Start2Finish: Fueling Discipline, Focus and the right mindset
Start2finish is about starting a journey towards achieving fulfilment and the guidance to travel through the voyage until reaching the shores of your goals and visions. The mission is reaching the finish line in whatever endeavours of your life. Many of us lose track of our goals or abandon ship due to situations surrounding us or we lose the will power to go on. Hence regularly reminding each other of what is at stake is key to keep us going
Start2Finish: Fueling Discipline, Focus and the right mindset
Thomas Matikiti: The Story of Faith and discovering my Passions and Gifts led to the birth of our media business.
What does it take to maintain focus and discipline in a world full of distractions? Thomas Matikiti joins as he unpack, how discovering his passions and gifts lead to self taught skills that saw him start a media business now thriving and growing. Thomas is also an IT expert and consultant, consulting with many organisations including NGOs and private companies. His stories will inspire you as he shares how faith, service to others, and the unwavering support of his family have become his guiding lights on his journey. With a keen insight into Zimbabwe's volatile economic landscape, Thomas discusses the importance of resilience, faith, and community support in keeping hope alive and navigating life's inevitable challenges.
Pivoting their media business from the wedding events market to more corporate space was key to continue growing the business and increasing market share. He divulges the struggles of managing client expectations and the constant push towards expanding product portfolio to give the business an competitive advantage. Offering valuable lessons on adapting to changing markets and prioritising quality over quantity. Thomas highlights how innovation and sustainable opportunities are crucial for growth. His journey offers a blueprint for thriving amid unpredictabilities and emphasises the importance of aligning business ventures with personal values.
Family, faith, and mentorship emerge as powerful themes as Thomas reflects on his experiences working within a family business. The delicate balance of personal and professional relationships, the lasting influence of his father's values, and the essential role of open communication in parenting are woven into his narrative. These reflections serve as a testament to the power of familial bonds and the pursuit of one's passions. As a self-taught photographer and videographer, Thomas encourages us to chase our dreams with curiosity and continuous learning, reminding us that it's never too late to discover our purpose and live a fulfilled life.
Fueling Discipline , focus and the right mindset!
Hunting, for this meant for a very long time to join us, you know, on this program. And yeah, today is the day where Tom has decided to grace us with his presence.
Speaker 2:You're very privileged bro.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so just to introduce the program, welcome to our program. It's called Start to Finish fueling discipline, focus and the right mindset. That's what we are all about. You know, this is an idea, I think, just like last year, it was a hashtag and I'm like huh, there's something here. So I must start developing and you know I just started working on content and that was it the?
Speaker 1:rest is history. And we are here, and I truly believe that the journey is about knowing that you have to start, but it's not about the starting point. It's about you know, traveling through and hopefully reaching a finish line. Yeah, so I've been speaking about my own personal journey, things that I thought mattered, but at this point we are just pivoting towards interviews where we sit with legends.
Speaker 1:I'm not a legend, so today I'm sitting here with Thomas and I'm not good at introduction, okay, but he's been a friend for a very long time. We went to the same church until we decided to travel somewhere else. But hey, everyone is on a journey at the end of the day. Yeah, but we kept the relationship going. Seeing what's going on with these guys, yeah, they're in the space of media and mostly behind the camera. All the big projects, you know every international artist hitting, gracing us in Harare, zimbabwe. You know they've been behind the camera doing the work. So I just thought, you know, let's sit down, let's find out what makes these guys tick. And yeah, they work as brothers. You know brotherhood. So I want to understand how does that work? You know the conflict issues. How do you deal with it?
Speaker 2:You know, there's Ivan I wanted Ivan in yourself.
Speaker 1:But anyway I'm sure we'll have another episode where we're going to bring him on board. So yeah, just to kickstart. I think I said it's about discipline focus and the right mindset. They are key ingredients to success. So just tell me, how has that shaped you guys? Because there's always discipline, there's always focus to really achieving something. I think over the years we've seen each other growing in our own areas when we started this solar thing and other things in between and we lost the momentum.
Speaker 1:But we are here now, so tell me, let's start with discipline. How has it really impacted you. And just go on those three aspects of the journey.
Speaker 2:It hasn't been a straight road. When it comes to discipline, yeah, I know Sometimes it would be good to just say that over the years, I've been consistent in being disciplined. But yeah, it's been ups and downs the road that we're in, yeah, yeah, but yeah, I think what has mostly kept us grounded is obviously our faith, our belief in Christ. I think that was one of the biggest things that grounded us and allowed us to be disciplined in many areas. So I think, when it comes to my professional life, I think I've just always followed my passions. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:The IT man, yeah, like yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm in a little bit of a lot of things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.
Speaker 2:IT. I'm also in the creative space, but, yeah, I've just followed my passion and God has opened doors. Yeah, I think I'm used. Yeah, I'm also generally just a servant. I like to serve people. So, yeah, that has allowed me just for God to open more doors, because we are working from behind the scenes. I'm not used to being in front of cameras.
