September 12, 2025 • 78 mins
Dr. Daniel McKorley, known across Africa simply as McDan, welcomes us into his world with a startling confession: "I lost everything." This raw admission sets the tone for an extraordinary conversation about resilience, discipline, and the true meaning of wealth in the African context.
From his beginnings as a street boy in Labadi to becoming one of Ghana's most successful entrepreneurs, McDan's journey is a masterclass in turning adversity into advantage. "Starting as a messenger was the greatest opportunity I've ever had," he reveals, detailing how that humble position became the foundation for a business empire now spanning logistics, aviation, mining, and more. With over 7,000 employees, his net worth has surpassed a billion dollars—yet he still drives just one car and approaches life with disarming humility.
What separates McDan from others isn't just business acumen, but a profound philosophy that "your principle should be above your desire." He shares the three crucial stages of business development—infant, organic, and corporate—while explaining how most entrepreneurs fail during the critical transition phases. His approach to wealth creation follows a similar pattern: "When you're young, work hard. In middle age, work smart. Finally, let your money work for you."
Perhaps most surprising is McDan's perspective on parenting wealthy children. Despite his resources, he enrolled his son in a modest school and made him start as a security guard in the family business. "In our quest to give the best to our children, we rather destroy them," he cautions, advocating instead for teaching the value of work and discipline regardless of family wealth.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, his message is clear: you can start without money through sales, service, and value creation. Success depends on understanding what he calls the three pillars: "the street, the book, and God." This holistic approach has not only built his fortune but fueled his extensive philanthropic work through the McDan Foundation.
Ready to transform your mindset and approach to business? This conversation might just be the catalyst you need. Subscribe now and join the millions finding inspiration in McDan's brand of hope.
Watch the video episode of this on YouTube - https://linktr.ee/konnectedminds
Host: https://www.instagram.com/derrick.abaitey/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I lost everything.
I had to sell my car to pay mythree four-week salary.
That was the end.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
But it wasn't the end of me.
You made your first million Atwhat age 28,?
Yes, 28.
And then you lost it at whatage 32.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Every young man must have a price, and that is your
principle, and your principlemust be about your decision.
What you accept will neverupset, you will never frustrate,
you will never depress.
You need to be a master of yourown feelings.
How do we keep money?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
you are 20 years old again and you're about to start
life.
What decisions would you make?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
it's okay, this level .
I wouldn't want to repeat someof them.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
What's the lowest scale of logistics that a young
person can do?
You can do.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We have three stages of business life cycle the
infant stage, the organic stageand the corporate stage.
You can have a very goodbusiness plan, but it might be
the wrong person for execution.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
The next billionaires in the world will come from
Africa.
Do you think you'll be thefirst Ghanaian to go on the?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
forums.
My network has passed a billion.
I really admire your energy.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Welcome to Connected Minds Podcast.
We set ourselves on the path ofbuilding a studio for our
guests and for the audience, andwe've done just that Today.
I'm very pleased that the manI've got in the studio in our
new studio today is Dr DanielMakoli McDon.
Everybody calls him acrossAfrica.
(01:45):
How excited are we our audienceand myself to have him in our
studio.
He's done years ofentrepreneurship.
Look when we talk about oldmoney.
This conversation is going tobe about old money and you know
what it is.
Old money lasts the longest.
If you are here and it's yourfirst time, please click the
(02:07):
subscribe button and become partof the family and stay with me
as I speak with an entrepreneurwho has got many years
experience in buildingbusinesses across the continent,
serving the entire world withmajor businesses.
Today we're going to delve deepinto how he did it.
You know this podcast is abouthow You're welcome to our studio
(02:27):
, dr Daniel McCoy.
Mcdan, everybody calls you, butI can't call you McDan.
I have to call you Doc.
No, no, no, you can call meanything you want.
Thank you so much.
I'm your brother, thank you.
Thank you, thank you.
First question I've read a bitabout you, watched a lot of
interviews and you know you keeptalking about starting off as a
(02:54):
messenger.
How did you even get thatopportunity to start with from
the beginning Well.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
thank you very much for having me here.
You have an impressive studio.
Thank you, I'm very happy to behere.
Starting up as a messenger isthe greatest opportunities I've
ever had.
You know, at times it's not thebig things that make the
(03:24):
difference.
It's the small things and howyou take the small things very
seriously.
What I am today, I owe it tothe person who gave me the job
as a messenger.
So, a poor young guy fromLabadee selling on the street of
Labadee, I went, a Saito boy.
(03:46):
What do I have?
I need to move on, feed myselfand clothe myself, and there's
opportunity.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
But you were a driver's mate yeah.
And then you were working on aconstruction site yeah.
And then you get working on aconstruction site yeah.
And then you get an opportunityto become a messenger yeah.
How did you get thatopportunity?
How did that come by?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
That was the greatest opportunity I ever had, because
I was introduced to somebodyinto logistics.
So when I got there, the manjust asked my name.
I said, well, I'm coming fromthis man.
He said, okay, just go and sitat the corner there.
I sat there the whole day, nota word to me.
(04:36):
The following day I went andhis assistant asked me to clean
the office.
I started cleaning the office,buying food for them, up and
down, doing photocopies, sothat's how it revolved.
(05:01):
So at the end of the week, Imean they gave me some small
bonus for cleaning and runningthe errands for them.
I never even get an opportunityto touch anything logistics or
shipping, so it's just anopportunity.
With that, they got to know mydiscipline, my dedication.
So I don't joke with littlethings in my life.
(05:23):
So the little things I mean, Iwas quite dedicated to the
little job I was given and oneday one of the managers asked me
to pick a document and go tothe warehouse to look for cargo.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
That's how it all started.
How did it then become anopportunity for you?
How did it then?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
become an opportunity for you.
Well, I mean a little corner.
I had a little opportunity.
I had to start there as amessenger, change everything.
If I didn't get one step in,how would I become what I am
today in?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
logistics.
You know, there are many peoplewho are messengers, even today.
Yeah, and there were manypeople in your time, yeah, what
do?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
you think made you different.
Well, I could say there isdiscipline.
It's discipline and focus.
You know I was hungry.
You know when you are hungryyou are disciplined.
You know hunger on an emptystomach your brain works faster.
So that was it all.
(06:29):
I was very hungry to dosomething for myself, not for
anybody, for myself, I'm sure, alot of young people and even
your peers can still tell thatthe hunger is still there.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I'm hungry.
Why hasn't it left after allthese years?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, I've never reached half of my real
potential.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Where I am today, I have never reached half of what
I want to be.
Wow, yeah, you know, when yougrew up in a big family like
yourself I think you heard aboutmy other siblings yes, and you
(07:14):
come out of that family as abreadwinner.
How does it feel like?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
You feel full, humbled.
I mean, who are you?
The favor of God.
You see the God factor as youmove in this journey, never let
go the God factor Every step youtake.
How special are you.
(07:38):
To be a breadwinner?
It's a favor, it's the favor ofGod.
Be a breadwinner it's a favor,it's the favor of God.
So you have to be humbled forGod to make you a breadwinner of
a big family.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I read a quote by I think it's Mikel Obi yesterday,
and then he was saying that inAfrica, when you make money, it
is not just for you.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
That's very true.
That that's very true.
That's very true.
You need to share.
God brought us here.
God knows why he brought ushere.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
So making money is an opportunity you have to share
the early stages, when you firstmade you know some money.
Yeah, how was it like in thefamily?
The position you have in thefamily, how did it influence
your relationship with yoursiblings?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well, when I was growing up, you never noticed
what I was doing.
You can't tell my wife, so Idid what I had to do for my
family and extended family andmy friends.
You need to help.
This is what God brought us Tosee other people around you
(09:00):
smiling.
It makes you fulfilled.
How do you want to be the onlyone at the top?
You have to pull people alongwith you.
That's what makes a bigdifference.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Did you show that you had enough to the family
members or you made it look abit low-key?
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You can't show off where we're coming from.
Till today I use one car.
I am who I am and it'sdangerous.
You don't want anybody to feelbad.
And also, when you recognizethat it's a favor, it's just a
(09:45):
favor.
Who are you?
You have to keep the samehumble steps.
So you always ask God to giveyou the right tongue and keep
your steps right, that you willnot be a thorn in somebody's
flesh.
So your environment must belight.
(10:07):
Wherever you find yourself,there must be light around you.
That's how you have to move inour environment, why?
Well, your light is alsolighting other candles.
Being light in your environmentshould let people draw some
(10:34):
kind of hope.
As I keep telling people,magdan brand is a brand of hope,
so you have to keep that candleburning every day.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I get asked this question a lot, mr Derek.
I'm trying to do business, butthere's a lot of family pressure
, from both extended and nuclear.
How do you manage that?
How do you manage that?
Because when you first come tomoney and you are from a big
family and that pressure is on,don't you think there's a
(11:14):
strategy you have to use to beable to keep building without
losing what you have?
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well, you have to help, but there's an extent of
how you have to help whilst youare building yourself.
So if the little you have youshare, how do you begin to help
more people?
So you have to use a bit ofwisdom.
Build yourself first.
Maybe in your little corner youcan help two people, three
(11:45):
people.
Don't be too proud about that.
Concentrate to build yourself.
When you build yourself, youcan help a million people.
So that is how the philosophyshould go.
You can only get to that levelwhen your principle is above
(12:05):
your desire.
Can you explain that?
What I mean?
We belong to a world where weare ahead of, we are
personalized, it's ahead of thethings we do.
It's all had to do with desire,but as a young man, young woman
(12:26):
coming up, your principleshould have principle.
Your principle should be aboveyour desire.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
What would you say?
Your principles has been Alwaysabove my desire.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
That makes you think and make you resilient, because
every young man, you must have aprice, and that is your
principle, and your principlemust be above your design it's.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's exciting to see that even at your level, I can
still see so much resilience andhunger.
Like speaking to you right now,I can still see and I can still
feel it in your voice, thatyou're still really going hard,
you know, for what you reallywant and how you want to impact
(13:22):
people.
Yeah.
Because, and just today theseyoung people were asking me how
come there are people who makemoney.
They wait at a later stage intheir life maybe you know 70, 80
, then they start, you know,philanthropy work, and there are
people they start very young.
What do you think thedifference is?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
This is a very important question.
You know giving must come free.
I started doing charity 20years ago.
I didn't start yesterday.
The little I had I shared.
You can check some of thefeatures, the videos in my past.
(14:03):
Before I was doing it low-key.
Okay, I 20 years ago, actually23 years ago I was doing it very
low-key.
But you get to a point youcan't control how you give
anymore and it is very difficultto do philanthropic work here.
(14:23):
If you do it for show, youcan't continue.
It had to come from within.
We have been very consistent.
We have the biggest foundationsin Ghana.
A lot of people don't know Isit self-funded?
Self-funded or self-funded?
I mean a percentage of whatcomes in.
(14:45):
We use it for the foundationand it's all about impact.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Why do you think it's important to give, even at a
scale that you are giving?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Why is it not important to give?
It is important to give.
Look at the environment that welive in.
One day, if we don't give, itwill all turn back on us.
We are living in a very toxic,serious environment whereby we
(15:21):
have to give.
For me, giving back to theyouth is not really the goodies,
it's not really the things I dofor them, it's all about
mindset.
That is why the connect, theMagdan Youth Connect, an
entrepreneurial challenge Apartfrom that you can see we have
(15:44):
different section, health, womenespecially.
It's all about empowerment, buthow to change the mindset of an
ordinary youth on the streets?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Do you think a change in mindset would help build
people's lives financially?
That is all that is about.
How do you create thatconnection?
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well, I'm not the kind of guy that gives fish.
I teach or show the youth howto fish.
It's all about mindset.
You know we cannot go aboutgiving fish.
We have to take them out tofish.
(16:29):
So it's all about a mindset.
How do you understand, if youhave 100 cities?
How do you think you'll bedisciplined to spend it At the
end of the day, even makingprofit?
