Recruiting A Startup Team

#StartupTeam #JouneryOfFounders

My biggest task and goal in 2018 is to recruit a team to grow Wilsen Initiative (Wi) to the next level. #MyDiaryStartUP In a society where most of the people are looking for jobs than create one, it is a challenge to establish a team for a startup especially if you can't give immediate paying jobs. People approach me for volunteerism under Wilsen Initiative but once they hear that there's no pay they fade off slowly, I can't blame them I have travelled the journey and I understand. Here are some of the things to consider when recruiting a startup team for business or non profit venture etc.

#MyTake As a founder of any initiative you have to give more than 100% in all most everything at the starting phase until you meet an agile team. More about Wilsen Initiative www.wilsen-initiative.org 

                    StartUp101: Looking for Team For Your StartUP: Look for... 

Personality, Expertise, Conscious, Optimistic, Value, Disciplined,Experienced,Trustworthy, Committed, Skilled, Talent, Skilled Passionate, Belief, Action, Adaptability, Communication Dedication, Visionary, Experienced,Professionalism, Learner, Listener, Communicator 

Quote Highlight; “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”  ― Barack Obama 

 “Allow the way to your great work to be guided by your service to others.”  ― Mollie Marti 

 Good read relating to the topic; 

1. https://www.fastcompany.com/3032548/the-only-6-people-you-need-on-your-founding-startup-team 

2. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/290934https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2011/11/23/how-to-pick-the-right-startup-team/#4468f2d97851 

3. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/five-factors-to-consider-when-building-a-startup-team/article19971155/

4. https://neilpatel.com/blog/build-team-wont-sink-startup/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/five-factors-to-consider-when-building-a-startup-team/article19971155/

5. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-choose-a-great-co-founder-for-your-startup/

6. https://www.fastcompany.com/3054583/four-essential-criteria-for-picking-a-cofounderhttp://planthybusiness.com/2016/11/20/4-things-to-consider-when-selecting-advisors-for-your-start-up/

The Life of Upcoming Soccer Stars

Many young people in informal settlements of Nairobi live in communities where resources and opportunities are limited to realize their dreams of becoming professionals soccer stars. I'm not talking from a point of imagination, let me take you back in history about my soccer journey. Growing up in Mathare, apart from school life my second joint where you could find me was in the field playing soccer or coaching kids.

During my days of playing active soccer back in 1997 – 2000, we used to be exploited on the basis of empty promises for example being bought a pair of soccer shoe should one score, but this was never to be fulfilled etc. Things weren't clear and being young we couldn't afford the resources yet our parents didn't support us to pursue playing soccer as a career and incase we got injured in the field it was a double tragedy not knowing who was going to pay the medical bill, leave alone hefty punishment by our parents.

We walked long distance just to play the game we loved, we went without food on the field, got injuries, we won many tournaments and championships some dropped mid way while others pursued their soccer career to date. In my case part of the success was playing for local clubs like Pumwani Sportive, De La Rue and Otto-benecker, Helge Sports, Mathare (MYSA) united all stars youth teams and also travelled to Norway cup with MYSA teams is 1997, 1998 and 1999 respectively.

I know I can continue with a long list as experienced in the informal settlement but the question I want to ask, has things changed since our time back in 1997? My Take At the grassroots there's little significant change especially addressing kids from 10year to 16 years and that is why I'm motivated to at least help address the gaps in sourcing for equipments and social well being of the youngsters through periodic training and coaching on and off the field. 


Past events;

• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/06/you-cant-miss-to-watch-right-to-play.html
• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/donation-from-netherlands-through.htm
• https://wilseninitiative.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/end-of-year-festive-season-football-tournament-u12-u14/ 
• https://wilseninitiative.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/right-to-play-safe/ 

Happy Heroes Day 2017

We dedicated one week to celebrate the unsung heroes in our community before 20th October which is the official public holiday for the celebrations. If you missed the info-graphics on our walls here is the collection of the dedicated days to different group of people in our society.

#CountDownMashujaaDay #HeroesDay Mashujaa Day, also known as Heroes' Day ("mashujaa" is Swahili for "heroes"), is a national day in Kenya, which is observed on 20 October as a public holiday to collectively honour all those who contributed towards the struggle for Kenya's independence or positively contributed in the post independence Kenya. [Source Wikipedia]

Who is your UNSUNG Hero? #UnsungHeroes #IamAchampion

Youth Employability Training at Maji Mazuri

About Youth Employability Project (YEP) CARE Kenya in partnership with Barclays Bank of Kenya is implementing the ReadytoWork program with an aim of training and facilitating access to job opportunities. The training at Maji Mazuri in Mathare was well attended and all the activities were successful. ReadytoWork gives you work, people, money and entrepreneurial skills you need to improve your employment or self-employment prospects. For more, check out https://readytowork.barclays/home 

#ReadytoWork

I'm honored to have been selected among many youth who applied for the position of community mobilizers under CARE's youth employability project with the main role of identifying and connecting the youth to be trained or take a self paced learning on ReadytoWork curriculum.

