Joy Waithera Chege: Inspiring Story Of Architect Who Quit Her Job To Be A Carpenter

Does your job/career give you joy and fulfillment? Do you go to work dreading each day you are at the office? Has quitting ever crossed your mind?

When we do things for the sake of it or because we need the money, most times we end up feeling frustrated and unmotivated. Given how short life is, it is important to find joy and passion in all we do.

American author Nora Roberts once opined that there’s no reward without work, no victory without effort and no battle won without risk.

The adage is true in the story of Joy Waithera Chege, who ditched her career in architecture in order to become a carpenter.

While speaking to The Entrepreneur show, Waithera noted that the move was driven by her passion for furniture and hence resorted to launching her own business.

Prior to her entrepreneurial move, she worked as a General Manager at a local company for over two years.

Waithera mainly worked as a designer, whereby she worked on projects with major companies including banks and institutions.

However, at the time she aspired to progress towards the next level in her career and made the ultimate decision to quit her post as the General Manager of the firm – in order to engage in carpentry.

“The same challenges I faced as a General Manager as a lady, I still face to date. This is because some clients profile you when you’re the only lady amongst men,” she stated.

In 2020, Waithera began her entrepreneurial journey after launching Meraki by J – a company that deals with custom-made furniture. The name Meraki means to do something out of love. Two years later, she has employed over eight employees and has worked with various clients.

She noted that her first client was a friend who informed her to remake the entire furniture of their house. After working overtime for an entire three weeks, Waithera alongside her team successfully accomplished the project.

Among the challenges that she experienced in the two-year tenure included the refusal by some clients to pay after delivery of the products.

“For one to succeed in life, they require discipline as it is key when someone is handling the day-to-day tasks in this industry. How you deal with a client in such situations really reflects on your inward character as a person,” she stated.

In conclusion…

Rome was not built in a day! Have a plan and figure out what will work for you. It’s not just about waking up one day and deciding to quit! Have a vision and set goals for yourself.

You won’t be successful overnight — but you’ll be successful one night. Take great leaps of faith, do what you can and extend your limits. Success is waking up each morning, doing the work you love, being with the people you love and helping others do the same.

Own your life or someone else will do it for you!