You have to understand what isprofit.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
You also have to understand your environment.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So if we, those who are one step ahead of the rest,
can sacrifice some time andbring these youth together to
tell them that, look, you haveto understand the streets, the
book and God you should knowthese three come together in our
(17:16):
ecosystem.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
The street- the book and God.
Okay, let's take streets.
Why streets?
Because I know you're a streetboy.
Yeah, what values did thestreet teach you that has been
valuable in your businessdealings today.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Well, you know hunger , you know.
The street taught me how tofight.
The street taught me how to win.
The street taught me how to win.
The street taught me how torespect and subject to authority
.
In those days I mean, you'rerough but you should know you
(17:58):
have seniors, you have to haveprinciples.
You have to go around yourseniors, you have to fight.
I had to go around your seniors, you have to fight, I had.
May her soul rest in peace.
I had an illiterate,well-cultured African woman who
was my mother, who taught me thestreet.
(18:22):
My mother taught me how tosurvive.
You won't go out and cry home.
When you cry home, she'll beatyou and go back and come home
smiling.
That was my mother.
So that is the street.
And the street also teaches youthat one plus one is not two,
(18:48):
one plus one is actually three.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
On the street All right, you want to break it down
for me?
You know you got to win.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Whatever you do, you got to win, but a lot of people
don't know there's a lot ofhumility to learn on the street
the street can humble you.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So me, I'm not from the street.
So if you're teaching me themindset of the street, what
would you teach me today?
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Go and get bruises and come back.
Go and get bruises and comeback.
There's a lot of fellow youknow our life.
Bruises and come back.
Okay, go and get bruises andcome back.
There's a lot of fellows.
You know our life, theecosystem that we live in today.
Right, we have to understandour own environment.
We have to understand how yourstreet might not be my street,
(19:44):
your street might be anotherstreet, your street might not be
my street, your street might beanother street, your street
might be not giving up andwhatever you touch, rather you
are successful, you are mine.
Maybe the next thing is to buy aprivate jet for yourself.
You understand, but how do youwant to for yourself?
You understand, but how do youwant to succeed?
(20:10):
How do you want to try?
Do you just quit, or do youjust say no to what is difficult
?
How many times do you come back?
Those are the days on thestreet.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
So now let's talk about the books.
Yeah, why are the booksimportant for success?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
You know the world is changing so fast and if you
don't go by the book, you won'treach far.
The world has become a globalvillage.
You have to go to school, picka degree and pick another degree
, and pick another degree.
You know you need to move.
I dropped.
(20:56):
I was a dropout from school.
I got to go to university.
I I was dropped out for 15years.
I went back to school to pickmy degree.
I came back to work and wentback to pick my master's.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Which at that point I think one of your interviews
you said you had over 30 million, 40.
I had some good money, Goodmoney in your account, Some good
money.
Why were you still able tomaintain the composure to you
know, go back to school and sitin the classroom for how were
you able to do that?
Speaker 1 (21:30):
You know, as you move in life there's something
called self-actualization.
Okay, you need to get to thatlevel that you will not get
shortchanged.
At least I did this also for mychildren.
If daddy can go back to schoolafter 40, what excuse do you
(21:53):
have?
I did it for the youth of today.
If the youth of today can readmy book and say my colleague
went back to school after 40.
I was one of the best studentsMade time.
Still, you know it is difficultto have money and be disciplined
(22:17):
.
Talk to me, it's difficult tobe sitting on good cash, to be
disciplined.
So how do you compose yourself?
You know there's somethingcalled attitude.
Attitude has been better thanyou Just imagine.
You're waking up at 3 am, 4 am,sitting by a book, learn till 7
(22:46):
or 6, move to the office, work,check your time.
4, 5 o'clock you're on amotorbike to classroom for a
quiz.
After quiz you get back to theoffice.
After school you get back tothe office and from the office
(23:12):
you get home around 10, 11.
You need discipline.
You need to be disciplined todo that.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Meanwhile you have money.
It's not an easy journey.
I think a lot of the time wespeak about have discipline,
have composure, especially onthe topic of discipline.
We say this a lot, but whatsystem do you have in place to
make sure that you do what yousaid you want to do?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
everything has to start with you.
It's you, it's nobody else.
Discipline starts with you.
And if you want to be successful, very successful, you have to
be disciplined.
I always talk about disciplinebecause the next world is
(24:06):
discipline.
Look, you can be as successfulas you want to be, but when you
are not disciplined, that willbe very difficult.
I always say that a successwithout story is not a success.
You can't just get up and sayI'm a billionaire without a
start.
It's not a success.
You can't just get up and sayI'm a billionaire without a
(24:27):
story.
You should have a history.
You cannot be rich withouthistory.
You can't do what you want todo without proper history.
There must be history in yourworld.
Let me stop you here for aminute.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
We are on the journey of changing the minds and the
lives of people, so if youhaven't subscribed and become
part of the family, please hitthe subscribe button and turn on
the notification.
Thank you.
Now let's carry on with theconversation.
Well, so we're going to go backto how you made your first
million.
This question they've asked meso many times.
(25:11):
When you do sit in this chair,I have to ask you, because we
know that you were a messengerthen you worked in a
construction site, you were adriver's mate as well, you were
a people teacher at a point aswell.
But how did you make that firstmillion?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
okay, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me tell you
at that point, I was workingbetween airport and Tamapot and
I started selling maize.
So Fridays I leave for Techieman to buy maize during bumper
(25:54):
harvest.
I bring it all the way toInsawong.
I have some warehouses there.
During bumper harvest I canstore maize, call quality
control to come and fumigate thewhole place for me, Leave it
there and go back to work.
I was making some small money,also around the mpak-pak-pak
(26:19):
movement.
During lean season I could sellthe same maize four times the
same price Whenever it sold.
I add a profit and I willincrease my quantity.
(26:39):
I will add a profit andincrease my quantity.
Add a profit, increase myquantity.
Earn a profit, increase myquantity.
I made so much money Duringthose days in my journey of
buying maize I noticed thatRobusta coffee there's a lot of
(27:03):
coffee in the interlands, so Istarted buying coffee, the raw
coffee.
I was buying coffee at May's,so I started exporting the
coffee.
I have a client in Europecalled Euro Commodities, At the
same time also my logisticsbusiness, so I had to buy
(27:28):
instead of hiring trucks.
I have to buy my first truckout of the profit to be able to
make more profit.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Okay, so at this level, what was your education
level At that?
Speaker 1 (27:44):
level.
I was struggling to go touniversity.
I was a school dropout, soeverything you knew was from the
streets, from the streets.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
So you applied the principles on the streets.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
On the streets with a little bit of discipline.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
To make your first million, to make my first
million.
Did you see the money in cash?
Oh yeah, I was collecting cash,man.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And how did you feel?
You know you go and lie down.
You feel like God, but you stepout of the room you feel humble
and a boy coming this way.
But you cannot notice what Iwas making.
I was driving Fiat Ritmo.
You can Google Fiat Ritmo.
(28:27):
You bet your first milliondollars.
The car I was driving was FiatRitmo, a diesel engine.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
What was your plan that time?
If we take you back to thatfirst million, what was your
plan to grow?
Speaker 1 (28:48):
that money.
It wasn't enough for me.
Honestly speaking, I knew Icould do more, because it was
like an opening.
I said, look, just keep going,just keep going, just keep going
and eventually I lost all.
How did you lose it?
I lost all.
How did you lose it?
I lost everything.
I had to sell my car to pay mythree four-week salary.
(29:14):
You know greed.
You know greed can, when youare too much hungry and the grid
is set, it's okay, but it's notthe path and the experience
that you have to.
I lost all.
I bought the whole warehouse ofcoffee and the price of coffee
(29:45):
went down and I decided to keepit for another season, for the
price to rise again.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Later did.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I know that I have to insure the whole stuff, so I
didn't insure it.
I left for school.
I was doing my diploma coursein Le western region.
(30:30):
That was the end of that.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
But it wasn't the end of me.
When the phone call came, howdid you sound after they?
Speaker 1 (30:47):
told you I was calm.
I've never reacted to problems.
Why I don't react to problems?
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Why do I react?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Don't use feelings.
When God wants something tohappen, it happens, so at times
you need to leave the space forGod To let it play out.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Don't use feelings.
Don't use feelings, Please.
You have to get deep into thisone.
I really want to learn.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
At times we react.
We use feelings to deal withissues.
Don't use feelings, you seewhat you accept will never upset
you.
Hmm.
What you accept in your lifewill never frustrate you.
What you accept will neverdepress you.
(31:41):
So you need to be a master ofyour own feelings.
The world is a wonderful place.
If you want to be a very goodleader, be in charge of yourself
(32:03):
first.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
a very good leader, be in charge of yourself.
First you made your firstmillion.
At what age 28,?
Yes, 28.
And then you lost it at whatage 22.
These times you had family,your own family, yes, yes, and
(32:24):
they were in good schools.
I guess, from the million, youprobably put them in good
schools.
I guess, from the million, youprobably put them in good
schools.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I'm just trying to think how you carry on.
Normally my children are likemodest schools.
As I'm talking to one of mysons.
He's in Saito.
Yeah, my last, but one sign saysI do Okay, please.
Why?
I want him to be tough a little.
(32:53):
I want a school that use theroad.
I want a school that can walkin and out and understand that,
look, you can't take a lunchboxto school, take money and go and
(33:14):
buy some, watch it by thestreet and sit in the classroom
and learn.
That is my life.
So I want to give him that kindof training to see, and I have
not regretted doing that.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Is this coming from a father who has worked so hard
for what he has, so he's tryingto install certain values in the
kids.
So now what is happening is doyou think you can really really?
Speaker 1 (33:43):
see yourself in any of your children.
Oh, yes, okay, I I.
You know I cannot be moresuccessful than my children.
Immediately, I become moresuccessful than my children.
I'm a failure as a father.
How do you become moresuccessful than your children?
Your children have to be moresuccessful than you.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Even though your time was different.
The type of struggle you haveseen to break out to this level,
you know in our quest nowadays,in our quest try to give the
best to our children.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
We'd rather destroy them.
That is what is going on rightnow in the world.
In our quest to give the bestto our children, we give back to
them.
Go to America, go and have youreducation, do this and all that
(34:48):
We'd rather to them.
Go to America, go and have youreducation, do this and all that
.
We rather destroy them.
We feel we are giving them thebest of life, but we rather
destroy them.
Let them keep their simple life, let them be normal.
And to you what is normal, myson started working in my
(35:12):
company as a security guardmessenger.
Also, he went through the mail.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
So you see, let's say that's Noma, right, yeah, must
we always come from poverty?
Speaker 1 (35:33):
No, no, no no, no, poverty is really a curse.
It mustn't be, do youunderstand?
That's why you have to fightout of it, the mindset, mindset.
You see, I look at my son'sface and I say, do you
understand the value for money?
You understand, be normal.
(35:57):
Do you understand the value ofmoney?
You have to work for something.
You have to understand theenvironment.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Wow.
I think that session was for me.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Not exactly for the audience.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
It was for me, yeah yeah, yeah, thank you, thank you
.
So there is a stage in ourlives where we make money, then
we learn to keep money, then welearn to keep money, then we
learn to grow money.
How do we keep money?
Speaker 1 (36:36):
You see, there are three stages of life.
When you are young, you workhard, very hard.
Relatively, somebody will askyou what is hard, but I don't
want to miss words.
When you are young, you workhard.
(36:57):
The number of hours you work.
I remember one time I wasselling books.
I was a canvasser going fromoffice to office to sell books
by two o'clock.
I'm done.
One day I sat down and saidcoming home at two o'clock, what
(37:20):
do I use the rest of the timefor?
Though?
I was teaching the childrenaround my area and I was making
some pakapa something small fromthe parents At that time the
parents in the area.
I teach their children.
They give me food, Some give memoney.
So I use from after schoolhours, I gather the children and
I teach them.
(37:41):
One day I said no, I can domore hours.
So I changed the concept.
I started selling the books inthe Mokola market.
So I was going from.
That was when I was going fromone shop to another shop.
That's where I got to know thatwomen are so passionate about
(38:02):
their children they bought everybook for their child, though
they can't read and write.
