Meet Edna Frimpong, the resilient shoemaker breaking barriers on LinkedIn. Hailing from Mataheko in Accra, Ghana, Edna’s journey from a humble beginning to co-founding the successful shoe brand, Ahofade, is a tale of determination often overlooked. In a candid Google Meet conversation, Edna’s level-headedness and knack for seizing every opportunity shines through.
Her childhood was in Mataheko, Accra, Ghana, filled with cherished memories of playing with other kids in the same compound. She attended Adonteng Senior High School in Aburi, where she focused on General Arts.
“After Senior High School, I took a gap year. During this period, I worked to save up for school. Eventually, I decided to return to education, choosing the Ghana Institute of Journalism, now UNIMAC, to pursue Public Relations,” Edna shares. “Studying PR has immensely benefited both me and my business. I acquired valuable techniques for marketing and branding from school, and I actively applied these skills to enhance my business and personal brand.” It’s worth noting that Edna continued working while attending school.
To answer the burning question of how Edna ventured into shoemaking, luck was on her side. Her father, a skilled cobbler, played a pivotal role in guiding her through every aspect of the business, from shoe designing to cutting and sewing. He passed on all his knowledge to her.
“Nothing comes easy; write down exactly what you want to do. Don’t rely solely on family or friends. Remove entitlement from your life and just do it. What’s the worst that could happen?
Edna’s co-founded shoe business, Ahofade, is accessible on all social media platforms. They specialise in crafting a diverse range of footwear, including shoes, sandals, and slippers for women, men, and infants. Notably, their pricing is budget-friendly, offering a variety of options to choose from.
Contrary to the challenges many women face in male-dominated industries, Edna swiftly found her footing without encountering significant criticism for entering a predominantly male space. Surprisingly, people were genuinely supportive of her decision to be unique, following her heart and challenging the narrative that certain spaces are reserved for women.
Edna’s success on LinkedIn, boasting over 20,000 followers, reflects her effective approach to the platform. Her LinkedIn journey began with a school project where her lecturer emphasized the platform’s importance. Intrigued, she explored LinkedIn, initially observing and engaging with posts that gained significant traction. However, it was a pivotal moment when she enrolled in a LinkedIn Masterclass, gaining invaluable insights from creating bios to setting up profiles. Inspired, Edna made her debut post about her shoe-making business, receiving substantial attention. This prompted her to channel all her efforts into consistently creating content for both her personal and business brand on LinkedIn, finding a supportive tribe willing to champion her business endeavours.
“Be You, Just Do It!”
Edna’s key strategies for building a personal brand using social media, and leveraging on it for your business are: be authentic, focus on yourself- do not go seeking unnecessary competition, be happy for others’ achievements- engage with their posts, likewise create posts of value (something educative, informative, and fun with a human touch), be consistent with the posts, you will definitely get that viral post which will draw visibility and ask God for that grace of visibility-that your content reaches your target audience.
Edna suggests that amidst all the traction and positivity on LinkedIn, be aware of scammers on the platform- especially those with profiles of MPs and Ministers of State. Authenticate their identities first to ensure you are dealing with the real accounts and never make payments to them to aid you in getting a job or scholarship.
Edna is gearing up to launch her memoir titled “The Shoemakergurl.” You can sign up for the waitlist to get your hands on the book.
Edna agrees that International Women’s Day is extremely important. “Women are doing well, they are changing the narrative- we are in an age where corporations are embracing inclusion and are championing women to rise to the helm of affairs. Women are powerful and ought to be celebrated,” she posits.