The Biashara 360 Startup Story Part 4: Way Forward

This is the final article in a 4-part series where the founders of Biashara 360 share their startup story.

In the previous articles, we talked about:

• How we got into Biashara 360 and what we liked about the business.
• Challenges encountered before, during, and after startup.
• Our top 10 lessons for business women.

Today, we share what we’re doing individually and the way forward for Biashara 360, as we start the second year of business.

There is a wealth of information and motivation in this series. So we recommend that you download the recording and listen to it in your free time or on your commute.

Click here to download or listen to the interview recording

Where the founders are at today

Veronica Waithaka (Ronni)

The 28 Days of Loving Yourself Challenge that we did in February 2018 worked on me. Getting broken also turned into a favour because it helped me realize that I was not being authentic.

I had demons I was dealing with and I came into the partnership from a point that wasn’t authentic. Eventually, I just bit the bullet and stepped out of Biashara 360. I’d never seen myself leaving, but I had to do it to fully embrace the painful truth of being authentic.

So I’m no longer actively involved in Biashara 360 except on an advisory or Associate Coach role. I’m also not in any business or employment and have taken time to relax and focus on myself.

This was a hard decision, but I knew I had to leave and work on maintaining the friendship with Lillian and Caroline. The best part is that we’re all friends and to me, that’s the most important thing.

Listening to Caroline today, I kept thinking that Biashara 360 was always her dream. One time we talked and she said that she wasn’t sure she’d have stepped out of her previous business or made that business into this new big thing. She was very comfortable there.

Everything happens for a reason and the Universe and God conspired to bring us into Caroline’s life in a very confused state, push her very high into an upper place, and then we step back.

Caroline was ultimately meant to do this business. This is where she was supposed to be. Our work was to get her there while also learning our own painful, but very good lessons.

There’s always that aspect of thinking, “I wish we had known this at that time…” And looking back, it’s actually at around this time last year that we had our initial meetings.

I wouldn’t change a thing because I’ve grown so much in the last year that I feel like it’s been 5 years. This shows how much we’ve learnt and we’ve come a long way in a very short time.

For me, I’m still very loose in the wind because this year has been crazy. My dad got ill and passed away. So we’re still trying to settle and the estate matters are a challenge.

I’ve taken a break and I feel like I’ve never really rested. Since I left Safaricom, I kept trying to throw myself into something because of believing that I’m defined by the things I’m doing.

For the first time in my life, I’m not a part of anything. This has allowed me to think a lot, find myself, and put myself first.

That’s all I do now. I’m selfish and have no apologies. If there’s something I don’t want to do, I don’t explain myself, I don’t owe anyone an apology…

It’s been a great feeling and spiritual growth for me. I’ve been doing a lot of Law of Attraction and spiritual discernment.

I am now being my authentic self and discovering a new level everyday. It’s like peeling an onion. Every day and every hour I peel a layer. I’m liking what I find underneath. These these days it’s less and less surprising because I’m more open-minded and more accepting.

The other thing I love about myself now is I am appreciating every single person. This reminds me that I didn’t like who I was last year.

I still remember when Claudine left Biashara 360…I remember that phone call so distinctly. And I remember that I was a harsh person (in the phone call).

Now, I think back to what she was going through – trying  to move, to settle her family – and I wasn’t an understanding person.

Today, I am a better person because of what (being in) Biashara 360 taught me. I’ve learnt how to be more compassionate and humane. At the same time, I don’t let people take advantage of me which is a very good balance to life.

My passion and what I’m headed to…

I’ve told God, “Show me when You’re ready for me to go out.” Because every time I think I’m ready, I realize that maybe I’m still carrying some people in my family.

By carrying I mean there’s quite a number of people in my family who need support. So it’s just easier for me to support them right now because it’s who I am. And in supporting them I’m also healing.

Nothing in life is permanent

A lot of what I’ve focused on now is mentorship of teens ages 12 to 15. I will still do a bit of coaching here and there under my business Finding Futures.

But that is not what will make my blood race. I want to do things that make my blood race because one lesson I’ve learnt in the last couple of years is that life is very short. We have a very short time here on earth.

There’s no point of me wasting my life doing things that don’t make me happy or that don’t make my blood race. So every day I wake up and I’m like, “Whatever the day brings…I’m ready and open.”

