The Youth+ festival that was held in Nairobi on the 28th to 1st March was literally a dream come true for me. Being a creative and also running a creative business has been quite the journey.
I have to attribute that to a never ending urge to make it and a desire to leave and live a legacy, which was the theme of the second Youth+ Festival. The panelists were phenomenal from Just Ivy Africa, to VT, Vusi Thembekwayo himself.
I really felt connected and inspired through it all. (I only attended the 2nd day) I went in not only to seek knowledge and wisdom but to also meet a very special guy who i had been wondering how on earth can i show him what I do best.
The heavens heard my cry and he had an hour and a half session talking about Building a Legacy aganist all odds. Here is how it went down.
Generational Wealth Panel Discussion
This session was such an eye opener to me and having listened to their money story, it really inspired me and helped me realise that i was on the right path. Was I there yet, not even close but i was happy that my future self would thank me for the steps i am taking.
Do you ever feel like you’re just getting by, moving from one job to the next?
As creatives running businesses, we often focus on the next project, next deadline, next paycheck—but how often do we stop to think about building generational wealth?
At the Youth+ Festival, I sat in on an insightful panel discussion on this very topic. One key takeaway? Many of us limit our growth—we only make money when we’re actively working, we struggle with access to credit, and we don’t always think long-term.
But what if we could break that cycle? What if we could build businesses that thrive beyond us? I captured key insights from the session, and one thing is clear: With the right mindset and strategy, we can scale like Chris Do—or even greater.
It starts with a shift in thinking. It starts with taking action.
Building a legacy Aganist all Odds - Tonne Ndung'u
The same way a cheetah identifies prey and doesn’t loose focus and ensure that they strike the prey down is the same way that I had targeted Tonne. Most people attended the Youth+ festival to see Vusi but not me. Well yes I wanted to see him but he wasn’t my highlight. sorry Vusi. I follow Tonne and his journey and my journey are a like. We grew up facing the same internal struggles and I would say I’m right behind following his footsteps.
I have heard his story before but it always inspires me every time i hear it. I wanted to do something different that no one else had ever tried to do or at least show him. I like his company Kytabu which educates kids using visuals and what am i good at? Turning words into visuals for impact. By the way I just thought this up, it going to be my new slogan.
During the session I creatively captured the key points drew them out and waited patiently for my opportunity to pounce. He is quite a popular figure and as expected fans ran to him for pictures and questions. How would I approach him and show him what i did. There were atleast 20 people who wanted his attention. At first i thought maybe I should talk to his assistant, but that would not have the same impact with what I wanted to do. So I waited, people got fewer and fewer until there were only about 3 people left.
I could sense the tension in the air or maybe it was just me. haha. One lad was left and was asking about something and he needed to write something. Tonne saw my ipad pen took it and before I could say anything, he said, ” Wow this is so cool, you did this? Come come, talk to this one.” He led to me a lady who asked if I did that and asked if I was a freelancer, I said I run a business and she said great. I handed her my business card and boy do I wish I took a photo but by the time i got back he was already gone.
Moral of the story; Know who and how you want to get known for the amazing things you do, that will get you opportunities and open doors for you. Please feel free to leave a comment and let know if this resonated with you.
Cheers
