Segment: 'Parents Don't Really Know Their Kids' - Why Following Your Own Path Leads to Success

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast

Host: Derrick Abaitey
Episode Segment: "Parents Don't Really Know Their Kids" – Why Following Your Own Path Leads to Success
Date: March 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Konnected Minds Podcast revolves around the challenges and triumphs of charting one's own path to success, particularly in the context of parental expectations and societal pressures. The heartfelt conversation features candid stories of struggle, resilience, and the importance of passion over profit when building a business. The discussion also delves into how parental understanding (or lack thereof) can shape young people's journeys and self-belief.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Navigating Business Regulations and Growth

• Main Challenge for Entrepreneurs:
  • Speaker A shares that securing regulatory (FDA) approvals is a major hurdle, especially for products needing supervision or falling under prescription classifications. Despite these barriers, A’s dedication and product effectiveness have led doctors themselves to recommend her business to patients.

    "I've had a lot of doctors also recommend me to people... they know it works. That's why they will recommend people to come to me." (A, 00:49)

• International Reach:
  • The business has expanded beyond Ghana, shipping products to the US, Canada, UK, and Germany, as well as a business trip to Nigeria for further growth.

    "I've been selling outside: US, Canada, UK, Germany, it goes on. And actually I traveled to Nigeria too to expand my business there." (A, 01:14)

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2. Misconceptions About Starting a Business

• Desire for Instant Success:
  • Many new entrepreneurs expect quick returns, but A stresses the need for patience and passion over a focus on quick profits.

    "People want to start today and they want to blow. That’s because you're motivated by money, not passion." (A, 01:33)

• The Power of Consistency:
  • Selling through recommendations was key to initial success. Even when orders dropped, instead of quitting, A invested further into influencer marketing, specifically citing the positive impact of working with influencer Dossy.

    "I was like, if I was to put all my money ... into this business, I'm going to make it." (A, 05:12)

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3. Overcoming Hardship and the Importance of Mindset

• Struggles After University:
  • A recounts living in extreme discomfort after university, including relying on water collected from AC units due to financial hardship. These experiences fueled her determination to succeed.

    "We were bathing AC water... We were so broke that we couldn't fill our tanks ... It wasn't easy." (A, 02:41)

• Personal Growth and Fulfillment:
  • Now successful, A reflects on happiness and fulfillment, attributing it to perseverance and passion.

    "I didn't want to give up ... This is a brand. I want it to be international one day." (A, 05:03)

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4. Advice for New Graduates and Young Entrepreneurs

• Don’t Wait for Opportunity—Create It:
  • A advises that waiting for government to create jobs can lead to misery. Instead, find your passion and build something meaningful.

    "You don’t have to wait ... If you are just motivated by money, you are in for a short term." (A, 04:02)

• Dealing with Setbacks:
  • When initial momentum waned, A doubled down on efforts and experimented with new marketing strategies instead of giving up.

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5. Healing from Past Experiences & Fulfilling a Larger Purpose

• From Not Being Heard to Helping Others:
  • Growing up feeling unheard, A now finds joy in her work by empowering others and teaching about feminine hygiene in African contexts, bridging generational gaps.

    "Our parents don’t even know ... So if I have the knowledge and I'm passing on to other people and they are learning and they are seeing results, I'm happy." (A, 06:47)

• Recognition and Family Pride:
  • Now that her success is evident, even initially skeptical family members are proud.

    "They didn't think I’d get to this point. My siblings...they feel like I have, I've made it or I'm making it." (A, 07:31)

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6. The Disconnect Between Parents and Children's Aspirations

• Parental Expectations vs. Individual Desires:
  • Many parents, wanting respect from their peers, push for traditional career paths (like government jobs), but often don’t understand their children’s true interests.

    "She wanted me to wear the suit and go to work, wear the, you know, nine to five stuff. And that was in me. I didn’t want that." (A, 08:00)

• The Need to Truly Know Your Child:
  • Derrick observes that most parents don’t actually know or understand their children.

    "Parents, some parents don't really take the time to understand their kids...They may be living with you in the same house, but they have not taken the time to really understand you." (Derrick B, 08:52)

  • A advocates for parents to listen, support, and help guide children towards their own dreams, not just the parents’ ideals.

