Diva Catwalk: Thank you so much for talking with us, we are so excited to learn more about you and everything you have accomplished.
Nana: Thank you so much for interviewing me and excited to interact with the Diva Catwalk Family all over the world.
______
Diva Catwalk: Your position of Chief Executive of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Africa’s leading business centre, is hugely impressive.
Nana: it truly is and four years later I still pinch myself. It’s an extreme honor to be where I am but it just shows you what hard work and focus can yield. I also never take it for granted which is super important.
————-
Diva Catwalk: Your career has always reflected a dedication to promoting the image of Kenya, showing its potential as a top tourist and business destination. How did you manage to translate your passion for your country into a career?
Nana: I love my country so much I named my last born after it. (Smiles) I’m a marketer by profession and Kenya is a very marketable country. It’s important to get not just the RIGHT image of ones country BUT THE CORRECT image of it too. So I guess the two went hand in hand and I would find myself from an early age talking about my country and people would take an interest in it. Over the years through different networks and platforms my audience grew and here I am today.
—————-
Diva Catwalk: Your career has been hugely successful, what advice would you give to women who are facing challenges to their professional growth?
Nana: 1) patience; Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will you or your brand. You have to be able to stick it out during the hard and bad times I order to see where you get to. 2) focus; know where you are going and never loose sight of it. So many times we can get distracted without even knowing it’s happened. Be you do you and always remember where you have come and where you are going. 3) determination; often I’d leave a meeting and feel wow that went really badly. There would be times I’d read things in the press that were negative about me simply because someone NEVER took the time to actually find out the truth. But whatever came my way I’d dust myself and keep going and you know what it’s made me the strong person I am today and I’m extremely greatful for that. 4) the willingness to learn; never think you know everything or that no one can teach you anything because you don’t have ALL the answers and you NEVER will. Some of the best advise and life lesson have been because I took the time to listen and use the advise given to me. 5) always be humble: it costs you nothing but can give you everything. Today you could be at the top of your game and tomorrow you could loose it all but if you have the same character throughout personally YOU LOOSE NOTHING.
——————
Diva Catwalk: You have recently been announced as a United Nations Champion FOR AFRICA , for their non profit organization GIRL UP a position in which you will mentor young women, help fund raise and hopefully change many lives for the better. This sounds like an amazing opportunity, would you tell us more about this role?
Nana: it’s an extreme honor to be chosen and not only for kenya but to be their first Championship for AFRICA. I think the first thing is to know all my hard work I’m trying to empower young girls has made an impact to the girls themselves and that makes me happy.
Girl Up was founded by the UN Foundation in 2010 as an initiative to help support UN agencies that focus on adolescent girls. The whole thinking behind GIRL UP is that Girls have a tremendous, often untapped power to change the world. Girl Up helps girls access their inner power to advance the skills, rights, and opportunities of girls everywhere. It’s A GLOBAL MOVEMENT and Girl Up’s leadership development programs have impacted 65,000 girls through 3,500 Clubs in nearly 120 countries and all 50 U.S. states. We’re inspiring a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change. This is something I wholeheartedly believe in and being able to change many more girls in this new space I’m very excited and ready to help be part of this change.
———-
Diva Catwalk: What advice would you give to women just starting out in their careers?
Nana: The race will be long BUT always make sure it’s with yourself and NO ONE ELSE.
—————-
Diva Catwalk: Between your charity work, your role of CEO and being a mother, your schedule must be filled to the brim, how do you manage it all?
Nana: I won’t lie to you it’s been HARD. I’ve missed my babies first steps and it breaks my heart. However I told myself there would be good and bad days but always make sure the good out weight the bad. As a single mother I’ve scarified something’s but I can always look back and say my three boys will always know their mother was a hardworking lady and it’s only now when I look back I realize I was there for the things they remember ( stayed awake the whole night when they were sick or being that loud mum at their school play or sports day to teaching them how to read or ride their bike) and to me that means the world. As a CEO I do the extra hours and ensure things run like clock work and to be honest no one cares how you get it done they JUST WANT IT DONE and I do that everytime. As for the charity work or giving back I do that in my free time and late at night I respond to people’s messages and do my research on people I’d like to help. How does it ALL WORK..... I don’t know and I never want to question it because it just does but I know it’s by having a great support system at home and in the office and dedicating 19 hours of my 24hr day to all the above
—————-
Diva Catwalk: We really enjoy how you use your social media platforms to promote messages of equality, growth and positivity, could you tell us more about this use of social media?
Nana: I wish I could say I have a plan or schedule of what I post or decide to post on Instagram but I don’t.
I’m a recovering alcoholic of 20 years now and it’s something I’m extremely proud of myself for being able to do. So 20 years ago I had to make a choice and that was stop living for other people and their glorification because it will get me nowhere. So to be honest everything you see on Instagram is me 100 percent. If I feel like singing I sing if I feel like sharing a piece of who I am through me as a mother, mentor or offer advice I do just that and I guess that’s why so many people can relate to me... I’m human just like everyone else and I share what I go through and hope it’s helped even if it’s one person that day to see we have good and bad days BUT ITS ABOUT GETTING THROUGH IT THAT TRULY COUNTS OR MATTERS... so in a nutshell what you see is REALLY WHAT YOU GET
—————
Diva Catwalk: We love to see you wearing Diva Catwalk dresses in your Instagram pictures, what is it that keeps you coming back to our dresses?
Nana: my stylist Wanja Knighton ( IG @wanjakenya) picked up a few of your dresses a year ago. I tried it on and the smile that lit up my face I will never forget. As much as I love my body I’m a mother of three and my tummy is still the last thing to go. So I would struggle to find the right out that made me feel truly comfortable. I turned to Wanja and hugged her and whispered you did it and she said Diva Catwalk did it I just brought her to you. After that I got many more and I knew if I need the RIGHT outfit for that event I was attending I had many dresses to pick from. Also I knew I was on to a good thing by the comments I’d get every time I’d wear a dress and be honest who doesn’t love that (smile)
The fit, fabric choice to the colors to the way the dress made me look is what keeps me coming back EVERYTIME.
——————
Diva Catwalk: Do you have a favourite Diva Catwalk dress or style?
Nana: ALL OF THEM (laughs out loud) but if I had to pick I’d say the Pencil Dress Range.... its Magic in a form of a dress they are many styles in this particular collection of dresses you have but the cut and the way it fits I have to say well done because you’ve nailed it
—————
Diva Catwalk: Despite such a busy lifestyle, and such a high profile job, you always look so put together, how do you manage this?
Nana: Thank you and my team is small but VERY effective my make is done by a lady called Kristeen ( IG @kristeen_kuria) and my hair is by a lady called Beryl (IG @b_luxury_store ) they are both extremely good at what they do and sometimes my day starts as early as 5am and they always show up and I’m truly greatful to them for this. They are two people I know also now call dear friends. We have a lot of fun coming up with new looks and I won’t lie I’m a big control freak and it took me sometime to let go of the reigns and when that happened I was blown away by what they were able to do. So know I can fall asleep in the chair and wake up an hour later and walk out without looking in the mirror I TRUST them and that’s an amazing thing to have and space to be in. Shot out to my GLAM SQUD (hands in the air and smile)
—————-
