Duality: Nana Serwaa

This week we introduce the Duality series where doctors and health professionals will discuss their sometimes competing interests. Be it fashion, food, or beauty, health professionals around the world have a wide variety of interests....outside of the sciences.

In this week’s episode of Delirium, Dr. Nana Serwaa Frimpong, tells us about her life as a pharmacist and founder of a beauty empire, BeautyMarkedAndCo.

She shares gems about entrepreneurship, overcoming challenges, and approaching new goals.

Victoria also shares archetypes of interns, in celebration of all of the interns beginning their own training journeys this week. Welcome to Delirium Shift interns!

Listen to the latest episode of Night Shift Delirium wherever you stream podcasts. Make sure you rate, review, and share this week’s episode! 

Follow Nana Serwaa @BeautyMarkedandCo and Delirium @NightShiftDelirium on Instagram and @DeliriumShift on Twitter.

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Transcript

Victoria (00:00):

Hey, y'all!

Victoria (00:07):

Welcome to night shift delirium, a podcast about junior doctors and the world that surrounds them. I'm your host Victoria, a junior doctor based in England. And on this week's episode, we're talking with Nana Serwaa, a fully licensed pharmacist and also the CEO of a beauty empire called beauty marked and co. We're going to talk about how she got into the beauty industry and what that means for her practice in pharmacy. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode. Welcome to our shift, y'all.

Victoria (00:45):

So welcome to night shift delirium today. I am chatting with Nana Serwaa. She has a very, very interesting journey. She's not necessarily a junior doctor, but she is a doctor with an interesting story. So can you please first begin by introducing yourself to us?

New Speaker (01:06):

Yeah. Um, so hello. Thank you for having me. Um, my name is Nana Serwaa and I am a pharmacist, um, in the United States. I graduated four years ago. Um, from pharmacy school actually coming off five or five years ago, actually. Yes, I graduated five years ago, um, from pharmacy school, but I no longer practice as a pharmacist. So I left the world of pharmacy to start my own business. And now I'm a full-time entrepreneur and I have a cosmetic line called Beatrymarked and co and yeah, that's pretty much it.

Victoria (01:50):

Yeah. Okay. There's so much to get into that. Um, this is going to be part of our duality series, which basically looks at people who have interests outside of like the sciences or outside of their studied field.

Victoria (02:06):

And I really think that you are the epitome of this duality because a lot of people wouldn't put together beauty, empire and pharmacy, you know, but before we get there, tell us why pharmacy and your journey into pharmacy.

New Speaker (02:23):

So I wanted to be a pharmacist since I would say about middle school. And when I was in elementary school, I actually had this dream of being a chemist. So I wasn't really exposed to chemistry, which was funny, but I just found it like fascinating, like being a scientist. And I just was obsessed with this job of being a canvas. So funny enough, like my first email address, it was like Chemmy2be. And um, yeah. And then I think as I got older, um, and I started to develop to develop more social skills. I realized that like my passion is actually to interact with people and I don't necessarily want to be in a lab. So I, um, started to look into pharmacy and then I made up my mind that I want to be a pharmacist. So it was something that like from early on in my teenage years, I knew I wanted to do. And then, um, as I approached like my senior year, I just kind of started researching it and I became confident like, yeah, I'm going to do pharmacy. So I went to temple undergrad and after temple, I went to temple pharmacy and I got my pharmacy degree.

Victoria (03:56):

I don't actually think I've met anyone who wanted to be a chemist slash what a chemist was. Like, I'm not proud of this fact, but I'm pretty sure it was like, well, after graduate school, like many years moving abroad and seeing chemist and I was like, oh right. It all makes sense, but I never knew existed. I imagined childhood you being like, yeah. Right. I'm going to be a chemist.

New Speaker (04:28):

I do think it's really funny. Cause I think back and I'm like, how did I even, you know, like what was I thinking? But yeah.

Victoria (04:37):

I mean, I always say that our parents successfully brainwash us. We call it raising, you know, they raised us. Right. Or whatever, because I strongly suspect somebody was whispering in your ear. And you were like, oh, what a brilliant idea. In fact, yes, actually my dad did always say like, you guys have to do science and you know, in an African household, science is medical field site, like all of those things. So I think the science aspect was drilled since birth literally.

