Blog

No one likes to fail, especially high performers or achievers, but it happens to everyone at some point. Dealing with these feelings of failure and disappointment can either be productive or hold you back in business. In this episode, Akua teaches four helpful strategies to help leaders cope with these setbacks. They can be more resilient and confident and get back to working towards their ambitious goals, despite a few bumps in the road.

As Akua discusses, failure is a very personal thing. The…

Are you interested in being an angel investor or a funder?

In this episode, Akua welcomes Mark Kleyner to talk about how to build a venture capital career in Africa. Funders are in high demand in this emerging market - listen to find out how you can play a direct role in birthing innovation in all tech sectors on the continent!

Mark Kleyner is a multi-time entrepreneur who actively mentors with a range of accelerators and incubators, as well as supports several companies as a consultant. He is…

It’s another “Ask Akua” episode on the Open Door Conversations podcast! In this episode, Akua answers two great questions about networking and gives helpful strategies for business leaders, managers, and founders to help you build your important relationships in person and online. 

To be successful in business, one of the most important things to learn is relationship building. But as a reluctant networker herself, Akua knows what it’s like to have a bit of anxiety around the topic. Whether you…

The challenges of running a business, regardless of where you live, can create a lot of anxiety. In this episode, Akua outlines nine exercises that will help any startup founder or leader increase productivity, decrease stress, and recalibrate, especially if you experience heightened uncertainty from living in an emerging market. 

Akua is very familiar with various environmental stressors (she brings you this episode while experiencing a power outage as well as trying to avoid ambient noise fro…

In this episode, Akua welcomes startup veteran Kirin Kalia to talk about how startups can grow their revenue faster without giving up equity. If you are a startup founder looking to create meaningful relationships with investors and enterprise clients that ensure future growth, this episode is a must-listen. 

As a tech and business journalist in New York during the dot-com boom, Kirin gained a deep appreciation for the energy and drive she witnessed from startup founders as they struggled to br…

In this fascinating episode, you’ll learn to question the cultural codes that have been ingrained as “right,” why white supremacy is a global issue, and why it has less to do with skin color than you might think. You’ll also understand how cultural intelligence can foster more understanding and elevate the way you lead. 

Cultural intelligence expert Shiva Roofeh joins Akua to talk about how she’s spent her life negotiating between cultures and how she helps people understand their own culture, …

In this episode of the Open Door podcast, Akua welcomes guest Hawa Kombian, a global citizen who is building an amazing remote career. The two discuss working remotely while employed with a company/organization and the crucial things that need to be considered before going remote or allowing your employees to work remotely. 

Whether you’re an employee looking to stay remote after shifting out of the office temporarily, or you’re a team leader considering whether remote work is sustainable long-…

If you’re an entrepreneur, it’s likely you want to make a meaningful impact; you’re passionate and willing to do whatever it takes to grow your company or organization. But what happens when your dedication to your work comes before your mental and emotional well-being? BURNOUT.

In this episode, Akua welcomes the founder of the FemGems Club, Dora Petrova, to talk about burnout and how putting yourself first is integral to the success of your business.

Dora started her podcast, FemGems, as a wa…

Affiong Williams, the CEO and Founder of ReelFruit is an entrepreneur and leader who knows how to get things done. In this episode, she chats with Akua about her work and how she's been able to leverage her purpose to move forward. She shares her story of how she started as an entrepreneur in Nigeria and eventually created a successful business that is now impacting farmers on a larger scale. 

She also talks about the importance of social media in her work and how she uses it to connect with he…

Are you looking to take your LinkedIn game up a notch? LinkedIn is a powerful tool for thought leaders, and with the right tools and strategies in place, you can use it to its fullest potential.

Akua's UpLevel for Thought Leaders program is exactly what you need. This comprehensive program offers unlimited critiques, templates for every important piece of content, and step-by-step strategies to help you effectively and efficiently master LinkedIn. Plus, you'll get access to live co-working sess…