Speaker 1:I'm used to being behind cameras.
Speaker 2:When it comes to IT, I'm used to just helping people achieve whatever they're achieving and seeing them grow. So that has been the the discipline in my life. Yeah, just serving people, just continuing being grounded in the things of God and allowing God to to work in my spirit, and yeah, what's the other two things?
Speaker 1:there's discipline and what there's focus focus yeah, focus, a big word.
Speaker 2:Yeah of course I mean. There are too many distractions in the life we live in, so focus sometimes is difficult, especially when there's a lot of things going on. But I think my family, my kids, have allowed me to be a bit focused, because everything that I do, primarily God is the priority. Then comes my wife and then my kids. So that allows me to be focused, because I know that if I don't do my things properly, it affects everything.
Speaker 1:They don't eat.
Speaker 2:They don't go to school In their future. So my family has allowed me to be focused um and the third thing is what the mindset?
Speaker 1:the mindset, how is it really? Because the economy, you know, things have been tough. There's always, it's like a roller coaster, you know it means about making a plan yeah, we are masters of making a plan, yeah yeah, it's been.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think the difficulties we've gone through is just allowed us to have a thick skin in Zimbabwe.
Speaker 1:True, true, for some of us, we've remained behind. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But it's difficult. I won't lie. I mean I've worked since. I was like when did I start working? I was like almost 20. And I've seen a lot of stages like where my money that I had saved it's eroded because of whatever happened in our economy, I lost a lot of money due to the changes in our economy, changes of currency and all those things, even pension for my dad.
Speaker 2:I've seen his money disappeared, you know, from the bank so it's been a very, very tough um economy or situation that god placed us in, but still we've seen his grace in provision. He continues to. We continue to leave our kids. I mean they don't go to bed without eating I will still have a roof you know that we, we live under. So yeah, I think zim zim has got lots of absent, it's got downs, but it also allows us to see God's hand more.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Because, yeah, we didn't live more by faith than anything that we've done? No, definitely. So that's the mindset, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I mean, like you said, it's about thickening, you know, thick skin. Others are hitting the road, but you stick around. There are still opportunities. The question is, you just need to know where to look and you connect with them, and the rest is history. I think there are Bugattis around in this country.
Speaker 2:There are crazy cars which you think you can only find in America, but they are here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah people who are quiet they don't speak, but they are busy making progress you know, and yeah, anyway, tell me about you, you know the story behind your roots, my roots, yeah, yeah. And how has that really shaped you as a man? You know into where I am today, where?
Speaker 2:you are today. I mean my life story is not very exciting, but I mean it might be exciting to others, maybe not exciting to me, but I'm a ghetto person. I was born and raised in the ghetto, born in Bari in 1982.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I was born on the 1st of January, so that's the only special thing about me I think Everyone when I see that the 1st of January. Yeah, so, yeah, I was born in Bari, that's where I was raised, and yeah, I've got two brothers and two sisters, um, and yeah, we grew up together in bari um that's where I got saved. Actually my life story before I got saved um. I was a pastor, you were a father, I was a father.
Speaker 2:That's why you keep saying that, to remind me where I came from, I was a pastor At some point. You were a pastor. Yes, I was. I remember that I was very young. At some point my sister decided to go to faith ministries.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It has just been built in Bahrain, so she's the one we left first the apostasy sect.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And then I followed afterwards Wow, yeah. And then that's when we then got the proper word, yeah, properly the foundation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the foundation Before before that I was very notorious. I was yeah, yeah, I was a naughty child.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did all sorts of things, but uh, yeah, I think the miracle of salvation happened and that's when I started to discover some of the gift things that god has given me. So we are. We started serving in church. I'm going to show you that we were doing present worship and then that's when I started becoming a musician, became a bassist. Actually, I started off by playing, I was a percussionist okay, I was actually singing. For some strange reason my ugly voice.
Speaker 2:We were singing in a choir, Me and my friend Nolan. I remember we used to sing and then at some point I then became a percussionist, Then became a guitarist after that so. I was always interested in the arts and that's when I discovered my passion for the visual, for the visuals, the visual industry. So, yeah, I used to do some basic graphic design as well. I started doing that as well from church, and also I started also doing a bit of photography okay yeah.
Speaker 2:So it all started in the church and we're serving, we're doing it for free, and it became a passion yeah until at some point somebody said can you shoot my wedding?
Speaker 1:then you saw the dollar sign, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I was like, oh we could actually make money out of this so yeah, and also my yeah, and then my brother even he was a bit more he also. He was discovered by someone, I think because they could take you someone okay who then employed him to work, uh, for his company, um, as if to do everything.
Speaker 2:Actually he was doing audio stuff, visual stuff as well, and then I was doing my it okay professionally at that point okay, but then at some point, I think, ivan then quit his job and then I actually encouraged him that maybe we need to do this for our own little thing Side hustle. So I actually hoped him to draft the resignation letter when he quits.
