Notas del episodio
At just 26, Grace Kimaru swapped her gumboots for grit and walked straight into a male-dominated hardware industry in Dandora, Nairobi — with no experience, no blueprint, and a whole lot of audacity.
In this episode of (So) How’s Business?, we unpack the real story behind the viral video where Grace celebrates her first-ever sale, and why that tiny moment meant everything after days of zero customers.
Grace and Alma dive into:
How a simple WhatsApp status turned into a viral TikTok moment
The emotional rollercoaster of starting a female-led hardware business in Africa
Learning pricing, suppliers, and stock the hard way - including almost getting scammed buying cement online
Being funded by her dad, why she sees it as a rare privilege, and the pressure of “not being allowed to fail”
Building an honest, founder-led brand online with “unsexy” products like pipes, cement and chuma
The cost of entrepreneurship: long days, lost social life, constant mental load
Why Gen Z founders “jump first, cry in the middle, then keep going”
What older founders and mentors need to know about supporting young women in business
If you love female entrepreneurship stories, African business interviews, and authentic founder journeys from African women success stories, this conversation will speak to you whether you’re on your first sale or your fiftieth.
This episode touches on:
African entrepreneurship podcast • Women founders in Africa • Women in business Africa • Female-led startups in Africa • How to fund your startup • How women run businesses in Africa • Women empowerment Africa
Follow (So) How’s Business? for more real, unpolished conversations with African women building businesses their own way.