When Alexis Ntsiakoh was expecting her second child, she had already begun preparing for life with a baby girl.
Then came the surprise.
"The scan had shown I was having a girl, but when the baby arrived, it was another boy," she recalled with a laugh.
Like many mothers, she suddenly had brand-new baby clothes and accessories she no longer needed. She decided to sell them to colleagues at work.
"I started selling the girl stuff to my colleagues in the office. Then people started asking me for more things. That's when I realised there was a gap in the market,” she told The Mirror in an interview in Accra last week.
That simple exchange planted the seed for what would become Baby Bliss, a leading baby and maternity brand. For Miss Ntsiakoh, however, the business has never been solely about selling baby products. It has evolved into a mission of helping families while creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
An unexpected path
Entrepreneurship was never part of her career plan. Before becoming a business owner, she worked in television in London while studying at university before relocating to Ghana in 2010.
"I had some media experience from London before moving to Ghana. When I came here, I joined TV3 and later moved into corporate communications."
Life took another unexpected turn after the birth of her son. What began as occasional sales through social media quickly gathered momentum.
She created Instagram and Facebook pages and started sourcing products parents struggled to find locally. The response surprised even her.
"I was still working full-time, but the orders kept increasing. I would go to the office carrying several people's deliveries, while dispatch riders came to pick up orders."
Eventually, the balancing act became impossible.
"There came a point where I realised I had too many orders. I didn't think it was fair to my employer anymore because if I had someone working for me and doing that, I wouldn't be happy."
The leap of faith
Leaving the security of a corporate career was one of the most difficult decisions she has ever made.
"It was scary because I had a comfortable job and a good salary, but I told myself that if I was giving all of that up, then this had to work."
For her, failure was never an option.
"There was no Plan B. There wasn't this idea that if it didn't work, I'd simply go back to corporate. Knowing I had nothing to fall back on made me put everything into the business," She said.
She admits those early days were demanding.
"I was replying to messages at 11 p.m., sometimes at one in the morning. I nearly broke down because I was stretching myself too much."
Within months, the family home could no longer contain the growing business.
"Our garage became full. The living room became overcrowded. We simply ran out of space, so I had to find a shop."
Winning customers through trust
Rather than competing on price, Ms Ntsiakoh focused on introducing many products that were new to the Ghanaian market.
She regularly attended baby exhibitions in the United Kingdom and brought back brands and products she believed families would appreciate.
"In the beginning, they didn't sell quickly because people didn't know them. I had to educate customers about why they were useful. Once people understood the products, they started recommending us to others. Word of mouth became one of our biggest strengths."
Success beyond herself
As the business became more established, another pattern emerged.
Women, many of them mothers, began asking her how they, too, could build successful businesses.
Instead of simply offering advice over the phone, she decided to organise free mentoring sessions.
"I put a message on my WhatsApp status saying I wanted to mentor ten women. They had all recently had babies and wanted to start businesses but didn't know where to begin."
Using her media and branding background, she taught them practical skills, including branding, customer service, social media marketing and free digital tools.
"I wanted to give them information they could actually use."
When the sessions ended, she wanted the women to demonstrate what they had learned.
Around the same time, Mother's Day was approaching.
"I realised we didn't really have events in Ghana that celebrated mothers beyond going to a hotel for lunch. There wasn't a space where mothers could simply come together."
That observation led to the birth of Mum's Day Out in 2019.
"It started as something small for my customers and the women I was mentoring. I just wanted them to display their products, meet other mothers and grow their businesses."
Empowering women
Today, the annual free-to-attend event attracts families from across the country, but Miss Ntsiakoh insists its purpose remains unchanged.
"It's never just about making sales. It's about creating opportunities."
She believes many entrepreneurs underestimate the importance of preparation.
"I can bring people to your stand, but I can't sell your products for you; that's why we organise training before the event. We teach vendors how to present their products, engage customers and follow up after the event," she explained.
She encourages entrepreneurs to see exhibitions as long-term investments rather than one-day sales opportunities.
"Some businesses are still getting customers they met years ago. That's the real value."
Balancing business and motherhood
While many admire her achievements, Ms Ntsiakoh says balancing business with raising a family remains one of her greatest challenges.
"The children don't stop needing you because you're running a business."
She explained that even after work, mothers continue thinking about school lunches, uniforms, homework and sick children.
"Mental exhaustion is real. Sometimes you just feel drained."
She credits her husband and trusted support system for helping her maintain that balance.
"My husband is very understanding. I also have an amazing team at work and people at home who support me. Without them, I honestly wouldn't be able to do everything I do."
Looking ahead
This year's Mum's Day Out happening today at the Underbridge Annex at East Legon, Accra, will introduce panel discussions with women entrepreneurs, health talks, expanded children's activities and spaces designed for fathers as well.
For Miss Ntsiakoh, however, the event is simply another step in a journey that began with a surprise in a maternity ward years ago.
Looking back, she says the greatest satisfaction has never been watching her own businesses grow. Instead, it is seeing other women succeed.
"When someone tells me they met their biggest client because of the event, or that they finally believed in themselves enough to continue their business, that's what makes me happy. There is room for all of us to succeed. Sometimes people just need someone to open a door for them."
Giving back
Beyond creating opportunities for women through her businesses and mentorship initiatives, Miss Ntsiakoh is equally passionate about supporting vulnerable families.
Over the years, she has donated essential supplies to underserved communities and hospitals across the country, particularly Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