Speaker 2:so he said keep your job, I'm going to start mine yes, so that's when we started the productions back then we were mainly doing weddings and some corporate stuff, but only very low key, and then later on we started going from there. But I know you've got some questions that you asked. Don't worry, I'm not going off. No, no, no, let's go, let's go, we, we always find find a way to join things. It's a conversation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what it is, so whatever is coming to heart, I think, bring it out. Yeah, that's what is going to make an impact at the end of the day. Yeah, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's how the company was born Nanditi Productions. Me and my brother started long back and then, yeah, I continued on the IT as well. So I started off working Actually my first job. Actually, my dad got me a job. He used to work for a company called Kafka.
Speaker 2:Oh, kafka, yeahka, yeah, they make cables, yeah, yeah so my first job after I finished school, he actually said, come, so I was actually running some machines and that made cables. Okay, I was like assisting the operator, yeah, so it was interesting. It was first time I started doing like understanding night shift, like those things of working in the night and it was tough but I enjoyed it.
Speaker 2:Until then I pursued my my IT stuff very seriously, okay, and then a brother from church there's a guy I called Advocate Shikwati. Yeah, we just linked up and then he gave me my first IT job he used to work for a company called Softright, which is a software company that majors in developing payroll systems. So that's where I got my first IT job there. I'm grateful for him for opening that door, because it actually opened a lot of things to where I am today.
Speaker 2:So I started off in church with my brother advocate just saying dude, I heard you're doing a course in IT.
Speaker 1:Come and work with me.
Speaker 2:I'm grateful for that and um from there, that's when I think I worked at uh soft right for like three years or so and then from there I then got a job at kpmg okay accounting firm. That was yeah that was huge.
Speaker 2:I never thought I would end up being working for a big four so, yeah, I did my it work there for many years and then from there I then moved to the european union. Yeah, I was then employed as an it officer there. So that's how my it career has moved. And then, from the european union, I then became a consultant. I I'm now an IT consultant on the side as much as I'm doing the media side as well. So it all came together at some point yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, I mean, what you are talking about is the process. At the end of the day, you know, there's one statement that I like by Godreste. So what's his name? The guy, the iPhone guy.
Speaker 2:Jobs, yeah, uh, god rest his soul. What's his name? Uh, the guy the iphone guy.
Speaker 1:Jobs, yeah, big jobs, you know you say you know you don't look at life forward, you look backwards because you create dotted lines. You know you leave footprints and footsteps so when you then look back and say, oh okay, so all this led me to here, you know, like you, being at church and just serving, doing the passion, you're enjoying it, you're developing a skill, you go and work night shift you know, you're learning something new there, Then from there you know, you pursued that thing that was on your heart. You know, sometimes we are thinking of.
Speaker 1:Let me, I want to do this thing and you want to focus on it. You know, sometimes it's not about you starting at that point. You have to circle around and still get to the point where you want to get to. So I guess that's the, that's the journey. So let's continue talking about, uh, knowledge. So why the name knowledge, um?
Speaker 2:because I loved my daughter so much and we were excited about it, so I've never, you never objected, objected. I think I was also excited that I'm now a dad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I just became a dad then, yeah, and I don't know, the name just sounded so cool so I just thought of calling it that, but it was. If I would do it again, I would probably not name it that because it would create a problem now, because my son is now saying hey, saka, you've got a company under my sister. What about me? I probably need to start another company with his name, or something you need to balance it off. I guess it was the easiest thing at that time and it's just stuck the brand has just grown, so you are stuck with it.
Speaker 1:Perfect. You started off doing weddings and now went into the corporate space. How much of that are you doing currently. What are some of the challenges over the years? Obviously, challenges with cameras, challenges with resources themselves.
Speaker 2:What are some?
Speaker 1:of the challenges over the years Obviously, challenges with cameras, challenges with resources themselves. What are some of the challenges you guys are faced on your journey?
Speaker 2:I mean there are a lot of challenges in business.
Speaker 2:I think the dream is always to scale, to grow to continue growing, but sometimes because of many pressures, things might not be growing at the same pace that you want, correct, and the industry has been changing a lot in terms of the people, the players who are playing. I think our market sometimes is diluted. People don't really appreciate the professional services. Sometimes, when we quote people, they are always trying to renegotiate, renegotiate, but they do not appreciate the effort and also the gear behind the expense of the gear, you know yeah yeah, Some people.
Speaker 2:they just want cheap things like space car so that's, I mean, one of the challenges that we've had come back to the segment.
Speaker 1:I don't know whether it's welcome back, but, uh, we just discovered that our the memory card the memory card is gone full, so we had to delete some stuff. So now we are back to continue with uh with thomas so where had we left it off, Tom? What was I talking about?
Speaker 2:You were talking about the company, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the challenges.
