Atambo Makori

Writing isn't just about producing content. It's about learning to think, questioning your ideas, and discovering what you truly believe. AI can help you put words together, but it can't do your thinking or your personal growth for you. Don't just write to publish. Write to understand. Write to grow.

Networking isn't about collecting contacts. It's about building relationships and bringing value to the right people. Don't just ask what people can do for you. Ask what you can bring to the table.

Financial stability changes how you see life. You stop chasing temporary satisfaction and start prioritising peace, security, freedom, and long-term growth. When your money is in order, your priorities become clearer.

There's a scene in Breaking Bad where Skyler realises Walter White has made millions and questions whether a car wash could realistically generate that much money. That scene highlights a business lesson worth thinking about: Your income is influenced by the business model you're operating. Think about it in Kenya. A person running a small barbershop in Nairobi might work 12 hours a day, serve customers back-to-back and still have a limit to how much the shop can earn. Now compare that with someone who owns several branches, has a team running daily operations and serves customers across different locations. Both may be hardworking. But their businesses have very different earning capacities. You can work longer hours, improve your skills and serve more customers. But if your business depends entirely on your personal time, there's a limit to how much you can grow. At some point, you need to think beyond working harder. Build systems. Create products. Expand distribution. Develop a team. Find ways to serve more people without doing everything yourself. Don't just ask how you can work harder. Ask whether your business model can support the level of success you're working towards.

Bro to bro, stop worrying about who's watching, who's talking, and who's ahead. Focus on your goals. Do the work. Stay consistent. Less noise. More progress. Lock in.

Some people won't support you when you're building, but they'll show up when you've made it. Don't let the lack of applause slow you down. Build anyway. Your success doesn't need their permission.

Pay attention to the conversations you surround yourself with. Some people feed your problems. Others challenge you to find solutions. Choose a circle that pushes you towards growth, not one that keeps you stuck.

JUST HEARD A STORY THAT HIGHLIGHTS A BIG PROBLEM WITH FINANCIAL ADVICE. A young Kenyan in his late twenties celebrates reaching a net worth of KSh 6 million. Someone asks how he did it. He explains that he lived with his parents rent-free until he was 27. No rent. No electricity or water bills. No grocery expenses. He saved almost his entire salary for six years. He also got his first job through a connection his father had. And here's where the conversation gets interesting. The advice becomes: young people today lack discipline. If they stopped making excuses, they too could build wealth. But let's look at the bigger picture. What if you started working at 23, paying KSh 15,000 in rent, buying your own food, paying transport, supporting your parents and clearing student loans? Your ability to save would look very different. There's nothing wrong with living with your parents, getting help or using connections. Those are advantages worth appreciating. But let's not confuse having financial support with having the same opportunities as everyone else. Financial discipline matters. But so does your starting point. You can teach people to save, invest and live below their means without pretending everyone starts from the same position. Good financial advice should recognise both personal responsibility and the advantages some people have that others don't.

THE MATH DOESN'T ADD UP FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE ANYMORE. Imagine earning KSh 40,000 a month after deductions. You pay KSh 12,000 in rent. KSh 8,000 on food. KSh 5,000 on transport. KSh 2,500 on electricity, water and internet. KSh 4,000 on loan repayments. KSh 3,000 supporting family. KSh 3,500 on airtime and other basic expenses. That's KSh 38,000 gone. You have KSh 2,000 left. And we haven't accounted for a medical emergency, a school expense, a family crisis, or even a flat tyre. I believe in budgeting. I believe in living within your means. I believe in saving and investing consistently. But let's be honest. You cannot budget your way out of every financial problem. If your monthly expenses are KSh 60,000 and your take-home pay is KSh 40,000, no spreadsheet will magically close that KSh 20,000 gap. Telling someone in that position to “just manage their money better” ignores the bigger problem. Sometimes the issue isn't poor financial discipline. Sometimes the income simply isn't enough to meet the cost of living. We need to talk about managing money, yes. But we also need to talk about increasing income, building valuable skills, reducing debt and creating additional sources of income. Because financial planning isn't just about deciding where your money goes. It's also about finding ways to make sure there's enough money to work with.

Big results require you to sacrifice some comfort today for a better tomorrow. Learn to say no to temporary pleasure so you can say yes to lasting progress. Master delayed gratification. Your future self will thank you.