 Hello and good morning once again. Today is Tuesday Entrepreneurship. My name is Joy Mochache. My social media handle is joy underscore mochache. This is why in the morning, remember you can reach us on our social media handles. That is hashtag why in the morning, have Tuesday Entrepreneurship. And the way you can do that is through Facebook, on Y254 channel, on Twitter, that is Y254 channel and Instagram, Y254 underscore channel. Welcome once again. We have a beautiful show today. We actually have two people that we're going to be talking to. We're going to be listening to their story and listening to how they put, you know, how they, I guess put food on the table every single day and how they're able to run life. And first of all, let me state that this is a couple and they strictly want to be introduced as a couple. And we are starting with Mr. Steve Kawa. He is the CEO of House of Steve. He's also into photography. He does training for runway models, commercial models. He's also an image brander and as well as teaching salsa dances. And his mate in his relationship is Valentine Anyango. They're in the same business. She's actually the managing director of House of Steve. And she's actually the current Miss University of Nairobi, the Kikuyu campus. And yeah, like once again, they are a couple, Karibuni Sana, Steve and Valentine. Thank you. Thank you, Karibuni. Thank you. Yes, so as you've seen today, we talked to people who are business-minded and you own a business that is called House of Steve. I can start by asking, when did House of Steve begin operating? House of Steve, a modeling agency. It started as a project that we wanted to handle as a couple after I won my title, Miss University of Nairobi, Kikuyu campus. So it was a project that I did to help nature talents, the models out there doesn't have a platform to do their thing, show their works and everything. So we started it early January. Okay. I see early January. And this is right after you won the title. I won the title last year, around May. Around May. Congratulations. Thank you. I'm sure it feels good. Yeah. You're a beautiful girl, by the way. Thank you so much. Congratulations, Sana. And next question I'd like to ask is, what is House of Steve all about? And what do you strive to achieve as a company? What does your company do and what do you strive to achieve on a day-to-day basis? Okay, House of Steve is not only an agency, it's made me view it, but it's also a family. Okay. Which will help me as their father in the world, as their mother. Okay. So we train models, we do branding, and we also give them the photography, since you know I'm a photographer, a professional photographer, who has done shoots for over two years. Okay. So these are familiar with nature models. Those who want to be branded, we do that. And we offer them also an environment where they feel loved, they feel trained in many other services. Ah, okay. So you just snatched people and offer services of photography and modeling of all kinds of sorts, on a day-to-day basis. And how did the idea come along? I know that you are basically in this, being a miss, you are basically in this line of fashion already that is stamped out for you. But as a man, what made you enter into this idea? I've been a model before, by the way. Oh really? Yeah, I was Mr. Chiromo, 2016, 2017. Congrats. That's two years ago. So when I met Val, yeah, we've been dating for over a year. Oh okay, congratulations. So she was also interested in modeling. She did modeling early in high school. So I was her manager, I encouraged her. I did a much-trading and introduced her to more people. So after she won the title, we felt it was to start something big as a couple. Something, at least, our modeling could not end just from the title, as many would win the title and go back home. Right. So being a photographer since I quit runway, I ventured into photography. We came together and drafted an idea. That's when we came about to also stay. That's interesting. So you were both modeling and then... Ah, we are both modeling. Mukaunana. Was it love at first sight? Or did it first start as a friendship? Apparently, I'd been single for a year. And maybe she was also facing our problems in relationships previously. We knew each other then, started dating after one week. Oh, really? So that's love then. All right, I see that this is your logo for House of Steve. Is that right? Okay. Is there any particular meaning behind it, or is it just... Okay, indeed. Is there any secret hide something you've hidden there? Not so much, in the public. In the house, as you can see. Okay. That's a roof. Yes. Significantly implying that it is somewhere which you are roofed. You feel at home. Yeah, we don't only trade for commercial purposes, but we give you the sense of belonging. Right. Yeah, it's something I'd like to emphasize. The most agencies, they are so specific. Like, you have to be slain, tall, you understand, be a model. But we want to bring a different perspective in modeling. Well, even if you are crippled, you can be a model. Wow. Because modeling is not how people take it, that you have to be tall, you have to be cute. Modeling is all about, it's either selling clothes, selling someone, or you can sell yourself as an individual. Selling a brand. You could be so good in dressing, but you are not that good in working on runway. So you can do glamour modeling. For