2Inspire Inspirational Woman: Nadia Takyiwaa Mensah - Founder of Sixth Sense Manifesto

In this inspirational Woman Profile we interview Nadia Takyiwaa Mensah.  Nadia Takyiwaa Mensah is the founder of Sixth Sense Manifesto (a brand management agency) in Ghana and Nigeria and Sai (a wine and champagne cafe).

She has been writing a weekly article for the Business and Financial Times Newspaper in Ghana for some time now and her passion and energy are clearly reflected in this interview. 

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

Teaching, holding my head, cringing, laughing, a lot of planning and strategising

What made you start the business and how did you get started?

Both businesses were a spiritual calling for me to work on them. For each, I was guided by my spirit on what to do, when, how etc. I got started by simply having faith, trusting God and obeying my spirit

                                                        

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

• Opening a new business within 5 years of living in Ghana
• Re-branding into Sixth Sense
• Opening a branch in Lagos, Nigeria and successfully winning and executing contracts
• Sixth Sense winning an International Star of Quality Award in June 2015
• Getting my recruitment process right and being able to retain my employees
• Keeping the business growing year on year

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

Communication between myself and staff and the lack of exposure that my staff have received.

What are your future plans for the business?

For Sai it would be to open up more branches throughout Accra each with a slight twist to the original café that has been opened.

For Sixth Sense Manifesto it would be to continue to build a stronger team and position the agency very well in Ghana and Nigeria, ensuring that at least 1 in every 10 person within our industry knows our name.

                               

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Start younger! But I guess my destined time is my destined time, so asides from that nothing!

Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?

I believe coming from a traditional family culture, it is important to inspire young women so that they know that it is OK to be the best you can be without offending anybody. Also, without necessarily compromising family life.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?

Know what you are doing, don’t look left, don’t look right, just straight ahead! Focus on what is going on in your vision for your business and build on it. Fall in love with your vision and have fun building it and making it come to life. Your vision will eventually become reality as you allow them to enter your world.

What or who inspires you in business and why?

Innovation and change inspires me because there is so much opportunity in Africa to do things better and bring an experience to people. Our future generation inspires me to depart something for them to take and run with. Secondary to this, my son and family inspire me in business as I have made a lot of personal sacrifices because of business and they have been supportive of this.

What is your favourite inspirational quote?

Luke 11:9-10 - So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.