By Chris KONEY
In 2015, the then 21-year-old student of Central University, Karen Naa Cofie, defied all odds to compete in the prestigious Miss Malaika Ghana beauty pageant – the search for the most beautiful and intelligent Ghanaian lady to be crowned Miss Malaika Ghana and represent the country at the Miss Malaika continental competition.
The Communications student and alumni of the Methodist Girls’ High School located in Mamfe gave a good account of herself in the competition and learnt various skills, worked on her weaknesses and developed her strengths, networked with captains of industries, and was mentored by several successful women in the process.
Now an entrepreneur, Karen shared highlights of her Miss Malaika Ghana experience after almost a decade, which she believes has culminated in her current career choice. We had an interaction at the recently held ‘The Women Empowerment Series’ by the Denmark Embassy in Accra, where she was part of the coordinating team.
“Beauty pageants are more than just glitz and glamour. They offer a bunch of great benefits such as helping build your confidence and get better at public speaking. In some cases, they open doors to scholarships, meeting people you ordinarily would have not met and help you stand up for causes you believe in.
Importantly, it opens your eyes to several opportunities, aids you to plan your career and – in fact – make some very important decisions in your life,” she emphasised.
Karen is the founder of Flavor Express, a customer centred business which provides full-service catering services with a focus on excellence. Flavor Express provides catering for business and corporate events, wedding catering, social event catering as well as concession catering. The company has also developed its own brand of snacks which are locally made and uniquely packaged.
In addition, she manages Luxe Comfort, a company that supplies bedroom essentials for creating a relaxing-at-home oasis and a contemporary luxury look and feel. They are known for their top range delicate floral style materials, selection of luxury curtains and roller blinds, bed frame, mattress, nightstands, dressers, storage benches, ottomans and several others.
We spoke extensively about entrepreneurship; the good, bad and ugly and further discussed solutions to some of the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs globally in recent times. Karen believes defining entrepreneurship as creating a business and scaling it to generate profit is only true to an extent.
“There is a lot more to it, though. Being a young entrepreneur is not just about earning a fortune but also about impact, contribution and leadership. In a word, entrepreneurs work on solving real problems for real people and improving the world.
Because of these greater aims, many of today’s biggest change-makers and visionaries are entrepreneurs. So, the world needs entrepreneurs to solve its problems, knowing very well they are the drivers of societal and global development,” she stressed.
To be a successful entrepreneur, we agreed that you are not supposed to accept the status quo, rather be different in several ways. Our generation has grown accustomed to casual dress code, especially in tech, so your outlook may seem unimportant compared to your skills and ideas.
Karen added that when you are a young entrepreneur hoping to be taken seriously, it is better to err on the side of caution as your clothes, shoes, watch and even hairstyle play a role in projecting success and inspiring confidence. So, it is important as a young entrepreneur to dress the part.
In today’s dynamic and ever-evolving business climate, a combination of both hard and soft skills is essential for successfully navigating the path forward. Karen believes having a mentor is a perfect resource for young entrepreneurs looking for guidance and learning the best strategies to accomplish their dreams.
Industry veterans can feel threatened by newcomers who are keen to disrupt the status quo. It will be entirely wrong to go in with the mindset that you are going to replace these people, you might forgo some valuable partnerships.
Karen suggested that young entrepreneurs respect the experience of those who came before them as being respectful will help them to stand out and convert industry leaders into a much-needed support network.
In conclusion, Karen stated that the future of entrepreneurship is a dynamic tapestry woven with threads of technology, sustainability, collaboration and innovation. Entrepreneurs are no longer confined by geographical boundaries; they are empowered by the digital age to create global impact.
She urged entrepreneurs to be adaptable and open to change in order to harness emerging trends and seize the countless opportunities that lie ahead.
>>>Chris is a thought leader in Marketing Communications, Stakeholder Relationship Management Professional and International Cooperation Specialist. Over the last fifteen (15) years, he has made tremendous impact within Africa’s corporate communications and creative arts sectors. He can be reached at [email protected] / +233 20 854 1480