Victoria (05:14):

Okay. So when you were on sort of your journey, were there any moments getting into pharmacy where you were just like, this is for me, like I am so happy that I chose this.

Nana Serwaa (05:26):

So to be honest, not really. I think like I enjoy the school aspect of pharmacy, but I think as everyone knows the school, we go to as much different from the practice. So there really wasn't a moment where I was like, like during that process of being in school where I was like, this is for me. Right. I enjoy the subject and I really enjoyed pharmacy school. If I could go back, I would go back. Cause it was, it was a great time.

Victoria (06:01):

Honestly. I just certain things in words, I'm just not processing like what, who says that they want to go back to the trauma. That is academic schooling. Wow.

Nana Serwaa (06:14):

Yeah. I had a great five and I really enjoy, I really enjoy pharmacy school and I enjoyed the, the subject matter. Like I enjoyed the school, but it's, it's much different from the practice. Um, the only thing I would say is I was working in pharmacies, um, since I was 18. And so I did have the experience in the practical setting. Um, but once again, like, well maybe it could be pharmacy. Pharmacy is one of those fields where like it's so much different depending on what area you go into. I was in retail pharmacy and it's not really there really wasn't that click like, okay. Yes, this is what I'm learning. So I was able to be really successful and enjoy my job as a student in the pharmacy.

Nana Serwaa (07:06):

But I also enjoy the separate aspect of schooling and getting to that stage where I could be a pharmacist, but there really wasn't like a, um, a correlation for me until I graduated. What would you say was your ideal, like when you were in school and somehow loving it, what did you expect to be on the other side of graduation? And, you know, to be really honest, it could be just specific to retail pharmacy, but I felt like I was just so prepared. I think one of the biggest aspects of retail pharmacy is the interactions with people. Right. And that's something that you don't really get too much into in school. And so I felt so prepared in that aspect. Like I could basically do my job without technically being a pharmacist. Right. Because I was so great with the customers. I was so great, like getting the flow of things and um, just doing things around the pharmacy.

Nana Serwaa (08:15):

So I was thinking, um, you know, when I did finish school, it would be different from my experience as a technician, as an intern, but it really was it, I think like, you know, you have the information you're more knowledgeable on how to counsel patients and, um, there's kind of a, more of a meaning behind what you do now that you're a licensed pharmacist. That will be the difference. I just felt like when I had finished B patient counseling, like I was more prepared to do that, but honestly, after a while I also felt like I wasn't really using, um, what we learned as much as I probably would in another setting of pharmacy. And so it's one of those things where, you know, it's such a people facing industry where like real life skills are required almost more than your pharmacy knowledge. It's sad to say, but yeah.

Victoria (09:23):

Yeah, that is really interesting. And I think that, I mean, yeah, I can absolutely relate to that in many ways, because sometimes especially in the UK system, it feels very like proforma driven, you know, go with this. If they have XYZ criteria, do this, there's like ...it's very rigid. And some of the tasks that you have to do is kind of like, did I go to school for this? I absolutely get where you're coming from. So I totally understand what you mean because there is a little bit of a disconnect, especially because yeah, you just feel like we go into these fields and it's like, I'm going to be helping people. And I'm hustling, you know, working really hard to pass these courses so that I can utilize it. And then you end up in a big corporate setting in America or like, this is essentially a very bureaucratic system in the UK and it's just kinda like, Hmm, is this what I worked so hard for at times?

Victoria (10:24):

You know, not all the time, but definitely at times.

Nana Serwaa (10:26):

Yeah. And, and for me, I, um, I ended up becoming a manager, um, three months after graduation. And so I immediately went from like having, you know, this fresh, new knowledge. I'm a doctor now, to being jammed with like corporate, um, corporate like deadlines and all these metrics. And like, you have to get this done, you need to do this. And, and it was very overwhelming and that was like, wait, am I incorporate, am I in business or am I in healthcare? Right. Because a lot of times you, in the reality of corporate America is that we're were finding that balance between actually caring about people's health and then trying to make money. So, um, it's a sad reality, but that was one of the disconnects for me.

