 Hi, how are you? I hope you're doing well. My name is Nenya and welcome to SFM Baza. Today in studio, I'm joined by an amazing young lady who's doing amazing stuff. She's a Kenyan podcaster. Her name is Aviti. Hi Aviti. Hi, how are you? I'm good. You look amazing. Thank you, you too. Thank you. How have you been? I'm fine. I'm just fine. You're just fine. Fine. Tell me about your podcast. So my podcast is called Unspoken Podcast. It's a podcast on personal and self development. I started podcasting while I was in campus back in second year in Masenia University. We had a podcast from Kisumu, not from Nairobi. You decided in Kisumu? I decided in Kisumu. I'm a podcaster from Kisumu and my podcast is called Unspoken Podcast. It's a podcast based on personal and self development. I started this podcast at a place where I was not mentally okay. So I started this podcast to allow room for growth for me and for my listeners. So when you started, you're not in the right headspace. But you are fragile enough to... What made you decide to be that vulnerable? You know it's not easy. It's not, by the way. I think at the time I was in second year and campus was character development. So I said this podcast at the time I just started it to run. Like I was working at a station in campus. I was just an intern at the station. And then COVID hit and then you couldn't go to the resustation. So my friend told me, start a podcast. You know they work together, they work the same. So I didn't know what a podcast is. So I did my research and then started my podcast. And then at the time I was just doing it for fun. I was just doing it for fun. When I felt like I was not okay, I wanted to address something. I would go and address it in my podcast. So for me it started like that. And then people would come to me because I would just be vulnerable. I wanted people like, you guys I went through this. I went through depression. Like you guys should learn to love yourself. Self love is not scared at that point. Because you know Kenyans can be something else. I was not scared because I knew no one was listening by the way. As that's why I was not scared. Because I knew no one was going to listen to my podcast. So me I was just like being vulnerable. Just telling people like you know you guys having high expectations can like do this to you. So me I was just doing that what I was going through. I was just putting it on my podcast. At the time I didn't know like people was going to listen. So then my classmates would listen. My classmates my screamers to listen. And then they would tell me I listen to your podcast. And then they would be like I relate to what you're going through. I've been through this stuff. And I was like yo people actually listening. Then that really motivated me. So I just I started being consistent. And then I was like I can do something with this podcast. I can really impact lives. And I can have fun while doing it. So far so good. Clearly we can tell. So far so good by the way. I'll say this is my like my fourth year in podcasting. I started in 2020 and I've learned a lot. And I've achieved a lot of things. And I've impacted lives I'll say. I mean I've understood this change in life. The podcast and it has changed the life of my listeners. How has it changed your life? First of all I want the award. Yay. Congratulations. I was nominated my podcast. This year I was nominated for the African podcast and voice awards. Which is like the biggest podcast and voice platform in Africa. And I was nominated against I was nominated in the personal structure development category. And I was going against like two South African podcasts. I was nominated with two Nigerian podcasts. So then you were like two Kenyan podcasts. And I was the youngest in the category. I read that and I was like wow you doing well. I was the youngest in the category. And at the time I was nominated. Like I didn't even know I was going to win. But actually being nominated for me was like yo. That's how you know ready. I was ready to win for me. And I was like people actually recognize my work. Like those people actually recognize my work. And it was like I owe it to my community. They unswoken community. They like showed up for me. They voted for me. They supported me until we won and got the award. So like when I'm going home I'm like yo. I'm going home with the one. I'd like to know how's your mental state right now? No ma'am. It's good. It's good. I'll say on a scale of 110 I'll say I'll give it an 8. An 8. That's okay. Yeah, that's okay. How do you deal with, because your podcast is based on self-development. How do you deal with self-doubt when you're there and you're ready to shoot that podcast but then self-doubt crops in? What do you do? I have a lot of self-doubt. Infact I've shot a couple of, a lot of episodes that have not even like uploaded because of that self-doubt. I'm like it's not good enough but what I've learnt is like just do it. Like as much as I always doubt myself I'm like but then you doubt yourself but when you upload the episode