It is my pleasure to connect youth with opportunities such as YEP that facilitates the well being of young people through training that will eventually create employment or self-employment ventures. As a photographer, I usually love leaving photographic trails of best moment.

Below are some of the photos as captured. Pay a visit to photograph archive http://bit.ly/2yFY4Xt i offer Photography, Web and graphic design services. https://www.behance.net/wilsenx

A moment of reflection

 “ To succeed in anything you Must first love it, 

 Dedicate time for it, Have a plan, Execute it, Lastly, never forget to learn in the process.”

 ~ Wilson Masaka ~

Turning Dreams Into Reality

Are you wondering why you are stuck with your dreams at one point?

Here Are Steps On How To Turn Your Dreams into Reality #WilsonDiary

A DREAM kept to self remains a missed OPPORTUNITY. A dream written down becomes an IDEA. A dream turned into an idea becomes a GOAL. A dream turn into a goal and shared becomes the VISION. A dream turn into a vision and implemented become FORTUNES

Author ~ Wilson Masaka

6 Ways on How To Decode Fake

First and foremost let us define fake news.

Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media.[1] Fake news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to gain financially or politically, often with sensationalist, exaggerated, or patently false headlines that grab attention. [Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news]

In the wake of many publication portals from websites, blogs, video log, Whatsapp messages, social media posts (Twitters, Facebook, etc.), email campaigns, etc. The question is how would you decode a fake news in this era of technological disruption? There are many new innovative ways to share real time news and on the flip side different ways to distort the meaning, gone are the days when newspaper and television were the main media for breaking news.

I hereby would like to share with you some of the skills I have acquired over time since 2000 when I first started using a computer and the internet in general. These tips aren't specific to any platform but they cut across many subjects for example scholarship prospects, awards, literatures, opinion post on social, economical and political situation among others.

The list is from my collection of Learn To Learn routines (L2L). Ok, here we go! 

1. Check the date of publications. In some instance outdated news might be shared as current happening. As much as it did happen, the expressed intention as shared to be current makes it “fake news”. An example is where people want to instill fear in others, especially in a politically tensed situation where old images of conflict might be shared as current happening. The best way is to Google the information before reading or sharing further.
   
2. Check the authorship. This requires a deeper search to understand the credibility of the author's point of view. Some of the questions to ask; are they an expert in the said subject? Is it a personal story or a generalized point of view? how many articles have they published? even though the quantitative part isn't much an issue, but it will help you check for consistency, what is the underlying tone of the message? is it meant to scare, make money or inform. Check if it from a credible company and go the next level of searching what are they dealing with, who's in their team etc. Generally check as much meta-data as you can for authenticity.
   
3.  What is the history of the platform. Check if it's a trusted source and don’t forget to go back in the history. Run the 4W 1H test (Why, When, Who, What and How). Having any publication online doesn’t mean it is a real deal, likewise having a big following doesn't necessary mean it's authentic.
   
4. Check the intended purpose. Some people are paid to make sensational publications in the interest of making money through advertising their products. There is a lot of distraction in the society leave alone on the internet, to dissect what is fake or authentic you have to stay focused before finding yourself in areas that wasn't primary intention.
   
5. Check with a friend before you commit. It helps to cross check with your network before you commit especially where you have to pay or even send sensitive personal information. Another valuable asset is your time it doesn't make any sense submitting your application without getting a clear timeline of the application process. A good example of best practice, I have come across many fellowship program share their timelines and what to expect during the program.
   
6. Check the reference and contact. If anything isn't clear, I would advise that you seek for more information before taking the next step. Check who else supports the program either as a partner or a sponsor and check for citations. In terms of winning cash ultimate caution is required, the rule of the thumb is you should ask yourself did you apply for the competition? Why you and what lead to your nomination? Are they asking for money for you receive your award? Think twice and be on higher alert. 

