K24 Terryanne Chebet's First Job & 6 Success Lessons Learnt Along The Way

Terry Anne Chebet

You see all this people you secretly admire for who they are and what they have been able to accomplish, they all started somewhere. They slowly rose up the ranks, some just shoot up and what do you know, they finally make it.

Terryanne Chebet is an accomplished woman and when I found this piece on her blog,  I thought ts wise to share to share it with you. 

Here the story written by Terryanne Chebet.

“In 1998, I packed my bags and left our home in Kitale to pursue a course in acting. I was 18, I thought I'd be back home to wait for university admission after my course. I didn’t return. I found my dream.

Kenyan Mentors: Meet Christine Khasinah-Odero (Kenya's Online Business Champion)

Christine Khasinah-Odero - CEO Supamamas

Christine Khasinah-Odero, 32, is the CEO of Supamamas, an event and marketing company that provides an exclusive platform for Kenyan mums to share, connect and get information through a website www.supamamas.co.ke and events. She also owns another marketing company Cosma Ventures – that provides marketing and events management solutions. 

Christine is warm, friendly and quite humorous’ traits that have obviously helped her get to where she is in life. Hers has been a journey of constant learning through failure, persistenence and always striving to succeed.  She speaks candidly to ESTHER KIRAGU about her life.

Young Kenyan Technoprenuer Earning More Than Ksh 100,000 pmThrough Nokia Store

Stephen Maingi, is a young developer with a great entrepreneurial spirit and many good ideas when it comes to developing applications.

Through the Nokia Store, he has managed to convert his ideas into cash; netting around 100,000 KES per month from downloads.

Stephen’s entrepreneurship journey began in 2009 when he started application development, all self-taught by using resources from the internet e.g. YouTube.

Shortly thereafter, he developed a suite of 14 applications called Kyuste Mobile Suite. These included apps like: My.Manager for adding, viewing and editing contacts; Scriptures covering a collection of bibles verses; Finance for personal finance management; Diary for management of daily and future events; I.Record for storing important information, SMS. Chat and many others.

Sure that he was onto something good, he began the process of looking for investors to raise the necessary capital like any other entrepreneur would do.

Despite presenting at a number of Innovation Forums and knocking on several doors, Stephen made no progress on his dream of commercializing his suite of apps.

He then went the route of direct sales by personally visiting schools and marketing his applications to teachers. However, with no personal transport and some health issues, this process was slow and limited, and eventually he had to get a regular job.

During this time, Stephen did manage to get 12 apps registered on GetJar where users would download the applications and get the activation code after paying for the app via PayPal. However, the commercial success was very limited with many users either not having or using a PayPal system at that time, and the sum total of his efforts amounted to around 2,000 KES per month.However, in August 2011, Stephen’s dreams were re-ignited when he heard about the Nokia Store and the ability to publish apps for free. By mid-October, he had published the first 12applications, rebranded under his new company Dolphins Data Systems. Within the first 2 weeks, Stephen had already received revenue of almost 19,000 KES from his downloads.

With this incentive in mind, he pushed forward, more determined than ever, and has since published around 200 applications to Nokia Store. These now generate an average income of around 100,000 KES per month for the young developer.

“My journey with Nokia has been an amazing one,” says Stephen. “Based on my success, I have already started work on a Qt and Windows Mobile version of my apps, and I hope to capture the smartphone user base next. I recently attended the Open Innovation Africa Summit in Nairobi and this has inspired me to keep on developing mobile apps – there is so much opportunity in this space. The ‘3 idiots’ movie reveals it better: Make your passion your profession”.

Do you have what it takes to monetize your business ideas like what Stephen did? .... Courtesy of Fenesi

Kenyan Mentors – Meet Peter Nduati (Founder, Director and CEO – Resolution Insurance).

Going through previous clips of Dad’s Can Cook; a famous Kenyan TV programme, I came through this clip of a gentleman preparing my favorite dish ‘Shepherd’s Pie’. That was my first encounter with Mr. Peter Nduati, the Founder, Director and CEO of Resolution Insurance (Previously Resolution Health – East Africa Ltd). 

