 Welcome back, welcome back. This is still in the morning and we are here for the first conversation of the day. This is being entrepreneurship Tuesday. We want to talk about the creative economy. It's all about coming up with new ideas to boost the satin area. For instance, today we have Muki Keneth who is the CEO and founder of Rafi Flowers Kenya and he has come up with a very interesting idea where he's making beaded flowers, you know, boosting or supplementing what is there with the natural flowers. He's making beaded flowers and beaded plants and you can see it on set once they put on the long shot and it's a beautiful piece over here. Ken, this is lovely. Thank you. How did you come up with this? First introduce yourself. My name is Mr Muki and I'm the founder and CEO of Rafi Flowers. It's a startup company and I'm glad to be here at Y254. Wow, Kajibusana. This is amazing and we have photos. We will be sharing with you the photos so that you see it's close up. So this is very interesting and before the interview began, I had asked to come you went to school to learn how to make it and everything. You don't even know how you started doing this. Tell us a little bit about that. How can you make such a beautiful piece and you didn't go to school to make it? To start I believe some things they come naturally and some things also they come just on the way. You get it? Maybe through apprenticeship or maybe some just come on the way like you can't just explain and I can say I'm an example of that. Wow, so you can't really explain how you did this? I literally, even myself, I just don't know how. What I believe is that I'm just a creative person naturally in every sector that I'm placed in or I'm subjected to I'm just creative. Wow and what you started for what? I'm a finance graduate. Finance, very different from what you're doing now. How did you decide then? Now that we have agreed it was something that's just in you, you are a creative person and you just started but that really happened. How did you start that? But anyway, what did you decide to venture into this, to catch our finance or is it are you still practicing it? I literally know but I do study a lot. I do study a lot because I need to understand the economics and the financial sector in the in the Kenyan economy. So that will be able to build my company. Okay, so it makes a lot of sense because you have a whole company with you and you are a founder so you need to know how to manage it and finances this key to it. So now back again to my question because I'm still in disbelief. So how did you decide, how did you start exactly? Were you making small beads and then you grew in the process and you started to make flowers? What was the journey like? Take us through it. The idea began in 2018. Also the dear student at the Cooperative University of Kenya. So I came to the realization that there's no work. So already I wanted to find an alternative because I knew the market is in flux with so many graduates but there's limited jobs. So I thought to myself why don't I come with an idea that maybe I can be an employer. So that's when I started brainstorming from everything in my head and working just out. So I went to Kariako and I saw how people are making their everything just using beads and I thought why not why not venture into this industry but now come up with a different idea because one thing I understand I'm not a tech guy so I knew myself from that sector I'm out. Right? Yes. So when I went to Kariako I just saw people are making and I bought some beads and some strings and that's when I just decided to try to make something and out of nowhere I can't tell you I made a bracelet. I made a bracelet, a bidded bracelet from zero. From scratch? From scratch. You just saw how people are making it? Yes. You bought your own? Yes I just bought my own. Went and made it? Yes a bracelet with no one teaching me. Okay. So from now they are on where after classes I used to like practice and maybe come up with different ideas and that's when the bidded idea came into mind. Yes. Just like that? Yes. Wow. Interesting how you thought you were in third year and you were amazing and you just started you just went out and you've never looked back since then. So since 2018 you have been making this? No. Ratty flowers was born in 2021 December. Okay. Tell us about it. Because between 2018 I was still a third year I was still a student so I was trying to to come up with a unique product out of beads. So between that period and the period when Ratty flowers was born it was just all about maybe practicing perfecting my skills and to know the kind of product that I want to put out there into the market. Okay. Yes. And what would you say is unique because we have seen some of this in the market. What what is unique about your type of bidded flowers and plants? How unique is it? First to start my products are made of beads. So it has a touch of water despite just being beautiful. Okay. Another thing is that they don't we they don't need to water them to maybe to trim them also you see. So that minimizes also your time and also it will give you pleasure for a long for a longer period of time. Okay. So it lasts for long? For long for long. Yes. Wow amazing. Then you know look at look at that. We have pictures that we'll be scrolling. I don't know if our director has them already so that you take a look at at some of them as we continue with the conversation. They're coming to you in not too long. Okay. I think we'll just wait for a little while before before it's put up. Tell us a little bit more about about when you started out in 2021. Yes. There was COVID at that time. Right. So take us to that journey. Between your 2021. Yes. And then you decided to now major on it. Yes. How was it? How was it like? Was it tough for you? Was it easy? Did you get people to support you? One thing I believe is that when when you begin anything let's say like nobody will jump into the ship until they see that this thing has a future. So after graduating in 2019 December then Corona came 2020. So I knew there no work. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So from now 2020 December now I decided man you have to do this. This is now your life. And when I did my research about the flower industry I saw that people were looking for an alternative of natural flowers. Okay. You see so so when customers or people have an alternative I believe that's one way of building the economy. So there's no monopoly of products. All right. And we're going to come back to to that building the economy through and this is the creative economy that we shall talk about. This is part of it. Now we have the images for you. Are you ready for them? I believe you are. So let's take a look. Wow. So this is a plant. This is one of the plants. Do you have names? Yeah. This is a lily plant. This is a lily plant. Yes. Quite a masterpiece. Next one. These are tulip and open tulip. Open tulip. Yes. These color lily, color, color lily. Color lily. Yes. Yes. Okay. These are, these are no-card plant. Okay. No-card plant. Mm-hmm. These are, these are kind of a water lily. Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. These are napkin holders. They, you can use them in hotels when holding the cervix holder. Yes. Wow. Have a flower to hold your napkins. Interesting. Now this is a cactus. It's written there. I wanted to jump on it because at least I know a cactus plant. Still cactus there. Wow. Mm-hmm. This is a? This, yeah, just an idea. I felt they cannot be when they form in the forest. Okay. So it's just something, I just thought of making a plant. Speak of creativity. All right. Beautiful. These are kind of rose, but now a rose plant. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Wow. These are lotus plant. A lotus plant. Lotus, lotus, lotus. Mm-hmm. This color lily. Now, this is a flower. Uh-huh. You remember back then there was a color lily plant. No, this is a flower. Oh, this is a flower? Yes, this is a flower. Color lily flower. Okay. These are lilies. Wow. And you, that's actually water inside? Just two. No, it's a, it's just a design of the vase. Oh, okay. It looks like there's water inside. I was curious. Also a lily. Okay. But I think this is the last one that we have. This is a lily. Wow. This is amazing. Why, why do you need to, okay, we need to have natural roses, but if you want something long lasting, then this would be the thing to go for. Do people come and buy for, you know, we associate roses with love, you know, when people buy it, buy for their partners. Do you see that a lot in like seasons like Valentine? Do they buy such for, because I know mostly it's for half-decor and everything, but do people buy it also for as a gift to, to, to their lover? This idea is new in Kenya. So with the time, I know people will embrace, a lot of people will embrace this idea. Okay. Yeah. So it's fairly new in Kenya. It's fairly new in Kenya. Okay. So how, what would you say, how easy or hard is it now that it's a new thing in Kenya? Yes. How hard or easy is it for you to, uh, run through it and, you know, grow your business at the same time? To start, I'll, I'll say it's about the, the, the person. Yeah. The person himself to have the drive to achieve whatever he wants. So I've, I've had so many challenges, but at the back of my mind, I have this idea that this is a new idea in Kenya and I know with the time people will come to know that Ratiflows Kenya is a company that, that makes flowers using beads and slowly people are embracing this idea. So that's my major motivation behind all this. Okay. Amazing. Before we went into looking at the photos, we were talking about how this will boost the economy and supplement natural flowers. You want to tell us more about that? Right. How do you, how do you see it boosting the economy? To start, I believe the government has, has invested more into their digital sector or their, or their tech ideas, but we people in the cottage industry have been forgotten. And I believe majority of Kenyans, they are like hustlers. So I believe if this sector can be invested more, it will create more employment. So, and I'm one of the players, the government can create jobs. It's with the people to create the jobs. So for the government is to provide for us a conducive environment that our ideas as young people will flourish. So that can create jobs for ourselves and also for others. Yes. So the government giving you a backing would, would help at least the sector. Yes. Okay. All right. It's interesting. Now, how do you decide, because you have a variety of plants and, and flowers, how do you decide on the pricing for, or is it the same pricing for everything? No, I have a standard price. Okay. Yes. And that standard price I've come to like amend it from when I started to now today, whether the economy is bad or doing good, have the same standard price. So you don't, it doesn't fluctuate with the economy. No. If things are, so how do you sustain yourself then? Because the beads prices also go up or something? Yes, I understand. From when I started this conversation, I told you I'm a finance graduate. Okay. Yes. So that ends us all. All right. I am sorry. Okay. So that helps, helps you with that. Yes. Okay. Are you just, are you now that it's a startup company? Yes. Are you operating it on your own or do you have a team? Because I know for a startup, it's, it's like a baby and you need to really nurture it and hold it when it's still at it. It's its infant stage. Or what stage would you say yours is and do you have a team for it? And no, currently don't have a