Every first Thursday of the Month, we host one successful Kenyan for a candid chat on life and business, as part of Un.thinkable roast. One of the most common themes coming out of these conversations has always been how nearly all of them started out with nothing but a vision, and somehow harnessed the power of that vision to attract talent, money and customers. If you are a dreamer in Kenya, more than likely, all you have is your vision, your passion and your skill. I hope these stories inspire you to believe that’s all you need to turn your vision into reality.

Wandia Gichuru on the power of shepherding an A-team from day one

It didn’t matter that some of her early employees had never heard of strategy presentations or board meetings. Wandia insisted that they bring their best minds to the table, and show how they would contribute to the vision she had created. As she received heat from her board, so did they, and this greatly helped in driving ownership from her team. Today, Vivo Activewear is one of the eminent clothing retailers in the country, barely 9 years after being founded. Read full story here.

Suzie Wokabi on never shying away from seemingly impossible dreams

She was young, she was inexperienced, and all she had was her passion for great make-up. Suzie came back home from her 10 year stint in the U.S to become a make-up artist, but could not reconcile with the poor quality and hiked prices that was the norm in the kenyan market back then. A dream was born. An impossible one. There was no local manuafacturer of make-up products in Kenya. There was no local manufacturing capability, and no such skills either. From family, to friends to networks she had created back in the US, she embarked on what was a painful journey to turn that vision into reality. Her sheer tenacity earned her the support of nearly everyone she approached, and today, Suzie Beauty is a brand to be reckonned with in Kenya and beyond! Read full story here.

Dr. maxwell Okoth on turning dark clouds into silver linings

Having worked through the system as a new doctor, seeing the sorry state of our health system, and believing he could do something about it, Max as he is fondly known set out to start Ruai Family Hospital, with the singular focus of providing affordable, but quality healthcare. A near death occurence propelled him to pursue his dream even more ardently, getting deep into debt, but quickly learning from experience and applying smarts to navigate the early stages of his business. Having recently been given Level 5 refferal hospital status, the stars are shining bright on Max, and his vision. Read full story here.

Martin Kiarie on getting more than just skills out of your employees

Over the last 11 years, Martin has built Bean interactive into one of the leading digital marketing and transformation agencies in Kenya, responsible for hundreds of millions worth of marketing campaigns. In this own words,”…providing an environment where every employee feels they have played a role in the growth of the business..” by ensuring everyone’s role description clearly articulates their contribution to the overall vision of the business is the key to success. He encourages his teams to own their successes and failures, an approach he labels as sharing the responsibility. Read full story here.

Stella Njoki on never taking NO for an answer as you chase your Vision

When Stella and her husband were starting out at Zege technologies, even though they had this clear vision, most of the banks they thought they could catch said NO because Zege Technologies was a startup, the banks did not know who they were and they only dealt with established companies. “Resilience overtime taught us to shift our products, to be able to curve a niche in the market place,” Stella Njoki says. By staying true to their vision, but using the rejections to find their niche, they eventually managed to build what is today a successful software development company with a solid customer base in the payments space. Read full story here.

Patrick Quarcoo on feeling the fear, but still doing it anyway

Every business that Patrick has gone into, be it writing pieces for the BBC, starting the first private radio station in Uganda or venturing into a crowded media space in Kenya where no one believed there was space for anyone new, or investing heavily in digital media when the returns were not visible initially, he has always chosen to embrace fear, ignore the nay sayers and do it anyway. When you listen to Patrick speak, it’s easy to see why. He is a maverick who stands by his philosophies and beliefs, and only allows experience to prove him wrong. Guess what, it’s paid off, immensely. Read the full story here

What’s your vision? What are you willing to sacrifice to actualize it? Join Un.thinkable today to interact with other visionaries on a monthly basis as you chase your dream.