The conference seeks to empower and encourage students in senior high schools and universities to have an entrepreneurial mindset to avoid unemployment and conscientize students about how to become successful leaders and entrepreneurs for economic growth.
The event gathered different senior high schools and students from the University of Ghana with over a thousand students attending and was on the theme for the 2023 empowerment conference is the importance of entrepreneurship in national development.
The conference also gathered top leaders from a breadth of backgrounds and experiences- professors, diplomats, entrepreneurs, doctors, and an ex-military general, as speakers, who advised that it is essential for students to have a change of mindset, and attitude and be prepared to take initiative and risks, adding that students must not rely solely on what they were being taught in school and to desist from having the mindset of gaining a white-color-job after graduating, but rather prepare to be innovative to set up their own businesses.
Hon. Zino Lexili Ogazi, who doubles as the President of the Models Union of Ghana, and the first Deputy Country head of the international Youth Network for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (IYNUNSCR2250) whose moniker is Queen Zee also Offered ten lucky Students scholarships to study at Supreme Dynamic Talent Academy to hone their crafts, talents, and unleash their creative beast.
During her engaging presentation, Queen Zee shared her journey as a working Model and Entrepreneur and discussed how starting early at 13 as a model and 16 as an entrepreneur helped shape her into the lady she is today.
The young entrepreneur spent the entire day with students, sharing her story and encouraging them. She gave pointers on how to identify goals and the steps to ensure or check progress towards achieving such goals.
"As a person who tried my hands first on entrepreneurship at 16, and made colossal loss along the way & now in my twenty-fine years of life living my purpose, I can categorically tell you that, the desire to make a difference and transform ideas into successful ventures transcends age. Entrepreneurship is an exciting and rewarding path for young minds and you’re never too young to start early, because challenges are bound to occur along the way & making mistakes is inevitable, those challenges and mistakes will help shape your EQ & IQ, help you fall back on track and get it right just in time or a bit late but not a case of never, or terribly late of living your dream life because, you figured out your life, found your purpose & carved your niche early. Imagine living an unfulfilled life. Lethal! That would mean settling for less, being depressed, and envying others who started early. I don’t want that for you.
"If there was anything that I have learned, it’s that you have to put in the time and you have to get the experience, so that you can handle things when they take a turn for the worse, as opposed to just managing the good times, I’m saying so because I know so and I’m an example myself. I’m not exactly where I want to be yet but I’m definitely not far from where I aim to be because I started early & now the journey isn’t far anymore."
She continued "Although entrepreneurship is not all peaches and cream, I almost got disowned because I got swindled a couple of times. hahaha, Entrepreneurship needs a good kind of stubbornness, determination, and consistency to succeed.
Entrepreneurship comes with randomly being broke from the beginning, because you have to invest to get good results, a hectic schedule & heavy workloads. Such a tasking chore I must confess but albeit very rewarding, it’s totally worth it. So I have zero regrets starting early and making those mistakes. Was I mad and disappointed in myself for the losses and mistakes I made? Yes, please! However, I’m glad I made those mistakes and learned those lessons because now, I’m making fewer or no mistakes, I’m nowhere near a pro yet, I’m still living this life, learning the ropes of entrepreneurship and growing and I dare call myself the leader of the new school and serial disruptor because that’s what I am, Supreme Dynamic Talent Academy, Supreme Dynamic Agency & SDTA Awards are evidence of my hard work, and it still gives me goosebumps to realize that I’m the founder of an international Talent Academy, a Global Awards Organization and a Talent Agency."
Queen Zee said when she decided to become an entrepreneur, she was ridiculed and underestimated by many.
"People thought I was crazy to dream so big, their negative energy almost made me not believe in myself, I was called a small rat who wanted to rub shoulders with her seniors. Heck, I even had to Increase my age or act older during interviews or meeting prospective sponsors and business partners, so that I could be taken seriously, so I thought. I was told my choice of business is male-dominated and I am too fragile to handle it. Well, according to Eleanor Roosevelt, A woman is like a tea bag - you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water because yes, I broke through the barriers and I want to help do that for other young people who are ready to lead now," she said.
Summarizing her speech and advice she said, "Finally, run your own race at your own pace, either as a snail or a cheetah, the most important thing is to keep moving, overtaking is allowed, it’s not how far, it’s how well. Don’t get angry at other people's success stories, let that inspire you to do better, have an entrepreneurial mindset, be assertive, take opportunities, and add value to yourself and society, you are a valuable resource, and work hard to stay outside of bubbles. I feel that life is a constant succession of opportunities to either do something and be great or sit back in your bubble and stay comfortable and become mediocre, those that rise to the top always default to being assertive. For me, it’s been many small moments of assertiveness that propelled me so far, always default to saying yes to the things that will make you better. Careless, about what people will think.
"Also, you have a right to not know things, so ask, you don’t have to feel stupid. Use social media positively to develop a market audience, in a nutshell, a big part of my talk to you today is about taking action and not just believing in a dream but eventually becoming it, being bold, being confident, being consistent, and taking charge, thank you!" Hon. Zino Lexili Ogazi concluded.
Self-motivation and "believing in yourself" were championed throughout her talk, as well as igniting the entrepreneurial spirit of her audience to embark on a journey that will shape their future and redefine what’s possible for young business owners.
"We appreciate Queen Zee for taking the time to encourage and empower the students, she is the youngest speaker of the conference and she is the kind of motivational speaker, exceptional high school students can relate to. It’s about inspiring the next generation to lead right and maybe they will really feel it from someone closer to their age as she uses her own successes to inspire students that they can lead themselves and that they can start now, Queen Zee is a force to reckon with and we can’t wait to see all she continues to accomplish," said David Douglas Tengey, Executive Director of the David Douglas Leadership Forum (DDLF).