Introduction
All right, guys. This is your boy Samo G and I'm here with the most controversial and one of the biggest financial coaches in Africa, Coach Echow Ashun. So, coach, how are you feeling today, man?
Coach Echo: I'm blessed, bro. Fantastic.
Samo G: You know, you're very controversial. Really? Yes, you're very controversial. I want to ask I want to ask you why are you controversial?
Why Coach Echo is Called "Controversial"
Coach Echo: I'm controversial because I know a lot of things that I think 90% of Africans don't know.
Samo G: What are the some of those things you want to highlight?
You Don't Have to Pray for Money
Coach Echo: Number one, you don't have to pray for money. You know, most Africans pray, they fast, they even sow seeds for God's blessings. But how do you have to pray for money? Because dollar, CD, naira are not in heaven. So when you pray to God that God should give you money, God should open financial doors for you, God should connect you to your destiny helper, excuse me say that kind of prayer is bogus. It doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't make sense to me because about 99% of people who pray this kind of prayers don't have any valuable products or service to to exchange for money. You understand what I'm saying?
Because money hides in people, right? And I always say that it will always flow from their direction to you. If you have something valuable to exchange for money so in the world of money, if you don't have any valuable product or service to exchange for money, forget about money. No matter how many hours you pray or you fast, you will not make money. It is simple as ABC. But our African brothers and sisters don't really understand. And this is the reason why they say they say I'm controversial. I'm not controversial.
Think, Don't Just Pray
For example, you've been to school like you are a graduate and you've completed university for let's say 10 years, 5 years, you are not getting a job. Why don't you put away that certificate and start thinking about how you can make money? See bro, money is circulating every day. So why don't you sit down and come up with something that you can exchange money.
So I always say that when you wake up in the morning, you pray. The next thing that you should do is to think. And unfortunately about 90% of our people don't think. They they always meditate on problems. You understand? don't think they they they like they always think about their problems. What am I going to eat today? How am I going to pay my rent? How am I how am I going to pay my bills? You understand?
But you have to think about like let's say you have 24 hours a day.
So the 24 hours that you have, how are you going to make money with the 24 hours that God has given you? You understand what I'm saying? You need to sell something. sell something every day because see look around you all the enrichment that we have in our world they have something that they always exchange for money so bro I'm not controversial until our people understand the kind of message that God has given to me to bless Africans they they always say I'm controversial that's true
Three People You Should Never Take Financial Advice From
Samo G: and speaking of controversy there's one topic that was very interesting I saw you made a video about it you were talking about not listening to your parents if they are not financially successful ful not taking advice from them apart from your parents or if you want to list who are the people that you should never take financial advice from
Coach Echo: I would say three people right number one your parents your pastor and your friends so let me break it down now
1. Your Parents (If They're Not Financially Successful)
growing up like in the 80s I I was born in the 80s right now in the 80s like a lot of uh African h e uh parents were were were not educated. Okay. So when we go to school and we vacate your mother or your father will like your parents will hire a chemistry teacher or physics teacher or like you have to go to extra classes. When you go and they give you assignment because your parents don't have that knowledge like they don't really know anything about physics or mathematics. You need like somebody who has the knowledge. You understand what I'm saying?
So if your parents don't understand chemistry or biology and you have an assignment, can they teach you? They cannot teach you. So why do you go to your parent who is broke to give you financial and business advice? Because they don't know anything about money. You understand what I'm saying?
And the reason why majority of Africans are poor is because of what? They inherited poverty from their parents. Not as in physical inheritance. I'm talking about mental inheritance because when when when you come from a poor home like where like bically everything that you see around you is is is like is h how do I mentality? You understand what I'm saying? Every day your parents are saying that we don't have money. I don't have money to pay your school fees.
Scientifically when a child is born from six no from 0 to 7 there is something that we call uh clean slate every child comes to this world with empty mind you don't have anything so you you you copy your parents or like the people that you come you like you come in contact with so if your parents are broke bro if your parents are poor they can't teach you how to make money or how to start a good business because your parents themselves did not even like they don't even have a business.
