I am 32 and single, love networking, food, the arts, gadgets and dabbling in multiple projects all, at once. Oh and I’d probably be dead had the internet not been invented. hahaha :)
2. WHEN DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS?
August 2008, but we became a limited company in December of 2010.
3. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU?
In 2006, I was jobless – had been for over 6 months with no prospects of getting a job – so by the time I got into network marketing with a UK training company, Action Wealth International, it was as a last resort; out of desperation to earn an income, but likely, the best thing that happened to me.
Towards the end of 2007, after a stint selling the company’s personal and business development products, I met with the founder & CEO, Geoffrey Semaganda, who at the time was opening up a sister company, Action Conference, and he was looking for a local partner to help run and manage the Nairobi office. So I joined his local team and we went about setting up shop. Because Action Conference was a start-up and had no running budget for permanent staff, rather than sit at home idle, I agreed to work as a volunteer.
It is during this time, working alongside the CEO that I gained most, if not all of the business knowledge and skills (communications, negotiations, sales, financial planning, pricing strategy) that I use today. I didn’t realise it at the time, but these skills would prove to be invaluable later in my business life. Within 10 months of volunteering at the company, I was heading the communications and training department where I worked until I set up Say Cheese Writers in 2008.
Before working at Action Conference, I never envisioned myself as a business woman or even an entrepreneur. By nature I am an introvert and never been inclined to business. Having studied social sciences and passionate about International relations I had seen myself in a diplomatic or peace keeping career. Nevertheless, what eventually led me to believe I could run my own successful business were the many hours I spent working alongside Mr. Semaganda, who a successful businessman himself mentored me throughout and whose personal development training courses helped me believe in my abilities to achieve more outside of employment.
I was also seriously struggling financially and needed to find a long term solution that could enable me one day achieve my lifelong dream of giving back to society.
4. WHY THAT BUSINESS AND NOT THE OTHER?
Say Cheese Writers today is today an Internet Inbound Marketing agency that helps businesses generate sales and leads for their businesses online. Initially, it was set up as a copywriting agency developing content for marketing collateral (fliers, brochures, websites, newsletters, articles, etc). I have a passion for writing and communications and I wanted to try my hand at and earning a living doing what I love. (I have been blogging since 2006 and as a teen used to write a lot of short stories and poetry and would journal a lot. I was always very good with words and putting them down in a creative manner and would day dream about being a renowned author)
I am also the kind of person who is restless and can’t just do one thing... This is sometimes a strength but also a weakness. It may explain why I quit the three jobs I got after campus. Each time it was because I was bored stiff, hated what I was doing and felt they were redundant and stifling my potential and space to grow. Case in point: the longest time I have ever held a job is 8 months and that was only because I was expecting a promotion which I obviously didn’t get. So I would get pretty restless and not because I was a poor worker, just that I was not in an environment best suited for my personality, skills set or strengths, which I later discovered are creative oriented. Hence, copywriting, which I accidentally fell into following a conversation with my mentor and some of my own research online, fit perfectly.
5. DID YOU START IT ALONE OR WITH FRIENDS?
I started alone, working out of my one bedroom apartment, on a hand me down laptop.
6. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
Three and half years, since August 2008
7. WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR SUCCESS?
Well, first, I can’t really say I am successful, not just yet. And I am not being modest. I say this only because there is so much I want to achieve with the business that it would be ridiculous to say ‘I am successful’.
Success to me can be equated to the likes of Richard Branson, Martha Stewart, Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Kirubi, Manu Chandaria, Michael Joseph, James Mwangi, et al, people who have not just made money, but in many ways have created services and products that have changed people’s lives and the way we live and think about business today. But yes, the company has grown over the last three years, so if I was to use growth as one benchmark, then I could possibly speak of success in those terms. I can confidently add too that we are well on our way to success, which for me means achieving regional recognition and expansion in East Africa and West Africa. I would love to enter the Nigerian and Ghanaian markets. I think if we do that in the next three years, then we can be truly proud of our achievements.
Nevertheless, - still to try and answer your question; Say Cheese Writers has successfully serviced over 50 small and large companies from all across the world in the last 3 and half years. Our clientele base no doubt - especially this year - is growing faster than we had ever anticipated.
8. WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE?
Capital is a big issue. This business was started with just a laptop and an internet connection. And it’s been an uphill task working with no capital to plan or implement sales and marketing or hire enough staff to build a highly qualified team. As a small business, banks won’t lend to you, so anything we have been doing to grow the business is directly tied to the sales we make and monthly revenue. So from time to time as most other small businesses, we suffer cash flow problems, especially when clients take long to make payments. We have even been forced to pay our suppliers very late, which isn’t always a rosy affair. Then there are the times when, I think of great ideas that would definitely help the company grow tenfold but there’s no capital to implement, so it can be frustrating. I have learnt to be patient though, and it’s slowly paying off as we continue to provide quality services with competitive pricing, and attract bigger clients.
There is also the aspect of long office hours when I have to work long hours, usually 12 -18 hours a day, every day for weeks, or months, which can be very exhausting. You know they say that entrepreneurship sometimes is no different from a full time job, just that you’re working for yourself. So it’s important making the transition into getting out of that self employment rat race and into the phase where you are running a business with systems that can function on their own, even when you’re not physically present. This is one challenge we are trying to overcome as we expand.
9. HOW DID YOU OVERCOME?
Positive attitude, hard work and making sacrifices. As mentioned above, I work very hard, harder than I ever worked or would work under employment. Of course, this has diluted my social life. I don’t regret this lifestyle because it has gotten the company to grow steadily and to achieve what we need to achieve, which could not happen without making huge sacrifices. Rome was not built in a day.
