The Story Exchange, Adisa Tinorgah-Seidu, Odo AsemYour Name: Adisa Tinorgah-Seidu

Business Name: Odo Asem, a store for romance gifts and products

Type of Business: Gift and Romance Store

Business Location: Accra, Ghana

Website   www.odoasem.com
Twitter   @OdoAsem
Facebook   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Odo-Asem/194378882078
Pinterest   http://pinterest.com/adtinorgah/odo-asem/

Reason for starting
I’ve always been the go-to person for gift ideas and romance suggestions for friends and family. People always said I gave the best gifts. So after three years on Wall Street when I decided to move back home to Ghana, I thought I’d try to transform this talent into a business. Nearly 4 years on, I have an ever growing portfolio of clients who rely on Odo Asem for all their gift and romance needs. I strive to bring world class customer service to a market that leaves much to be desired in terms of customer service. I have also introduced the convenience of online shopping to many people for the first time. I am working to build Odo Asem into a model business that people can aspire to.

How do you define success?
Success to me is accomplishing a goal that I deliberately set out to achieve, and seeing the positive impact of this accomplishment on at least one life.

Biggest Success
My biggest success to date is building my business from ground up. I put in a lot of hard work to get it to where it is today, and I continue to do so with hopes of taking it to higher heights.

What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
My top challenge was starting a business blind with no prior experience in a developing country that presented it’s own unique set of hurdles. I have made some mistakes along the way, but with hard work, diligence and patience I have been able to build a successful business in spite of all the hurdles. I still continue to learn every day.

Who is your most important role model?
I have been blessed with very inspiring parents. My Father came from very humble beginnings and has made so much of himself and provided a very comfortable life for his whole family. He is a doctor who currently works with UNICEF. My mother started a school in our garage and has grown it to a school with over 950 students. They are always helping other people and have brought us up to do the same.