Konnected Minds Podcast with Derrick Abaitey

He built a multimillion cedi medical empire from selling pen drives in primary school, and he says the biggest breakthrough of his life came when COVID-19 hit and everyone else was panicking while he was praying for the lockdown to be extended because he had 200 boxes of nose masks sitting in East Legon that nobody wanted. In this episode, Sami Medical Landlord breaks down how he went from selling pen drives and SD cards to teachers in primary school, to selling laptops at Tito Lane after senior high school, to building Gigman Medicals into a thriving medical supplies empire before turning 30. From using his classmates' school fees as capital to buy nose masks during COVID, to watching prices surge from 16 cedis per box to 90 cedis in less than a month, to pivoting into gun thermometers bought at 130 cedis per piece from the Ivorian border before prices exploded, this is the blueprint for building wealth from crisis, credibility, and strategic positioning when everyone else is frozen by fear. We dive into the brutal reality of how he convinced his lecturer Madam Becky to give him 2,000 cedis meant for school fees, why he went to the deputy principal and asked permission to invest the money in his business instead of paying fees even though it would attract a 100 cedi penalty, and why he kept paying the penalty every semester just to keep using the funds as trading capital. We break down why his classmates trusted him with their school fees when they went home during the COVID lockdown, why honesty and credibility and trustworthiness are the foundation every business must be built on, and why when the nose mask export deal fell through and his friend in China refused to pay the cost he was terrified but his friends stood by him because they knew he was not going to run away with their money. But we also confront the uncomfortable truth about seizing opportunity in crisis, why he was praying every day for the lockdown to be extended because he didn't have school fees and the nose masks were his only way out, and why his heart was beeping every time they called a state of the nation address because he didn't know what was coming. We discuss why he sold the nose masks at 90 cedis even though prices kept rising to over 100 cedis because he feared they could drop and he could run at a loss, why this one decision to sell early and pivot into gun thermometers became the breakthrough that changed everything, and why francophone countries were already using sophisticated machines like gun thermometers before COVID while Ghanaians were using auxiliary and ear thermometers. We get into the strategy of how he sourced 1,000 pieces of gun thermometers for 130 cedis each through a contact at the Ivorian border before Togo border closed but the Ivorian border was slow to close, why this gave him the window to bring in inventory before prices exploded, and why the margins were crazy. We break down why he started Gigman Supplies selling literally everything from laptops to clinical items like pen torches, stethoscopes, and thermometers to his classmates who were struggling to get them, why his inspiration came from his mentor Captain Retired Prince Kofi Abu Abe who sold air conditioners and fridges at Kantamanto in the 90s until he found his fit, and why this learning curve of selling everything is what teaches you about business before you find your niche. We also tackle the powerful lesson about starting with almost nothing, why his mother was a trader who psyched him that if you don't sell you're not part of the family, and why he was selling Sobolo and granite to his classmates in primary school by buying from vendors, adding margins, and selling back to his friends. We discuss why he was brought up in the trading way from age 12, why one of his classmates Philippa who is married somewhere will remember this story, and why this early exposure to selling is what built the foundation for everything that came next. We unpack why after senior high school he taught and sold laptops at Tito Lane, why he trained as a pharmacy assistant at university but was still trying to do something to keep himself going because he had to manage food, fees, and everything else, and why he wasn't living in the hostel because he could not afford it but lived in a normal household with other tenants closer to his lecturer Madam Becky so he could go and eat because their family fed him the whole five years. If you've been waiting for perfect conditions to start a business, if you think you need massive capital or connections, or if you're ready to understand that credibility, honesty, and seizing opportunity in crisis are the keys to building wealth, this conversation will change everything. Guest: Sami Medical Landlord Founder and CEO of Gigman Medicals, a thriving medical supplies company built from campus hustle to multimillion cedi empire. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎙️ ABOUT THE HOST Derrick Abaitey is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, podcaster.

He built a thriving dessert empire with 12 employees and three branches across Kumasi before most people his age even think about starting a business, and he says the biggest lie young Ghanaians believe is that you're too young to make money in your 20s.

In this episode, Kobby Owusu-Bright breaks down how he and his business partner built Favory from selling popcorn and ice cream on the KNUST campus into a multi-branch operation serving boba tea, waffles, milkshakes, and hot chocolate across Kumasi. From creating an environment where students can escape depression, heartbreak, and financial stress, to expanding strategically from a stand with no seating to three locations with plans to hit Accra, this is the blueprint for building a business that solves real problems while scaling with almost no capital, just hustle, reinvestment, and customer-driven strategy.

We dive into the brutal reality of what students actually go through on campus, why thousands of young people are dealing with finance issues, academic pressure, and relationship problems but have nowhere to turn because they don't feel comfortable going to counselors, and why Favory became more than just a dessert shop but a safe space where students can experience joy, play games, and forget their problems even if just for a moment. We break down why Kobby himself went through severe depression on campus when his parents couldn't provide as they used to, why he had to get a job at Pizza Man Chickie Man for almost two years just to survive, and why the moment he stopped calling his father for money and started earning his own income was one of the most liberating feelings he ever experienced. We discuss why taking the stress off your parents and letting them enjoy instead of constantly asking them for money is one of the most powerful mindset shifts a young person can make, and why this drove him to find every possible way to make his parents happy.

