Segment: 'I'm an Opportunist' - How to Use Relationships to Get What You Want Without Apology

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Konnected Minds Podcast
Host: Derrick Abaitey
Guest: Nanaba (inferred from transcript)
Segment: "I'm an Opportunist" – How to Use Relationships to Get What You Want Without Apology
Release Date: February 19, 2026

This episode dives deep into unapologetically leveraging relationships for personal advancement. Guest Nanaba candidly shares her philosophy on being an “opportunist,” how she’s navigated mentorships and professional environments, and her perspectives on societal pressures, self-imposed expectations, and authenticity, particularly for women and young people aiming for success.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Being an Opportunist as a Path to Success

• Nanaba openly embraces the label “opportunist,” explaining how deliberately seeking value in relationships has propelled her career.
• She describes how she intentionally ingratiated herself with established media figures to learn from them and secure opportunities (“If I’m not getting anything from the friendship, trust me, it’s useless to me.” [00:37]).
• Approach to Mentorship:
  • She sought proximity to Emma Morrison, a top news anchor, not out of flattery but strategic ambition.
  • “I made it my plan to be this close to her, skin to skin with her. Because I will learn from her.” [01:08]
  • “If I need something from you, trust me, I will serve you with my blood and my energy.” [01:36]
• Nanaba highlights learning by observation, turning a mentor’s weaknesses into her own strengths for career advancement.

2. Negotiation and Deliberateness

• She reframes her strategy as negotiation, not manipulation:
  • "That’s what I call negotiation. It was deliberate because I knew what I wanted at the end of the day. And I don’t care what you say..." [02:26]
  • “I just knew. Yeah. So Emma understood the assignment.” [02:47]

3. Women Supporting Women in Media

• Praises Emma Morrison’s leadership for giving women opportunities, not based on favoritism but on a willingness to see what others could do ([03:20]).
• Highlights the impact women in power can have by consciously opening doors for others.

4. Societal & Self-Imposed Pressures

• Derrick probes whether societal pressures are especially heavy on women and girls ([03:36]).
• Nanaba argues much pressure is self-created by unhealthy comparisons and internalizing others’ successes:
  • “Some of the pressure is self-imposed. Some of the pressure can be avoided. You don’t have to believe everything you see.” [03:54]
  • “Be authentic. Do not copy.” [04:22]
• Advises against buying into timelines for careers or life milestones, using her own academic record as an example:
  • “I didn’t get first class.” [05:11]
  • “But it hasn’t stopped me from being what I want to be.” [05:30]

5. Money, Entitlement, and Responsibility

• Critiques the idea that wealthy people owe their resources to others:
  • “How dare you? That is his or her money. He decides what he or she wants to do with their money.” [06:24]
• Emphasizes personal responsibility when choosing to have children or make big life decisions ([06:45]).

6. Life Timelines: Marriage, Children, and Authentic Progress

• Challenges the notion that everyone must achieve goals by certain ages (marriage by 28, etc.).
  • “You really never know what you want to do. There are people who are now discovering themselves in their 50s.” [05:53]
  • “Don’t make your life’s clock somebody’s clock…” [08:24]
• Dismisses public pressure stemming from social media:
  • “Don’t go and look for money to go and buy because Nanaba wore it. Whatever you have, make do with it.” [09:42]

7. On Boundaries and Self-Respect

• Derrick observes, “Nana would not let anybody put her in a box.” [10:52]
• Nanaba affirms she refuses to be controlled or limited:
  • "You’re not just limiting your potential, you are allowing people to control you, to control your narrative. You can’t control anybody’s narrative. I don’t know how that can ever happen to me. It’s not possible.” [11:05]
• Gives an example: Willing to walk out of important meetings if not respected for her time, even when she needs a favor ([11:13]).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Intentional Opportunism:
  • “If I’m not getting anything from the friendship, trust me, it’s useless to me. And so I make friends because I know there’s something you have that I would like.” — Nanaba [00:37]
• On Learning From Mentors:
  • “I saw Emma’s weaknesses… I made that my strength. I perfected it.” — Nanaba [01:49]
• On Authenticity vs. Imitation:
  • “The fact that Derek is wearing a white shirt and it looks good on him doesn’t mean a white shirt will look good on me… Don’t buy pressure for yourself.” — Nanaba [04:22]
• On Societal Timelines:
  • “Don’t make your life’s clock somebody’s clock.” — Nanaba [08:24]
• On Personal Boundaries:
  • “I need a favor from you, but I’m out. I will not sit for hours because you think I’m at your beck and call.” — Nanaba [11:13]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:40 — Nanaba’s philosophy on leveraging relationships for gain, mentorship with Emma Morrison, and deliberate negotiation.
• 03:36–04:25 — Discussion of societal and self-imposed pressures, especially for young women.
• 05:10–06:38 — Perspectives on academic achievement, handling adult life milestones, and differentiating between superficial expectations and personal progress.
• 06:40–09:42 — Money, entitlement, social comparison, and authenticity in lifestyle decisions.
• 10:52–11:20 — Refusing to be boxed in or disrespected, maintaining boundaries even in need.

