Chief Executive Officer of JL Properties, Dr. James Condua Orleans-Lindsay, has revealed that he once came close to abandoning his studies after an unexpectedly profitable spell in vegetable farming.
In an interview with Irene Adubea Aning on The Career Trail programme, Dr. Orleans-Lindsay shared how a short break from school, while preparing to study abroad, led him into a vegetable business that almost made him quit school.
“When I stayed home waiting to travel, I decided to start a vegetable garden, and I nearly stopped school because I was making so much money even then,” he recalled.
He explained that he cultivated cabbage and carrots on spare land near his home in a newly developed area. Within a short time, the small farm became one of the most successful in the community and started attracting regular customers.
“Every Saturday, I was getting so much money I nearly stopped school,” he said.
That experience came after he had travelled to Hungary for studies, where language barriers made it difficult for him to continue.
“When I got to Hungary, the language was very difficult. Even in class, you couldn’t understand what the lecturers were saying. It made learning tough, and I couldn’t continue, so I decided to come back home and take a break,” he revealed.
Back in Ghana, he decided to make use of his time by starting a small vegetable farm.
What began as a simple project soon became a thriving business that almost diverted him from his academic path.
He said it took his mother’s intervention to change his mind about quitting school.
“My mother helped me in life. She insisted I get the books right,” he noted.
He encouraged young people not to look down on small ventures, saying that humble beginnings can grow into meaningful businesses if handled with dedication.
According to him, those early lessons shaped his approach to business and leadership. The discipline and entrepreneurial mindset he developed through farming later influenced his success in real estate.
Dr. Orleans-Lindsay, however, emphasised that education remains essential, noting that his current role as Chancellor of Cape Coast Technical University is proof of how academic growth complements entrepreneurial success.