So how are they going to teach you how you can start a business on you can only take financial advice from your parents if they have a good financial track record. You understand what I'm saying? Let's let's forget about the sentiment. Take advice from people who really understand money. People who who are rich. You understand what I'm saying?
2. Your Pastor (If They're Not Financially Successful)
And secondly, if your pastor is not rich, if your pastor has never started any successful business before, how is he going to advise you to let's say like make money or let's say start a business? Because whenever you go to your pastor with any solid business idea, your pastor will tell you that let's pray and listen to what God will say. So until God speak to your pastor, there is no way the pastor will give will give you go ahead to start the business or go ahead with that idea.
But God who gave you that idea knows very well that you can what you can fulfill. You can achieve you can implement that idea. That is why God gave you that idea. So why do you have to wait on your pastor to listen to God? You are the image and you are you are the likeness of God. The kingdom of God is within you. You don't have to listen to your pastor or your pastor should give you go ahead before what you you execute that business. So don't listen to your pastor if that pastor has has no financial track record. I'm not saying don't listen to your pastor. What I'm saying is when it comes to business or or like anything about money
3. Your Friends (If They're Broke)
number three your friends see 99% of our thinking is being determined by the people we associate ourselves with daily. If you connect yourself with broke people, you are going to be broke. If you connect yourself with friends who are poor, you're going to be poor. If you connect yourself with people, I mean, who don't have money, of course, you're not going to have because like broke people like they always compete on problems. When you are like discussing let's say your financial problem with your broke friend, your friend will tell you that ah this your problem is small. You know the problem that I have, my employee is bigger than you and they they will start competing. You understand?
So if you talk to like if you connect yourself with broke people, you think like them, you talk like them or poor people, you talk like them, you think like them, you eat like them, you dress like them, you even marry them and you give children, you give birth to children who have no ambitions in life. Wow.
The Problem with African Universities
Samo G: You mentioned something in one of your videos. You said university in Africa has programmed people to want to work for the bank instead of building their own bank. What do you mean by that?
Coach Echo: Yeah. When you go to university, university will not teach you how to make money. No university in Africa will teach you how to discover your purpose or your talent on this earth. How to develop the talent. How to position the talent to make money. No university in Africa will teach you that.
But what I believe is that when God created like his children, right? He has given each and everyone an assignment, a gift that you have to fulfill that gift on this earth and your gift must also what give you food. Okay? But when you go to university, I'm not saying people should not go to that's not what I'm saying.
You see the university will program you to become an employee than to what to to to become an employer. University will teach you how to count money, how to budget what money than to how to make your own money. You understand what I'm saying?
So university is good but I believe the kind of university that we have in the kind of the school the kind of school standard we have in Africa does not really help our people to really achieve much in life because see it's like I'm talking too much but but let let me express let me express myself it's like when you you see a graduate somebody who has completed university for 2 years 3 years 10 years and the person is still looking for a job he has become a miserable job hunter because our the system has programmed him to always believe that he needs somebody to employ him. Without somebody employ him, he cannot be his own boss.
But let me tell you something. What is the meaning of education? If you have certificate, if you are educated and that education, okay, that knowledge cannot translate into money. That knowledge cannot cannot put food on your table. What kind of knowledge is that? Answer me. That's a useless knowledge. It's useless. Am I controversial?
Coach Echo's Origin Story
Samo G: What made you start this whole thing? Cuz this is really it's really something, you know. What made you what inspired you to start? Cuz I I know I can imagine how it would be like in the early stages of you trying to give financial advice and all that. What made you start?
From Pastor to Financial Coach
Coach Echo: So, you know, my background like I always tell people that I'm a pastor like I'm from a religious home and I was a pastor in my 20ies. You understand? And I realized I discovered myself and I I realized that God has given me a mandate to really spread financial education in the world. I didn't know like till I listened to David Bishop David O you are doing and Bishop D will tell you as a pastor you need to build a library will tell you build a you need to read.