So when you're young, you workvery hard.
When you reach middle age, youwork smart.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Okay, what does working smart mean?
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Working smart is you have to evaluate yourself well.
You have to analyze things well.
You have to work with adifferent level of mindset.
While you are using yournetwork, the network becomes
your net worth.
At that level, you take agentle, giant steps.
(38:45):
That is you're working smart.
How to turn the little you havearound?
You're working smart.
Your investments how you chooseyour investments.
You have to work smart.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
And then the last level.
You have to let your money workfor you.
Your money must work for you.
At which level?
Let's say you start off at 17,.
Hustle At which level ifeverything works out?
Which age do you think it'sgood to start letting money work
for us?
It varies.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
You know, in our continent we don't become rich
very early.
You know we don't become richvery early why it's hard and we
don't have access to so manythings.
You know it's hard, we don'thave access to so many things.
(39:54):
There's no real defined way ofhaving steps to Christ like
having those steps up.
You go, you fall, you rise, youclean yourself, you move in
there.
The odds are always against you.
So we don't become rich thatearly.
(40:17):
So you're looking at your late50s, from 48 into your 50s, 60s.
That is where your money canstart or will start working for
(40:37):
you If you are lucky and it hitsyou at your doorsteps Because
you see you have to be embeddedin user level of risk, okay
Right, if you have that riskelement in you, it could be good
, it could be bad.
If you are satisfied with thelittle that you have, fine, your
(41:00):
money can work for you.
But if you get to that levelwhere your appetite for risk
like I woke up one day and saidI want to do salt that's a huge
appetite for risk.
So it depends on how youappetite Then at the level you
(41:25):
know look, I have a couple ofmillion dollars that it worked
for me.
You're a very fearless man.
Because even that salt project.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
I was just looking at it and I watched a video from
Maya and watched severalinterviews of you.
I'm just doing this.
Man says nobody had tried andsucceeded but he did it.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Yeah, he started with challenges, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
If a gun was put to your face right now on that land
, how would you feel inside?
Speaker 1 (41:57):
Well, I have done something.
I mean, you see, whateveryou're going to do in life, 99%
of the people will say don't doit, it's risky, it's dangerous.
Right, listen to them, it'sokay.
(42:18):
Right, If you are able to do itor if you are not able to do it
, it's either you are making thegreatest mistakes of your life
or you are making history, ahistory that changes people's
life, and whatever step you takeis not your steps, it's not for
(42:39):
you alone.
Certain businesses you do in acountry like Ghana, it's going
to be just you.
So you get to a level youbecome a national asset, a
national asset like you'rechanging your country, ali.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Kodango has done it, Mahika Dinuga has done it and
two other people, Femi Otidola,and I have had conversations and
I've said that a small countrylike Ghana for us to have a lot
of Beleners like the wayNigerians have.
We need government support.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Do you agree?
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Well, I agree.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I mean, government is the biggest stakeholder in
whatever business we do.
It is very, very important.
And you see, businessmen, allwe need is regulations and the
policies, the right policiesframework.
Government can give you money.
You know, we know how to raiseour money, no matter how
(43:49):
difficult it is.
We know how to raise our money.
But we need a right businessenvironment to succeed.
We come from a country where wedon't own anything.
If you go to the telecom sector, it's owned by British and
(44:09):
South Africans.
If you go to the mining sector,it's owned by South Africans
and Australians.
You go to the constructionsector, it's owned by Chinese
and Italians, not the Turkish.
(44:32):
If you go to manufacturing,even retail, it's owned by the
Malcolm, the Indians, thePalisades, the Lebanese.
(44:59):
It's okay, but why do we stand?
Speaker 2 (45:05):
as an indigenous business man, and for me, I
think, if there's a deliberateaction from government to
support certain entrepreneurs toget on the Forbes list as
billionaires from Ghana, it alsomakes the country look
attractive to foreign investors.
Well, we have to understandthat as a country and we have to
be that as a country and wehave to be intentional about
(45:27):
that.
But then the problem is thatwhen I get a contract, people
will be sitting there sayingthat I was favored to get a
contract, because they don'tunderstand that at a level,
those contracts are needed to beable to claim the position of
entrepreneurship in the countryand allow foreign investors to
also able to claim the positionof entrepreneurship in the
country and allow foreigninvestors to also bring money
(45:47):
into the country.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
Well, that is the country we live in, but that
shouldn't discourage anybody.
Don't forget that Oceania wassigned for Jesus Christ.
The same people who signed theOceania less than 24 hours, they
(46:09):
said, crucified him.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
But how do you navigate that, you yourself?
How do you navigate?
You just don't.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
You see, you have to be a bit resilient.
You have to be what you callfavored.
Ghana is our country.
We have nowhere to go.
You have to be focused as abusinessman.
The most important thing you doas a businessman is your
(46:40):
integrity.
Work with a high level ofintegrity.
Be very purposeful about that.
Be honest to your dealings.
We rise and fall.
We can rise and fall, we cangive and take, but you have to
(47:02):
be focused.
You have to fight on.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
You are 20 years old again, yeah, and you're about to
start life.
What decisions would you make?
Speaker 1 (47:17):
Well, I have to check my time very carefully.
I have to check my time verycarefully.
I have to check my circles offriends.
I have to be able to be, moredisciplined for what I have said
(47:40):
, and I have to be able to seeright from wrong.
It's okay to make mistakes, butat this level, 20 year old, I
wouldn't want to repeat some ofthem.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
Hmm, yeah, what's one mistake you can remember in
your years of doing businessthat we can learn from?
Speaker 1 (48:07):
One of them is what I told you.
I mean not insuring my whole.
Yeah, they said that it's wipedoff.
We have to be able to have thatlevel of security.
I've been in millions becauseof, let's say, 10,000.
I've been in millions becauseof let's say 10,000.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
This path that you've chosen to become who you are.
Would you have chosen the samepath?
Speaker 1 (48:35):
I would never change for any other path.
I would never change.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
You understand Ghana very much more than a lot of
young Ghanaians and especiallypeople with you from the
diaspora.
Yeah, If I asked you today togive me five businesses, much
more than a lot of youngGhanians and especially people
from the diaspora.
If I asked you today to give mefive businesses that you think
I can do today, or anybody elsewatching this can do today, what
would it be?
Speaker 1 (48:56):
I would divide the business into two.
Okay, right, the serviceindustry from the early 90s
picked up the service industry.
I would want young people toalso look into the service
industry.
What sort of services are wetalking about?
(49:18):
If you look at logistics, forinstance, it's service, it's
totally service.
Some of my business you look atit, they're totally service.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
What's the lowest scale of logistics that a young
person can do, which say 20,000CDs Packaging, okay.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
You can do packaging you and also help the bigger
wholesalers or the shops fordeliveries.
Don't forget that the richestcompany in the world, one of the
(50:00):
richest companies, is intologistics.
It's a logistic company.
Amazon Amazon is basically alogistic company.
Amazon Amazon is basically alogistic company.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
What other service can you think of?
I on top of my head.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
You can start from buying and selling.
I'm going to base.
I was there before and ourbusiness would never collapse.
It would never.
That says that young people arenot taking it seriously.
What is the bag of maize on themarkets today?
I have no idea these are 600okay's over 600.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Okay, is it 600 or?
Speaker 1 (50:46):
700?
I'm not so sure, I'm not sure.
And in the interlands where youget to Accra the price is
double, and the other businessestoo.
You can start without money.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Okay, talk to me.
What business can I do withoutmoney?
Speaker 1 (51:06):
This is such a big question.
I'm sure you've been askedbefore it's such a big question.
You can start without money,see, but you have to be honest.
All right, see, my only problemin this day many of the young
guys now they don't want toserve.
So there's a lot of honor inservice.
Look around you.
(51:27):
There's a lot of buildingsgoing on around you.
Where do you think they buytheir produce from?
There are contractors allaround the place.
Can?
you tell me that a hungry boy ora hungry girl can't sell a
(51:51):
square meter of towels to acontractor, a good salesperson
without money.
Speaker 2 (51:57):
You can, you can I think you heard it without money
you can you can I think youheard it essentially build value
in sales, sales and marketing.
Find the products you want tosell and then look for a
supplier in the market.
(52:18):
You just go.
There's no company in themarket that will reject a sale
and then just put yours on it.
That's it, that's it.
If that's it, if you repeatthat so many times, that's cash
flow.
It will fly.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
Serious cash flow.
Speaker 2 (52:31):
Because this question keeps coming how do I start a
business without money?
Speaker 1 (52:35):
Maybe now I'm beginning to get it that the
people that ask the question arenot willing to develop
themselves as well.
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (52:46):
Yeah.
Develop themselves as well.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah, yeah, anymore business that I can do I'm
moving to Ghana as well.
Any more business I can giveyou a lot.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
I can give you a lot.
We can talk.
I can give you a lot ofbusiness.
So many businesses around here.
I've not even talked about thatgreat.
20,000 is a lot of money.
20,000 cities, it's a lot ofmoney.
It's a lot of money.
I give interest-free loan towomen.
(53:13):
That's my foundation.
So far I've supported over3,000-4,000 women on
interest-free loan.
I gave a woman with two kids$6,000 for a chopper.
Less than one year she's made$80,000.
(53:41):
A chopper Okay, $6,000 to run achopper.
Speaker 2 (53:50):
Why are you so interested in entrepreneurship?
Speaker 1 (53:54):
You know, entrepreneurship it's anything
that gives impact.
Yes, just impact.
Look, I build astroturf aroundthis city.
Somebody asks why astroTherps?
Anywhere I build AstroTherps.
(54:14):
I build four AstroTherps aroundthe city and I'm building more
by next year.
By this time I should be ableto build about 10.
It creates a lot of economicactivities.
You have one in Lombardi.
One time they were playingsoccer.
I got down during halftime.
I could count as much as 90vendors.
(54:39):
What are they selling?
Yam Chofi Tokbay?
You know, those are the thingsCoconuts I mean.
So you realize that it brings alot of economic activity.
Those are the things, coconut.
So you realize that it brings alot of economic activity in the
area.
You support the women.
(55:00):
I help women a lot.
That is why I have two programs, even three, for women.
I have the health care forwidows, I have the widows
program and I have theinterest-free loan for women.
I have the health care forwidows, I have the widows
program and I have theinterest-free loan for women,
and I'm still moving.
I want to help as many women asI can, you know.
(55:23):
So it's very impactful forsomebody who just gave six
thousand to come out with such asuccess story.
Yeah, it's very impactful Withtwo kids, and what I do also is
with widows and less privilegedwomen.
(55:44):
I pick their kids on myscholarship models.
Speaker 2 (55:52):
Wow, you have this challenge.
You know the Magdan YouthConnect that you do, and then
also your entrepreneurshipchallenge as well.
I know Prophet Prakash has beenon one of your panels recently.
He's a wonderful person.
Yeah, yeah, lovely man.
He's actually one of thereasons why, this conversation
is also happening.
So kudos, wonderful person, yeah, yeah, lovely man.
He's actually the reason, oneof the reasons, why this
conversation is also happening.
(56:12):
So kudos to you, prof.
When you see theseentrepreneurs come to you with
these business plans, can youtell the ones that can truly do
well aside their business plans?
Can you tell, do you have anegg about who can actually do
well?
Speaker 1 (56:31):
Definitely you see, the business itself is number
one.
The person behind the businessis the most important.
You can have a very goodbusiness plan, but it might be
the wrong person for execution.
In this world we have threepeople.
We have people who can sit andthink about a business plan.
(56:58):
They know everything when itcomes to business, but when you
give them execution, zero.
We have the second type ofpeople, who don't have ideas but
they execute.
And we have the third type ofpeople who are only 2% in the
world.
They can sit and nurture abusiness idea.
(57:19):
Put plans together and move andit will be successful.
So the entrepreneurialchallenge with me.
I look at the person behind thebusiness.
What?
Speaker 2 (57:31):
do you see?
What do you look for?
Speaker 1 (57:34):
Well, it's the attitude.