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Takeaway

This episode offers a candid, unfiltered look at ambition, opportunism, and authenticity—especially from the perspective of a woman determined to chart her own course no matter societal pressures. Nanaba’s unapologetic stance invites listeners to shed limiting narratives, embrace calculated strategies, and resist external pressures, all while maintaining self-respect and supporting others along the way.

Transcript

[A]

To protect me. Women who were not from my family. And so when I was going through my career, I just thought, this will not happen with me. I will make sure that every step of the way, I'm bringing another woman along. I'm bringing somebody along. And I did it. My father always said that I'm an opportunist. It's true. I'm a big opportunist. If I'm not getting anything from the friendship. No, no, no, no, no. If I'm not getting anything from the friendship, trust me, it's. It's. It's useless to me. And so I make friends because I know there was something you have that I would like. Okay, yes. For instance, when I went into The Newsroom or TV3 and I met Emma Morrison, she was the best TV news anchor in Ghana. And I made it my plan to be this close to her, skin to skin with her. Because I will learn from her. And I am not a very serviceable person. I don't know how to serve. But if I need something from you, trust me, I will serve you with my blood and my energy. And so, Emma, I will go out of my way. So it was more of ingratiation, you know, I would ingratiate myself into your life. Ms. Modi, what are you having for lunch today? Ms. Mo, have you eaten? Ms. Modu, should I get you water? I was constantly in her face. So much so that she had to realize that this girl wants to be close to me. She could have pushed me away, but she didn't. She brought me along, and she would say, oh, this bulletin. I won't be available, but right, but not the prime time. But my aim was to share the prime time spot with her. She didn't know that, but that was my objective. That if Emma is doing Monday to Friday, they have to give me Thursday. And Friday Emma should do Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. So I constantly learned from her. I would learn. Then I saw Emma's weaknesses, and I didn't tell her that. Oh, miss, I think if you do this, it will be good. I made that my strength. I perfected it. On the day I went on tv and she saw me, she said, oh, I think you should put her on the roster as well for the prime time. I said, yes, I did it. That's what I wanted. That's what I. So I know what I want, and I know how to get it. I know I'm a chaser, I'm a fighter, and I don't care if anybody says, oh, nanaba. Yes, that's what I call negotiation. It was deliberate because I knew what I wanted at the end of the day. And I don't care what you say, if you sit down and say, oh, opportunities, you don't have to say it. That was my plan. So why are you saying it like it's news to me? News flash. It's me. I knew what I was doing. I just knew. Yeah. So Emma understood the assignment. Emma didn't care. I'm sure at some point she knew, she knew that this girl. But she couldn't be bothered because for Emma, the more women, the better. Okay, yes, that is Ms. Mo. So when she became. When she was in charge of the newsroom, you could tell from her recruitments she was recruiting more women. She was giving more women opportunities for big assignments. And you would think that, oh, maybe because someone likes it, that's why she's giving. But you realize it's not just the people she likes, is the people she hasn't even really engaged with. She's just giving you the opportunity to see what you can do, you know, And I completely adored her for that. Do you.

[B]

Do you think there's a lot of societal pressure on young girls and women in general?

[A]

I can't. Well, I can speak from just what people have told me because personally I do not know.

[B]

How about what you see around what I see?

[A]

Well, I think people. Some of the pressure is self imposed.

[B]

Okay, love it.

[A]

Some of the pressure can be avoided. You don't have to believe everything you see. Right. But you realize that people are so addicted to the successes of others and they're thinking, Chart your own path. Really, you need to chart your own path and you need to know what you want to do. Focus on what you want to do and stop paying attention to what others are doing. You can be inspired by them, but be authentic. Do not copy. The fact that Derek is wearing a white shirt and it looks good on him doesn't mean a white shirt will look good on me. I may look very pale in a white shirt. It will probably make me look really ugly. But don't buy pressure for yourself. When you are 23 years old or 25 years old and you are not employed, don't think your life is coming to an end. And so you want to end it. You want to commit suicide because life's pressures are getting to you. When you graduate from the university and everybody expected you to get a first class and you didn't. I mean, I didn't get first class.