So I started buying books and started reading. I like those days I remember I will read like I will sit down and read like 6 hours a day or 8 hours a day. I've read like over,500 books. I read a lot of I I don't I don't watch TV. I don't listen to radio. I like anything about entertainment. I hate it. So I remember one day in a church my wife said when I met you you were always reading writing and you always tell me big things like all the things that like you told me like wisdom why don't you pursue pursue your calling.
So what my wife told me was like a tsunami that hits my head. I said no that was the discovery. It was that it was that time that I really came to my senses and I I realized that this is what the gift that God has given me. So I started and and and because I remember way back when I was like way back like I would go to a church and I'll preach one of my friends his I mean her his mom will say you were a man of wisdom man of hope till today my friend got hence his mom calls me man of hope because I always inspire people give them a lot of hope ideas and so many stuff you understand.
The Social Media Journey
So I started buying books like I said reading a whole lot of things like reading so many things business and financial books reading about like scientists reading about great great men of God reading about like reading books like Robert Kaki think reading all those books so I started going to radio because I wanted people to know the kind of message that God has given and one of my friends she's My childhood friend, her name is Jenophori. Jenori said, "Master, you have a calling. You have a gift and this is your gift. Radio is too small. Forget about this radio and concentrate on social media. Go to social media." I said, "Ah, mother, what what are you telling me?"
And you know, this particular friend of mine, she's my sister. You know when Zugarberg invented Facebook way back like she was in Germany and she told me that you have to be on Facebook. You understand? So this lady she gave me a lot of pressure. Go on social media. Go on social media. So I remember my first video. I recorded the video and my my wife was the one who shot the video for me. I recorded and I sent the video to Jennifer.
She was in Germany at that time and you know be like before Jennifer like when she was my friend when she was giving me wala pressure to go to social media I remember I was I was on Sunday one guy his name is Maxwell called me and he said boss after like during the phone program the phone and he called me and said boss you have a powerful message you have to go you have to come on social media so it's like it was a confir from my sister and from this guy.
I said, "No, I didn't know anything about social media." So, I had to start from zero. You understand what I'm saying? Learn everything about social media. And my sister Jane taught me how to use Instagram. Actually, it was one particular lady, Esther, who opened my Instagram page for me that I remember very well at Laas Papay. She opened my Instagram page for me and Jane started putting pressure on me be on social media will be on social media. So I record the video and I was sent to her. Then like sharing the So I started from Facebook. I didn't blow. I I went to YouTube. I didn't blow. Now I like repackaged myself and started on Instagram. And when I started on Instagram, I was there and one day I had a voice. Why don't you go to Tik Tok, bro?
The day that I went to Tik Tok, when I posted my first video, like I posted a video around 8:00 p.m. The following day, I had I had crossed the one 1,000K and my video started my videos the video started trending. When I started after 3 days, Instagram disabled my page. That one that one is another it's a conversation for another day. They disabled they disabled my page.
The Divine Calling
It's like when I discovered the whole thing about discover when I discovered myself these are the people who have really helped me and even even today my sister I mean she has been she has been like my backbone because like every day she she will be on me ma even when I say something and like I didn't like I did not say it ma ma this you understand what I'm saying like I'll say that she's my coach You know what she is? But because she has really she really motivated me a lot and you know my wife used to encourage me like in fact when I started recording my videos you know every video I'll be serious recording and my wife said no no no when you are talking to people you have to smile relax.
So bro like that is the like to cut the whole story that is it was when I discovered myself you understand and sometimes I've seen a lot of people trying to copy what I'm doing bro you cannot copy what I'm doing because see me even when I'm sleeping even when I'm buffing you understand what I'm saying when I'm driving I get a lot of ideas all the things that you like the the the things that you see me talking about social talking on social media like I I get inspired ideas for example one particular video I was coming to your your your wedding one particular video I said don't work at age 40 why do you have to wake up every day and go to work don't work at age 40 you know what
when I was when I when I was coming to your wedding when I when I was stepping out from my living room I got the idea I quickly gave the phone to my wife record me and within 1 minute 30 seconds and I and I uploaded the video and come and see the video started trending. Yeah.
