Chale, There Has To Be More
Hi, I’m Queen —a Ghanaian navigating life here in America. You know that one friend you only call twice a year? The one where you have a fun, slightly chaotic, hour-long talk and end up feeling totally inspired and refreshed? That’s exactly what this is. If you’re like me and want more than the ordinary—let’s talk.
Chale, There Has To Be More
From Ghana to Lesotho: A Biomedical Engineer's Story (Guest: Daniel)
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From Biomedical Engineering to Public Health Impact: Daniel’s Career Journey from Ghana to Lesotho
I host my former mentor Daniel, a Ghanaian biomedical engineer currently in Lesotho, to discuss career, impact, and personal growth. Daniel explains choosing biomedical engineering over medicine due to an interest in improving health beyond conventional treatment, later adding nutrition and fitness certifications. After national service as a teaching assistant, he worked from 2017–2023 in a biomedical equipment firm handling hospital construction, installations, training, maintenance, and business development, including supporting equipment used in a conjoined-twins separation. Seeking broader impact, he intentionally transitioned into the nonprofit/public health space, filling skill gaps with courses and moving to Lesotho for a technical-public health role focused on liquid oxygen systems, later pursuing a remote UK MPH while working. We discuss cultural adjustments, honest interviewing, imposter syndrome as a driver for growth, avoiding comparison, staying open-minded, managing energy through exercise and family, and exploring interests beyond career, including modeling and photography.
Chale, what do you think about this episode? Any new lessons?😁
All right. Hello, hello, hello, hello. "Chale, there has to be more podcast," and it's me, Queen Esther, your favorite podcast girl. Today is going to be an interesting one. It's going to be about career. So I have, my-- one of my first mentors from back in school a long time ago. let him introduce himself. Over to you, sir, sir mentor. Please let us know your name, where you are right now, and which country you support in the World Cup
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442All right. Thanks very much. My name is Daniel. Where am I currently? I'm in Southern Africa, specifically in Lesotho, and I don't know why you were asking me which country I support in the World Cup. So since we qualified, definitely I
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442but I understand others whose countries did not qualify. But until we, we, we get kicked out of the, the competition, I will support Ghana until then. Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442So, like I said earlier, I've known, we've known each other for about 10 years, like
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Well done.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442A long time ago, 'cause I-- we-- not to age myself or anything like that, but 20... I, I re- I went to tech, that's like my s- my undergrad school in Ghana in 2015, and he's one of my, my first mentors, and we're also in the same church, so it just worked out, worked out really good. and we're all in the same engineering, area, biomedical engineering. So it's been all of these years. What have you been up to now with career? How has it been with career? 'Cause I know that you've moved around a bit. Like, I'm not sure, like, how has it been? Like, is it what you thought it was going to be, you know, after you're done with school? I'll be an full, full-blown engineer. How has it been for you?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442All right. So I think before we get into how it was or how it's been, I think just a little bit of context and background to the eng-- why I even considered biomedical engineering. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. That's true.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442to meet me during the program, and
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442that I was done in 2016. But before then, some of the things that went into the decision to pursue biomedical engineering wasn't really because I wanted to be an engineer engineer, but basically because
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Eh.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I was really interested in health. So my mom was a nurse. I grew up around hospitals mostly, and I, in and out of wards each day see-seeing sick people. some of them-- most of them not really getting better and having frequent trips to the hospital. And also, we also had, a chemical shop, the over-the-counter drugstore. So my early life was mostly with health, medicines, drugs, and stuff like that. But then when it got to the time, so I did science in high school, yeah, physics, biology, chemistry. And so the expectation from family, from friends, and all of that was that I was going to pursue, medicine in the university. But even before then, I kept asking myself, like you keep-- you say, challen- there has to be more. There has to be more.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442be more,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, there has to be more.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442than doing medicine.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442yes. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442conventional way of treating, ailments, there has to be more to it. are there no other ways to tackle issues to do with health? So that was what was going on in my mind. And when I was doing the application to the university, I did not want to do medicine. I did not want to become like conventional, doctor and all of
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, me too.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I was looking through the courses. I saw biomedical engineering. Apart from it sounding fancy, I was like, "Okay, sounds interesting." So I did a little bit of research, and I realized that basically it was trying to use engineering principles to solve medical problems. So it sounded good to me, and I, I chose that program, and it was quite interesting. The program itself, I think you can attest to it, it was quite comprehensive. It was quite rigorous. And during, during the program itself, I developed other interests in health again. I was still exploring even when I was doing the engineering. So I got into a bit of nutrition and then physical activity. my, my mind was moving more towards preventative medicine. I mean, you don't have to-- in my mind, you don't have to be sick before you look for a cure. But if you can actually prevent yourself from getting to the point where you need, medication. So that's what pushed me to start looking into nutrition, physical activity. My nutrition was not very good at the time, so it helped me personally. And I was also quite lanky at the time, so I wanted to gain a little bit of weight. So that also helped. So during those period, I think in third year in the university, I did some programs. With the ISSA in the US, and I got certifications in nutrition and personal-- like physical activity, the two of them.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow!
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442when I completed the, the program, I think my supervisor and some other faculty members, they wanted me to continue, like do master's and then maybe do PhD and all of that. But then I realized that I wasn't very much interested in academia. It wasn't something I wanted to really, really pursue. So I did my national service as a teaching assistant just to see if anything could persuade me to, to keep in academia. But then after the one year, I was like, "Ah, I don't think this is for me." If it will be for me, maybe not to pursue biomedical engineering as a program at postgraduate, but then let me see how this works out in practice. So after the year of teaching, being a teaching assistant, I got a role with a private firm that was into biomedical engineering, basically. So the firm did, importation of medical equipment. Actually, we were presenting about 20 equipment manufacturers all across the world. So we were importing medical equipment, doing installations, and then training the healthcare professionals to how to use it. Also doing after-sales maintenance and support and all of that. My very first project I think was quite eye-opening. It wasn't what we were looking at in school on paper and all of that. It was quite intensive physically. So the first project was the construction of the, the mother and baby, unit in Komfo Anokye,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I, I did almost everything in that project. I learnt a lot of things. we were doing medical gas piping. So we were actually drilling into walls, laying pipes,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442going,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442intense,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442yeah, going into ceilings, climbing up and down. That was my first introduction into the, into career, basically.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, that's a workout.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, that's a workout. So after that project was done, the infrastructure was done, then the equipment came in, and so we did installations, and then we did the trainings. Those, those were a little bit more glamorous than the construction part. But then I, I-- It was almost full circle for me from the construction to, seeing the unit actually functional after our trainings and all of that. So that's how it started for me, was started with actual hands-on, practical work, installations and then trainings and all of that. And then I think after a year or two in the same, firm, I was moved into, to support sales and marketing still with the firm. So now I was dealing more directly with the equipment manufacturers and also with the government and private entities. So more like tenders, finding the best fit for different facilities, for their needs. So involved a lot with, interacting with, clinicians, find out what they needed, and then going to the manufacturers and seeing what product was the best fit.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442So kind of like marketing to an
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Exactly.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442like marketing.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So I was in a business development role basically, and
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Nice
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442also quite interesting because I was still doing the engineering bit, the pure engineering bit. So once we do all this marketing business stuff and then the equipment gets imported into the country, then I also do the installation and then the trainings after some support. So one thing that's, that particular part made me realize was that when you are done being, you are done being trained as a biomedical engineer in school,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it doesn't mean that you can do everything that is expected of, let's say, a clinical engineer, because the role I was in was mostly maybe clinical engineering, also marketing and business development. Yeah. So what I realized was that most of these equipment manufacturers, they had equipment-specific trainings. So although you have the background as an engineer, before you even do the clinical training for the healthcare workers, you need to be trained on that specific equipment. And then when you are doing s- if you are to do servicing too, if you're a service engineer too, you have to be trained on that specific equipment. So it wasn't like general knowledge and all of that. But then what mostly was happening in a lot of hospitals was that once you're out of school and then you are a biomedical engineer, you are expected to know what to do with all kinds of equipment, especially in the, in the government sector. Yeah. So there's a lot of stress, a lot of stress on them. So that was quite interesting. I was in that role for quite a while, I think from 2017 up until 2023. That, that was the role I was in. But then I still kept asking myself questions. So I was like, "Still, there has to be more." So it's-- Now I was
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442This is why I, you see, this is why you came to the podcast. There has to be
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442always have that feeling that there's more.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442When it comes to impact, so for me, it hasn't been about career per se, but it's about the impact that I want to have in the health field and why