I tend to be very organized and have let myself slide. I’ve learnt that it’s OK to fall and it’s OK to fail and that doesn’t define who you are. Falling is not necessarily failure and failure is not necessarily final.

A lot stuff went down (in Biashara 360) including Caroline and Lillian unfriending me on Facebook. I was so angry, hurt, miserable and my heart was breaking. My husband was looking at me and saying, “Haki women you have drama.” And now we’re here (together) and we’re laughing.

That tells me that nothing in life is permanent. So don’t hang onto it for too long because you’re just hurting yourself for no reason.

I still remember the day I texted Caroline and said “We can’t do this anymore.” And she was like, “I was just going to call you today!” That’s when I knew that my life had started to turn around. I have great energy now. Even the way I talk is different and I feel I’m wiser now!

I’m so much at peace. Everyday I have peace. That doesn’t mean that nothing is happening in my life – so much is happening. But I’ve learnt that peace is the ability to be calm no matter how many storms are going on around you.

Lillian Macharia

Sometime in March 2018, I went through a breakdown. Biashara 360 had everything I wanted, but I didn’t feel like I was able to plug in. Also, my other income sources had dried up and there wasn’t much coming in from Biashara 360. I also got bad panic attacks and acidity.

So I called Caroline and told her that I’m crushed; more so because this is not my first attempt at partnerships. Each time I get into one, I go in with so much expectation and optimism. And then things don’t work out.

So I was at a very bad place. Caroline and I agreed that I take a 3-month break from Biashara 360 and be still and listen to myself.

At the end of this break, I opted to quit fully. At the moment, I’m also no longer actively involved in Biashara 360 except when invited to assist as and when I can.

I’m now in a much better place, having purposed to love me. The 28 Days of Loving Yourself Challenge really helped and so everything I now purpose to do has to be in line with me loving myself. I don’t want to do things and then come back and think, “That’s not me.”

Even when broke, there are some people who called me for work and when I look at the chemistry we have between ourselves, I was like, “I don’t want it!” And I said No and I felt very good about myself.

I didn’t feel sorry that I was losing money. I felt proud that I have decided to put Me before the money because at the end of the day, if you’re not whole, you cannot deliver.

Slowly, slowly I’m trying to get back on my feet. I’m reaching out to some of my best customers, but I’m not in a hurry. I’ve decided that my health comes before anything.

I wish this was a realization we had gotten earlier in Biashara 360 – that we need to be at a safe place ourselves before we step out. Maybe we’d have gone far.

However, I also concur with Ronni. God used us as partners to Caroline for a season to push her to her destiny. Looking back, all this was to push Caroline out of the comfort zone of New Dawn and take her to where she is right now.

For that, if anything else, I’m happy. And I’m proud of where Caroline is right now.

Caroline Gikonyo

When Ronni called me, I knew intuitively what she was going to say and so I blurted out, “I hope you’re not telling me you’re leaving.” Much as that was a shock, I still felt OK because Lillian was there.

The day Lillian called to say she was leaving…that broke me. So I recommended that she takes a 3-month break. In this time, Lillian was still not there, but I was still holding on to her, trying to hold on to something so that I’m not alone.

I was really scared of being alone. We had created this big idea. It hadn’t manifested yet, but Biashara 360 was a big thing from the beginning. It never occurred to me that there was the possibility that I might one day be alone. So having all that dumped at once was a big shocker.

Also, we had marketed a life coaching program when Ronni left and I didn’t want to do it. But there was nothing else planned and I had to start thinking of what I could do.

Looking back now, I can see that no matter how hard Lillian and I tried to get back our footing, it was never going to happen. There was a critical aspect missing in the business and we were both not ready to take it up. We tried to shift things around, but it didn’t gel.

Then comes Lillian and she says she’s taking off. And I was so angry for some time especially because in January I was ready to leave because I couldn’t hack it. So we shifted things and reallocated roles. And then here I was with the thing I had wanted to leave and it wasn’t mine alone…it was our baby.

This happened at the same time when the marketing we had been doing was starting to bear fruit. So now I had the baby to think about, my own inner drama to work on, and I had to fulfil the demands of the people we had marketed to.

The period between March and June 2018 was a horrible time as I tried to keep this boat afloat. There were days when I would come back home and collapse on the chair that’s nearest the door and tell my children, “Don’t talk to me!” and I’d sleep for about 2 hours because I couldn’t hack it.

