Ghanaian actress and entrepreneur Beverly Afaglo has opened up about the challenges she faced when starting her Shawarma business, Traffic Shawarma.

Speaking to Irene Adubea Aning on The Career Trail Program, she revealed that the decision to open the business coincided with a devastating personal loss when fire destroyed her house.

The actress shared that her passion for Shawarma began after experiencing the delicious taste of Lagos Shawarma. During a trip to Lagos, she was impressed by the quality of Shawarma there, which she felt far surpassed what was available in Ghana.

"Anytime I entered Lagos, the Shawarma I ate there, and it wasn't just from one place, but several, was always good. That’s the kind of Shawarma I wanted to bring to Ghana, because I had eaten Shawarma at two different places in Ghana, and it was horrible,” she expressed.

Before the business could take off, tragedy struck. Fire razed her house, leaving her in a devastating situation where she lost everything.

"All I know is that I wanted to start Shawarma. I didn’t even have the capital yet. All I knew was, ‘Give me the list, let me start buying one by one.’ Then, out of nowhere, I lost my home, and all the things I had bought were gone. My life was starting all over again," she stated.

She further narrated that the chef she brought from Lagos had quit his job, and therefore, she was forced to rent a four-room apartment to house him and begin the business, although she was not ready.

Although times were tough, they began their journey in a small six-foot container, experimenting with recipes and asking friends to taste test until they were satisfied with the results.

"Then, it was a small idea, a six-foot container, very small. Then I paid for the land permit, started building the container, and Traffic Shawarma was born," she revealed.

Along the way, Beverly encountered numerous challenges, including issues with the chef she had brought from Nigeria. After a six-month contract, she had to let him go, even though the timing was not ideal.

"I had issues with the chef I brought from Nigeria. He was supposed to stay for six months, and when the time came, I decided to let him go because things weren’t working between us. When I decided to let him go, it wasn’t the right time. But I just had to let him go," she explained.

Following making that tough decision, Beverly considered shutting down the business. However, her supportive team helped reignite her passion and convinced her to keep going.

“I was ready to shut down the business, but for my great team; my great team that I’m always grateful for, they told me, we are not shutting down the business. You know how to do it. Let’s train someone,” she disclosed.

Encouraged by her team, Beverly decided to train a new Ghanaian recruit to handle the recipes, since the Nigerian chef had not trained anyone. She closed the business for two weeks to focus on training a new person.

"If people who were our customers from the onset could remember, Traffic Shawarma was closed for two weeks in Tema. During that time, we were training someone," she recalled.

With their efforts, they eventually perfected the recipe and reopened the business.

Today, Traffic Shawarma has grown from a small idea in a six-foot container to five branches, offering not just Shawarma but also burgers, and even launching a franchise that creates opportunities for others.

The actress admonished aspiring entrepreneurs to never give up on their dreams, even when faced with challenges, because persistence is key to success.

“Don’t give up. Don’t back down. There is no stopping. When you don’t stop that is when you win. It’s hard when you put in the money and you don’t get the money back. It’s hard you when put in the work and you don’t get the support. It’s hard when time is fast going and you call yourself an entrepreneur and nothing is working for you. But trust me, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going,” she urged.

This Saturday March 29, actress and entrepreneur, Yvonne Nelson shares her journey on ‘The Career Trail’. Make a date.