How to Think Like an Owner (Even Without Starting a Business) in Ghana - Mr Raphael Ayitey

What if the fastest way up isn’t founding a company but serving one—patiently, deliberately, and like an owner? We sit down with the CEO of Coconut Grove Hotels Mr Raphael Ayitey to unpack a rare leadership arc: 25+ years inside a Ghanaian brand, growing from frontline roles to the corner office by turning Ghana’s famed warmth into consistent, professional service.

We dig into the talent philosophy that kept attrition low and loyalty high: give young people responsibility early, pair it with clear SOPs and KPIs, and mentor with intent. From there, we tackle the overlooked twin of entrepreneurship: intrapreneurship. You’ll hear why committing to someone else’s business can multiply your impact, how layered transparency around revenue, costs, and promotions calms suspicion, and why governance rhythms—daily reports, one-to-ones, six‑month appraisals—create trust without micromanaging. We also go deep on attitude and work ethic: punctuality as preparation, customers as paymasters, and the shift from “nice” to truly “professional.”

The conversation turns practical with the playbook behind Coconut Grove’s resilience: weekly management huddles that blend purpose and planning, recognition programs that actually matter, and a local sourcing strategy that lifts community suppliers while protecting quality. We map the training gap in Ghana’s service industries and argue for centers of excellence that turn good intentions into top-tier delivery. Along the way, you’ll hear candid leadership lessons—closing gaps that tempt misconduct, staying curious enough to never want to leave, and building networks that teach more than any manual.

If you care about building teams that last, staff who think like owners, and service that creates “memories worth repeating,” this is your blueprint. Subscribe for more conversations that challenge the default playbook, share this with a manager who needs new tools, and leave a review with your boldest takeaway.

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Stakes: Mindset And Service
• 1:20 Meet The CEO Who Didn’t Found It
• 3:45 Origins In Hospitality And First Breaks
• 7:05 Indum Family’s Deliberate Talent Culture
• 10:15 Staying For 25 Years: Purpose And Fit
• 13:45 Intrapreneurship Over Entrepreneurship
• 16:45 Pay, Patience, And Governance Systems
• 19:30 Should Staff See The Numbers
• 22:40 Attitude, Work Ethic, And Service Mindset
• 27:20 Training Gaps And Centers Of Excellence
• 31:55 Role Models, Mentors, And Networking
• 36:40 What Fuels Coconut Grove’s Success
• 40:20 Team Rituals, Faith, And Culture
• 44:10 Local Supply Chains And Community Impact
• 47:10 How To Become A Supplier
• 49:00 Leadership Mistakes And Patience
• 51:40 Why He Never Left And Continuous Improvement
• 55:00 Standards, Reporting, And Closing The Gaps
• 59:00 Preparing Youth For Real Jobs
• 1:02:20 Best Advice, Integrity, And Gratitude

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Ghanias and nice people. We need to translate that perception into professional output. Everybody's talking about entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship. But what about entrepreneurship? Entrepreneurship. If that business succeeds, you have also succeeded. Mindset, attitude. What are we imparting to our politicians? Who are the role models? Seeing Ghanaians who are wealthy. And let's ask, how did you get here? Can you be my mentor? Those who are given the chance must also act in the most responsible way. Because when you learn to serve, then when you become a boss.

SPEAKER_04: 0:45

Is that attitude problem the reason why most of the business is failing? Do you think businesses should be open about their numbers with staff? I think do you not also think that that will give room for people to also take when they know the numbers?

SPEAKER_00: 1:01

I don't think so, because we have.

SPEAKER_04: 1:20

If it's your first time, please hit the subscribe button. And I would love to know my people who make it to the end. Leave a comment and let me know that you're one of our champions. Today's conversation is an interesting one. It's probably the first time I'm speaking to a CEO of a company that he didn't found. But it's going to be a very interesting conversation because this man is a leader. He's been with the business since 1999. And he's risen from ground all the way up. And today he's a CEO of the Coconut Groove Hotels. Amazing man he is. I've watched his portfolio. I've looked at what he's done for the business and how far he has come. Where did he start from? And what was he thinking? Spending this much of his life with a business. You're welcome to Connected Minds.

SPEAKER_00: 2:10

Thank you very much, Derek. And uh I want to take the opportunity to congratulate you for creating this platform that uh people like myself can come to express our experience. Um, people like myself can share with others um how best we can develop and make Ghana a better place. I I have every conviction that we're not made as Ghanaians by mistake by God. I think there was definitely a plan for us to be here uh to try and build this country to be what God destines it to be. In your view, what's that?

SPEAKER_04: 2:49

What's that? What's that plan?

SPEAKER_00: 2:51

Well, in my view, I think I don't have to look too far. Being in your studio is very, very impressive. I've seen how much you've put in, and I believe right from your heart, your mind, through to the monetary investment. It's it's it's awesome. And uh, you know, I came in here and it feels very warm, very welcoming. So I want to congratulate you and whoever has been part of it. Thank you.

unknown: 3:17

Mr.