It is on record, that Mr. Nduati left a full time paying job at AAR to start Resolution Health without any money at the turn of century. He is therefore one amongst the few, who has constantly challenged their comfort zones and gone the extra mile to achieve their dreams, against a backdrop of doom and despair.

Those who have interacted with  Mr. Nduati will tell you, that He is not only full of vision and focus, but he has the guts and confidence to achieve whatever he has set his eyes on.  And to prove this, Mr. Nduati is currently in his early 40’s but has so far achieved every man’s dream; in all spheres of his life.

Mr. Nduati is a Masters Degree Holder in Economics and Insurance. He is a Chartered Insurer with over 20 years experience in the Kenyan Insurance Industry. Equally, He is an Entrepreneurship Doctorate Student at Daystar University.

A Mentor with the Greenhorn Mentorship Programme and is also member of the Organizations Board of Advisors. Mr. Peter is also involved in AIESEC (an organization for students interested in Commerce and Business). He is the current Chair of Board of Daystar University’s local chapter. He won the Kenya Alumni Association in 2002 and was shortlisted nominee of the Global alumni of the year 2007. Mr. Nduati is the current Director at First Benefits Ltd, Pine Creek Holdings and Brown Oak Ltd; (an Investment Holding Company). He also sits in the Board of Governors of Dagoretti High School. Before establishing Resolution Health (Now Resolution Insurance),  Mr. Peter Nduati was the CEO of Metropolitan Health Group, a South African Health Insurance Group. He was also the Managing Director of AAR Health Services Tanzania.

A father of three children (two girls and a son). Mr. Nduati is not only an enterprising Mogul, but also a passionate man about his family, rugby, music and mentorship. He is former Director of National squads in the Kenya Rugby Football Union. He played rugby for Impala Club in the National League and is the Chairman of the Rugby Club. 

‘He is real and a cool guy to work with. He is the best Director one can ever dream working with. Confident, Straightforward, Hardworking, Honest but above all a go getter’….These were the words of one of the employees of Resolution Health who sought anonymity.  His parting short however, is what caught my attention, that ‘Mr. Nduati Knows and He Knows that He Knows’….an indication that Mr. Nduati has confidence in all His engagements.

Decision Times wishes to Salute Mr. Nduati for being a real Kenyan role model and a mentor to many aspiring young Kenyan Entrepreneurs. We wish him many many many years of good health and long life in order to continue impacting many Kenyan lives.

Kenyan Mentors - Meet Lina Githuka (BAT’S AREA HEAD OF BRANDS (EAST & CENTRAL AFRICA))

Lina Githuka Holding A young Angel

Lina Githuka joined BAT from Uniliver Kenya as a Group Brand Manager (Eastern Africa) and since then, it has been an exciting experience, one that has continuously stretched her with every role she has undertaken. Later on, she moved to the BAT’s Global Head Office in London as a Senior International Brand Manager, Managing Global Brands. This experience exposed her to marketing in Large Developed Global Markets, dealing with a more discerning consumer who is less price-sensitive and more demanding.

Developing global platforms also empowered her to think strategically. The cultural diversity of the global team was enriching as it brought out different ideas and perspectives to business discussions while valuing each other. Working in London prepared her for her next role; as a Consumer Director, working in BAT South Africa Area. Working in South Africa opened new horizons for her and created the Zeal to work in a large organization with robust structures, processes and matrix environment.

From South Africa, Lina took up the role of Head of Trade Marketing and Distribution for Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi based in Kampala. Months ago, Lina took up her current role as the Area Head of Brands (East & Central Africa). As a member of the Marketing Leadership Team, She contributes to the shaping of the marketing strategy. She is directly responsible for delivering the Brand Marketing Strategy through development and implementation of the portfolio strategy across 17 markets. She is passionate about developing young talent within marketing and the wider organization through coaching and mentoring young managers.

Lina’s Word to The Young Kenyan Talent.

‘My advice to young Kenyan talent who would like to pursue their career in the corporate world is to be passionate about what they do, seize the opportunity and take calculated risks as it can truly be a fulfilling experience. On reflection, it has been an amazing journey which has required passion, hard work, commitment and sometimes compromise’.