Being busy is not the same as being productive, and this minisode might make you a little uncomfortable. We're reviewing the book Great CEOs Are Lazy, whose core idea is simple but hard to swallow: CEOs aren't paid to be busy, they're paid for the 20% of work that produces 80% of the results. The real job isn't filling your calendar, it's learning to be ruthlessly efficient with the few hours a day that actually move the needle.We have some exciting news at the end of this minisode — stick around for it. And catch the follow-up conversation on how founders should actually be spending their time, coming soon.SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTThis episode is brought to you by:Beauty Square KE — Your go-to destination for premium, quality beauty essentials. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co PARTNER HIGHLIGHT 🤝We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 3 partner. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.comOur other Season 3 partners are:🎥 Royal Reel — our audio-visual partnershttps://www.instagram.com/royalreelph...💄 Makeup City — on makeuphttps://www.instagram.com/makeupcityy...👗 HAWI Ready To Wear — on the wardrobehttps://www.instagram.com/hawi_rtw?ig...Follow Founder Diaries on socials: Instagram / founderdiar. .Tiktok / founder.diari. .Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1CBpdVj...Follow our host on socials:Instagram⁠ / yvonnekanyi. .TikTok⁠ / entrepreneurm. .

Motivation runs out. Systems don't. In this minisode, we talk about consistency not as a personality trait, but as something you can engineer.

Borrowing a behavioral strategy from the author of Profit First, we break down "habit sandwiching": stacking a new habit between two things you already do without fail, so there's no room for excuses.If there's a habit you've been trying (and failing) to stick to, this one gives you an actual system to make it work.SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTThis episode is brought to you by:Beauty Square KE — Your go-to destination for premium, quality beauty essentials. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co PARTNER HIGHLIGHT 🤝We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 3 partner. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.comOur other Season 3 partners are:🎥 Royal Reel — our audio-visual partnershttps://www.instagram.com/royalreelph...💄 Makeup City — on makeuphttps://www.instagram.com/makeupcityy...👗 HAWI Ready To Wear — on the wardrobehttps://www.instagram.com/hawi_rtw?ig...Follow Founder Diaries on socials: Instagram / founderdiar. .Tiktok / founder.diari. .Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1CBpdVj...Follow our host on socials:Instagram⁠ / yvonnekanyi. .TikTok⁠ / entrepreneurm. .

This week, we're switching things up with a roundtable conversation featuring four incredible founders, each building in a completely different space:

🔹 Val Njoroge — Co-Founder, Africa's Pocket & Panda Towers

🔹 Patricia — Founder, Party Lounges (Furniture & Décor Rental)

🔹 Liz Gitari — Founder, Ogolaw & Wakili Lux | Podcaster, The Green Brief KE

🔹 Waithera Mugo — Founder, [Commercial Law Firm] & Co-Founder, Ithera Africa (Tax Advisory)

We got into some of the harder, less-talked-about parts of building a business: the loss of good employees because of leadership missteps in different seasons, and the quieter loss of potential — when someone you've poured into doesn't believe in themselves enough to grow into who you can already see they could be.

We also asked the question a lot of founders avoid: do you have an exit strategy? We talk about the advantage (and the trap) of being the face of your brand, why so many of us call our businesses our "babies," and the real difference between registering a business and owning a trademark — and why that distinction matters enormously if you ever decide to sell.

This episode is brought to you by:

🔹 Beauty Square KE — Your go-to destination for premium, quality beauty essentials. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

🔹 DigiTax — Simplifying tax and invoicing for businesses so you can focus on growth, not paperwork.

Learn more: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403 DigiTax — your tax assistant in your pocket

Our other Season 3 partners are:

🎥 Royal Reel — our audio-visual partners

https://www.instagram.com/royalreelph...

💄 Makeup City — on makeup

https://www.instagram.com/makeupcityy...

👗 HAWI Ready To Wear— on the wardrobe https://www.instagram.com/hawi_rtw?ig...

Follow Founder Diaries on socials:

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/ founderdiar. .

Tiktok

/ founder.diari..