In conclusion, I would recommend a course in cyber security and new/social media starting from the primary school levels because in future we expect a lot to take place in the technology world that will impact the way we live. Unfortunately the speed at which we bridge the gaps in learning the impact is still slow especially in informal settlements and rural settlements. All said, sometimes you might use more than one of the listed options to authenticate your information. What other ways would you suggest in decoding fake news in general from your experience? Pleas share under the comment section

What You Can Learn From My Social Media Journey

The world of technology is moving at a high pace, leaving many with no option but to adopt the latest trends in the market without any form of training or guidance. In any profession where technology is applied there will always be different versions and it is impossible for one to start from the earlier versions to the latest one either on hardware or software. It is paramount to learn the basic concept of any platform to understand the Why, What, When, Who and How (4W's and H) I call this learning to learn philosophy (L2L).

In practice Learning to Learn philosophy is where I dissect a challenge at hand starting with the simple tasks graduating to complex one before production phase, the learning curve can vary, sometimes I can learn while working on a project or do a reverse from complex to the simplest.

 Defining the 4W's and H as used in our learning to learn at Wilsen Initiative (Wi); 

1. Why should I learn the skill or technology.
2. What do I need to read or do which is a must know. 
3. When can I use the skills for personal growth or other impact. 
4. Who else might be interested in the particular skill for networking, partnership or employment.
5. How can I develop a product using the skills acquired. 

In the same front the world of social media is still evolving and a lot is expected to happen in the coming years that will change or influence the way we do things. In terms of education there is a widening gap in time and resource to training the users on how to use different technologies more effectively visa vie launching a new version to meet the market needs.

I have interacted with diverse groups from youth groups to parents and whenever there is a discussion about social media and its impact the response usually varies on impact especially on the life of young people.

The digital Gap

There's a big misconception that social media is bad and I think this is attributed to limited reach out program and initiative that trains in simple emerging technology, focusing on the end user and the impact in the society especially targeting both in school and out of school in the informal settlements and the rural areas.

There's need to educate youth on how they can effectively use the social media in influencing a positive impact either in politics, social space, economic, etc. My first interaction with social media platform was back in the year 2000, I can't remember attending any class in social media, everything just found me on the move and because of my brand awareness a lot has happened since I signed up on the cyber space like myspace.

 In my conclusion this is a true evidence that there will be many things that are yet to happen that will impact our lives. It is very alarming to see how young people use social media in a negative way not aware of their future prospects or brand depends on the click they make online. Smart youth doesn't live for a day, they will see themselves living in the future they create through their brand and social media isn't an exception. What the young people need to know is whatever they post online stays online. 

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” (unknown). 

 "Creating a brand isn't easy, maintaining the brand is twice as difficult as creating one" ~ Wilson Masaka 

The questions I'm asking myself are; 

1. How how can we ensure that youth stay relevant and maintain their values in this world of technological disruption? 
2. How can we create an ecosystem of informed users? 
3. How can young people be engaged through the use of their mobile phone as a platform for learning and positive content production? 
4. How can we the reach unskilled youth through the use of simple tools and technology? 

How I intend to help the youth bridge the digital gap. 

Using Wilsen Initiative (Wi) model which I founded around 2011, we organize boot camps that enable interaction between young people and expert groups discover different ways of learning in narrowing the emerging gaps is the society either caused by technological disruption or how we engage as people while also encouraging being positive producers of content than just being a sponge that consume any information.

Our goals are;

1. To demystify how we learn, learn to learn.
2. To create a knowledge sharing platform with experts.
3. To learn beyond the class room. 
4. To promote lifelong learning.

More about our initiative www.wilsen-initiative.org 

10 tips for social media usage from my diary; 

1. Think of your brand before joining any network. 
2. Document your WHY. 
3. Think before you post, like, comment and share. 
4. Balance your time online and offline.  
5. It isn't a must to be in all networks.
6. Look at your privacy settings. 
7. Keep a profile that you wouldn't be afraid to give your parents to read. 
8. Who is in your list of friends.
9. Evaluate and decide what is to remain private and what you would like to go on public share.
10. Acquire some skills in writing and researching.

Feel free to share more tips on the comment section.

Open Letter to Young People, Peace Everyday.

 On 8th August 2017 Kenya will be going to the polls which should be a wonderful thing that all of us should be happy about than to instill fear about the aftermath, especially for those people living in areas marked hotspots, we have the power of changing the labels into peaceful spots all over the country. Bad leaders are elected by people who decide not to vote, I take this opportunity to urge you all to come out and vote in the forthcoming general election and most importantly remain peaceful and allow all the laid out systems to take its course.

