Segment: I Don't Have Option B - Backup Plans Weaken Your Main Vision

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast with Derrick Abaitey

Segment: I Don't Have Option B - Backup Plans Weaken Your Main Vision
Date: July 30, 2026
Host: Konnected House
Guest: A (Entrepreneur, Medical Real Estate Innovator)

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Main Theme:

This episode dives into the mindset and journey of a young Ghanaian entrepreneur who rejects backup plans in favor of relentless pursuit of a primary vision. Through personal stories of risk, adaptation during COVID, and the scaling of a medical supply business into innovative “medical real estate,” the episode challenges listeners to reconsider the safety net mentality and embrace single-minded tenacity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Turning Crisis into Opportunity: The COVID Pivot

• Initial Struggles:
  The guest, unable to afford hostel living during university, hustled by trading with whatever capital he could muster.
• Opportunity from Adversity:
  When COVID hit, a friend in China (a doctor) reached out for help sourcing nose masks, capitalizing on the global shortage.
  • Challenge: The inability to export due to lack of export license.
  • Setback: Friend refused to compensate for the masks since export failed.
  • Recovery: Instead of panicking, stored the nose masks, hoping for a break.
• Breakthrough:
  As mask prices skyrocketed (from 16 GHS to 90+ GHS), sold off inventory for a major margin (00:30 - 04:51).
  • "I was just praying the lockdown will be extended, extended... My heart was beeping because I don’t know what else is coming." (A, 03:50)
• Reinvestment Cycle:
  Used profits to source and sell additional medical supplies (gloves, thermometers) as demand surged, exponentially growing business capital.

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2. The “No Option B” Philosophy

• Mindset:
  The guest adamantly refuses to have a backup plan or consider traditional jobs.
  • "Me, I don't have option B. I believe that anytime you have an option B, the option A is not that sharp... if it doesn’t work, you have a job. I had made up my mind at worst, hey, you give me underwear, I will sell it." (A, 04:55 & 05:12)
• Inspiration: Draws from football coach Pep Guardiola’s philosophy—focus exclusively on primary vision for ultimate sharpness and dedication.
• No Compromise:
  Skipped national service to build his company, only registering for service once his business was established.
• Persistence in Hustle: Familiarity with selling (“brought up with tomatoes and other things”), views selling as honorable, not shameful.

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3. Building With Friends & Family

• Contrarian Experience:
  Contrary to popular advice, the guest finds family and close friends to be more reliable business partners than outsiders.
  • "For me, families and friends rather help my business to work well... People who have disappointed me in business are people I didn’t know outside business." (A, 06:40)
• Key to Success:
  Ability to speak his mind frankly to friends and relatives, maintaining clear boundaries.
  • "May I talk my mind? At a point in time, I have sacked my brother from my company before… He doesn't cease to be my brother. It's just business spirit." (A, 07:03 & 07:45)
• Accountability:
  Insists that being candid and separating family ties at work are critical for lasting business relationships.

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4. Institutionalizing & Scaling the Business

• Human Resource Focus:
  Finding people with the right skill and mindset is crucial for growth.
  • "If you get your human management, the people you are working with, their management, if you get it right, you have solved 80% of the problems you have in your business in scaling up." (A, 09:06)
• Employee Welfare:
  Prioritizing staff treatment, mentorship, and fair management, aiming to build a strong, loyal team.
• System & Structure:
  Recruitment, internal systems, and fostering a team environment have driven the transformation from a hustle to a thriving enterprise.

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5. Pioneering Medical Real Estate

• "Medical Landlord" Explained:
  Guest began in medical supply—now innovates by combining real estate and healthcare ("medical real estate").
  • "Now it’s just a very tiny bit of what we do. We do what I call medical real estate… If people can build hospitals…then we can let you virtually own a healthcare business without touching anything with your hand. Like owning an Airbnb inside a hospital." (A, 10:12 - 11:40)
• The Model:
  • Build and outfit hospitals and pharmacies for wealthy clients or diaspora who want “turnkey” ownership with minimal involvement.
  • Share equity in facilities, manage operations, and ensure sustainable return for investors.
• Vision:
  Empower investors, especially athletes and busy professionals, to own portions of healthcare facilities effortlessly.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Risk and Mindset:
  • "I don’t fear risk… at worst, you give me underwear, I will sell it. There's no embarrassment in selling, bro." (A, 05:00)
• On Tough Decisions with Family:
  • "I have sacked my brother from my company before…He doesn't cease to be my brother. It's just business spirit." (A, 07:45)
• On Institutionalizing Vision:
  • "If you get your human management… right, you have solved 80% of the problems you have in your business in scaling up." (A, 09:06)
• On Innovative Business Models:
  • "We can say we are building this particular hospital…If you want 50% of the one city, you can pay 50% of the value. Is that not it?" (A, 11:00)
• On the Importance of Sharp Focus:
  • "Anytime you have an option B, the option A is not that sharp. Subconsciously… option A loses its potency." (A, 05:12)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• COVID Pivot and the Nose Mask Breakthrough – 00:00 - 04:51
• Committing to One Vision: No Option B – 04:51 - 06:12
• Working with Friends and Family – 06:12 - 08:40
• Systematizing and Scaling the Business – 08:40 - 10:05
• Pioneering Medical Real Estate – 10:05 - 12:00

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Tone and Language

The conversation is raw, honest, and motivational, colored by West African entrepreneurial hustle. The guest’s narratives are direct, peppered with personal anecdotes, and delivered with conviction.

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Summary Usefulness:
This episode is especially valuable for ambitious entrepreneurs questioning whether to “play it safe.” It demonstrates—through lived experience in the African context—that single-minded vision, risk tolerance, and sharp focus, coupled with team and system building, can transform crisis into generational opportunity.

Transcript

[A]

I think the COVID came in. So the COVID that turned everything around. The COVID was the brood through. You want to hear that part?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The COVID messed up a lot of people's business.

[A]

Even after that particular semester, I was still paying it lead just to be able to use the funds I have as capital and trading with them. So I was. I started something small with it until I think the COVID came in. So the COVID that turned everything around. The COVID was the breakthrough. You want to hear that part?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. How is that? The COVID messed up a lot of people's businesses. How did it help you during the

[A]

COVID I think there was a lockdown. So they told us to go to our various homes. The students, they were to vacate the hostels and other things. I wasn't living in the hostel. I was living in a normal household with other tenants. Because I could not afford a hostel that time. I was living it and closer to my madame so I could go and eat. It's when I got a contract from a friend. He was a doctor training in China. When the COVID came, Chinese people were on lockdown already. There's something they call Chinese New Year. And all factories closed down as apart from just few essential services. All factories, it's compulsory. They have sold nose masks and other things to the rest of the the world such that when the Kobe came to their end, they were struggling to get newsmarked. So at a point those who remember will remember. So this my friend called me that I should get funds and buy new smarts and export to China for him. And I asked permission from my friends. They are still with me. One of them even, I mean, it's one of my investors now my meat that I use is fees, whatever. Some are doing well now. I told them this is what I've got an offer, let's do it and share the process. They accepted it. So I sent one of them to. I think there's a market in Accra, somewhere in Accra, not super popular. He went to get some, one of them went to a doom to also get some. And we added everything. About 200 or so boxes of the nose mask. That time was 16 cd pair box of nose mask. And we are trying to send it export it back. I didn't have an export license, so the regulator didn't allow me to export the news mask outside. And I called my friend. This is what had happened. So but because you made me buy it, the export wasn't part of the contract so means you have to pay for your cost, right? Very good. The nose mask. He said no since I couldn't export the nose mask to me is not going to pay the cost. Are you lean? It's people squeeze. I mean what trouble have I found myself? But I mean I don't feel risk so I just called them back and told them this is a challenge my friends. These are the challenges I am facing. Now you all know the nose mas I haven't, I mean sent it anywhere. In fact it's one of even the. The guys that I use his fees one of them that tried exporting for me in Accra. So we found a place somewhere in East Lagong and kept the nose mask. One week passed, two weeks I was praying, I was just praying that. That we will resume school and I don't have the fe. I was only praying for the lockdown to be extended and extended, extended I mean so I was happy anytime and they are doing. They call it a state of the nation address My heart will be beeping because I don't know what else is coming. Then after about three weeks to one month no smart price rose to 90 cities it went to 2025. I don't know if you remember that story no smart it even crossed I. It even looked like I sold my early because after when I sold at 90 CD after a record it was still going up but I feared that it can drop down. We had not seen a surge in prices like that before anywhere. So I feared that if I had not sold the Noseman I could run out losses. So at 90 CD I sold everything. So that became the. Yeah so I share some to my friends other things Then my next move I went to buy Gantas G I think thousand pieces for 130 Ghana City that time you see the francophone countries even before COVID they were using nose mask they were using sophisticated machine like Gan thermometers For us we're not used to that unless you travel outside Ghana we're using the amputee we call auxiliary thermometers and the ear thermometers other things not a forehead non contact once. So they had done the lockdown to go border close. But I think the Ivorian border was slow. They didn't close it early. So I had a friend who is still with me now he's still my friend that I'm. I'm investing some of the business who led me to someone that gave us Gant thousand pieces of Gant we did that I mean duty payment Other things. And we brought it in that one too. The Gantomometer prices started shooting apart to a point. It got to 1500 Ganachi. Everyone, everybody remembers this story. And I sold. Mine was, I think 900 or 950 for thousand people. So it means from just hundreds thousand or eighty thousand, something that I got from the Nosemaster, now I'm jumping to almost 900,000. The margins were crazy. You get the logic now?

[B]

I get it.

[A]

So that is where the breakthrough came.

[B]

You are not looking for a job.

[A]

Me, I don't have option B. I believe that anytime you have an option B, the option A is not that sharp. I had made up my mind that at west, hey, you give me underwear, I will sell it. So, I mean, that is how.

[B]

So you started a business while you were in school? Yeah, Finished. And you are still working in that business?

[A]

Yeah, I'm still working.

[B]

You are not looking for a job.

[A]

Okay. So I have this philosophy. I pick from Pep Guardiola. Me, I don't have option B. I believe that anytime you have an option B, there option A is not that sharp. Subconsciously, yes, subconsciously, that's my belief. I don't know for others. So this is my belief. I know that subconsciously, anytime you have a second option, an alternate option, the option A loses its potency. Because subconsciously you know that. Oh, even if it doesn't work, I have a job. So I didn't even do national service. I see. I had made up my mind that at west, you give me underway. I will sell it. There's no. There's no embarrassment in selling, bro. I was brought up with tomatoes and other things. Selling. That is not. That's not what I used to be the business, but it built me on how to sell. Also. I didn't even do national service. So it's when my company became big. That is when I decided to do my service. In my company,

[B]

it can be very difficult to work with friends. How have you been able to do it? Get it?

[A]

So I've moved with him for the past. Since that time. I mean, we have been friends. We have been friends since 2010. That time, I don't start a business. We are just, I mean, little boys friends. And then he moved in. Look, and then I said. So I just convinced them.

[B]

Okay. You know, when. When something you've mentioned where it can be very difficult to work with friends, how have you been able to do it for?

[A]

A lot of people say they can't work with families and friends. For me, it is the opposite if people have given me issues in my business, mostly are people that I got to know through the business, not people I knew outside the business. Yeah, it's not something that works for a lot of people. For me, families and friends rather help my business to work well.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yes. People who have disappointed me in business are people I didn't know outside business. Now I'll tell you why. Maybe it's because I'm able to talk my mind in their face. A lot of people are able to tell their mind in the face of their. Their families and friends. May I talk my mind? So my sister at the point, my sister, one biological sister, didn't talk to me for about three or four years. And I didn't care because I talked my mind to rise your bp. It was send signal to your brain to raise your bp. Now I don't have any of those. It's you who struggle to me. I talk my mind. So I have at a point in time, if I have sucked my brother, my little brother from my company before.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I told him that my brother, you can't be here because he was taking work matter to the house. There are some people who owe our appearance and he has money. The person has money with us in a business, you go and tell our parents that this person has some money in somebody's business. You know, it doesn't work like that. I have to let him now. My brother is doing so well. At his age, he's like he just turned maybe 20 or 21. He's doing so well to a point, even when we are locked out at the port or something, he's able to lend us 80,000, 100,000. He's my little brother. I still equip him. He doesn't cease to be my brother. It's just a business spirit. I think you don't belong here. You get it? Yes. So I think it's something a lot of people who are not able to work with their families and friends are not able to do. They are not able to talk their mind in their face. Straight away say this man, what. What you did is nonsense. Yeah. They are not able to say those things to them. That this doesn't make sense. That is me. What is the innovation we lack?