even your listeners don't even know that it's bad. You'll say this episode is not good enough but when people listen they're like yo you're doing a good job. So it's just within you. So you just fight it. I deal with it a lot but I try to fight it and like no I have to do it. I have to do it because because of those episodes that I've really doubted myself they just do actually very well. Yes. So I'll just I deal with self doubt is I just do it. Just do it. I do it because if I don't do it who's gonna do it for me? Yeah exactly. No I'm gonna do it for me. Those I'd like to know now because you are there ready so people come to you a lot for advice and how do you deal with all that because I know it can be draining. Yes. Whether it is a lot people come to me for advice. People look up to me. Then I was even at a school somewhere. I'm currently doing like school tours in Kisumuwa, high school tours and then those girls would like come to me like give them career advice. I'm like yo chill chill it's not that serious. At first I was like yo it's not even that serious and then but I think it's a big shoes that I have to step on them if even though I don't want to but I have to because people are looking a few. I'm not saying like even if I enter but the people who are looking up to me a lot and I mentor them and me I've decided that for the longest time I've been running away from it. I'm like you guys I'm not a motivational speaker. I'm not a mentor. You guys just chill but for the longest time I've been running away from it especially in those encampments because I feel like I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough. Yeah I'm sharing that myself. You guys even in my life is not okay. Why do you want me to advise you? Yeah so for the longest time I've been fighting it but now I'm like embracing it. I'm really embracing it because I think that what I'm doing like it impacts people so I'm like embracing it. So when someone comes to me for advice I'm like let me give this let me let me drop some gems. Yeah so I'm really embracing it and I'm trying to be the best version of myself. As usual you know as usual also you know as much as this the positive side which is major kuna wala 2 comments kido go kido go the negative words do they ever get to you? They don't now I have I have where they now nowadays like who doesn't have a thick skin kwa sa in this? Ikenya elas mokuena thick skin kenya sayi like you have to me I don't even let them get to me I'm like you that's your that's your own stuff you deal with it me I don't know what I'm doing you just deal with it so I'm like I don't even like give them space I'm like you just deal with your own stuff because during even this journey I've like lost a lot of people a lot of friends like who felt like I think they didn't felt they didn't like want to support me I don't know if like I have like lost a lot of friends during my journey I've lost a lot of acquaintances that I had but I'm like me I'm just doing my I'm just doing my thing me I'm it's okay I understand them but they because they don't get what I'm chasing like till I'm saying I just dreamzaki kwa na visioniako you know kwa na visioniaka api ano jokinya faniya so like me just I understand like you do your shit me I'm gonna do something kujami ni e I'll stick to mine in your podcast what episode could you say what that was your breakthrough episode what topic were you talking about that's just blue I think ni ni was life after campus was that episode had the high graduates I graduated last year from Maseri University so before I graduated you studied before you go there drama and theater theater and film I'm an actor so before I graduated there's an episode I did about life after campus when you're done it comes personal the period before graduating I did an episode there and then after that now I did after graduating how it is because because at the time you know you deal with a lot of depression a lot of people really do because there's that pressure to get a job to get your life together you broke at that time there's that pressure to move out of home first there's that pressure like your classmates you look at what your classmates are doing your classmates maybe someone is already working you're not working so there's that there's that pressure that it felt like I needed to like talk about it so people actually like related in fact most campus students because of those who are in fourth year and most of my classmates they're like yo this is something that you are dealing with and the best part about that episode I did it with my classmates three of my classmates that are there so like everyone was giving that perspective how are you dealing with life of a graduation how is it and people are like eh they're coming out and like eh I was dealing I was like depressed like your pressure kwa na your pressure kusaksid kwa za you know in our generation us genzis kuna e pressure you want to saksid beyond beyond kwa na social media pressure because is that pressure I like we really talked about it and that was like the best episode that I did yeah yeah do your folks support what you do at first my dad even didn't know what I usually do like for the longest time he used to call my podcast broadcast so that time I usually just tell him I explain to him like it's ready but online that's the best I could explain to him but I actually had I told him listen to my podcast kwa za when I was nominated he was like ah he was like okay so you're doing something so then he mentioned like he validated me so he was like ah okay so actually doing something you're recognized by like entire Africa so I like he actually listen to my podcast but I always tell him don't listen as much because say kuna bituna say 1-4 I don't want him to listen cringe kifkiria your dad is and say but he knows what I'm doing and he's supporting me yeah was there relatives a relatives yo go mam pa mingi yo go I'll say my bro I have my big brother my big brother is a really huge support system for me he really supports me and a few of my cousins they really do but others I don't even know if they listen but I know a few of my cousins and my bro my biggest my biggest my bro is like my biggest supporter here he really supports me he helps me this proposal he gives me ideas like you know in this podcast you can do this you can pitch this so my big brother he really supports me and a few of my cousins yeah but when he how I do it as you hear when you are not supported we are here to grow in I'd like to I'd like to hear your your thoughts on how you will tell people because you know recently so many people are taking their lives what wanna do what wanna do rusha it's a lot what can you tell people people were like going under through depression like people were just sad me I'll tell them hanging there just hanging there it gets better with time like hey just hanging there even when I started this I was like depressed I even like talked about it I was not even ashamed of it because when I was in second year I was I was depressed like I mean I just knew I'm not okay but at the time I didn't know I was depressed I didn't like I didn't know that mental health was a thing like you need to take care of your mental health like depression was real at the time I didn't know it me I just knew me like I'm not okay like Siku Fiti so I didn't know but now then doing this I just realized I was not okay I was actually depressed and I'm coming out and telling people like it's okay hanging there we all go through that I don't know if is there anyone who's never like gone through depression in your life in your entire life there's that part like you feel I'm not okay as much as it's not depression like there's a at point in your life when you just feel like you're not okay and it's okay to feel that way and you're just hanging there because it gets better in time actually will you advise for therapy absolutely have you gone for therapy yourself me I'll say like everyone needs therapy by the way in fact the thing that really hurts me the most is like a lot of people don't have access to therapy and it should you know how me I say like how people people are advocating for for for like females to get pads is of it was advocate that's how therapy should be everyone should like access therapy you need therapy even need therapy in that you single just like your mental life is bad do any therapy you all need therapy I really people people reason this way muna niye nene ni rant ye tum tu shida zango like ni mwambi you know I'm going through this in this ala fukwambi you if you go for therapy after going for therapy do you know that I actually need this uta dani tu ko sawa but when you go for therapy a first session you'll know that actually need therapy and you know that everyone needs therapy but the therapy it's like it elevates you you all need therapy and it really hurts that it's really expensive and a lot of people can't afford it but we're trying me I want to try because I'm trying on doing like some group therapy sessions where I do like even for I do a session for men and for for for girls because we need therapy especially men you know men yeah Kwanza men because me you know my podcast like 65% are male listeners oh wow that is so nice yeah that's that's it really shocked me didn't know method like I was speaking to my Dave but actually 65% are male listeners and they actually come to me like they tell me hi you know what you're talking about I can't deal with it so like I'm thinking like everyone needs therapy and I'm planning to do like therapy sessions once spoken where I just host therapy session male and female different sessions yeah that is so nice if you are not doing what you're doing now what will you be doing I'll probably be in Hollywood and actually you know for the longest time I've always I think when I was in high school I always wanted to be an actress I just wanted to me I just wanted to be on screen I wanted to be an actress like that that's even why I went to study theater and film so I I usually had that dream of just I'll make it in Hollywood