What Growing Up on 5 Continents Taught Me About Business

I was born in Montreal. By the time I was 16, I had lived in Cameroon, Moscow, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo before landing in Kansas City. Growing up across five continents as a missionary kid did not just shape who I am. It gave me a set of business instincts that I could never have learned in a classroom.

Adaptability Is Not Optional

When you move countries every few years as a kid, you learn to read new environments fast. Different languages, different currencies, different social norms. You learn to adapt or you struggle. There is no third option.

That skill transfers directly to business. Amazon changes its algorithm, its policies, its advertising platform constantly. Brands that cannot adapt get left behind. At Marknology, adaptability is baked into our DNA because it was baked into mine.

I was raised in Africa in a war zone. I was taught to be afraid of a lot. Afraid of nature, afraid of government, afraid of a lot of stuff. It is more about working out your courage and the ability to overcome those fears every day. You have to practice that, just like going to the gym.

Fear Is Familiar, Not Fatal

People think entrepreneurs are fearless. That is wrong. I am afraid of plenty. Growing up in politically unstable countries taught me that danger is real. But it also taught me that fear does not have to stop you. You just keep moving.

Every time I have launched a new service, hired for a role I was not sure we could afford, or pitched a brand way above our weight class, I felt fear. The difference is that I have been practicing overcoming fear since I was a kid. That muscle is strong.

Resourcefulness Over Resources

In developing countries, you learn that resources are limited. You fix things instead of replacing them. You find creative solutions because the obvious ones are not available. You learn that constraints breed innovation.

I started Marknology with no funding, no office, no network. Just a laptop and an internet connection. That resourcefulness from my childhood served me well. While other agencies raised capital and built fancy offices, I was grinding on Upwork, turning $250 projects into a portfolio that would eventually manage $2B+ in revenue.

Relationships Cross Every Border

Moving constantly as a kid means you get very good at making friends quickly. You also learn that genuine connection matters more than superficial networking. I do not collect business cards. I build real relationships.

That approach has served Marknology well. Many of our longest client relationships started with a genuine conversation, not a sales pitch. We have clients who have been with us for years because the relationship is real. Check out our client stories to see what I mean.

A Global Perspective in a Global Marketplace

Amazon is a global platform. When I tell clients to expand to Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, or Amazon Japan, I am not guessing. I have literally lived on multiple continents. I understand that consumer behavior, branding, and trust signals vary by culture.

My upbringing gave me a global lens long before "global e-commerce" was a buzzword. And with my sisters (all of whom share this international background), Marknology brings a perspective that most agencies simply cannot match.

I talk about my upbringing and how it informs my business approach on the Startup Hustle podcast. If you want the long version, go listen.