Scaling Dreams and Building Legacies - A Founder’s Roadmap

Meet William Tewiah – the visionary Ghanaian entrepreneur redefining Africa’s energy landscape. From global finance floors to founding ZEN Petroleum, Ghana’s leading supplier to the mining industry, Tewiah’s journey is a masterclass in bold leadership, ethical business, and impact-driven innovation. Whether he's fueling growth across West Africa or competing on international racetracks, Tewiah continues to challenge the status quo. In this edition, we spotlight the man behind the mission—and the moves shaping the future of energy in Ghana.

A compelling dream or business idea means little until it’s backed by decisive action.

Beyond that initial spark of inspiration, the transition from vision to venture demands sustained commitment, operational discipline and a readiness to take on the less visible, often demanding work. Whether it’s pursuing sales leads, refining investor pitches or grant applications, or as I did in ZEN’s early days, driving over 300 km ahead of our tankers to ensure timely client delivery, it is in these efforts that business foundations are truly built.

We each have our own “300km journey” ahead of us; sometimes leading to success, other times to middling outcomes and often marked by detours and failure. Yet every step, regardless of outcome, has the potential to move us closer to that elusive benchmark: legacy. While passion may ignite the dream, it is guiding principles that pave the road toward scalability.

Here are a few that have served me well.

Momentum Over Perfection

Many overlook the importance of simply taking the first step. The phrase 'just do it' may be overused, but its message remains relevant. Now let’s take it a step further with: “just name it.”

Many entrepreneurs get stuck at this stage, agonizing over what to name their company. I’m often asked if there’s a deep meaning behind the name ZEN. For me, the name was never the most important thing - it came second to the values we aimed to embody: delivering the right quality, in the right quantity, at the right price.

Of course, depending on your product or service, a name can and should be strategic. A strong name can enhance brand recognition, but winning strategy doesn’t end there - it starts with quality. Here are a few ways to push past the naming hurdle:

Choose clarity. It needs to be clear, easy to say and able to evolve with your business.

Test it. Say it out loud, ask trusted people how it sounds and check for any glaring red flags like domain availability or unwanted meanings in other languages.

Commit. You can always refine your brand identity later, but progress stalls when you let perfection block momentum.

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

“We sell fuel.” It’s something I’ve said at ZEN for years to keep our focus grounded when priorities pull in different directions. The clarity of that simple statement has undoubtedly helped shape our growth into a full-service petroleum company, extending our core focus and mandate across a wider supply chain.

Your product or service is the engine of your business; everything else depends on its value and relevance. No matter how visionary your goals may be, if what you’re offering doesn’t meet a real need consistently and reliably, it won’t last. Here are some practical ways to stay grounded in what you’re building:’

• Refine the core offering often. Keep asking: Are we solving the right problem in the right way?
• Don’t do too much too soon. Growth is great, but not at the cost of losing focus on your core.
• Let purpose guide expansion. Before adding a new feature, product line or market, ask: Does this move us closer to the impact we set out to make?
• Say What Needs to Be Said. Innovation isn’t solely defined by invention. Often, it’s about insight; the ability to identify inefficiencies in existing systems, speak up about them and take deliberate steps to address them.

Founders who move industries forward recognize challenging the norm as their strongest competitive edge and tend to follow certain shared patterns:

• Call it out. Don’t be afraid to name what isn’t working. A strong voice backed by data can be powerful.
• Offer better. It’s not enough to criticize; your product or service must demonstrate the alternative.
• Build allies. Whether through partnerships, customer advocacy or policy engagement, use your voice to build momentum for change.

Your Legacy Is Yours

As tedious as those 300km journeys were, they came with certainties: a mapped-out route, a clear destination and the assurance of payment upon timely delivery. The entrepreneurial journey offers no such predictability. Even with the right mindset and disciplined execution, there are no guarantees of recognition or lasting impact, at least not in the conventional sense.

Over time, the idea of legacy for many leaders shifts away from traditional milestones and evolves into something deeply personal. It’s reflected in the team you’ve built, the challenges you’ve navigated with integrity and the markets you’ve had the courage to disrupt.

Earlier, I described legacy as elusive, and it can be. Not because it’s out of reach, but because it’s easy to overlook that it must often be a self-defined pursuit, anchored in the purpose that first sparked your vision.

So it’s worth asking yourself: What does legacy mean to me? What am I building today that I’ll be proud to have stood for? With that clarity, and the business acumen to match, your dream may well scale into something truly lasting.

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