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I decided to even do biomedical engineering in the first place. So I kept asking myself, "This can't be it." Just selling equipment, training, all of that. Although there were some very, very interesting moments. There was one particular, one where we supplied, a number of-- an assortment of equipment to the regional hospital, and those were going to be used for the separation of, a set of conjoined twins.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Are you serious?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442G- were you-- did you get to see the, the, the, this one,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yes, I was in, I think three or four-- because it wasn't one surgery, it was in phases.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442like, yeah. It's giving me, Ben Carson movie vibes.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it was in phases.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Is Truman wasn't the Ben Carson? Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So we supplied a number of equipment. There was, surgical microscope from Carl Zeiss.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Then we had a number of equipment. So when you enter the operating theater, I think 90% of the equipment that they were going to use was coming from the firm I was working with. And although they had resident engineers, they were like, "Hey, you have supplied us the equipment, and we are going to do this surgery." it had a lot of national, attention, a lot of talks about it. So they were like, "You have to be in the room. If this thing is not working, you have to fix it." So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I think I need to be in the field. I think that's my next career step.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So it was quite interesting. I think it was in phases because the point at which they were joined, it was quite difficult for them to be separated, and it was daring of the surgeons to actually undertake this. So they had to do
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442it,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it in phase
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442in the brain? Like, where were they joined?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442right at the top of their heads
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I think
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442they had to do a lot of preparations to understand the exactly how they are joined, how difficult it was going to be to separate them. So the first surgery, th-there were different teams. There was in the plastics, the plastic surgeons, there were the neurosurgeons, there were other teams of surgeons always on standby. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442one phase of the surgery could go like 16 hours, and you get like 4:00 a.m., and then you start.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442you were there throughout?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442to be there throughout
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That sounds like a, yo. So you're just there just in case something goes wrong with the
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yes. Different teams will come and go, but you, the engineer, you have to be in the room the
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I don't think I like it anymore.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442entire time. And when you are in there, and then you have been given the responsibility that if anything goes wrong with any of the equipment. So there were drills, drills that they were using to drill into the skull and all of that. If a drill does not work or the suction is not working or something malfunctions in the middle of the surgery, now everyone turns to look at you like, "Fix it."
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Pressure
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442pressure.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it was quite interesting. It was a very interesting experience. And
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442three-- I think after three, three of the faces, they had to postpone some of them for a while because one had developed a complication. I think at the end of the day, only one of them survived.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But then that was an interesting experience, but that was me asking myself: "Okay, well, I've gotten the experience when it comes to the construction bit, the installation, the supply, the marketing, the business development," but then what's-- I, I can see some of the impact, but there should be a way to have impact on a, on a bigger scale.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I got interested in public health, and I started doing some research about it, and I found a couple of organizations in the nonprofit sector that were doing some very nice or interesting things with public health, and I could see the impact they were having. So I was like, if I have an engineering background and I want to go into public, I was wondering how it would be like, what kind of impact I could have, because some of the problems that they are having on the bigger scale, nationally, regionally, on the districts, some of them have to do with engineering, like healthcare workforce, and some policies, things that need to be done to make sure that engineers or hospitals are well-staffed when it comes to biomedical engineers and all of that. So that was me looking to see what else could be done. So in the last two years, I think the two years leading to the tran- my transition from the private sector into the nonprofit sector, I was actually Looking at the title of the podcast, I was trying to be intentional about how I transition, right? And I, I realized that the qualifications I had, although I had a lot of experience at that point, it was a different area. I did not have a postgraduate qualification in public health. Practically, what I did was I went to look at the roles that I could see myself in, roles that I would want to be in. Then I look at the qualifications, then I look at what I have and what I don't have. And then the things I didn't have, I was asking myself, "How can, how can I get those qualifications?"
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442How can you fill the
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yes, whilst I'm still working. So I got a little bit creative. I did some research. I found some courses that I could do, some locally, most of them internationally accredited. So I took some courses in project management, in supply chain management, in public health, like elementary,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442supply chain.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So after a year or two, I felt like, "Okay, now I think I'm, I'm ready enough to start applying."
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442just started applying
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I'm just kinda like curious. It sounds like with you, like moving in your career, you're just, you know what you want, you know what you don't want. Like, you're just observing what you're enjoying and what you are getting tired with. It's not like you're just-- 'Cause I feel like if you don't take care, 'cause you were, you had a good job. At least you had a job, oh. people be like, "Oh, I'm comfortable. I will stay right here," you know, eh, eh, higher, you know. But you felt like, okay, there has, like, you know, you just kept on like pro-probing and probing and probing, you know.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So as you're saying, I was lucky. I was grateful that I had a job, and it's easy to get comfortable when you're in a role and you feel like, okay, you are cruising smoothly. But then I also like being challenged. In the beginning, I
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I felt like-- and I don't like that feeling, the feeling like there's, there's not much to be learned anymore. Like it becomes routine. You wake up and you, you kinda know what to expect. You know how the work is going to go. You know all the challenges and stuff like that. So that was also another thing. I was maybe looking for more challenges. So, the current role I'm in, I think it was one of the, those that I applied for when I felt like I was ready. And I applied, had a couple of interviews, and then I had an offer for the role that I'm in now. The interesting thing was that it was not-- I was open to being anywhere.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Lesotho.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442yes. Yes. It-- at the time, I didn't even know much about the country. And so it was-- I applied to, I think... I, I like-- I think personally, I like Africa. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Me
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442all the areas I was-- the geographies I was applying to was in Africa. I think I was looking at Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Lesotho,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No, there wasn't.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I got an offer for one of the roles that I, I felt like will be challenging enough. It was a blend of the very technical bits of engineering and also some public health things, to do with policies, stakeholder
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442one thing that I knew was, okay, when I look at the expectation, I look at the experience I've had, I see how I can relate my experience to the expectation. So if they say stake-stakeholder engagement and all of that, fine, I may not have had that in a public health role, but I've had abundance of that in the role I am in. So in my mind, this, this is how I answer most of the interview questions, because I didn't have direct experience to some of the things they were asking for, but I was able to relate the experience I have to that. When it comes to the technicals, what they were asking for was in the area of cryogenics. So, liquid-- It was a liquid oxygen project, and
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442At the time, there, there's no medical liquid oxygen installation in the country, in the country at the time. So I had zero experience. Before the interview, I read about it, and I've had experiences with, PSA plants, other oxygen equipment. I've had ex-- But when it comes to liquid oxygen, I did not have experience. So when I was asked the question of, "Have you-- Do you have an experience with this?" I was like: "Let me be honest with you, I do not have..." I told them that I do not have experience, with this particular kind of system. I have experience with other k-other kinds of oxygen production systems, but
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Of course.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But I learn fast. That's what I told them, that I'm willing to learn, and I learn fast, and I have read about it, and this is what I have read about it. So I think, I think in, in my mind, that kind of candidness also helped, because people can easily lie in some of these settings, in interviews and stuff like that, and try to paint themselves in certain pictures, and it's easy to be caught in a lie. You may not be told that you've been caught in a lie, but then you may not hear from them again. So yeah, I, I, I was quite frank that although I do not have actual experience in this field, I do have experience that I can relate to it, and I can learn if I need to.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So yeah, I got the role, and now came the decision. As you were saying, you are stable, you are cruising, you have a job, and then you had to move to a different country and all of that, all the logistics, expectations
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Was this the first country you moved to out of Ghana for work, like full-time?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yes. Full-time work, yes, but I had been to
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442countries for, like, couple of weeks or a month.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442month.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442different
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Like six weeks, yes, different project, but then not to move full-time and then to settle down and to work. So that was the difference
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, and like you're moving 'cause not just your career life, it's like your personal life too.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Evet efendim.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Like it's not an easy thing 'cause it's like, yeah, you are moving your whole life, not just your career.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So the, the-- it took like a week. I was given a week to confirm. And in that week, I was thinking... I was trying to do some research, first of all, to see where I'm going to, how the climate and the environment is like and all of that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I wasn't really sure what to expect. But then I looked at why I had started this in the first place, and I looked at the, the, the roles, the responsibilities, the expectations. I feel like I could learn a lot, and I could have bigger impact in the, in the health field if I go for that role. So I did. I think I had the interviews in April, and then I was asked, "When can you start?" I said, "Next month." So I had like two weeks or so to prepare
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442did you go and pray or it sounds like you just move with God. You don't,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, so it
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442don't...
