Ghanaian entrepreneur Queenie Kessie has shared lessons from her entrepreneurial journey, urging business owners to understand the difference between running a sustainable enterprise and offering personal assistance to others.
Kessie, who was born and raised in Belgium, said her interest in entrepreneurship was shaped by her upbringing in a business-oriented family, where she watched both parents operate businesses.
Although she studied chemistry as a backup career, Kessie said entrepreneurship remained her main passion. Her commitment to business has since led her to pursue additional training in areas including business coaching, management and mindset development.
One of the major lessons she has learned through her business journey is the importance of separating business from charity.
According to Kessie, her desire to help people in the past sometimes resulted in difficult experiences, including betrayal, theft and financial losses.
These setbacks, she explained, taught her the need to establish clear boundaries while maintaining a spirit of generosity.
For Kessie, helping others should not come at the expense of a business’s ability to survive and grow. She believes entrepreneurs must protect their time, resources and investments while being intentional about how they support others.
She also identified overthinking for customers and business partners as another challenge she has worked to overcome.
By setting clearer boundaries and communicating the value of her time and services, Kessie said she has become better positioned to protect both her energy and business interests.
Her entrepreneurial portfolio includes EMAS Agency, Fitness Trading Africa and Zillionaire Afrique. She is also working to create more opportunities for African entrepreneurs through initiatives such as EMAS Jobs, which seeks to connect freelancers in Ghana with clients around the world.
Kessie said purpose continues to be a major force behind her entrepreneurial journey. She encouraged young entrepreneurs not to wait for perfect conditions before taking action.
Instead, she advised aspiring business owners to start with the resources available to them, understand their value and communicate that value clearly to potential customers and partners.
She further urged entrepreneurs to remain resilient in the face of setbacks, stressing that challenges can provide important lessons for building stronger and more sustainable businesses.
For Kessie, the journey of entrepreneurship is not only about generating income but also about pursuing purpose, creating opportunities and building enterprises capable of making a lasting impact.