 One of the ways we can be taken as a serious group is to participate effectively in all platforms and that doesn't include violence. Many years we have been promised a lot of things just to be used as vehicles to elevate people into power who have no concrete agenda for the youth and other marginalized groups. Sometimes we are made to fight each other without realizing our power that is within our diversity and collaboration because our eyes have been covered with political stands that doesn't tolerate others as we approach the five year term of the election calendar.

 The effect of violence causes an everlasting wound beyond our youthful life which rob us our patriotism, diversity, peace, dignity, love, unity, life, happiness, hope just to mention but a few. This eventually becomes the vicious cycle that we pass to the next generation either knowingly or unknowingly. The call for peace isn't music into our ears, but a precious value that should be with us forever in all stages of our life (childhood, adulthood and old age).


Peace provides the enabling environment of achieving our desired dreams despite all the difficulties we come across as young people, thus our voice becomes much stronger when we collaborate through our diversity. I believe part of historical injustice is the seed that was planted in us to hate each other mostly because of ethnicity and political affiliations. As young people we need not to maintain the status quo of allowing the seed of hatred and tribalism germinate in us and be passed to the next generation through political, social and economic advantages just to benefit a few.


In conclusion, the vote is your secret and make your wise decision in choosing a leader that will promote the values you would wish to see in all Kenyans.

 Inspiration Quote: “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself” - Nelson Mandela

 #IaMaBelieverOfPeace Peace everyday, I invest in peace through my thoughts, time, skill, experience, attitude, actions, belief, habits and desire for a better life for myself and others. #Humanity #PeaceStartsWithMe

August election 2017

Free, fair and peaceful election starts with me and you. I'm delighted to have joined the peace walk organized by GhettoFoundation, Maji Mazuri among other pro-peace organizations.
I'm inspired to do more when I see young people taking the lead in making sure there's peace before, during and after elections.

Generally people love peace, they have a lot in common despite their backgrounds. Where there's peace we all have good chance of making it out in our poverty situations unlike when there's violence in our neighborhood. 

#MyTake Make your preferred choice of the leader that you want and don't feel irritated because I have my own choice which isn't same as yours, LET US TOLERATE EACH OTHER. Wilsen Initiative

Maji Mazuri Bootcamp On Personal Branding and Entrepreneurship

It was a great privilege to have worked with the Maji Mazuri youth group on the three sessions which majorly focused on personal branding and entrepreneurship. Our mission at Wilsen Initiative (Wi) is to create a collaborative culture of learning that inspire the youth to explore more about themselves in shaping a brighter future. I urge the the youth to learn more about personal branding and entrepreneurship which is paramount in the success of their careers.

As an entrepreneur one get a chance to learn how to be financially literate, become a problem-solver, value driven, progressive learner, team player just to mention but a few. This is a road many of us are afraid to start even though it isn't cut for everyone, we all have a chance of learning a thing or two which will be beneficial to our chosen profession.

Session notes at Maji Mazuri; 

• Day 1: Personal branding and introduction of business model canvas.
•  Day 2: 5 P's of marketing (People, Price, Place, Product and Promotion) and group business model canvas.
• Day 3: Fundraising for your business and pricing strategies. 

Giving lectures on personal branding at Maji Mazuri

Group assignment, participatory learning approach!

Connect with the Wi. experience The boot-camps are ideal for youth groups who are aspiring entrepreneurs and artists in any of the following fields; SME, photography, graphic design, music, blogging, social media, dance, creative writing, visual arts and short documentary videos. We help young people to jump start their learning curve to the right direction using the Wilsen experience of inspiration, connectivity and education.

Our Team: We are a team of individuals with multiple experience in the creative sector with many years of experience spanning from 10+ years, loving what we do and are ready to create a community around the same career and beyond.

What we offer, • Business model canvas • Internet tools • Visual Arts • Blogging • Photography • Content creation • Creative writing • DIY tools • Brand identity • Graphic and web design Venue: Option One: We come to you. Option Two: We organize for the venue.

Our goals;

1. Demystify how we learn, learn to learn
.
2.  Knowledge sharing with experts
.
3.  Learning beyond the class room

Human Capital in the 21st Century

 In this disruptive world great companies and organizations that will live beyond the test of time will depend on the foundation (skills, passion, innovation, knowledge, talent, etc.) of their team members that forms the unique culture around emerging innovation that will help them design the next future of human interaction in any sector (smart people + smart device).