Okay, you see, making money orbecoming wealthy, 70% is your
attitude, 25% is the skill, 5%is the skill, 5% is the
knowledge.
So, if you want to be verysuccessful, 70% should be your
(57:57):
attitude.
Attitude is everything.
Speaker 2 (58:03):
Let me stop you here for a minute.
We are on a journey of changingthe minds and the lives of
people.
So if you haven't subscribedand become part of the family,
please hit the subscribe buttonand turn on the notification.
Thank you.
Now let's carry on with theconversation.
Well, at this point in theconversation, we're going to
(58:26):
take questions from ourconnected champions.
So these are the champions thatusually get one of these, and
these champions are in ourconnected academy platform, and
the first question is fromKelvin.
Some of these questions I mayhave already asked you, so I'll
just take their names quickly.
Kelvin says that if everythingcrashed today, what skill or
(58:48):
mindset would help you rebuild?
Speaker 1 (58:53):
My strength, my braveness and discipline, that's
all.
That is why, if I mean as abusinessman, everything can
crash, but you can't lie downthere.
You've got other pieces get upand move.
You can't break.
(59:14):
You shouldn't break.
Speaker 2 (59:21):
Things happen.
You know when things go down.
Sometimes it can affect yourability to make decisions as
well.
Speaker 1 (59:29):
Definitely, but how?
Speaker 2 (59:31):
do you deal with?
Speaker 1 (59:32):
that you have to accept it's acceptance.
Speaker 2 (59:34):
It's the same acceptance.
Speaker 1 (59:37):
You understand there is a God right.
When Job was tried by the devil, the only thing God asked the
devil not to touch is his life.
So you must have life.
You can't break.
(59:59):
You shouldn't break.
If you are I mean how youmanage to get you should.
Surely you always come back?
That is why, as a businessman,keep your integrity very high.
Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
I want to test your knowledge and I've asked this
question in our previous bigepisode how many businesses and
industries do you have?
Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
Well, I'm scaling down to only three or four, okay
.
Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
Okay, yeah, within the.
Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
Magdan group.
Yeah, I have the salt, themining, yep, I have the aviation
, I have the logistics and Ihave construction, construction,
hydro work together.
Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
So this is, let's say , five or six industries.
Why is it important todiversify into different
industries?
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
Well, we are living in Africa.
Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Opportunities are always there, right.
Speaker 2 (01:01:02):
Salt.
Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
What do I want in salt?
You know, the next billionaireson the continent or in the
world will come from Africa, andthose billionaires will be
owning our own resources.
So why do we live in the spaceof mining?
(01:01:24):
Salt is a big shit, I mean,it's a big thing.
Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
Do you think you'll be the first Ghanaian to go on
the Forbes?
Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
Oh, I mean there are other Ghanaians also moving, but
I'm almost there.
Forbes for once.
Forbes for once.
Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
To list you as a billionaire.
Speaker 1 (01:01:45):
I've passed the billionaire.
I've passed that level.
My net worth has passed abillion.
Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
I really admire your energy.
I must say Feels likementorship session for me.
It's crazy.
Wow, we have a question from.
Speaker 1 (01:02:08):
I see I'm saying this to encourage people.
Wow, we have a question from.
But you see I'm saying this toencourage people.
Yes, not to show as a show,absolutely as a sign of show off
.
You know, we, we have to dowhat we have to do.
At the same time, keep ourhumble steps.
There's no need to go flag whoyou are anywhere.
(01:02:33):
No need, absolutely no need.
I am saying this to let theyouth know that if Magdan from
the streets can reach here, ifMagdan from the street can reach
(01:02:55):
here, who am I?
I am 100 steps ahead of Magdanwhen Magdan was 20 or 30.
So no need to brag.
I'm just telling you toencourage people.
I keep telling people that mybrand is a brand of hope.
It's a brand.
It's the only brand in Ghana Icall a brand of hope.
(01:03:15):
I can testify to that.
Yes, because I want any youngman who look at a brand to say,
wow, I want to be like thatbrand, I want to build that
brand, I want to be bigger likethat brand, I want to build that
brand, I want to be bigger thanthat brand.
That is all that I'm doing withthis youth thing and mindset
(01:03:40):
stuff.
If the boy from Labadi.
The street boy can build abrand.
Speaker 2 (01:03:48):
I can also do it.
Yup, and you know, he'sprobably one of the first people
I have personally met whowrites a book, a book, 288 pages
, book.
And this is not.
It's not a fake print oranything, it's a colored book
(01:04:08):
and gives it out for free.
I was just when I got a copy.
I was like this has everythingyour principles, everything.
You've written it here andgiven it out for free.
Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
Yeah, it's for the youth.
I mean, One girl came to me sheneeded help.
She needed help in business andall that.
I was busy.
I gave her 10 minutes of mytime and I said, look, take this
book, go and read it and comeback and let me see how best I
(01:04:43):
can help you.
She came back to me and told methat, Mr Makole, I really don't
need your help anymore.
I got all the help in the book.
What I needed, I got it in thebook.
So, this is why I'm giving outfor free.
(01:05:06):
The youth should read it.
What do you think the youth arereally missing when it comes to
making money?
What they are missing is focusand discipline.
They are not disciplined.
(01:05:28):
They attach the wrong attitudetowards almost everything they
do.
But when I check the numbersthat meet me at the challenge,
ghanaian youth are Smart One ofthe most smartest been on this
(01:05:51):
continent, ghanaian youth butthe attitude.
That is why I'm advocating tothe Ministry of Education that
the curriculum for theuniversity, technical University
(01:06:15):
, should be two years in theclassroom, one year industry.
Come back the fourth year.
Come and graduate, yes, so thatthe student will get closer to
industry Immediately.
You go through technicaluniversity, you're already an
entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (01:06:38):
Do you think entrepreneurship is what can
save Africa from our economicchallenges?
Speaker 1 (01:06:43):
Leadership.
It's entrepreneurship andleadership.
Okay, you understand, the rightleaders getting into polities,
governance and all that.
The right leadership and alsoentrepreneurship, because we
have too much on the continent.
So it's entrepreneurship andgovernance.
Speaker 2 (01:07:07):
And leadership.
I agree.
How many people does McDonnellGroup employ in total?
Speaker 1 (01:07:16):
Well, so far, about 7,000 direct.
At the same time, whilst you go, you are cleaning up A section
which is not disciplined.
Disciplined has to be cleanedup.
Reset going home.
You clean up, you sit, youreset.
Discipline is really killingour environment At this level.
Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
how much of that day-to-day are you involved in?
Speaker 1 (01:07:46):
You know, you build a system, you want to be a very
big entrepreneur.
We have three stages ofbusiness lifecycle the infant
stage, the organic stage and thecorporate stage.
The infant stage, where theyoung man was running around
(01:08:08):
taking coffee, maize and into awarehouse moving up and down.
That's the infant stage, whereyou, you, you have a uh, you
have to move to certain placesyourself and all that.
You see money.
That's, that's good way tostart your business.
(01:08:28):
Well, you are the accountant,you are the cleaner.
You are the marketing person,you are everything, you are the
HR.
Yeah, you get to a level whereit's the organic level.
Organic level, you can see theexpression of your business,
(01:08:50):
where you have many clients, andthat is the most dangerous
stage in your business, as youcan easily collapse Once you
move from the organic to thecorporate stage.
System and structures must workImmediately.
Your system and structuresbegin to work.
You have succeeded.
(01:09:10):
So building a big business isall about corporate governance,
systems and structures to work.
You don't need to be involvedin the day-to-day.
We have so many competentpeople.
Speaker 2 (01:09:30):
If you stopped working today, would your
business still run.
It will run.
Speaker 1 (01:09:34):
It will run.
It might even run better.
Wow there.
Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
Hey Francis from our Connected Academy group.
He says that if you werestarting from nothing today in
Ghana, with just a thousand tofive thousand cities, what
business or investment would youdo?
Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
Francis, I would prefer I don't start with money
at all.
Don't mention money at all.
I can start with nothing.
It was what I told you.
Speaker 2 (01:10:10):
Wow, wow, okay, francis, you don't need money.
And then Owusu said yeah, howdo you deal with negative
thoughts that come in your mind,in your head space when they
are coming in through that door?
How do you deal with it?
Speaker 1 (01:10:28):
That's a poco right.
This is Owusu.
Owusu is too idle.
Owusu is too idle.
Owusu should should get up andbe doing something for himself.
He's thinking too negative.
I wish I could meet him to saycheck his time, how he uses his
(01:10:54):
time.
Negative thought will alwayscome, but what kind of negative
thought.
Speaker 2 (01:11:00):
So, uso, I think you are too idle, wow and then Abed
said that how do you decidewhich industries to expand the
Magdan Group into?
Speaker 1 (01:11:13):
I don't have a board.
Okay, now I have a board andyou know, when you talk about
expansion and with a bigbusiness, with a big business,
the richest companies in theworld, they don't have 10, 20
(01:11:36):
companies, one, two things thenthat's what takes you across the
globe, that's all.
Now we have vessels.
We have Magdane Shipping hasits own vessels.
We are moving cargo across thecontinent.
(01:12:08):
We've gone far the salt.
We're building a refinery,we're building a refinery and
we're building a refinery and,as well, expanding the same salt
industry and building a port tomove the salt.
So this is a big, it's a big,it's a big industry.
Speaker 2 (01:12:23):
I have a feeling you're very excited about the
salt project.
Speaker 1 (01:12:26):
Well, look, salt touches everything, everything,
Everything.
So why?
And also when you look at our,our ESG, it touches almost
everything the environmentsocial life touches almost
(01:12:54):
everything the environment,social life governance and we've
not even touched half of it.
Salt is used for almosteverything pharmaceutical
industry.
Everything on this table issalt.
You have this.
This is aluminium.
Right, it's salt.
You need salt, caustic soda toextract the alumina To have your
(01:13:14):
this, this ceramic.
The salt you need to separateit.
The clothes you are wearingit's salt To produce plastics.
It's salt.
Why wouldn't I be excited aboutsomething that touches everyone
(01:13:36):
?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
I think this one you already have an answer, jonathan
.
I'm not going to ask thisquestion because you've already
got the answer already.
So is there anything we candiscuss on your projects that
you're doing on the topic ofentrepreneurship that we haven't
?
Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
I mean, you've asked me almost everything.
It's all about impact.
We are getting somewhere wherethe youth have to start telling
their own story, somewhere wherethe youth have to start telling
their own story when it comesto the entrepreneurial and the
(01:14:17):
youth connect.
It's their show, it's theirenvironment, not my environment.
It's what they need and thelittle I have, I add, to make
that difference.
So it's actually for them andit's about time they started
telling their benefit, theirsuccess story that they have
(01:14:44):
acquired through just theircontact with Magda.
I wouldn't be excited foranything not that much money, I
spend, not that much time but myexcitement should come from the
story, the success story theywould tell.
Speaker 2 (01:15:06):
I'm inspired by this conversation, so I'll take you
on to our question, which I knowthe answer motivation or
discipline it's discipline.
Yes, I knew it.
I knew it, and what's the bestadvice you've ever received?
Speaker 1 (01:15:25):
the best advice I've ever received.
It sounds funny, but the bestadvice I've ever received.
It's so funny, but when I was amessenger, a man came to my
office and told me that I likeyour motivation.
(01:15:46):
I like your style.
I was a little boy.
I like your motivation.
I like your style.
I was a little boy.
But be careful about women thewomen that are calling you and
watching you.
They are older than you.
Get focused and make whateveryou have to make first.
(01:16:09):
As a young man the environmentI was coming from I taught them
to the best advice that man gaveme.
30 years later, I met a man inTexas and he called me and said
do you remember what I told you?
And he shook my hand and Iembraced him and said do you
(01:16:30):
remember what I told you?
And he shook my hand and Iembraced him and said thank you.
It sounds awkward but it did alot to me.
Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
I'm sure we've all taken the advice.
We've all taken the advice and,again, I'm not going to ask you
to recommend the book, becausethis is the book.
Guys, if you're looking forthat book to read, this is the
book.