SPEAKER_04: 3:17

Raf Aite, it's not very often that we get Ghanaian CEOs who are happy to share their leadership skills, what they've learned on a platform like this. And so when when this conversation was about to happen, I was very excited about it because for me it's a challenge, it's new. And for you as well, I really want to learn from how you made the decision to say, I want to stay with this business and help it grow. How did it start?

SPEAKER_00: 3:47

Well, I'll say it started with the posture of the owners. Uh, that is Dr. Popakwis Indum and uh his wife, Mrs. Yvonne Dum. And let me even extend it to the whole family. That's that's the Indum family. And um, let me even extend it purposefully uh to the Sterling and York families. Um, in that when when I had the chance to work at Coconut Grove, uh previously, uh the previous year and a half, I'd worked with uh Buswa Beach Resort. Um so then I got engaged by uh Mayhi Rest in Peace, Mr. Daniel Annan and uh Mrs. Ey Gazi. Um so they offered me an opportunity, I think from September 1997, um, to work there as a marketing manager at Buswell Beach Resort. So I'll say that's where I started my um hospitality career practically. And um, you know, right from day one, I recollect we had postponed, uh Mr. Annan and myself had postponed uh me starting off uh in Buswa. That is, they conveying me from Accra to Buswa. It had been postponed so many times. So one day when I went to his office, then it was at umsu. Um then he goes, like, do you know how to drive? I said yes. And then he handed me keys to a Nizan van, what we usually use for Trotroy. But of course, it was a company one and a new one. He said, Go to Takradi. Uh, somebody will meet you at Trust Lodge and take you to Buswa. It was in the month of, I think that um rainy season, the the the lower rainy season at Justin. It was quite rainy. I said, Jesus Christ, 24-year-old boy just out of school, being handed the pair, being handed keys to drive to Takradi alone. I said, whoa. Okay, that's it. So then I hit the road. Same day. Okay. And I remember very well my first overtaking was at Gomor Budubura. First overtaking in my life. So I got to Buswa the next three, four days. So I got there, I think on a Wednesday or Thursday. By Monday, I'd been given my itinerary and it started with the mines. So then within a month, I'd been to mines in Takwa, Pristia, Cuni Valley, Bogo, so all those mining, you know, dealing with African mining services, um Australia, Ghana, Australia mining, you know. Then mining was really booming, also. Not the difficult one we have now, but you know, organized mining. So it gave me a very solid foundation to start. And when I had the offer from Dr. and Mrs. Sundum, I mean, they were very gracious. I got there on a Sunday, I remember very well, I think the 7th or 8th of January 1999. And, you know, the next day we had a huge conference with the African uh Agricultural Development Bank. That was in 1999. And, you know, I was supposed to more or less lead the team with my colleagues because then I was the sales and customer service manager. So the people are here, take care of them. So then we work as a team. I recollect then Ifor Lindsay, um Philip York, and uh Rose Matilda, Josephine Minima, they, you know, the whole team, um, they welcomed me very much. And, you know, we gave off our best. Um, I recollect, I'm sure I can share that photo with you uh of Doctor and myself and Mrs. Syndum going for a boat ride, you know, just to make sure that guests that come in are very well taken care of. So to try to answer your question, I think it was a deliberate thing to encourage young people, a decision that Dr. and Mrs. Sindum have stuck with up to today, to encourage young Ghanaians because they believe that what they have inside them, almost everybody also has some, but not necessarily like theirs. So they want you to explore your God-given talent plus the professional um guidance that they'll give you, reference to your standard operating procedures, your key performance indicators. So you are made to be a responsible manager. It's not about age, it's not about where you come from, it's not about your affiliation, it's just about you as a person that Dr. and Mrs. Sundum, I believe, have deliberately done. And it's not just me. There are so many of us. Um, and if you look at our attrition rate as a company, I can say it's one of the lowest. I mean, uh, I've been there for over 25 years now. I have colleagues who've done 28 years. Our chef, I think he's been there 28 years.

SPEAKER_04: 9:25

That's an amazing retention rate.

SPEAKER_00: 9:27

Yeah, I mean, it's amazing, you know. And and even people who leave, I don't think even half a percent is out of frustration or uh, you know, uh bad treatment. No, it's either they're going back to school or they're going to do something else, and we are still friends.

SPEAKER_04: 9:46

Well, I mean, apart from the fact that the founders are amazing people and they want the best for everybody that works in the team. You personally, when you first got into the business, what were the plans you had for yourself?

SPEAKER_00: 10:01

Well, you know, after school, my intention, okay, my my my dad's intention was me to join the army to be a military priest. So then an Anglican priest in in the military. Yeah, that was a dream, man. Yeah, that would have suited you very well. So that was his dream. But you know, I think along the line, uh my my my mom's um uncle had some difficulty, so you know, through a military action, he lost his life. So it kind of put her off a bit. But then I wanted something outdoors. I I wasn't the regular, you know, indoor, like a banker or you know, an you know, the typical um work life. No, I wanted something more outdoors, more adventurous, etc. So then there was the drive for tourism. Okay, so those days you didn't have much of social media, etc. You know, the medium was through print and then television, which was quite regulated, and radio. Now, with the newspapers, uh, because my dad always had newspapers coming through. So I would look out for tourism-related stories since I couldn't read all at the time and cut them out. I recollect growing up, I think the minister then was my guizo. So there was a lot happening. I think he did quite very well to you know consolidate what we have today in terms of um tourism. So I would cut those newspapers, I'll cut them with a blade, and then keep them at a good time, I would read them. You know, so I'll say that's where I developed the passion, and I recollect very well uh with with a cousin of mine, um McAfee, we'll discuss, you know, then I'd just finished this form from a decided college, and then I'd finished my national service also. So waiting to go do the tertiary. So then we'll discuss, you know, how do we want to live our lives, we'll do this. Then also there was the crave to go outside Ghana to do stuff. But for me, I then I had three of my siblings outside, but it wasn't uh of interest together. Why wasn't it?

