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Optimist. Goal Getter. Woman of God. These are just a few ways to describe Deijha Gordon, an entrepreneur who believes if she can “see it in her mind, she can hold it in her hand.” Deijha knows the life she wants to live and puts in the work to achieve her dreams. These dreams took her all the way to Ghana where she is a successful entrepreneur and inspirational leader. Join us for our exclusive interview with Deijha, an old soul who loves to travel, explore, tackle new challenges, and inspire women of all ages to achieve their dreams.

What inspired you to move to Ghana?

It was my first experience on the motherland that inspired me to move to Ghana. After my visit in December 2015, I immediately thought and felt like that’s where I belong, simply because it resonated with my soul. I truly believe my ancestors led me to Ghana and gave me the vision to do business there. 

The vision I received was something completely out of my comfort zone and something I have no experience in at all. But every time I thought about it, I got goosebumps. I constantly received little reminders and signs to stay the course—to move to Ghana and start a business.  

 What inspired you to open a restaurant?

Every Sunday, my family and I gather for dinner. Food has a way of bringing everyone together and making people happy. Also, who doesn’t love Jamaican food? I wanted to bring the Jamaican experience to Ghana; it was a no-brainer.

The way they embrace Jamaica in Ghana warms my heart and reminds me that I am not doing this for myself. I am doing this for my ancestors and others to bridge the gap from where we were separated and to educate everyone who comes to my food truck that Ghana and Jamaica are connected.

How are you utilizing your expertise to achieve your goals?  

My expertise is believing that I can. The mind is a very powerful thing. “Whether you believe you can or you can’t… either way, you’re right.” Being that I constantly love to prove to myself that the sky is the limit, I continue to give myself bigger and harder challenges. It’s up to you to determine the life you want to live; anything else is an excuse.

How would you define an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship is a mindset; not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. It takes a lot to go through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship because even the risk of the unknown is scary. It takes someone with a strong mindset to get past the negative thoughts and the lack of support in the beginning to truly believe in themselves and what they have to offer.  

I was an entrepreneur before I started this food truck because of the other things I’ve done. The work that I had to put in to build my brand and ensure it was depicted exactly how I imagined… that’s when I knew I was an entrepreneur. For me, it was always about putting in the work—staying up late and doing whatever it takes—to succeed.

What advice would you give to someone who would like to mirror your success?

This sounds cliché, but it’s just a matter of doing it. Figuring out the “how” is difficult, so I changed my thought pattern to, “What can I do today to put myself a step closer?” I would encourage aspiring entrepreneurs not to focus on the how, but focus on the now (my mom taught me that). Write down everything that needs to be done in a notebook dedicated to achieving your goal. That’s very important. Work on your goal every day and start training your mind to believe that it’s already yours, you just haven’t reached it yet.

What does success mean to you?

Success for me is inspiring others and putting those in need in a better position. I believe that the journey that I’m on and the work I’m doing is bigger than me. I believe that God and my ancestors challenged me to this task and I’m simply doing the work they laid out for me. The feedback that I’ve received on my story shows me that I am doing the right thing and that I have so much more work to do.

Apart from that, success is also personal for me. I created a list of “100 Things I Want to Do in My Life,” like move to Ghana, start a business, own a jet, go skydiving, learn to fly, touch an elephant… literally anything and everything I want to do in life. Being able to cross those items off my list makes me feel successful because these are goals that I set and accomplished.

What sense of purpose do you draw from your culture and community?

My culture and community are rooted in being a black woman. It is very important for me to proudly represent black women in everything I do. We constantly have so much going against us, especially with how we are degraded on television as being “ratchet” and “ghetto.” I believe it is my duty to prove that image wrong.

I am a proud, strong, black woman and I know and feel in my soul that I come from greatness. I will act as such and continue to make my ancestors proud.

How do you use your expertise to inspire women?

 I host women empowerment events called Queenlish, which means “positively speaking things into existence.” I firmly believe that once the mind is right, we can do anything. Sometimes, we don’t have that support system or the extra push we need, which is why I started Queenlish. During these events, I provide women with the tools they need to achieve their dreams. I guide them on how to start an LLC, how to get started in real estate, how to get paid using Instagram, you name it.

I am truly passionate about helping people get past the stage of doubt. The power of the tongue and the mind are amazing. Once you start speaking the right words with confidence, you believe you can do it. Once you believe you can do it, you will achieve it!

For business inquiries: Deijhavus@gmail.com

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All images by Ricardo Picasso