The question is how do you select the appropriate individuals to join your team? In this era of disruption the search for the best fit for the company's / organization's culture has also been evolving affecting the human capital in equal shares in terms of recruitment. There are many ways that are used in searching for individuals that best fit a particular company or  organization for example online application and research, shortlisting by an agency, headhunting, panel interviews, pitching conference, practical test , referrals just to mention but a few. Nowadays it's easy to get the most educated but finding the right talent and perfect fit for your organization or company culture is a process that can't be achieved through randomness. 

I would advise on the model that I call ART which stand for Attract, Retain and Train in ensuring a winning team in pursuit of the company/ organisation vision. As a passionate founder, I have been taking keen attention on how people work in relation to establishing a great team behind existing or new initiative that would take the idea to the next level of financial sustainability and scalability. Establishing a great team isn't an easy process at any stage of your organization or company, it is also a daunting task, especially when most of the things seem to be at the point of stagnation, especially if you are running on limited resources to get the best talent in the market.

I'm privileged to have worked as part of a founding team in different setups. I can't claim everything was successful based on the constituted team, there were many loops of great times and challenging moment, which only the bold could confront. I'm happy to have gotten a chance to work with a great founding team, which wasn't afraid of failures or even speaking out their minds in shaping the desired future. I remember vividly the unrelenting passion, teamwork, shared team's vision and sacrifice optimized in our team based on our shared values to make ourselves better and that of the next generations to come. At the startup level pay wasn't a big concern, but the impact we brought to the success of the organization was the big deal.

Would you work for less pay while pursing the desired future in impacting people's lives positively? I have done this in the past and still would do it again. It is rewarding to work alongside people with the same aspiration in building the desired future while we impact other peoples' lives, learn in the process and earn salary progressively. This is the best experience I received as a founding member and I believe I was very lucky to meet colleagues whom I call the founding type. Founders, board members and all management structures have the biggest role in driving a shared vision mirrored in all the employees that eventual attracts all the external partners that we work with at different levels. In my pursuit for long life learning while implementing Wilsen Initiative (Wi), which is at the funding stage and team building, I have come to learn and appreciate two types of people that is; the founding type and the following type which is a reminiscence of my journey and experiences working in a team.

Inspirational quote; 

"Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients." - Richard Branson 

In conclusion;

We live in an ever-involving world, we have seen a massive shift on how people work and great process inspired by technology. To mitigate the gaps in human and technological changes we need to take a deliberate strategies in recruiting the best talents with a good mix of both the following and founding type. I believe in the ART model philosophy which is; Attracting the best, Retaining the best, Training all (ART).

Brand Identity ; Through My Lens Photography

Official launch of +throughMylens brand identity; photograph and graphic design. More about my work www.behance.net/wilsenx

Networking – The Golden Contact

Many times we are encouraged to build our network so that we may build that bridge for the next opportunity, and as Porter Gale state it clearly “Your Network Is Your Net Worth”, the question is how do we do it right? Reflecting back on my 17 years’ journey in the field of community development, ICT, design and training, I don’t remember anywhere we were taught how to network.

Networking might sound simple and yet it is not, you have to be prepared to handle the unexpected and the expected. I have stumbled upon on many trials, no replies, disinterested people just to mention but a few, these are factors that can take you to a lonely corner, especially if no one knows you in a particular event or if you aren’t a celebrity.

Celebrity or no celebrity status, you shouldn’t be afraid to give it another try until one day that the CEO or whoever you are targeting responds. Below I would like to share with you some pf the tips I have gathered from my many years of experience at meetings, fellowship, events, etc. Remember, an opportunity for networking can present itself in two folds; planned events and unplanned occasions.

Your Pitch / Story

I would advise you to have an elevator pitch that genuinely reflects what you do, who you are and why you do it. I wouldn't advise on cramming your pitch because the context might be different and you may need tweaking to fit the context.

Always be alert and flexible to fine tune on the fly to fit in your content in the context. One thing that you shouldn’t forget to do is to offer your contact a chance to also explain what they do, while you actively listen for any synergies to take the conversation to the next level. The rule of the thumb, always give and take, be willing to find areas of collaboration. Remember the world out there is in shortage of genuine collaborators playing the win-win from the start.

Your Target 

Do you have a specific person you are targeting? What about particular titles or position? Do you have any preference? How many people would you love to connect with at an event? Here the answer is yes / no, but I would advise you have a brainstorm on the above questions so that you just don’t end up talking to everyone which is also impossible in an event and also to keep it open because you never know, the person who might not be on your preference list might be the gate pass to the next golden contact.

A good knowledge of the person or the organization they work for would also come handy in connecting the dots, even though I wouldn’t say it is must whilst you might be meeting your contact for the first time especially for the unplanned occasion, so keep your option open in some scenarios.