Speaker 1:About the company, the challenges.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Any specific challenges, like dealing with customers either refusing to pay for the work, or you know just.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, like I said, said we started off in the wedding industry, so the wedding industry is very interesting. It's a people industry, so you do a lot of characters, a lot of people that you meet for the first time, family dynamics, etc. So I think our people skills actually had to grow, because sometimes some people can be very difficult and also sometimes, I think, the reason why, we then had to move away from the wedding industry.
Speaker 2:I think it's a lot of stress and sometimes, because the money is a bit, it doesn't justify the amount of time that you put into it because, sometimes you start talking to a client a year before, sometimes even two years before, and you'll be exchanging emails planning the wedding.
Speaker 2:Then the wedding comes and then after the wedding, you're still talking. And then there are one more changes when you're given the product, it's, it's, I know I. I respect people in the industry. The industry grew us and I still respect it now, but I think at some point we just had to say this is too much.
Speaker 2:We just have to move to other things and the Lord continued to open more doors. But yeah, I've had a lot of challenges, business wise, like I'm saying, funding the equipment that we use. Sometimes we don't always insure things and things break, you have to replace and sometimes the return I mean the predictable income is difficult because some of the events that we do, they're not always predictable. We don't always know when the money is coming through. We always have to be pushing our marketing, pushing our brand. It's a challenge but yeah, we sailed through.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we sailed through, it's been, it's been good you know, like, like what you mentioned about pivoting, at some point I think you always need to pivot. You know, like the clients we have been in the individual, like uh yeah, individual clients where we do solar for homes and things like that. But at some point people are constantly negotiating. Now we've got so many substandard products that are hitting the market and now we are in competition. You give a pricing, someone is saying no, but I found this going for this much.
Speaker 1:At some point you just end up. You know what it's too much energy going in there. So we also had to shift as well on the solar space, start going for corporate, start going for ngos. They understand quality and the moment they say come and do work for us, they know exactly what they want you know, and you know, your equipment stays longer and, like you know, you do for an individual you know they've all. They've maybe mistreated the equipment. It breaks down and you're in trouble.
Speaker 2:All sort of things you know can happen.
Speaker 1:So I guess you know the foundation is you start somewhere, but you always have to digress towards where you know you get more value and you make progress much quicker. Get more value and you make progress much quicker. Imagine if you still been doing weddings right now and vis-a-vis what you're currently doing and these are massive projects where you know you know you've done one project.
Speaker 2:Most probably you know it comes with a with a decent income as well. So yeah, yeah that's the that's the process.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think also one of our challenges was we tried to specialize. We're specializing in video only. So one of the challenges that we're seeing right now on Zoom is a lot of people they are now doing a one-stop shop where they are not specializing in what they do, like people who do PA systems, for example, where they are not specializing in what they do, like people who do PA systems for example, they're also now doing photography, video screens, whatever.
Speaker 2:So sometimes when clients go they then give them like discounted. They can say I can give you PA system but, I can then give you video for free. It has affected our business a bit, but I mean we try to specialize, but the problem is that people are now wanting more things. I see some people actually doing. They're putting like catering on top of videos and it's crazy, but we cannot always do all that.
Speaker 1:You can't do all that because I think sometimes you need to stick with what you know and continue perfecting that art. Because if you specialize what you know and continue, perfecting that art. Because if you specialize and you strain yourself too thin, again, it becomes a problem. One in terms of quality you're going to deliver. Two, in terms of keeping those clients, Because at some point you mess up someone because you are saying I provide everything. If you know I do video, you're going to be there on time.
Speaker 2:You're going to deliver the best quality mint video work ever, yep, you know so that other guy who then says you know, I do catering and he's basically hiring a catering company to come and do the work.
Speaker 1:Imagine what then happens, you know um, yeah, which then cause a lot of problems yeah, so yeah, so we've kind of spread out a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know specialties, just to cater for some of those people, but we're not going we're actually still primary video, but we're also doing um.
Speaker 1:We're not getting to lights which is part of video, which is part of video.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and we're also going to be doing large panel screens like LED screens.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, so that's how we've tried to cushion ourselves a bit. And why stick with them. You know, considering you could have gotten an IT job somewhere outside there where everyone is going. Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2:I love my country, I love Zimbabwe, despite its challenges. Sometimes it's not like we're scared of change or scared of new challenges. No, I would prefer to work, because actually in my IT work I do remote work sometimes. So, I actually work For international organizations, like almost. I'm there remotely, though, so it's always good to work like that, where you work from your base and you enjoy the fruits from the place that you go home yeah true, yeah, so we are passionate about it.
Speaker 2:I think God placed us here for a reason, and the way that doors is opened and the way that he has continued to show us his favor. I think we are positioned, maybe, at some point when the favor is a bit less, maybe we start thinking about it.