But, I do try to balance this out, (though I don’t necessarily believe in what people talk of when they say ‘work-life balance’. You can’t possibly balance life and work. One will always overrule the other at different times in your life depending on your objectives at the time. Important thing is to know when it’s time to stop and take a break to recharge. We can only do the best we can with what we have, when we can). So yes, I try to ensure that I allocate time on weekends, especially Sundays, to spend time with my family and close friends. I am also a very active Rotarian, I am the Club Secretary of the Rotary Club of Muthaiga, which means during the week or weekends I am fully engaged in club activities or community service. That I guess is what keeps me saneJ.
10. WHAT IS THAT ONE THING YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE YOU STARTED THAT COMPANY?
Mmmh... That, three years, is not a very long time. ha ha. I used to say in three years I should be doing this and that. Three years on and I’m not yet there. Sometimes we say things like I want to retire when I am 40. And many of us will reach 40 and find that we can’t retire. We may have thought 40, is so far away and not done enough to ensure we actually can retire by then. So it’s not enough to just say things, we need to act and act now to achieve that we are passionate of.
I am a Christian, and love god with all my heart, but sometimes I get upset when people say, just believe, pray and you will achieve it. Belief and prayer is one thing, but if you just sit and pray and wait for God to send down manna from heaven and you do nothing yourself to get closer to your dreams, then you’re wasting not just your time, but God’s time too. The older I get I realise just how important the time factor is. So value your time, every second counts, especially in business. Don’t waste time; you will never get it back.
11. ONE ADVISER TO START UPS AND UPCOMING ENTREPRENEURS?
If you want to do something, go for it no matter what other people think. Also don’t listen to negative talk. If you have to give up relationships that discourage you pursuing your dreams, do so or you will only be held back. It’s a lonely road out here. And sometimes you have to say NO! to your family and your friends. It may be difficult but you have to. You may even lose some people who don’t understand why you can no longer afford to party or hang out as much as you used to.
Sometimes it is very difficult to relate with people who are not in business, as they think all you’re interested in is work and no play. They just have no idea what it takes to be an entrepreneur, which is like I said, a very lonely road;, scary, and depending on where you are or how long you’ve been at it, sometimes very tough. But, if you’re willing to grow a thick skin then you get used to the loneliness and in the long run, it’s worth it.
Something else; NETWORK as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask. If you don’t ask you don’t get. I believe the more people you know, the better your chances of becoming successful, because you just don’t know who you will meet, who will know the queen or the president, or someone who can impact your life and in turn your business. And you may need to meet many people, before you get your business to where you want it to be.
Moreover, be willing to learn and know that learning never stops, even at age 60. Make it a habit to always be reading and learning something new. Eat up knowledge like your life depends on it. I for one can’t live without the internet, which is my gateway to knowledge and the tool I have used to hone my skills and compete on a level playing field.
And lastly, give back. As you begin to make the money, never ever, ever, forget to give back.
12. WHO INSPIRES YOU, LIKE A ROLE MODEL AND WHY?
That’s a tough one. I have many role models, main one being my mentor (of course), who grew up during the war in Uganda and started working at the age of 7 years. You’d have to sit with him and understand what it takes to really overcome life’s hurdles and still be able to inspire others to succeed. But I’d like to also go with the Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, first she’s a woman, and she’s managed to achieve a whole lot of global respect and recognition that I would love to attain for myself. She’s a woman of steel and I admire what she’s managed to do prior to her joining FB and even within FB. I also listened to her speak on TED and all I could think of as she spoke, was what common sense and smarts! She is a very smart woman.
13. WHAT ARE SOME YOUR PHILOSOPHIES IF ANY?
Don’t be greedy, and always remember that ALL clients are the same, whether they pay you 1000 bob or Kshs 1,000,000. I have met people who treated me poorly because they assumed my business was not worth much, yet they forget that I could know many more people who would bring them immense return business. Be kind, respectful and treat your clients and customers with equal respect.
Also honesty and transparency is key. I can’t stand dishonest people. And again, if you can and as much as you can, give back, of your time, skills or resources. So many people can benefit from your experiences, both in your personal and business life.
14. IF YOU WERE TO START A COMPANY WHAT KIND OF UNIQUE PRODUCT WOULD YOU INVEST IN?
I am not sure it’s unique, but I’d love to buy and sell luxury watches. I just love watches.
I also generally love beautiful things and sprucing up spaces and architecture, so would love to get into that somehow, not yet sure just yet how.
15. MOST YOUNG PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR EARLIER ENTREPRENEURSHIP LIFE, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WOULD YOU GIVE TO THEM E.G. MENTORING, ADVISING, CONNECTING, AND SHARING YOUR NETWORK..?
I would definitely love to mentor young people who are willing and share with them my connections. If I know someone who can help you, I would introduce them to you without a second thought.
I am who I am today because of the time that I spent working alongside the CEO of Action Wealth, where I had the freedom to contact him, whenever I got stuck and needed advice on what to do or how to do it. His own life’s lessons, his businesses’ successes and mistakes; they’ve all offered me great insight and guidance. I have also met people through him that I would never have met on my own and gained much global exposure from these interactions. So yes, I would love to give of my own time, skills or resources to someone else who might benefit and as a result be inspired to chase after their dreams. So if you need a mentor just walk up to me, smile, say cheese! And ask.
Your website: www.saycheesewriters.com
Facebook: Lilian Okado
Twitter: @lilianokado
LinkedIn: lilianokado