I'm going to put the details ofhow you can get a copy.
It's free.
So I'm going to put the detailsof how you can get a copy and
for the people in our ConnectedAcademy group, I'll drop the
(01:17:07):
details there as well and I'llprobably get some copies and
I'll share it with you.
Guys, I'd like to say thank youso much for your time.
I am blessed to have you as myfirst guest in this studio and
when you came today as well, youwore white to compliment what
we do here.
So thank you very much.
And today what happened waswhen Dr Macaulay came, he met
(01:17:33):
some of our students from myacademy and they asked him some
questions.
They didn't know that he wascoming and I thank you so much
for that as well that I pulled asurprise on you and you were
happy to give your advice, thankyou.
So my name is Derek Abayite,and if you enjoyed this episode,
share it with somebody a friend, a colleague and leave a
(01:17:55):
comment below if you make it tothe end, so that I know you are
one of our champions and youdeserve one of these.
Stay connected.
I lost everything.
I had to sell my car to pay mythree four-week salary.
That was the end.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
But it wasn't the end of me.
You made your first million Atwhat age 28,?
Yes, 28.
And then you lost it at whatage 32.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Every young man must have a price, and that is your
principle, and your principlemust be about your decision.
What you accept will neverupset, you will never frustrate,
you will never depress.
You need to be a master of yourown feelings.
How do we keep money?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
you are 20 years old again and you're about to start
life.
What decisions would you make?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
it's okay, this level .
I wouldn't want to repeat someof them.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
What's the lowest scale of logistics that a young
person can do?
You can do.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We have three stages of business life cycle the
infant stage, the organic stageand the corporate stage.
You can have a very goodbusiness plan, but it might be
the wrong person for execution.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
The next billionaires in the world will come from
Africa.
Do you think you'll be thefirst Ghanaian to go on the?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
forums.
My network has passed a billion.
I really admire your energy.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Welcome to Connected Minds Podcast.
We set ourselves on the path ofbuilding a studio for our
guests and for the audience, andwe've done just that Today.
I'm very pleased that the manI've got in the studio in our
new studio today is Dr DanielMakoli McDon.
Everybody calls him acrossAfrica.
(01:45):
How excited are we our audienceand myself to have him in our
studio.
He's done years ofentrepreneurship.
Look when we talk about oldmoney.
This conversation is going tobe about old money and you know
what it is.
Old money lasts the longest.
If you are here and it's yourfirst time, please click the
(02:07):
subscribe button and become partof the family and stay with me
as I speak with an entrepreneurwho has got many years
experience in buildingbusinesses across the continent,
serving the entire world withmajor businesses.
Today we're going to delve deepinto how he did it.
You know this podcast is abouthow You're welcome to our studio
(02:27):
, dr Daniel McCoy.
Mcdan, everybody calls you, butI can't call you McDan.
I have to call you Doc.
No, no, no, you can call meanything you want.
Thank you so much.
I'm your brother, thank you.
Thank you, thank you.
First question I've read a bitabout you, watched a lot of
interviews and you know you keeptalking about starting off as a
(02:54):
messenger.
How did you even get thatopportunity to start with from
the beginning Well.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
thank you very much for having me here.
You have an impressive studio.
Thank you, I'm very happy to behere.
Starting up as a messenger isthe greatest opportunities I've
ever had.
You know, at times it's not thebig things that make the
(03:24):
difference.
It's the small things and howyou take the small things very
seriously.
What I am today, I owe it tothe person who gave me the job
as a messenger.
So, a poor young guy fromLabadee selling on the street of
Labadee, I went, a Saito boy.
(03:46):
What do I have?
I need to move on, feed myselfand clothe myself, and there's
opportunity.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
But you were a driver's mate yeah.
And then you were working on aconstruction site yeah.
And then you get working on aconstruction site yeah.
And then you get an opportunityto become a messenger yeah.
How did you get thatopportunity?
How did that come by?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
That was the greatest opportunity I ever had, because
I was introduced to somebodyinto logistics.
So when I got there, the manjust asked my name.
I said, well, I'm coming fromthis man.
He said, okay, just go and sitat the corner there.
I sat there the whole day, nota word to me.
(04:36):
The following day I went andhis assistant asked me to clean
the office.
I started cleaning the office,buying food for them, up and
down, doing photocopies, sothat's how it revolved.
(05:01):
So at the end of the week, Imean they gave me some small
bonus for cleaning and runningthe errands for them.
I never even get an opportunityto touch anything logistics or
shipping, so it's just anopportunity.
With that, they got to know mydiscipline, my dedication.
So I don't joke with littlethings in my life.
(05:23):
So the little things I mean, Iwas quite dedicated to the
little job I was given and oneday one of the managers asked me
to pick a document and go tothe warehouse to look for cargo.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
That's how it all started.
How did it then become anopportunity for you?
How did it then?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
become an opportunity for you.
Well, I mean a little corner.
I had a little opportunity.
I had to start there as amessenger, change everything.
If I didn't get one step in,how would I become what I am
today in?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
logistics.
You know, there are many peoplewho are messengers, even today.
Yeah, and there were manypeople in your time, yeah, what
do?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
you think made you different.
Well, I could say there isdiscipline.
It's discipline and focus.
You know I was hungry.
You know when you are hungryyou are disciplined.
You know hunger on an emptystomach your brain works faster.
So that was it all.
(06:29):
I was very hungry to dosomething for myself, not for
anybody, for myself, I'm sure, alot of young people and even
your peers can still tell thatthe hunger is still there.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I'm hungry.
Why hasn't it left after allthese years?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, I've never reached half of my real
potential.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Where I am today, I have never reached half of what
I want to be.
Wow, yeah, you know, when yougrew up in a big family like
yourself I think you heard aboutmy other siblings yes, and you
(07:14):
come out of that family as abreadwinner.
How does it feel like?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
You feel full, humbled.
I mean, who are you?
The favor of God.
You see the God factor as youmove in this journey, never let
go the God factor Every step youtake.
How special are you.
(07:38):
To be a breadwinner?
It's a favor, it's the favor ofGod.
Be a breadwinner it's a favor,it's the favor of God.
So you have to be humbled forGod to make you a breadwinner of
a big family.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I read a quote by I think it's Mikel Obi yesterday,
and then he was saying that inAfrica, when you make money, it
is not just for you.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
That's very true.
That that's very true.
That's very true.
You need to share.
God brought us here.
God knows why he brought ushere.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
So making money is an opportunity you have to share
the early stages, when you firstmade you know some money.
Yeah, how was it like in thefamily?
The position you have in thefamily, how did it influence
your relationship with yoursiblings?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well, when I was growing up, you never noticed
what I was doing.
You can't tell my wife, so Idid what I had to do for my
family and extended family andmy friends.
You need to help.
This is what God brought us Tosee other people around you
(09:00):
smiling.
It makes you fulfilled.
How do you want to be the onlyone at the top?
You have to pull people alongwith you.
That's what makes a bigdifference.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Did you show that you had enough to the family
members or you made it look abit low-key?
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You can't show off where we're coming from.
Till today I use one car.
I am who I am and it'sdangerous.
You don't want anybody to feelbad.
And also, when you recognizethat it's a favor, it's just a
(09:45):
favor.
Who are you?
You have to keep the samehumble steps.
So you always ask God to giveyou the right tongue and keep
your steps right, that you willnot be a thorn in somebody's
flesh.
So your environment must belight.
(10:07):
Wherever you find yourself,there must be light around you.
That's how you have to move inour environment, why?
Well, your light is alsolighting other candles.
Being light in your environmentshould let people draw some
(10:34):
kind of hope.
As I keep telling people,magdan brand is a brand of hope,
so you have to keep that candleburning every day.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I get asked this question a lot, mr Derek.
I'm trying to do business, butthere's a lot of family pressure
, from both extended and nuclear.
How do you manage that?
How do you manage that?
Because when you first come tomoney and you are from a big
family and that pressure is on,don't you think there's a
(11:14):
strategy you have to use to beable to keep building without
losing what you have?
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well, you have to help, but there's an extent of
how you have to help whilst youare building yourself.
So if the little you have youshare, how do you begin to help
more people?
So you have to use a bit ofwisdom.
Build yourself first.
Maybe in your little corner youcan help two people, three
(11:45):
people.
Don't be too proud about that.
Concentrate to build yourself.
When you build yourself, youcan help a million people.
So that is how the philosophyshould go.
You can only get to that levelwhen your principle is above
(12:05):
your desire.
Can you explain that?
What I mean?
We belong to a world where weare ahead of, we are
personalized, it's ahead of thethings we do.
It's all had to do with desire,but as a young man, young woman
(12:26):
coming up, your principleshould have principle.
Your principle should be aboveyour desire.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
What would you say?
Your principles has been Alwaysabove my desire.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
That makes you think and make you resilient, because
every young man, you must have aprice, and that is your
principle, and your principlemust be above your design it's.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's exciting to see that even at your level, I can
still see so much resilience andhunger.
Like speaking to you right now,I can still see and I can still
feel it in your voice, thatyou're still really going hard,
you know, for what you reallywant and how you want to impact
(13:22):
people.
Yeah.
Because, and just today theseyoung people were asking me how
come there are people who makemoney.
They wait at a later stage intheir life maybe you know 70, 80
, then they start, you know,philanthropy work, and there are
people they start very young.
What do you think thedifference is?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
This is a very important question.
You know giving must come free.
I started doing charity 20years ago.
I didn't start yesterday.
The little I had I shared.
You can check some of thefeatures, the videos in my past.
(14:03):
Before I was doing it low-key.
Okay, I 20 years ago, actually23 years ago I was doing it very
low-key.
But you get to a point youcan't control how you give
anymore and it is very difficultto do philanthropic work here.
(14:23):
If you do it for show, youcan't continue.
It had to come from within.
We have been very consistent.
We have the biggest foundationsin Ghana.
A lot of people don't know Isit self-funded?
Self-funded or self-funded?
I mean a percentage of whatcomes in.
(14:45):
We use it for the foundationand it's all about impact.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Why do you think it's important to give, even at a
scale that you are giving?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Why is it not important to give?
It is important to give.
Look at the environment that welive in.
One day, if we don't give, itwill all turn back on us.
We are living in a very toxic,serious environment whereby we
(15:21):
have to give.
For me, giving back to theyouth is not really the goodies,
it's not really the things I dofor them, it's all about
mindset.
That is why the connect, theMagdan Youth Connect, an
entrepreneurial challenge Apartfrom that you can see we have
(15:44):
different section, health, womenespecially.
It's all about empowerment, buthow to change the mindset of an
ordinary youth on the streets?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Do you think a change in mindset would help build
people's lives financially?
That is all that is about.
How do you create thatconnection?
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well, I'm not the kind of guy that gives fish.
I teach or show the youth howto fish.
It's all about mindset.
You know we cannot go aboutgiving fish.
We have to take them out tofish.
(16:29):
So it's all about a mindset.
How do you understand, if youhave 100 cities?
How do you think you'll bedisciplined to spend it At the
end of the day, even makingprofit?
You have to understand what isprofit.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
You also have to understand your environment.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So if we, those who are one step ahead of the rest,
can sacrifice some time andbring these youth together to
tell them that, look, you haveto understand the streets, the
book and God you should knowthese three come together in our
(17:16):
ecosystem.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
The street- the book and God.
Okay, let's take streets.
Why streets?
Because I know you're a streetboy.
Yeah, what values did thestreet teach you that has been
valuable in your businessdealings today.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Well, you know hunger , you know.
The street taught me how tofight.
The street taught me how to win.
The street taught me how to win.
The street taught me how torespect and subject to authority
.
In those days I mean, you'rerough but you should know you
(17:58):
have seniors, you have to haveprinciples.
You have to go around yourseniors, you have to fight.
I had to go around your seniors, you have to fight, I had.
May her soul rest in peace.
I had an illiterate,well-cultured African woman who
was my mother, who taught me thestreet.
(18:22):
My mother taught me how tosurvive.
You won't go out and cry home.
When you cry home, she'll beatyou and go back and come home
smiling.
