Reposting this from my Facebook account where it originally appeared. I had an interesting conversation with my friend about this Westgate issue today. Wise man, interesting perspectives, and I thought to document, but also vent. I have been accused of being too clinical about what’s happening in Westgate, and I am, because I am not shocked. Since December 2010 when I had my run in…
The other day I realized that we can be very negative about life, and most times we don’t even realize it. I realized this after a conversation I had with my loved one, about my 30th birthday which is in a few days. “Welcome to the 30s, where nothing works. Where your body doesn’t do what you want it to….” on and on she went,…
The other day, I watched our president address Russian investors, trying to woo them to invest in our country. A great move in my opinion, though I couldn’t help but think that he ought to fix a few simple (and not so simple) things that make it difficult for us to do business in Kenya. In 2011, Transcentury Kenya’s first investment club gone big listed…
They say that most start ups die within their first 3 years. The statistics are worse in Africa where starting a business is fraught with challenges ranging from lack of capital to legislative difficulties and of course the worst, lack of sufficient local market. When I think of the businesses I would advise anyone to start, cheese is the last on the list. Africans aren’t…
I am no expert at passing interviews, I haven’t done too many interviews over my career, but I have never “failed” a job interview. I have also conducted hundreds of interviews, made tens of hiring mistakes, and hired a couple of right employees, and looking back I can share a few things that helped me pass my job interviews and have led to some people…
Today’s wisdom is from the Guru, Warren Buffet as shared to his shareholders: Investors should remember that excitement and expenses are their enemies. And if they insist on trying to time their participation in equities, they should try to be fearful when others are greedy, and only greedy when others are fearful. Letter to shareholders 2004.
The unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates After working for a couple of years, it is easy to get into the routine popularly called the “rat race”, where you get paid, spend the money, eagerly wait for the next paycheck which you eagerly spend, and the cycle continues. With time, it gets so automatic that you hardly spend time evaluating your priorities to…
This is a guest post by Samuel Marete. His day job is in finance, and one of the most conscientious people I have interacted with, and it shows in the level of detail displayed below . He blogs here, and he is @chrenyan on Twitter. Choosing a Personal Expense Tracker If you’re like me, you tend to do a lot of research before you jump…
When you drive into Eka hotel along Mombasa Road, the first thing that strikes you is the number of staff waiting to usher you in, all smiles. I was having a rather harassed day, but by the time I got to The Spur their steak house, I was all smiles. I always check out a restaurant’s wash rooms, and Eka’s public washrooms are excellent, though…
Despite debates to the contrary, I am a big believer in setting aside some funds (at least 3 months living expenses) for emergency use. For employed folk, you may be out of work and this fund cushions you as you look for alternative sources of income. For people in business, an emergency fund is even more critical because business income is unpredictable. Most opponents of…