SPEAKER_04: 12:26

Why wasn't it?

SPEAKER_00: 12:27

Uh I I mean I I I just felt I belong here. I I I I didn't feel I had any business outside Ghana. I went once for I think '93, for I had uh to undergo a procedure. And um I went, I think I was there for six to eight months or so. And I I mean, really, I didn't have any reason to be there. I had every reason to live in Ghana.

SPEAKER_02: 12:58

It's as simple as that.

SPEAKER_04: 13:03

A lot of people want to start their own businesses because uh for one reason or the other, they prefer that.

SPEAKER_03: 13:12

You don't get many people that say that I want to go into service of people. What made you different?

SPEAKER_02: 13:20

What made me different?

SPEAKER_00: 13:21

You know, my I have my sister who's just before me in family line is six years older than me. So then it means everybody left home and I was the only person there to help. And uh my dad was a happy man, he loved his his stuff. Uh so you had a lot of friends coming through the house almost every day. So you had a lot of booze around, a lot of food around, etc. So I found myself going into the service domestically of those stuff. Okay. So it gave me an insight that when people come home, you need to treat them and treat them well. And my dad is is is is is um an Adisco old boy, late though, an Adisco old boy. So you have all these big Adisco boys coming through the house. And you know, they try to reminisce their days in school. And I'm talking about former MPs, I can recollect Baffour Sei Jew, I can recollect the late James Mesa, I can recollect Mr. Hayford, you know, all this in quotes big boys in town, those days, coming through the house. So everything had to be speak and span. You don't make any mistakes. So I think that regimentation in terms of hospitality, I picked it from there. All the way, you know, my dad was in position all the way till I, I think 93, 94, when I left home eventually to pursue my studies. So it it gives you a certain kind of understanding how to treat people, to be nice to people, and you know, make them happy.

SPEAKER_04: 15:18

If you didn't have the founders you have and it was any other company, do you think you would have stayed that long?

SPEAKER_00: 15:25

Well, I'll I'll um I can't say, but I must say that, and I really want to use this word, Dr. and Mrs. Syndom are deliberate about ensuring that whatever assignment you've been given, you can add your God-given talent to what has been given to you as a welcome pouch or your SOPs or your KPIs. Okay. I think that for me was very important. Their interest in your life. And if I'm using myself as an example, for example, if if if I'm talking about what happens to over 250 of us in Coconut Grove hotels, okay. And here I'm talking about Coconut Grove in Elmina, Oboise, Accra, and Sakumono. And of course, we've we have an interest in RLJ, Kendija, and Morovia now. So I think that that that hand holding to make you succeed, to ensure that you are well paid, you are well remunerated, you are well catered for, to be able to have a good life, develop a good marriage, you know, and just be the best that you can, and most important, become a very responsible person. Not living a dodgy life. And you know, I recollect one day doctor said, if if you do bad things, are you able to sleep at night? And really that thing has stuck with me to date. Okay, so it just inures to your own benefit. And if you're able to make the best out of it, I won't say you do it 100% perfect, but if you can derive the best out of it, you realize that yes, you're really making progress in your life. You're really um, you know, unearthing God's talent uh for your life. And so I think that as an encouragement to entrepreneurs, I think you should give people the chance. But most importantly, those who are given the chance must also act in the most responsible way. Because all too often you hear people say, oh, wait, so mommy, nan so one yeah, you know, it goes on and on and on.

SPEAKER_02: 17:58

And for me, that that brings to mind entrepreneurs want patient capital, but they don't want impatient staff.

SPEAKER_01: 18:13

Okay, talk to me.

SPEAKER_00: 18:14

All too often I think employees are too much in a hurry to attain what they haven't worked for. So that institutional memory is not developed, neither is it consolidated. What I mean by that is when you are hired to work, you should understand there are so many people who could be hired, so it's an opportunity for you to excel, to give off your best, but don't be in a hurry to grandize yourself, rather be in a hurry measured to make sure that business succeeds.

SPEAKER_02: 19:01

If that business succeeds, you have also succeeded.

