Konnected Minds Podcast with 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)

"I don't have option B. I believe that anytime you have an option B, the option A is not that sharp. Subconsciously, you know that even if it doesn't work, I have a job. So I didn't even do national service. I had made up my mind that at worst, you give me underwear, I will sell it."

In this deeply transformative episode of Konnected Minds, we sit down with Sami Medical Landlord, a pharmacy entrepreneur who turned the chaos of COVID-19 into a multimillion cedi medical empire, to unpack the raw, unfiltered truth about why having a backup plan is the fastest way to kill your main vision, why option B makes option A lose its potency, and why everything you've been taught about needing safety nets, fallback plans, and alternative options is keeping you stuck while others build generational wealth from the exact same position you're in right now with nothing but relentless commitment to one path.

We dive into the brutal reality of the COVID breakthrough that changed everything, why when the lockdown came and students were told to vacate hostels he stayed in a normal household because he couldn't afford the hostel, and why a contract from a doctor friend in China to buy nose masks and export them became the turning point. We break down why he borrowed money from friends to buy 200 boxes of nose masks at 16 cedis per box, why when the export license was denied and his friend refused to pay the cost he was terrified he would lose everything, but why he kept the nose masks in East Legon and prayed every day for the lockdown to be extended because he didn't have school fees. We unpack the moment nose mask prices surged from 16 cedis to 90 cedis per box, why he was happy anytime they called a state of the nation address because his heart would be beeping not knowing what was coming, and why he sold at 90 cedis even though prices kept rising because he feared they could drop and he could run at a loss.

But we also confront the most powerful entrepreneurial philosophy that separates him from millions who never make it: the refusal to have option B. We discuss why he believes that anytime you have an option B the option A is not that sharp, why subconsciously knowing you have a backup job or fallback plan makes you less committed, and why he didn't even do national service because he had made up his mind that at worst if you give him underwear he will sell it. We break down why there is no embarrassment in selling because he was brought up selling tomatoes and other things, why that childhood experience built him on how to sell elsewhere, and why when his company became big he decided to do his service in his own company. We expose why this mindset is not just motivational talk but the actual difference between those who build empires and those who stay stuck in mediocrity.

We get into the strategy of how he scaled from 80,000 cedis from nose masks to almost 900,000 cedis from gun thermometers, why he bought 1,000 pieces of gun thermometers for 130 cedis each through a contact at the Ivorian border before prices exploded to 1,500 cedis per unit, and why the margins were crazy. We discuss why francophone countries were already using nose masks and sophisticated machines like gun thermometers before COVID while Ghanaians were using auxiliary and ear thermometers, why Togo border closed but the Ivorian border was slow to close, and why this gave him the window to bring in inventory through a friend who led him to someone at the border. We break down why this one decision to pivot from nose masks to gun thermometers at exactly the right time became the breakthrough that changed everything.

We also tackle the controversial topic of working with friends and family, why it can be very difficult for most people but why for him it is the opposite, and why if people have given him issues in business it's mostly people he got to know through the business not people he knew outside. We unpack why he believes families and friends rather help his business work well, why he is able to talk his mind in their face straight away, and why at one point his biological sister didn't talk to him for three or four years and he didn't care because he talks his mind. We discuss why he sacked his little brother from the company because he was taking work matters to the house and telling family members about business finances, why his brother is now doing so well at 20 or 21 that he can lend the company $80,000 or $100,000 when they are locked out at the port, and why this proves that tough love and clear boundaries are what make family businesses work not soft emotional management.

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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

"I was only praying for the lockdown to be extended and extended and extended. I was happy anytime they called a state of the nation address. My heart would be beeping because I don't know what else is coming."

In this deeply transformative episode of Konnected Minds, we sit down with a young entrepreneur who turned the chaos of COVID-19 into a multimillion cedi empire before turning 20, to unpack the raw, unfiltered truth about seizing opportunity in crisis, why hunger and the right people at the right time matter more than your circumstances, and why everything you've been taught about needing perfect conditions, capital, or connections to build wealth is keeping you stuck while others your age are building generational wealth from the exact same position you're in right now.

We dive into the brutal reality of how he started selling nose masks during the COVID lockdown, why he borrowed money from friends to buy inventory when nobody knew what was coming, and why when the lockdown prevented him from exporting the masks he was terrified he would lose everything. We unpack the moment the nose mask price surged from single digits to 90 cedis per piece, why he was praying every day for the lockdown to be extended because he didn't have school fees, and why that one decision to sell at 90 cedis turned 80,000 cedis into almost 900,000 cedis when he pivoted to gun thermometers at exactly the right time. We break down why he bought 1,000 pieces of gun thermometers for 130 cedis each through a contact at the Ivorian border before prices exploded to 1,500 cedis per unit, why the margins were crazy, and why this became the breakthrough that changed everything.

But we also confront the uncomfortable question of what separates him from the millions of young people who were hungrier but never made it. We discuss why hunger alone is not enough, why meeting the right people at the right time is one of the most pivotal reasons for his success, and why some people are not leaders but supporters who have the managerial acumen to help you achieve your dream even though they themselves cannot be the bridge. We unpack why these people saw his vision and decided to help him, why they knew later on he could become a bridge for them to cross to wherever they wanted to go, and why now a lot of them own things they perhaps wouldn't have been able to achieve without God using him as a vessel.

