(So) How's Business?

Епизоди

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  Ep 26- She Quit Government Twice to Bet on Herself: Neema Moraa on Modeling, Content Creation & Building Flora by Florence 18.08.2026 1ч 4мин

  What does it actually take to walk away from a stable government job, twice, for a creative career nobody around you fully believes in?Neema is a model, content creator, and the owner of Flora by Florence, a Nairobi boutique. But before any of that, she was sitting in a government office feeling something in her go quiet. This episode traces the messy, honest path out: a spa that failed on location, a modeling side hustle that grew from 5,000 shillings a gig to a real income in a matter of months, and a mother who insisted her daughter open her own store.Neema loves the creative work. It is the thing that makes her feel alive. But she also knows modeling has an expiry date, and the business that lasts is the one she has to choose to focus on, even when it is the less fun option.This is a conversation about choosing yourself, pricing your worth, and the quiet cost of giving everything to work. If you have ever wondered whether the leap is worth it, listen in.Disclaimer This episode includes personal reflections on money, business decisions, and income. It is shared for context and storytelling and is not financial or business advice.#SoHowsBusiness #AfricanWomenEntrepreneurs #KenyanEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness #ContentCreator #NairobiBusiness #FashionBusiness
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  Ep 25- Breastfeeding, Motherhood and Building LactaMama | Angel Nderitu 04.08.2026 1ч 10мин

  After losing her job while seven months pregnant, Angel Nderitu entered motherhood carrying uncertainty about her finances, her future, and what came next. When her breast milk supply changed unexpectedly after giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, she began searching for answers through nutrition, traditional foods, herbs, and lactation support.That personal experience eventually became LactaMama, a Kenyan maternal wellness company supporting mothers through breastfeeding nutrition, education, lactation support, and compassionate postpartum care.In this episode of So, How’s Business?, Alma Mabachi speaks with Angel about the realities of breastfeeding, building a business while raising young children, and navigating the pressure many women face to succeed professionally while caring for everyone around them.Angel shares practical insights on nutrition, hydration, rest, maternal wellbeing, and accessible foods that mothers may already have in their kitchens. She also discusses building a women-led team, managing the rising costs of manufacturing, asking for help, and learning to give herself more grace.This is not only a conversation about breast milk supply. It is about motherhood, ambition, identity, community, and what happens when women are expected to recover, achieve, care for others, and make it all look effortless.Because when a child is born, a mother is born too.
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  Ep 24- Shamim Quresh, Koro Gaia: Building African Skincare 21.07.2026 55мин

  Shamim Quresh is the founder of Koro Gaia, an African skincare brand built around African botanicals and research for melanated skin. She talks about the realities of manufacturing in Kenya, including 60 to 70% tax on imported inputs, what happened when funding stopped and she shut the business down in 2023, and how third-party manufacturing helped her generate income while rebuilding. She also shares why founders need to ask more questions, even when they feel like “dumb” questions, and her vision for African beauty.
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  Ep 27- From Journalist to Founder: Building the Uber for hair braiding with Natachi Onwuamaegbu 01.09.2026 1ч

  What's the difference between believing in an idea and knowing how to build it?The founder of Braiding Nairobi found out the hard way. A journalist by training, she came to Nairobi for a National Geographic storytelling fellowship, noticed how many skilled braiders struggled to find clients in a city where nearly every woman pays regularly for her hair, and decided to stay and solve it. Then she spent two years learning that most of her first instincts were wrong.In this conversation she's refreshingly honest about the parts founders usually hide: launching to silence, the survey that proved demand, and the tiny WhatsApp button that ended up driving most of her orders. She talks through her decision to go to business school a year in, why she's grown disillusioned with VC funding, and the reality of running a business she can pay her team from but not yet herself.It's also a sharp look at a market that's obvious to Black women and invisible to the investors holding the cheque book, and what it takes to keep going when the honest answer to "should I keep doing this?" is still unfolding.A candid one for anyone weighing a pivot, questioning whether business school is worth it, or sitting in the messy middle of building.
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  Ep 23- Binti pads, Period Poverty, and the African Woman Who Refuses to Quit | Lorna Joyce 28.04.2026 1ч 29мин

