Capitalizing On Your Creativity & Opportunities

Intro

Do you have an idea for a new creative career? Will you take a chance on your passion? Can your side hustle evolve to be your career? Today, Prince Appiah joins us to talk about how he made his creative passions into a full-time career?

Guest Bio

Mr. Prince Appiah is an award winning Agro-Journalist in Ghana. He is also the creator of, and a journalist at, the Multimedia Group Ltd.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your business?

I started off doing the general news, and at the time, my editor decided to bring me close to him. He felt that I had a background is business and could help out with reporting on business issues. Over time, that edge to do stuff in the area of agro came. My dad had a backyard farm, so we used to go to the farm and see the things to do there. That was the seed of my interest in agro-business. My boss also specialized in climate reporting, so I developed a specialty in that as well.

Q: How did you get into journalism?

For me, I’ve been very lucky. As the saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes.” I always have had some plan for my life, but it usually turns out to be something different. At university, a friend of mine was given a chance to work in that area and he invited me to join him. We ended up creating our first radio business at that time.

After university, I and two of my friends started looking for work together. We applied to work at a publishing house but they did not take attachment students [interns]. However, the HR director had some connections and was able to get us work. From there, my ideas for a new approach to journalism began to take shape.

Q: Is Agro-journalism an established field or is it a new area of work?

I would say it is not new, but it is not an area a lot of people are interested in. It is not “sexy enough,” so people are driven to popular areas of journalism such as politics and general news. Agro-journalism looks at everything around that leads to food on the table. It is more critical than people realize, because you cannot have life without food. Being in agro-journalism opens your eyes to a lot of things.

Q: Can you share some of the challenges that you have faced along the way?

There’s been so much challenge. First, I’ve never been to journalism school. Understanding the roots of the journalism industry wasn’t easy. I had to learn on the job. On one of my first assignments, I was sent to a school to report on some of the things going on there. When I arrived, then man in charge of the school started to insult me, saying “Is this the only thing you can do? Why are you here and not somewhere important?” I didn’t know what I did wrong. I thought I had asked a simple question. I couldn’t get his story and had to come back to my boss empty handed. He explained that those experiences are just part of the job, but I had to learn that the hard way.

Q: How did your family react to what you were doing?

That was challenging as well. My dad did not understand what I was doing, and I had to explain my job many times. He was initially confused and disapproving, but once it started making money and earning awards, he began to be more understanding. I think he has accepted it at this point.

Q: What has been the highlight of your journey so far?

I had opportunity to travel to Burkina Faso to report on a story about tomatoes. Even though Ghana has much fertile land, we cannot grow tomatoes, so we must import them. That trip was interesting. As we crossed into Burkina Faso, we were stopped at the border. They did not want journalists to enter the country, so our driver had to lie about what we were doing. The guards ended up searching the vehicle, which was a lot of pressure and tension on our side. If they realized who we were, they could have arrested us. We managed to get through security and met with the tomato farmers. We had to get a translator too, and that was equally as terrifying. We didn’t know if he was translating correctly or if he would sell us out as foreign journalists. This whole trip was supposed to be one day. It ended up being almost a week.

Q: Do you have recommendations for those interested in journalism?

I think the best thing for you is to have a profession with a specialized area. Being the best at what you do is a selling point for employers and readers alike. It also helps if you have work experience in what you are reporting in. If you want to be a medical reporter, get some experience working in the medical field. That will help you understand the basics of the field in a way that solely reading about it cannot do.

Q: What is your advice to those who may be struggling with their goals?

My message is very simple: no situation is permanent. If you find yourself in a situation that is pushing you down, keep in mind that things are always changing. Your circumstances will end. Prepare for the better things ahead. Try to create opportunities for yourself and don’t despair. Plan for the victory that awaits you.

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