That was my mother.
So that is the street.
And the street also teaches youthat one plus one is not two,
(18:48):
one plus one is actually three.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
On the street All right, you want to break it down
for me?
You know you got to win.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Whatever you do, you got to win, but a lot of people
don't know there's a lot ofhumility to learn on the street
the street can humble you.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So me, I'm not from the street.
So if you're teaching me themindset of the street, what
would you teach me today?
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Go and get bruises and come back.
Go and get bruises and comeback.
There's a lot of fellow youknow our life.
Bruises and come back.
Okay, go and get bruises andcome back.
There's a lot of fellows.
You know our life, theecosystem that we live in today.
Right, we have to understandour own environment.
We have to understand how yourstreet might not be my street,
(19:44):
your street might be anotherstreet, your street might not be
my street, your street might beanother street, your street
might be not giving up andwhatever you touch, rather you
are successful, you are mine.
Maybe the next thing is to buy aprivate jet for yourself.
You understand, but how do youwant to for yourself?
You understand, but how do youwant to succeed?
(20:10):
How do you want to try?
Do you just quit, or do youjust say no to what is difficult
?
How many times do you come back?
Those are the days on thestreet.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
So now let's talk about the books.
Yeah, why are the booksimportant for success?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
You know the world is changing so fast and if you
don't go by the book, you won'treach far.
The world has become a globalvillage.
You have to go to school, picka degree and pick another degree
, and pick another degree.
You know you need to move.
I dropped.
(20:56):
I was a dropout from school.
I got to go to university.
I I was dropped out for 15years.
I went back to school to pickmy degree.
I came back to work and wentback to pick my master's.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Which at that point I think one of your interviews
you said you had over 30 million, 40.
I had some good money, Goodmoney in your account, Some good
money.
Why were you still able tomaintain the composure to you
know, go back to school and sitin the classroom for how were
you able to do that?
Speaker 1 (21:30):
You know, as you move in life there's something
called self-actualization.
Okay, you need to get to thatlevel that you will not get
shortchanged.
At least I did this also for mychildren.
If daddy can go back to schoolafter 40, what excuse do you
(21:53):
have?
I did it for the youth of today.
If the youth of today can readmy book and say my colleague
went back to school after 40.
I was one of the best studentsMade time.
Still, you know it is difficultto have money and be disciplined
(22:17):
.
Talk to me, it's difficult tobe sitting on good cash, to be
disciplined.
So how do you compose yourself?
You know there's somethingcalled attitude.
Attitude has been better thanyou Just imagine.
You're waking up at 3 am, 4 am,sitting by a book, learn till 7
(22:46):
or 6, move to the office, work,check your time.
4, 5 o'clock you're on amotorbike to classroom for a
quiz.
After quiz you get back to theoffice.
After school you get back tothe office and from the office
(23:12):
you get home around 10, 11.
You need discipline.
You need to be disciplined todo that.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Meanwhile you have money.
It's not an easy journey.
I think a lot of the time wespeak about have discipline,
have composure, especially onthe topic of discipline.
We say this a lot, but whatsystem do you have in place to
make sure that you do what yousaid you want to do?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
everything has to start with you.
It's you, it's nobody else.
Discipline starts with you.
And if you want to be successful, very successful, you have to
be disciplined.
I always talk about disciplinebecause the next world is
(24:06):
discipline.
Look, you can be as successfulas you want to be, but when you
are not disciplined, that willbe very difficult.
I always say that a successwithout story is not a success.
You can't just get up and sayI'm a billionaire without a
start.
It's not a success.
You can't just get up and sayI'm a billionaire without a
(24:27):
story.
You should have a history.
You cannot be rich withouthistory.
You can't do what you want todo without proper history.
There must be history in yourworld.
Let me stop you here for aminute.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
We are on the journey of changing the minds and the
lives of people, so if youhaven't subscribed and become
part of the family, please hitthe subscribe button and turn on
the notification.
Thank you.
Now let's carry on with theconversation.
Well, so we're going to go backto how you made your first
million.
This question they've asked meso many times.
(25:11):
When you do sit in this chair,I have to ask you, because we
know that you were a messengerthen you worked in a
construction site, you were adriver's mate as well, you were
a people teacher at a point aswell.
But how did you make that firstmillion?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
okay, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me tell you
at that point, I was workingbetween airport and Tamapot and
I started selling maize.
So Fridays I leave for Techieman to buy maize during bumper
(25:54):
harvest.
I bring it all the way toInsawong.
I have some warehouses there.
During bumper harvest I canstore maize, call quality
control to come and fumigate thewhole place for me, Leave it
there and go back to work.
I was making some small money,also around the mpak-pak-pak
(26:19):
movement.
During lean season I could sellthe same maize four times the
same price Whenever it sold.
I add a profit and I willincrease my quantity.
(26:39):
I will add a profit andincrease my quantity.
Add a profit, increase myquantity.
Earn a profit, increase myquantity.
I made so much money Duringthose days in my journey of
buying maize I noticed thatRobusta coffee there's a lot of
(27:03):
coffee in the interlands, so Istarted buying coffee, the raw
coffee.
I was buying coffee at May's,so I started exporting the
coffee.
I have a client in Europecalled Euro Commodities, At the
same time also my logisticsbusiness, so I had to buy
(27:28):
instead of hiring trucks.
I have to buy my first truckout of the profit to be able to
make more profit.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Okay, so at this level, what was your education
level At that?
Speaker 1 (27:44):
level.
I was struggling to go touniversity.
I was a school dropout, soeverything you knew was from the
streets, from the streets.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
So you applied the principles on the streets.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
On the streets with a little bit of discipline.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
To make your first million, to make my first
million.
Did you see the money in cash?
Oh yeah, I was collecting cash,man.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And how did you feel?
You know you go and lie down.
You feel like God, but you stepout of the room you feel humble
and a boy coming this way.
But you cannot notice what Iwas making.
I was driving Fiat Ritmo.
You can Google Fiat Ritmo.
(28:27):
You bet your first milliondollars.
The car I was driving was FiatRitmo, a diesel engine.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
What was your plan that time?
If we take you back to thatfirst million, what was your
plan to grow?
Speaker 1 (28:48):
that money.
It wasn't enough for me.
Honestly speaking, I knew Icould do more, because it was
like an opening.
I said, look, just keep going,just keep going, just keep going
and eventually I lost all.
How did you lose it?
I lost all.
How did you lose it?
I lost everything.
I had to sell my car to pay mythree four-week salary.
(29:14):
You know greed.
You know greed can, when youare too much hungry and the grid
is set, it's okay, but it's notthe path and the experience
that you have to.
I lost all.
I bought the whole warehouse ofcoffee and the price of coffee
(29:45):
went down and I decided to keepit for another season, for the
price to rise again.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Later did.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I know that I have to insure the whole stuff, so I
didn't insure it.
I left for school.
I was doing my diploma coursein Le western region.
(30:30):
That was the end of that.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
But it wasn't the end of me.
When the phone call came, howdid you sound after they?
Speaker 1 (30:47):
told you I was calm.
I've never reacted to problems.
Why I don't react to problems?
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Why do I react?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Don't use feelings.
When God wants something tohappen, it happens, so at times
you need to leave the space forGod To let it play out.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Don't use feelings.
Don't use feelings, Please.
You have to get deep into thisone.
I really want to learn.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
At times we react.
We use feelings to deal withissues.
Don't use feelings, you seewhat you accept will never upset
you.
Hmm.
What you accept in your lifewill never frustrate you.
What you accept will neverdepress you.
(31:41):
So you need to be a master ofyour own feelings.
The world is a wonderful place.
If you want to be a very goodleader, be in charge of yourself
(32:03):
first.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
a very good leader, be in charge of yourself.
First you made your firstmillion.
At what age 28,?
Yes, 28.
And then you lost it at whatage 22.
These times you had family,your own family, yes, yes, and
(32:24):
they were in good schools.
I guess, from the million, youprobably put them in good
schools.
I guess, from the million, youprobably put them in good
schools.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I'm just trying to think how you carry on.
Normally my children are likemodest schools.
As I'm talking to one of mysons.
He's in Saito.
Yeah, my last, but one sign saysI do Okay, please.
Why?
I want him to be tough a little.
(32:53):
I want a school that use theroad.
I want a school that can walkin and out and understand that,
look, you can't take a lunchboxto school, take money and go and
(33:14):
buy some, watch it by thestreet and sit in the classroom
and learn.
That is my life.
So I want to give him that kindof training to see, and I have
not regretted doing that.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Is this coming from a father who has worked so hard
for what he has, so he's tryingto install certain values in the
kids.
So now what is happening is doyou think you can really really?
Speaker 1 (33:43):
see yourself in any of your children.
Oh, yes, okay, I I.
You know I cannot be moresuccessful than my children.
Immediately, I become moresuccessful than my children.
I'm a failure as a father.
How do you become moresuccessful than your children?
Your children have to be moresuccessful than you.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Even though your time was different.
The type of struggle you haveseen to break out to this level,
you know in our quest nowadays,in our quest try to give the
best to our children.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
We'd rather destroy them.
That is what is going on rightnow in the world.
In our quest to give the bestto our children, we give back to
them.
Go to America, go and have youreducation, do this and all that
(34:48):
We'd rather to them.
Go to America, go and have youreducation, do this and all that
.
We rather destroy them.
We feel we are giving them thebest of life, but we rather
destroy them.
Let them keep their simple life, let them be normal.
And to you what is normal, myson started working in my
(35:12):
company as a security guardmessenger.
Also, he went through the mail.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
So you see, let's say that's Noma, right, yeah, must
we always come from poverty?
Speaker 1 (35:33):
No, no, no no, no, poverty is really a curse.
It mustn't be, do youunderstand?
That's why you have to fightout of it, the mindset, mindset.
You see, I look at my son'sface and I say, do you
understand the value for money?
You understand, be normal.
(35:57):
Do you understand the value ofmoney?
You have to work for something.
You have to understand theenvironment.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Wow.
I think that session was for me.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Not exactly for the audience.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
It was for me, yeah yeah, yeah, thank you, thank you
.
So there is a stage in ourlives where we make money, then
we learn to keep money, then welearn to keep money, then we
learn to grow money.
How do we keep money?
Speaker 1 (36:36):
You see, there are three stages of life.
When you are young, you workhard, very hard.
Relatively, somebody will askyou what is hard, but I don't
want to miss words.
When you are young, you workhard.
(36:57):
The number of hours you work.
I remember one time I wasselling books.
I was a canvasser going fromoffice to office to sell books
by two o'clock.
I'm done.
One day I sat down and saidcoming home at two o'clock, what
(37:20):
do I use the rest of the timefor?
Though?
I was teaching the childrenaround my area and I was making
some pakapa something small fromthe parents At that time the
parents in the area.
I teach their children.
They give me food, Some give memoney.
So I use from after schoolhours, I gather the children and
I teach them.
(37:41):
One day I said no, I can domore hours.
So I changed the concept.
I started selling the books inthe Mokola market.
So I was going from.
That was when I was going fromone shop to another shop.
That's where I got to know thatwomen are so passionate about
(38:02):
their children they bought everybook for their child, though
they can't read and write.
So when you're young, you workvery hard.
When you reach middle age, youwork smart.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Okay, what does working smart mean?
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Working smart is you have to evaluate yourself well.
You have to analyze things well.
You have to work with adifferent level of mindset.
While you are using yournetwork, the network becomes
your net worth.
At that level, you take agentle, giant steps.
(38:45):
That is you're working smart.
How to turn the little you havearound?
You're working smart.
Your investments how you chooseyour investments.
You have to work smart.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
And then the last level.
You have to let your money workfor you.
Your money must work for you.
At which level?
Let's say you start off at 17,.
Hustle At which level ifeverything works out?
Which age do you think it'sgood to start letting money work
for us?
It varies.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
You know, in our continent we don't become rich
very early.
You know we don't become richvery early why it's hard and we
don't have access to so manythings.
You know it's hard, we don'thave access to so many things.
