As a child, she wanted to command a presence, speak to people, and build things of value. But if you had told little Marian that she would be deeply immersed in factory production lines, navigating food safety certifications, and calculating agro-processing margins alongside corporate public relations, she might have been surprised. She always knew she was destined for leadership, but the dual path of PR and manufacturing became a beautiful evolution she hadn’t fully anticipated.

The thread that connects her childhood dream to her current reality is impact. She always wanted a platform where her voice and her actions could drive change. Whether that was through media, diplomacy, or corporate leadership, the goal was always to be at the table making decisions, not just watching from the sidelines. This reflected the kind of visionary mindset she carried even then.

The Koco D'Luv story began back in 2012 out of an issue in Ghana's agricultural sector. She set out to convert agricultural waste into sustainable economic value products by processing post-harvest losses and turning them into safe and healthy snack options. It broke her heart to see hardworking local farmers pour their sweat into harvesting crops like plantains, only to watch them rot because of poor storage, bad roads, or lack of market access. Fueled by this, Koco D’Luv was born to bridge that gap by adding value: taking that surplus, processing it under strict hygiene standards, and turning it into a shelf-stable premium snack like Koco Crunch plantain chips.

It started small, with standard trial and error, experimenting with flavors, and processing manually. The real transition came down to standardization and compliance. Looking to the future, she realized early on that to move from an 'idea' to a trusted commercial brand, she needed rigorous quality control. She invested heavily in meeting the standards of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

The post-COVID period marked a critical turning point in the business. She secured a grant through the former NBSSI (now Ghana Enterprises Agency), which allowed her to purchase machinery, mechanize the production line, and scale up our capacity significantly.

As a founder, in her words, “You are constantly managing relationships: with regulatory bodies like the FDA, with suppliers, with investors, and with your consumers. When there isa supply chain bottleneck or a regulatory delay, the ability to communicate transparently, manage expectations, and protect your brand’s reputation is what keeps the business alive. PR taught me that your product is only half the battle; how people feel about your brand and how you handle adversity is the other half.”

She believed her entry into PR was an alignment of talent and education. She pursued her Master of Arts in Brands and Communications Management at UPSA in 2022, which gave her the theoretical bedrock for understanding how perceptions, brand equity, and institutional reputations are built. Her stepping into corporate PR, managing high-level institutional communications and public affairs, was the natural playground for those skills. It wasn't an accident; it was a calculated step to master the art of narrative design.

Fourteen years in business in this economic landscape requires deep roots. Her primary motivation is the impact ecosystem; knowing that this factory supports local farmers and provides employment keeps her going when inflation or supply chain issues hit. Secondly, it’s about proving longevity. So many women-led micro-SMEs fizzle out after a few years because of systemic barriers, lack of capital, or sheer exhaustion. Sustaining Koco D'Luv since 2012 is her way of proving that a local agri-processing business can endure, evolve, and scale.

More often than not, people see the polished corporate executive and assume everything is seamless. They think, “I want to be like her”. They might be surprised to learn that she is not afraid to get her hands dirty. She has stood on factory floors, overseen the manual sorting of plantains, and personally navigated the intense, unglamorous bureaucratic maze of regulatory approvals. She loves the high-level strategy, but is entirely grounded in the grit of grassroots execution.

Most emerging professionals believe in balancing multiple roles. Our founder reconstructed this by saying, “If I'm being entirely honest on this set: the word 'balance' can be a bit of a myth. It’s less about a perfect split and more about integration and strict prioritization. I have seasons where my PR responsibilities require late nights and absolute focus. I have other seasons, like peak production or brand expansions (like launching our Koco Catering arm), where the business demands my undivided attention.

I manage it by building competent systems and teams who can hold down the fort when I am stepping into my other roles. And personally, I protect my boundaries fiercely. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so knowing when to step back, rest, and unplug is non-negotiable”.