Founder Diaries Podcast

Listen to the story of how Cellulant was built, the businesses Ken Njoroge built prior to getting investors into the business. He built with a larger market in mind and today that is a reality. Today's hustle is Komini which is a business built to create community for small business owners and helping them "arrive alive." Then hear the perspective of Kui Njoroge who built alongside him and continues to do so in Komini. Asking: "How big the business shall be vs how big it can be."Find Komini on socials: InstagramFind our host on socials:Instagram⁠ -   / yvonnekanyi  TikTok⁠ -   / entrepreneurmamake  Follow Founder Diaries on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠\TikTok - @founderdariespodcast Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Hear my thoughts on how I would market my business if social media was no longer available. Social media is becoming saturated and more people sensitive to promotional content thus affecting it's effectiveness. We need to start thinking about offline ways to engage and attract new customers. What are your ideas? Engage us in the comment section. Find our host on socials:Instagram⁠ TikTok⁠ Follow Founder Diaries on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠TikTok - @founderdariespodReach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠HERE⁠ | ⁠+254795279403This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke, and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co, and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Catch up on Waithera Mugo's story and how she went from a law student to owning her own firm and building a niche business with Ithera Africa, a tax & wealth advisory firm. I learned from here there are so many ways to legally reduce your tax liability as a business and to think through your corporate structure and the implications that has on your tax points. The true point of a business is to make money for the business owner - hear more on how to maximize this. Find Waithera: https://ithera.africa/, on Instagram: @waithera_mugo Find our host on socials:Instagram⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyiTikTok⁠ - https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurmamakeFollow Founder Diaries on socials:⁠Instagram⁠\TikTok - @founderdariespodcast Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke, and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Find our host on socials:Instagram⁠ TikTok⁠ Follow Founder Diaries on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠TikTok - @founderdariespodcast  Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: HERE⁠ | ⁠+254795279403This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke, and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co, and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

You know… running a product business will teach you math you didn’t even know you needed.Not the cute math… the painful math.The “why is my cash gone yet my shelves are full?” math.Today we’re talking about inventory mistakes, the true cost of dead stock, and why inventory turnover and run rate are non-negotiable if you want a healthy business.Inventory is a beast to master and has to be mastered to really optimize your business - most importantly cash flow! Learn why dead stock is detrimental to your business and get specific and practical tips on how to better manage inventory. "Inventory doesn’t care how passionate you are.It doesn’t care how good your brand is.It doesn’t care how many followers you have.Inventory rewards:SystemsDisciplineCash flow awarenessNegotiation skillsAnd the willingness to say “no” to suppliersIf you master your turnover, your run rate, and your inventory planning, you stop running your business like a kiosk…" Find our host on socials:Instagram⁠ TikTok⁠ Follow Founder Diaries on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠\TikTok - @founderdariespodcast  Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke, and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co, and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Pricing might seem straightforward — but over time, I’ve learned that most of us underestimate how many things quietly eat into our margins.We price for the product.But we forget to price for the business. Your pricing should factor in: Your salary and compensation as a founder/directorGovernment compliance (taxes, licenses, statutory requirements)Rent and operational overheadsStaffing and laborSoftware, tools, and systems that keep everything running.If these aren’t built into your pricing structure, your profit is an illusion. And here’s the part we don’t talk about enough: pricing is emotional. For many founders, pricing feels deeply tied to self-worth. If you struggle with valuing yourself, charging higher prices can feel like you’re building a wall to push customers away. But that’s not what strong pricing does. Strong pricing creates sustainability.It allows you to serve well.It gives your business room to breathe. Here are signs your pricing likely needs adjusting: High revenue… but just as much money going out. Constantly tight cash flow. You can’t scale without feeling financially stretched.You’re overworked and underpaid.Revenue is vanity.Margin is sanity.Cash flow is survival.If your business is growing but you constantly feel pressure, the issue may not be effort — it may be"Profit is not extra - it's how the business stays alive." Find our host on socials:Instagram⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyiTikTok⁠ - https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurmamakeFollow Founder Diaries on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠\TikTok - @founderdariespodcast Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke, and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

I've been in business for many many years and I have one particular season where I truly thought about quitting. I sat down to figure out how to replace my income and actually got the ball rolling until I realized where the pain point truly was. What happens when you're faced with the end of the business you built from scratch?This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off. Find our host on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ Follow Founder Diaries on socials: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403

Hear the story of Liz Njuguna and how she started off with buying and flipping land at 19. She started off with one parcel being paid in installments of 20K a month which down the road was flipped into 700K pain in a lumpsum. Learn how her discipline and reinvesting grew that hustle into Risiih Investments. Five years down the road Risiih is working on putting more land into the hands of women and breaking down the barriers to women owning land. Find our guest on socials: Liz Njuguna Find our host on socials: Instagram, TikTok Follow Founder Diaries on socials: Instagram, TikTok Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: https://digitax.tech/ | +254795279403

Dreaming is dopamine and doing is discipline. It's not because you're lazy or lack of motivation. Thinking about your dream life of driving the car you'd want, the freedom of time you crave and dream travel destinations is VERY easy but different to when it comes to taking the action required to achieve that. There is a physiological reason to this - your nervous system is wired to avoid change and it's a survival mechanism. Listen to how this works and how to counter it to set the ball rolling for the dream life you want. Get some practical steps to beat how your body has been wired to achieve what you want. This podcast has been proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

At some point, every founder has to ask:Am I building a real business… or just surviving?In Minisode17, Yvonne shares the practical shifts that helped her stop running her business like a kiosk and started structuring it properly, from paying herself consistently, building systems, delegating intentionally, to planning financially and creating cash reserves.If you’re still in survival mode, this one is for you.