  The heart of a connector; made by me and my son Adrian.

Follow Up 

If there is one thing I have come to love and learn is follow up. Following up is a golden skill in the world of procrastination. It is good to take note of the action points during the conversation and make a point of doing it within the best time possible, especially not more than 2 days because people tend to forget first especially if there were no clear point of interest for further discussion. I would usually try to connect with my next contact on appropriate social media channels and by writing a follow up email.

Conversation

Sometimes it might be challenging to start and end a conversation, especially in an event context. This is a skill you need to master together with active listening to avoid going in circles. I would advise not to pour your heart all out at the fast meet up, the relationship is built over time to achieve the win-win connection. In conclusion, I would say, I rather content with one or two people who are prospective in building the connection further than to try to reach out to as many people as possible in one event. Feel free to share your experience on the comment section below; Thanks for reading, I hope the insights will help you in your next networking hunt! Related article on my blog;

http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/10/the-challenge-next-opportunity_3.html

Mentor-ship Vs. 'Mentorsheep'

Come to think of it, I’m a mentor and I do have some quite a number of mentees on my side. I have always allowed myself to learn in all possibilities of life and this is without the exclusion of my mentees and mentors who bring new perspective into either old thoughts or new ones.

We live in a world of many possibilities and equal share of confusion, what I came to realize the world of mentor-ship isn’t known to many as much as it might sound to be something that has always been there with us. I believe many people practice the “mentor-sheep” at the expense of mentorship. So what do I mean with with the two terms;

Mentor-ship is about something mutual between the mentor and the mentee organized through a system or plan connected to a common goal and interest. Everyone learns from each other while listening, questioning and testing are key part of the growth of the relationship.

Mentor-sheep is full of imitation, following for the sake to belong, obey and maintain the status quo. The 'sheep effect', plans might change randomly whilst there might be less listening and there might be no or less questioning especially from the mentee.

#MyDiary2017 Below are 10 points a great mentor and mentee should practice; 

Mentor

1. They should have wide knowledge and skills in the area of interest. 
2. They should be willing to show the way and sometime through the mentee in the deep end of things, the good thing is that they will follow through so that the mentee doesn’t get drowned.
3. They should have dedicated time and they are passionate in mentorship. 
4. They should be well organized and work on schedules than randomness. 
5. They should share part of the journey (success, failure and future) not to be imitated by the mentee but for them to pick the best practices of pivoting. 
6. They should be good listeners and good at asking great questions. 
7. They should allow failures only that everyone should account for the gaps for future lessons. 
8.  They should always be eager to learn from the mentee. 
9. They should have great values system especially empathy and patience. 
10. They should be willing to make random check on how the mentee is doing. Everything need not to be structured. 

 Mentee

1. They should be well organized especially on time management. 
2. They should be good listeners and good at asking questions. 
3. They should show tangible result within the journey of the relationship. 
4. They should be accountable for the failure or missed targets. 
5. They should have a clear big picture in mind and willing to start with the baby steps. 
6. They appreciate their mentors as partners in exploring the new world of possibilities. 
7. They should have great values system especially professionalism. 
8. They shouldn’t imitate for the sake, they should have analytical, creative and critical mind buffers before taking the jump. 
9. They should always be open to new learning experiences, especially triggered by themselves.
10. They should always engage while it happens than report later in the organized sessions.

If I missed something you would love to share as a mentor or mentee, please feel free to do so under the comment section. For more insights visit www.wilsenx.blogspot.com get in touch with me for a session with your group on issues around personal branding, personal plan, creative entrepreneurship session, inspirational session, creative boot-camps, photography session etc. wilson.masaka[at]gmail.com

The Next Big Thing

There are many factors that contribute to the next big thing, for example the social factors, political factors, economic factors, education system, the gaps and need in the society, technological factors, emerging market trend just to mention but a few.

On the long list of possibilities and influence, I believe the linchpin is with people linked to something else. Let me expound further on these four basic fundamentals with the launch of the next idea as follows;

People with Ideas

First and foremost, coming up with a solid idea can't survive in randomness and reacting just for the sake of having something in place. No individual or group has a monopoly of idea generation, respect everyone in the system and make a culture of start to finish with traces of accountability. Remember, people in higher position don't necessary have the brilliant ideas.

People with Position

The position you hold in any system or company facilitates either the delay or progression of the idea for the next big thing. It takes a bold leader to work and delegate responsibilities strategically and intelligently to their team. Great leaders will always know when to fine tune the idea and train their team on what next step, this is called teamwork.

