When Gladys Njoki Maina graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in 2017, she exhibited high expectations to seamlessly transition into the job market.
A financial engineering graduate, Maina sought to exploit the skills she had learned during the four-year period at the university. Little did she know that an unfortunate circumstance in life would ultimately lead her to launch her own company.
Speaking to KTN, Maina detailed her upbringing- pointing out the pivotal role her family played in her life.
"I was born and raised in Eldoret. After graduating, I stayed with my family before moving to Nairobi to look for employment opportunities," she noted.
She found a job with a monthly salary of Ksh16,000- a silver lining in her pursuit of financial freedom. However, Maina pointed out that the amount was too little to support her in Nairobi hence she lived with friends in a bid to sustain the income.
Things then took a 360-degree turn after she was abruptly fired three months into the job. According to Maina, the CEO faulted her immense passion as a cause for concern in the company.
"My boss thought I was so passionate and I had too much zeal and since we can't have two bosses in the same company, they let me go," she stated.
With only Ksh5,000 to her name, Maina sat at home, confused and not knowing what to do. She delved to relocate to her family home in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. She endeavoured to engage in her love for hair and beauty products as a hobby.
"I posted a video online of my journey and also the homemade products that I use for my hair. A day after I posted, I received multiple phone calls over the product," she recalled.
Maina decided to use the Ksh5,000 to purchase the ingredients needed to make the product. This ultimately birthed GeenyLove.
As the demand grew, Maina sought a Ksh80,000 loan from her mother- which she used to upscale the business.
"I tested on my friends who became repeat customers. It reached a point where I conducted in-depth research and did quality control before increasing the product," she noted.
Upon the formation of the company, Maina acquired the Standardisation Mark permit from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). To date, GeenyLove is thriving as the graduate managed to settle debts, break even and make profits.
