Today we’d like to introduce you to KJ Mensah.
Hi KJ, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Tafo, a town in the Kumasi area of Ghana, the youngest of five kids. Being the last one teaches you to watch before you speak, and I think that’s where I learned to read people. That skill has followed me into everything I do now.
I came to the US in my twenties with big plans and very little road map. I settled in Denver, built a career in business development, and spent close to two decades there before moving to Austin. Along the way I met my wife, Stasia. We were friends first, which I still tell couples is one of the best foundations you can have. Today we have three kids who keep us humble and very tired.
My path hasn’t been clean. In 2021 I started a call center business, and it failed when the staffing agency I depended on didn’t deliver. That one stung, because I did everything I knew to do and still watched it fall apart. I also lost my father while I was here in the States, too far away to say goodbye the way I wanted. Later my mother came to live with us, and she passed in our home. Grief from a distance and grief up close taught me two very different lessons.
Somewhere in all of that, I started writing down what I was learning about marriage, love, worth, and where we come from. Those notes became four books under Mrz Stamens LLC. Now I coach men and couples, host a podcast, and try to give people the honest conversations I wish someone had given me sooner.
Where I am today isn’t a finish line. It’s just proof that failure doesn’t get the last word if you keep showing up.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close. The first struggle was simply starting over. Coming to America in my twenties meant learning a new culture, new rules, and a new version of myself, all while trying to make my family back home proud. Nobody tells you how lonely that can be, even when you’re surrounded by people.
Then there was business. My call center venture in 2021 was supposed to be a turning point. I put in the money, the planning, and the late nights, but the staffing agency I relied on never delivered the hours they promised. Watching something you built collapse because of a piece you couldn’t control is humbling. It made me question my judgment for a while.
Grief was another heavy chapter. I lost my father while I was here, an ocean away, and later my mother passed in our home. Those losses changed how I see time, family, and what actually matters.
And honestly, balancing it all has been its own fight. A full-time career, a wife, three kids, writing, coaching, podcasting. Some seasons I was running on fumes. I’m also an introvert at heart, so putting myself out there publicly never came naturally.
But every one of those struggles gave me something to say. The hard parts are where the books came from.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Grounded?
My work lives under bythewayitsmensa.co, and at its core it’s about one thing: helping people build relationships that actually last. That covers marriage, dating, self-worth, and the everyday growth that makes love work.
I do that in a few ways. First, the books. Still Married, Still Messy is a humorous and honest look at long-term marriage. Maneuvering Modern Love is a guide to dating in today’s world. Standards: A Field Guide to Knowing Your Worth helps people stop settling. Second, coaching. I work one on one with men and with couples who are stuck, tired, or just want to do better. Third, my podcast, where I have the real conversations most people only have in private.
What sets me apart is that I don’t coach from a pedestal. I’ve failed in business, I’ve grieved, and my marriage isn’t perfect. I bring all of that to the table. I also bring a Ghanaian perspective, so I understand what it’s like to carry family expectations, culture, and faith into a modern American relationship. A lot of my clients feel seen in a way they haven’t before.
Brand wise, I’m most proud of the honesty. People tell me my books sound like a friend talking, not a lecture. That’s exactly what I want.
I’m also excited about what’s next. In about a week, we’re launching a new platform where people can sign up and be matched with a personal mentor. Whether you need guidance in relationships, business, or life in general, there will be someone in your corner.
For your readers: keep an eye on bythewayitsmensa across all media platforms for launch details. And if your relationship feels messy, that’s not a sign it’s broken. It might just mean it’s real.
What’s next?
The biggest thing right now is the mentorship platform launching next week. I’ve coached people one on one for a while, but I can only be in so many places at once. This platform changes that. People will be able to sign up and connect with a personal mentor for relationships, business, career, or life in general. My hope is that it grows beyond the US and reaches people everywhere who just need someone to talk to and learn from.
Then in December, I’m releasing my next book, and it’s the most personal thing I’ve ever written. It’s my story, start to finish. Growing up in Tafo as the youngest of five, coming to America with big dreams, the businesses that failed, losing both my parents, marriage, fatherhood, and everything in between. I held nothing back. For years I’ve been helping other people work through their stories. This time I’m telling mine, and I hope it reminds readers that a messy life can still be a meaningful one.
On the content side, I want to grow bythewayitsmensa into a place where people come for honest conversations about love, failure, faith, and starting over. Less polish, more truth.
Personally, I’m looking forward to being more present with my family. Building something takes a lot of hours, and I don’t want my kids to only remember me working. Success means nothing if I miss the people I’m doing it for.
So yes, big changes are coming. But the mission stays the same: help people build lives and relationships that actually last. Stay tuned to bythewayitsmensa on all platforms, because this next chapter is just getting started.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bythewayitsmensa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bythewayitsmensa?mdxt=MXJsdjl5eGZoaDIwMA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
