Join us for this episode with Michael Mekonnen, Founder and Managing Director of Menkem International Business PLC a leading conglomerate in Ethiopia. We explore Michael’s entrepreneurial journey and key sectors of his business: entertainment, transport & logistics, import and FMCG distribution. The conversation also touches on strategic diversification, the Djibouti Free Zone, and building talent and customer service excellence. More from our partners: Dashen Bank Website: https://dashenbanksc.com Telegram: https://t.me/DashenBankEthiopia EthioTelecom Download Telebirr Remit App on Playstore : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ethiotelecom.telebirr.remit&hl=en&pli=1 Appstore: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/telebirr-remit/id6642675033 Website: https://www.ethiotelecom.et/ 00:00 - Introduction 02:39 - Opening 04:18 - Journey 22:01 - Music Band business model 25:12 - Why do bands split up? 26:57 - Income of Artists 30:04 - The shift from a musician to a business man 35:08 - Other business sectors 44:18 - More businesses 48:29 - Logistics 01:07:10 - Incentive Model 01:11:56 - Transportation services 01:14:18 - Distribution 01:24:43 - Transportation and technology platform 02:05:47 - Customer Service 02:09:11 - Vehicle maintenance: Business Model 02:12:00 - Delegation 02:23:56 - Whats the first thing you’d do if everything disappeared tomorrow? 02:25:38 - Source of knowledge 02:29:07 - Rundown questions 02:34:30 - Life wisdom 02:36:09 - Last thoughts Social Links https://t.me/MERI_PODCAST https://twitter.com/MERI_Podcast https://www.instagram.com/meripodcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKNuQ80qNSpt2x-7dsazJg https://youtube.com/@Meriwoch?si=yIpJ3byprnVNwKi1 https://youtube.com/@mericlipset?si=wwa0KeQ_Nv2aPy9l https://www.tiktok.com/@meripodcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/meriethiopian/ Copyright Notice for Meri Podcast: All rights reserved. The content featured in this podcast is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of any portion of this podcast is strictly prohibited. For permission to use our content, please contact us at info@meri.et Thank you for respecting our copyright.