  Lorna Joyce has lived several lifetimes in one. She lost her father, her brother, and her mother before she was 18 — and found herself caretaking, surviving, and building from scratch while most people her age were still figuring out what they wanted to be. That foundation of loss, faith, and raw determination is what eventually gave birth to Binti Marvels, one of Kenya's most purpose-led femcare brands.In this episode, Lorna takes us through all of it: the 100,000 pads she brought in with almost no capital and sold shop-to-shop from a van, the investor who pulled out and forced a full shutdown, the 30 employees she had to let go, and the therapy that finally helped her process decades of grief and control. She also shares why she came back — with Mrembo, Kenya's first locally manufactured pad designed explicitly for the African woman. If you've ever had to pause something you love and wondered whether to go back, this one is for you.
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  Ep 21- The Cost of Doubting Yourself — Dr. Faith Wambura Ngunjiri on Imposter Syndrome, Identity, and What We Lose When We Shrink 14.04.2026 1ч 13мин

  Dr. Faith Wambura Ngunjiri is a certified Impostor Syndrome Informed Coach, Emotional Intelligence Practitioner, and leadership scholar with a Doctorate in Leadership Studies. She spent over two decades as a tenured professor in the United States before burnout, racial bias, and a heart attack brought her home.In Episode 21, Dr. Faith and Alma go deep on the real cost of imposter syndrome for African women, not just the emotional cost, but the financial one. The promotions we didn't go for. The tenders we didn't apply for. The businesses we kept small. The apartments we gave up without knowing it.They cover the five types of imposter syndrome, why the distortion of competence is the most accurate definition, whether women really experience it more than men, and what the $42 billion financing gap for African women has to do with self-doubt. Dr. Faith also shares her own story- from the village in central Kenya to a university in Minnesota, through divorce, racism, burnout, and a heart attack- and what it finally took to come home and thrive.This is one of the most honest conversations on the show yet.Find Dr. Faith:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drfaithngunjiri/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faithngunjiri/Nominate a guest: https://shorturl.at/S0zueFollow So, How's Business:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sohowsbusinessTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sohowsbusinessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sohowsbusinessYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sohowsbusiness#SoHowsBusiness #ImposterSyndrome #AfricanWomenEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness
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  Ep 20- Seasoned Is Where the Magic Happens: Ritu Bahal on Building the Infrastructure Africa Needs 07.04.2026 1ч 6мин

  Ritu Bahal built a 37-year career in corporate Kenya beforeleaving to solve a problem she'd lived for decades. Her company KPM Tech makes Trackright, a logistics platform that gives trucking businesses real-time visibility across every stage of a delivery. The pitch sounds simple. The problem is massive: 90% of African truckers are non-digitised, and logistics costs account for 40% of what goods cost on Kenyan shelves.In this conversation, Ritu talks about rising from bookkeeper to CEO, getting fired while pregnant from her first job, an arranged marriage she negotiated on her own terms, and what it's really like walking into investor rooms as an experienced woman founder. Candid, sharp, and not pulling any punches.
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  Ep- 17- From Demigod to Novice: Captain Bonni Mulinge on Losing a Dream and Building Another. 17.03.2026 1ч 14мин

  Bonni Mulinge was 6 years old when she decided she was going to fly. By 28 she was a commericial airline captain. By 37, a seizure with no known cause ended her career overnight.  In this conversation, Bonnie talks about what it felt like to go from commanding a Boeing 777 to standing still and figuring out what comes next. She talks about the financial hit, the identity loss, the bender, the pivot, and how Jipe Apparel came out of a conversation over Jaba Juice with a friend. This is a story about grief and reinvention. About a woman who flew theworld and came home to build something that is entirely hers.  So...how's business?
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  Ep 16- Lawyer, Founder, Builder | Akoth Aluoch Gets Real About the Legal Entrepreneurship Path 10.03.2026 1ч 13мин

