TS: Well, ten years from now, our vision is to create the biggest footwear manufacturing organization in Ghana and beyond in terms of employment and brand preference. I aim to create employment for thousands of youth. I have realized that most people in our society who engage in the arts are looked down upon because we see the arts as something people with lower grades pursue. I want to change this perception. I want people to pursue the arts as a career path because they are talented and have the passion for the field. I want to create employment for such people. In addition, we want to have the optimum brand preference so that we become a household name for quality shoes. We aim to emulate global brands like Gucci and Armani in that regard.
BA: You have been quite successful so far, haven’t you? I mean the Global Professional Achievers award, My Business 2010 and of course, the U.S President’s Young African Leadership Initiative in which your represented Ghana in 2012. Is this recognition what gives you the greatest satisfaction or is it something else?
TS: I think these awards have driven me to do more so I would say that I am encouraged by this recognition. What else gives me satisfaction? I would say employing people and putting food on their table daily gives me a lot of satisfaction. At the moment I employ ten people. Additionally, the acceptance of the Horseman brand on the market drives me. I started from nowhere and had to disprove the perception that Ghanaian products were of inferior quality. Fortunately, today the brand has been accepted. This tells me that everything under the sun is achievable if you believe and do the right things to make it happen.
BA:How do you plan to bring out the spirit of entrepreneurship in young people?
TS: Well, it depends on individual calling. There has been a debate as to whether entrepreneurship, like leadership, is an innate ability. Personally, I wouldn’t say that I was born to be an entrepreneur. I grew up with a passion to create change. It began with a desire to alleviate the unemployment situation. Normally, what I tell young people when I meet them is that they should identify who they really are, what they want to do, and what they are good at. If an individual can reflect, then he or she could tell what his or her passion is. If you want to be an entrepreneur, I would say that it starts with the small things around us. Prospective entrepreneurs shouldn’t look far; they should look in their immediate environment and see what is lacking. Satisfy that need, and you are in business.
BA:The theme of the month for our magazine is Activism and how, via the change we make, we are activists for a better and brighter Africa. What change have you made through Horseman Shoes and how have you been an activist for a better Africa?
TS:I think the most important thing for everyone is the economics. You know, getting something to eat. I think that in my own small way I have started by creating employment for other young people. This is something that gives me a lot of joy and pride because I started it when I was unemployed myself. I think that through what I do, I inspire people. I remember I said to somebody one day, ‘I’m tired. I’m tired. I’m losing hope’. Then, a person whom I’d never spoken to before in the room said: ‘Wow, don’t say that because you have no idea the kind of inspiration we get from you. If you are saying this can you imagine what the rest of us will say?’ So, I believe that in a way I am positively impacting or inspiring other young people.
BA:You mentioned that you grew up with a passion to create change; to solve unemployment. Along the way this passion might have dwindled and at some point in time it might have peaked. Throughout those periods, what spurred you on and what did you cling on to?
TS:I must say that it was my passion and the hope to succeed. I have always been hopeful that this venture will grow and live beyond me because I am a very hopeful person. In addition, the idea that other people look up to me also keeps me going.
"Personally, I wouldn't say I was born to be an entrepreneur. I grew up with a passion to create change."
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