peaks, a crippled person could be so good in peaks. Yeah, we also invite and welcome plus-sized models. Okay. Yeah, so that's why the roof is purposeful for that we house anybody willing. Anybody willing? Anybody willing who has the passion to be a model, even if they happen to be a cripple or plus-sized. This is the place where they can feel like home. And this is where they can get the right nurturing. House of Steve. That's amazing. Shall we continue? How do you normally source your models on a day-to-day basis? Do they come to you, or do you tend to go out to them? Because I have the title. And I want to reach, sometimes I reach out to models because I want to nurture them. I want to provide the platform and give them that opportunity. So most of the times we do shoots like this. That's pretty. And we market ourselves. We have posters and we have everything. Actually in my campus, there are a lot of models coming from there. So they all have dreams. I only provide the platform, yeah. Yeah, okay, I see. So all these people actually just, I love this idea. Do you actually have cripples who have come and they have an interest in modeling? Not yet. Not yet. I wish you could put a word out for that because I think I've seen something to do with that in the international realm where they don't, I've even seen albino models. Oh my gosh, that's amazing. I like the way House of Steve is going. And I'd like to ask, what are some of the things you learned as a Miss University of Nairobi? What are some of the things you learned that you feel are helping you in your venture with Steve? First of all, as a model, you have to be confident. What matters most clearly in modeling? It's not actually the beauty, the face. You have to be confident, elegant. You have to have the poise, the elegance, everything. So being confident as you are training for Miss and Miss University of Nairobi campus, you have to go with the mindset that there are only two people in this world. Those who want to be me and those who want to marry me. Like you have to be confident, be you, be yourself, and everything is just good. So the main thing is confidence. Confidence takes you places. Repeat that phrase you said so I can tell myself that when I'm lacking confidence, I can tell myself. There are only two people in this world. There are only two people in this world. Those who want to be me. Those who want to be me. And those who want to marry me. And those who want to marry me. I love it, I love it. I'll be using that one, you know, and I'm trying to talk myself into doing something and I'm finding it a bit hard, because sometimes that happens, yes? Yes. Yeah. And I'd like to ask, what piqued your interest to become a part of House of Steve? I know you said that you started together, but most models would rather just continue the modeling career. Not many of them would like to open a business or anything. Most of them are so focused on the modeling that they don't delve into other things. So what made you have that interest? I wanted to impact lives. Okay. Yeah, and so reaching out to somebody who doesn't feel they're good enough for the thing was my kind of stuff. So I just like impacting lives. I want to reach out to those who feel they're low, because in this country there's so many models and mainly we offer training for those who are upcoming, those who are starting from nowhere. Yeah, that's exactly what we do. Yeah. And as a managing director in previous Miss University of Nairobi, what other dreams do you have? It looks like you want to write a list Miss University, House of Steve Manjidarita. I still have big dreams in modeling, like currently I'm going to contest for Miss University Kenya. Okay. We're yet to be told down the dates. So I hope I win and then I go for Miss University Africa, you know, that kind of level. Slowly. I have a lot of dreams in this modeling industry and I want to become a supermodel. You want to become a supermodel? Yeah. Okay. That's amazing. By the way, hey, I'll root for you. I don't think we have supermodels from Kenya. We have models, but supermodel is a huge title. Yeah, it's a very huge title. My friends, yeah, do it. Have to go international. Yeah, do it. Do it. I'm rooting for you. And if I could go to Steve, what are some of the dreams you have apart from House of Steve? Is there anything else that interests you? Yeah. I'm looking forward to building House of Steve, first of all, because you have to build your brand. You have to develop it. At least you'll be identified from that place. Okay. At least somehow in future people will ask you, what have you tried? So that when you try something else, they believe in you. So I'm looking forward to expand it right now. So much focus in growing it. I want it to be something so big that is majorly right now quit modeling and other things. Focusing on House of Steve, developing people, making names. Yeah. Okay. Speaking of developing people, I've heard something about you people saying nurturing. You know, this is a youth station and we have a lot of university people who are watching and things are tough in the sense that employment is very low. And so sometimes our youth, especially our young girls and also some men, excuse me, also some young men tend to do extraordinary things to get money. Maybe that dating a richer lady, older lady who is rich or dating an older man who is rich, what we