Spotify

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⁠ / yvonnekanyi. .

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/ entrepreneurm. .

We started our businesses to make money but why does profit always feel like an afterthought? In this minisode, we break down key insights from Profit First, and one formula in particular that flips things. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTThis episode is brought to you by:Beauty Square KE — Your go-to destination for premium, quality beauty essentials. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co PARTNER HIGHLIGHT 🤝We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 3 partner. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.comOur other Season 3 partners are:🎥 Royal Reel — our audio-visual partnershttps://www.instagram.com/royalreelphotography_?igsh=MWpvaDNqemF2aTh1Yg==💄 Makeup City — on our hosts' makeuphttps://www.instagram.com/makeupcityy?igsh=amZwc2tkdXBpY2lu👗 HAWI — on our hosts' outfitshttps://www.instagram.com/hawi_rtw?igsh=NHZncHJpMG04OXJoFollow Founder Diaries on socials: Instagram / founderdiar. .Tiktok / founder.diari. .Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1CBpdVj...Follow our host on socials:Instagram⁠ https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyi...TikTok⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurm...

Most job descriptions are copy-pasted from Google, and that's exactly why so many hires don't work out. In this minisode, we break down performance-based hiring: a practical, 5-step approach to building your HR process around actual output, not vague titles.

Here's what you'll learn:

✅ Why the generic JD is killing your hiring process

✅ How I have used the SMART method to define real, measurable expectations

✅ Why you should never hire alone

✅ The "devil's advocate" step most founders skip

✅ How to assess for the soft skills that don't show up on a resume

Plus some hiring drawings from BSK and SAGE's own processes.

This episode is brought to you by:

🔹 Beauty Square KE — Your go-to destination for premium, quality beauty essentials.

Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co

Follow Founder Diaries on socials:

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/ founderdiar. .

Tiktok

/ founder.diari. .

Spotify

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Follow our host on socials:

Instagram⁠

/ yvonnekanyi. .

TikTok⁠

/ entrepreneurm. .

Founder Squad, We're back for Season 3!!We're kicking the season off with someone who's redefining what building wealth in Africa looks like. Val Njoroge is the Co-Founder & CEO of Africa's Pocket (a digital investment and financial advisory platform) and Co-Founder of Panda Towers (a real estate passive-income venture).In this episode, Val takes us all the way back to her first brush with entrepreneurship, and how that curiosity eventually led her to Oxford for her MBA. She breaks down how Panda Towers and Africa's Pocket were born, and how she personally built streams of passive income. We also get into the technical side of her business model, the connecting of foreign capital to local opportunities, and the financial mistakes made along the way.If you've ever wondered how to make your money work harder for you, this one's packed with real, practical insight.PARTNER SPOTLIGHT🔹 DigiTax — Simplifying tax and invoicing for businesses so you can focus on growth, not paperwork. Learn more: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403 DigiTax — your tax assistant in your pocketThis episode is brought to you by:🔹 Beauty Square KE — Your go-to destination for premium, quality beauty essentials. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co Follow Founder Diaries on socials: Instagram / founderdiar. .Tiktok / founder.diari. .Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1CBpdVj...Follow our host on socials:Instagram⁠ / yvonnekanyi. .TikTok⁠ / entrepreneurm. .

What do you do when business challenges start feeling personal?

How do you know it's finally time to hire?

Should every business be built to scale?

In this Season 2 finale, we're flipping the script and answering some of the most common questions and dilemmas submitted by our audience. Through honest conversation and lived experience, we explore different ways founders can approach the challenges that come with building a business.

This episode isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions, challenging assumptions, and giving founders practical frameworks to make more confident decisions.

Whether you're just starting out or years into your entrepreneurial journey, you'll likely hear a question you've asked yourself before.

Thank you for being part of Season 2. Your support, questions, and conversations have made this journey possible, and we can't wait to keep learning and building together.

🎥 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss what's coming next.

Partner Spotlight;

We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 2 partner on Founder Diaries. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.com

When you think DigiTax think tax and e-TIMS simplified. Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403

DigiTax — your tax assistant in your pocket

Sponsor highlight;

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Follow Founder Diaries on socials:

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/ founderdiar. .

