Chris Koney’s column: Working hard and smart, the way to go!

…the story of Claudia Afua Asare Bediako Cobbinah!

Claudia Afua Asare Bediako Cobbinah is an enthusiastic, self-motivated and confident young lady with a passion for becoming an agent of change in her immediate society and the country at large. Over the years, she has actively participated in several activities aimed at creating positive impact, changing the lives of several Ghanaians, both young and old, as well as advocating for the empowerment of marginalised people in society.

The alumnus of Achimota High School and the University of Ghana, Legon, had a humble upbringing. She described her formative years as exciting, growing up in a Christian home with parents who are disciplinarians and place a premium on education. Claudia had her post graduate education in Germany, specifically the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart. She graduated with a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Environmental Protection and Agricultural Food Production.

She currently works in an Accra-based organisation which provides varying support services in the mining sector, oil and gas, as well as government institutional services. Her core function is managing the company’s various subcontractors and in-house teams to ensure successful implementation of all projects. She was recently assigned an extra portfolio – Acting Transport Manager, responsible for managing the company’s large fleet of vehicles and drivers.

In addition to her corporate role, she runs an online store, The Chic Exchange, and deals in women’s fashion items – both new and thrift – from top fashion brands across the world. She has leveraged on her passion for cooking to create a thriving business with her mother, Mrs. Betty Asare-Bediako, called The Big House Catering Services. They offer delicious home-made, freezer-friendly meals for families and individuals as well as event catering.

Inspired by her entrepreneurial drive, I recently had a conversation with Claudia on how she is juggling multiple businesses as well as get a deeper insight into her operations. We further spoke about the importance of taking advantage of opportunities for personal development and career progression.

On her aspirations, she stated: “My short and medium-term goals revolve around building an appreciable client base for my businesses, excelling in my career and becoming a house-hold name in the catering industry. With regards to the long term, I aspire to own and operate an after-school activities club for children of school-going age to ease the burden on parents. I also wish to own or partner with a non-profit entity to provide skill acquisition training for young children and adults”.

In order to take advantage of your next opportunity when it comes along, she shared some practical points which have helped her on her entrepreneurial drive and career development over the years. The first of these points, according to her, is getting clear on your goals and aspirations.

“It is important to be clear on what you want to achieve in life and stay committed to your dreams and goals irrespective of the difficulties or challenges. That way, you will be in a position to recognise the right opportunities that come your way. The clearer you are about what your goal is, the better you will be at identifying the best opportunities to get you there,” she emphasised.

Taking advantage of the right opportunities will move you closer to your goal, so it is important to correctly identify them. The second point Claudia mentioned was identifying the right opportunities. She stated: “Be cautious of opportunities that emerge unrelated to your ultimate goal. Opportunities will come your way daily, but if they are not helping you move closer to your goals, they will distract you from what you want to achieve. For example, a graduate wanted to break into the information systems industry but was still applying for anything unrelated to his discipline, such as random jobs he found online.

“He wasn’t having any luck though, so I had to advise him to focus on his original goal of being a software developer. He started networking and going to relevant events and soon discovered an apprenticeship programme that paid per project. It didn’t pay a lot but after doing this for a couple of months, he was offered a full-time software engineer position with the company.”

Claudia also highlighted the need to put in the requisite effort. “When you identify the right opportunity, ensure you take advantage of them before they expire. Your level of effort in pursuing it should be equal to the size of your goal and do whatever you can to leverage the opportunities that come your way. Take advantage of people and resources that can help support you, such as career coaches or access to content related to best practices. Learning and improving are one of the best opportunities that most of us have and one of the best places to start,” she added.

Another point Claudia indicated has been very relevant in her career growth is focusing on what you can control. She recommended that “focus on the opportunities that you have access to – the things you can control, what you can learn now, the people you can meet and talk to. The things that are inside your current circle of influence. Don’t worry about the bigger opportunities you want but can’t have yet. Start small and expand from there. For example, if you want to be an actor, I think you should just go out and start auditioning for movies without practising the craft of speaking and performing”.

Luck is said to be what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Also, good things that happen are not just random acts of luck but a direct correlation to our level of effort, intentionality and the choices that we make with what is presented to us.

Claudia concluded: “If you are prepared for future opportunities, then you have positioned yourself to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. Luck is not something random given to you with no effort, but rather something you are prepared to grab once the opportunity emerges. It starts with building on your strengths in a discipline you are progressing in and paired with your faith and belief that opportunities will follow”.

>>>the writer is a thought leader in Marketing Communications, Stakeholder Relationship Management Professional and an 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

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