team. But at the time I know with more people coming in, the team will grow. Yes. Yeah. Like I said, it's just a baby. I'm just nurturing it and through platforms like this one that you have offered me, of which I do appreciate a lot. It will help people to come to, to know this idea that this a company somewhere in Canada that's giving alternative to natural flowers. Wow. Okay. And how are you also apart from now a platform like this, what other platforms are you using to create public awareness and market, you know, beaded flowers and plants? Through social media, because everything now it's about social media. Yes. So people can find my company Rathi flowers Kenya, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, pen interest also. Okay. Yes. Awesome. Do you offer customized orders for customers? If they have something specific that they want, do you also do customizing? Yes. Yes. Yes. I work on orders. For example, let's assume you're a client, you approach me, I write the flowers, I needed some flowers. The first thing I ask from you is, do you have that natural flower in your mind that you want me to make or replicate it into beads? So once you give me the name, I will send you a photo of, of that. Then after that, I will share more photos with you, my catalog to maybe choose from, from the photos, maybe the kind of flowers you want. Then after that, it's up to you now to choose the kind of colors also, your preference. Okay. Wow. Interesting. Amazing. Now for the beads that you make it with, do you source everything locally? Do you have things that you get from outside? And also, do you do exporting? I know you're still at its infant stage or are you open to, to, to exporting to different places or different counties for that matter? Currently, my market base is international people. Okay. Okay. So my, my bad. They thought it was actually local. So your market is actually international. International. Indians and the Europeans are at large. Okay. Yes. So that's what you do? Yes. You export. And how is that for you? The West or abroad, people from abroad embracing this more than Kenyans. How do you see that? Or is it something good for you? Is it working for you better? Yes. It's working for me. And I believe that with the time, Kenyans will also embrace this idea because through my research, I came to know that this idea is very popular in Europe and America. That's after like extensive research. So it was like, it was like, let me, let me put this idea in Kenya. For example, we travel to, to any outside country, there's exposure, but haven't traveled to any country. So you come with ideas. Okay. Yes. Wow. So do you have a market base like in India and do you get orders like frequently? Do you have, you know, tell us a little bit about your international market? The Indian community that supported my, my, my company from when I started the Indian community, then the European also, the community also. Then for the, the Kenyans during exhibitions, you know, you get here and there, here and there. Okay. Yes. All right. So that has been since 2021 again. Since 2021. That's when I began everything about Rathi from, from finding the name of the company. Rathi is a Sanskrit name. It's an Indian Sanskrit name. Means meaning beautiful. What did you go with an Indian name? Because the market is there. No, no, no. Okay. It's a random idea. And no, no, no. It's because I've loved watching Indian movies since I was a child. Bollywood. Yes. Bollywood is a big, fun, big, fun, big fun. Okay. So Rathi is an Indian name. It's an Indian name. Okay. It means beautiful. Okay. So to make beautiful ads, ads for that matter again. Now, what do you see your business in the next 10 years, five years before we're up of the conversation? In the next five years, I see myself distributing flowers to hotels and also create a lot of employment to so many canons because I believe every industry started from somewhere. No matter how hard it, it is, you'll get there. Wow. Yes. So you have a vision for your company to create employment and to expand more. Expand more. How has the growth process, I think this will be the last one. How has the growth process been like for you since you started? Because sometimes startups get demotivated when things are stagnant or are at a standstill. How did you move past it? How has the growth process been like for you? It's been, I've learned a lot of lessons and one thing in me is whether you get an order or not, keep doing that thing. Keep doing, keep doing, keep posting those products. Whatever you have in mind, keep doing, keep doing. People will come. You can't change people, but you can change yourself and through you people will come along. Yeah, that's it. Every day wake up, do this, do this, do this, do this. So no matter the time, no matter the situation, keep on doing what you're doing. Yes, because I know there's hope in it. Yes. Wow. Amazing. I think that's a good way to end it. Thank you very much, Ken. I also appreciate it. And we wish you the very best in it. We hope that you get the necessary support in there. We hope that canons will actually embrace this because it's a beautiful kind of art and supplementing natural flowers. I mean, you can put this in your house and let it look beautiful or you can put the plants in your house and, you know, beautify your place, your space. This has been a wonderful conversation with Mukiki Kenneth, the CEO and founder of Rathi Flowers Kenya. Rathi is an Indian name meaning beautiful. I hope you have taken something from it. If you are a startup, I hope you feel inspired to keep moving, no matter the situation. At the end of it, it will pay off. That is one of the conversations we have on entrepreneurship. Tuesday, more is to come. So stick with us. See you on the other side of the break.