On the contrary, delays or death of any idea might happen at this stage if the people with position (management title) don't agree or understand the idea as generated from other levels, doesn't favor their thinking or even worse the value of launching isn't clear.

People with Experience

Nothing outshines experience even if you have the top degrees in the world. The experts with vast experience will always analysis the situation holistically looking at the pros and cons, then correlating best practices before making the jump. At this stage humility is key than ego for anything to work through the next level.

People, Brands and Emerging Markets: 

Lastly, let us not forget people working with big brands in the market also have a big stake of influence, trust and loyalty in kick starting the next trends. Think Google, Microsoft, Safaricom, Linkedin, just mention but a few.

Don't despair if you aren't a big brand every entity had a starting point and break through to the next big thing. Explore the unknown market where it's a space for all! The next disruptive market is within the existing, emerging and unknown market place #NextBigThing #PositiveDisruption You have a chance to cause it just do your research and start #HumanCenteredDesign

Are You a Web designer or an ICT Expert?

On Sunday 5th February I was privileged to visit Sama Source offices in Nairobi, where I shared my journey in ICT and design with a group of aspiring web designers and developers joining the master classes organized by Sama Source.

My journey in web design and development started in 2000 and still going strong... #LifeLongLearning 

Below are my key highlights of my presentation; 

Trends to check out in 2017

1. Digital Marketing / Social Media Marketing
2. Mobile Application development 
3. IOT – Internet Of Things Artificial Intelligence 
4. Branding 
5. Big data 
6. Responsive web design 
7. Frameworks e.g Bootstraps, CMS, Canva etc. UX and UI

Tips for Up Scaling

1. Learn the tools ( Softwares). 
2. Join a community of designers or developers / programmers 
3. Self learning and pro bono assignments 
4. Learn a least two programming language
5. Learn some coding even if you are a designer 
6. Think of the users their needs also are changing with time. 
7. Love the process as much there are frameworks etc. 

What You Can DO is the END GAME #DeathOfCV 

More about me www.wilsenx.blogspot.com wilson.masaka@gmail.com

#MyJourney Sharing our journey's might spark new trails for others to follow...

10 Things Employers Should Shrive To Learn From Their Employees.

Picture by Olu Eletu - unsplash

#WorldOfWork

1. What are they passionate about and why do they work for you. 
2. What is their unique talents and how best can you nurture them.
3. How can you awaken the sleeping giant in your employees. There should be one extra thing they can do which isn't in their job descriptions. 
4. Check if their performances is steady or fluctuating and WHY? 
5. What does growth and appreciation mean to them.
6. Their personal desires and what is in their wish list for your enterprise. 
7. Can they work alone and in a team. 
8. Learn to listen to your employees, the best solution might just be with them. 
9. Break the patterns and expose your teams to different environment where they can get inspired and learn together.
10. Teach them how to learn and maintain the culture that makes your brand #WilsonDiary

My First Job

As much as there are limited numbers of job offers the fact is, someone this year will be taking their first leap into a new job either in the informal (“jua kali sector”) or formal sector (white collar). The questions are; how did you feel when you started your new job?

How did you handle your finances, visa vie your ever growing wish list when you weren't employed? These are mind boggling questions in this fast world where people want to acquire more and money isn't an exception. Looking at my diary reflecting back when I got my first job in 2013,

I had strategies and philosophies that shielded me from derailing from the desires when I didn't have a job and apparently I still do cherish these values.

I hope by sharing these notes it might help you in defining your financial compass by handling hundreds, thousand and millions.

Ten Magnetic Side Of Money, Finding Your True North. 

1. Have a saving strategy in place even if you aren't employed. Start the implementation immediately once you get the job. 
2. Treating yourself doesn't mean spending the entire first salary with friends at parties, for any bad habit there was a starting point. 
3.  Live within your means doesn't also mean rapid scalability in terms of material gains and living big without any sustainability plans. 
4. Empower people around you while education and business are routes to consider for those who are interested. 
5. Set financial goals with both a minimal and highest salary you can get. Be realistic when setting the net and gross salary versus what you can deliver. 
6. Think of the transition from the start, for example, employee to self employment, savings to investment, personal project to community project. 
7. Increase your self worth by investing in continuing learning. There are many sources of learning for example online education which allows you to set your own speed and environment. 
8. Do what you love and never stop. A little caution won't hurt when you make job transitions based on finances. 
9. Buy what you NEED than what you WANT. For example, having 15 pair of shoes that costs keys 5000 each might be a liability to you. You can only put one shoe at a time. 
10. Don't work for money let your money work for you. 

