It’s easy to fall into the trap of wish fulfilment. We read the stories of companies that have things figured out, entrepreneurs who know what they’re doing, and we want to be just like them.
We imagine they set their minds to do great things, and everything worked out in a snap, that their success happened overnight.
After all, doesn’t it sometimes seem like we went to sleep never having heard of a certain entrepreneur or business, and then woke up to news about them everywhere we looked?
To truly debunk the myth of overnight success, Hustle caught up with four Kenyans at the peak of their careers for their views on a concept that’s broken quite a few hearts when it turns out to not be real.
Hustle caught up with them at the launch of the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) in Nairobi. The event, which took place simultaneously in Nairobi, Cairo, Lagos and Johannesburg, officially paved the way for applications to the $10 million (Sh1 billion) Jack Ma prize, which will award up to 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years.
Timothy ‘Njugush’ Kimani
Founder, Njugush Creatives
Njugush is today a household name in comedy circles, but he’s fully aware that his success has been the result of years of struggle and sacrifice.
“I started what I do way back in college. Then I finished school and I started working my way up. I faced a lot of setbacks, and I think we can all agree that what resulted didn’t happen overnight, but after a very long night.
“My life has been full of endings and start-overs as I searched for what I do best.
“For instance, when I was just beginning my comedy career, the things that led me there had nothing to do with media. At first I wanted to be a journalist, but that wasn’t to be because I found the job too involving for a man who wanted a lot flexibility and independence.
“I got a journalism internship at KBC, but I was there for only a week before I quit because the 8-to-5 schedule every day was too much for me.
“After this, I tried my hand at acting, which I found was what I wanted to do. But even there, I had to quit doing things for others to start my own thing.”
Adelle Onyango
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Founder, The Adelle Onyango Initiative
In addition to being a radio host at Radio Africa Group, Adelle is a poet, musician, MC and activist.
“My success is a result of every little thing I did and every challenge I went through. So it was not overnight. In fact, nothing could have prepared me for anything, including a formal education.
“This university thing is what my late mother wanted for me. But in terms of life, I felt like I had figured out quite early what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a street poet, which is what set me up to try my hand at journalism and social action.
“This is especially because the people I surrounded myself with in the course of performing poetry would challenge me to do more. That’s why I am here today and when I look back, everything now seems to make a lot of sense, even the setbacks.”
Terryanne Chebet
General Manager, Metropol TV
Terryanne is a highly respected speaker and moderator who’s specialised in new media, broadcast journalism and digital news, as well as building brands.
“My success story has been a journey – from a strong desire to be an actress to self-learning production to managing production, to news anchoring and now to senior management at Metropol TV, among many other initiatives. Getting here could in no way be termed ‘overnight’.
“In fact, my initial ambition was to be an actress, but the events that unfolded in the course of my job search upset all that and I found myself doing TV production, right from a junior position to senior levels. I later switched from that to anchoring and influencing in various places.”
Sam Gichuru
Founder and CEO, Nailab
Incubation hubs have made great strides in growing Kenya’s entrepreneurial culture, and Sam was one of the earliest investors in this space.
“I cannot be in the overnight success camp because all that I have done came from a deliberate investment in personal development, even with my so-called little education; I was a school dropout.
“Nothing has stopped me because my deep desire for knowledge has seen me through an undergraduate degree, and I’m soon going for advanced studies.”
The Standard Group Plc is a
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print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
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