Then I had to reach a point and say, “You know what? This thing is here. This is the situation you’re in.” I talked to some people who are close to me, brainstormed with them, and decided what to do with Biashara 360.

I was lucky Lillian and Ronni were not fighting me for the business. There was no war and I could turn it into what I want it to be.

Turning the business around and merging it with my original idea of where I was going to grow into…there were some moments when I was confused. So I talked to a coach and she helped me get the confusion out of my head.

I had to step into that role and reach a point where I had to be kind to myself and say, “It didn’t work out. What are you going to do with what you have right now?”

And then I had to consider that these are my friends. Relationships are bigger than business, so how can I keep the relationship and keep the business? And then what next for this business?

July and August were times of re-strategizing. I was lucky to have a 3-week break in August which I spent in silence when not working. Journaling and reflection, going back into myself and allowing the answers to come from within.

I also had a session with my life coach which helped me see some of the things I was doing right in my life and other things I needed to change.

The support I had outside the business came in handy including women who are able to tell me what I’m doing right or wrong to my face. I don’t have many people like that in my life, but the few I have are very bold.

Luckily, I had a lot of support. I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have that support. Most probably I wouldn’t have continued with the business.

We all got what we wanted, just not in the way we expected!

Listening to Ronni and Lillian today, I realized that we all got what we needed from Biashara 360.

I needed to move forward because it was time and the Universe said, “You know what, I’ll do it for you. I’ll create an illusion of a cushion. But the moment you step on that cushion, my friend…you will be up there on your own!” So the cushion was pulled out and there was no going back at that time.

Ronni needed to just be herself and let go of the attachment to people and ideas and moulding herself into other people. And she got that.

Lillian needed to put herself first and learn to say No or realize that some ideas are good, but are they good for you now…and it’s OK.

So we all got what we needed by being together as Biashara 360.

And it’s humbling because when people talk of destiny helpers, we tend to think at a spiritual level. But we ended up being each other’s destiny helper in a painful way. Until now we can sit back and say, “These people helped me move to the next step in my destiny.” And for that I feel really humbled and I really thank God.

As Ronni said, I wouldn’t change anything. While I wouldn’t want so much drama, you know, when we were fighting, but I love what we’ve become.

I love the relationship I’ve created with Lillian and Ronni, on a solid footing and as peers. Because now there’s nothing we can do together other than be there for each other.

I also thank Ronni and Lillian for being kind to me. I may have lost business partners, but I gained amazing associates and I also gained two sisters.

Way forward for Biashara 360

I (Caroline) have chosen to take over Biashara 360 fully. Lillian and Ronni have handed over and we’re in the process re-registering the business.

The scope of the business has also scaled down. Instead of focusing on the really big picture, I’ve chosen to focus on what I can do by the end of this year. I’m also looking at what I can start doing now as I prepare to grow the business.

I’ve stopped doing some things like training, which were draining me. I also narrowed down the programs to things I like and weeded out everything I didn’t like.

So Biashara 360 has come down to being a small business with a big vision. Small, not in terms of growth because this is bigger than my previous business. But small in terms of size compared to the dream that the founders started with.

Final words

We were all apprehensive about doing this interview and sharing it publicly. Having done it, we can see how women are going to benefit from it.

Most successful people share how they made money. Not many people share how many times they had to fall and how humiliating it was, that they hurt each other intentionally, and that they were able to grow from that.

So this experience was extremely cathartic for all of us. We’re all better from our experience in Biashara 360. We’ll go into the world so much better and impact the world more forcefully from our lessons.

It’s a good experience, though painful. Any breakup is always painful and at times you judge yourself and see yourself as a failure. Looking back, we’re way much better now than when we came together. And we all agree that we wouldn’t take that experience away.

Hopefully these are lessons that people in business (not just business women) will learn from us and not make the mistakes we made. We also hope that you’ll get to see that if things don’t work, you can still draw lessons from whatever experience you went through and emerge stronger on the other side.

So AMEN to destiny and all the best Biashara 360, our baby!

What’s next for you?

This series may be over, but learning and growth never ends. Some readers have emailed us their feedback or commented on the articles. We appreciate all that and hope that our lessons will help you make your business better.

As mentioned at the beginning of the series, this interview was over 90 minutes long, and we haven’t captured it’s richness in the articles. So we recommend that you download and listen to it.

Finally, below are 4 things you can do as we wind up this series:

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