Speaker 1:Maybe we need to go there. It will never be less. Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah. So yeah, I mean, yeah, that's the thing. You know, you Others, whilst others are deciding to move. You know the whole idea is identifying opportunities, because if you look how people are developing properties right now, it's crazy. People are building beautiful homes, driving beautiful cars in Zimbabwe. You know, not every money is corrupt money. There are people who are doing it straight, who are making it big, and I think it's just a question of identifying that gap and you plug yourself in and the rest is history.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a whole world out there in Zimbabwe that people actually maybe are not exposed to yeah because my wife is still in the weddings industry. She does mainly wedding stationery signage and stuff. So she's more on the high end market so. I get to see some of these people that you don't know about them, you don't hear, don't make noise but when they do their little functions, you're like what who are these people and the money that will be flowing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's crazy, man, it's crazy what's happening with them.
Speaker 2:But yeah, maybe people just need to open their eyes.
Speaker 1:And yeah, I I think we should stop focusing on the frustrating stuff and start thinking outside the box. Even if you are in a box, think outside the box and see, okay, where are the opportunities, and start pursuing those opportunities. We recently started off a small transport business. It's taking off nicely.
Speaker 2:You see, oh, okay.
Speaker 1:So there's an opportunity here. It's good cash business and it supplements and it keeps you going forward. Yep, I was talking to this guy just yesterday. He drives an in-drive. Okay, he does in-drive.
Speaker 2:He does literally.
Speaker 1:Now. It's no longer a side hustle.
Speaker 2:It's not the main thing.
Speaker 1:So when you start, and yeah, the income wasn't great. At some point. He then decided you know what, let me just start doing a hustle. The hustle turned out to be that thing that began to change his life and improving his income, and now he's making more out of that thing, and now he's bought more vehicles out of the same unit. So, I guess at the end of the day, it's a question of opening eyes Because the IT space again is shifting.
Speaker 1:Applications are coming to Zim the ones that were used to be like American stuff they are now here. Indrive is all over the world, but it's here and now. There's Bolt and other aspects. So it's a question of identifying these opportunities, I guess, and and see how best you can infuse yourself. So opening the eyes and stop worrying about no, the man is not enough and complaining and yeah most times we are in that zone where we complain a lot, yeah, non-stop achieve much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it raises, it weighs you down at the end of the day. True, let's talk brotherhood, okay, and working together, it's brothers Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, ivan, where are you Anyway? Yeah, we start with the big bro, tom. So tell us how does that work for you? Obviously, it's twofold.
Speaker 2:You know you were boys before.
Speaker 1:It's just Thomas, it's just thomas, it's just ivan nowadays, family is involved involved as well, you know how, how is that working out for you as as knowledge, as a business?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think I I think the concept works um. I know most people, especially us africans. We say if you work with relatives, but I think the other like the white community. We've seen that even the Indians as well they do this in brothers, or?
Speaker 1:in sons, whatever businesses and the things work.
Speaker 2:So I was always thinking why should we be so difficult? As black people, I think it's just a matter of knowing how to separate things yeah because, when it comes to business, can you remain, can you be professional whilst knowing that it's your brother or it's your wife, whoever you're working with. So it's an issue of separating things, that when you're doing work, we're doing work and we need to achieve A, b, c, d, otherwise, if we're not achieving this, we're not being professional, the thing collapses and at the end of the day, our families suffer.
Speaker 2:So I think we come back to the issue of focus being focused on the priorities of your business, on the mission statement of your business, for example. We just stick to that. We need to be professional, we need to be the best.
Speaker 1:Also your mission statement. Yes, Our company profile.
Speaker 2:Obviously it's our mission statement. Yeah, yeah, yeah some business goals that we have. So, yeah, just focusing on that and making sure that, when it comes to family issues, we are, we are doing family so you like zone out?
Speaker 1:yeah, really talk business.
Speaker 2:We're always fighting like if things are not being delivered the way that they're supposed to. We're actually fighting for something that happened in December, a project that we had, that the way we wanted. So, yeah, we take each other to task and then we polish each other. So, yeah, it's been a great dynamic and I think also our father maybe instilled something in us to solve things quickly, not to make things go overnight.
Speaker 2:If you're fighting you finish the issue and then you settle he was a man of peace, so we like to keep the peace in as much as we'll be fighting and whatever.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's been a great dynamic, yeah and yeah, which brings me to him you know losing your father yeah yeah, how did that impact you and how has it shaped you? You know, and obviously you being the elder brother, and yeah, the guy is following, yeah, yeah, it was difficult.
Speaker 2:Obviously, losing a dad is like part of you also dies, or something yeah yeah, yeah, because, yeah, I loved him a lot. Yeah, he was a man of peace, like I said, yeah, he was yeah I've known him at uh, at m, at Mbare.
Speaker 1:They're very humble, always, ever smiling. I think he gave you guys a gift, because I've been you know, he's just like always laughing and you know, even if you know you I think both of you you know you don't get angry, and you you take it to bed, you know you like yeah't get angry and you take it to bed. You know you like yeah you know, okay, when you look at someone you know. Okay, this guy is not happy with something, but you find a way of which is usually quite difficult.
Speaker 1:That's why I think even most family businesses. It makes it very difficult for brothers to stay together. Either two would decide to go it alone. The other one would say you know, I'm going out. I remember there's a guy, there's this family, three brothers again they started off very well.