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442an, it was
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442is it
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442an act of faith on, on my-- I, I feel like it was an act of faith because I, I don't know what to expect. The interviews themselves, all, all-- none of them... I couldn't even see the people I was interviewing-- that were interviewing me.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Are you serious?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442audio. I knew the organization.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442like in the private firm, I
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442had an interaction with them. So I knew they
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Right
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442a legit organization, but then I had no idea what to expect in terms of the culture, the work culture, local--
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442that country
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442so important.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and all of that. So I had no idea. I did not see. I think I had three rounds of interviews. I did not see anyone's face. All of them were audio interviews. Yeah, I'm taking an act of faith by going to a country I've never been to before. I don't know what to expect. I-- There were other things I was doing apart from this, this biomedical engineering, the role I had. There were other businesses I was doing. There were other extracurricular things I was doing that were
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442you, yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442in, rooted in me being around or me being in the country by then.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442wow
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442the decision, the trade-offs. If I stay, what are the benefits? If I leave, what could happen? I had to do all this analysis, and I decided, "Okay, let me go," because It was an eight-month, contract. So let me say, let me go
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, that's-- Oh, I can move for that. That's, yeah, that's not bad.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And go and see how things go.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Eight months, I like that.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No, but in my mind
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Companies out there, if you hear me right now, please hire me for six months. I will come. I will come.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No, but e-even that,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442although it was eight on paper, I mean, you don't want to be employed or start a career with eight months and then you move, six months and you move.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442to hire?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So for me, it was a start. I knew that if push comes to shove, I can always come back to Ghana, find another role, come back to Ghana.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But the other people they did not, did not get me, to them where I had gotten to over there.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442who are the other
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Most of my colleagues at the time, they, they were like, "Eh, you, you are leaving this..." Because they, they saw that I was in quite a good position, and they wouldn't understand why. If it was in Ghana, and so another role in Ghana, they would get it. Like, "Okay, you want to move around." But leaving what they, they believe is a good, like, is a good, good paying job and all of that, then going all the way to a place that you don't really know what to expect.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, it's like kind of like Abraham. He's moving,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442he doesn't really know the place. Like for him-- Okay, his is a bit more intense, but because he didn't know where he was going. But yeah, it was weird because it sounds like-- Because I really like that it sounds like it was logical and it was also faith because you had done your analysis, you know, plus, minus, things like that, but you're like, "Okay, I'm still moving,"
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Mm-hmm.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442So
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So regardless of all the analysis, I think it boiled down to, to the faith component. I, I believe that it was, it was in God's plan. Even the way I got the role, I, I did not know why. We'll get to that later. When I, when I-- I think when I came, I-- there was two times I had asked my supervisor that, "Why, why did you decide to go with me?" Because in my mind it was, I don't think I was the most qualified.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442there were others who might have performed better than me in the interviews So for me to get that role, that in itself was, for me was a sign. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and, the interesting bit, even before the career bit kicked in, I think the first shock was the, was the weather
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, how
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442of the weather.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442like?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So when I was leaving Ghana, there was, I think 30, you know, Ghana still was 32, 33 degrees. And I got to-- I, I transited through Ethiopia. So Ethiopia I knew. I'd been there a couple of times, so I knew that the-- it could go up to maybe say eight degrees, 10 degrees. So I was prepared for Ethiopia. So I got to Ad-Addis Ababa, it was eight degrees. I got to Jo'burg, I think it was like 10, 10 degrees. I was still fine. When I got to Washington, it was like four
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, wow. Beautiful. Four Celsius. What is that in Fahrenheit?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So it was four degrees,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442what happened?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and I was lodged into, a hotel and I struggled to sleep because I hadn't packed adequately.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442got to work the following day and my colleagues were asking me: "How did you sleep? How is the weather?" And I told them that I struggled to sleep, I thank God I'm still alive, but it was a very long night. And they were asking me were the electric blankets were working. And I'm like: "What is an electric blanket?" They're like-
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442not heard of this before.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442It's true.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442blankets.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So you don't have that in the US?
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Like, I just go with the regular blankets, but I don't have an electric blanket.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So apparently it's not like a blanket in the sense of the normal blanket you put over you. It's like, the base, like the bedding
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442ஆ,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442okay, okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442there, there's, there's a kind of bedding they have where it's,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442ஆஹா.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it's-- you can plug it and
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it gets warm. There are coils in it and all of that. It warms the bed itself. It wa- it warms the bed itself. And so I'm like, "No, I had-- I have-- This is the first time I'm hearing of this." They're like: "Oh, you should have asked the staff in the hotel. They would have shown you how to, to switch it on and all of that." I'm like, "Okay." So now I-- when I went back that day, I went to check. It was there. I switched it on. The entire bed was warm. I'm like, "Heh." Just lack of knowledge. So I mo- I almost, I almost, I almost perished.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Ah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I almost perished because I did not know that, that was...