Victoria (11:25):

I love that. Um, because you ultimately maybe used some utilize some of that business sense to create your empire.

Victoria (11:38):

So let's, let's get into the BeautyMarked empire. When, when did you, or even right before that, when did you get to the point where you started to say, you know what, I need to start exploring other aspects of my personality and passions of mine, what led to that?

Nana Serwaa (11:56):

So I always had, um, this long-term goal to start a business, to be an entrepreneur. Um, and I actually had a plan that I would do pharmacy and, you know, for X amount of years and retire early and start my own business, but I wanted to start a business in Ghana. And so it was something that I always had, like in my mind, you know, this is what I'm going to do while I was in pharmacy school. I had a side business where I was doing, um, makeup with my cousin and she did hair and we used to do makeup for like weddings, proms and things like that.

Nana Serwaa (12:38):

So that was our side business. And that was called beauty mark artistry. Um, and then when I was in pharmacy school and after graduation, like I just got really busy, so that kind of died down, but, you know, I, I put it to bed and I just focused on working to try and meet my financial goals so that I could, you know, have this exit strategy to do what I really wanted to do. And I was considering different types of entrepreneurship, possibly in the field of pharmacy, like having my own thing, but I just, wasn't a hundred percent sure. So while I was working in retail, about two years into my, my job, I randomly got sick. Um, I started to develop these debilitating symptoms where like I was having difficulty walking. I was having severe pain, like muscle pain and it just came out of nowhere.

Nana Serwaa (13:43):

And that was a very difficult, probably the most difficult time period in my life. And I had to eventually stop working, do physical therapy and try and figure out with the doctors what was going on. Um, and in that process of like taking, like getting out of the workspace, I basically had to improvise like, well, what am I going to do if I cannot work? And that's where the push kind of came, that I need to probably go into this entrepreneurial journey sooner than I thought. And that's how beauty marked the cosmetic brand was birthed in that process.

Victoria (14:36):

It's really, I think very, very remarkable to be sort of dealt a card that is a mystery to everyone and find your way out into this booming, very successful business. Were you scared, like starting it, what made you think, you know what, I'm just going to do it, what, or like even when you were doing your beauty marks artistry, what led you to say, you know what, I'm just going to do it.

Victoria (15:05):

Like, no, I don't have a bunch of people who are friends in the community that like, you know, are going to mentor me and stuff. What made you say, you know what, I'm just going to try it.

Nana Serwaa (15:16):

Yeah. So for me, every time I set my mind to do something, the first emotion that comes is excitement. Like I get very excited and super dedicated to getting it done. So I don't, I would say like, I don't really have time for fear. Right. Even if I do feel afraid, it just doesn't fit in, in the midst of the excitement and the dedication to like, hurry up, launch this, get it done. So it was the same process. Even when I started doing makeup as a service, I was so excited. I was out there, you know, looking for the best products all the time. Um, I was really dedicated and I wasn't worried like who are, who are our clients going to be?

Nana Serwaa (16:06):

Like, those were never questions that came up. I just knew what I wanted to do and I was going to make it work. So it was the same thing with, um, BD Martin code. When I started the cosmetic brand, I went through a stage when I was, um, sick, where I was at my lowest point, like mentally. And I kind of felt like, okay, how am I going to get out of this? What is my what's going to happen in my life? Like what's happening right now? So my career, I went to school for X, many years and, you know, I was kind of like, I hit a wall. So, um, I feel like when you get to your lowest point, I mean, the only way from there is up. Right? And so it was after that low mental break down that moment that I had where I'm like, you know, I have nothing to lose a lot of times when we want to start projects or we want to start businesses were worried about the things that we are already comfortable with, like our jobs.

Nana Serwaa (17:15):

Right. I don't want to take away from my job, but I didn't have a job. So it was one of those things where I had nothing to lose. And so I had to put everything in and that's really where the push came from.