[B]

I think what I really want to understand is how you've been able to institutionalize your business. How did you do it?

[A]

Apart from mentorship, that I will discuss all these things. You need people on low capital, other things that people can. Like I was saying, there are people out there who have Money, but they don't have business ideas. Some have money, have business ideas, they don't have time. So you can get access to their funding and you can get access to some people who are also dedicated, want to build a vision with you. Especially when they know how you have treated your old staff, other people and they know that you're not going to, I mean throw them away when you, you do something well with them, that they move along with you. So people is one Captain Buddy comes in, said that if you get your human management, the people you are working with, their management, if you get it right, you have solved 80, 80 of the problems you have in your business in scaling up from very small to abstinence. So employee welfare is one thing I really prioritize. So a systems. A systems and structures that have brought our company from where it was to. Well, if I say we all hear people say system structure, system, what do we mean? What exactly do we mean? So one of them is recruitment and people management.

[B]

I mean the, the that term medical landlord. What does that mean? Where did you get that from?

[A]

We were into medical supplies. Right. That's how we started. Yeah. Now it's just a very tiny of bit of what we do. You've expanded the business. Yes, we do. I call medical real estate. What does that mean? So it's new in Ghana. I think if I'm right then, or if I'm not mistaken, we are the first company that's doing something like that in Ghana for South Africa. Even a company is listed on the South African stock exchange that is doing medical real estate. USU is there. They are big guys. One of my distant mentor, he does 4 billion $.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Medical real estate. So we see real estate that people play in is good. Everybody is preaching real estate, but we are trying to do something different. Don't forget of my idea of trying to go into engineering. So the engineering has influenced the way I still do anything at all that I hold. So instead of going to general real estate business, I said okay, I'm in the medical space. So if people can build hospitals, can build pharmacies. There are people also don't know how to run the hospital. But they have money, but they wish they would own a hospital one day. Then what I want to do is that let me build the hospitals and sell it the hospital to them or let me stock their hospitals for them as a. As just a medical equipment supply. Let me stock their hospitals for them or let me build the pharmacist for them. But at the point in Time I was realizing something. The hospital is not the building, it is the system. And structure the business so someone can have a small building that is generating more revenue than a big hospital. I mean big building hospital. So it meant that some of the people I do the hospitals for, after talking for them, don't know that they don't have the strategies, the business ideas, the things me and my team have learned, my legal department, my hr, my strategy, other things. They don't have that. If that is the case, then let's build hospitals and allow people to own part of the hospital or part of the pharmacy or part of the diagnostic center. Just as the way people own Airbnb apartments in a big building. You get it? Meaning that we can let you virtually own a healthcare business without touching anything with your hand. Do you get my point? We can say we are building this particular hospital. It's one city. If you're interested in owning a hospital in this particular location, if you want 50 of the one city, you can pay 50% of the value of the hospital. Is that not it? So that is what I am currently doing. So people build hospitals to sell drugs and get revenue, or people build pharmacies to sell drugs and get revenue. And there are some people, if you look at them, you sell it out, you come back the following year and you will see that the money has gone waste because they couldn't manage it. To help them manage, we have decided that sometimes we will suggest majority or just a portion of your hospital to them and retain some. That is what brought the name medical and loaded medical real estate business. So we are doing real estate. It's a commercial form of real estate, not residential, commercial, just like people do warehouses at that time, but in our space is in the healthcare space. And a lot of my friends, especially I have friends in the, I mean friends who manage footballers, a lot of athletes, they don't have time to go and manage businesses, but their business, their company is like that or what they do is like that. When they have an injury, they can have life threatening injury so that they can't continue football.