(39:54):
There's no real defined way ofhaving steps to Christ like
having those steps up.
You go, you fall, you rise, youclean yourself, you move in
there.
The odds are always against you.
So we don't become rich thatearly.
(40:17):
So you're looking at your late50s, from 48 into your 50s, 60s.
That is where your money canstart or will start working for
(40:37):
you If you are lucky and it hitsyou at your doorsteps Because
you see you have to be embeddedin user level of risk, okay
Right, if you have that riskelement in you, it could be good
, it could be bad.
If you are satisfied with thelittle that you have, fine, your
(41:00):
money can work for you.
But if you get to that levelwhere your appetite for risk
like I woke up one day and saidI want to do salt that's a huge
appetite for risk.
So it depends on how youappetite Then at the level you
(41:25):
know look, I have a couple ofmillion dollars that it worked
for me.
You're a very fearless man.
Because even that salt project.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
I was just looking at it and I watched a video from
Maya and watched severalinterviews of you.
I'm just doing this.
Man says nobody had tried andsucceeded but he did it.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Yeah, he started with challenges, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
If a gun was put to your face right now on that land
, how would you feel inside?
Speaker 1 (41:57):
Well, I have done something.
I mean, you see, whateveryou're going to do in life, 99%
of the people will say don't doit, it's risky, it's dangerous.
Right, listen to them, it'sokay.
(42:18):
Right, If you are able to do itor if you are not able to do it
, it's either you are making thegreatest mistakes of your life
or you are making history, ahistory that changes people's
life, and whatever step you takeis not your steps, it's not for
(42:39):
you alone.
Certain businesses you do in acountry like Ghana, it's going
to be just you.
So you get to a level youbecome a national asset, a
national asset like you'rechanging your country, ali.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Kodango has done it, Mahika Dinuga has done it and
two other people, Femi Otidola,and I have had conversations and
I've said that a small countrylike Ghana for us to have a lot
of Beleners like the wayNigerians have.
We need government support.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Do you agree?
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Well, I agree.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I mean, government is the biggest stakeholder in
whatever business we do.
It is very, very important.
And you see, businessmen, allwe need is regulations and the
policies, the right policiesframework.
Government can give you money.
You know, we know how to raiseour money, no matter how
(43:49):
difficult it is.
We know how to raise our money.
But we need a right businessenvironment to succeed.
We come from a country where wedon't own anything.
If you go to the telecom sector, it's owned by British and
(44:09):
South Africans.
If you go to the mining sector,it's owned by South Africans
and Australians.
You go to the constructionsector, it's owned by Chinese
and Italians, not the Turkish.
(44:32):
If you go to manufacturing,even retail, it's owned by the
Malcolm, the Indians, thePalisades, the Lebanese.
(44:59):
It's okay, but why do we stand?
Speaker 2 (45:05):
as an indigenous business man, and for me, I
think, if there's a deliberateaction from government to
support certain entrepreneurs toget on the Forbes list as
billionaires from Ghana, it alsomakes the country look
attractive to foreign investors.
Well, we have to understandthat as a country and we have to
be that as a country and wehave to be intentional about
(45:27):
that.
But then the problem is thatwhen I get a contract, people
will be sitting there sayingthat I was favored to get a
contract, because they don'tunderstand that at a level,
those contracts are needed to beable to claim the position of
entrepreneurship in the countryand allow foreign investors to
also able to claim the positionof entrepreneurship in the
country and allow foreigninvestors to also bring money
(45:47):
into the country.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
Well, that is the country we live in, but that
shouldn't discourage anybody.
Don't forget that Oceania wassigned for Jesus Christ.
The same people who signed theOceania less than 24 hours, they
(46:09):
said, crucified him.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
But how do you navigate that, you yourself?
How do you navigate?
You just don't.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
You see, you have to be a bit resilient.
You have to be what you callfavored.
Ghana is our country.
We have nowhere to go.
You have to be focused as abusinessman.
The most important thing you doas a businessman is your
(46:40):
integrity.
Work with a high level ofintegrity.
Be very purposeful about that.
Be honest to your dealings.
We rise and fall.
We can rise and fall, we cangive and take, but you have to
(47:02):
be focused.
You have to fight on.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
You are 20 years old again, yeah, and you're about to
start life.
What decisions would you make?
Speaker 1 (47:17):
Well, I have to check my time very carefully.
I have to check my time verycarefully.
I have to check my circles offriends.
I have to be able to be, moredisciplined for what I have said
(47:40):
, and I have to be able to seeright from wrong.
It's okay to make mistakes, butat this level, 20 year old, I
wouldn't want to repeat some ofthem.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
Hmm, yeah, what's one mistake you can remember in
your years of doing businessthat we can learn from?
Speaker 1 (48:07):
One of them is what I told you.
I mean not insuring my whole.
Yeah, they said that it's wipedoff.
We have to be able to have thatlevel of security.
I've been in millions becauseof, let's say, 10,000.
I've been in millions becauseof let's say 10,000.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
This path that you've chosen to become who you are.
Would you have chosen the samepath?
Speaker 1 (48:35):
I would never change for any other path.
I would never change.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
You understand Ghana very much more than a lot of
young Ghanaians and especiallypeople with you from the
diaspora.
Yeah, If I asked you today togive me five businesses, much
more than a lot of youngGhanians and especially people
from the diaspora.
If I asked you today to give mefive businesses that you think
I can do today, or anybody elsewatching this can do today, what
would it be?
Speaker 1 (48:56):
I would divide the business into two.
Okay, right, the serviceindustry from the early 90s
picked up the service industry.
I would want young people toalso look into the service
industry.
What sort of services are wetalking about?
(49:18):
If you look at logistics, forinstance, it's service, it's
totally service.
Some of my business you look atit, they're totally service.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
What's the lowest scale of logistics that a young
person can do, which say 20,000CDs Packaging, okay.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
You can do packaging you and also help the bigger
wholesalers or the shops fordeliveries.
Don't forget that the richestcompany in the world, one of the
(50:00):
richest companies, is intologistics.
It's a logistic company.
Amazon Amazon is basically alogistic company.
Amazon Amazon is basically alogistic company.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
What other service can you think of?
I on top of my head.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
You can start from buying and selling.
I'm going to base.
I was there before and ourbusiness would never collapse.
It would never.
That says that young people arenot taking it seriously.
What is the bag of maize on themarkets today?
I have no idea these are 600okay's over 600.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Okay, is it 600 or?
Speaker 1 (50:46):
700?
I'm not so sure, I'm not sure.
And in the interlands where youget to Accra the price is
double, and the other businessestoo.
You can start without money.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Okay, talk to me.
What business can I do withoutmoney?
Speaker 1 (51:06):
This is such a big question.
I'm sure you've been askedbefore it's such a big question.
You can start without money,see, but you have to be honest.
All right, see, my only problemin this day many of the young
guys now they don't want toserve.
So there's a lot of honor inservice.
Look around you.
(51:27):
There's a lot of buildingsgoing on around you.
Where do you think they buytheir produce from?
There are contractors allaround the place.
Can?
you tell me that a hungry boy ora hungry girl can't sell a
(51:51):
square meter of towels to acontractor, a good salesperson
without money.
Speaker 2 (51:57):
You can, you can I think you heard it without money
you can you can I think youheard it essentially build value
in sales, sales and marketing.
Find the products you want tosell and then look for a
supplier in the market.
(52:18):
You just go.
There's no company in themarket that will reject a sale
and then just put yours on it.
That's it, that's it.
If that's it, if you repeatthat so many times, that's cash
flow.
It will fly.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
Serious cash flow.
Speaker 2 (52:31):
Because this question keeps coming how do I start a
business without money?
Speaker 1 (52:35):
Maybe now I'm beginning to get it that the
people that ask the question arenot willing to develop
themselves as well.
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (52:46):
Yeah.
Develop themselves as well.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah, yeah, anymore business that I can do I'm
moving to Ghana as well.
Any more business I can giveyou a lot.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
I can give you a lot.
We can talk.
I can give you a lot ofbusiness.
So many businesses around here.
I've not even talked about thatgreat.
20,000 is a lot of money.
20,000 cities, it's a lot ofmoney.
It's a lot of money.
I give interest-free loan towomen.
(53:13):
That's my foundation.
So far I've supported over3,000-4,000 women on
interest-free loan.
I gave a woman with two kids$6,000 for a chopper.
Less than one year she's made$80,000.
(53:41):
A chopper Okay, $6,000 to run achopper.
Speaker 2 (53:50):
Why are you so interested in entrepreneurship?
Speaker 1 (53:54):
You know, entrepreneurship it's anything
that gives impact.
Yes, just impact.
Look, I build astroturf aroundthis city.
Somebody asks why astroTherps?
Anywhere I build AstroTherps.
(54:14):
I build four AstroTherps aroundthe city and I'm building more
by next year.
By this time I should be ableto build about 10.
It creates a lot of economicactivities.
You have one in Lombardi.
One time they were playingsoccer.
I got down during halftime.
I could count as much as 90vendors.
(54:39):
What are they selling?
Yam Chofi Tokbay?
You know, those are the thingsCoconuts I mean.
So you realize that it brings alot of economic activity.
Those are the things, coconut.
So you realize that it brings alot of economic activity in the
area.
You support the women.
(55:00):
I help women a lot.
That is why I have two programs, even three, for women.
I have the health care forwidows, I have the widows
program and I have theinterest-free loan for women.
I have the health care forwidows, I have the widows
program and I have theinterest-free loan for women,
and I'm still moving.
I want to help as many women asI can, you know.
(55:23):
So it's very impactful forsomebody who just gave six
thousand to come out with such asuccess story.
Yeah, it's very impactful Withtwo kids, and what I do also is
with widows and less privilegedwomen.
(55:44):
I pick their kids on myscholarship models.
Speaker 2 (55:52):
Wow, you have this challenge.
You know the Magdan YouthConnect that you do, and then
also your entrepreneurshipchallenge as well.
I know Prophet Prakash has beenon one of your panels recently.
He's a wonderful person.
Yeah, yeah, lovely man.
He's actually one of thereasons why, this conversation
is also happening.
So kudos, wonderful person, yeah, yeah, lovely man.
He's actually the reason, oneof the reasons, why this
conversation is also happening.
(56:12):
So kudos to you, prof.
When you see theseentrepreneurs come to you with
these business plans, can youtell the ones that can truly do
well aside their business plans?
Can you tell, do you have anegg about who can actually do
well?
Speaker 1 (56:31):
Definitely you see, the business itself is number
one.
The person behind the businessis the most important.
You can have a very goodbusiness plan, but it might be
the wrong person for execution.
In this world we have threepeople.
We have people who can sit andthink about a business plan.
(56:58):
They know everything when itcomes to business, but when you
give them execution, zero.
We have the second type ofpeople, who don't have ideas but
they execute.
And we have the third type ofpeople who are only 2% in the
world.
They can sit and nurture abusiness idea.
(57:19):
Put plans together and move andit will be successful.
So the entrepreneurialchallenge with me.
I look at the person behind thebusiness.
What?
Speaker 2 (57:31):
do you see?
What do you look for?
Speaker 1 (57:34):
Well, it's the attitude.
Okay, you see, making money orbecoming wealthy, 70% is your
attitude, 25% is the skill, 5%is the skill, 5% is the
knowledge.
So, if you want to be verysuccessful, 70% should be your
(57:57):
attitude.
Attitude is everything.
Speaker 2 (58:03):
Let me stop you here for a minute.
We are on a journey of changingthe minds and the lives of
people.
So if you haven't subscribedand become part of the family,
please hit the subscribe buttonand turn on the notification.
Thank you.
Now let's carry on with theconversation.
Well, at this point in theconversation, we're going to
(58:26):
take questions from ourconnected champions.
So these are the champions thatusually get one of these, and
these champions are in ourconnected academy platform, and
the first question is fromKelvin.
Some of these questions I mayhave already asked you, so I'll
just take their names quickly.
Kelvin says that if everythingcrashed today, what skill or
(58:48):
mindset would help you rebuild?