SPEAKER_00: 19:06

If that business succeeds, and you do you think you don't get your share, and you pray to God, you definitely get your share. Because the Bible says work as if you are working for God and not for men. It's it's I think it's very, very important. Because every now and then everybody is talking about entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship. But what about entrepreneurship? Entrepreneurship, committing yourself to ensure that somebody's business succeeds, and you are going to succeed with that entrepreneur. I think it's very, very important. And I think we should learn to teach it from scratch in school to take care of other people's business and other people's property to the extent that people say well, if you haven't gotten to that point, then you should know that you have room for improvement because some fan is saying oh papa, and all my media, then you realize that you are really not doing coming up to par. So I want to encourage everybody that let's push the boundaries, let's take the business as if it was ours, and just as the Bible says, do it as if you're doing it unto God.

SPEAKER_04: 20:47

Most people say is that a lot of business people don't pay them well enough. That's why they steal, that's why they destroy things in a company, and that's why they don't stay long enough.

SPEAKER_00: 20:58

Well, really, I can't speak to that because I'm I'm not everywhere. But what I can speak to is that staff have to be patient. And then with businesses that are not well structured, there should be a system to structure those companies and make sure that they are giving off their best and make sure that they have the staff along. One critical one is for them to have a governance system that works. It's helpful, depending on the type of business, to have some directorship, some board of governors, you know, some standard operating procedures, you know, having key performance indicators that the staff are rated on. So at our company, every six months, leaders sit with their staff and go through their performance. If the staff don't understand something, they ask. And I'm talking about one-on-one with your supervisor. You know, it can be somewhere in the corner of your office or at the cafeteria somewhere that there's nobody. And, you know, have a heart-to-heart. Show the staff where your faults are, where your pluses are, etc. And then you consolidate all. When you put in those, the staff is guided. That, oh, when I do this, this is what is going to happen. When I do this, John does this, Kofi does this, Acosia does this, Abina does this, this is the results that we have. So to try to answer your question, I think that staff needs to know what the business is really about. They need to know the numbers. The staff need to know and understand the numbers. Because if they don't understand the numbers, and yeah, I'm talking about expenditure, I'm talking about income. If they don't understand, then they would think that ah, we are making so much money. Let me give you an example. I mean, I run a hotel. If you have, say, 100 people making an order, you normally charge them 10 CDs, and maybe your cost is four CDs. Now, you may be running a promotion just to get people in. Maybe it's a lean season. Your staff need to know that because we are running a promotion, let's say for two, three months, the margin is going to reduce. But if they don't know, all they'll say is people are coming, people are coming, people are coming, they are paying, but they don't know that it's at the discounted rate. They don't know that it's a penetrative marketing strategy that you're using. So transparency, openness, mutual is very, very important. When you have that, I don't think any staff are going to complain. But if it's not transparent enough, then you have acrimony.

SPEAKER_04: 24:12

Let me stop you here for a minute. We are on a journey of changing the minds and the lives of people. So if you haven't subscribed and become part of the family, please hit the subscribe button and turn on the notification. Thank you. Now let's carry on with the conversation. So you think businesses should be open about their numbers with staff members? I think so. But do you not also think that that will give room for people to also take when they know the numbers?

SPEAKER_00: 24:38

I don't think so, because we have layers of management staff. Okay. I'm not saying you should come and open your entire books to them, but letting them understand. So the top managers, they need to know. The next level, they need to know what they need to know and how they need to know it. And then, excuse me to say, the regular staff, they also have to know what they have to know and how they have to know it. So they understand it. So you bring it as much as possible to everybody's level. And I think it should work.

SPEAKER_04: 25:15

That's just on a topic of money. But how about the topic of attitude towards work?

SPEAKER_00: 25:20

Whew. You know, I was just going through the reasons why people choose to come to Ghana.

SPEAKER_03: 25:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 25:29

And that is from the 2024 tourism uh report. And one of the reasons is that Ghanaians are hospitable people. Nice people. But the question is, are Ghanaians nice and hospitable to their own Ghanaians, or are they just nice and hospitable to non-Ghanans? That is something that we need to bring into the work space. Okay, what is our attitude towards work as Ghanaians? How do we cherish work? How do we appreciate work? That's why I indicated that being deliberate about educating people about work ethics from scratch is very, very key. Because you have your boundaries as a staff. If you're supposed to come to work at six o'clock, you need to come to work by 5:30. And you, you know, organize yourself, you have to change clothes, etc. And start work at six. You don't say I'm supposed to be here at six, and you arrive at work at six.

SPEAKER_02: 26:46

And really, attitude is key.

SPEAKER_00: 26:53

In delivering service, people should know they are delivering service, a service that you pay for, that somebody will pay for. So, therefore, the approach must be professional, the approach must be nice, the approach must be open. And in our company, the coconut growth, the policy, we see the customer as our pay person, our pay master. Because if the customer doesn't pay you, how are you going to pay your staff? How are you going to turn the lights on? So every entity that depends on customers must feel privileged and must feel obliged to offer the utmost. They say, jump, you ask, how high should I jump? My concern is that, or my encouragement is that we need to translate that perception that people have about Ghana, that perception that Ghanaians are nice people, we need to translate it into professional output on the job. And if we can combine that, I mean, this country will be unmatched in every area that you can imagine. I mean, you have difficulty with with your electricity, you call. The person on the other side has to be nice to you. You have an issue in the hospital. I mean, you know, when I was a growing up child, if I had bouts of malaria, I don't know if it was fear or it was catsy. But as soon as I was taken to then University Hospital, I kind of felt relief. It's because instantly it's the needle. But maybe also upon hindsight, it's the way you are received.

unknown: 28:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 28:51

Okay, on top of my head, I can recollect wonderful nurses like Mrs. Voitagby, Mrs. Opeku, who are very nice people. Very, very nice people. They treat you well. So then I think the last time I read somebody's experience at one of our hospitals, and they said they felt very good. They felt very well taken care of. Okay, so all this boils down to attitude. And let me add behavior. Okay, attitude and behavior, they go hand in hand. You can have a nasty attitude outside, but as we share at work, so long as you enter these four walls, the attitude should be service and good service and offering guests memories worth repeating.

