This is how our big break came about

From left: Filah Tuju, Janet Mbugua,Ian Mbugua, Sherlyne Muita and Eugene Mbugua. PHOTOS| COURTESY, DENNIS ONSONGO AND DENISH OCHIENG

What you need to know:

  • They say that success does not come overnight, and that to achieve it, you need to nurture certain qualities, characteristics such as patience, professionalism and reliability.
  • We had a chat with five professionals in various sectors who share stimulating personal stories about how their big break came about.

Most successful careers are usually the culmination of a long and trying journey that demanded hard work, grit and skill.

It is also a journey that comes with a host of useful lessons. We had a chat with five professionals in various sectors who share stimulating personal stories about how their big break came about, the challenges they had to contend with and what keeps them soaring.

  

Janet Mbugua, former TV anchor

What were your most notable experiences in your media career from which young people can draw useful lessons?

I am still in the media, only that I have diversified. My most outstanding experiences include key interviews with personalities such as President Kenyatta, South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela, Cabinet ministers, several heads of State in Africa and covering global events such as the burial of Nelson Mandela.

I learnt the importance of using the media, including my own media space (social media) as a platform to discuss pertinent issues and push agenda on matters affecting the country, to empower, enlighten and entertain others within reason and confines of professionalism.

Janet Mbugua, former TV anchor. PHOTO| COURTESY

How were you able to weather the challenges of mainstream media to stand out among many others in this profession?

The media industry is characterised by cutthroat competition, ever-shifting consumer habits and occasional job losses.

I, however, remained focused on my passions, which was to cover relevant issues that millions of Kenyans face. Understanding myself, being assertive and being strictly professional kept me from being swayed into actions that would jeopardise my private and professional life.

 

You quit mainstream media while at the peak of your profession. What reasons prompted this decision?

I quit to focus on my passion project, Inua Dada Foundation, that provides menstrual health management education and sanitary towels to schoolgirls in underprivileged communities.

I am also the brand ambassador for Lifebuoy’s Help a Child Reach 5 campaign and project lead for a gender advocacy campaign called #Better4Kenya. I am also growing my YouTube channel, where I share lifestyle content with my audience. There is, however, every possibility that I will return to mainstream media soon.

 

What does it take to ace it in the media industry?

Expose your kind. Watch local and international channels, read useful material including that on the web, be ready to put in the work, remain teachable and use your existing platforms to start building your media platform early enough.

Always believe in your abilities, and seize every opportunity that comes your way.

 

 

Ian Mbugua

Actor, Director and Singer

 

What do you appreciate most about your journey in music and theatre?

Perseverance is important. I have kept going even when things got very tough. I always interrogate myself on why a project succeeded or failed, and apply these lessons in future projects.

It is gratifying to see that my endurance in the industry for many years has inspired young people to pursue arts and to keep the fire of music and theatre burning. 

 

From your interactions with young people in this space, what four common mistakes do they make as they nurture their careers?

They give up too soon. As for those that do well first time round, they become complacent about their initial success and stop working harder to keep growing. Also, I have found that most young artistes do not conduct themselves like professionals would. When they get paid for instance, they lose control and misbehave. Most of them also do not invest outside their career, which is risky.

Ian Mbugua, Actor, Director and Singer. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

How can young professionals avoid such blunders?

Treat your craft as a business and conduct yourself professionally. Turning up for engagements in time gives a professional impression of you. Dress the part and give every performance your best stab as this may be your ultimate game changer. Constantly ask for feedback, not so that you can gloat, but so that you can improve. It definitely helps a great deal to acquire professional training in your craft. 

 

Are millennials an entitled lot as is often said?

Millennials are a misunderstood lot. Each generation has its lazy lot and its hardworking people. Times have changed and things are now done differently. Instead of castigating them, we need to reach out to them, support and mentor them. Besides, we all have something to learn from each demographic. 

