Success Signature

THE AUDACITY TO TRY AGAIN: FROM TEA BOY TO SENIOR BANK MANAGER

It took me four years and seven interviews to finally get a job in the then Barclays Bank (Kenya) Ltd.

I did the interviews in different branches of the Bank across the country - Kerugoya, Thika, Karatina, Muranga, Market, Moi Avenue and Embu. One interesting thing is that all the interviews were the same., yet I kept failing. The interviews comprised a Mathematics paper lasting about 2 hours and an English paper lasting about 1.5 hours. These were my favourite subjects in both primary and high school. Yet I kept failing, according to the bank.

But one thing I look back to with abundance gratitude is that I never gave up, I kept trying even when it seemed like all the odds were against me. Somebody, at some point, told me that I needed a godfather to make it. I didn't have one.

But eventually I got a job, starting with being a tea boy and rising to a senior manager.

I want to encourage those who feel like life keeps throwing them a canvas. That you should never lose hope in something that you truly desire in your heart.

Many will tell you that the doors of destiny are locked and that only those with a "godfather" hold the keys. They will tell you that merit is dead and that your background determines your ceiling.

But my story is proof that while a godfather might get you through the door, God and your own grit will keep you in the room and take you to the top. I didn't have a name to drop; I only had a dream I refused to drop.

Sometimes, life tests you in the areas where you are strongest. I loved Mathematics and English; they were my favorites. Yet, the bank told me I failed—seven times, in seven different towns.

Rejection isn't always a reflection of your ability; sometimes, it’s a test of your appetite for your dream. If you truly desire something, a "No" from a man is just a "Not Yet" from Destiny.

When the door finally opened, it didn't lead to a leather chair and a mahogany desk. It led to a tray and a kettle. I started as a tea boy.
True greatness is not found in the title you start with, but in the excellence, you bring to the smallest task.

I served tea with the same precision I eventually used to manage millions. If you are too big to serve, you are too small to lead. Your current "canvas" isn't your permanent home; it’s your training ground.

To anyone who feels like life is throwing them a canvas every time they try to paint a masterpiece: Do not lose heart.

Seven Interviews is not a Failure; it’s a Foundation. Every "No" I received in these branches was building the character I needed to survive the pressures of being a Senior Manager.

The distance between the kettle and the corner office is measured in persistence.

Your breakthrough is often hidden just behind the door you are about to walk away from.

THE ALCHEMY OF THE SMALL START

The shift from employment to entrepreneurship isn't just a change in your tax bracket—it’s a rebranding of your mind. It is the transition from seeking permission to seeking opportunity.

Waiting for the "perfect" amount of capital is often just a well-disguised form of procrastination. If you wait until the wind and the waves are perfectly still, you will never set sail. Wealth is not a prerequisite for starting; it is a result of starting.

THINK BIG: Your dream must be so large that it scares you and inspires others. It should be rooted in a legacy that outlives your bank balance. If your vision is only as big as your current savings, you aren't dreaming; you're just budgeting.

START SMALL: Do not despise the day of small beginnings. Use what is in your hands right now. The macadamia tree does not emerge from the earth fully laden with nuts; it begins as a vulnerable sapling that refuses to stop reaching for the sun.

START NOW: "Later" is the graveyard where great ideas go to die. The most expensive thing in the world is the time you spend waiting for a "better time."

You don't need a mountain of gold to build a bridge to your future; you only need the courage to lay the first stone today. Your passion is your primary capital. Your character is your credit. Your vision is your roadmap.

EVEN A DEAD FISH CAN MOVE

Any fish can move downstream, even a dead one. But it takes a live fish to move upstream. Many people are merely existing in this life; they are not living or growing. To live and grow means to pursue something specific with intention and passion.

It’s worth asking: What is the "downstream" for most people today?

Often, it's the path of least resistance—endless scrolling, passive consumption, or staying in a career or mindset that feels safe but stagnant.

Floating downstream is easy because the environment (the current) is doing all the work; swimming upstream requires an internal engine and a clear sense of direction.

If we aren't careful, "drifting" becomes our default setting. We react to our surroundings, meet the expectations of others, and let the days accumulate without ever actually steering the boat.

Breaking away from that current doesn't necessarily require a massive life overhaul; it just requires that first stroke in the opposite direction.

"The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Do not just exist; color your life with purpose."

HAIJALISHI: The Power of the Seed

Haijalishi where you were planted. Haijalishi how deep you were buried. Haijalishi how dark the soil around you feels right now.

Think about a seed. When it is dropped into the dirt, it doesn't complain about the mud. It doesn't look at the towering trees above and feel inferior because it is small and hidden. It doesn't matter if that seed was carried by a bird, dropped by a hand, or blown by a rough wind into a rocky corner.

The Location Doesn't Define the Life

The soil provides the environment, but it does not provide the blueprint. Inside that tiny, dry shell is a forest waiting to happen. The seed doesn't need to "become" a tree; it already is a tree—it just needs to manifest.

Whether you are in a palace or a slum, in a high-office or on a street corner—Haijalishi. Your surroundings are just the "dirt" required for your growth.

What Do You Have?

The seed doesn't ask for branches before it has roots. It starts with what it has: a tiny spark of life and the will to push upward.
• You might not have the capital, but you have the vision.
• You might not have the "connections," but you have the character.
• You might not have the degree, but you have the discipline.

What Will You Do With It?

A seed that stays in the granary because it is "safe" will eventually rot and be forgotten. A seed that survives only happens when it decides to break. You must be willing to break your old habits, break your fears, and break your excuses to reach the light.
The transformation is not in the soil; it is in the soul of the seed.

The Takeaway for Today:
Stop looking at the calendar and saying "It's too late." Stop looking at your background and saying "I'm too low."

Haijalishi.

The God who put the giant Oak inside the tiny acorn is the same God who put a destiny inside you. Know what you have, decide what you want to do with it, and start pushing through the dirt today.