But we also confront the uncomfortable truth about youth entrepreneurship in Ghana, why people accuse young people of fraud simply because they are making progress at a young age, and why this toxic mentality is pulling an entire generation back from building wealth. We unpack why young people in Ghana wait until they are much older to make financial decisions because they fear being tagged as fraud boys or accused of doing black money, why this is a dead mindset that will keep millions broke, and why the African perspective that you are too young to make money in your 20s needs to change immediately. We discuss why in other parts of the world people in their 20s to 30s are the ones making millions, why entering your 20s means you are not young anymore to make money, and why any energy you have to bash somebody who is making progress should be redirected into yourself to go and make your own money.

We get into the strategy of how they expanded from one branch to three, why customers told them exactly what the next step was when they kept asking for a place to sit and dine in, and why opening a second branch didn't split the market but doubled the revenue because they became a household name on campus. We break down why they opened a third branch in town not just for expansion but as a survival tactic to pay 12 employees during the four month student vacation period, why proper planning means having a branch in town to generate income when students vacate campus, and why this mindset of planning and having a backup is what separates businesses that thrive from businesses that collapse when circumstances change. We discuss why if you pay close attention to your customers they will tell you what the next step in your business is, and why this customer-driven approach is what built Favory into what it is today.

We also tackle the powerful lesson about employment and entrepreneurship, why Kobby studied human settlement planning at university and would have waited for the government to post him to the Lands Commission, and why out of 137 classmates not many have gotten jobs since they finished. We break down why if just four or five people in his class started businesses they could have employed the rest of the class, why he's earning way more money today than he would have earned in an entry role waiting for government posting, and why although they haven't started profit sharing yet just seeing the money in the account is good enough. We discuss why it's all well and good to get yourself educated but the problem is there aren't enough jobs so some people have to come out and create businesses to employ the others, and why this is the mindset shift every young Ghanaian must make.

He turned two popcorn machines on campus into a thriving dessert empire with 12 employees, three branches, and expansion plans to Accra before most people his age even think about starting a business.

In this episode, Kobe breaks down how he and his business partner built Favory from selling popcorn at campus events into a multi-branch operation serving popcorn, ice cream, boba, waffles, milkshakes, and hot chocolate across Kumasi. From moving thousands of pieces a day on campus to opening a stand in Yediase, to expanding into three locations with plans to hit Accra by late this year, this is the blueprint for building a business from scratch with almost no capital, just hustle, reinvestment, and strategic planning.

We dive into the brutal reality of scaling from a stand with no seating to multiple branches, why customers told them exactly what the next step was when they kept asking for a place to sit and dine in, and why opening a second branch didn't split the market but doubled the revenue. We break down why they opened a third branch in town not just for expansion but as a survival tactic to pay 12 employees during the four month student vacation period, why proper planning is the difference between businesses that survive and businesses that collapse, and why targeting the youth means being in environments where they are very youthful even if sales dip when students leave campus.

But we also confront the uncomfortable truth about youth entrepreneurship in Ghana, why people accused him of fraud simply because he was making progress at a young age, and why he had to make peace with the fact that people's perspectives don't matter when you know the work you've put in. We discuss why young people in Ghana wait until they are much older to make financial decisions because they fear being accused of fraud or questioned about their money, why this is a dead mindset that will keep an entire generation broke, and why the mentality that you are not young to make money once you enter your 20s is an African perspective that needs to change. We unpack why when he was a student picking up ice cream machines and selling popcorn nobody was watching, but the moment they see progress they want to pull him down with baseless accusations, and why any energy you have to bash somebody who has results should be redirected into yourself to go and make money.

We get into the reality of what happens when you study human settlement planning at university, why out of 130 classmates not many have gotten jobs since they finished, and why if just five people started businesses they could have employed the rest of the class. We break down why he's earning way more money today than he would have earned in an entry role at the Lands Commission waiting for the government to post him, why although they haven't started profit sharing yet just seeing the money in the account is good enough, and why it's all well and good to get yourself educated but the problem is there aren't enough jobs so some people have to come out and create businesses to employ the others.

We also tackle the powerful lesson he learned from his father's story, why when his parents migrated back to Ghana his dad lost a lot of money because investors took advantage of him and things weren't really planned properly, and why the lesson he learned is to plan properly for the future and always have a backup. We discuss why proper planning means having a branch in town to generate income when students vacate campus, why if they expand to a different location it will be properly planned, and why this mindset of planning and having a backup is what separates businesses that thrive from businesses that collapse when circumstances change.

If you've been waiting until you're older to start building wealth, if you've been paralyzed by fear of what people will say, or if you're ready to understand that proper planning, strategic expansion, and relentless execution are the keys to building a business that lasts, this conversation will change everything.