 

You are a teacher, an actor, a director and a singer. What is the secret of wearing several hats with such ease and success?

Passion, dedication and time management are critical. My full-time job of teaching drama and music comes first. Thankfully, my working hours are flexible enough to allow me sufficient time to follow my other interests. I only agree to engage in projects that I can give my all. I also take my work very seriously.

 

What is better: to diversify or to focus on one’s key strength?

Diversify where possible. If you can sing, act and dance, why not? Try out as many things as you can. With time, you discover your aces and invest in those. You only need to manage your time properly so that none of these enthusiasms suffer.

 

Most Kenyans still do not regard theatre as a career worth going after full time...

Lack of incentives has been the biggest challenge, but things are gradually looking up. More parents are now appreciating the arts and even encouraging their children to pursue a career in them. More universities and colleges are offering art courses too, which foreshadows a thriving arts industry in Kenya.   

 

What incentives are lacking and how can this be fixed?

Support from government is still insufficient. The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts should create an environment that nurtures talent by offering training, basic funding and making available performance spaces for artistes. In developed nations, companies earn tax rebates for supporting arts.

Locally, lack of clarity on what corporates will get in return for sponsoring film productions makes them reluctant to support them. Kenyans should start attending concerts and plays, respect our artistes and treat them as professionals and stop asking for complimentary tickets.

 

What sorts of books do you read?

Real life stories, mysteries and plays. My favourite authors include C.S Lewis, Dan Brown, John Grisham and Paulo Coelho. 

 

 

Eugene Mbugua

Filmmaker and entrepreneur

 

What did you hope to achieve through the Young Rich TV show?

I conceived the idea while studying TV production at USIU-Africa. Due to lack of bus fare, sometimes I would walk home, taking shortcuts through posh neighbourhoods where residents drove expensive cars.

That most of these people were young fascinated me and aroused my curiosity. Being an ambitious person, I figured that I could get someone who could pay me to find out how these young people had amassed so much wealth at such young ages. It turned out most people were interested in such information, which made it easy to sell my idea.

 

How did your big break in film come about?

While starting out, I knocked on every door there was and talked to anyone who cared to listen. I strived to study the market, working not just as a filmmaker, but as an entrepreneur as well.

I learnt to adjust to, and not to dictate to the market as most new entrants tend to do. The first episode of my show was aired on K24 TV on the eve of my graduation, making me the youngest TV producer on a mainstream station in Kenya at 22 years. 

Eugene Mbugua, filmmaker and entrepreneur. PHOTO| COURTESY

What useful lessons have you gathered in this journey?

To prosper in any business, you must tailor your products to what the market needs and can afford to pay for. I have appreciated the value of cost-cutting by using simple but effective technology in my productions.

I now focus more on stories that sell and negotiate for cheaper and long-term contracts as opposed to expensive short-term deals.

 

How have your local and international recognitions influenced your business acumen?

The Top 40 under 40 and Forbes’ Top 30 under 30 mentions were both pleasant surprises. Accolades give you validation. The number of people taking an interest in your work also spikes.

While awards boost your visibility, they also bring forth the burden of higher expectations. I have since diversified into farming, publishing, entertainment and the service sector, where I am doing equally well.

 

Has managing success ever been a challenge to you?

Having desired success for so long and triumphing sooner than I had expected drove me into depression (I made my breakthrough at 24). While I had worked hard to be successful, I did not know how to handle success when it came. That it came sooner made things even more complicated.

I also felt empty because after this breakthrough, I did not know what to do next. The happiness I had always imagined success brings was not there.

Thankfully, I was able to recover after seeking help - I saw a psychiatrist who helped me deal with what I was going through.

I have a grounded personality with very few interests. At any given time, I am either at work, at home or at the gym working out. My free time is spent reading literature about Africa and business. I consider myself only relatively successful compared to some of my peers.

 

 

 

Filah Tuju

Musician and founder of RedFourth Music Academy

What valuable lessons can young people learn from your journey in music?

