This week I have the honor of speaking with Clarence Quarcoo, known by most as CQ. I met him while working at Target Canada, and we have remained friends over the last 8 years. He is a global nomad in every sense of the word. Tracing his roots to Ghana, he was born in Kenya and grew up between there and Uganda before relocating to Toronto. Today, he is a Supply Chain Director for a Fortune 500 company. He is also the Co-Founder of The Peppeh Company, a boutique creative branding firm. He is passionate about elevating brands and people, and this comes through our conversation. CQ is one of those relentless optimists, always finding the opportunity in hard times, and I hope this conversation inspires you :)

02:00 - Clarence introduces himself and we share our experience working at Target Canada and launching 120 stores in one year 

[You should never be defined by what you do, you should be defined by who you are - CQ]

10:00 - How Clarence learned that Target Canada was closing, and how he approached his next steps: choosing between brand management, management consulting, and internal consulting 

[I realized you can learn anything, if you put your heart into it and if you’re committed - CQ]

13:30 - Clarence explains why he chose to do the MBA program that he did, and we compare taking two years off vs. working and studying at the same time

20:40 - On his childhood as a Ghanaian who grew up in Uganda and Kenya, and how he navigates the world with his multiple identities 

24:30 - How his parents influenced the way that Clarence approaches work, and how he plans for the future

29:40 - On how Peppeh Co started, and the importance of finding business partners with complementary skills 

[Sometimes we say we want things but we are not willing to do what it takes to get them - CQ]

39:00 - The vision for the company,where the naming came from, and his favorite part running Peppeh 

46:00 - On building relationships, and identifying the right clients at the right time 

[Don’t service today at the expense of tomorrow - CQ]

48:00 - Advice to his younger self and the 5 year plan 

[Continue building strong relationships and invest in people that you love - CQ] 

Check out The Peppeh Company, you can also find it on Instagram

Follow Clarence on his Instagram, Twitter, and Gimme Hot Coco 

Finally if you want to stay in touch of all things African podcasts, follow Africapodfest and Paula Rogo’s media company, Kali Media.

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In the meantime keep striving, keep thriving, and keep shining!

Michaella