Top 40 Woman under 40- Christine Khasinah-Odero

Meet Christine Khasinah- Odero, Founder of Supamamas. During her first pregnancy she discovered the lack of information sources dedicated to motherhood and infants. This began her entrepreneurial journey into leadership. She is passionate about what she does. Her life has been characterized by following her heart and striving to be better.Let us delve into the world of this phenomenal lady.

C: How does it feel like being among this year's Top 40 Women under 40?

CK: Being a top 40 under 40 was an honour and felt wonderful to be recognized.

C: You have received several remarkable awards since starting Supamamas. You have been a finalist in CEOs Magazine Most Influential Women in Business and Government Africa 2013& 2014 and among Kenya’s Top 5 Women under 40, 2013 UP Magazine. How would you describe the feeling?

CK: Supamamas is yet to reach its 5th year milestone and am glad to have brought the vision to life to impact women especially mums who come for the events. Winning the awards makes the effort worth it in knowing that what we do does make a difference. The awards have elevated Supamamas and with the recognition we continue to strive to be better by the day.

C: How has life been growing up? Walk us through your life from childhood to today.

CK: I grew up in Umoja estate in Eastlands as well as in Kilimani in my early youth. I am surrounded by 5 great siblings and great parents. My father especially is my friend and has continued to encourage me throughout. I schooled in Western at Butere Girls after which I did my first degree at USIU-Africa and MBA Marketing from Liverpool University. I came back to Kenya in 2004. My life has been characterized by following my heart and striving to be better. I have grown by reading a lot and having the guts to try out new things. At all stages of my life whether the ups or downs, I refuse to be defined by my circumstances.

Christine Khasinah (left) with Muthoni Ndonga of Blankets and Wine (centre) and Elizabeth Bisher- Simiyu of Slim Therapy (Right)

C: You are one of the exceptional women blazing a trail in the entrepreneurial world. What has your journey been like, from leaving a managerial position, starting your first business and eventually founding Supamamas?

CK: When I came back from the U.K armed with the Masters Degree I truly believed doors would open. However the reality is that so many Kenyans are qualified and are very well educated and the situation is even more saturated today. I started out my career as a marketing executive in an ice cream making company, and later on held jobs in tours and travel. During this time I opened my first business, a tour company, which failed in 3 months after which I had to go back to employment in a job I was over qualified for. This was at a high end garage which day in day out mainly featured administrative tasks including being the Personal Assistant to the company owner.

Despite the setback I did my job well and 2 years or so later decided to start a company and be an entrepreneur. The company was to create events for mums.

C: How was the transition from the corporate world into business?  

CK: The transition for me from Corporate to business was a leap of faith. I wished I had mentors or forums I could go and share with other women starting out in business. I worked hard and built useful networks.

C: What has it taken to build Supamamas to the brand it is today?

CK: What it has taken to build Supamamas to what it is today is giving myself permission to experiment, try out new themes and knocking on doors without giving up. It took several months to get an event sponsored or have brands to have confidence to come on board.

C: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from a mistake you have made in the past?

CK: The most important lesson I have learnt from the mistakes that I have made is that the biggest mistake is not learning from it. I keep learning.

C: Supasisters is a remarkable initiative that brings together women passionate about giving back to the society and mentoring the next generation of girls. What was the inspiration behind launching Supasisters?

CK: SupaSisters brings together women who want to give back and grow the next generation of girls because mentorship does make a difference in helping people believe in themselves and that they can also succeed if they put their mind to it.

C: What is your view on the importance of mentors for young people in all aspects of their lives: professionally, socially, and holistically?

CK: An opportunity to be mentored is so golden and can help you learn and give you direction in what you want to achieve. Mentorship is so important especially for those considering becoming entrepreneurs professionally. Socially it's also important as it gives you clarity of who you want to be and help you build a personal brand.

