TO THE POINT
Reflections On A 10 Year
Marketing Career
By Paul Mwirigi
I
think I have come full circle. The
slowly but dangerously growing small
round 'pot' is not the only sign of
this realization. But rather the fact that
February 2018 earlier this year marked
ten years of me working in the marketing
profession. The journey has been full of
learning and a humbling experience.
Until my current paycheck is doubled, I will
reserve the words 'rewarding experience'
when that time comes.
Growing up in Olympic Estate on the
periphery of one of Africa's largest slum
- Kibera - all ambition was melted and
molded into three key words: To Do Better.
Disclaimer: My parents, a career Journalist
and dedicated City Council Nurse brought
my three elder sisters and me, fashionably
very well by sending us to the best schools
their humble salaries could afford and
never missing a beat to pay fees in full
and in time!
However, the setting we were in allowed
us to interact with people who were less
fortunate than us and so we grew up
thanking God for what we had rather
than what we didn't.
Back to the story. Growing up around a
large mass of people influenced my career
choices, which made me dream of being
many things - but never a Marketer.
I wanted to be a Traffic Police Officer.
Not for the benefit of managing traffic
efficiently but because of the power
yielded in their hands - ordering massive
trucks and unruly Matatus to stop thanks
to well-coordinated movements of five
fingers.
I wanted to be a Driver. Not for the
benefit of moving people efficiently from
So it wasn't a coincidence when my first paid
job was a writing one. Writing love letters for
some of my school colleagues in Meru High
School who were challenged and couldn't put
their thoughts in writing for a girl they fan-
cied. Neither was it a coincidence when my
second paid job was organizing club trips to
other schools or key events in school over the
term calendar.
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one place to the other but because of the
power yielded in their hands - managing
to turn moving machines while changing
gears in a seamless manner.
I wanted to be a DJ. Not for the benefit
of playing people their best music but
because of the power yielded in their hands
- mixing, scratching, selecting, pausing and
generally controlling people's every move
on a dance floor.
So it wasn't a coincidence when my first
paid job was a writing one. Writing love
letters for some of my school colleagues in
Meru High School who were challenged
and couldn't put their thoughts in writing
for a girl they fancied. Neither was it a
coincidence when my second paid job was
organizing club trips to other schools or
key events in school over the term calendar.
All my life, I have worked in areas that
I have had a passion for; writing, events,
communications, branding and leadership.
It is no mistake that those childhood
dreams and aspirations where nothing
but a small reality of what I would do
eventually – work with people.
After
all,
isn’t
marketing
and
communications about that, working with
people?
Paul Mwirigi is CIM and CIPR trained
marketing
and
communications
professional. You can commune with him
on this or related matters via mail at: Paul.
[email protected].