SPEAKER_04: 29:40

You know that statement you read from the Ghana Tourism Authority.

SPEAKER_00: 29:45

Do you agree with the statement? I agree with the statement that a lot of people come to Ghana because they think Ghanaians are nice people.

SPEAKER_04: 29:54

There are no two ways about that. If that statement was can you make that statement as a Ghanaian right now?

SPEAKER_00: 30:00

I can make that statement as a Ghanaian.

SPEAKER_04: 30:04

But living in Ghana, how they work. You've been in the company for years. Is it a true statement and reflective of how most people are at work?

SPEAKER_00: 30:14

I think to a large extent, it's very true. It's just like saying Ghana is the gold coast. You can grab a lot of gold, but you need to refine that gold. You need to add value to that gold. So therefore, we shouldn't be complacent. We need to add value to ourselves. We need to educate ourselves. We need to empower ourselves. When we do that, then we'll get a full circle. Okay. I believe that that talk, or let me put it this way: all the experiences I believe that tourists have, they have those experiences with very well-trained people. I mean, I may they rest in peace. You know, we had difficulties losing eight of our gallant men a couple of weeks ago. On my first flight after that, which was just a few days ago, I was really terrified to fly. But I can tell you for a fact, domestic, the reception I received from the domestic terminal was excellent. And here, it wasn't even a welcome one, it was going through the security checks. The way they took us through the security checks, I felt, you know, by the time I was through, I was very relaxed. Okay? So what I'm saying is that we need to work on ourselves to project ourselves very professionally. If the attitude that the GTA is reporting on is what is perceived, then let's add value to ourselves.

SPEAKER_04: 31:54

Is that attitude problem the reason why most new businesses fail?

SPEAKER_02: 32:00

Because they don't get good workers.

SPEAKER_00: 32:04

Let me talk about my industry, the hospitality industry again. Okay. And then other industries. Where is our centers of excellence? How many of our young people, of our specialists, don't have to go outside to specialize? So as I'm talking to you now, Ghana deserves a hotel or better still, a hospitality training institute that can train people to offer top-notch service. With regards to one, two-star guest house, it's okay. But if you go beyond that, we need a training institute that can churn out very, very helpful professionals. Okay. Just about three, four years ago, you could barely count any general managers or CEOs who are Ghanaians in our three to five-star hotels. But now I think almost all of them are Ghanaians, given wonderful service because they have paid the price to be trained.

unknown: 33:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 33:19

I I was uh this has happened twice. In fact, twice within the same week. I was at a shop somewhere in East Lagon. When I walked in, I saw the owner of the shop. Four other staff members, they were all foreigners, non-Ghanens.

SPEAKER_02: 33:35

A few days later, I was in Sprintex. Walked into a big showroom.

SPEAKER_04: 33:41

Every single person that was working there from the office space, there were about six people in there, foreigners. In their boss's room, he himself is a foreigner.

SPEAKER_03: 33:52

His assistants, foreigners, shop floor, foreigners. What does this say about the Ghanaian attitude towards other businesses?

SPEAKER_00: 34:02

You know, um I understand and I stand to be corrected that New York alone has more Ghanaians in the medical field than we have here in Ghana. Right. Which tells us that Ghanaians have the ability and capability to give off their best. And we do render good service both in country and out country. With my experience, I I want to emphasize on training, mindset, right, attitude. Right. What are we imparting to our youth? I think that is very critical.

SPEAKER_02: 34:49

And then what role models do they have?