We get into the strategy of how he scaled from selling on a bicycle to becoming a nationwide supplier of medical equipment, why he approached tutors and association leaders to get his products included in the school prospectus and sold at registration tables, and why parents no matter how poor they are will always buy essential items like thermometers and stethoscopes for their children in medical school because it makes them feel proud. We break down why Kintampo as the center of Ghana became the key location, why all the cars from Burkina, Togo, Wa, and the north stop there for rest, and why he negotiated with a breakfast seller to store his inventory because he didn't have a shop yet. We discuss why he plunged all his money into buying inventory stock to the point his room was full of goods, why he was still riding his bicycle doing deliveries even after making over a million cedis, and why his childhood taught him to live a very simple life.

We also tackle the pivotal moment when he had to choose between buying a shop or buying a van for deliveries, why he surveyed four of his madams who gave him 11 reasons why the shop was better including the risk of travel and accidents, and why this decision set the foundation for everything that came next. We unpack why at 17 and 18 years old he was reading books like Made in America by Sam Walton of Walmart, why he was following mentors like Vusi, Dan Lok, and others from a distance, and why hunger was one of the most influential and pivotal reasons driving him. We discuss the painful truth that if his father were alive there are a lot of things he wouldn't have done and his life would have been very comfortable, but why that loss became the fuel that pushed him to build an empire.

We close with the most important mindset shift every young person must make: stop waiting for perfect conditions, stop blaming your circumstances, and start recognizing that the right people and the right opportunities are already around you if you are hungry enough to see them. We discuss why he didn't go into health because he wanted to but because circumstances led him there, why he still has his UMAT admission letter because he wanted to be a telecom engineer, and why passion for healthcare came later after he saw the suffering and decided to expand.

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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

"Marriage to a Ghanaian does not qualify you to maximum number of years interest in a property. You have to go through the process of becoming a Ghanaian citizen first before you can have the maximum number of years."

In this deeply transformative episode of Konnected Minds, we sit down with a real estate and legal expert who unpacks the raw, unfiltered truth about land ownership in Ghana, why 78% of Ghanaians aged 26 to 32 are unlikely to own their own homes in their lifetime, and why everything you've been taught about buying land, leases, and property rights is keeping you stuck while others build generational wealth from knowledge and strategic positioning you can access today.

We dive into the brutal reality of land ownership for non-Ghanaians, why being married to a Ghanaian does not qualify you to the maximum number of years interest in a property, and why you have to go through the process of becoming a Ghanaian citizen first before you can have the maximum number of years. We break down why the 1969 legislation says that non-citizens can only be given 50 years with no automatic renewal, why you must negotiate with the vendor and ensure you have the terms of the renewal stated in the agreement, and why if you put in a clause that says at the expiration of 50 years you'll pay 10% of the actual valuation of the property you can extend your 50 years to 95 years. We discuss why those in the diaspora can also incorporate a company in Ghana with 60% Ghanaian shareholding and 40% foreign ownership to acquire 99 years, but why the moment the foreign ownership crosses to 41% it becomes a foreign entity and loses that right.

But we also confront the uncomfortable truth about the different types of interests in land that most people don't understand, why sub-lease means you cannot give what you don't have, and why you must take the head lease and see what is the residual interest left in the property before you buy. We unpack why if someone has acquired 99 years and has done 50 years they can only convey 49 years to you, why assignment means the person is conveying everything they have to you including the reversionary interest, and why licensees who take land for farming for less than three years don't have absolute possession over the land. We expose the different types of land including vested land which is owned by families or stools but managed by the state through the Lands Commission, state land which is acquired by the government through compulsory acquisition for public use, family land which is managed by the family head not the chief, and stool land which is managed by the chief not the family head.

We break down why if you go and buy family land from a chief you will fall into litigation, why if you go and buy stool land from a family head you will fall into litigation, and why if you go and buy state land or vested land from a family you will fall into litigation. We discuss why it is so important to clarify the type of land you are buying because it is so complicated to try to do it yourself with all the information you have at hand, and why getting a professional to do the job is the difference between owning property and losing everything to litigation.

We also tackle the alarming statistic that 78% of Ghanaians aged between 26 to 32 are unlikely to own their own homes in their lifetime, why the current housing deficit still stands at 2 million plus, and why there must be a deliberate policy to expand real estate infrastructure around the country. We unpack why even in advanced countries the entire population does not own homes but there are systems to allow them to own, why in Ghana the cost of lands and buildings is the primary reason why a lot of young people cannot own, and why without deliberate policy intervention this crisis will only get worse.

We close with the most important mindset shift every young person and investor must make: stop trying to navigate land ownership without professional help, stop buying land without understanding the type of land and the interest you are acquiring, and start building generational wealth by doing your due diligence, understanding the law, and positioning yourself strategically in the real estate market.

If you've been confused about land ownership in Ghana, if you're a non-Ghanaian trying to acquire property, or if you're ready to understand the legal framework that separates those who own land from those who lose it to litigation, this conversation will change everything.

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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