Margaret Adu – The Power of Embracing Yourself

Margaret’s Bio
Margaret is a highly accomplished architect. She is the founder and managing director of Aomega Group Inc., operating as Aomega Lodges, a local personal care home. Margaret has always been extremely community-minded and has served as the President of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Calgary and the Personal Care Homes Council of Calgary. In 2010 she received the Ghanaian Canadian Achievement Award for Community Service, and in 2013 she was nominated for the Black and Gold Award for her community and business efforts.

Episode Highlights
Margaret is a force to be reckoned with. She is changing how care facilities run by giving more dignity to the residents. Through her architecture education and background, Margaret has built care facilities that accommodate a maximum of six residents and has staff available 24/7. 

Links
Aomega Lodges: http://www.aomegalodges.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-adu-2a8b91132/ 

Quotes
“I've always advised embrace your ‘you.’ And it's only when you embrace your you when you achieve, that the sky's the limit. You're part of who you are so you can break barriers.”

“When a human being is neglected, the cost to society is huge.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidence
Margaret was born in Ghana. She lost her mother at the age of four and was raised by her aunt. Being the oldest and only daughter, Margaret had many chores and responsibilities. 

In grade seven, she joined a Catholic boarding school which offered her freedoms to develop her abilities that weren’t available at home. Among other things, she served as a sports prefect. Looking back, she believes her childhood incidents shaped the woman she is today.

Influential Groups
Margaret mentioned two influential groups. The first is the architectural school she attended in Ghana. The other, the academic group she met in Canada upon joining her husband.

Temperament and Personality
When Margaret moved to Edmonton, she made the decision to take pride in her gender and ethnicity, showing herself as a proud African woman.

Cultural Epiphanies
In Africa, you do not have to call in advance when you want to visit someone, you can just show up and be welcomed. This is in stark contrast to Canada, where you’re expected to set up a meeting time in advance. 

Thriving moments
Margaret is a generous person who doesn’t easily take “no” for an answer. She brings out the best in people because she doesn’t allow them to quit on their potential. 

Soap Box Moment
Margaret urges financial institutions to look at the outcome of making facilities feel like home and to focus on meeting client needs, while proving cost effectiveness. She would be happy to offer her architectural and operational experience doing exactly that for 17 homes in Calgary, Alberta. 

Tagline
It is only when you embrace who you truly are that you begin to achieve.