SPEAKER_00: 34:55

Aside politicians, who are the role models, business titans, Ghanaians, or Ghana should get used to seeing people who have worked and worked genuinely to attain wealth. We need to get used to seeing Ghanaians who are wealthy and living a wealthy life. We shouldn't envy them. We should rather walk to them and say, sir, how did you make it? Yes. Because we watch on Reels, people go around Monaco, top places, asking people, how did you attain it? So instead of us being mischievous, let's be frontal and let's ask, how did you get here? Can you be my mentor? Can I learn something from you? Okay, and I want to repeat that let's not be in a hurry to be what we are not in terms of gauging ourselves or comparing ourselves to people who have lived a very long life. You don't really know how they got there, but you want to get there. As the saying goes, you can't go to a wildlife park without a guide. You need a guide. You need somebody to guide you, or you need people to guide you. You want to be a footballer, you want to be a boxer, you should talk to the right people. You want to be an entrepreneur, learn to serve. When you learn to serve, then when you become a boss, you are not in a strength place. Because let me tell you, leadership is a very lonely position. Okay, talk to me. Yes. And if you haven't gone through the ropes, you will be miserable and you'll be lonely. And once again, I'll refer to Dr. Endum. Before he became a partner of Deloitte and Tush, anytime he traveled with his partners who then were his superiors, he would hold their bags. He would help them to do little, little things. It's not because he has to do it, but he wants to learn. And we should also add value to ourselves. Mrs. Sinton will give the example and show you her appraisals from 40, 50 years ago. How she used to be involved. If she's going to work, she'll do some banana cake and send there. Everybody will take a bit. Develop trust, develop friendship on the job. Don't isolate yourself because you are not a one stop of knowledge. You need to indulge with people who can be helpful to you in all facets of life. Okay, I think there's this funny story. I think Dr. Endun told it again about him having to learn how to play tennis. Not because he wants to learn how to play tennis, but it will get you involved.

SPEAKER_04: 38:22

Right.

SPEAKER_00: 38:23

When you see people playing golf today on all our courses, Boknam King, Celebrity, Tema Chimotafu, etc. etc. I can tell you for a fact, they are doing the right thing. Because they are networking, they are developing themselves, they are talking to people, they are learning. People know them, they also know people. It's very, very critical. And I want to use the word again: be deliberate about your life. Spend time investing in yourself rather than spend time trying to define people in a not pleasant way. Invest in yourself. You may not necessarily be able to afford clubs or sit in a four-wheel drive and travel somewhere to play golf. You can even just ordinary table tennis at you know a nice place. You develop it, can land you somewhere.

SPEAKER_04: 39:28

Let me stop you here for a minute. We are on a journey of changing the minds and the lives of people. So if you haven't subscribed and become part of the family, please hit the subscribe button and turn on the notification. Thank you. Now let's carry on with the conversation. So you've you were a general manager for the company for I think about 18 years.

SPEAKER_00: 39:49

That's correct.

SPEAKER_04: 39:50

And then the position of a CEO has come in now. You've dealt with people. You have seen the company at different stages in all these years.

SPEAKER_03: 40:02

What do you think has contributed to the success of the business?

SPEAKER_02: 40:07

Um our business has come this far with special thanks to our clients.

SPEAKER_00: 40:17

Special thanks to our clients because we understand that without our clients, we don't have a business. So therefore, how do you encourage your clients?

SPEAKER_01: 40:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 40:28

We have our slogan that says, we offer memories worth repeating at Coconut Grove. So therefore, whatever you do, you need to ask yourself: is my action or inaction leaving a memory worth repeating or a misery I don't want to repeat for the client. So put yourself in the client's shoes. Somebody has traveled four or five hours, some maybe right from outside Ghana. They come, we offer them a coconut. Most times a chilled coconut as welcome.

SPEAKER_04: 41:09

You know, you have become the reason why Dr. Pakusi and the wife can take a holiday from that business and say that, okay, I want to go away for six months because I know Raf is gonna take care of things for me.

SPEAKER_00: 41:24

Well, I must say we work as a team. Right. And I've had the opportunity to lead the team for a while. And that team has been awesome.

SPEAKER_04: 41:34

How do you keep things running?

SPEAKER_00: 41:36

Well, um, it's I'll say it's teamwork.

unknown: 41:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 41:40

Yes, I mean, it's it's teamwork. That that harmonious teamwork, we don't play with it. So in Elmina, my colleague Victor Pokuminta is there. In Oboise, I know Ansan Efa Asiedu is there.

SPEAKER_01: 41:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 41:57

Every Monday morning, every Monday morning, simultaneously in all our locations. Um, Nell is out there in Morovia, RLG. We have a management meeting where we pick a Bible verse. I'm sure if we had other faiths, we would refer to that, but we all happen to be of one faith. We pick a Bible verse that is related to work. So our faith aspect of the business is very, very critical to us. And one Bible verse that we don't play around with is Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. So we factored our business on authority of what God is saying. So therefore, there's nothing that should be an impediment but ourselves. So that teamwork, we discuss the Bible, everybody gives his or her interpretation, and after we talk about matters of the day from your department. And on a daily shift, supervisors engage staff that this is showtime. This is what we are going to do, this is how we are going to go about it. This is the level of engagement. The staff are educated on it. And then we do very much consciously take care of staff welfare. There are weddings in difficult times, you know, they lose somebody. Um, just name it, total. Just this last weekend, we spent almost the whole day at Adenta at one of our colleagues' uh wedding. So, no matter the level of seniority, we all get involved. So it's a family. It's a family, it's a family. Every month we vote for the worker of the month, and it's done. Each department nominates uh somebody, and we all vote. And I can tell you, it is precise. When we vote and you see the person, you say, Oh, yes, it's true. I mean, there are no surprises, and we do that at the end of the year too, where we give very handsome awards to our staff, including they having time at four or five-star hotels, even outside Ghana. We reward them. Okay, so all these factors we've put together to ensure that this business succeeds and externally, at least as much as we can lay our hands on, coconut growth ensures that we use locally produced stuff. So one staff, Ain, who started coconut growth with us, because we insist on using only locally made juices, i.e., pineapple juice, orange juice, watermelon, bisap, uh passion fruit, we make all of them in-house. So we don't use any important stuff. Ahin's wife supplies us pineapples. And you should see the kind of business she's developed out of that. Not too far, just opposite the immigration service, because we serve a lot of coconuts, one gentleman approached us and we started buying for him. Now he has no doubt developed a very, very good business. The produce that we use in our business, name it chicken. Okay, chicken, rice, as much as we can lay our hands on, that's what we use. So it transcends from in-house, and then we have an effect externally to the local community that we operate in.

