell you you read a lot.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, I like reading, and and somebody sitting over here likes reading even more than me, so she's influencing me positively. Oh, thank you, thank you. But before I let you go, one last thing. One thing I always like to do, work in that camera over there.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_04

And imagine you can speak to the person watching at home. What one piece of advice would you give them that would shift their mind to the right mindset for success?

SPEAKER_00

Thoughts are powerful. You need to guard your thoughts. Thoughts become things. So what you think, you will become. So be very intentional about the thoughts you actually give, the thoughts you actually give power to. You know, whatever you are, you thought it into being. This is not like this is no magic. It's back with neuroscience. Whatever you are, you thought it into being. So you can rethink in case the state you are in is not so great. You can rethink to get into a better space. So protect and guard your thoughts because your thoughts are powerful and they actually become things. I'm wishing you well and I want to see you at the top.

SPEAKER_04

Thank you, thank you so much. Guys, thank you for me. Thank you for me. And I really hope after this conversation, you are 10 steps closer to being the mastermind I know you are meant to be. Thank you for watching this episode. Now, the mastermind's dream is about building a community of people who have the right mindset and are ready to take their success into their own hands. So do me this wonderful favor, subscribe and share with anybody out there who you believe you want to see have the right mindset to succeed so that together we can all become the masterminds we deserve to be.