Speaker 1 (58:53):
My strength, my braveness and discipline, that's
all.
That is why, if I mean as abusinessman, everything can
crash, but you can't lie downthere.
You've got other pieces get upand move.
You can't break.
(59:14):
You shouldn't break.
Speaker 2 (59:21):
Things happen.
You know when things go down.
Sometimes it can affect yourability to make decisions as
well.
Speaker 1 (59:29):
Definitely, but how?
Speaker 2 (59:31):
do you deal with?
Speaker 1 (59:32):
that you have to accept it's acceptance.
Speaker 2 (59:34):
It's the same acceptance.
Speaker 1 (59:37):
You understand there is a God right.
When Job was tried by the devil, the only thing God asked the
devil not to touch is his life.
So you must have life.
You can't break.
(59:59):
You shouldn't break.
If you are I mean how youmanage to get you should.
Surely you always come back?
That is why, as a businessman,keep your integrity very high.
Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
I want to test your knowledge and I've asked this
question in our previous bigepisode how many businesses and
industries do you have?
Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
Well, I'm scaling down to only three or four, okay
.
Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
Okay, yeah, within the.
Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
Magdan group.
Yeah, I have the salt, themining, yep, I have the aviation
, I have the logistics and Ihave construction, construction,
hydro work together.
Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
So this is, let's say , five or six industries.
Why is it important todiversify into different
industries?
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
Well, we are living in Africa.
Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Opportunities are always there, right.
Speaker 2 (01:01:02):
Salt.
Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
What do I want in salt?
You know, the next billionaireson the continent or in the
world will come from Africa, andthose billionaires will be
owning our own resources.
So why do we live in the spaceof mining?
(01:01:24):
Salt is a big shit, I mean,it's a big thing.
Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
Do you think you'll be the first Ghanaian to go on
the Forbes?
Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
Oh, I mean there are other Ghanaians also moving, but
I'm almost there.
Forbes for once.
Forbes for once.
Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
To list you as a billionaire.
Speaker 1 (01:01:45):
I've passed the billionaire.
I've passed that level.
My net worth has passed abillion.
Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
I really admire your energy.
I must say Feels likementorship session for me.
It's crazy.
Wow, we have a question from.
Speaker 1 (01:02:08):
I see I'm saying this to encourage people.
Wow, we have a question from.
But you see I'm saying this toencourage people.
Yes, not to show as a show,absolutely as a sign of show off
.
You know, we, we have to dowhat we have to do.
At the same time, keep ourhumble steps.
There's no need to go flag whoyou are anywhere.
(01:02:33):
No need, absolutely no need.
I am saying this to let theyouth know that if Magdan from
the streets can reach here, ifMagdan from the street can reach
(01:02:55):
here, who am I?
I am 100 steps ahead of Magdanwhen Magdan was 20 or 30.
So no need to brag.
I'm just telling you toencourage people.
I keep telling people that mybrand is a brand of hope.
It's a brand.
It's the only brand in Ghana Icall a brand of hope.
(01:03:15):
I can testify to that.
Yes, because I want any youngman who look at a brand to say,
wow, I want to be like thatbrand, I want to build that
brand, I want to be bigger likethat brand, I want to build that
brand, I want to be bigger thanthat brand.
That is all that I'm doing withthis youth thing and mindset
(01:03:40):
stuff.
If the boy from Labadi.
The street boy can build abrand.
Speaker 2 (01:03:48):
I can also do it.
Yup, and you know, he'sprobably one of the first people
I have personally met whowrites a book, a book, 288 pages
, book.
And this is not.
It's not a fake print oranything, it's a colored book
(01:04:08):
and gives it out for free.
I was just when I got a copy.
I was like this has everythingyour principles, everything.
You've written it here andgiven it out for free.
Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
Yeah, it's for the youth.
I mean, One girl came to me sheneeded help.
She needed help in business andall that.
I was busy.
I gave her 10 minutes of mytime and I said, look, take this
book, go and read it and comeback and let me see how best I
(01:04:43):
can help you.
She came back to me and told methat, Mr Makole, I really don't
need your help anymore.
I got all the help in the book.
What I needed, I got it in thebook.
So, this is why I'm giving outfor free.
(01:05:06):
The youth should read it.
What do you think the youth arereally missing when it comes to
making money?
What they are missing is focusand discipline.
They are not disciplined.
(01:05:28):
They attach the wrong attitudetowards almost everything they
do.
But when I check the numbersthat meet me at the challenge,
ghanaian youth are Smart One ofthe most smartest been on this
(01:05:51):
continent, ghanaian youth butthe attitude.
That is why I'm advocating tothe Ministry of Education that
the curriculum for theuniversity, technical University
(01:06:15):
, should be two years in theclassroom, one year industry.
Come back the fourth year.
Come and graduate, yes, so thatthe student will get closer to
industry Immediately.
You go through technicaluniversity, you're already an
entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (01:06:38):
Do you think entrepreneurship is what can
save Africa from our economicchallenges?
Speaker 1 (01:06:43):
Leadership.
It's entrepreneurship andleadership.
Okay, you understand, the rightleaders getting into polities,
governance and all that.
The right leadership and alsoentrepreneurship, because we
have too much on the continent.
So it's entrepreneurship andgovernance.
Speaker 2 (01:07:07):
And leadership.
I agree.
How many people does McDonnellGroup employ in total?
Speaker 1 (01:07:16):
Well, so far, about 7,000 direct.
At the same time, whilst you go, you are cleaning up A section
which is not disciplined.
Disciplined has to be cleanedup.
Reset going home.
You clean up, you sit, youreset.
Discipline is really killingour environment At this level.
Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
how much of that day-to-day are you involved in?
Speaker 1 (01:07:46):
You know, you build a system, you want to be a very
big entrepreneur.
We have three stages ofbusiness lifecycle the infant
stage, the organic stage and thecorporate stage.
The infant stage, where theyoung man was running around
(01:08:08):
taking coffee, maize and into awarehouse moving up and down.
That's the infant stage, whereyou, you, you have a uh, you
have to move to certain placesyourself and all that.
You see money.
That's, that's good way tostart your business.
(01:08:28):
Well, you are the accountant,you are the cleaner.
You are the marketing person,you are everything, you are the
HR.
Yeah, you get to a level whereit's the organic level.
Organic level, you can see theexpression of your business,
(01:08:50):
where you have many clients, andthat is the most dangerous
stage in your business, as youcan easily collapse Once you
move from the organic to thecorporate stage.
System and structures must workImmediately.
Your system and structuresbegin to work.
You have succeeded.
(01:09:10):
So building a big business isall about corporate governance,
systems and structures to work.
You don't need to be involvedin the day-to-day.
We have so many competentpeople.
Speaker 2 (01:09:30):
If you stopped working today, would your
business still run.
It will run.
Speaker 1 (01:09:34):
It will run.
It might even run better.
Wow there.
Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
Hey Francis from our Connected Academy group.
He says that if you werestarting from nothing today in
Ghana, with just a thousand tofive thousand cities, what
business or investment would youdo?
Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
Francis, I would prefer I don't start with money
at all.
Don't mention money at all.
I can start with nothing.
It was what I told you.
Speaker 2 (01:10:10):
Wow, wow, okay, francis, you don't need money.
And then Owusu said yeah, howdo you deal with negative
thoughts that come in your mind,in your head space when they
are coming in through that door?
How do you deal with it?
Speaker 1 (01:10:28):
That's a poco right.
This is Owusu.
Owusu is too idle.
Owusu is too idle.
Owusu should should get up andbe doing something for himself.
He's thinking too negative.
I wish I could meet him to saycheck his time, how he uses his
(01:10:54):
time.
Negative thought will alwayscome, but what kind of negative
thought.
Speaker 2 (01:11:00):
So, uso, I think you are too idle, wow and then Abed
said that how do you decidewhich industries to expand the
Magdan Group into?
Speaker 1 (01:11:13):
I don't have a board.
Okay, now I have a board andyou know, when you talk about
expansion and with a bigbusiness, with a big business,
the richest companies in theworld, they don't have 10, 20
(01:11:36):
companies, one, two things thenthat's what takes you across the
globe, that's all.
Now we have vessels.
We have Magdane Shipping hasits own vessels.
We are moving cargo across thecontinent.
(01:12:08):
We've gone far the salt.
We're building a refinery,we're building a refinery and
we're building a refinery and,as well, expanding the same salt
industry and building a port tomove the salt.
So this is a big, it's a big,it's a big industry.
Speaker 2 (01:12:23):
I have a feeling you're very excited about the
salt project.
Speaker 1 (01:12:26):
Well, look, salt touches everything, everything,
Everything.
So why?
And also when you look at our,our ESG, it touches almost
everything the environmentsocial life touches almost
(01:12:54):
everything the environment,social life governance and we've
not even touched half of it.
Salt is used for almosteverything pharmaceutical
industry.
Everything on this table issalt.
You have this.
This is aluminium.
Right, it's salt.
You need salt, caustic soda toextract the alumina To have your
(01:13:14):
this, this ceramic.
The salt you need to separateit.
The clothes you are wearingit's salt To produce plastics.
It's salt.
Why wouldn't I be excited aboutsomething that touches everyone
(01:13:36):
?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
I think this one you already have an answer, jonathan
.
I'm not going to ask thisquestion because you've already
got the answer already.
So is there anything we candiscuss on your projects that
you're doing on the topic ofentrepreneurship that we haven't
?
Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
I mean, you've asked me almost everything.
It's all about impact.
We are getting somewhere wherethe youth have to start telling
their own story, somewhere wherethe youth have to start telling
their own story when it comesto the entrepreneurial and the
(01:14:17):
youth connect.
It's their show, it's theirenvironment, not my environment.
It's what they need and thelittle I have, I add, to make
that difference.
So it's actually for them andit's about time they started
telling their benefit, theirsuccess story that they have
(01:14:44):
acquired through just theircontact with Magda.
I wouldn't be excited foranything not that much money, I
spend, not that much time but myexcitement should come from the
story, the success story theywould tell.
Speaker 2 (01:15:06):
I'm inspired by this conversation, so I'll take you
on to our question, which I knowthe answer motivation or
discipline it's discipline.
Yes, I knew it.
I knew it, and what's the bestadvice you've ever received?
Speaker 1 (01:15:25):
the best advice I've ever received.
It sounds funny, but the bestadvice I've ever received.
It's so funny, but when I was amessenger, a man came to my
office and told me that I likeyour motivation.
(01:15:46):
I like your style.
I was a little boy.
I like your motivation.
I like your style.
I was a little boy.
But be careful about women thewomen that are calling you and
watching you.
They are older than you.
Get focused and make whateveryou have to make first.
(01:16:09):
As a young man the environmentI was coming from I taught them
to the best advice that man gaveme.
30 years later, I met a man inTexas and he called me and said
do you remember what I told you?
And he shook my hand and Iembraced him and said do you
(01:16:30):
remember what I told you?
And he shook my hand and Iembraced him and said thank you.
It sounds awkward but it did alot to me.
Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
I'm sure we've all taken the advice.
We've all taken the advice and,again, I'm not going to ask you
to recommend the book, becausethis is the book.
Guys, if you're looking forthat book to read, this is the
book.
I'm going to put the details ofhow you can get a copy.
It's free.
So I'm going to put the detailsof how you can get a copy and
for the people in our ConnectedAcademy group, I'll drop the
(01:17:07):
details there as well and I'llprobably get some copies and
I'll share it with you.
Guys, I'd like to say thank youso much for your time.
I am blessed to have you as myfirst guest in this studio and
when you came today as well, youwore white to compliment what
we do here.
So thank you very much.
And today what happened waswhen Dr Macaulay came, he met
(01:17:33):
some of our students from myacademy and they asked him some
questions.
They didn't know that he wascoming and I thank you so much
for that as well that I pulled asurprise on you and you were
happy to give your advice, thankyou.
So my name is Derek Abayite,and if you enjoyed this episode,
share it with somebody a friend, a colleague and leave a
(01:17:55):
comment below if you make it tothe end, so that I know you are
one of our champions and youdeserve one of these.
Stay connected.
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