  Akoth Aluoch is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and the founder of Triple A Dispute Resolution (Triple ADR) and AkothAluoch Media. She left a stable law firm career to build a boutique ADR practice full-time and a media platform dedicated to humanising law.In this conversation, she gets into what it really looks like to be in a building season, the businesses she ran on the side while employed, having her first child in third year of university, and why she walked away from a clear path to partnership to build something entirely her own.We also unpack the world of Alternative Dispute Resolution: what it is, why there is real money in it, and why Akoth believes it is the smarter, faster future of conflict resolution in business.Honest, grounded, and full of practical insight. This one is for anyone sitting with a big dream and a very present reality.So... how's business?
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  Ep 15- Hard Truths Creatives Don't Want to Hear | Dija White, The Block Studio 03.03.2026 1ч 3мин

  Dija White is a multidisciplinary creative director and founder of The Block Studio, a brand design, strategy and experiential design company dedicated to spotlighting African talent. She is also part of the team running Village Creative, one of Nairobi's most interesting creative ecosystems.This conversation goes deep. We talk about what it actually costs to build a creative business, from the 3 million shilling mistake that took three years to pay back, to the client who paid two thirds and disappeared, to the friendships lost over work that went sideways.Dija is honest about the evolution from artist first to business first, why creatives struggle to pitch themselves in corporate rooms, and what it took to stop being the person who let everyone have a piece and start knowing her worth.If you are a creative trying to figure out how to take your work seriously as a business, or a founder who has ever felt personally offended by a budget negotiation, this one is for you.Tune in every week for honest, unfiltered conversations with African women building businesses on their own terms.
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  Ep 14- From 800 Cupcakes to Accredited Culinary School - Yasmin Mohammed's Story 24.02.2026 49мин

  Yasmin started selling cupcakes at 50 bob each from her mother's kitchen at 25, with no formal training, no business plan, and no nozzle. Today, she runs Cake Hearts, one of Kenya's only internationally accredited culinary and hospitality schools, in partnership with BHMS Switzerland.In this episode, she opens up about building from scratch, navigating a market that doesn't take young women seriously, why she teaches entrepreneurship inside a culinary school, and what it really takes to bring international standards to the Kenyan market.If you believe that education should transform you, not just certify you, this conversation will hit home.
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  Ep 13: Stop Calling It a Small Business: Dr. Becky Omodho on Entrepreneurship for African Women 17.02.2026 1ч 15мин

  Dr. Becky Omodho shares the unfiltered journey of building joojoostores.com , a Pan-African e-commerce platform connecting African artisans to the world.From getting conned twice to taking six years to break even, Becky opens up about resilience, systems thinking, privilege, male bias, and motherhood.This episode challenges the idea of “small business” and explores what it really takes to build big in Africa.
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  Ep 19- Cold Calls, Corporate Clients & Knowing Your Worth | Melanie Hapisu 31.03.2026 1ч 22мин

  Melanie Hapisu- Wambugu is the founder and CEO of Digipath Africa, a digital marketing agency based in Kenya. In five years she has built a client list that includes some of Kenya's largest corporations, trained hundreds of business owners and marketers, and figured out how to run a business from Muranga without losing a single client.This episode covers a lot of ground. We talk about how she lands large corporate clients through cold outreach, her exact process, step by step. We talk about the year one client accounted for 60% of her revenue and what that anxiety taught her about building a sustainable business. We talk about the moment she stopped giving free advice and started charging for everything, including 15-minute consultations, and how she had that conversation with friends who expected it for free.We also get into digital strategy for small businesses and founders, why posting every day is not the answer, what the algorithm is actually doing, when paid ads work and when they're burning money, and the biggest mistakes she sees founders make with their online presence.And then there's the story about the time her name trended on X for something that had nothing to do with her. That one is worth listening to alone.Melanie is sharp, generous, and genuinely funny. This is one is a favourite.Hosted by Alma. New episodes every week.
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  Ep 12- Procrastination Isn’t Laziness It’s Trauma in Disguise- Wangui Mungai 10.02.2026 1ч 1мин

