"Grief Took Away My Creativity" – Hayet Rida: The Story Behind KHOI, Love, Loss & Starting Again

In this deeply personal episode of The Peswa Podcast, we sit down with Hayet Rida, founder of KHOI, to talk about creativity, entrepreneurship, failure, reinvention, love, loss and the difficult process of learning how to keep going. Hayet's journey to building KHOI was anything but conventional. A creative strategist and longtime content creator, she turned years of experience in advertising, branding and community-building into a sculptural accessories brand that has grown from an unexpected opportunity into an internationally recognised creative business. KHOI began in 2022, after a failed jewelry collaboration left Hayet with thousands of dollars worth of packaging. Instead of seeing the setback as the end, she turned it into the beginning of something of her own. In this conversation, Hayet opens up about grief, love and what it means to continue living and building when life doesn't go according to plan. She speaks honestly about the emotional reality of loss, the pressure to keep functioning, the role of work and creativity in processing difficult seasons, and what she has learned about resilience, vulnerability and moving forward. This isn't just a conversation about building a jewelry brand. It's a conversation about building a life — losing part of it — and finding the courage to keep creating. In this episode, we discuss: • Hayet's journey from Ghana to the United States • Her career in advertising and creative strategy • Building a personal brand and community • The unexpected story behind KHOI • Turning a failed collaboration into a business opportunity • Building KHOI from the ground up • Entrepreneurship, failure and taking risks • Being laid off while building her company • The realities behind the "entrepreneurial success" story • Love, marriage and losing her husband months after their wedding • Navigating grief in public • How grief changes your perspective on life • Finding the strength to keep creating • Reinvention, resilience and starting again This is one of our most vulnerable conversations yet. Watch, listen and share your thoughts with us. Subscribe to The Peswa Podcast for more honest conversations with the entrepreneurs, founders and creators building Africa's future. 00:00 Intro 04:00 Learning Resilience and Drive from My Parents' Lives 12:37 Overcoming Body Image Struggles and Building Online Community 16:54 The Weight of Being a Role Model and Finding Healing 20:49 From Photography Student to Advertising Strategist 24:31 Life After Meta: Layoffs and the Dream of Freedom 27:20 From Failed Candles to an Unexpected Jewelry Brand 31:39 Reclaiming My Creativity and Turning Grief into Art 38:00 Unexpected Recognition and Maintaining Brand Exclusivity 41:10 Global Expansion and Building a Hospitality Empire 45:57 Embracing Mixed Heritage and Surrendering to Life's Journey 49:16 Inspiring Others to Start Again and Live Their Purpose #ThePeswaPodcast #HayetRida #KHOI #Entrepreneurship #Grief #Resilience #Ghana #AfricanEntrepreneurs #Business #Entrepreneur