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Lack of knowledge, the people
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So that was, to get used to the weather. That was one thing.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And that was just May 2023 was just like the start of... May was mostly when the winter was starting. So that was the start of winter. So they have all the four seasons here.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442there's autumn, there's spring, there's summer, there's winter, and it snow, it snows during winter. Yeah. So a lot of-- I, I didn't even know that it snowed in Africa until I, I, I came here.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, it does. It does. South Africa too, the same thing
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, South Africa actually very-- it's-- the snow in South Africa is very, very-- it's, it's sparse. It's, it's not a lot. It's not a lot compared to, to Lesotho. So most of the South Africans, they come to Lesotho during winter, because of the snow. Just to see the snow and stuff like that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Eh
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442snow as much as, we are made to believe in South Africa as it snows in, in Lesotho.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Really, eh? Okay,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442snowing... I think it snows May, June, July at best. Four months of snow, and it's, it's the, the country with the highest lowest points in the world.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442or 1,300 above sea level.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442almost 3,200. the altitude is almost 3,200 above
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442level.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442when you go above 1,500, 2,000 going, throughout winter it snows, and the, the landscape is very beautiful. It's, it's very mountainous, and I think some people compare it to... I did. I did when I,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442great
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So when-- I think after I, I got here, first couple of weeks I was in the office. I met my colleagues and all of that. Then I was taken into the field where the actual project was being implemented as the-- We were building a liquid oxygen hub. So it was in winter, When I was in the field, my first experience, I was in the open. That particular area was windy. So there was wind, and then
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and bit of rain all combined.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442And it's windy, so you feel colder
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But then the project was successful, and then I saw a transition from the very, very technical bit into more of the other roles. It comes to policy, advocacy, development of trust-- strategies and more of what happens in terms of decision-making at the higher level before it trickles down into the facility level.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I understood that, okay, now this is-- if I apply myself in this area, this is the kind of impact that I think I can have. When you have impact on like, larger numbers of, of individuals as compared to just one or two, one hospital or two hospital. If you're able to push for a policy that ensures that the quality of care for patients improve, you know that this is affecting one, two million people. So it was quite interesting, seeing how engineering blends or you can, you can blend the experience with engineering into public health.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442during my first year, yeah, I also decided to pursue, my master's in public health remotely. So whilst I was still working, I started that, program
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442It's t- yeah. Well, you are very driven though. You are doing plenty things.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So by 2024, I started-- I think I started in 2023. It was a one year, one year program.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442program.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So it was in the UK, so it was one year. So, they had an option for two years for those who work. They were like, "Full-time is one year if you are coming there to do it or if you are doing the remote work and then you are dedicated to it. But if you are working, they suggest that you do the two-year part-time, program." So they were asking me, and I chose the full-time one. So I actually got a call, and they were asking, are you sure? Because you can see from what you submitted that you are actually working in a full-time role, and, are you sure you'll be able to combine the work with this?" I told them not to worry. I told them, "Don't worry. I will finish it."
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Why? Tell us why.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No, so
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Ah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I believe
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442to get the full impact of the program, you know,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, I believe that for me--
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442challenge?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. One, the challenge. Two, I wanted to learn as much as I, I could in the shortest time I could, because I was actually applying it. So I was, I was already in the field. I was already in public health now.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442then the qualifications I had before getting the, getting the role, most of them were technical. So it was like, project management, supply chain acceleration, and some other things that were more technical. So now I saw that now I have the opportunity to actually learn in the classroom setting what public health is, whereas in the field, I'm actually doing the practical. So I saw the unique opportunity to blend them, to blend the practical
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442with the theory. So I told him not to worry, I'll be able to do it. So what I actually did was that the modules, the assignments, and everything, I drew from the context that I was in. What were--
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442problems? What needs to be solved? So it, it made the program more, I think, more rich for me because I, I was inside,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442This is very practical.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I was in the field. I was able to look at what was wrong with the system, what, what I think could be done, and then applied to, to the modules I was doing and to discussions I was having. Or even the project work I did, I was trying to see what can I do that is impactful, not just in the classroom that, "Okay, I'm submitting this for, for, for an award," but then I'm actually trying to solve a problem. Yeah. So that's how it went. So after a year, I had it. That's done.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Can, can we just go back a bit to-- I'm just curious when you started working, you know, 'cause you've been working in Lesotho for about three years. Like I'm-- r-right? Maybe, yeah. Yeah, I'm just kind of curious, like, has there been-- 'cause you've worked in Ghana, you've worked in different other countries for short-term project. Do you feel like there were some differences in culture that you had to get used to in the work style, in the communication style? How did that go? Like, did you have to get like, you get some cultural shocks at the workplace to an extent that kind of like was like, "Okay, I need to adjust to how they communicate. I need to adjust to how they work or how they do their meetings, like, or how they make decisions." That's something that
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442is also very big, because I've heard some stories of different countries doing a project and they have, like, decision fights to an extent.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Mm-hmm.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442So I'm just kinda curious, how was it like adjusting to a different workplace like that in a different country, different culture?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Mm-hmm. So everything is driven by culture.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So the first thing, the weather thing is there. So then the next thing I realized was the, I think generally the attitude towards work or the, the-- I don't know, I don't know the right word to use for it, but you know how Nigerians say that Ghanaians are laid back,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mhm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442right?
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442they think or they believe that Ghanaians are laid back because of where they are coming from. I've been to Lagos
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, 'cause they are more like hustle culture.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442once, and I understand them when they say we are laid back because that side everything is... That I remember a particular experience where I, I was-- I boarded a, a bus in Lagos. Where I
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Uh-huh.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442was supposed to drop off, the bus did not stop. It just slowed down. So it s- it slows down, you jump off.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442So that you can jump.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, yeah, they don't have time
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442is that?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442to stop, Mm-hmm. So when I came here, I realized that, okay, I, I was feeling like how the Nigerians feel towards us. I feel like, okay, okay, they are, they are more laid back.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, extra
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. And I think it's one of the reasons that it's a, it's a small country. It's-- the population is around two million. Around two million. So I'm coming from 30, around 30 million to two million, and they're more laid back. They-- even the way they drive, they, they have more patience when they are driving. And you know how in Ghana, you're in traffic and then people start honking, people start insulting you.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, I have to share my experience too, but
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So here,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442about mine.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442You can have two, two drivers can actually stop in the middle of the, of the road in traffic. Where there's no traffic, they can just stop and start talking to each other.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Uh-huh.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Everyone will be patient, wait for them to
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442they are catching up or something?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442catching up
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442After they are done, they move. So when I came, the in-initial thing was-- and it translates into a lot of things. So when-- as you said, decision-making, we-- I was used to working fast. Like if there's a problem, find a solution, implement, get things done fast. Get things done fast. Because in my mind, it's-- we are talking about a patient. Although in this setting as in public health, you are not in the hospital, but then you know that the decisions you are making, at the end of the day, downstream, there's a patient somewhere who is going to
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I realized that, okay, these guys take their time to make decisions. They take their time to, to think and to have meetings and meetings and then before decisions
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442are made.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442then also the language. So here they have... There's one language, right?
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay, which language is that?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So it's, it's, it's called Siswati. And it's one language, and it's also an official national language
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442So no English?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442There's also English. So they have two languages. There's English and there's, Sesotho, but then both of them are recognized as official national languages Which means that they can have an entire meeting and speak Kiswahili and not speak English. And it's, and, and it's fine.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And it's fine. It's legal.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow. okay, that was a big move, yo. Like, if you knew that's moving, hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I feel like most of the times they feel more comfortable speaking the local dialect, and sometimes they forget that not everyone in the room might be.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442In Ghana, you see, we have like Twi is almost like the universal language that almost everyone can speak or, or understand.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Understand.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442then you can't have a meeting, an official meeting and be speaking Twi
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Right. But here you can have an official meeting, they speak Swahili to you. Sometimes they forget that maybe someone else has to understand that. So it's, it's-- that was one of the, the things that were, were, were challenging to adapt to, which means that at least for the basics, the, the very basics like greetings and stuff like that, you have to be very quick to, to understand. And you also know that when it comes to com-communications for stakeholder engagement, relating with people, when you speak their language, you see when-- even when you're in a foreign country and someone speaks Twi to you, this is how excited you can become.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442you, when you speak, when you-- they see that you're making the effort to learn the language or to express yourself in it, it breaks a lot of barriers in, in communication or in how they relate to you. So it makes them say, "Okay, at least th-this guy is trying to speak all of that."