    "They need to take their time and then allow your kids to choose their path and then direct them… Listening to them would just mold them into the right path." (A, 09:06)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "If you are just motivated by money, you start today. And if you don’t get sales tomorrow, you are done." (A, 04:16)
• "I want a brand, I want a company. And ever since I've known, I wanted to be a business owner. That is my goal." (A, 04:32)
• "I feel like I’m fulfilling a purpose and it makes me so happy." (A, 07:27)
• "Allow your kids to choose their path ... listening to them would just mold them into the right path." (A, 09:06)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:49 – Doctors' recommendations and business credibility
• 01:14 – International business expansion
• 01:33 – The passion vs. profit debate
• 02:41 – Overcoming early struggles and financial hardship
• 04:02 – Advice for graduates: make your own path
• 05:12 – Taking risks and reinvesting into the business
• 06:47 – Turning childhood challenges into purpose
• 07:31 – Family’s recognition and pride
• 08:00 – Parental expectations vs. children’s aspirations
• 08:52 – Parents not really knowing their kids
• 09:06 – How parents can better support their children's goals

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Conclusion

This episode provides an inspiring look into how young Africans can break free from limiting beliefs, societal expectations, and parental pressures to build a fulfilling life and prosperous business. By focusing on passion, resilience, and inner confidence, the path to true success becomes both purposeful and rewarding. The stories and advice in this episode serve as a rallying call to bet on oneself and gently encourage parents to become more attentive supporters of their children's dreams.

Transcript

[A]

Sometimes it involves a whole lot of, you know, back and forth. So I think that is it when it comes to customers. Honestly, I don't know. I don't suffer, thank God, I don't suffer to get customers. I know how to grab them and make them stay. I know how to make my customers feel at home. I'm, I mean, very interactive and, you know, all that. But I think the biggest problem will be FDA approvals because I have a lot of products I would like to add, but they can't be approved because they need, I think, one product. They said it needs supervision before they can use it. So even pharmacies and those stuff are not allowed to sell it. Right? Yeah. Even though I have knowledge about it,

[B]

I, you know, some products are, I mean, in a pharmacy there's categories. Isn't. So you have an OTC medication where anybody can pick up and you have a pharmacy medication where you need a pharmacy supervision. And you have a prescription. Prescription which you need a doctor first.

[A]

So that one is more or less like prescription medicine. But I've had a lot of doctors also recommend me to people like. Yeah. And sometimes I'm surprised. I'm like, they're supposed. Then I mean, they know it works. That's why they will recommend people to come to me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, I went to this hospital and they said I should come to you. Oh, I have this type of problem. And then the doctor said I should come to you. You can, like, really?

[B]

So are you able to ship some of your products outside of the country?

[A]

Yes. Oh, I've been selling outside us, Canada, uk, Germany, it goes on. And actually I traveled to Nigeria too to expand my business there.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Nigerians also are on my products and. Yeah.

[B]

What are people missing when it comes to starting their own businesses?

[A]

I think the basics people want to post today and then, you know, even though when I said that it was good, people want to start today and see success today. I wasn't ready to see success on my first year. All I had in mind is I want my products or my business to be in the minds of people and on the lips of people. I've sold through recommendations like I can't thousands of times that it was recommendation that sold my product. You get it? So people want to start today and they want to blow. It's. That's because you're motivated by money, right. Not passion. I have passion for feminine hygiene because I feel like the ladies needs to learn. And even on days I don't feel like showing up, I still show up. Because I'm never tired of talking about feminine hygiene, you know. So you need, it's the basics. You need to make sure that it's something you love. You don't just start just like that.

[B]

So can you imagine when you moved after your service? You know, you were searching for jobs and you never got jobs. And it's been five, six, seven years and you're still looking for jobs. How would your life had been at the time?

[A]

I would have been miserable. Yeah, I hate discomfort. So I think that also makes me a go getter. I don't like to be uncomfortable in life, in anything I'm doing. I like to do things in my own pace and you know all that. So if five years and I had still not been able to make it to this point, I don't know, I. I don't imagine it because it would have been horrible. But I didn't even have it easy, you know, when I left my job, honestly, I was staying with my friends and we had it tough. When you say tough, we were bathing AC water. Wow. Because like we had, you see that water drops that come from the ac. We were so broke that we couldn't fill our tanks. And then luckily for where they were staying, I went to their house to stay with them. Where they were staying, they had illegal connection, you know, they had illegal connections. So the AC was, will always be on from morning to evening. And then we put like a small barrel there so it will fill up. That's how we're able to get water to bath because we couldn't afford to fill our tanks and all that. It wasn't easy.

[B]

Has your life changed so much? Are you happy?

[A]

Very happy.

