Ms. Annan, Ghana-Born Publisher

“My aspirations are innumerable-for now I’m focused on publicizing, building and expanding the first branch of the company which is the magazine,� Linda Annan elaborates.

OUR ENTREPRENEUR OF THE DAY


Where She’s From:
Ghana-born and raised Linda Asare Annan, a Capricorn, edits Obaasema magazine—an African women’s webzine published monthly “with a focus on empowering and inspiring women to aspire for meaningful things in life,� she tells The Black Star News. “It features pieces on entertainment, health, beauty, relationships, spirituality and women-related issues.�
 
“One of the most important things my parents taught me was to have faith in God and learn to say that ‘whatever happened in my life was God’s will,’� she adds. “My parents continue to live by these words and I find myself repeating them in my life a lot of times and truly believing in them. They’ve also taught me the importance of family and I feel very grateful to have seen, learned and experienced real, profound love from them both.�

Linda lived in Ghana until she was 18. In the US, she graduated from Bernard M. Baruch College in 2005 with a degree in Corporate Communication and Business Journalism. She began pursuing her career as a journalist and entrepreneur in late March of 2006.
 
Where She’s At: Linda has lofty visions. Her first venture, Obaasema, was launched on June 15, 2006.  “My aspirations are innumerable-for now I’m focused on publicizing, building and expanding the first branch of the company which is the magazine,� she elaborates.

“There are days when I just don’t want to do anything like writing or brainstorming for story ideas,� she concedes, when asked to describe her she conquers challenges. “I think it’s one of the curses of being an entrepreneur; you need to kick your behind especially when you don’t feel like doing what you need to do. But two things that usually get me out of this place are biblical scriptures on laziness and a self-reminder of why I do what I do.�   
 
“I used to envision myself as a business owner or head of a corporation when I was a little girl and so this is something I’m proud of,� Linda adds. “The second thing would be making a profession out of my writing. After graduation I thought I would go into PR first, and then later transition into Journalism when I was a much better writer. I’m thankful that I could do the latter first because that’s what I’m most passionate about out of the two.�
  

“Being respected for your mind or brainpower supersedes physical beauty because from this intellect you’re able to inspire, encourage and empower others – to me that’s true beauty and power,� the young entrepreneur says.
 
Linda’s Words Of Wisdom: “Your drive to succeed cannot merely stem from your desire to be somebody in this world but rather your desire to have a positive impact in someone else’s life.�

Linda’s Secrets Of Success: “Without sounding too cliché, I believe God is truly my secret to success. He’s my source of inspiration and I get a lot of my drive and motivation from Him. I don’t think I can get anywhere in life without His guidance and wisdom, regardless of how much motivation, drive or ambition I possess.�

Linda’s Favorite Three Movies: “King Arthur, First Knight, and the Constant Gardener.�
Linda’s Favorite Three Books: “The Bible because it shapes my life. The other two would be Paradise Lost by John Milton and all of Patricia Cornwell’s collection.�
 
Three Leaders That Have Most Inspired Linda: “Yaa Asantewaa, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Mother Teresa.�
 
Linda’s Favorite Cars: “Lexus SC 430 in gray. I love this baby because it’s so beautiful and appealing to me. It’s not too manly or girlish.�
 
Linda’s Five Favorite Musicians/Entertainers/Songs: “Maxwell: Lifetime and Was My Girl; Lauren Hill: Tell Him and Nothing Even Matters; Beethoven: Fur Elise and 5th Symphony; Michael Bolton: Completely; and,  Kenny G: Homeland.�


For more on this dynamic entrepreneur please visit 
www.obaasema.com

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