Speaker 2:The business is blossoming, it's happening At some point.
Speaker 1:this guy is out. What happened, you know, but it comes back to, I guess, giving each other grace through it all and yeah, for for me just I I never really interact with your father so much but, just from afar, you can always see and I would greet him.
Speaker 2:How are you dad? You know he's always smiling, he's always have his composure and yeah, yeah, he was a humble man. Yeah, because I'm glad that by the time he passed on he was now a proper church person and it all was a result of that first move that my sister did many years back, going to faith ministries. And then we followed, and I think he was also following our life and the progress that we're making, and that also encouraged him that maybe who's this God that these guys are always excited about?
Speaker 2:I want to know about this God. And he ended up being in the church as well and, yeah, I'm happy that by the time he passed on, he was a Christian.
Speaker 1:I think already I was going to ask you who, throughout your life, who impacted you the I think your dad was one of them. Who else you know gave you like that, that push?
Speaker 2:I mean growing in the church, yeah there's a lot of mentors, Like I mentioned. Advocate already, yeah yeah, he really was of great impact. There were other guys Patrick Maswaya of great impact. There were other guys, patrick Maswaya, other pastors Pastor Mutonono back in the days, even we don't count them so Shingemieza you know, those guys made a lot of impact for us, especially when we were still in the Houston stuff.
Speaker 2:And they exposed us to a world we didn't know. I remember people like I remember people like Anashingi I think that's a good name for my brother, for my brother, whatever.
Speaker 1:And yeah, we started seeing these big houses like our strides of a partner, you can achieve these things. And Vincent Nye, I know those guys yeah it was great exposure man, I'm grateful for the move that God started in Bari, that exposed us to a lot of things, a lot, yeah, yeah, so a lot of people made an impact on my life, depending on which area.
Speaker 1:And as you are talking about that, I think I'm looking at a situation whereby it's not about where you start off from. Do you know what I mean? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. No, electricity, nothing. And they make it big and the one who is living a good life? They are not going anywhere. Their lives seem to be stagnant. So I think it's not about where you start off from, but if you have enough energy and desire and you commit in your account and you start working it becomes achievable.
Speaker 2:Anything can be done. The sky is the limit. Very true.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about marriage, I think in family. You touched on it a bit yeah you said god up there, wife and then kids, yeah, others maybe do god kid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, there's always yeah, my my my teaching otherwise actually there's an example I was given by someone that if you're in a boat and it starts sinking and you've got only one left jacket and your wife is sinking and your kids are sinking and you can only save one, who would you save?
Speaker 1:That's a tough one, yeah.
Speaker 2:The guy was saying if you don't say your wife, you got a problem.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you leave your kids to drown.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:And they experience their heartbreak. Yeah, right, but again if the wife drowns.
Speaker 2:Your wife is supposed to be. That's your rib, that's your, yeah, that's you, that's your other, you, your wife is supposed to be.
Speaker 1:That's your rib, that's your, yeah, that's you, that's your other, you and I think that's the priority.
Speaker 2:What about the kids? Uh well, they come afterwards that's okay I think that's the code, the order.
Speaker 1:According to my my teachings, that could become an argument, yeah exactly I mean, we can argue all day, yeah, but yeah, okay, marriage Perfect. So I mean, how are you influencing your kids?
Speaker 2:And are you setting them up for success or failure? Yes, I would want to set them up for success, obviously like any parent. But it's been difficult. I won't lie, Because I think parenthood is a learning journey, an everyday learning journey, and you'd want to set your kids on a good platform. I mean, there's a scripture that says teach your kids the way to go so that they will remain when they go, they will remain upon it. So it hasn't been easy, especially when we're trying to hustle business people.
Speaker 2:Sometimes you then outsource the teaching to schools to the church and you don't do your work.
Speaker 2:You don't create the time with your kids and that has been a challenge for me I think I've also assumed that they just watch me do my thing and maybe they'll just learn things and I don't do a deliberate teach, but I've been trying to change that. I think we've had a lot of fights with my wife as well to seeing the roles of how, because I know that women are supposed to be the teachers they teach the kids and when things get difficult maybe the father comes in and then he does the overall priesthood.
Speaker 2:Whatever leadership in the house. It's been difficult and I don't see I've perfected it yet. But my kids I think they're good kids. Despite the challenges, they've been, yeah, at school they've been doing good and I would want them to. I would want to do more Because I think now they are teens, so it's a very interesting.
Speaker 1:That's when they are discovering purpose. You know, yeah, and also you start having your own fears as well.
Speaker 1:Because you knew what you used to do when you were a teenager as well and you're wondering yeah, and then yeah, it's difficult but, like what you're saying, if you give them a good foundation, especially as they are, they're growing up? Yes, and you have said right that most times, you know, we focus on the hustle. We put food on the table. You know, even if you are never at home, you're thinking, look, I'm doing something right you?
