What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

We all feel fear at some point in our lives and it is actually a healthy emotion - as it doesn’t cripple you and get in the way of opportunity and growth. Still, it’s not easy to say ‘just do it’ to every single dream as these four inspirational women share:

Christine Khasinah-Odero is the founder and CEO of SupaMamas, Her leadership of the company has led to an overwhelming amount of local and international awards and recognition.

This question comes at a time when I have really done some work on myself. There were so many things I was afraid of. Fear of standing out, fear of speaking up, fear of being disliked and fear of success. If I wasn’t afraid or held back, one thing for sure that I would do is “own my success”.

Years ago, I would downplay my achievements to protect myself from being disliked. I didn’t want to fail, but I didn’t know that becoming an entrepreneur would really make me stand out. 

After a short time in business, I won so many awards and now I have come to realise that owning our own success as a female entrepreneur is the key to greater success. And my success is not for me, it’s a way to live out my talents, inspire others to follow their dreams and positively impact.

As I become older, I find that the fear borne in me is very minimal. If there is an idea I want to pursue, I go for it, even if I will fail. I try and try again.

I moved from wishing I could travel some more, to making a deliberate effort to pick out destinations and travel. I like to solo travel — to mediate, to strategise to decompress. I am comfortable in my own company.

I currently operate on plenty of courage and refusing to be held by expectations and limiting beliefs — set up by myself or others.

I have some new adventures lined up including jumping off a plane in Diani and trying out some marathons. I am doing my best to live in the moment.

Naomi Mutua’s work centres on Digital PR, which involves brand communications strategy, crisis management, influencer engagement, and reputation management. Her other interests include travel, baking, environmental protection and an endearing adoration for cats. (She is also behind the Facebook page Adopt a Cat Kenya).

If nothing was holding me back, my love for cupcakes and cake would ultimately result in actualising my dream to have a bakery in a little nook in the city. I’m hoping it will have a library where you can have a cup of tea or coffee to go with your choice pastry, as you sit quietly to enjoy a good read.

However, the twist with my bakery is that there will be a cat-café. This is now a trend in many cities, where people just go to chill with cats and play with them. It has been especially popular in cities where residents are not allowed to have pets in their homes. My cat-café will also be a place where you can visit and meet cats that are up for adoption. Cupcakes, cats and coffee...perfect!

Muthoni Maingi is an award winning Global Digital Strategist who has successfully worked with several local and international brands. A firm and passionate believer in the power of the internet and the mobile phone to transform lives and provide true points of meaning and change; she has worked on several projects to spearhead this in Kenya, as her impressive resume outlines.

The things I would love include travelling and exploring new cultures! And I am not big on travelling to major cities to hang out in enclosed buildings- but more of the roughing it out type of woman. If I could do anything, without being held back I would spend my life travelling to remote locations, sleeping in the outdoors in sleepy little villages across the world. I would also adopt a child from every part of the world that I travelled to.

Kamal Kaur describes herself as an ‘18+VAT’ year old mother of two. She is a radio presenter, writer and editor

If my children were all grown up, their education complete and independence in place, I would love to realise my dream of travelling to all sorts of places on the world map. I would wake up late more and listen to golden oldies — particularly the Bollywood retro hits as I laze around the house painting.

Surviving the Westgate Mall attack changed my entire outlook on life. Before that, I was such a planner who meticulously organised everything to the letter. I saved the best clothes for ‘special’ occasions. Now every day is an occasion and I wear special clothes whenever I feel like looking and feeling good.

After the attack, I started caring less about accumulating worldly things and now lean more towards giving more. I have causes which I give to and invest time in and I want my kids to have this same mind-set.

Currently I’m involved in a refurbishing project at the Sikh temple in Thika to make it more wheelchair accessible. I am quite passionate about young girls, and if I could I would spearhead a foundation dedicated to their mentorship. I no longer work full time on radio, which frees up my time up more. I have art classes every Tuesday and Thursday and currently my oldest student is 80!

 All the money I make from the classes (After restocking up on art supplies) I give to the African Girls Foundation so you could say I am already stepping towards the things that I want to do for myself, especially since I have been blessed with such wonderful children who understand me and are almost all grown up and gone.  I am in a very happy place in my life now. Now I just need to get rich enough to travel everywhere starting with Paris and the Maldives!