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it's been the language and then the, I think the demeanor or the approach, attitude towards work, attitude towards life. And, for example, the, the, the, the country is very beautiful. The landscape,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I don't think they have a nightlife like they, they have in Accra, for example, where you can, you can-- working around 3:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m., and then people are, are around and all that. So here in the malls, by, I think by 6:00, by 6:00 p.m., by 5:00 p.m., most shops are closed in the mall
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_0824425:00 PM.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442in the mall.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's very early, yo.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So if you want to just get something and you go, you are going like 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, you will not get it to buy.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's very, very,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, so they, culturally, there was this way of life where, there's a way they behave during the different seasons, autumn, spring, winter, and stuff like that. And winter, for example, I, I think you are familiar with it. It gets dark very quickly and cold and all of that. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, that's my least favorite part of winter
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So tho-those things all affected. Where I'm coming from, we have rain and we have dry. That is all.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442all. Simple as
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442as simple as that. And even nowadays, the dry is not even coming anymore. I hear that back in Ghana, the dry season... 'Cause I, I was home in December, and the-- I was waiting for harmattan. Harmattan didn't come. I left in
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442It
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442January, it
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442come.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I was asking those back home: "Has harmattan come?" "No." And then the rains kept on going, going, and now it's even flooding in some places. So I think now it's even once, once it, it rains and heat, humidity.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442used to the work style and even meetings. I know that we have GMT, but I think we feel shy when we come here and realize that our GMT that we are saying is Ghana, Ghana mountain. others have taken it to a different level. So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442really, even in the workplace,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442everything that works, yes
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I've not really worked full-time in Ghana before, so I, I don't know.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, so
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442and for, for the listeners, GMT is not just Greenwich Meridian Time or, is that right? It's Ghana. It means, okay, in America So it means that coming to places late. like, yeah, you know, African time basically, coming to places late. That's, that's what we mean by Ghana Man Time. So it's African time okay, interesting. But I also wanted to ask you like, because you've, you are very introspective and I think I'm also like that as well. but like throughout your career, how have you dealt with like self hurdles? You know what I mean? Like fear, comparison, like am I good enough? Those kind of like questions because I mean, I could be, I'm in a job where I'm like, "How did they put me in this role?" I remember that in my interview, like we were talking about your, you said we were talking about my interview experience for my own job. So I came into the interview. I mean, I thought it was just a, you know, reliability role, fine. I came to the interview, I was even having issues, but I came full energy then things like, ah, you know? but a few days, before I was actually crying saying, "God, I can't do this. I can't even." But I came in, I was having this, this energy. And they would ask me a question, I would know the answer and I would answer something else. You understand? I'll tell them what I know anyway. And they're asking me software questions. I'm like, "Software? You know guys know I don't code, right? I just want to make sure that are hiring the right person." But They still hired me. And so it's like being in a role like that where I'm supposed to be like a software quality person. I'm like, I don't really have that much software quality experience. So I, you sometimes feel like, okay, you are an imposter, then things I'm like, "Okay, God brought me here. I know for sure God brought me." That's why I'm like, "Okay, God, you are the quality engineer because you and I know that this is, I'm not here by my own like," because I'm like, "How did you guys pick me out?" I even asked my manager at the time like, "How did you guys pick me?" Mm. I'm just kind of curious, like, you know, comparison, fear, imposter syndrome, all these big words, like some of the self things that have come up, have you had to deal with in your career tied to your career? Because if you don't take care, your career can now become who you are, which is not great. So you have to separate that. So how, how has that been for you?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. I think I can really relate with the experience that you are sharing now. And I think the imposter syndrome thing is very real. I'm not sure whether it's positive or negative, I think over time for me, I see it in a positive light.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442as I was saying early on that I ceased to feel challenged in my previous role, that was one of the reasons why I moved. And, you know, the Bible talks about pride. I think pride in a way is when you believe too much in yourself, you think too highly of yourself, and you feel like you know it all.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So for me, although it is not fun or it is not nice to always feel like, "Okay, am I enough? Am I really competent? Am I doing the best I can? Am I like this? Am I like that?" And all of that. It pushes, in my, in my experience, it pushes you to try to be better. So if-- when I contrast how things were in my previous role to this one, there was a period in my previous role where I was actively learning. I was learning new things, I was applying new things. I felt myself growing and improving and developing and all of that. And there's a period where I felt like that had stopped. I felt like when I wake up, no matter what challenge comes, I can predict. I feel like I know it, I can handle it, That's when I knew that I had to move. I had to find something more challenging. And one of the reasons why I was saying that I felt like this was God's plan for me to actually get this role, come into this role, was that I think I got more than I asked for when I was looking for challenges. So I
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I've ever worked with, who is also a very, very good manager. So he
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's good
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442is able to push you He gives you a lot of opportunities, although at the time they may not feel like opportunities because he will just You see how, um, I don't know if there's this, this, uh, part in the Bible where you, you, you just expose someone and they are forced to learn. They are forced to be better. They are forced to adapt. So that kind of thing. So that, that is his style of management. But then you see that you are forced to grow very quickly, very fast. There's a lot of challenges. Whether you think you can do it or you don't think you can do it, now you are there, you have to do it.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442You have to
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I've had a lot of times where I, I realized that, okay, when I was thinking in my previous role that I was fine, I was not fine. I wasn't okay. I wasn't there as I thought I was. There was so much to learn. There was so, so, so much to learn. And the kind of interactions you would have, the kind of meetings you'd be in, the kind of people you'd be talking to and interacting with. Some of the meetings you finish and you come back and you ask yourself, "Did that make a lot of sense? The things I'm saying?" you start to replay the things you said, and then you are like, "Huh, I hope I was making sense." And sometimes you find better things to say when the meeting is done.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yo.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442In your mind, when you are replaying the meeting, you're like, "Okay, I could have answered this question like this. I could have done this. I could have done that." But then when it gets to the point, for me, when it gets to the point where you are getting... Other people are complimenting you. So you go for a meeting, you, you do a-- you write a document, you present something, and then a lot of people are giving compliment, "This was great." But then you can't see it. You cannot really see that
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442that thing, yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it was that good
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442For me, I sometimes don't believe them. I'm like, "You guys are just saying it for saying
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442you
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And but as time goes on, I realized that, okay, that is-- I feel like that's actually healthy, is
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442can't get complacent. The moment you get complacent and you feel like you are there, and you feel like you know it, it's comes out in your character. You start to portray a little bit of arrogance, pride, dismissiveness. You do not really take a lot of input when it comes to people trying to give input or advice or
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Ja
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So for me, it's very key to remain open-minded, no matter the internal challenges you are having and all of that. I think the key thing for me has been having the mindset of, continuous improvement or continuous learning in any area that you can, any area that you feel like you have-- you are deficient in. It's not enough to be thinking that, "Am I enough?" or this. Just take an action,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442you can do, things you can do, role-playing, presentation preparing. Prepare as much as you can, learn as much as you can, and then just keep trying to improve. The, the results will show. You may not see it yourself, but then others will see it.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442see
