Konnected Minds Podcast

Segment: The Three H's of Business Success

• Derrick Abaitey

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Ever wonder what makes some businesses thrive while others falter? This revealing conversation takes you behind the scenes of an educational institution that defied expectations, expanding from Kumasi to Accra when conventional wisdom said it couldn't be done.

At its core, this success story revolves around differentiation – creating something so unique that people will travel 18 kilometers outside Kumasi's city center to experience it. With American architects designing an exceptional campus and strategic investment in teacher quality, the school developed a compelling value proposition that eventually enabled its unprecedented expansion into Accra's competitive educational landscape.

The founder shares the guiding philosophy that made it all possible: the three H's – Humility, Hard work, and Honesty. Particularly striking is the counterintuitive approach to growth: investing four million dollars in campus development before building a personal residence, choosing modest vehicles over luxury cars, and prioritizing reputation over displays of wealth. "Africans have the habit of acting successful before they are actually successful," the founder observes, offering a powerful perspective on sustainable entrepreneurship that views success as a journey rather than a destination.

Whether you're a business owner, educator, or simply fascinated by stories of innovation against the odds, this episode delivers actionable insights on differentiation, integrity in business dealings, and the patience required for lasting success. Ready to rethink your approach to growth? Listen now and discover why waiting to show success might be your most powerful business strategy.

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Speaker 1:

We'll go, you know this way and this and that and that.

Speaker 1:

The only thing that we had was that we had some good friends in the States that were architects and engineers who came and helped, you know, mapped out, you know the land, and then design a campus for us in so kind of structures here, structures here, structures there that we could develop in phases, and we're going to do it as we had funds.

Speaker 1:

But what was important, even though we didn't have business ideas or business experience, we were committed to making sure that whatever we did must be a good experience for the children that came. In fact, because the school was way out of to come all the way 18 kilometers from city center to your school if their other school is in Kumasi. So that meant that you had to create something that was unique, that stood out, and that really is what propelled ICA. So if there was anything to say about thinking business, you know, thinking about success it was more about how can you differentiate what you deliver from what is out there, because you're already in a disadvantaged position you are way out of town and you would have to have a product, a service and a campus that is different from what people are used to, to allow people to want to come to you.

Speaker 1:

That's right, and that is what we try to deliver. So the campus designed by this american renowned architect was great, right. And then the training and investment in teachers was also on point, uh. So when you have a nice campus and the content in the classroom in terms of teacher delivery is good, then people are willing to go all out. It doesn't matter how far the place is, you know to be able to get it. Of course we had to use bus services so that parents are not too inconvenienced.

Speaker 1:

But that was really the thinking from day one, that why would people travel that far to Pechi if what they have, or what you have, is same as what is in town, just the differentiation. There has to be a differentiation and that has been the way we have operated and that, in a lot of, was what made us also want to come to Accra. Because coming to Accra and I'll get into that, I'm sure we'll get into that we knew all along, everybody knew Kumasi School and Accra had great and well-respected international schools, great and well respected international schools. Talk about the Lincolns, the SOSs, the GIs, the Seoul Clinics, the Ruman Ridge and all of that. So how dare you, a Kumasi school, to want to come. I mean. No school in modern history in Ghana had dared to move from one major city to the other.

Speaker 1:

now, you want to do that great, but you understand what you are in for. You're going to compete with the best in Accra. Well, good luck. But once again, the plan was it's a differentiation. If you have done your best to differentiate your system delivery from what was known and common in Kumasi, then you probably could do the same in Accra and not only survive but succeed. You know, and so that is that is what I think also undergirds you know how we have failed in Accra since we came here ten years ago.

Speaker 2:

I can have a feeling that you attribute the success of this, your business, purely to a divine being. And and chance no.

Speaker 1:

God is definitely a factor. I am a Christian, a pastor, but God works with us. God doesn't leave all the success to himself. It doesn't just have to do with only his blessings. It is God and people partnership that creates success. So God gives us the strength, the wisdom, the understanding that we applied right and, in creating us in his image, he gives us the power to think and to reason and to create, just like he does right. So we need to put our mental faculty at work. To put our mental faculty at work, and if we can do that and can create, then we can, you know, be successful and you can give the credit to him because we are his creation right. But a human being, christian or non-Christian, has a huge role to play in his own success.