call your sponsors or what we call your sugar mummies. I love what you guys are doing because what you're doing is you're building each other. When you're still young, you're not with some old man. You're not with some old lady. You're trying to make this money together. I find that very important and if you could please speak on that. Okay. The major problem with the current generation, our peers specifically, most of us want the quick money or the shortcut way. We find that most of us are afraid of ourselves and we are so much impatient. When you vent into hustling, you quickly want the income. Yes. We are so much impatient and there is peer pressure, especially in campus. You find most ladies, they join when they are so innocent. Then they get into very bad companies of joining them into sugar, that is the sponsor thing. So for us, we decided we can grow ourselves at our age. That's why we started something. At least in the future, we can support each other and I'm proud of her where there's a problem. She helps me, she's my advisor and I'm a tour advisor, so we help each other. You're each other's backbone. And I encourage my fellows, the other youth, that it's never too late. We are still young. Please encourage them. We are still young. We are at 20s, 30s. That's still young. It's too early to give up. You're young until you're 40. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You're still young. So you find that most of us want to be rich at 20. Imagine. Two shortcuts. What's their rush? So you vent into some old lady, you date them, she gives you money. And there's also pride in having your own man, your husband. Actually, it feels so proud when someone calls you, you mentor them. They tell you that I've been watching how you grow, how you do your things and you make me proud. I think there's nothing much worth appreciating than that. But just someone tells you, I love how you do your things and that's what keeps me moving and keep us moving. Okay. Yeah. How about, what would you say about? I would like to tell the youth, actually I'm 20 years old. Oh, you're so young. Yeah. And so don't let your age come between you and your dreams. Go for your dreams and do your best. Actually, this issue of sponsors or being in a relationship with older men, it just destroys you because cash that comes in, either you're going to spend it on mine, you want to impress your fellows, you want to wear nice shoes and everything. But it has an end because at the end, this point is going to go back to his family. Exactly. And then you're going to be there. So get your guy, build something together and follow your dreams. And build each other together. Get that money together. Yeah. Yeah. I love what you guys are doing. It's really beautiful, by the way. I can see why you wanted me to introduce you guys as a couple because what you're doing is unique. Most people don't do that at TE, guys in university at the age of 20, opening a business together. That's actually very rare. Actually, we face a lot of challenges. Yes. But ladies in campus, getting a girlfriend may be too tough if you're hustling. And ladies just tells you, I miss the day to come to a camp, for sure. Why? Because you're not working. And you find that most ladies have been raised currently. They live all the luggage to their guys, all the problems, all their needs. You find that I go to campus, she equally goes to school. We start, we have lessons, but at the end of the day, she, you find that someone expects you to do everything. Yeah. You give up pocket money, you pay Uber, and she knows very well, you equally depend on your partner. Yes. Yeah. So that's what I encourage our youth, that it's possible people can do it, people can grow together, it's something so, we are, we are still not very old. Yeah, that's true. That's true. We're not. We have a long way to go. We always say, you have time until you're 40, I don't like to hear, I'm old, I'm old, I'm old. There's still time to do, even getting married at 40 happens, by the way. So yeah, take a chill pill, relax. Let's go to the next question. I'd like to know, you've spoken of challenges in your relationship. Do you mind telling me some of the challenges when it came to opening up House of Steve as well as running House of Steve? What are some of the challenges you came across in terms of even competition? Challenges are very mainly, by the way, insensitive. Something like an agency is very sensitive. If you look very well at the pictures, most of the models are ladies. Yes. And these are some of the challenges people face. So for us, that's why we started it with her. You find that most guys start an agency and then they start exploiting ladies. So temptations, it happens. Then three weeks, four weeks, your name get ruined. Of course. This guy goes with ladies, so takes advantage. So ours is strictly professional. That was the first challenge we could have faced, but at least we had some shortcuts through it. You had a shortcut through it. Yeah. Second challenge, being that we are still growing, we're still young, so fans and other things. That's why we're trying hard, at least if we can get support. We're asking different personalities and at least we thank God there are people showing interest. OK. So we have some people showing interest in your work. Yeah, we have some people showing interest. OK. And we are really thanking God for