This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
December 17, 2019, marked a significant milestone for Wanjiru Mbugua, the CEO and founder of Diamond Media Communications Limited, a communications, marketing, and media consultancy based in Nairobi.
Wanjiru's journey to success was not an easy one. She went from being a teacher to a news anchor before finally settling on being a communications, marketing, and media expert. Her decision to leave her job at KBC to focus on her business was a turning point in her life.
With zero startup capital, Wanjiru registered her company name for just 1,000 shillings. Her business model, which relies on valuable concepts to secure clients, has proven to be highly effective. She recalls, 'I started with zero budget. I didn’t have any startup capital at all. It only cost me 1000 shillings to register my company name.'
Wanjiru's company has come a long way since its inception. She now has over 10 employees and has secured deals worth millions of shillings. Her highest deal was worth 45 million shillings, with most of her clients paying between Sh. 500,000 a month to a million shillings.
Wanjiru credits her first client, who paid her Sh. 350,000 in cash during a difficult time in her life, for giving her the opportunity to prove herself. She says, 'I remember she paid me Sh. 350,000 down payment in cash at a period in my life when I was really struggling. I didn’t know where my next meal or rent was going to come from. Those were desperate times and then this client came along. She was a blessing and I didn’t let her down.'
