American salesman and renowned author, Joe Girard, once said that the elevator to success is out of order. You will have to use the stairs one step at a time.
The adage is true in the life of Peter Njuguna wa Muchaba who achieved the penultimate goal of owning a radio station in Alabama, US after years of toil and labour.
Speaking to Inooro FM presenter, Jeff Kuria, Muchaba hailed himself as an independent person with an impeccable work rate.
His journey dated back to 2003 when he moved to Alabama in search of greener pastures. At the time, he had a chip on his shoulder to prove to his family that he can fend for himself.
"After graduating from university, I was given Ksh40,000 by my father to set up a business but I declined. I envisioned myself as one who can handle things on my own and eat from my sweat," he stated.
His entrepreneurial venture began with selling milk to informal shops (kibandas) - something he hid from his family for a long time.
"I used to sell milk to kibandas in order to earn a living. After working for over three years, the business grew tremendously and I began selling 2,000 litres daily," he noted.
Fortune smiled at him when he was granted a green card to the United States on a lottery basis. Muchaba was hosted by his brother in the state of Alabama.
He resorted to menial jobs including cleaning toilets and scrubbing floors of retirement homes.
"They paid me Ksh889 (7.5 dollars) per hour. In the United States, one is allowed to work only 40 hours a week. I later quit the job in order to learn how to drive trucks," he narrated.
In 2006, Muchaba opened his first company, Kiambu Express, which only operated for three years before he closed it down and later launched NW Express alongside his brother.
While trying out various businesses, an idea of launching a radio station crossed his mind, Diaspora Media Max Global - whose goal is to keep those in diaspora up-to-date with news back home.
"Initially, the idea of the company was to deal in foreign currencies. But I deviated from the role and sort to delve into the media industry in order to provide those in the diaspora with newsworthy content. As soon as we launched, the company began growing from social media pages with people sharing the live link with their families and friends.
"The bigger percentage of our audience follow us through the app. A lot of people have embraced the online platform where our content can be streamed live," Muchaba explained.
Muchaba pointed out that every Kenyan should not tire in the endless pursuit of their dreams.