[B]

So if somebody has just finished university today and they are waiting for the government to create jobs for them, what

[A]

will you tell them? You don't have to wait. I think right now there are a lot of businesses you can start. But as I always say, make sure you know what you want to do, you have passion for it. If you don't have, if you are just motivated by money, you are in for a short term. The money is nice. But if you feel like I want to create a company, I don't want to have just a business. No, I want a brand, I want a company. And ever since I've known, I wanted a want to be a business owner. That is my goal. So I work towards that. If you are just motivated by money, you start today. And if you don't get sales tomorrow, you are done. And that's why people move from one business to another because they don't put, you know, I said I had about 500, you know, order. I've sold 500 products in a span of three weeks or so. And it went on like that. But from the third month going, I wasn't getting orders.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I didn't say okay because the orders are not coming. I'm going to stop. I sat down and I was like, how am I going to do this better? And that is when I started reaching out to other influencers instead of. I was using one person. So I was like, let me put money into this. I want to make it stand. At that time, I didn't even have a business name. I. When people come in, ask of my business name, I didn't know because I didn't have one. So I sat down and I thought about it and I was like, I don't care if one thing. My friends always. I'm bored when it comes to decisions. I was like, if I was to put all my money that I've made into this business, I'm going to make it so I, you know, dossy the influencer doors. Yeah, yeah. So she brought the light into my business. I went to her and then at that time she was charging, I think her demonstrative advice was like 2500. And then I paid her for 2500. And then in a span of 24 hours, I've sold about 25, 000 cities. I took that same money I made and I gave it to her and I was like, I want us to do one month. I paid her for the one month, it went well. Another month again. I paid her again. I. I didn't want to give up. I wanted, I want. It's like, this is a brand. I want it to be international one day. I wanted to make waves. Not just a business that wake wakes up and sells. No. So I. It's like the vision is, you know, there.

[B]

The vision is big. But if you look back when you, you know, you were starting life and I'm talking the times when you felt bullied, not being heard, not being listened to, not being nobody, actually sitting you down to understand your problems.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And now what you're doing now, are you fulfilling those gaps that were missing when you were growing up?

[A]

Yes, I think I am to some extent, yes. I mean, I feel so happy when people come to me and, you know, they've seen results from what I'm selling. Yesterday, I think, was it yesterday? Before yesterday, I was just. There's so many reviews were coming in, I was like, wow, it makes me so happy. It's like I'm fulfilling a purpose because when I started I wanted freedom for women because, I mean, I saw feminine hygiene products. So many people don't know feminine hygiene. We African homes, we are not taught. Our parents don't even know. So if I have the knowledge and I'm passing on to other people and they are learning and they are seeing results, I'm happy.

[B]

You're happy.

[A]

So, yes, I'm fulfilling. I feel like I'm fulfilling a purpose and it makes me so happy.

[B]

How does your father feel about you?

[A]

So proud. Even my mother, I've forgiven her. She's so proud. Yeah, they're all so proud. You know, sometimes they didn't think, I'll get to this point. My siblings, you know, they, they feel like I've, I have, I've made it or I'm making it. Yes.

[B]

Sometimes when we are growing up as kids, do you think our parents or people around us set a target for us? Like this is, this is the bar.

[A]

You know, the reason why my mom didn't want me to come to Accra was because she wanted me to work, and I mean in a government institution. Because she felt like if you become, if you go and work in shops and those things, she'll be laughed at. Like they would laugh at her. So she wanted me to wear the suit and go to work, wear the, you know, nine to five stuff. And that was in me. I didn't want that. So, yes, you know, she was against it because she wanted to do the nine to five stuff.

[B]

And I, you are still wearing a suit. I think this is some things that sometimes our parents don't understand. I get, young people come to me, they're like, Mr. Derek, I want to, I really want to do this, but my parents don't get me. They, they. Today I made a conclusion that parents, some parents don't really take the time to understand their kids.

[A]

Right.

[B]

They don't actually know their kids.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

They may be living with you in the same house, but they have not taken the time to, to really understand you.

[A]

I think they should.

[B]

Locally we say something, say, right. So every parent think their child is bad.

[A]

Right. But I think they need to take their time and then allow your kids to choose their path and then direct them. Yes. Mold them on the way. If you say you want your child to be a doctor and she doesn't, or he doesn't want to be a doctor, ask her, ask him, what do you want to do. You might not have knowledge on it, but showing your child just love being there for her or him. Listening to them would just mold them into the right path. Unless a child who don't want to do the right thing. Connected Minds Podcast.