I am my brand

Where were you born?

I was born and raised in the coast region for 13 years. When I was joining high school my dad decided to retire. He built a home in Embu and we all relocated. As teenagers we hated it but he loved it since it was his retirement plan but we soon got to like it too, plus high school was a good distraction, shout out to Kyeni Girls. I know it’s typical for Nairobians to go to Mombasa for holidays but I go for the memories.

How long have you been on radio?

Ten years. It takes years to establish a brand and that’s what young people need to understand. I started off as an intern at Homeboyz though I did a brief stint at Ghetto Radio. At Homeboyz I did the midnight show from 12 to three in the morning, you will be surprised that people listen in during those hours. There are so many insomniacs in Nairobi. I worked with the likes of Ciru Muriuki and Austin Chimano before he joined Sauti Sol,

All on the same show?

Yes, it was fun and interesting. It was the best time to make mistakes and learn the ropes. I did sports news even though I had no idea what I was doing or saying. An opportunity later opened up to join the afternoon slot and that’s when Class 124 came about.

How old is your show?

Do I even remember? Roughly 5 years.

Who do you consider your competition in the urban radio space?

First and foremost, myself. I am my own competition and I try to outdo myself. I have got a lot of respect for Mwende Macharia on Radio Maisha and we are friends, she does a good job.

Do you share every single detail of your life on social media?

I will not share anything that I know will come back to haunt me, or anything my family would not approve of. People don’t need to know everything about me, a little bit of suspense and mystery is nice.

What perks do you get because of being a known media personality?

When you’re starting off no one knows you. I used to go to events and G Money would be on the guest list getting special treatment and I was like ‘but I’m also from Homeboyz’ (laughs). But that gives you motivation to work harder so that your name is on that VVIP list. My brand, my name is one of the perks that I’ve come to enjoy and appreciate. When I go to an event they don’t have to check the list. I mean, there is no way I will waste my time gatecrashing, we used to do that when we were interns. I’m too busy for that now.

Do you get to travel?

Yes, but there is one I missed last year, it was a Coca Cola event to Dar es Salaam. It’s about feeling special knowing that my name means something in this industry.

How do you make sure fame doesn’t get to your head?

It’s about character, I know people change but if you have had a strong foundation growing up, you don’t take it lightly. We were raised to be respectful however annoyed you may be and want to ask someone ‘do you know who I am? It is then that you ask yourself who you are then tell yourself to calm down, sit down and be humble. Those virtues have grounded me. I don’t hang out with people that are too deep into the industry and have forgotten who they are. We might be acquaintances or colleagues but I don’t let that rub off on me.

Are you endorsing any brands now?

I’ve worked with so many brands over the years, Coke Studio being one of them. Right now it’s Infinix S2 Pro now. I’ve worked with Mrs Styles who dresses me and that’s basically it. I’m praying for more doors to open.

Do you get to keep the clothes when designers dress you?

Sometimes I do and sometimes they are just for an appearance, it’s like Hollywood, you don’t get to keep all those things. But it depends on the kind of relationship you have with the person giving you the clothes or the store. Some are really expensive dresses. It’s how we survive, we all rent every once in a while.

Have you interviewed any rude personalities on your shows?

It’s not the rude ones, it’s the boring ones. I’ve had those uphill interviews oh my Lord! Not all politicians are as exciting as they are on podiums. You might think that some online personalities are vocal and chatty but in person they are not as interesting.

Who’s your idol?

One of the people I consider my idol and I’ve met but is really cool is Julie Gichuru, she’s a lovely woman. The other is Caroline Mutoko, in fact we are supposed to have lunch. One day I just walked up to her and introduced myself and she said ‘yes Mwalimu’. I was surprised she knew me. She’s a strong awesome woman who will not waste your time sugarcoating things.

What does the bigger picture look like for you?

My company MRX Media, that’s my baby and it was “born” last year in June. We are a youth culture movement that wants to inspire young people to achieve more and be brave enough to go after what they want. We want to connect brands to these youth. We want to be that big wave.

You have a whole team behind your brand as Mwalimu Rachael, why do you need a team?

It’s imperative to point out that I have a team because I’m doing other things aside from radio. Whether you’re doing just one thing or your coupling it up with other online engagements it’s important to have a team because that’s how you become a brand. Without a team you will struggle to keep up with stuff. I’m doing radio, I’ve done television shows like the Couples Show on K24 and Unaitas Top Chama Show on Citizen Television. I’m a voice over artiste, I emcee and I’m a motivational speaker. I need to get organised when calls come in and I’m needed for gigs or photo shoots. I can’t keep up even if I have a diary so the team handles all this.

At some point doesn’t it get exhausting, especially when you have to update all your social media platforms?

In the morning I’m not that engaging on social media but I will be seeing what’s going on, what’s trending and that will be my reference point.  I’m online in the afternoon because that’s when my show is happening live and it helps with real time engagements on air. In the evenings when I’m relaxing or at an event I will still be online, but it does get exhausting. I don’t Facebook or tweet round the clock but when I have an online campaign I have an administrator who comes in to schedule and post on my behalf. You just don’t wake up and become a big brand that young people associate with if you don’t engage with them. I started with Twitter when I began my afternoon show, and even then I was like I already have Facebook, how many social media platforms can I be on?

When do you get to enjoy your downtime?

I just have to tear myself away from the world sometimes, I have to say no to some jobs when I’ve had enough and I feel it’s time to get away, bond with my family, tap into myself and enjoy some peace of mind.

Do people confuse you with Teacher Wanjiku?

Yes! I think people started recognising both of us at the same time. It’s happened about two or three times. I’ve been told ‘you’re so funny, ‘and I’m like I hope you’re talking about me. (Laughs)

And the name Mwalimu Rachael, how did you come up with it?  

I had this idea to have a virtual classroom. At first I went under the name Rachael Muthoni but it felt like something was missing. So with the concept of the show and how it took shape I thought why not go all in and establish this brand name.

Have you ever been surprised from where a fan is communicating from?

There’s a time someone tweeted from I think Venezuela, and it was not a Kenyan it was a native from that country. He said he’s a constant listener, loves the show and he was trying to learn some Swahili from the show.