Many Kenyans regard a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine as one of the most respectable achievements, but Taii Odero believes that the ability to pursue one’s own passion is the pinnacle of success.
Despite possessing a medical degree, Odero said he had to battle societal pressure to pursue his passion of fitness and travel in an interview with an online media.
He stated that tours were his passion, and that he had an intuitive urge to develop and grow his own company.
“I wanted to be self-employed and I also wanted to create employment for other people. After I graduated, I worked for three years and I resigned,” he stated.
He said that since leaving the lucrative job, he has spent the last six years focusing on fitness and travel, and that he now owns and operates a firm called Authentic Fitness and Adventure.
Odero remarked that in such a short space of time, he has grown his business to the point that he now earns Ksh 800,000 on a monthly basis.
“Medicine pays a lot, yes, but there is something called passion. If career and passion do not move in one direction, then it means you are in the wrong field.
“Nowadays people do not look for money, let the money look for you. When you look for money, it will not come. I cannot compare medicine to what I do because I earn a lot from it,” he stated.
Since March 2020, he has employed 30 individuals in his Nairobi-based company and has successfully navigated the hurdles posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I have people who are working in my company and I have to have a float of around Ksh500,000 every month to make sure all the bills are paid.
“Profits average between Ksh 800,000 to Ksh1 million. That is for the low season,” he added.
He stated that his company, which is designated as a hospitality firm, had been severely harmed to the point where it had gone months without profit.
To deal with the crisis, the corporation had to meet down with its employees and explain the situation, as well as develop new business models that would maximize digital revenue.
“There are months that I did not get even a single coin. Of course Covid-19 affected everyone. We did not fire anybody. Our employees understood what happened and there was no business. We were trying to work from home which was not possible because our job is basically field work.
“We developed an online application called Fitness at Home. We used to record all our fitness activities during Covid-19 and share,” he explained.
How does it work?
Odero revealed that his organization does not own gyms and instead hires teachers from various locations across the country.
He mentioned that their company has expanded so significantly that they now have instructors in practically every place. The company owns between ten and fifteen cars for its travel division.
He admitted that his decision to forego medicine in favor of fitness has irritated some of his family members, who have failed to accept his decisions despite his substantial wealth.
“Anybody who is coming into business, do not come to make money, do that business as a passion and money will come. The moment that you try to look for money, it will never come,” he concluded
