Konnected Minds Podcast Episode: ‘You Can’t Be an Influencer Forever’ – How I Built a 6-Figure Business from My Phone (with Ama Burland) Host: Derrick Abaitey | Guest: Ama Burland Date: March 6, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode features Ama Burland, a Ghanaian-Scottish influencer and entrepreneur, best known for building a 6-figure business, Dia Organics, through leveraging her content creation skills and social media presence. Ama shares her journey from a protected childhood to online notoriety, the challenges of influence and entrepreneurship in Ghana, and valuable advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs—especially young women. The conversation dives deep into mindset, the realities and saturation of influencing, business structure, and how to turn negative experiences into growth and success.
Guest Introduction & Purpose
- Ama, though popularly known online as “Ama,” reveals her full name is Princess Amdia Berland.
- She is both an influencer and a business owner, known for her candid personality and success in turning content into commerce.
- Purpose: To inspire audience, especially young women, by sharing personal journey and lessons (02:52).
Quote:
"Because I’m here to inspire people with my story. I know a lot of young girls and boys look up to me." — Ama (02:52)
Background & Upbringing
Family & Childhood
- Multicultural background: Ghanaian mother (Muslim) and Scottish father.
- Raised primarily by her mother, the youngest, describing a loving and protected upbringing with supportive siblings.
- Moved through ~10 schools as a child due to family decisions and incidents at school.
- Parental style was open, non-authoritarian, and fostered confidence and independence.
Quote:
"I’m not from the typical African home ... There’s no conversation in this world I can’t have with my mother." — Ama (11:28)
School & Personality Development
- Friendly and likable; naturally made lasting friendships.
- Academic performance was above average until high school; slight drop in grades but recovered.
- Did not have a clear career ambition — considered being an air hostess, but mostly just wanted to be "rich."
- Emphasizes that supportive but non-authoritative parenting fostered her confidence and open-mindedness (13:08).
Early Encounters with Adversity
- Ama addresses being bullied and body-shamed online, but maintains a resilient, positive outlook.
- Learned that criticism is inevitable, but focusing on personal growth and value is key.
- Used setbacks, like public scandals, as catalysts to start her business.
Quote:
"I always say life is a movie and I'm part of the main character. So things will always go well for me, even if I'm going through the worst things." — Ama (17:36, 43:43)
The Birth of a Business
Getting Started
- Faced skepticism from extended family for being constantly on her phone and on social media.
- A scandal involving a mistaken identity with a deleted nude video led to suicidal thoughts—but later, acts of kindness and support inspired her to post her sister’s products.
- Realized demand rapidly when 10 bottles of homemade hair oil sold out in 30 minutes (30:02).
Turning Influence into Commerce
- Discovered the power of audience-first entrepreneurship: built a following first, then sold products.
- Developed Dia Organics (hair care) and The Studio by Dia, starting with minimal capital (just 50 GHC), and iteratively reinvested profits.
Quote:
"I had money weekly for school ... all I needed was the bottle and I just needed 50 cedis." — Ama (34:09)
Funding & Scaling
- Won a 5,000 GHC grant from Sunlight Shiro competition.
- Expanded from one product (hair oil) to a suite of haircare offerings with proper formulations and certifications after going to school for cosmetic science.
- Delegated roles as business grew, focusing on content creation and business strategy (50:39).
The Realities of Influencer Life
The Limits & Lifespan of Influencing
- Stresses that influencer careers are temporary; external attention wanes over time.
- Advocates for using current influence to build tangible businesses or systems that outlast personal relevance.
Quote:
"You can’t be an influencer for the rest of your life. Your time will pass." — Ama (36:52, 37:05)
Navigating Challenges
- Reflects on creative control conflicts with brands, difficulty maintaining consistency, and the lack of industry unity in Ghana (40:27, 42:47).
- Notes stigma, underpayment, and lack of transparency in influencer contracts.
Quote:
"People don’t like to talk about finances ... but if we had honest conversations about money with figures ... it’s a realistic conversation." — Ama (44:37)
Is Influencing Viable in Ghana?
- Asserts that influencing is still a relatively accessible way for young people to make money, despite saturation.
- Over-saturation is more about everyone doing the same kind of content, not the volume of creators.
- Relatability and personal narrative are key to building a loyal audience and then a “cult” community that reliably supports your business (48:14).
Business Structure & Lessons
Organization
- Ama directly manages content and brand ambassadorship.
- Employs staff for finance, customer relations, and order fulfillment.
- Early struggles included order management, delay in delivery, and customer service during sudden surge in demand.
Growth & Delegation
- Recommends hiring or delegating early to manage pressure and avoid burnout (especially as orders scale unexpectedly).
- Transparency and communication with customers were critical in surviving early business challenges (55:57).
Mind & Money
- Discusses the importance of mental resilience in entrepreneurship.
- Money is an important tool—not everything, but it brings practical relief and self-worth.
- Encourages building a business not just for income, but as a way to generate pride and respect.
Empowerment & Advice for Young People
- Take every opportunity seriously; no opportunity is too small to turn into something significant (61:00).
- Self-love, confidence, and resilience are foundational traits for risk-taking and overcoming failure.
- Failure is part of the process; consistency and learning from setbacks lead to eventual success.
- Build an audience that is a “cult” — loyal and ready to support your ventures, not just passive followers.
Quote:
"It’s okay to fail ... But at least you know you tried. Giving up is not something you should consider easily." — Ama (61:00)
Giving Back & Bigger Vision
- Expresses desire to give tangible support (startup capital) to women through business grants or even free advertising (71:22).
- Draws on her own experience winning a small competition and the difference it made.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- "Money puts you in high places. Money makes people give you value." – Ama (23:11)
- "If this is your field, you will shine regardless of whoever is around ... relatability is the key." – Ama (46:36, 48:14)
- "Having an audience is different from having a cult." – Ama (49:18)
- "Delegate. Delegation has been the best thing ever." – Ama (55:41)
- "I have people to prove wrong, to show ... that this is your daughter." – Ama (27:56)
- Derrick: "If we have 10 people every year set up businesses simply by listening to you ... in 50 years Ghana will be better." (70:27)
Resources & Book Recommendation
Recommended Book:
- Faceless by Amma Darko
“It opens you to the struggles of people ... It shows there are some parts of Accra that it’s not just a struggle—it’s a fight for survival. It made me want to give back.” — Ama (76:14)
Key Timestamps
- 02:52 — Why Ama wants people to listen: inspiration, representation.
- 13:08 — How open parenting influenced Ama’s confidence.
- 17:36 — Mindset: life as a movie, remaining positive through adversity.
- 30:02 — How a scandal directly led to starting her business.
- 34:09 — Starting Dia Organics with minimal investment.
- 36:52 — “You can’t be an influencer forever.”
- 42:47 — Discussion on influencer pay, lack of transparency, and unity in Ghana.
- 48:14 — Audience vs Cult; building a loyal community.
- 50:39 — Delegating roles in the business, building a sustainable company.
- 61:00 — Life advice for young women: opportunity, self-love, failing forward.
- 76:14 — Book recommendation: Faceless by Amma Darko.
Conclusion
Ama’s journey powerfully illustrates that content creation—when combined with personal authenticity, resilience, and business acumen—can yield not only popularity but also lasting economic empowerment. Her story offers a realistic, motivating blueprint for those seeking to turn influence into genuine impact and financial independence, especially in the unique context of Ghana’s digital economy.
For further empowerment content, subscribe to Konnected Minds Podcast and check out more entrepreneurial journeys.