Victoria (17:31):

I think you, you really touched on something that I wanted to ask about because I have a brand that is on pause called Amissa's closet. And I remember I was in my third year of med school when I launched it. And one of the people at the hospital that I was rotating and was like, so what you gon', treat them and dress them. And I was kinda like, yeah, why not? You know, and I think, especially when you're coming from the like science side of things or academia, it can be very difficult because in general, if you've ended up in that line of work, you're used to a more sort of regimented path.

Victoria (18:12):

You go to school, you do the training, you complete it, you get a job, you work in this job for 50 years. Your parents know that your, I mean, your children know that you're reliable. You know, like all of these sorts of things don't necessarily go hand in hand with entrepreneurship. And I think that is one of the greatest challenges of people who are in, um, science health and allied health fields, because the people who are making the most money, the reason why healthcare and all these things are expensive. And the bottom line is most important is because someone else is focusing on the business side. And I don't think we tend to have business sense. We don't take a course in business 1 0 1, you know, when you're in trying to learn a biochemical pathway, you know, which I think maybe they should consider incorporating and most people's curriculum.

Nana Serwaa (19:03):

Yeah.

Victoria (19:04):

When you went into the beauty industry, did you feel any sort of resistance from people who are like, this is a pharmacist? Why is she now telling me what lip color is popping? Like, did you feel any judgment? Did you feel supported? How, how was that?

Nana Serwaa (19:24):

It was expected. It was something I definitely expected. And it was actually from, you know, close family. My parents like, oh, you know, you're a pharmacist and now you want to sell makeup. And I did get those comments from, you know, family, friends, like, oh, pharmacy to make up. And I still get it today. But, you know, I just really don't care because I know, um, the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing, the passion and I know the reward and I know, um, there's nothing like, no matter what you do, what industry you're in, there's nothing like owning something for yourself. There's nothing like entrepreneurship to me. And so I feel like, you know, no one can kind of be little or, or compare what I do now. So what I did before in terms of being a pharmacist or being a doctor, because I already know the value of my business. Um, so it's something that I just ignore. And when they say it, I'm just like, yeah, I take that opportunity to encourage them to also own something of their own

Victoria (20:48):

Types of interns, the overconfident one, the one who did relatively well in medical school, in their rotations, they knew how to suck up to everyone. And as a result, they're convinced that they do in fact already know everything. The overly grateful one, this intern usually has an element of imposter syndrome. They can't believe they've made it and they'll do absolutely anything to make sure that they earn it. But the secret is they've more than earned their position. And sometimes just need to be reminded that they're just as worthy of their position as their peers, the hashtag insert hospital, hashtag insert service, one they're big on intern team, building and potlucks. They strive to build a community, one that some take for granted, but one that shows up in powerful ways throughout their training and their career, the I'm here for work and work. Only one don't bother trying to invite this person to happy hour or for a night out. Ultimately this person has their own priorities. And if you're afforded the opportunity to learn and understand more about this person, you may develop a greater appreciation for their situation and circumstance. The let's live in the moment. One, they understand the assignment, they work hard and strive for balance in all aspects of their life. They serve as a grounding force for their mates. And hopefully sometimes with gentle prodding allow their mates to ground them as well.

Victoria (22:30):

So do you think, do you ever miss working in pharmacy or applying sort of your knowledge that you attained or I don't know, do you apply any of those principles and things in your new role as an entrepreneur?

Nana Serwaa (22:47):

Um, yeah, so I would not trade my pharmacy experience for anything. I actually only worked as a pharmacist for two years, but the two years that I did work were filled with so many valuable experiences on how to really deal with people. I was a manager. And so that kind of gave me this experience on how to manage people, how to manage tasks, how to, um, like I said, earlier, meeting metrics and the corporate aspect of pharmacy, right. The business aspect that a lot of people neglect. And so that was very valuable experience when it came to my own business, I had to, one of the biggest things in retail pharmacy is customer service, especially if you're a manager.