  In this episode of So, How’s Business?, Alma Mabachi speaks with certified master coach Wangoy Mongai about why procrastination, self-sabotage, and playing small are often trauma responses, not character flaws.They explore how fear of being seen, identity shifts, and survival mode shape our behaviour, especially for women in business navigating confidence, visibility, and growth. This conversation breaks down why discipline isn’t the solution, how identity-based habits create consistency, and what it actually takes to break the loop.If you’ve been delaying the things that matter most, this episode will help you understand why and how to move forward with clarity and self-trust.Topics include: procrastination, self-sabotage, trauma, survival mode, fear of being seen, identity shifts, imposter syndrome, women in business.🎧 Listen, reflect, and break the loop.
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  Ep 11- How to Scale an African Food Brand: Nanzia Mbaga-Johm, Founder of Roro's 03.02.2026 1ч 15мин

  How do you build a scalable, African-born brand in the middle of a pandemic?In this episode of "So How’s Business," we sit down with Nanzia, the founder of Roro's, Nairobi’s go-to fast-casual healthy food brand. Nanzia gets incredibly real about her journey, from launching her first salad shop in Dar es Salaam to securing prime real estate in Nairobi’s top malls.This isn't just about food; it’s a masterclass in resilience, systems thinking, and the "unfiltered" side of scaling a business in an oversaturated market. If you’re a founder, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a working mom, this episode is your blueprint.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: https://shorturl.at/TElffTikTok: https://shorturl.at/8MwGhLinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/GW5WuDon't forget to follow the show and leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode!#NairobiBusiness #AfricanStartups #FemaleFounders #RorosNairobi #RestaurantBusiness #ScalingUp
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  Ep 10- I Grew Too Fast and Nearly Lost Everything | The Cash Flow Trap No One Talks About 27.01.2026 1ч 10мин

  What really causes businesses to fail , lack of funding, or poor systems?In this episode of So, How’s Business?, Lucy, founder of a Kenyan manufacturing brand built around purple tea, shares an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.We talk about scaling too fast, cash flow traps in retail, the realities of manufacturing in Kenya, and why fundraising can actually make problems worse if done at the wrong time. Lucy also reflects on how a major health crisis reshaped her approach to business, leadership, and growth.This conversation is for founders navigating growth, burnout, funding decisions, and the pressure to “scale fast”, especially women building businesses in Africa.New episodes weekly. Follow So, How’s Business? for real founder stories and practical insights.
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  Ep 9- How Self-Awareness and EQ Change Everything for Business Leaders with Vicky Karuga 20.01.2026 1ч 8мин

  How Self-Awareness and EQ Change Everything for Business Leaderswith Vicki KarugaEmotional intelligence isn’t a soft skill, it’s a leadership advantage.In this episode of (So) How’s Business?, host Alma Mabachi speaks with Vicky Karuga, psychometric specialist and EI master trainer, about why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership and how low emotional intelligence quietly costs businesses through burnout, disengagement, and poor decision-making.Vicki shares her journey from architecture to psychometrics, explains what emotional intelligence really means (beyond buzzwords), and why founders and leaders must do the inner work if they want to build sustainable, high-performing teams, especially in fast-growing African businesses.We discuss:• Emotional intelligence (EQ) and leadership effectiveness• Self-awareness as a core founder skill• Psychometric assessments vs gut instinct in hiring• The real cost of low-EQ leadership• Women in business, invisible labour, and leadership guiltThis episode is for founders, managers, and professionals navigating leadership, growth, and people management.Follow (So) How’s Business?Instagram: https://shorturl.at/TElffTikTok: https://shorturl.at/8MwGhLinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/GW5WuEmotional intelligence podcast, leadership podcast, women in business Africa, African entrepreneurship, founder mindset, EQ leadership, business psychology, people management, leadership development
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  Ep 8- Building a Business When the Rules Aren’t Clear: The Real Truth About Tax Compliance 13.01.2026 1ч 33мин

  What happens when you try to build a business in a system that doesn’t always make the rules clear?In this episode of So, How’s Business?, Alma sits down with Eunice Migwi, founder of Her Legacy, for a candid conversation about tax compliance, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to build a sustainable business in Kenya and similar emerging markets.Eunice shares how she turned her expertise in tax, accounting, and finance into a business after closing a previous venture, and why starting over forced her to rethink systems, pricing, partnerships, and long-term vision. From the realities of running a business with a friend, to the importance of building beyond the founder, this episode goes far beyond tax.They unpack why most entrepreneurs don’t actually have a problem with taxes, they have a problem with confusion, poor communication, and lack of education. Eunice explains why compliance is less about fear and more about protection, how systems matter more than capital, and why many businesses struggle not because of taxes, but because of weak foundations.The conversation also dives into motherhood, responsibility, fear, and starting again, highlighting how personal growth and business growth are deeply connected. Finally, Eunice breaks down what business owners and creators need to understand about VAT, turnover tax, withholding tax, record-keeping, and the common mistakes that quietly cost people money.This is an honest, practical episode for founders, freelancers, creators, and anyone building a business in an imperfect system and learning how to do it anyway.Connect with Eunice MigwiInstagram: @herlegacyconsultingListen to more episodes of So, How’s Business?Instagram: @sohowsbusiness
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  Ep 7- From Disconnected to Empowered: Building a Pan-African Sisterhood 17.12.2025 1ч 8мин

  In this grounding and deeply honest conversation, Alma sits down with Debra Ouma-Weya, women’s leadership champion and founder of Positive Circles, a women-centred community built to support growth, connection, and self-advocacy across different seasons of life.The conversation opens with an important discussion on menopause and perimenopause, why these transitions are often misunderstood, how they can affect women physically, mentally, and professionally, and why women need better awareness, language, and support around their health. From there, the conversation widens into leadership, mentorship, community-building, and what it takes to create spaces where women can grow without competition or performance.Debra shares the journey of building Positive Circles from a small gathering into a thriving ecosystem, the realities of running a purpose-driven business, and the lessons she’s learned about resilience, alignment, and sustainability along the way.They explore:Menopause and perimenopause, and why women’s health conversations matter beyond medicineSelf-advocacy and understanding your body at different life stagesThe difference between networking and genuine communityMentorship across generations and supporting younger womenBuilding Positive Circles and the pillars of money, career, business, personal growth, and impactNavigating leadership, identity, and purpose as a womanBalancing impact-driven work with sustainability and alignmentIf you’re a woman navigating change, in your health, career, business, or identity, this episode offers perspective, reassurance, and a reminder that you don’t have to do it alone.New episodes every Tuesday.Nominate yourself or another woman founder to be a guest: ⁠https://shorturl.at/S0zue⁠Follow the show on Instagram & TikTok: @sohowsbusinessSubscribe for more stories amplifying African women in business.
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  Ep 6- Beyond Survival: How African Women Can Build Truly Resilient Businesses 09.12.2025 1ч 1мин

  In this grounding and deeply honest conversation, Alma sits down with AnnRita Njiru-Mugo, business strategist, ecosystem builder, and soon-to-be certified coach, whose career has spanned academia, entrepreneurship, climate impact, and supporting African women founders.From lecturing at Strathmore University at just 22, to co-founding an EdTech startup during COVID, to coaching and mentoring founders across Africa, AnnRita breaks down what resilience really looks like for African women in business.They explore:What resilience actually means in entrepreneurshipHow mindset shapes confidence, fundraising, and leadershipBurnout, boundaries, and building systems that protect your wellbeingWhy African women must unlearn suffering and embrace supported successThe tension between motherhood, ambition, and identityWhy resilience sometimes means letting go, not pushing harderHow she’s transitioning into coaching and building a purpose-led careerIf you’re a founder navigating a tough season, a mother balancing multiple roles, or a woman stepping into your next level — this episode will meet you exactly where you are.New episodes every Tuesday.Nominate yourself or another woman founder to be a guest: https://shorturl.at/S0zueFollow the show on Instagram & TikTok: @sohowsbusinessSubscribe for more stories that amplify African women in business.