Speaker 1:know I take them to the best schools. They get the best education, yes, but if you miss being there, being present with them, I think that's where a lot can then miss it. By the time they become teenagers, they're in stress.
Speaker 2:What did I do wrong?
Speaker 1:That's why I said, are you setting them up for success?
Speaker 2:or failure.
Speaker 1:Because whatever you do especially me I have girls. Whatever I'm going to do at this point will really impact them, as they grow older. I'm constantly. I'm also battling whereby I have to spend time with them. They want to spend time with me. So all the time someone just walks in the door, I'm busy go back. Then I'm saying sorry, sorry, come back, come back. How can I assist you that kind of? Thing, but you know, you want to play games with them, you want to be present and show up Because I think that alone will really teach them a lesson.
Speaker 1:Say, okay, this is how people are treated. Yes, but if you are not going to be the teacher, as have said the church, yeah, school, and in most cases, school can be very terrible, because they begin to learn from other friends and maybe there are some influences, are not?
Speaker 2:bad influences there and yeah yeah, it messes up a lot of things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's something else, yeah and how have you like, um, you know how you were brought up and the new way of training them. How have you like infused it together? Because I think, like for me, uh, growing up, my father was never really there. Yeah, you know, it was my mom, but my mom had a tough hand you know, you mess up.
Speaker 2:You were thrown in there, you know you're locked in for your grounded before we even know what is called grounded, we're grounded.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, you just lock you in, throw away the keys and forget yeah only remember you. Can you please go and take the child to come in? Oh wow. So I mean, how are you, how are you balancing it?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think our the initial the, the parenting that we do, usually comes from how it it has been modeled in your life.
Speaker 2:So sometimes, if it's not modeled correctly, you also struggle a bit and then you have to learn. Because I know sometimes, um, we try to do things. Maybe if we see, if we've seen the mistakes that our parents did, we try and as much as we can not to do those things. Okay. But sometimes in doing that we might end up actually being the same, because I know that my, my, my parents, my dad, is a bit laid back. He's like an introvert, so he wasn't really like when it comes to hard talk. We didn't really talk that much, even though we we loved each other.
Speaker 2:We knew he loved me or whatever but yeah, he was, he was laid back. So I think it is. It somehow tried. It has come to like the way I'm parenting now. It has actually kind of been like that as well, that I'm not that confrontational with my kids. I'm a bit yeah, I mean, if there's a problem, I just want to deal with it. I don't want to get deeper into some issues, so it's something that I'm learning. I think my wife pointed out as well that I need to express myself more when it comes to my kids, with the things that they go through, whatever challenges that they're having. Yeah, I need to learn to communicate with them properly, because I'm a bit of a laid back person.
Speaker 2:So yeah so far, I think I'm improving.
Speaker 1:I think my wife will testify, yeah for me now is that I think, years later, me and my dad, we can sit down and we can talk.
Speaker 2:Really yeah we can.
Speaker 1:They now stay in the rural areas, their choice. But, you know, whenever we go there, we sit down, we talk and yeah, yeah, yeah. You know we try as much as we can to catch up in a conversation.
Speaker 2:But it's always very very difficult.
Speaker 1:But I'm also trying to do that with my kids Because I think our mom played a very, very key role and she would beat us whenever it was necessary, she would chastise us. So you know that I think, stuck now with me you know, to say, look, I need to give that direction to my kids. I'm the loudest apparently.
Speaker 2:Really? Of course you are. I'm the loudest, yeah, but anyway.
Speaker 1:So what's the cherry on top? You know, you said if they are drowning you will save your wife. Yeah, what's the cherry on top? What makes you guys work In how?
Speaker 2:many years.
Speaker 1:It's been 15 years now, wow yeah, and going strong, going strong, yeah, going strong perfect.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's. Obviously it hasn't been a straight line, straight road. It's been ups and downs it's never a straight yeah yeah, marriage is difficult.
Speaker 1:A lot of work, yeah a lot of work, as much as this can be beautiful and great, it's a lot of work, yeah, a lot of work.
Speaker 2:As much as it can be beautiful and great, it's a lot of work, yeah. So I think there's been a lot of forgiving, a lot of compromise, Because these are two people coming from two different backgrounds trying to make something, make a family. So there's, a lot of conflict from different areas, from in-laws issues, financial issues, like women are really from mars from another planet.
Speaker 1:It's a life long lesson, yeah, understanding a woman properly.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's been a lot of forgiving. I think being a being christians has also helped a lot because, christ being the third string, yeah, you know it makes us stronger and yeah, it's then grounds us when things are not making sense or when arguments are going getting heated up.
Speaker 1:There's always a foundation, a basis.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't say okay, okay, what does Jesus do? What does the Bible?
Speaker 1:say If we say we believe in this, then you know.
Speaker 2:So that's it. Yeah, that is all.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, perfect, let's keep at it yeah. Like what you said. You know it's work Every single day. You have to work at it. Some days are good. Yeah, some some days, you know but with time as you begin to really know each other. I think the early stages are always the difficult ones.