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442key thing is not to let it get to your head, because I've, I've had a lot of instances where... I was telling my boss last time that, you see, when, when people are just... we, we had all that we have done so far from, from May when I came here till now. The-- that project infrastructure part was done. Then we had a l- a number of other initiatives that we did. The, the system is moving well and things like that. Other countries are trying to do similar things to what we have done here, and they wanted to come and learn from what we've done here. And we, we basically were supporting the Ministry of Health to implement things.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442உம்,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So they had to... There was, I think, three or four countries, they had to reach out to the ministry, the ministry here to request to come and learn. We supported them. We had an event. It was a one-week event, and we had to design a, a full package for them, a learning package for them based on what we have done. So we, we had to develop that and prep the, the, the relevant people who are going to deliver the presentations and activities that was going to be had. It was so stressful, the preparations and the actual activity. I found myself, I think the, the entire five days, I was doing a lot of talking, a lot of presentations, a lot of moving around and all of
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442It sounds like a lot of fun. I think I like-- I missed that part, you know, presentations.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. And this is slightly different from the kind of presentations that we used to do in school and all of that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Some of them is talking, you are pushing for an initiative. It has to be okayed. If it's okayed, so-so-and-so number of lives can be saved, this and this. Or you're applying for a grant
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442or funding, you can see the m-- the, the, the amount of money, say $2 million. And you know this presentation is what is going to get people to say yes or no. So the stakes are higher, and it's-- it kind of puts some pressure and all of that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, but it's real.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442coming, back to the activity I was talking about. So at the end of the week,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442in my mind, I was very chaotic in my mind and in the delivery. I was doing the best I could, but I didn't think it was anything too extraordinary and all of that. And then I think the, the evening before they departed, they were giving closing remarks, and people were actually speaking about h-- the experience they've had. And then the kind of things they were saying, "This was very helpful. We don't know how you do it." Th-now, because I did most of the talking in the presentation, like they don't, they don't know how I did it because they, they tried. They were asking diff-- everyone was asking questions, questions, questions throughout the presentations. And one guy was like, "They don't know how I managed to answer every question." There was no single question that they would ask, and I would say, "I don't know," or I would look confused
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442amazing.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and stuff like that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442but you were thinking that like, your
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442when they were saying it, it was like, "Huh, are they, are they trying to-- are they lying or they're just trying to
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442know.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it wasn't one person who said it.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442different, people from different countries all saying
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442same thing. And you can see genuineness of what they're saying, the kind of engagement that they also had during the entire week.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442that day after they gave those comments, I was like, okay. I was just thanking God that, okay, I see how I started when I came into the country, where I started from. I see where I've gotten to now. I appreciate the fact that now I'm able to at least impact certain things that I have learnt over the years, that other people can also appreciate it. Although it may not feel like it, I may not feel like I'm there yet, but I just, I'm grateful that others are able to learn from the things I have done or I have supported, to get done. So I was very grateful. I was happy. But I wasn't-- I was a little bit proud, but it, I t-I, I snapped it out very quickly because it can easily...
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442do that? How do you do that?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No, so it's, it's, it's-- I see it as a, a, a very dangerous thing because
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442see it in others. I see it in others. I think one thing that has helped me the most has been being open-minded, being open to the fact that I can see things a certain way and different people have different perspectives. your way may not necessarily be the right way. It's okay to be wrong in your thinking. It's fine to think this is black and then tomorrow you wake up and it's not really black and it's like more grayish or something.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, absolutely.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And it also, I think it also links to ego. That I don't mind being wrong. I don't mind admitting that I was wrong and what you said makes sense or it's right. But a lot of people are not able to do that. And for me, if you're not open-minded like that, like my manager like this. My manager, as I was saying, is like one of the smartest people I have worked with and I know. And his brain is always working. And you could have a discussion today, agree on a certain strategy to use to maybe solve a certain problem. You have planned everything out. You're ready to implement. You come up tomorrow and he's like, "Wait, wait, wait. I slept. I thought. And you know, you know, we could actually go this way, go this way or go this way." If you are rigid in your
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, no.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442thinking and you've bought in more or you've, you've, you've emotionally attached yourself to the first strategy,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442what I
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442now you're going to feel like, "Ah." But me, I'm like, "Okay, let's hear it." And you hear it and you realize, "Okay, man, this might be a better way to go about this."
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442for me, I understand that too, but for me it's like we've already spent the time talking about it.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Mm-hmm
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442know, we've already said that this is what we're going to do.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442It's not always pleasant,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442fan of
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442yeah. It's not pleasant. But then what I realized was that for me, it's just like how in, in a relationship with God, you, you have your plans, right? You have the way that you want things to go. You've planned it out and everything. Then you wake up and something seems not to be going well. And because we d- we can't talk like this with God like we do, and we just have to trust. Sometimes we forget to trust or to have faith, and then we still want to stick to the way we want things to be, and we get angry or discouraged that things are not going how we want them to be, right? But then you do not know that with all the, the deviations, the going around, going around, it's actually for a good outcome. There's a, there's a movie I watched growing up where it said, "The end justifies the means." So at the end, if the outcome that you're achieving it's good or better than what you had even planned for, then whatever means you had to go through, all the challenges you had to face, all the revisions you had to do, it's worth it. So in my mind, that is how I think that, okay. For example, there was, there was this intervention that we were working on where we-- after the infrastructure, we wanted to help to do what we call market shaping. So market shaping is basically we are trying to bring down prices of the, the oxygen that the country is buying, because they are buying at a very high price currently. They are f- they are facing, in an unfavorable agreement where they are buying at a high price. So one of our initiatives to try to bring the price down. Now, we started out with a goal of at least 50%. We want to reduce the price by at least 50%. We had a plan. We had a strategy, and we had a meeting. We settled on a strategy. We start to implement. My manager will come up and say, "Daniel, you know, I
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's a great goal.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442was thinking,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Hey, God.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442if, if we, if we change this-"
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I mean, I like people who are smart, but I really like us to
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. If we can change this a bit and do like this, it will work. I'm like, "Okay." If I can question it, I question it. If it makes sense to me, I put away my emotions and I'm like, "Okay, let's do it." And so
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442You can't attach?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442we did a lot of back and forth, a lot of variations, different revisions.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But at the end of the day, what we achieved was a 71%
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442that's exceeding the goal.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Nice. So when we got that result, I was then like, "Mm, now it makes sense." it wasn't a nice process. It wasn't pleasant. It was frustrating at times. Sometimes I would agree with him in the meeting and after he has left, I would start throwing tantrums in my head. I'm like, "But, but, but, but no, but we agreed to do it like this. Why is it coming back and
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442As
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442na-na-na?"
