Interviewer: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Tim Dudley (TD): I am a senior manager at Procter & Gamble. I work in operations management for a paper machine that produces both Charmin and Bounty paper products. I got my MBA looking to improve my operations management skills as well as branch out and build out other business skills. I would love to advance my career. I am originally from Maine, but I have been in Utah for a while now. I have a nice family, consisting of my wife and two young children.
Interviewer: So, what made you decide to take this course that travels to Ghana?
TD: When I saw the listing for this course, I instantly became very excited. I did a little bit of work for a group called the Asante Foundation as an undergrad. It is a social venture that strives to alleviate poverty through building businesses in Kenya. I didn’t get the chance to go to Kenya, but I spent a lot of time on conference calls. I was working on building their supply chain through Africa and India and nearby areas. The whole experience was incredible; working with people there and seeing how it really changed their lives; doing more than just giving handouts or just helping to build a building. This fundamentally changes families because it creates opportunities for employment, allowing their kids to go to school.
So, I was very excited to work with Africa again and that I would actually get to visit Africa. It was another opportunity to learn how to alleviate poverty in a way that really makes a difference. I’ve looked into microfinance and microlending and was very interested, but I had also heard some downsides and wanted to see what more I could learn. What Professor Barney did with the course was absolutely incredible. It opened my eyes and answered all those questions that I came into the class looking for.
Interviewer: Can you tell us a little about the prep work that you did before departing for Ghana to be ready to do the business consultation portion of the course?
TD: In the class we read a series of books that taught us about the impact of different types of poverty alleviation. We learned about what world organizations like the World Bank do, how that makes a difference, and how microlending started. We learned about the pros and cons of microlending and giving away large financial stimulus checks to these nations and what happens to those dollars. You can see that there is a lot of good that comes from that, but it also feeds a lot of things that actually fight against what people are hoping for when they give their money away. It helped us get into the mindset that when we got to Africa, we’re not looking to give a handout.
The biggest thing it taught us is that we do not have the answers. There is no single solution to ending world poverty, so we need to be humble, ask as many questions as we can, and try to put ourselves in the business owner’s shoes. This helps us guide them in building their business in a way that is right for them. The prep work humbled everyone in the group. We showed up in Ghana understanding that we would not know the answers, but we would do everything we can to find the answers. Then, once we found the right answer, I could use all my other MBA skills to drive the result.
Interviewer: Can you tell me a little bit about what the most rewarding portion of this class was for you?
TD: The most rewarding experience was giving the final presentation to the owner of Cedi Beads, Cedi, and having him get emotional and seeing the impact of what we were doing. It was simple recommendations – we didn’t reinvent the wheel.
Cedi didn’t have internet at his compound, so certain things like market research are difficult for him to do. It was very challenging to know what people were charging for similar products. So, I showed him how much his competitors charged. Often, their prices were three to four times what he was charging. He knew his local market in Ghana very well, but he didn’t understand the tourism market because he didn’t have the resources to access that information. We built him a website, showed him his finances, and suggested a new pricing strategy. The connection clicked for him, and he saw the impact that it would have for him and his 24 employees. He is currently implementing our recommended pricing strategies. I truly believe this will help him move forward. It was an amazing experience to be a small part of everything that Cedi is about, to meet his family and the people that work there, to see the impact, and to understand the work that he is doing to uplift his community.
Tim and his classmates learn about the bead making process.
Interviewer: Is there anything more you want to say regarding your recommendations for Cedi Beads?
TD: Our first recommendation was that he increase his prices, as he was already planning to build a larger gift shop. We suggested he expedite the process so he could accommodate more customers. We advised him to accept mobile payments, which would require internet access. We showed him an affordable product in his price range to enable internet access. We tested the product out at his facility, and confirmed it worked. Being able to accept card payments will increase tourists’ willingness to pay because they often have a limited amount of Ghanian Cedis with them. If they can pay with a card, it would be a huge transformation for his business.
He was already doing great at keeping track of all his expenses and revenues, but he wasn’t doing anything with them. He just kept totaling them, month after month, year after year, so there was just a total of all the expenses his business ever had. It was cool and was an impressive number, but it wasn’t driving his business forward. So, we told him that at the end of every month, he should compare his revenues and expenses to see where his business is financially.
We then helped him build pricing strategies. Online sellers were charging 3-4 times more for similar products. He may not be able to reach those levels, but we recommended he increase his price online to double or close to triple what he currently charges. We advised him to raise his prices by about 20-40% each quarter and track his revenues and expenses during those months to ensure he is making more money. If he increases his prices, the difference between his revenues and expenses will keep growing until it reaches a point where it drops off, indicating the prices have been raised too much. We recommended he keep increasing prices until that happens. We also made sure he was accounting for the inflation rate of the Cedi.
Cedi said his top advisement request was regarding his desire to build a museum. He asked us for advice on its locations and potential results. Cedi wanted to make sure that this bead-making process is preserved for future generations. We dove into that more deeply. If you go to Cedi’s compound, he walks you through the entire process of making these intricate beads; smashing the glass, building clay molds, firing them, cleaning them, polishing them, and stringing them. You can even pay for the experience of doing it yourself. We told him, “You already have a museum. There is plenty of space in the compound. All you need to do is put up a few signs talking about the history of bead making in Ghana.”
Half of our group worked on marketing, and they did a phenomenal job. They created a website, Facebook page, email, and listed him on TripAdvisor, Yahoo, and other platforms. Now it is much easier to find him online; you click on the website and boom – visitors can see photos of models wearing Cedi’s beads at Paris fashion week. We also reached out to travel agencies to get them involved. You can have the authentic Ghanian experience at his museum, where Cedi will walk you through it.
Interviewer: Would you recommend this course to other students?
TD: You can’t explain what the poverty in the world is like until you have been there and seen it. That experience is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’ve worked in impoverished areas before, such as Mexico, where I saw people living in destitute poverty.
The experience to go work in Ghana and be immersed in their culture was life-changing. Everyone is so happy, so dedicated, and are working so hard. It helps change your whole directive towards life and makes you want to figure out how to make an impact.
Many people come to school not just to better their own careers, but to better the world around them. This course was the best way to do that and was the best course that I took in my MBA program. It is an opportunity to apply what you learn in all of your classes, and you get make an real impact in people’s lives.
Interviewer: What was the most fun part of the trip for you?
TD: The most fun part was going to Zaina Lodge. We went on a safari watching wild elephants and sat in the pool overlooking the watering hole where crocodiles, huge elephants, and antelope drink water. That was definitely the most fun part.
Interviewer: How do you think you will take what you learned and experienced here and apply it in your future?
TD: I learned a lot about applying what I’ve learned. Moving forward, I am sure I will be involved more with local non-profits. Prior to this course, I have always had the dream of doing a microfinance company in Africa. What I have learned from this class is that while that might not be the worst idea, it might be better to transition it and do things more along the lines of consulting in more impoverished areas, like a non-profit would do, rather than just give money. Helping people build businesses that can gain employees – that is my dream.
Interviewer: Is there anything else you wanted to add?
TD: I would just say if anyone is considering taking this class, they should put all doubt away. The money that you spend to go and have this experience doesn’t even compare to the experience you will receive. I have said it before, but I will say it again; this is, by far, the best class that I took in my MBA. I learned how to make a real impact in the world and applied everything that I’ve learned in an experience that I will never forget.