eh the lulu but don't know where so you know amen to that hi I think I was being the lulu the lulu with your with your dreams your career you never the lulu yeah so I just wanted to be like an actress and maybe do radio I think also love radio that's why I ended up I ended up doing podcasting so me I just meant I thought I always know that I meant for the mic for the cameras yeah okay kumalizia first tell us where where if someone wants to listen to your podcast at Akupata Wapi also your social media platforms my podcast is available on Spotify and everywhere you find your podcast Spotify there's Afri Pods there's like everywhere Buzzsprouts Audio Mark everywhere and then it's also on YouTube by the listen to my podcast on YouTube Spoken watch it on YouTube unspoken podcast K.E. It has a Papo logo Tapatape de unspoken Mingi but then it's called unspoken podcast K.E. It has a Papo logo you'll see my face there and then on social media at unspoken dot at spo.ken podcast K.E. on Instagram I'm really active on Instagram and then on TikTok also unspoken podcast K.E. on Twitter unspoken podcast K.E. everywhere also LinkedIn unspoken podcast K.E. Also I'll encourage people to join my Telegram community I have a Telegram community Yes, I have a Telegram community where we talk we interact I tell people like I I come to therapy that's not a therapy session so join our Telegram community at unspoken podcast community Why unspoken podcast what's the name I called it unspoken because when I started like I was saying I was not mentally okay and then for the longest time I've been that person who like if I'm not okay I don't like sharing it with people I'll just finia my emotions yeah I've been that person I grew up being that person like me I just deal with my problems myself I didn't like learn how to share with people and for the longest time like I believe like so that was my unspoken feelings yeah yeah so that's how I called it unspoken to tell people like you those feelings those unspoken feelings of yours share it with people like share emotions don't share away from emotions be free with your emotions share emotions that you don't know who you're gonna inspire so that's how I called it unspoken oh that's so cool okay lastly eventually what's the goal in the next five years in the next ten years where do you want to see yourself with unspoken podcast I want it to be international I want to go international but in the next five years I have a lot of plans with the I want to I'm passionate about community projects I'm passionate about going out there because me I grew up I'll say me I grew up I didn't grew up like well off so like I had to fight for my what I had like I had to fight to get what I want so like I'm I'm doing I'm can you be the first one I'm not even I'm not the first one whether you speak but then I'm the second one I'm the only girl I have like three brothers I'm the only girl I'm the second one so in the next five years I want unspoken to go international I want to do world tours I want to do tours with my podcast because now I started doing high school tours in November I'm planning to do my first campus tour well I'm going back to my for my campus ma senon then I started doing the campus tours campus tours so after doing campus tours high school tours I want to do like world tours like people I want to reach out to people who are ground to like people inspire people with my story like to have fun basically like to have fun like to just see the world in a different way with my podcast I want to also like it start a company there's a couple of companies I want to like start I want to also start a company there's a I'm working on it so I want to start a company for tech and then like change the world with tech yeah and then hotel for hotels come first tour and money like like I want to like and uh like multiple streams of income with these podcasts because even being nominated for these orders they like prove to me like there's a lot of things I could do with this podcast see like class ikunenda tu na shoot podcast kwa episode nime pro on YouTube even tu afunaka nangoja de next weekend niko like no there's a lot of things you can I can actually that sort of land I can actually do a lot of things with these podcasts and that's what I just want to do I want to also like form of course I've said a company do campus tours do world tours like travel the world with the podcast and I actually think I can do it you can from your mouth to Godzia I'm investing maybe as 45 exclusive but yeah that's what I want to do amen from your mouth to Godzias okay how many times do you upload on your podcast per week yeah per week every Wednesday every Wednesday episode time 12 p.m how to tell you people everyone is busy I'm spoken podcast episodes every Wednesday new episodes drop every Wednesday on YouTube and on Spotify and all on your streaming platforms every Wednesday from 12 p.m. on YouTube 4 p.m. all on your streaming platforms okay hadiyawiti thank you so much for tuning in my name is Nenya and this was SPM Buzz