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442yeah, I like to move for-- let's keep moving forward.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442always a blend. You-- and as much as me, I'm always in for let's finish it. Let's go. Once we've agreed, let's go. But then I've realized in my time that it's-- you have to be open-minded to changes because things are rarely straight line. These thing, things rarely move in a straight line.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442You see, on a map, for example, when you open the Google Maps and then you are going, the more you contract things, when you zoom out, things look straight. Now, when it starts zooming in, zooming in, zooming in, you see a lot of this.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442All of all again. Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But then,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442yeah. So that's now how I think about things that, well, keep your eyes on the end goal and the impact or the outcome you want, but be ready for turbulence in between.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Interesting. What about, I'm just also curious, 'cause this is very- 'cause I'm thinking about the culture I have been in, 'cause it's like the way you are talking about your own culture, shocks in Lesotho. I've had my own in America as well. It's very different. And I can sometimes, 'cause I used to work with, it wasn't even about work, it was more of like, we're trying to have a connection between the Medtronic employees in Africa and those in America for just like a, you know, a resource group kind of thing. And feel like those in America didn't understand those in Africa, so, there was a lot of clashing and like I had to explain this is how they work, this is how they work. But anyway, one of the things I sometimes struggle with, is a big word, but I don't know, maybe I might be impatient or I want things to go my way and maybe I, in that way I'm, I'm not even trusting in God. But what, what do you do with comparison? 'Cause sometimes I don't want to go to LinkedIn. 'Cause LinkedIn you will scroll and you're happy for the person, though. But it's like, "Oh, what about, you know, what about me? Hmm." I'm exposing my thoughts right now. But like, you know, comparison game. But, but it's like when I'm listening to you, you're not comparing yourself to anybody. You're just focused on what's your growth and
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442end goal. I'm like, "Okay, can we do that?" I always have to like the- 'cause if you're looking at the, at the end goal, you don't have time to look at the peripherals, right? I feel like it's a
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442a problem. I think it's a problem.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442you see, for me, if you're a Christian and you read through the Bible and you see the different kinds of ministries that people had or the d- the different purposes that God had for certain people, you'd realize that it would be foolish for them to be comparing themselves to each other because
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442different purposes, different things to accomplish. Solomon ended up as the richest king, although his end wasn't that pleasant. If you compare yourself only to the richest part, you'd miss out on what else or what actually his
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442prophets that did not even have a home. They were moving from one place to the other, and they endured a lot of hardship, but they, they were able to achieve what God had purposed for them. So for me, it's about what you believe your purpose is, what you need to achieve. And I was having a conversation with someone today where I was telling them, they were talking about some of the challenges they're having with career. They're done with school, they're not finding a job, and then now they are barbering. They are doing-- They are done with the university. They have a degree, but then they are doing full-time
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442They've applied for jobs, they're not getting it and all of that. And I was telling him that I, I, I f- I believe that human beings generally, we are very brave. We are very... On average, we are very brave, very optimistic, and very courageous, especially knowing that, apart from being a Christian, knowing that, okay, there's one day coming that you are going to, I mean, you're going to die. Each day that goes by is you moving towards that endpoint. You know that when you die, w-whatever you have built here on this earth, whatever you have acquired as material possessions or... You're not taking anything away. You're leaving everything behind. But you still wake up every day, and you still push, you still pursue these goals and all of that. It takes a lot of bravery, a lot of courage to know that you're working towards an endpoint you cannot escape from, you cannot do anything about.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442you also have that in mind that there's an endpoint, and between now and then, whatever you do When it comes to material possessions, when it comes to qualifications, when it comes to job, what really, really matter is what impact have you had? Who have you been able to impact? And then that is it. So people have different indicators of success, different definitions of success, different things they are pursuing and all of that. Everyone has a way they are looking at things. Everyone has their own perspectives. For someone, it's the qualifications. So when-- maybe when you go to LinkedIn, you will see that the name you see on their LinkedIn profile is not the name on their birth certificate. They have some
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442PPMs, LLMs, HH, a lot of abbreviations and things.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Maybe for them, that is what helps them feel validated or it's something they have worked hard for and they want to
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, they've
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442put it there.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442and people have genuinely...
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442yeah, for me, it's fine. But then it can get depressing if you d- you are not grounded as a person. You've not defined for you yourself what success is, and
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442swayed. When you go to Instagram, the Instagram has its own set of issues that you go and face there
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's right. Yeah, 'cause it's not just about career,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No, it's not about career.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442any
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442you
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442of your life too.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442you see nice lifestyles.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442There's people traveling. You go to LinkedIn and it's like, it's academic pressure or professional pressure. You go to Facebook,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442different kind of pressure. You go to X, it's a different ballgame altogether.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Everywhere.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So everywhere you go,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442even in the workplace specifically,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I think you have to be grounded as a person. You have to spend more time with yourself, getting to know yourself better, getting to know or understand why you are here. Constantly-- I constantly ask myself. So as I keep saying, there has to be more. Why am I here? Now that you are at this stage, what does it mean? You are doing this, you are in this career, you are going to work, coming back. Is it just to buy-- to be able to afford food, to buy a house, to buy a bed, to buy a car, and to send money back? is that all there is to it? Because if that's all there is to it, it doesn't really make sense. Because then you get born, you go to school, you go to work, you buy things, and you grow old, and you die. Is that it? that can't be it.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442The word it has to be more,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So the more you keep asking yourself that question, the more you, you are open-minded enough to understand that everything you have, every- wherever you are, whoever you are, it's, it's a privilege. It's-- You have to be grateful because no matter how bad you think you have it, someone has it worse The same way that people, the rich people, they can't, they can't-- Because no matter how rich you are, there's someone always richer. You have a nice house, someone has an acre.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, there's always
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, there's always something that you can use to look up to or look down on. So for me, wherever you find yourself, I, I look at where I came from, the kind of environment and the kind of, conditions that I grew up with and where I am now, and I consider the fact that it's first of all the grace of God. Not to say that God's grace don't extend to other people, but I'm acknowledging personally, but also understanding that it's, it's an opportunity to be a blessing to others that may not be in the position that you are in. Some people are born in a royal family. Fine. You can, you can sulk all you want, but this is where you are. You were not born in a royal family, so you have to deal with it. Those who are in the royal family, they also have their own problems, their own-- They have questions they're asking. Yeah. They believe they also have
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Everybody's asking
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Everyone has issues, everyone has problems. Even the richest man right now, if you call them, they'll tell you they have issues. They can enumerate for you the issues they have they're trying to solve. You too, you believe you have issues. The, the one who is less privileged than you also have issues that they feel it's very relevant for them. So I think the comparison thing, it's, it's a real-- It's, it's a trap. I think it's very tempting to compare yourself, and it's a very, very-- I think it's a very dangerous thing. That is why... I think the Bible is very blunt most at times, but when it comes to comparison, it's extra blunt.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442q- a little bit harsh when it says those who compare themselves
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442with others or among themselves.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I've-- Something
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And so it depends on the version you are reading. some versions say
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442love I
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442they are fools,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442some say,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442say they are not wise, but that's just watering into
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442if you're not wise, you're very useless. So it means that it-- there's no profit.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442It does--
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442comparing yourself from someone else. Yes.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Because you see, you growing up, the conditions you grew up with, the experiences you've had, everything together has-- And the decisions you've made, has brought you to the point that you are at now. No two people have the same experiences. Even when you are twins, you experience different things.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Different things.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So if you do not have the same background, the same experiences that has built you up to this point, it does not make sense to now compare the present with someone else's present Because the future looks very different. You cannot know what the future looks like,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442if you took yourself 10 years ago, you would not possibly imagine that you could be where you are today.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And personally too, I wouldn't imagine that I would be where I am today, which means that your present is someone's past, someone's future. Someone's present could be your future also. But then it's everyone has a path they are walking. Even professionally, everyone has a path they are walking. For me, as I keep saying, I think I have been blessed enough to at least have a decorum of independent thinking and decision-making as far back as selecting the course I did in the university. Because when I listen to others, they, they want to do programs that were chosen for them, where parents are superimposing
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442their, their wishes
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442things they couldn't accomplish onto their kids. Because I couldn't become a doctor, my son has to be a doctor.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's...