It took 15 years of hard work for my music to take shape, an eventful journey that taught me the value of consistency and resilience.

These values refine your art and help you to gauge your strengths and weaknesses. This way, you are able to position yourself competitively. If you keep your dreams vibrantly alive and never stop believing in yourself, you will be rewarded.

 

What four useful tips would you offer a young person who wishes to, or is already making money from their talent?

Talent is one thing, the ability to manage revenue from such a talent is a different matter altogether. Inability to manage income leads to wastage among young artistes. Account for all your earnings by keeping a detailed record of your income against how much you invested in it. Self-sponsorship goes a long way.

Dare to use your little income from your small gigs to finance your next project, that way, you completely own your project. Saving is the cardinal rule for anyone who is earning. Money from music is very irregular, so save some to keep you going during the low season.

Filah Tuju, musician and founder of RedFourth Music Academy. PHOTO| DENISH OCHIENG

As an accomplished career musician, do you run any initiatives to help budding artistes?

Lack of mentorship is the primary reason most young artistes take a tumble before their career has set off. I took so long to establish myself because I lacked reliable guidance to help me figure out the industry.

It is for this reason that I founded RedFourth Academy of Music in 2016, to offer group and private lessons in music theory and performance of various instruments and voice.

RedFourth is an independent contemporary music school whose curriculum is modelled as a mentorship programme. Such practical experiences give our trainees a hang of the music industry as they go along. I have mentored, among other artistes, Sauti Sol, Anto Neosoul and Brian Cheya of Elani.

 

What areas of music production are the most rewarding?

Song writing, production and sound design are the best bets for those getting into music purely for monetary gain. Downloads and synchronisations that deal with music for movies and adverts are a rich source of revenue. To thrive in music though, passion must come before money.

 

 

Sherlyne Muita

Luxury brand consultant

What are your most prominent experiences in luxury branding?

I have worked with some of Italy’s finest brands such as Ferrero Rocher, Campari, Fendi and Max Mara, and for two years at the Milan Fashion Week. I have also worked in Abu Dhabi and Dubai cities representing a number of major brands. Through these experiences, I have been mentored by some of the industry’s icons, including Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Anna Fendi.

Fendi often reminded me that luxury is not all about the fine things in life, rather, about a lot of work, and that as a way of life, the luxury circle is for those who think outside the box.

 

What decisions or mistakes early in your career have significantly influenced your progression?

I started my marketing career when I was 17 while studying in New Zealand. I was interning at multinational advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi in Auckland. My next big career decision was to move to Milan when I was 22 to work as a brand consultant for Pomellato, one of Italy’s finest jewellery brand.

I did this while studying for my Master’s in brand management and communication at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). Working from an early age  taught me the ethics required in this kind of business, which eased my transition from school to the industry.

Sherlyne Muita, luxury brand consultant. PHOTO| DENNIS ONSONGO

Being the face of a global brand must come with upsides and downsides…

It is an overwhelming role. Major brands expect nothing short of exceptional performance from you. From how you look, dress and interact with people, there is no room for compromise. Luxury clients are hard to impress, so you always have to be on top of your game.

To survive in the industry, your current idea must be better than your last. You also get to interact with global icons on the luxury scene and enjoy amazing packages such as world-class tours, hospitality services and events.

Working in a breathtakingly competitive environment contributes greatly to your social and professional growth.

 

Would you recommend luxury branding to a young person reading this?

Luxury branding is an amazing profession with very attractive packages. It is also a very demanding area of business. To succeed, you must have passion and an insatiable appetite for results.

For those starting out, position yourself by looking for internships to create an outstanding portfolio.

Understand your brand image and keep tabs on the trends in the luxury world. Find mentors in the industry and network whenever possible because you never know who you will meet out there. Global brands hire bilingual or multilingual professionals, so having a foreign language in your résumé is a big plus.