Nana Serwaa (23:41):

So I was already training my employees on customer service as a manager. And so I was prepared when I answered into my, um, business in customer service. So things like that really helped me being patient. That was something that was something I had to learn as a pharmacist. And that really helped me in my business managing several tasks and, you know, efficiency. These are all things that I probably would not have been able to learn if I didn't have that experience. So I'm actually really grateful for the experience. Um, do I miss it? There are moments that I do miss. Um, but then there is an overwhelming aspect of it that I don't miss. Um, so yeah,

Victoria (24:40):

to follow up, do you think you'll practice again, like in a serious way, or is that something that maybe you want to revisit in a few years?

Nana Serwaa (24:50):

Yeah, so I maintain my license, um, and I did, um, get better. And so even recently, um, when they were looking for help with the COVID vaccinations, I signed up and I helped, um, they were looking for pharmacists to come help, give vaccinations. I signed up and I went for a couple shifts and I enjoyed it. Um, so it is something that like, I I'm a pharmacist for life and maybe I wouldn't work now that I know what I know about how money works, but, um, I definitely am open to practicing, I'm, still my family's pharmacists and, you know, like how needed that is, how everybody's calling you, asking you for advice on what to take and what not to take. And so, yeah.

Victoria (25:47):

Is it possible to do both, to be a successful entrepreneurship in something that is not necessarily far like pharmaceuticals? So you've got a beauty empire, if you wanted to, do you think it's possible?

Victoria (26:02):

Can people have their cake and eat it too?

Nana Serwaa (26:04):

I think it is possible to do both. Um, but what I would actually recommend is that, um, if you do do both, you, you kind of develop some kind of exit strategy eventually to go into your business. Full-time um, because it is hard to start and build a business, especially when it comes to the funding aspect. And so that's where your job can help you. And I think it's possible if you do, if you need help and you hire help or you kind of balance your time, it is possible to do both, but in the long run, um, one of them will require your business school require that attention. And if you can develop that exit strategy, that should be the ultimate goal.

Victoria (27:02):

I love it. So was there anyone along the way, either in pharmacy or in business that you set as your role model? Like this is the person that I want to be like, or was there someone that combined?

Nana Serwaa (27:18):

Yeah. Um, so my role models definitely came at that point where, um, I was sick if not so much in pharmacy. Um, but I actually was compelled. This was one of the big reasons why I started the business because I was following several black woman entrepreneurs on Instagram because I was always like in my bed. And, you know, I was basically, I was on Instagram and I started following black women who has successful businesses and looking at their stories. And it just gave me this hope that if they can do this, I can do this too. I think one of them, she was probably the main catalyst for me and her Instagram name is @FPFbody. And, um, she also had like a neurological condition and that started that, um, kind of pushed her into starting her business.

Nana Serwaa (28:26):

And she was so transparent about her journey and just her transparency and just sharing her wins and sharing like the process and how she was able to do it against the eyes was like, oh, so I can do something, you know? And, um, I really find that when we are transparent with our stories, there's this, the problem with our, I think as black women is that we, we don't really see a lot of the things that, um, a lot of the things that people do, like we think it's out of our reach, if that makes sense. Like when we see successful big businesses where like, there's this disconnect like, oh, this can't really be me. It's just little may, but it is possible. So when we see women be transparent and then tell their stories and tell where they came from and what they went through, it gives hope to other people that yes, you can do it.

Nana Serwaa (29:32):

So that was one of the big catalysts for me. And I just kept following more inspirational woman who I saw them, where I wanted to be in five years or 10 years. And that's really what keeps me going.

Victoria (29:49):

Yeah, there's, it's such a layered, um, archetype, isn't it ...like the black woman, because she's resilient. She does all of these things, but also she's not too big or, you know, there's so many systems and ideologies in place worldwide that specifically like to keep black women boxed. Right. And now people are like, oh, trust black women listen to black women. And we're seeing a lot of these phrases out there, but the reality is black women obviously are the glue of the world. Okay. Like, that's just a fact, but also, you know, black women have been through a lot historically building their own being foundations for their own families.