So, it's like it's like inspire something. God has given you a calling and I know that Africans are really going to benefit from this kind of assignment that God has given that you you you know you you answered the call and you started because I I always say that we need a mindset revolution in Africa. If Africa is going to be better, if Africa is going to change, we it's it's it needs we definitely need a mindset revolution.
And then we have people like you who are um leading that revolution and inspiring people to change their mindset cuz we need to think differently. You know, if we don't change our mindset, you know, things are not going to change. I'm very happy you you answered the call that that's really incredible.
Don't Build a House First - Build a Business
Samo G: Um I want to ask you another thing. I saw a video and this video I think it got over 2 million views on on Tik Tok and you you said uh it's better to in don't build a house yet. Do not build a house yet. build a business and then use the revenue to build a house. People said, "Oh, no, you gota, you know, everybody was saying that's where people were saying you're controversial." What did you mean by that?
Why Building a House First Doesn't Make Sense
Coach Echo: Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't make sense for a young man or a young lady who has started life to build a house. It doesn't make sense if you don't have a business. I believe like along the way you get stuck. Why do you use your savings to build a house in the first place?
Now if you are building a house don't build even don't build a house that you are going to live in. Build a house that you can use some to rent. That's the beginning. Use some to rent and you you live in like the like the same build like let's say apartments.
You understand what I'm like for example our brothers and sisters in the you understand they come to Africa some of them spend like 3 weeks 2 weeks 1 month. You understand? And let's say you have a house here in Africa, six bedrooms apartment or six sorry six bedrooms like six bedrooms you now basically your parents or your your your your family members are the one living in that building. You have to pay electricity. You have to pay water bill. You the same person that have to pay water bills. And even when like when the toilet is full, you have to even send send money for them to what to take the toilet out. The house is not giving you any money.
The Reality of Rental Properties
So why don't you let's for example why don't you build let's say apartment three story two like three story four story your parents they live in or your sibling they live in one like you rent the rest of them and even go ahead let me tell you something even building a house for rent sometimes doesn't make sense it doesn't make sense because when you are going to make money from renting it is when you have so many what like apartments properties but let's say if you have only one three bedrooms apartment or two bedrooms you understand and you are you are renting the two bedroom or three bedrooms how much money are you going to earn from that two bedrooms apartment or three bedrooms in Ghana we you like we pay rent like basically every year so let's say if you are if you are renting a house for let's say two bedrooms for let's say 5,000 cities a month 5,000 cities a month multiply by 12 is how much looking at maintainers.
So looking at you you always have to maintain the house. So people who are making money from rent are people who have different different units, different different apartment but not not only one apartment. I'm telling you, you see, you see, when I when I posted this video, I got so many messages, young man like one particular guy sent me a message, you understand? And this guy all his like all the money that he has on him, he invested it into what building four bedrooms apartment and now he's stuck. He's even contemplating of selling the house. And I'm telling you, don't sell the house. Find a way to what to to generate money to to start a business.
Business First, Then Property
The goal is start a business first. And I mean in that video people were saying in the comment section that I mean business can fail. They are not serious. When you are starting a business, always put knowledge first. Do more research about the business you are starting. Don't invest in what in a speculative venture. When you when you know what exactly like a specific business that will generate a lot of money, you understand what I'm saying and you have much information about the business grow, you are going to minimize your failure.
If you have money, buy a land, fence the land to protect the land and leave the land and what invest your money, start a business, do business and use the proceeds, the profit to what to build your house. Otherwise, see, there are so many broke landlords in Africa.
You'll build a house, you not even complete it. You'll be broke and you'll be tempted to even sell the house to take care of yourself. When you are growing, your expenses will increase, your medical bills, blah blah blah. You have to so have a stable income, then use the pro like I said to build as simple as ABCD.
That is incredible. And I think this is very different from what a lot of people hear, you know, and so a lot of Africans, like you said, have started things a different way and then they they're they're stuck.