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442You end up being in a field that you don't-- you're not really passionate about. You don't know why you are there. And then the only gain that could come of it is monetary. The only thing that can compensate you for being in that field is to
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442big name, have a big position,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442or m-make a lot of money and buy things to show people that, "Okay, at least I'm not a total failure,"
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442but they are all empty. They all feel
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Very empty.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442in a house that has everything,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442plastic, you know, very
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Okay, we are wrapping up with time here, but I just want to also find out from you 'cause it sounds like you really enjoy what you do. So what has rests and burnout, like do you burn out or you're all full of passion every day? Passion, passion working. Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So yeah, it's, it's it's,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it's a difficult one to answer, um, because I think I'm guilty of it. I have been blessed enough to not have been admitted to the hospital before. I do not remember the last time, I do not remember the last time I was sick. Even a flu.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Even a flu.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I, I, I think I abuse that, and I do not get I do not, I do not rest as much as I should, I should be resting
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442You take care of yourself like you are-- like you said, you are more proactive about your, about your
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But then, yeah, I, yeah, I try to do that. I-- for me, not being burnt out or resting is trying to be intentional about diet, the things I eat, and physical activity, basically what you started with, the nutrition and physical activity. So for me, example, I, I work out at least twice a week, at least twice a week. And I also, I also play a sport now. So I play tennis,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442嗯。
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and it's very physically exerting, and it's also fun.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So for me, that's my, my, my idea of fun.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I used to box. I used to go to the box region, but I laid down my gloves to try running. But anyway,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442That's interesting
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442to say I'm also trying. But go on.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And then I also, I think I also try to spend some time with family over the weekend. Now you'll be wondering what spending time with family means, because now I'm not, I'm not in, in
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and all of that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So another thing I keep saying that I f- I believe that sometimes listening to Trusting God in decision-making and knowing that it all ends up or works out for your own good. Although the process might be like this,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442of that.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442go with it.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and I'm sure you don't know this, but then as part of coming here and working, I actually found my wife here. Yes. So got married in 2020,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442wow,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Last year
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So spending time with family,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442God is just doing things.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442that's what spending time with family also means. So it's, it's-- That's one of the reasons why I've been here for three years now.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah. So now I have family here, I have family back home, so makes things a little bit easier
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah. Yeah. That's good. That's good. Yeah, proactive life. We have very intentional proactive life. I've learnt a lot. I've really learnt a
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442No
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Based on all that we have said so far, because the podcast is called "Charlie, There Has to Be More," I'm just kinda like curious. I guess for me, I'll give my own response. But when we say, "Charlie, there has to be dash," it could be a word, it could be a phrase. Like, what would you say? Charlie, there has to be, as far as your career is concerned or as far as like all that you've said, career or business or just purpose, or in fact, as far as impact is concerned, what does, what phrase are you going to use? Charlie, there has to be that. Let me think for my own self. What word do I want or what phrase? I think for me, I would say there has to be more, independent thoughts. If that's it, that's right, independent or like
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Mm-hmm.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442from what you were saying of like, okay, I'm just looking at myself and not comparing. I'm like, okay, what do I want to do? What is my-- what do I enjoy doing? Like what actually matters? What's the impact? So I think for me, there has to be more independent thoughts is what I, I would say for myself based on what we've said so far.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I think there has to, there has to be more individuality of thinking, just like what you're saying, of thought
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and of decisions. And yeah, m-m you have to be more intentional. I think that's just it
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442the things, not
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442that's with more
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442blindly following
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, going with the flow of what everybody's doing. Ah, I don't like
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah, of the masses.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442And there's actually more. I have not spoken about the extracurricular things. So this has been focused on career, strictly career.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442On career.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442You
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442But then there has to be more. There's more,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442In fact, you know, outside of career, like if you feel like there's some-- like if you're to get a stage right now and you're to like, you know, share something with people who are, know, your age or a little older than you or younger than, than you, like myself, like like what's something that you feel like, okay, they need to know this to grow their life? It might be career, it might not be career. What would that
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442So I think you have to be balanced.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Life is multifaceted. And I believe God has created us to have diverse abilities, diverse talents, and be able and capable of doing, a lot of things to have impact. So for me, it is explore. Explore your talents, explore the things that-- other things you can do. There could be the professional you, the career you, if that's what you choose to pursue. But then at the end of the day, the, the call, your core mandate or your core purpose, the thing that drives you, makes you hap-- It, it can be a
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442There are different areas or avenues that you can express your talents and all of that. So for me, it's-- this has been my-- this, this is just one of my passions, one of the things I, I believe that are my purpose, to have impact in health. Even in health, this is one way, and there are other ways that I still plan to have impact on health.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442things that I'm also still passionate about. You know, I am not sure you know about this, but I've had a little bit of a career in fashion, modeling
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Mm-hmm. So what you saw in school drew
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442school.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442that's wonderful
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442the, to the modeling industry.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Wow.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442of shows locally, internationally, in
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442to what we were discussing of my career back home.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442there was that. got a little bit into, into photography and stuff like that. So there, there are other things that you could also explore. It doesn't just have to be work, work like, all
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442yeah. So explore wide.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442the time. but you still have to be intentional
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442something I like
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442about it.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442You
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442it will expand. You
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442the task that you... Or your focus, the things that you should focus on can expand to fill time and space. So if you believe career is all that you can do, it will expand to fill all your time, and you feel like you do not have time to do anything else. But if you are intentional and you plan very well and you discipline yourself, you are able to have blocks of time, do different things, and be able to have, a lot of impact in different areas basically.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Mm-hmm. Powerful. Powerful. Okay, I have some quick round questions. I'm looking on AI. AI is my helper today. Let's see. I said give me this or that questions about Ghana. So this is gonna be interesting. Okay, let's see. Okay, I'm just gonna throw out a few things here. Fufu or banku?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Угу.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Fufu-- Oh, me banku, banku all day long. kelewele or red red? That's beans and plantain.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Ah,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442It's too difficult.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442no, that's too difficult. Just forget about that all until I heard the all. So,
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, I know, right?
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442I'll do the other one. it's a more comprehensive guide clay with the, red, the plantain.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, the red,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442'Cause you still get the pegs of clay with it, some in the plantain that side, and you still get the beans.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Co-Kolabo. Buzzling Accra versus Lush Kumasi. Is that a thing? Kumasi.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay. Highlife versus Afrobeats. Highlife.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442a lot of sense
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Hi- no, you said, you said Highlife? I didn't hear that. Romy, Afrobeats. Afrobeats, oh. I don't think I've explored Highlife music,
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442You should.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442why
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442You should.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Yeah, I
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Not, not-- even nowadays, I don't think they do highlife anymore. So the 1940s, '50s, '60s, '70s. Those you can have an entire story in one song. Six minutes, an entire story. It's like country music.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442That's a pop.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442It's like
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Okay.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442local country music.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442that.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yeah
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442Oh, I like that. I think I have to explore 'cause I'm Afrobeat any day, any
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442no, I like this
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I like R&B. I like a few things out there, but R&B, Afrobeat, hmm. What else do I like? Country, hmm, not so much.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442If you don't like country, you may not like Highlife. I like country because of the storytelling component of it.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442the storytelling.
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442and Highlife is basically storytelling.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442I'll try it out and see. that is the end of, for today's episode. I hope you learned something for our listeners. I hope you were encouraged. I hope you were challenged. And thank you so much, Daniel, for your
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442You're welcome.
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442way over, so thank you
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442no problem. You're welcome
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442thank you, thank you. And it's good to kind of-- You are-- You're the same person, oh. The way you think, the way you talk, you're the same person, so it's, it's nice to see that. yeah, intentional. Intentional. But yeah, thank you so
daniel-dela_2_06-13-2026_152442Yowokan
queen-es_1_06-13-2026_082442that is the end for today.
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