"People's perspective about who I am doesn't matter. I know who I am. I know what I've been doing. I know the work I've put in. When I was a student picking up ice cream machines, selling popcorn, doing that, doing this, they weren't there to see it. But now they see progress and you're trying to pull me down."
In this deeply transformative episode of Konnected Minds, we sit down with Kobe, a young entrepreneur who built a thriving popcorn and dessert business on campus before most people his age even think about starting, to unpack the raw, unfiltered truth about youth entrepreneurship, why waiting until you're older to make financial decisions is a dead mindset, and why everything you've been taught about needing age, experience, or permission to build wealth is keeping you stuck while others your age are building empires from skills and audacity you already possess.
We dive into the brutal reality of gossip and rumors that young entrepreneurs face, why people accused him of fraud simply because he was making progress at a young age, and why he had to make peace with the fact that people's perspectives don't matter when you know the work you've put in. We break down why when he was a student picking up ice cream machines, selling popcorn, doing all the grunt work, nobody was watching, but the moment they see progress they want to pull him down with baseless accusations. We discuss why this mentality is deeply embedded in Ghanaian and African culture, why young people wait until they are much older to make financial decisions because they fear being accused of fraud or questioned about their money, and why this is a dead mindset that will keep an entire generation broke.
But we also confront the practical realities of building a business on campus, why his popcorn business targets students but also serves the residents in Yediasi town, and why even though sales dip when students go on vacation, they planned for it by opening a branch in town to keep workers employed and generate income. We unpack why proper planning is the difference between businesses that survive and businesses that collapse, why his father lost money when they migrated back to Ghana because there was no backup plan, and why the lesson he learned is to always have a backup, always plan for the future, and never put all your eggs in one basket.
We get into the strategy behind giving shares to key team members, why Harrison Mensah their creative director was brought in as a shareholder not because they had money to pay him but because they recognized his value and wanted to keep him invested in the business. We discuss why you don't have to be greedy in the beginning stages, why if you are building a dynasty your 20 or 35 percent will be worth millions in the future, and why selling someone on a dream and giving them shares increases productivity, loyalty, and results. We break down why Harrison now sits down and plans business strategies, marketing, and everything because he owns a piece of the business, and why this is how you build a team that cares as much as you do.
We also tackle the question of expansion and investment, why Kobe is planning to open branches in Accra by late this year or early next year, and why he's open for investment but not just for money but for experience and mentorship from someone who has already surpassed where they are. We unpack the bold claim that a new branch opposite UPSA or on Legon campus can do fifteen to twenty five thousand cedis in total revenue per day by selling popcorn, ice cream, boba, waffles, milkshakes, and hot chocolate, and why the key to scaling is proper training, constant supervision, and keeping the recipe and SOPs in a small circle to protect the business from people who would steal the formula.
We close with the most important mindset shift every young person must make: stop waiting for permission, stop listening to the noise, and start building. We discuss why any energy you have to bash somebody who has results should be redirected into yourself to go and make money, why you may never know the truth about how someone made their money and it doesn't matter anyway, and why the goal is to create your own dynasty, something that people will appreciate, instead of wasting time tearing others down.
If you've been waiting until you're older to start building wealth, if you've been paralyzed by fear of what people will say, or if you're ready to understand that proper planning, strategic partnerships, and relentless execution are the keys to building a business that lasts, this conversation will change everything.
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🎙️ ABOUT THE HOST
Derrick Abaitey is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, podcast host, and personal development advocate.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/derrick.abaitey