Speaker 2:I mean it depends. I mean in terms of the love, the goosebumps it starts off with you don't even have to make a decision to feel those things, but there's a point that you then have to make a decision to feel those things. But there's a point that you then have to decide to love this person unconditionally, and it becomes so much of a deeper love that then grows into something more that's different from how you started.
Speaker 1:And also, I think you develop a level of tolerance that just allows you to say, okay, fine, I think I need to choose my battle here. Not every battle is worth fighting or worth going for long heads on. You just have to choose them and say, okay, fine, I think this one is worth it.
Speaker 2:Maybe 10 of them are not so there's no worry about those Losing small battles to win the war.
Speaker 1:So you have to be strategic, but it's a beautiful thing at the same time, as long as that balance is there. That's how I look at it.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about faith.
Speaker 1:How has it shaped you?
Speaker 2:I think, we have spoken about it yeah, here and there, I mean here and there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, yeah, my faith is very important to me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm very passionate about my beliefs sometimes too passionate that I started fighting with people online when they're saying nonsense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know our fights because of the passion. I'm very passionate, passion of christ.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, I'm passionate about the truth the truth about yeah proper belief. You know the bible, what it tries to communicate to us. I try to really understand. So my faith is very important. So I'm very, very big on that. I think, yeah, my kids are also. They also pick from that as well, like my daughter. She's like from Form 1, form 4, she was getting A's in biblical studies, you know. She was getting awards and stuff.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I think it's something that we just yeah, I just grew up instilled in her, which is what I'm grateful for.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, yeah, perfect. And you know, through it all, what is the definition of success for you, like you know, is it money. Everyone, when they talk of success, you know rakes to riches. You know I was so poor that now, you know, now I'm living this grand life and yeah, I mean for me success obviously it's just to start on spiritual.
Speaker 2:You have to be spiritually successful and for you to be spiritually successful. I think you have to understand, because I think god is a plan and the will, a specific one for each and every individual, and the more you discover that I think that's the most successful, you'll be in whatever you do. It's about discovering god's will for you, specifically for you'll be in whatever you do. It's about discovering God's will for you, specifically for you, and working in that will and sticking to that.
Speaker 1:And sometimes.
Speaker 2:His will is not always what we want. I always tell people that when we pray, god sometimes says no sometimes says wait, or it's not the time, it's not the season.
Speaker 1:or sometimes says yes and it's not the time, it's not the season, or sometimes says yes and it's about us then understanding that and submitting to his will and being content about whatever season that is taking us through, because I think he created us for a reason and specific purpose so that's success for me everything else is just the cherry on top everything else, it just uh the cherry on top yeah because I think like it makes sense to say you need to be successful mentally you know, mentally, spiritually yes and when you have that, you know it then begin to manifest in the physical.
Speaker 2:Yes, true, because you've already succeeded up here, Then it comes down to other things, then you begin to see progress. Progress in your life, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I've got one question for you, looking back in time, maybe to your younger self, maybe you've made mistakes or you did not live up to the full potential. You know, and in most cases it's always the case you know, yeah, you know I could have done this different so much advice. You know what key advice can you give that 20 year old someone?
Speaker 2:there's always a 20 year old who's watching, right, yeah, or who's listening?
Speaker 1:yeah, you know what advice would you say hey, do this, do that this is going to be a game changer for you okay yeah but you're telling it yeah you've transported back in time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I think discovering your passion at a very young age is key and critical, and investing in that passion is very critical in terms of how easy things will be going forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah because I think there's a lot of things that distracted my younger self, that I then failed to invest in my passions, Even though I later on followed them. I would have wanted to do that from an early, early, early age. Yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:So, but I'm glad, I mean I don't have regrets. I'm sure that God allowed that to happen for a reason To see my mistakes, to see his hand in pulling me out of those mistakes. But yeah, I'll just follow the passion, the natural gifts, because I think everyone's born with some natural gifts, so we just need to discover them at the earliest. And invest in them and never stop learning, always being curious. I think it's something that I also became very curious later. On.
Speaker 2:Because most of the things I learned by myself. I'm self-taught. I'm a self-taught photographer, self-taught video person, visual person, because I was just curious. The curiosity grew later, but it's always good to start being curious at a very young age and then to invest in your passions. I think that would be a few nuggets to share to my younger self.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's really deep. So to those young, 20s or whatever age you are, it doesn't matter. Be curious about life, you know, and just find your purpose at an early age.
Speaker 1:Just like Thomas just said, you know finding your purpose, finding your identity and curiosity and be a learner. You know he taught himself the business that is running today just by that passion and desire. What are you passionate about? What drives you Do that thing? And it will be a game changer for your future. Start to finish that's the game. Let's start the journey, let's walk the process and let's reach some form of finish. We'll never, obviously, finish. We're always continuously starting something, but let's see it through to the end and market and ticket is completed, peace out.