Victoria (30:35):

And in America, especially in families that aren't the had no blood relation, you know, and that were quite abusive and things like that. So, um, I do think it is very, very important that we say, yes, we are strong. Yes, we are resilient, but there's so much strength in our vulnerability. You know, like everything wasn't easy peasy, you might've thought so because that whole never, um, never let them see sweat type mentality was going on, but it's okay to sweat. Like we are human beings, you know, like the anti black girl magic hype, you know, we are humans and we go through things and yes, we endure and we push through, but we didn't get here by happenstance or just because it's like innate in us, you know? Yes, we are taught to become resilient and we have to be, you just have to be, especially as a professional, um, professional black woman, but even not as a professional.

Victoria (31:33):

So yeah. I love that someone who shared her vulnerability and also her strength through her vulnerability inspired you. And I think that's super important. So one question I like to ask is if you could go back and give young Nana Serwaa, you know, aspiring chemists, some words of motivation, um, words of inspiration, knowing what you know now, what would you tell? I don't know how old you were when you wanted to be a chemist nine year old. You?

Nana Serwaa (32:08):

I would tell my younger self to always listen to and trust yourself because they're growing up in an African household. As many people know, there's a lot of external influence and voices telling you what you should do. Um, but at the end of the day, it's, it has been my gut. It has been my decisions, which have ultimately looked out for me for my best interest. And, um, I just think like if I had listened or if I had just done what, you know, everybody is saying to do, I wouldn't be where I am now. And so I would tell the younger me to be confident in your decisions, be confident in what you feel like you should be doing and, um, and do that.

Victoria (33:07):

Excellent. And what do you hope that Nana Serwaa, in 20 years remembers about this moment in your life? This time period?

Nana Serwaa (33:18):

I hope that the future Nana Serwaa, I basically will look back and remember all of the dedication and all of the hard work, that Nana Serwaa today has put in to build her empire and yeah. Yeah.

Nana Serwaa (33:39):

My favorite question from season one, which I tend, I've had a few pharmacists on this season, so I think it's an appropriate pharmacy question, but what if you are a drug, um, if you were to choose a drug that embodies you, which drug would you choose and why? I always say that I'm diazepaam, because I'm calm. I'm like intermediate the acting. However, there are serious side effects. So if misused, so what, um, drug would you say that you are,

Nana Serwaa (34:10):

um, I'm gonna say that I'm ibuprofen because, and, um, can I give a dose,?

Victoria (34:22):

Please give a dosage.

Nana Serwaa (34:25):

Ibuprofen 800 milligrams,

Victoria (34:28):

Come on 800 milligrams!

Nana Serwaa (34:29):

Because I, I think I'm one of those people who I like to come up with solutions. When I see that, you know, there's a problem, there's some pain I'm here to provide the relief. And when I provide the relief, you will feel the relief. So I'm ibuprofen 800.

Victoria (34:55):

I love that. However, there are side effects to ibuprofen and are side effects, renal toxicity. It ain't for everyone.

Nana Serwaa (35:01):

Make sure you take me with food.

Victoria (35:05):

Okay. Listen, it might not go down easy, but you will get what you needed.

Nana Serwaa (35:11):

You will get what you need. Yes. Period.

Victoria (35:16):

Oh, that's funny. Okay. So I guess I think the perfect question for you is a variation of that, of your beauty empire, which product is you like? What's, if you had to pick one, I know all of them are excellent products. We'll definitely be tagging for those who are listening and yall need to get like all these people on the internet and get you some beauty marks, but which product is the embodiment of who you are and why?

Nana Serwaa (35:41):

So, um, my favorite product is my, an African city lipstick. Um, and I have 10 shades. My favorite shades are us Asmara and Khartoum and they, and so together that makes a, a nude lip combo. And I'm one of those people who like, I'm relatively simple. So that kind of embodies my nature. So if I had to pick a product, it would be bad.

Victoria (36:14):

Sorry, I'm going to have to LOL here, not use acting like someone who has literally a whole beauty empire. I'm not just hyping you up when you go out with Nana Serwaa, Listen, we linked up when I was in Ghana, not too long ago. And honey came with a look, she came with a face beat. There was nothing at all, simple about that, but I mean, I'm gonna let you cook, you know, if that's how you feel, that's how you feel.