Speaker 2:

Let me stop you here for a minute. If you've been watching this show, I want you to subscribe and become part of the family. We are on a journey of changing the lives of people on this channel and we appreciate you for being here. But if you haven't become part of the family, connect with us, hit the subscribe button and let's carry on the conversation. You know I've spoken to a lot of entrepreneurs, including myself. My first business failed many of them, their first businesses will fail.

Speaker 1:

Yours has been a tremendous success let me tell you what I attribute our success to. Three things that I always talk about humility, hard work. Our success too. Three things that I always talk about Humility, hard work, honesty. I call it. Call them the three H's Humility, hard work and honesty.

Speaker 1:

Why humility? Now I see it started very humbly, but humility tells me all the time that I can do better. I am not there yet. I should recognize the contribution of people that I'm working with. The success is not just my creation. I may be the one doing all the thinking and dreaming, but I can do all of that If the people around me are not supporting. Forget you will not get to where you want to be. So humility helps you to sit up and recognize that your success has come about because of the contribution of others. So take people seriously, people that work with you seriously, and I think when you do that and people see that you respect them and respect their contribution, they do their best. So over the years, people that have come to ICS, they have worked very hard. They have contributed to the success you know of the school because they know they are respected. When you are humble and you think it doesn't all revolve around you. It helps your business to get some mileage. That is helpful.

Speaker 1:

Humanity also tells you that you haven't arrived yet. You know, sometimes we start something small and it's gaining momentum. Everybody is talking about it and it gets into our head right. And when we get to that point, you know, sometimes people are beginning to invest in too many things in cars, in houses, in lifestyle. That really seems to suggest, oh, we've arrived. Look at me, dr Ebwa, I've just started this school and then, as you bump, you are down.

Speaker 1:

Humility also says success can be patient also says success can be patient. Humility says you know you can wait to show success. You know, derek, one of the things that I I talked about often is that guineans and africans in general, maybe black people in general have the habit of acting successful before they are actually successful, and that we see success as a destination instead of seeing success as a journey. You need to give yourself time and not be quick to show success, and that usually contributes in many ways to the downfall of many businesses. So that's about humility. There's so much I do and that people are important, important and that let me illustrate. You know.

Speaker 1:

So, for example, in Kumasi, we invested over four million dollars in the school before we ever built our house wow we lived in four different homes in 10 years and people come to the campus and say, hey, you've sunk so much money here and you don't have a house.

Speaker 2:

I said that can't wait.

Speaker 1:

Because we're not prepared and ready to just show here's a beautiful house that we have created out of whatever capital that we're using for the business. Right, we could wait. Showing success could wait. We could wait. Showing success could wait, Even though the school borrowed and raised quite a bit of capital. We didn't even buy ourselves a brand new car for the school. We could have done that, but we didn't want to be comfortable too early. We needed to wait, Because the moment you are comfortable early, it can affect. So it's all about. You can be humble, you can wait. You can wait to show success, and I think a lot of African entrepreneurs and businesses are not ready to do that. And that's the thing about honesty. I think we have a tendency and this is not just in Ghana ready to do that. The next thing is about honesty. I think we have a tendency and this is not just in Ghana or Africa people always think they can cut corners and be successful quickly.

Speaker 1:

Now, Dishonesty can pay and pays sometimes, but usually it is short-lived. If you really want to have sustainable success, you have to be honest in all your dealings. If you borrow money from the bank, pay it back. If you invite investors or partners into your business, don't take advantage of them. You know, don't act in a way. You know that you're trying to deceive people so that you can get ahead, because it will catch up on you. You know the banks will not give you money any longer. The partners will tell everybody about you. You know people do all sorts of deals and then they start this and tomorrow they go and start that and everything now just catch up on them. Today, every bank that we deal with ICS will be willing to do business with ICS because they have seen that after ICS you give them loan, they will pay it back, and consistently, whether the dollar is up here or down there.

Speaker 1:

It is our commitment to fiscal discipline to ensure what you say you will do. You do it and what you say you are going to use the money for. You use the money for it. You know, and that is important. Building a reputation of integrity is important for business success and I think sometimes because people see success in short terms. That is why people want to compromise and cut down corners. But if you think long term, you realize that those short-term tactics to get ahead of people will not work. You know so. Humility, honesty, just be honest. Just when you say, yes, I will do this, just mean it. Now, we are human beings. Things could stand in your way and you may not be able to do Connected Minds.

Speaker 2:

Podcast.