SPEAKER_04: 46:08

Musaiti, I have my podcast is listened to by a lot of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. Since you've said you use a lot of you know locally produced um items. If one of these entrepreneurs wants to supply to you, what do they do?

SPEAKER_00: 46:24

It's very easy. We welcome Ghanaian produce. You come to our office or you can reach us by phone. I normally don't deal directly with them. The purchasing office does that. Where is the purchasing? It's in the hotel. Each branch. Each branch has a purchasing unit.

unknown: 46:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 46:46

And you just bring your produce, we sample it, and you'll be added to our supply list.

unknown: 46:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 46:52

I mean, it's nothing. The only one we stretch a bit is, for example, meat products. We want to come and verify where it is coming from. So if, for example, you have a poultry farm. We want to visit your poultry farm and see how do you go about your processes? So it's very safe for our clients. We don't keep protein for more than two days. No. We get them fresh and we serve them fresh.

SPEAKER_04: 47:20

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_00: 47:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_04: 47:21

As a leader, you've done some great things. But what are some mistakes that we can also learn from?

SPEAKER_02: 47:28

What are some of the mistakes that we can learn from? Um I will want to encourage that we should be patient.

SPEAKER_00: 47:45

We should be patient. We should be patient in our expectations as workers. We should be patient in our demands. But also importantly, we should engage. We should engage our immediate superiors, we should engage whoever is above us. And to curtail those mistakes, we have a flat operating system at Coconut Grove Hotels. And what I mean by that is it's not out of place for the shareholder to reach out to somebody who's not a manager. That's how flexible they are. Because let's not forget we are humans. The human dignity cannot be compromised. We're human. Before the systems and command and control and all that, we are humans. So I want to encourage, based on my experience, that let's be patient, let's engage some more. And it really helps.

SPEAKER_04: 48:56

Was there a time where you felt like you wanted to leave the company to do something else?

SPEAKER_02: 49:00

Was there a time where I felt um I didn't feel like going, but it gets to a point where you wish you had done more. You wish that.

SPEAKER_00: 49:17

Look, we we set ourselves targets. We have budgets, they are approved. If you don't meet the budget, by the time an audit is done to see whether you are profitable or not, you'd have taken your salary for 12 months. I think it's important and fair for you to ask that your salary was agreed upon based on a certain budget.

SPEAKER_02: 49:46

If you missed that budget, how come I've been paid for this period?

SPEAKER_00: 49:53

I think that that you know it keeps me awake sometimes if things are not going the way they should. Because you know, we live in a competitive world, there are certain things that you can't control.

SPEAKER_04: 50:11

Right.

SPEAKER_00: 50:11

We never ever shut down for a minute during COVID. No.

SPEAKER_03: 50:18

So since 1999, you never felt that you wanted to go do something else.

SPEAKER_00: 50:24

Because clients say every time I come to Coconut Grove, there's something new. I've never wanted to miss that something new. Because we are almost always improving upon ourselves, we almost always have the opportunity to make the next guest very happy. You almost always have the opportunity to make your staff better. You almost always have an opportunity to add some value in terms of fixed assets to the company. So you go to Elmina now, Mr. Victor Poco Minta and the team, of course, have added another restaurant to the hotel. Okay. You come to Accra, we are about 85% done adding a new reception to what we have currently. So you don't want to miss that. And then also, we have a new president for Groupundum Ghana, Dr. Nana Kwekundum, who has come with a lot of encouragement, a lot of initiative, a lot of innovations that you don't want to miss it. So long as you haven't been pushed out, you don't want to miss it. You want to stick around and be a part of it. And it's really been very, very helpful. It's been an encouraging journey for me, especially that this is a Ghanaian company that has, I think, created an indelible icon on the Ghanaian hospitality space. And let me also add that we are not just coconut growth when you talk of Groupundo. We have so many companies that we as individuals learn from. So we have the financial companies, we have the insurance companies, we have the security companies, we have the media companies. And for you as an individual and a business entity, the affiliation also enriches you.

SPEAKER_04: 52:53

While I usually speak to entrepreneurs here, people who've done business, either abroad, locally, I really appreciate this conversation. Because every entrepreneur's problem in Ghana is staff. It's money, then staff. And I've had you here because you know you've you've done a great service to a Ghanaian-owned business. We're almost killing a lot of the Ghanaian businesses to allow foreign businesses to take over. You haven't done that. Is there a reward in long service?