C: Supamamas has been involved in community service and outreach programs such as giving back at Nyumba ya Tumaini, community service at Kenyatta National Hospital and supporting Cerebral Palsy Society of Kenya among others. What drives this passion to reaching out to the less fortunate?

CK: Giving back is something I am passionate about on a personal level and as a Rotarian. It is a culture I cultivated early and incorporated in the business. As I thrive as a business person I would also like to give back.

C: Rooted in your business philosophy is Gandhi’s challenge to “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” You are under 40 and you have achieved a lot, what drives you to achieve all you have?

CK: I am driven to find my best self. I am a self starter and love to trying out different ways of doing things until I grow. I am ardent believer of investing in yourself to keep growing.  And in addition in order to get the best out of people, the best has to start with me.

C: If you could describe yourself in one word, or using one animal or thing, what would that be?

CK: I describe myself as resilient, as an animal- a phoenix perhaps, the bird that rises from the ashes and soars higher and higher.

C: Tell us something unique, different or quirky about you.

CK: Something that I find unique about me is that I’m an extreme introvert and extrovert. I am easy with people and at the same time very lonesome - I operate very well in my own company.

C: What legacy would you want to leave?

CK: That I made a difference in people's lives through being generous and compassionate.

C: What is your definition of success?

CK: Success to me is being at peace and achieving the goals I set.

C: The purpose of Calibrated Blossom, the blog, is to inspire young people to seek and chase inner perfection, encourage a shift in mindset and spur people towards their goals. What is your take on this?

CK: I can totally feel your vision and hope many people will begin to see that inner perfection is what spurs growth in other areas of one's life. Like Napoleon Hill said "whatever the mind conceives it can achieve.” The mind is truly powerful and the first place to shift your mind set.

C: What is your advice to young people on saving and investing?

CK: Start early- and make saving and investing a habit rather than doing it because other people are doing it. Also before spending, ask yourself if you really need to or just want to.

C: What is your message for young people out there? For all the young people struggling to figure themselves out and for those who have embarked on their voyage towards achieving their dreams?

CK: I would tell the young people out there to DREAM, DREAM BIG, TAKE ACTION and move beyond the thinking stage. The only way to see your dream coming to life is taking the bold step to working on it and being diligent and persistent.

Top 40 Woman under 40- Esther Macharia Chibesa

   

I spent an hour with this phenomenal woman and I left with amazing nuggets of information and super charged to make a difference. She has years of wisdom, a creative spirit and a quest to enjoy life; it was a breath of fresh air speaking with her. Enjoy the interview with Esther Macharia Chibesa- mother, wife, career woman; a super woman if you ask me. She is the Director of Treasury and Trade Solutions at Citibank Kenya. She is among the few women blazing a trail in the male-dominated financial services industry and a prime candidate in the list of Kenya’s Women to Watch.

C: How does it feel like being among this year’s Top 40 Women under 40?

E: I can honestly describe the feeling in two words: gratifying and humbling. I am grateful for such an incredible opportunity and for each opportunity that has come my way. I have always purposed to harness each opportunity that has come my way and make it valuable. It is humbling to feature on such a phenomenal list.

C: How has life been growing up? Walk us through your life during childhood.

E: I grew up in a sheltered and tight-knit family in Nairobi. I am the first of four daughters. I am so proud of my younger sisters and the astute strides they have made. They are doing phenomenally well in their areas of expertise- as a magistrate, doctor and lawyer. We owe all this to our upbringing and the sacrifices made by our parents. They believed strongly in the power of education and the importance of setting achievable and incremental goals. I remember my mother used to always tell us “There are no geniuses, just people who work extremely hard”

C: You are one of the few women blazing the trail in the male dominated financial services industry. What has your career journey been like, from your days as a graduate trainee through your rise to Citibank Kenya Director of Treasury and Trade Solutions?