[B]

Neither did I.

[A]

Exactly. It's okay if you get a first class. I mean, it's wonderful. My son got a first class and I respected my son that because I couldn't have. I couldn't have landed the first class. It was possible, but it hasn't stopped me from being what I want to be. So a lot of the pressure, people are watching, but also the pressure comes from society because you find a young girl who's 28 years old and you're thinking, huh? Or a man who is 35 and they're going, who knew I was so Nairibi? But the man is not ready. The girl is not ready. But there is so much pressure that the man will go and borrow. He will go and take a loan for a wedding. And even after their wedding, two years into the marriage, they are still paying off things they use for the wedding. A young girl at 28, she's just found a job trying to figure out life because, you know, you really never know what you want to do. There are people who are now discovering themselves in their 50s. People wait till 61, then they discover that, oh, this is actually what I want to do. But there is so much pressure from society that at a certain age you should be married. At a certain age you should have a child. And they remind women of their body clock that at some point you cannot. Science has advanced so much, people are freezing their eggs.

[B]

Or those that have the money, isn't it?

[A]

Yeah, those that have the money. But even if you don't have the money, right? If you don't have the money when you have a child now, who's going to take care of the child? Because the decisions. You cannot be emergencies for me. If you have a child and you cannot take care of your child, don't think that because you've had the child anyway and according to you, but do not think that your problem becomes my responsibility. And that is why I get upset when people feel they are entitled to other people's money. People judge what other people do with their money. I see very wealthy people engage in a certain lifestyle and somebody will sit somewhere and say, sasikawe, you could have taken care of 15 children. I mean, how dare you? That is his or her money. He decides what he or she wants to do with their money. If you go and have a child today and you're not ready to have a child, find a way. But don't think that you are entitled to anybody's money. So the pressure, really, sometimes it's not so much there, but it's the actions we Take the decisions we take if we allow the pressure to get to us. And at 28, you are not ready to get married. At 28, as a man, you don't have your life figured out and you are going to go into a relationship, settle down, have another human being to take care of. You are not ready. Look, Derek, for the rest of your life, you'll be depressed every day because you will see your friend Derek, who was your classmate, doing his podcasts, practicing his pharmacy, able to buy his car, able to buy a house, and you are wondering what's happening to me. It will send you into depression. And so we must be able to share our experiences and our stories for people to know that the pressure we felt 25 years ago should not be felt today. The children of today should not go through what we went through, the pressures we had when we were growing up, that at this age you must marry. At this age, have a child, at this age you must have your car. Who says that to anybody? Do you know what they are doing with their money? Do you know what other responsibilities they have? But don't make your life's clock somebody's clock, because, I mean, I don't wear wristwatches for a reason. But don't put anybody in a certain hole and think that because I did this at this age you should be doing that. It's not fair, you know, it's not fair to anybody. So the pressure is there. Some of it, people allow the pressure to get to them. Some of them, they just buy the pressure because they've seen Sewa me here on social media, looking very good, wearing this dress and they think, no matter what. But a lot of the time, se why didn't buy the dress? Do you get it? I mean, I don't buy, I don't buy clothes. If I buy a dress, then there must be something very spectacular about the dress. Or I've seen a young lady starting a brand and I want to support, support, so I will buy. But ordinarily I have designers in Ghana who will say, nanaba, wear this dress for me. Another weather, including this, somebody made it and said, oh, Nanab, I want you to wear it one of these days. So you posted and tagged me, but I haven't bought this dress. So when you see me wearing it, don't go and look for money to go and buy because Nanaba wore it. Whatever you have, make do with it. And just know that in five years, in two years, I'll be at that level too. Based on the decisions and the actions I take today. So don't go and buy pressure for yourself and don't allow the existing pressure to get to you. Because as they say in tree. Motif, that's not what they say changed it. What do they say? You've changed it.

[B]

You know, there's an aspect of you which is what I figured out in this conversation. Nana would not let anybody put her in a box.

[A]

Never.

[B]

And by allowing yourself to be put in a box, you are limiting your potential.

[A]

Absolutely. You're not just limiting your potential, you are allowing people to control you, to control your narrative. You can't control anybody's narrative. I don't know how that can ever happen to me. It's not possible. For instance, if I walk into a place and you invited me and I even need a favor from you, and I've gone into meetings where I really needed a favor from the people, I show up. The meeting is at 9, 9:15. The maximum I will wait is 45 minutes, 30 to 45 minutes, 9, 30, you are not there. I need a favor from you, but I'm out. I will leave. I will not sit for hours because you think I'm at your beck and call connected minds podcast.