Growing up in Yaoundé, Cameroon, my first classroom was the open market. Before I knew about Excel sheets or profit margins, I learned business from my mother selling peanuts, cassava, and cocoyam with purpose and pride. That market shaped my mindset more than any MBA program.
We didn’t have automated systems, but we had consistency. We didn’t know branding, but we knew customer care. I watched my mother negotiate prices, manage multiple stalls, and turn farming into enterprise all while raising a family.
The market taught me hustle, but also humility. We learned to reinvest, save during harvest, and serve with a smile. Every transaction was a lesson in value, dignity, and self-worth.
Those lessons stayed with me when I immigrated to the U.S., became a nurse, and later started my own healthcare agency. The journey from market girl to CEO wasn’t easy but the mindset never left. I still approach business with the same grit, creativity, and faith I learned in those early days.
Where you come from is not a limitation it’s preparation. Your roots may be modest, but they hold the blueprint for legacy.