The first thing George Wanjohi and his partners implemented when they started Saracen was setting business and personal targets. George is Co-founder and the East African Sales and Marketing Expert at Saracen OMD which is one of East Africa’s largest independent media specialists.

“Every year, we put a dollar figure to attain as individuals and as a company. Why? Because that helps us track progress” George Wanjohi said.

Their strategy was to first approach smaller companies then work their way up. Instead of going to Brookside, they approached Tetra pack first. Instead of Coke, they approached red bull first. This strategy worked for the business as currently and for a while, Saracen has grown to partner with a lot of big companies. For George and his partners to stick to this strategy, personal goals had to be aligned to their business goals. 

“We lost some of our early Partners because they couldn’t stick it out. They had given up lucrative jobs to do this, and but the pressure to sustain their previous living standards was too much, so they left” George says.

At 35 years old, he went to live with his parents because the decision to start his company left him without money.

“My salary went back to what it used to be 4 years before. It was a humbling experience. You have to know who you are and your values because only your values will get you through that. I had to be humble but that didn’t mean make myself small and lose sight of my dream, it meant maintain my vision and apply humility in navigating those early days”  Wanjohi says nostalgically.

It’s their business goals that made the company thrive, but it’s their personal goals that made them work through the tough times.

George Wanjohi was a guest at founders drink up in February 2019. Get a copy of his Podcast for only Kshs 250. Email dream@wearefounders.co.ke