The CEO of Pizzaman food chain, Mr Christian Boakye has revealed that he started his now million dollars worth company with his hostel fees when he was still a student at KNUST.
Appearing on The Day show on TV3, the 25-year-old entrepreneur who gave rare details of how his business began recounted the challenges he faced when things first took off.
He explained how, while a student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he used funds intended for his hostel fees to fund his food business instead.
The astute businessman is reported to have said;
Raising capital was one, and then getting the right people to work with. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and you feel like quitting; you get tired of combining the work with academics. I was still in school, in my final year, when I started. “… not just hostel fees; any other money available that I could chance on.
I risked it… I wouldn’t advise it because it wasn’t pleasant… in January 2018, when I started, I had some money on me because I had gone to school fresh. It got to a point things got locked up, so during National Service time, I had to take money for the hostel and use that money to secure a place around campus and then some small small pocket monies I had on me, including my roommate, Ebenezer, we just combined whatever we had and then got some oven. I mean, it was so rough.
He also discussed how some people thought his ambition was the devil trying to get him to stop him from bagging his first degree.
At a point, one of my lecturers had to pray for me. He was our patron when I was a department president. He knew how academically good I was, and he was quite surprised. “He was like, what is wrong with Chris? Is it a spiritual attack? He was wondering because I’m the front seater in class, but then after class, I’m done – that’s it… to him, he felt I was under attack or I was losing focus. Well, yeah, I was losing focus in my academics, but I was making money, and it’s addictive
I feel whatever it is you want to do, if you want to do it, you won’t find excuses. Just manage your time well. There were times that I had to skip class and cook and my mates – my classmates, bought into the idea. They were like, Chris, you are too good academically. Why don’t you just do your master’s and then probably get a job outside, like how our seniors have been doing? Why are you risking so much?”
Below are how some social media users have reacted to Mr Christian Boakye’s inspiring story…
Nana Yaw Twumasi – Massa these days we don’t care about motivation oooo. Hajia4Real told us the same thing but now where is she? Even Nana Agradaa says she’s hardworking woman.
Yussif Abdul Rahman – Forget his story , this stood for KNUST SRC president and lost , his house good already forget his story
Razak Dauda Sackey – Thank you Mr.Motivational speaker. U better show us the way rather than telling us history
Nana Yaw – This guy was already rich. Someone who wanted to be SRC president. Stories.
Hamdza Eesa Ligidi – His hostel fees? He want to tell us he lived on trees throughout his days in school?They should give us a break!