I graduated from the University of Botswana having studied Accounts. I applied for the highly competitive graduate trainee position at Citibank Kenya in 1999. To this day I remember the highly ambitious cover letter I sent in with my application. I flew in to Nairobi for my interview and I truly believe that has been the best interview in my entire career. I attribute this to the thorough preparation I did for that interview.  I held the position of graduate trainee for 18months, working in different departments such as Operations and Customer Care.

I then moved to Citibank Uganda as a risk analyst for three years. It was a great opportunity and a great learning curve. I was part of the team that consolidated a new corporate unit that advised companies mainly on credit facilities. Between January 2004 and September 2008 I worked in Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda as a trade product manager. I then became the consummate banker involved in structuring trade services products for clients in the mining, public sector, agribusiness and manufacturing sectors and also identifying supply chain financing opportunities for them. I took up the position of Citibank Director of Treasury and Trade Solutions in Zambia from 2011, after which I moved to Kenya as the Citibank Kenya Director of Treasury and Trade Solutions.

C: At just under 40 years, you have achieved a lot. What has it taken to get to where you are?

E: I believe it is important to frequently ask yourself the question “Am I being true to myself and doing what I would like to be doing?” I believe intelligence exhibits itself in different forms. Growing up in university I had a vision board which had the goals I wanted to achieve in my life. This helped me to consolidate and focus my efforts on attaining my goals. Throughout my career I have always purposed to be curious and adaptable. This curiosity has enabled me to apply myself in diverse roles. I appreciate diversity.

C: Outside from your professional hat, what kind of person are you and what do you like to do?

E: Above all, I am a wife and mother to three beautiful children. Family is everything to me. I love to garden, I derive a lot of pleasure in watching things grow. I also love décor, this stems from my love for all things creative. I am also an avid reader. I strive to stay healthy by exercising regularly. When I was younger I used to love to sing and compose songs for Christmas carols.

C: You mention you love to read. What are your all-time favourite books?

E: I especially loved “Timeline” by Michael Crichton. Crichton combines technical details and action, addressing quantum and multiverse theory. This completely fascinated me. Another book I loved was “The Screwtape Letters” by C. S. Lewis. The story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior Demon screwtape to his nephew, a junior tempter. It’s a must read. Lastly, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. It is about a man named Dorian who desires to sacrifice his soul to ensure that a portrait of him, rather than he, will age and fade. It is a very thought-provoking read.

C: If you could describe yourself in one word, or using one animal or thing, what would that be?

E: A butterfly. A butterfly is curious and independent with a sense of freedom. I believe this bests describes me, and I in turn value these attributes in other people.

C: Tell us something unique, different or quirky about you.

E: That’s a tough one, but I would say I knit and sing. As I mentioned earlier, I used to compose Christmas carols in my childhood. Interestingly enough, years later I was amazed to hear one of the songs a friend and I composed in childhood being sang at a church service.

C: What legacy would you want to leave?

E: For my children- I want my children to understand that happiness is a choice. I want them to live life to the fullest and really enjoy their lives. I want my children to grow up as good, honest and kind individuals.

At work- Through effort, partnership with my great team and fate I would like to make a huge difference and impact, and grow the business exponentially. I want to be known for great ambition and tangible impact.

In life- In the end I want to have loved and lived life. I believe “You do this ONCE. Just once!” We have one life and with each passing day, we never get younger. This creates an attitude of fearlessness and you become possessed with clarity.

C: The purpose of Calibrated Blossom is to inspire young people to seek and chase inner perfection, encourage a shift in mindset and spur people towards the direction of their dreams. What is your take on this?

E: There is no shame in effort. It builds resilience. With resilience comes capability to do and be more. Achievement is a journey. Belief and confidence will make you soar. Build success incrementally.

To all the young people my challenge would be: Do you have a dream? Does it seem crazy? Are you going for it? If so, keep at it!

  

A small gift for a phenomenal woman. With the message: "Thank you for being a great mentor and role model"