Tiktok

/ founder.diari. .

Spotify

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Follow our host on socials:

Instagram⁠

https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyi...

TikTok⁠

https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurm...

One of the biggest barriers to golf is the perception that it's expensive, exclusive, and difficult to access.

In Episode 10, we sit down with Kamau Nyabwengi, Founder and CEO of Yen Golf, to unpack his entrepreneurial journey, the business behind golf, and how he has spent over a decade making the sport more accessible to thousands of people.

Kamau shares how Yen Golf has worked to reduce golf barriers through an 8-week beginner-friendly program. Participants simply show up in golf attire and are guided through everything from golf equipment and swing fundamentals to course etiquette and tournament participation.

No club membership required.

No prior experience needed.

Just a willingness to learn.

🎥 Subscribe and turn on notifications for more founder stories, business lessons, and entrepreneurial insights.

Partner Spotlight;

We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 2 partner on Founder Diaries. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.com

When you think DigiTax think tax and e-TIMS simplified. Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403

DigiTax — your tax assistant in your pocket

Sponsor highlight;

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Follow Founder Diaries on socials:

Instagram

/ founderdiar. .

Tiktok

/ founder.diari. .

Spotify

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Follow our host on socials:

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https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyi...

TikTok⁠

https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurm...

Hiring your first employee feels exciting.

Managing them? That's where many founders discover an entirely different challenge.

In this minisode, we will be reflecting on one of the biggest struggles entrepreneurs and managers face: navigating performance issues and having difficult conversations with employees.

Many founders start by hiring based on attitude, education, and willingness to learn. But what happens when performance begins to decline? What happens when expectations are no longer being met?

For many of us, the challenge isn't identifying the problem, it's addressing it.

We notice the small things.

We get frustrated.

We avoid the conversation.

And over time, the gap between expectations and performance continues to grow.

Sit put as we draw insights from a framework shared by Alex Hormozi called The Management Diamond, this episode explores a practical and objective way to approach performance conversations without blame, assumptions, or unnecessary conflict.

Partner Spotlight;

We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 2 partner on Founder Diaries. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.com

Sponsor highlight;

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Follow Founder Diaries on socials:

Instagram

/ founderdiar. .

Tiktok

/ founder.diari. .

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/1CBpdVj...

Follow our host on socials:

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https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyi...

TikTok⁠

https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurm...

What happens when the business you've spent years building no longer excites you?

In Episode 9, we sit down with Joanna K, founder of Joanna K Cosmetics and one of Kenya's most influential beauty content creators, to unpack her journey from makeup enthusiast to building one of Kenya's leading beauty brands. 💄✨

But this isn't just a business story.

It's a conversation about creativity, content creation, entrepreneurship, burnout, reinvention, and learning how to fall back in love with the vision you once had.

Joanna shares how she spent nearly two years feeling disconnected from the business she had worked so hard to build because she was exhausted.

Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, founder, or someone trying to build something meaningful, this episode is packed with lessons on business, branding, resilience, and staying the course.

✨ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more founder conversations and business insights.

Partner Spotlight;

We’re honored to have Sarova Hotels as our Season 2 partner on Founder Diaries. From creating beautiful spaces to curating unforgettable experiences, Sarova is the best fit for your staycation, business meeting or that special celebration. Visit their website to check out their facilities and services at www.sarovahotels.com

When you think DigiTax think tax and e-TIMS simplified. Reach out to DigiTax to make your eTIMS compliance much easier: ⁠https://digitax.tech/⁠ | ⁠+254795279403

DigiTax — your tax assistant in your pocket

Sponsor highlight;

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Beauty Square Ke and Sage Sknn. Visit and patronize at beautysquareke.co and use the code FOUNDER10 for some coins off.

Follow Founder Diaries on socials:

Instagram

/ founderdiar. .

Tiktok

/ founder.diari. .

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/1CBpdVj...

Follow our host on socials:

Instagram⁠

https://www.instagram.com/yvonnekanyi...

TikTok⁠

https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurm...