 This is the way to do it. This is the way to do it. Benda mazita of one is the ultimate goal. But what if you can be the king of more than one? Mike Mayende, a professional landscaper, is here to share with us more. I am Nyangweso Grenis. So, Mike, tell us about yourself. What do you do? My name is Mike Mayende. I am a landscaper, a graduate from Masiyan University. I am also a designer, interior designer, but I do also beauty as a side hassle. Beauty as a side hassle? Let's talk more about that. So, different people have different reasons of doing things. What inspired you to be in beauty? I was inspired when I joined Maseno last year. There was no good place for a person to share and let's say to take over their skin or their nails. So, that's why I saw that as a problem. So, I was looking for a solution for that because personally I used to travel to Kisumu so that I can do my hair or my nails. So, that's why I saw that as a problem. So, I had to look for a solution by bringing that service to Maseno. So, you travel from Maseno to Kisumu. Now that you also started your place, what do you do? So, I have 3 babas, so I am always shared by them. So, starting beauty, was it something you trained for or an inborn talent? I was not trained, but seeing it as an opportunity while I was in first year, I had to train so that it will be a hassle so that I can let's say pay my bills using the money from them. That's all. I assume you are a student in first year. Yes. Now, let me say my bills. Do you explain that concept to Dogo? Yeah, we have many bills at campus. Let's say rent, food, dressing. We have to dress well. We have to go out at times. So, those are bills that you have to settle on your own. On your own? Yes. But I think, I thought you were going to say Mzazi at Alipa. Yeah, Mzazi at times, as my parents are very strict and I see they cannot give you money for everything. Once they pay you a fee, that's all. So, I love to look for yourself. And coming from such background, you're motivated to go and look for so that you can at least live a life in campus. So, do you have a joint of yours or it's someone else's shop you're doing? Tell us about it. The shop, I rented the shop. It's a single business. So, I've rented a shop. That's where I do my work at Masena. What is the name of your shop? Cheska Royals is the name of the shop. Yes. So, how did it all begin? Take us through the journey of starting and how you are right now. So, it started while I was in first year, second year. I was, you know, I was still hustling as a first year. I used to sell mandazis during first year. So, you see, when you get a profit, you'll want to go and look for a quality service as say just to motivate yourself. So, when it comes to shaving, I used to consider quality service which was not available in Masena. So, I used to say that this one, I love them, such service in Masena, so that at least my fellow students will get the same service that they are missing. So, I started shaving. But then while I was in second year, we did a unit that encouraged us to do a lot of design at the field. So, that's why I went outside to try. I went to a client and told him that I'm a interior designer. Then the client told me, can you do the work? I said yes, yet I had no experience in that. So, when we were at the site, he asked me many questions which I couldn't answer. Then that's when I excused myself and went away. So, I went to look for another client because I could not go back to that. Yes, so we cut after another client. This time it was a bit... We had no idea about the field. I involved my lecturers on the areas that I wasn't sure about them. This time I got the job. He told me that you can try this. So, I tried it, it came out and he was pleased. So, I earned a profit of 30,000. That was when I said, now this is the way. Then I had to go and look for clothes to change my wardrobe so that I can be presentable to the client. So, after that, that's when I got various contracts from the referrals. Others I was looking for them myself. Then I rented a shop. I rented that shop for six months but it was not open. I used to buy one seat, then I relaxed until I gathered everything. So, I took a left from there. Wow! I just liked how you took that initiative because you told me to go and try. And from that you learnt what is supposed to be done. And from that also, that is what I learned. That is what I learned. And so, when I was at your shop, I noticed that there are the ones doing the work. And this is a female dominated industry. And you are a man. Take us through that concept. Why the men being more in your shop? First of all, let's say men being more. Having more men at my shop does not mean that we don't work with ladies. We work with ladies but you see most of our clients are ladies. And they prefer men since during the service. I think they are free when men work with them. That's interesting. And what about you? What is the response of the community around you? You being a man in that industry? At first, people used to confuse us as let's say gay. Okay, that's right. Yeah, so maybe if you're doing nails, people will ask, why are you doing this? We used to do even hairdressing, dreadlocks to be specific. But we used to say, this is work for ladies. Yeah, so I had to explain to them that tuna hasu. So how is it now, that concept of you being considered gay yet you're straight? That word is not, once you know yourself, you're not a gay. You don't have to explain to the world that you're not a gay. You do your thing because you want to eat. Yeah, so with the time people will understand you with the things you do that you're not a gay. Yes, so at least it broadens people's mind that now of lana, wanae zafanya hevi, bina kwa kwa shutumu that they are gay, nasi gay. Yes, so at least to nijaribu kuba delisha, what was yone that this work is just for ladies? You started by saying that you saw a problem in mase no akuna watuana nyua vizuri and you decided kwa kaya kwa. So since then have you seen any competition that you can say any competitions ourselves? Yes, at first you were overwhelmed with clients. So we took on a lot of clients. People were coming for the good service that wasn't there before. So happen to kwa wana kuna shida kidogo. But people piawa kwa wana yo shida they cancelled it. But by opening more beauty shops than the Baba. So we have competition. But we believe in ourselves we have the best service so we still have our clients. That's good. So how has the experience been since you began until now? It has not been easy. Let's say as a student and you are also an entrepreneur, you have to balance. At times you are in class, your clients are not here. I mean, I have never been in a class before. I am out and I am in my house. So at times kwa attempted to take a class, but others have to explain them in class then they will wait for you. So that's a major problem. Yeah, in this industry, it's proper to what I mean if when you are at a feed here, kazi. So when they serve a client, they will just have some agreement then they take some money. So those are the challenges. At times the people that the staffs they don't report on time, but at a client and they go to the sauna. So those are the challenges and many others. Many others. Tomi is out there. You know there is someone out there and it's a kwanzisha kimi ozeyama and it's a kwanzeyama beauty shop. But I thought, ah, kuna endaji, tell us about the challenges and how you manufacture. Okay, challenge working with many people. It's a challenge. So we love to have management skills, how to relate with them, how to make them understand that this is their work. It is not mine. Yeah, so how you relate with them matters. At times, clients will bring problems, clients will be handling appropriately. So you'll have to make both parties to be satisfied. So that one after another will make a candle. Yeah, will make a candle, and make it for women. So you have to act accordingly. So at least both of them will be satisfied. You said that part of the biggest investment in your business was through landscaping, now as a graduate and a professional landscaper. How do you intend to spearhead your career as well as doing the side job? I've been preparing for this actually I've been training people in different capacity, managerial, so that when I'm outside doing my work, the job will continue, they'll continue serving people and the clients will be satisfied without me being there. So I've been preparing them. So when the time comes that maybe I won't be there for a good time, then I think the work will continue. So that does not mean that I will have to because I have those clients when you render who you are then should be looking. Yeah, I was meaning to ask that. How do you go through that? Yeah, so those ones you create time for them because they're also your clients. So you create time, you explain that I won't be there on Wednesday but on Friday I'll make sure I'll be there. So they will wait and I will make sure kwa hapo I will ask this, how do you ensure that your customer is fully satisfied for a long period of time? Na understand kama niwa kinyo zi u leta kama kuwe wa piniu u yotu How do you manage that? How do you ensure that? First, chase caroyals make sure that clients get the best service. Apu tunangalia usatikwanza, hygiene the way you interact with them the way you receive them from the reception till the last step. Yeah, so that we will need to decide come and spend the money apu for the service and it's a service industry. Okimu will treat vibhaya with a lot of carelessness then will opt for another person. Yeah, so right from the word go to keep at a client na make sure kwa satisfied we take our time aturash so I think those are some of the things to go back and now have to now So where do you see yourself in the next ticket? Actually I'm planning to build the branch chase caroyals we're planning to go maybe if not country wild regional yeah so that is my dream that one day we will be the best branch I meant that and what about your career where do you see it in the next ticket? So far I've done major projects so that's an indication that I'm going somewhere and I'm hoping that in the next few years we'll be the best in the country and regional also yeah so we are working hard on both sides On the professional side do you do the project as a company under a company or as yourself? Ok, I do as myself but now that I'm certified in the process of registering a company but before I've been doing in the future other companies but now I want to start mine fully so that I don't know if I'll be able to do it I'll be able to do it I'll be able to do it So you have chase caroyals and coffee and that's nice What would you call your landscaping company? Now we are going to maintain chase caroyals Wow It will be a brand of all the trades but we are planning to specialise in landscaping and beauty Wow Yes you know all of them mine are doing the beauty we want to beautify your natural space then we want to beautify your body That is That is a very good thing There is obviously a youth member who comes from school and who is managing the school and now this highway is keeping in contact with the speakers What can you tell them through your story? At first we used to share that at 30 pop share with Maseno those days So I told them that I was in Kuja and I told them one day we will work in Ozzy and we will share with 100 people from that Okay So people were against that At first when I approached my dad I was wondering I need to start a business Can you let me something I can't hear We will end up she like so much See Kupanya Biashara See Kupanya Biashara and it became a serious issue I can involve my mum we had a serious talk Yeah but always you understand that at campus level there is something we need especially our course it was expensive since it is a technical course So you have to go and buy expensive things travel from one place to another Yeah So through that we need to make it possible for us to make it possible for us to make it possible So as personally I told them in fact when I came to I told them I was in the highway So I told them I was in the highway I worked and I proved that I was in the highway Yeah Yeah So in fact my friends I told them I was in the second year I told them I didn't explain that I was in a big space maybe maybe Yeah So I told them I was in the search services I told them I was in the search services people were working Yeah but I told them I believed that I knew I was in Kiyanza in Watuwata Watuwata Yeah So what would you tell a young person who may still be doubting themselves? You know when you interact with young people they are full of innovative innovative trends Yeah they have visions but they always skeptical on how they will start them First you see nili amukas kumoja nika sayama now naanzak pika mandaz at first year Sikuwa najuwatu nili kuwa siyongi na watu sayama I was a bit introvert So your time getting to people and tell them kaniubai maimanda was hard to see So I had a friend we came over here nisa idea hapa So to look what the other nae she was in third year Yeah So to nenda nae and then introduce nika hanza ego So io nika juwa uki sayama uanzak uko na kitu isiogope Just start When I started my landscape work I approached a client I had no idea In fact this time I was called by a mungi a contractor from Nakuru Kaniambia kuja upani landscape have been referred to you So that time I was worried that these are contractor na amenitas are professional for advice I was worried nika juwa gari from kisumu but all the time nili kuwa na soma na piti anot Yeah So io nika sayama na nga ugopa siko well-versed na imaneno sika yanda but nili jipa mo nika sayama na nika Iki anguka nisao Yeah Bora urienda Iki ebede nisao Yeah Uwa spendi kuwa na after Udiya fanya kitu you have regrets that I wish nika jaridu Yeah so it's good that you try numata without count Thank you so much I have enjoyed the talk I have learnt a lot and I'm sure pure way you have learnt a lot Ame sema usiyo gope and I relay it do not be afraid even for those that are telling you haiwezekani juwa ina wezekana wawendu na juwa the magnitude of your dream you understand how big you want it so why why not go try do it na utapata ule mojiat oksediya kusama na zikwa kwa introduce wenzako because it is not impossible this has been new thin action I am Nyongwesom Grenis