#Friendship101 #Resolutions101 "You rather be with a few friends who will make things happen than to have more than a hundred friends full of ideas and that is it."  ~ Wilson Masaka

The Spirit Of A Doer

#DoersCommunity A time like this, last year!

 I planned to do some activities over the festive season under Wilsen Initiative (Wi). I'm proud there were good learning lessons (success vs. failures) to do even better this year but in general it was above the pass mark.

 #CelebratingSmallBigWins 1%Ideas 99% Action 

Our philosophy at www.wilsen-initiative.org Inspire : Connect : Educate

Achievements 2016

•  Art workshop for children between 12 - 16 years 
•  Document video for the children workshop. My Country, My future Coming soon...
• Coordinated the Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament for senior teams 5th edition. 
• Coordinated the first edition of Mathare North Festive Season Tournament for U12 and U 14.
• Shared my technical skills with women aspirants for the 2017 elections. How to use social medial effectively. 

Among others, thanks to all that supported me in the implementation of the activities, mission and dreams @ Wilsen Initiative

The Spirit Of A Doer 

1. Take time to plan - This means see the event happening before even it kicks off, the BIG picture, brainstorm alone, brainstorm in a team. 
2. Choose your dream team carefully. This are people with time, energy, interest and are passionate they will work and walk with you the extra miles.
3. You will have to make SACRIFICE - define it! 
4. Say it and Do It. 
5. Have an open mind to learn and adjust the original plan. 
6.  Enjoy the moment and don't forget to document. 

 For more of the stories and pictures about the same please visit. www.wilsenx.blogspot.com More articles on the same.

• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2017/01/big-ending-great-begining-2017.html
• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/12/the-new-dawn-power-of-social-media-in.html
• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/12/plus-one-talent-art-expression-my_16.html
• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/12/end-of-year-festive-season-football.html
• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2016/12/plus-one-talent-art-expression-my.html

The Unsung Hero - Made in Mathare Slum

David Mbuthia Mwangi (Identity) was born in a family of seven and was introduced to the photography world in 1997 by Lana Wong (An experienced photojournalist) based in America while working as a volunteer in a project known as ShootBack in Nairobi, Kenya.

Over the years, his photos have been in various exhibitions in the world for example Grass root upgrade-reflection on Nairobi Eastland’s photo exhibition in 2012 and Shootback book London gallery in 1999. The current award he won was in Connect 4climate for change organized by World Bank in 2011 in Durban in South Africa at UN conference and Professional Photographer’ category of the 2014 IMF Africa Rising Youth Photography contest at Mozambique.

For last 20 years he has been doing documentary and artistic photography in Mathare slums and it environs. David Mbuthia has worked as a volunteer at slum-TV an organization working in Mathare area from 2006-2015. Recent he has won "#IchangeKenya that was organized by Play Ground, Stockholm, Sweden 2016 in Kenya and Evaluation Week by Development Bank of Africa 2016, Ivory Coast and his photo was shortlisted for Commonwealth Photography of the Year announcement 2016 https://goo.gl/R3mBGy. His dream is to start a foundation that will teach photography and Videography to children in the slums.

This will empower the children with skills that they can utilize in future to tell their own story in their own words and he is also planning to participate in a charity run and to use the proceeds to fund this dream foundation. He would also want to host a solo photo exhibition about his work and to publish a book about his story/photo book about his works. His career path of becoming an artistic professional photographer.

 Photo credits: Wilson Masaka Latest award 2016 – evaluation week. 

 Links to some of his stories / work;

• http://en.unesco.org/news/inspired-light-close-international-year-light
• http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/lifestyle/Reflections+on+Nairobis+Eastlands+/-/1214/1368246/-/12iv4mez/-/index.html
• http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/magazine/A+shout+for+the+slum/-/434746/1324044/-/item/1/-/kdsnyj/-/index.html 
• http://www.shootbackproject.org/people/david-mbuthia/
• http://www.ipnic.org/Photographers_life/ 
• http://wilsenx.blogspot.co.ke/2012/04/money-versus-passion-from-youth.html 

Contact: David Mbuthia | email: davidmbuthia83@gmail.com | https://www.facebook.com/david.mbuthia.9



Mores stories you will be getting from Wilsen Initiative (Wi) whereby we give upcoming artist’s a voice to make a positive impact in their community by inspiring others while they work on their journey of becoming champions. www.wilsen-initiative.org

Article by Wilson Masaka @ www.wilsenx.blogspot.com