Nana Serwaa (36:48):

I think, you know, that there's, um, when it comes to makeup there's levels and I would probably, I would say like, I love makeup and I will, you know, go all out. But I do end up falling back on the simple, the simple looks, which is it's funny because I'm encouraging the whole, um, mission of my brand is to encourage particularly black women to wear whatever they want to wear. So I have bright colors and, you know, we're always being told, like, you can't wear bright pink, but with Beautymarked, like, it doesn't matter. You can wear whatever you want, the matter your sheet. So, um, but I just always fall back on the new lipstick.

Victoria (37:38):

And you know, what it takes up actually so much more work than people realize to have a very good like nude face. Look, you know, people think you're just coming out here and whatever, but actually like, listen, when Alicia, Keys was pretending that she didn't wear makeup, homegirl was putting in work to look like that.

Victoria (37:56):

Okay. Like don't anybody get it twisted. It takes a lot of work to look that good, you know? And maybe that is also an embodiment of you. You have been through a lot, you work very hard in everything that you do, and it comes out looking effortless. Not because it is effortless, but it's just who you are. So I love that for you.

Nana Serwaa (38:18):

Exactly. Thank you.

Victoria (38:20):

Well, thank you so much for joining us on night shift delirium this week. Is there anything that you want to tell the people?

Nana Serwaa (38:30):

Yes, there is. I would just like to tell the people, um, you know, this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I do think entrepreneurship is for everyone. And I think one of the things that I always hear people say is it's not easy, but then I look back at my career as a pharmacist and what it took to be a pharmacist.

Nana Serwaa (39:01):

And that wasn't easy either, right? So if you really ask yourself what really is easy and the things that we do to get our jobs and to our careers, um, we know they aren't easy and we do them anyway. So what is stopping you from doing something for yourself that is the same amount of difficulty, the same amount of time, the same amount of work. Um, what's stopping you from doing that for yourself. So I really just encourage people, you know, utilize your it's great that we all have. Um, we all have our passions, but there's ways that we can be creative to transform our passions into things that work for us, things that we control financially, things that we own. And so, um, I just encourage everyone to have ownership, be their final goal, no matter how long it takes. Um, we should all strive towards that.

Nana Serwaa (40:12):

And that's really the key to us being financially free and having generational wealth.

Victoria (40:19):

Come on some body, wow, I'm feeling inspired. And I'm sure the listeners that is amazing and so true. Nothing is easy. It's not easy waking up every day and, you know, bagging fries at McDonald's, it's dreadful. It's not easy, you know, doing the work to become a doctor equally dreadful. You know, there's so much truth to that. That nothing is actually easy in this world. So you might as well do something that sort of feeds you. I love that. Exactly. So where can people find you and your products online.

Nana Serwaa (41:02):

My products are available online www.beautymarkedandco.com. Um, and then I recently released a new collection named after myself called the Serwaa collection, which consists of eyeshadow and blush. So you can check that out as well and follow us on Instagram at beautymarkedandco. And yeah.

Victoria (41:29):

Excellent. Thank you so much for participating in this week's podcast and we wish you nothing but success in all of your endeavors.

Nana Serwaa (41:38):

Thank you for having me.

Victoria (41:43):

I hope ou all enjoyed this week's episode with Nana Serwaa, as we discussed her relationship to her career and her other interests as a part of our duality series, make sure you like rate, subscribe, review all of the things for this podcast. If you're enjoying it... Five stars y'all and share it with a friend. I'm happy to announce that delirium merch is going to be available at the end of July slash early August. So keep your eyes out, make sure you follow us on Twitter and on Instagram for updates. Also make sure you follow Nana Serwaa and her company. So we'll be tagging it in the show notes, but it's beauty marked and co thank you for tuning into delirium this week. We'll see you on our next show.

Nana Serwaa (42:37):

Oh my God. Wait, I forgot the question.

Victoria (42:40):

[theme music].

GUEST: Dr. Nana Frimpong 
HOST: Dr. Victoria Kyerematen

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