that. OK. Yeah, another challenge could be dealing with models very hard. Really? Very hard. What? Many people use these three pictures and they think, wow, I want to join. Oh, that's you over there, isn't it? Or is that someone that looks like you? That's me. OK. So when you see this picture, you find many people want to join. Actually, all ladies look good. Wow, I want to be part of the team. Yeah. You know what these people do behind the scenes? The practice we put there, a lot of them, because we want quality stuff. So we have to train intensively. Yeah. Yeah, most of our trainings are on weekends. Do the models tend to cooperate or are sometimes there are arguments or there are no arguments? No arguments, but sometimes, because usually we train during the weekend, Saturday and Sunday. So somebody is like, oh, I have a family meeting, I want to make it. You know that pulls us back because she hasn't learned anything and you have to teach her. It kind of pulls it back. It kind of pulls things back and it slows the schedule down, doesn't it? Yeah, exactly. All right. Have you finished with the challenges or is there any other challenge you'd like to discuss? That's a serious challenge. What about in terms of competition? Are you trying to partner with anybody at the moment or later on? Later on. Later on. We first want to build it. OK. If someone, they can't see something you've done, yeah, we don't want to hurry things. OK. And we actually, I need two more questions. I need to ask what are the challenges that were presented to you when you were modeling and you tried to transition into a business lady? Is it something that you've always had in your mind? Have you always been business-minded? Because not everyone is business-minded. Some people would rather sit on a desk from nine until five, you know? And there are those who would say, no, I have to be my own boss, I don't want a boss. So how did that transition go for you? OK. First of all, I wanted to do something with my life. So the challenges that I experienced is, you know, not everybody can believe in you. So some other people will try and drag you down and they'll be like, no, you're not doing this right, oh, you're not doing this right, but I thank God I prayed and it's good. It's good. Doing business with what you love, what I passionately do, it's pretty good. OK. So far, no more challenges. That's good, no more challenges. And the last question I'd like to ask as we wrap up our interview, I'd like to know what do you envision for House of Steve as a whole, maybe in the next three years or five years, what is your three-year plan for House of Steve? In three years, we want to build a brand, we want to go international. In three years, we want to be able to have many models, branches, because currently we wanted to admit some models, but some were in Meru, Kisumu, and they cannot come to Nairobi for training. So in three years, we want to have branches situated in different places to help models from all over the country. Right, branches in Kisumu, Meru, like you've said. Yeah, exactly. So that may be in Africa and then the whole world. Yeah. That's great. I wish you well. I wish you luck. And to add on to that, we want to have a unique brand. A unique brand? We want to offer something different from what other people are offering. All right. Like I told you, we want to admit the crippled, the unique, the plus size, the people who the society think they cannot do it, those are the kind of people we are so much interested in. We want to nurture them so that we create a different image and attractive in the government for support. Of course. Because we don't want to blame the government for not supporting modeling if they cannot see if it is worth or they don't see a way they can benefit from it so that the image you want to create in the next three years something so unique that no one else has ever done. Of course. That is very unique. Like I said, it's rare to see the kind of models you're trying to bring in, but continue to bring them in and continue to do your research on all types of diverse models. There are so many people out there. Like sometimes I look at some models and I'm like, wow. Some of them are, I don't know how to explain, have you had something called vitiligo? It's the disease that makes you half black, half white and you're still modeling. It's so interesting. Yes. It's so interesting. So I wish you the best. Thank you so much for coming. Before we sign out, do you mind sharing your social media handles, please, how people can reach you? No problem. Start with you. On Instagram, this is well, on Facebook, Valentine Williams. And we also have our YouTube channel, House of Steve Modelling Agency. Okay. Okay. My personal Instagram account is House of Steve. That is for company. Then that's Instagram. Then my personal is this is Steve. Then Facebook is Steve Cow. So I hope your viewers have been able to catch the social media handles. Remember, this has been Why In The Morning. Richeson tells what you think about the wonderful relationship and building a business together and building a name together as they're still in university and also being youth. And also make sure you put in the hashtag Why In The Morning, hashtag Tuesday Entrepreneurship and find me on underscore Joi Mochache. So have a good day, you guys. Have a beautiful, beautiful day. We're signing out. Muah.