We’ve been sold the myth that businesses need to be revolutionary, AI-powered, or completely novel to succeed.In this minisode, we strip it back to the basics and unpack the 4 pillars of a good business — and why simple, needed, profitable ideas often win.If you’ve been overthinking your idea, this episode is for you.Let’s share about our partners, DigiTaxAs someone running a business, staying compliant shouldn’t be complicated…and that’s where DigiTax comes in.DigiTax is an eTIMS invoicing platform that helps you issue, receive and track all your tax invoices in one place, with ease.With DigiTax, you can:✅ Issue, receive, and track tax invoices in one place✅ Access via web or Android app — no technical skills needed✅ Get real-time tax reporting that syncs automatically with KRA✅ Enjoy reliable customer support for setup and complianceDigiTax makes eTIMS compliance simple, affordable and stress-free.📱 WhatsApp Support: 0112685368🌐 Website: digitax.tech

Many founders think they’re building businesses... but have actually created full-time jobs for themselves.In this minisode, we unpack the difference between being self-employed and being an entrepreneur, the signs your business depends too heavily on you, and practical steps to start building systems that scale without burning you out.If your business stops when you stop, this episode is for you.Watch on Youtube: https://youtube.com/@founderdiariespodacst?si=JJAYjtB1vW5BlTfEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderdiariespodcast?igsh=MTRxcnZjcm5zM3pwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@founder.diaries.po?_r=1&_t=ZS-93DygkaNo4C

What does it take to build a sustainable catering business?In this episode of Founder Diaries, Yvonne sits down with Esmeralda Founder & CEO of Spez Catering Limited, to unpack her journey from starting to running multiple corporate cafeterias.We talk about:• Why event catering alone isn’t sustainable• How corporate cafeterias create steady daily cashflow• Turning one client into long-term institutional contracts• Starting a business young and scaling through real hustle

What if the reason your business feels stuck isn’t strategy —but mindset?In this Minisode, Yvonne breaks down Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill — the one book she believes every entrepreneur must read.This episode explores how fear, drifting, habits, and lack of purpose quietly control founders and keep businesses stagnant. Framed as a psychological conversation, the book reveals how most people operate on autopilot — and how founders can reclaim control of their minds, decisions, and direction.In this episode, we cover:• Drifting vs intentional leadership• How fear shows up in business decisions• Definiteness of purpose and why it makes founders “unownable”• The power of habits and hypnotic rhythm• How environment shapes your growth• Why mastering your mind comes before scaling your businessThis isn’t motivation — it’s mental discipline.

Just because an idea didn’t make money doesn’t mean it failed.In this minisode , we unpack why founders often label ideas as “failures” too quickly and how that mindset can cost you valuable insight, growth, and momentum.We talk about:Why failure feels personal (and why it shouldn’t)How to reframe “failed” ideas What to audit after an idea doesn’t perform financiallyWhy money is not the only metric of successFamous brands that launched flops — and what those flops becameFrom Apple and Amazon to Coca-Cola and Dyson, this episode reminds you that every idea can give you data, clarity and direction only if you’re willing to look closely.This one is for founders who’ve tried something, paused it, or walked away wondering if it was all a waste.

Delegation sounds great in theory… but in practice? It can be terrifying especially when it comes to the big things.In this Minisode of Founder Diaries, Yvonne shares her personal journey with delegation …from doing everything herself , to slowly handing over responsibilities, to finally bringing in management-level support.We talk about: •Why founders cling to control (even when it’s hurting the business) •The hidden cost of staying in “busy work” •Delegating before you feel ready •Why hiring an Operations Manager changed everything •How delegation creates space for growth, strategy and clarity

In this minsode of Founder Diaries, we’re unpacking something most founders never stop to define …your job description as the founder or CEO.So many of us struggle with focus, delegation, and time management not because we’re lazy or disorganised, but because we’ve never clearly defined what our role actually is in the business.We talk about: •Why founders end up doing everyone else’s job •How not having a JD creates confusion, burnout, and poor delegation •How to draft your own founder JD based on your strengths, vision, and impact •Using SMART goals to objectively measure your performance •Protecting your time once tasks are delegated •What not to include in your founder JDPlus, we share a practical framework (and a real example) to help you get started.This episode is for founders who want clarity, better use of their time, and a more intentional way of showing up in their business.Partner: Digitax — your tax assistant in your pocket

In today’s episode of Founder Diaries, we sit down with Murugi Munyi for a conversation that goes beyond content creation…the space most of us know her for.Murugi shares her journey of starting her first business while still in university, navigating entrepreneurship as a young mum, and growing into a founder who has built multiple businesses over time.We talk about starting before you feel ready, evolving through different seasons of life and what it really takes to keep buildingThis episode is for anyone building, pivoting, restarting, or figuring things out as they go.

In today’s episode, Yvonne shares 6 lessons from 6 years in business…From hiring and money to boundaries, self-awareness and trusting your instincts, this episode is a reflection on what it really takes to build and sustain a business over time.If you’re building something of your own, or thinking about it …this one’s for you.

In this episode, we’re talking about overplanning and why it’s quietly holding you back.Planning feels productive because it’s safe. You get to keep the idea in your head without exposing it to the world. But real clarity doesn’t come from thinking, it comes from moving.In this episode, I share: •Why money loves speed •How getting the first ball in motion forces execution •Why you don’t need the full plan to start •How I finally launched this podcast without having everything figured out • Simple habits to move from planning into actionIf you’ve been waiting for the “perfect strategy,” this episode is your sign to start now…refine later.