The China Import Strategy
Samo G: So, I mean, most people say excess importation is not really good for the African economy. Uh, but lately, you've been talking about China a lot and you just came back from China. Yes, I know. I know. Yes.
Starting Small with Imports
Coach Echo: It's not good for us to import everything. But the thing is we all don't like majority of the people don't even have the money to even go into production like produce something in Africa. You understand what I'm saying? Because let's say you want to even go into toilet paper business, produce your own toilet paper in Africa, you still need a machine from China and that machine you need about $15,000. 15 How many people in Africa have that $15,000? the $15,000 the structure like you know like you have you have to put a lot of things in place before you can even go into let's say producing your your own toilet you understand what I'm saying
so if you don't have that huge money start little by little from China bro China is like has taken the lead the world is made in China produce almost everything you understand what I'm saying so if you are a young person and you are watching this video and you have small amount of money, you are a stay home mom, you are a nurse, a teacher, accountant, look for one particular business you can start from China basically you don't even need a shop I mean get a supplier from China buy the what do you call it the product sell in Africa when you are able to save enough money go into what production manufacturing import the machine from China and produce your own stuff.
Following Successful Examples
You see a lot of rich men in Africa started like this. I one day I was listening to a part one one man big man like that in Nigeria. He said I mean initially he started going to Turkey. You understand what I'm saying? So when he when when he when he went to Turkey he met an investor in Turkey. Okay. He met an investor in Turkey and like basically like they started a business in in in Nigeria. So if you have the money go into production produce something in Africa and not only about importation there are so many things we can produce in Africa. There are so many things but you see majority of our people don't have the money. But if you have the money, let's produce in Africa. But if you don't have the money and you think you have $2,000, $3,000, $1,000, start something from China, sell on social media, take and make money, save your money, and go into manufacturing. It's simple as ABCD.
That's that's incredible.
Final Message to African Youth
Samo G: So, what would you like to say to the youth of Africa?
Take Control of Your Life
Coach Echo: My last word to the youth of Africa is very simple. If you're watching this video and you are in your 20s, your 30s, my dear brother, my dear sister, you have only one life on this earth, take good care of your life. See, don't depend on politicians. You see, don't ever think that a certain government is coming to save you. No.
You see, it is not the government or the economy that will determine the size of your bank account. It is the problem you identify and you solve that will put money in your bank account. If your bank account is empty, my dear brother, it means you are empty.
Stop Wasting Time on Social Media
Why don't you stop wasting unnecessary time on social media consuming unnecessary content that are not adding any value to your life. Consume things that will help you to upgrade yourself. You see, if you consume tank information, your life is going to be jank. You're going to have a jank life.
Invest in Yourself
So, what I would say is invest in yourself. Read more books. do more research and don't think that somebody is going to save you. Nobody's going to save you. Stop depending on people. If you're going to depend on people and their promises, you are going to be the most useless person on this earth. Because even the Bible says we should not depend on human beings and their promises.
Make a Difference
You have your life in front of you. Why don't you make a difference in life? And if you're going to make a difference in life, you need to subject yourself to research. Subject yourself to reading. Read. Do more research. Start your own business. Don't depend on your certificate. Don't be a miserable job hunter. Because if you're going to depend on your certificate and like if you're going to depend on your certificate thinking that your certificate is going to save you, you're going to be a miserable job hunter.
You Can Turn Your Life Around
The sky is the limit for you from today as you watch me. If I can turn my life around, then you can turn your life around because I come from a poor home. I'm not from a rich home. I come from a poor home and you don't have any excuse. You is your duty to change your life and to change the life of your family. Subscribe to my YouTube channel. Turn on the notification bell so that anytime I upload a new video, you are going to be the first person to watch my video. Stay blessed.
Conclusion
Thank you guys for tuning in. This is your boy Samo G once again with the number one financial coach, Coach Echo Ashen.
This interview provides raw, unfiltered insights into financial mindset transformation. Whether you agree or disagree with Coach Echo's methods, his message about taking personal responsibility for financial success resonates with thousands across Africa who are ready to break generational poverty cycles.