Guest: Kobby Owusu-Bright
Co-founder and CEO of Favori, a Kumasi based popcorn, ice cream, and dessert brand built from campus hustle to multi-branch expansion.

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🎙️ ABOUT THE HOST
Derrick Abaitey is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, podcast host, and personal development advocate.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/derrick.abaitey

He started selling popcorn on campus for 10 cedis with a cost price of 2.50 cedis, moved a thousand pieces a day, and built it into a multi-branch dessert empire before most people his age even think about starting a business.

In this episode, Kobe Krabina Owusu-Bright breaks down how he and his business partner Joshua turned two popcorn machines into Favory, a thriving popcorn, ice cream, and boba brand with multiple branches across Kumasi. From selling at random campus events at Brunei Sports Complex and movie nights, to opening a stand at Yediase, to expanding into three locations with plans to hit Accra by late this year, this is the blueprint for building a business from scratch with almost no capital, just hustle, reinvestment, and strategic partnership.

We dive into the brutal reality of starting with less than 100 cedis, why getting corn, sugar, and your special ingredients is all you need to start, and why the markup from 2.50 cedis cost price to 10 cedis selling price created enough cash flow to reinvest and scale. We break down why they increased the price to 15 cedis not because of greed but because there was too much traffic on just their popcorn, why moving a thousand pieces a day at campus events proved the demand was real, and why recognizing that people buy popcorn led them to expand into ice cream, boba, waffles, milkshakes, and hot chocolate to capture more revenue per customer.

But we also confront the uncomfortable truth about partnership in Ghana, why most Ghanaians don't like to partner because of pride, envy, and the inability to let someone else lead, and why Kobe and Joshua made it work by sitting down, taking each person's perspective, and finding the right solution instead of fighting over who is right. We discuss why Joshua is naturally more intelligent and better at critical thinking and background work, why Kobe handles operations and staff management as CEO, and why recognizing each other's strengths instead of envying them is what separates partnerships that thrive from partnerships that collapse. We unpack the powerful mindset shift that people can take you places money can never take you, why being aligned with the right circle is everything, and why sometimes you have to follow instead of always trying to lead if your partner is better qualified in that moment.

We get into the strategy of how they expanded from selling at random events to opening their first stand at Yediase, why they added pastries and purchased an ice cream machine to start Favory as an ice cream brand even though they were already known for popcorn, and why learning, reinvesting profits, and knowing your numbers is what got them to where they are today. We break down the CEO fundamentals that every young entrepreneur must know, why you have to know your revenue, your expenses, your leads, your acquisition cost, and your profits before you can make intelligent decisions about reinvesting and expanding, and why expanding is what brings more capital and cash flow to the business. We discuss why their game plan from day one was to expand and get Favory recognized across Ghana if not globally, why letting everybody experience what they have is the mission, and why this long term vision is what drives every decision they make.

We also tackle the real life impact of the podcast, why the Uber driver who picked up Kobe on his way to the studio told him that Konnected Minds inspired him to start his own poetry business, and why sometimes we don't internalize how much the little we do inspires people until we hear stories like this. We discuss why this conversation about student entrepreneurship does not happen on campuses, why the Ghanaian youth needs a change of mind and has to think differently towards work and creating, and why Kobe wants to be the person to inspire that tweak and that change.

If you've been waiting for the perfect time to start a business, if you think you need massive capital or perfect conditions, or if you're ready to understand that partnership, reinvestment, and knowing your numbers are the keys to building something that lasts, this conversation will change everything.

Guest: Kobby Owusu-Bright
Co-founder and CEO of Favori, a Kumasi based popcorn, ice cream, and dessert brand built from campus hustle to multi-branch expansion.

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🎙️ ABOUT THE HOST
Derrick Abaitey is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, podcast host, and personal development advocate.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/derrick.abaitey

He's been to 30 countries, built startups in Ghana and Nigeria, and sold two companies before 25 - and he says the biggest lie Africans believe is that leaving will fix their lives.
In this episode, Chidi Nwaogu breaks down why 90% of your situation is on you, not the government. He shares the story nobody tells about the japa dream: the uncle with a master's degree who moved to the US and became a taxi driver, while the uncle who stayed in Nigeria now owns lands and houses. From coding for food at 19, to trekking 2 hours a day for 6 years just to afford cyber café time, to selling his first company at 21 - this is the blueprint for building where you are.

KML 2026 - KUMASI
🎟️ KONNECTED MINDS LIVE — 9th September, KNUST Great Hall, Kumasi. Network with entrepreneurs and business minds who are building in Ghana.
Grab your ticket here: https://www.konnectedmindslive.com/
Guest: Chidi Nwaogu
Nigerian tech entrepreneur and software developer, who is presently one of the founders of Efiwe, a mobile-first, AI-powered coding platform, and Publiseer, a Lagos-based digital publishing company.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamchidinwaogu/
Web: https://chidi.xyz/
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🎙️ ABOUT THE HOST
Derrick Abaitey is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, podcast host, and personal development advocate.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/derrick.abaitey (https://www.instagram.com/derrick.abaitey/?hl=en)