- Osebo dropped out of SHS and spent 4 years pushing trucks due to financial hardship
- A kind gesture from an elderly man gave him a passport and a chance to travel abroad
- Osebo attributes his breakthrough to humility, respect, and divine timing
Richard Brown, widely known as ‘Osebo’ and CEO of Zara Boutique, has opened up about the struggles that shaped his path to success, revealing how a period of hardship after dropping out of school became the turning point in his life.
Speaking on The Career Trail programme with Irene Adubea Aning on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, Osebo shared that he left Awuku Darko Senior High School in Form Four due to financial challenges at home. For four years, he pushed trucks to earn a living—a choice he says, though difficult, kept him on an honest path.
“It wasn’t easy, but I chose it over stealing,” he said.
During that time, he frequently assisted an elderly man who never paid him for his services. Despite this, Osebo never complained. “My father taught me to respect everyone, whether rich or poor,” he explained.
Then one day, everything changed. The same man invited him to his village. Upon arrival, Osebo was welcomed warmly. “They offered me water and a seat. He returned with a brown envelope containing a passport. He said it could take me to Germany or Italy. He told me he had never met a young man as God-fearing and respectful as I was,” he recalled.
Using the passport, Osebo prepared to travel abroad. He used savings from pushing trucks, and his mother contributed a sewing machine and some clothes to support his journey.
In Italy, he began selling products door-to-door for a Nigerian-owned company. “It was tough work—ringing bells, speaking to strangers. At first, some only gave small contributions. But before long, I was making good money. I didn’t even feel the sun because I was excited to earn and help my family,” he said.
His hard work paid off. After outperforming expectations on his first day, he was assigned a larger territory and consistently sold out his products daily.
Within a year, Osebo sent 500 Deutsch Marks back home to fund a sibling’s education in Germany. Over the next two years, he supported another sibling in the UK and a third in Holland. By the fourth year, he had helped a cousin relocate to Amsterdam.
“God doesn’t use years—He uses time. What is meant for you will happen at the right time,” he reflected.
He stressed the importance of humility, respect, and character in attracting life-changing opportunities.
“Everyone needs a destiny helper. You won’t recognize them by appearance. It’s your attitude that draws them to you. That man changed my life, and because of him, I’ve never looked back,” Osebo said.
The 14th episode of The Career Trail: New Edition aired last week, featuring Osebo’s inspiring early journey. The next installment, which highlights how he transformed his experiences abroad into a successful fashion business in Ghana, will air on Saturday, September 20, at 4:00 p.m. on Joy Learning and 6:30 p.m. on Joy News.
