When I started my first business, my “why” was simple—survival.
Fresh out of secondary school, I knew college wasn’t an option. My
father, a Nairobi City Council worker (now Nairobi City County),
was the sole breadwinner for our family of five. Raising three boys,
supporting our mother, and juggling a meagre, often delayed salary,
he did what he could.
But there was no extra.
No savings. No side hustle. Just survival.
So, I started hustling. Not because I had a grand plan, but because I
had no choice!
(felt like singing Anthony Hamilton's- Coming from Where I'm from)
My childhood friends, Felix and his older brother Linus, had always
been into bodybuilding back in our Kongo-Kawangware days.
That’s how I got into fitness myself. Even now, when I’m not out
jogging, I turn to bodybuilding to stay fit, though I do fall off
sometimes (don’t we all?).
But not Felix. He stayed consistent. And turned his passion into a
profession—he’s now a seasoned gym and personal fitness instructor.
His is a story of passion meeting purpose. (More on him in Tip #5.)
For some entrepreneurs, passion becomes the fuel.
Others identify a market gap.
Take, for example, my short-lived food delivery venture at
Nakumatt Junction (now The Junction). A friend noticed a problem:
the mall staff needed affordable lunch options, but none were
nearby. Productivity suffered....