Experiences

10 years – The price for success

Untitled-181

This beautiful Wednesday afternoon, The Junction mall, Nairobi, is packed with busy looking beauties welcoming guests, show casing some of the best fragrances, skin careand beauty products in the world.
My colleague, Nicole and I are shown to the lounge where a cosmetics launch is about to happen. After a few moments, we are marveling at the type of products that are in offing. The beautiful girls offering to allow us to experience the great fragrances abound. The fragrances cost an arm and a leg but the quality of the authentic products makes it so very worth it.

From a distance I see a focused looking smiling lady being interviewed by the members of the fourth estate. My curiosity does not allow me to move away from where the interview is happening. I want to know who she is and what her contribution to this launch is.

“Dr.Joyce Gikunda from Linton’s Beauty world”, she introduces herself to me immediately after the interview. I introduce myself too and proudly say that I work with Kuza Biashara Ltd and we are in the business of building the capacity of SMEs in Kenya for growth. “Ooh that’s great”, she exclaims. “I started small and with passion, persistence and faith got where I am”. We chat on but she has to leave to welcome other guests who were invited for the launch.

On being invited to the podium, she gives her story. She is a pharmacist but she was not willing to sell drugs to people on pharmacy counters; the typical idea of a pharmacist’s job role in Kenya. Instead, she chose to venture into taking care of the body’s largest organ, the skin. She talks about having tried to partner with Estee lauder 10 years ago. 10 years! – That’s the price she paid to have an international brand come into Kenya – Estee Lauder.

As a result, she believes in hard work and hence, is very passionate about her job.
[sws_blockquote_endquote align=”left” quotestyle=”style02″]Every woman can be beautiful with a little enhancement of her skin. My belief is that life without passion is unforgiveable.[/sws_blockquote_endquote]

– Dr. Joyce Gikunda
Managing Director, Linton’s Beauty world

She runs Linton’s pharmacy and has partnered with Estee lauder to launch a full product line of their brand in Kenya.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”615″]Key Learning for entrepreneurs – This lady is teaching Kenyan entrepreneurs that patience and passion in business is a must for success. The cosmetic industry in Kenya is an unexploited industry and business entrepreneurs should consider venturing into. Any Kenyan SME in the cosmetics industry can grow as big as Linton’s beauty world or Estee lauder. It’s about believing in yourself, focusing all your energy into it and being passionate about it.[/sws_blue_box]



Add your thoughts about this story

comments


About Joan Mbugua

About Joan Mbugua

Joan Mbugua is Kuza Biashara's Partnerships and Alliances ambassador. She is a University of Nairobi graduate in Sociology and Communications.Alumnus of the Political Leadership development programme (P.L.D.P 111) an initiative of the Eirbert Stiftung, 4Cs and youth agenda. She has vast experience in Program management in the NGO and government sectors. She believes in gender equality and empowerment of the African woman in the political, social and economic spheres of life. She is a go getter with lots of energy and drive. Joan hopes to see start up SMEs grow, through KB capacity building initiatives.