SPEAKER_00: 53:26

Oh, absolutely. There's a reward in long service. And uh I want to make a correction here. Um group Indum, Ghana President, Dr. Kwekundum, and the shareholders uh Mrs. Indum and Dr. Papa Kwesi Indum, they are never on holiday. They demand their daily, weekly, and monthly uh reports. So it's it's they are never on holiday because they want the business to succeed. And it's important that we set very, very high standards for the business to succeed. I don't think, you know, uh, and we are guided by this a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of arms, and poverty will come upon you. Yes, the medicals will tell us sleep, get rest. We do all that. But our focus on the ball is very, very important. It's very, very key. So I will want to encourage business owners that keep your eye on the ball. I'm not saying don't trust your staff. Absolutely trust your staff. But putting measures that they can learn from. Because this thing I'm talking about daily reports, I've realized eventually it's not even for the benefit of the owners. It's for my own good. If I don't do a daily report, how will I know where I am as a business? How will I know what is going to happen tomorrow? Which clients are coming? Which of them need special care? How will I know that? How will I know and motivate my staff? I can't wait till the end of the year or end of the quarter or end of half year or end of a week. No. I need to keep my eye on it every time. So for the period that you are up to 60 or 70 years, as the Bible says, woe unto them that sit at ease in Zion. You can't sit at ease. You can't, and you must not. Get your rest, that's very key. I'm not saying you shouldn't get rest, you know, but get your rest, but you can't keep your eye off an investment or your passion. No. When you do that, as as as we we learn in the office, you open the door for the mouse to go through. Don't tempt people.

SPEAKER_02: 56:20

Yeah. You don't supervise them, you you tempt them.

SPEAKER_00: 56:25

You you let them become creative to do strange things, things they are not supposed to do. So close the gap. When you close the gap, if anybody wants to be mischievous, they'll say, Oh, it won't work because the gap is closed. So then they don't become creative. You understand? And and that is the gap that I think we need to fill. When you spoke about people not getting jobs and you know, um not finding vineyards in certain positions. How are we training or how are we preparing our youth for the job market? It's it's very, very important. To invest in that, is it's I think it's that is what it is.

SPEAKER_02: 57:16

If you don't prepare, what happens?

SPEAKER_00: 57:21

You give a 10-year-old an articulated truck to drive. What training have they gone through? Excuse me, even if you don't have the license, you need to go through to be able to, you know, um operate the equipment. So let's prepare our youth. I mean, it's very easy to blame people. I know people are going through challenges. I know broken homes, you know, families scattered here and there. I know it's a problem. But out of that, we can also isolate our youth and give them the needed training. But you know, what I've noticed for some reason, we push them too quickly onto an unpredictable market situation. So it's like one year training, apprenticeship, then you know, you are given some machine or something, go and operate.

SPEAKER_02: 58:32

But you know, learning is it's it's not easy.

SPEAKER_00: 58:38

It's it's it's not easy. Why will a doctor go through 11 years of training? And so if a Ghanaian doctor went to Cote d'Ivoire, they're not quickly going to rush him to the operating table.

SPEAKER_03: 58:54

What's the best advice you've ever received?

SPEAKER_02: 58:58

What's the best advice I've ever received? Well, at home, you shouldn't take what doesn't belong to you. And you should trust in God. Awesome. Can you recommend a book for us? Can I recommend a book for you? The book I've been used to is the Bible. And one verse that hit me when I spoke is being a busybody. I didn't know busybody was in the Bible. And it really hit me that even the Bible knows your heart. If you're pretending you're working, but you are not working, God sees you. You. So you shouldn't be a busybody. Wealth gotten through ill means it doesn't last.

SPEAKER_00: 1:00:11

You didn't create it. You've made somebody hurt, cry, sad. Maybe people have even died. How can you be successful on their account? You may be posing as being successful, acting as being successful, but that is not it. And really, I must say that haven't worked with Dr. and Mrs. Sindum, and I'll say even the whole family who have been very receptive. Yeah, seriously. As I grow older, I play back, and they've been very receptive. Because coming in as a manager, having to take certain decisions, make certain decisions without any hindrance, any gossip, anything, but you are well received and encouraged to move on with the objective being that the business should work.

SPEAKER_02: 1:01:25

I think that is priceless.

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:29

Because you don't get it like that. Yes. Some nephew somewhere, some uncle somewhere. Where is this one from? Why is he doing this? And you are sitting there and he's doing this. We don't get such vibes. No. It's been purely professional, purely unadulterated professionalism. And that has really helped us to build ourselves, to build our lives for this Ghanaian business to work. Also, Mr.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:04

Iti, thank you so much. Thank you very much. It's been an amazing conversation. I I a whole different perspective and a whole different way of um doing things and how the Ghanaian business can also work. I think that's the you know the top and bottom of the conversation. And you know, I really appreciate it. And I hope that you know my audience would also enjoy the conversation as much as I have. I hope so. Yeah. So, you know, I'd like to say thank you so much for making it to the end. It's been an awesome conversation with Mr. Ralph Aite, uh, who is the CEO of Coconut Grove Hotels. Thank you so much. And if you made it to the end, I want to know in the comments. Stay connected. I'm out.