When you bet on yourself, you win big

“Always bet on yourself” said Dr. Erika James the Dean of Wharton Business School during an interview on Good Morning America when asked for the single piece of advice she would give young people. This was during her initial days in office as the first woman and first African American to lead the Wharton School in its history.

I am making a reference to this interview because the person whose story we are delving into is a story of betting on oneself. I first met Stella in early 2018 on a bus to Nairobi for a class that we were going to take together and today I call her a dear friend.

This 27-year-old is a ball of energy, she is smart (physically and intellectually) wears a smile as her best outfit and is ready to conquer the world one step at a time. Stella works with Hill & Knowlton Strategies a global communication agency as a PR Account Executive. She has experience working with global and local brands such as Emirates, Coca-Cola, Viacom Inc, Wefarm, Catholic Relief Service, dfcu Bank, Uganda Red Cross Society, and the Presidential Initiative Skilling the girl Child- a project under the Special Presidential Advisor.

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  Meet Stella

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Who is Stella Athieno?

I am a fun-loving Christian and a communications maven. I like nature and the outdoors but at the same time I am a homebody, and you will find me huddled with a book or movie at home. I lean towards romantic literature for leisurely reading. I love music and can’t help but groove when the music possesses my body. I love being around positive people. I am a sucker for spontaneity – I don’t like planning too much of my life because it steals all the fun.

What is your spirit animal?

An eagle. I love that eagles are unafraid; they fly so high and are very powerful. I am an eagle flapping my wings, flying and positive that I will reach greater heights beyond my imaginations.

Tell us about your family?

I come from a closely knit family of three, me being the last born. Surprisingly, I don’t come off as such: People always tell me that I do not have last born traits. To an extent this is true because I had to mature so fast and started fending for myself at an early age.  I come from a loving humble home in Busia. I grew up watching both my parents run the family restaurant of which they have since retired from. The restaurant and farming on the side was our main source of income.

High School life

Throughout high school, I went to one school, Great Aubrey Memorial College. During my time there, I excelled and was able to secure partial scholarships that enabled me complete school. This helped reduce the school fees load on my parents.

I still recall, after my O’level. I had hoped to change schools. I wanted to experience a new environment away from home but alas. Fate didn’t allow it, so I ended up in the same school. Don’t get me wrong, of course I loved it at Aubrey, it’s just that as young person, sometimes you yearn for the unknown.

I had hoped to go to Rock High school but that would cause a financial strain at home. I remember at one point my dad suggesting I join a teachers College. I was disappointed, but I also knew that he was trying to make the best out my circumstances. I have nothing against teachers, but I dreamt of being a lawyer or journalist and nothing else. My mother on the other hand supported my joining A’ level and said she would support me with whatever decision I made. As an ambitious girl, I was so adamant on joining A’ level because it was my ticket to the University.

Despite being awarded partial scholarships at the school. I still struggled with meeting the remaining half of the school fees sometimes. I started rearing hens, pigs, and planting vegetables that I would sell, sometimes to my parents for their restaurant to raise the fees balance and money for buying scholastic materials.  I was always optimistic and not even these challenges affected my performance, or the way I related with my friends in school and the teachers. I had great relationships with the teachers and especially the Headmistress at the time, Madam Grace. She was so good to me and she went out of her way to support me. At times she was the visitor I received on visitation days when my parents never made it.

At the end of senior six, I did not fill in the university entry forms because my faith waivered. I did not think it was necessary because from the situation at home, with my brother at the university at the time there was no more money for my tuition. Interestingly, when the results came out at the start of 2013, I was one of the best in my school with 18 points but because I had not filled in university forms, I was not eligible for government scholarship. 

Leaving home

At 19 years of age, I left home to find work because I knew I was not doing a direct entry to university. As soon as senior six vacation started, I was pestering my brother who was at university at the time to bring me to Kampala so that I could find a job. He finally yielded and connected me to his friend who also came from our village to host me while I tried to find a job. The day I arrived; I was mesmerized by kaleidoscope of city lights. Traffic was at its peak and I wondered where all these cars where going to.

It wasn’t my first time in the city, but it was my first time alone. The city was very busy, and the noise was deafening compared to what I was accustomed to. Tightly holding to my bag and a strong resolve, I was very determined to find my way around It and most importantly get job.

The next day first thing in the morning after settling in with my brother’s friend, I was out for the day walking the streets of Kampala looking for jobs. My typical day involved walking around town and knocking on doors to see who was hiring. I tried finding a casual job at factories, but the people would be so many, I gave up on those.

First job

I got a casual job at National housing flats in Bugolobi. I was helping with sandpapering the walls and cleaning the houses after construction. It made my hands very rough but at the same time, the working conditions were becoming less favorable by the day, so I quit after 2 weeks.  I came across a painter who was working on new houses in Naguru, and he gave me an opportunity to clean the houses after he finished painting. This helped with the cash flow for a while.

One random evening, I found a job advert poster pinned on an electric pole, I reached out on the contact numbers and they asked me to go for interviews at Centenary Park

I went for interviews and the job was for waitressing at the Shangri-la Hotel branch at centenary park. I got the job, and the pay was better.  I started renting on my own in Naguru, saved some of the earnings, shared with my siblings and sent some to my parents. After 8 months on the job, I was frustrated and not because of the job but the stress of knowing that despite being eligible to join university, I hadn’t been able to. My future seemed bleak.  I resigned from the job.

As I sat in my rental, I realized I had two options, to go back to work so I could afford rent or return home to Busia. However, before I could make the hasty decision, I got a temporary job selling Coke products at UMA showground during a trade show.  At the end of the two weeks, I got some good money that sustained me for a while but then I realized I needed a full-time job. I called my former manager at Shangri-la Hotel about rehiring me and they gave me an opportunity at the main branch in Nakasero.

That was a turning point in my life because from then on life started getting better. The year 2014 was off to a great start and I would get weekly paycheck, but It was not enough. I still carried a longing to further my education, but the work shifts at the hotel were not flexible enough. I worked for 6 months and in the seventh month I left Shangri-la for Kampala Club through the connections I had made.

Before I started working, I explained my circumstances to the hotel manager, and we agreed that I would work night shifts so I could be able to study during day.

At the time, my mother had heard that Kampala International University was advertising scholarships and she asked me to apply.  Fortunately, I got a partial scholarship from the university and had to pay the rest which ranged from UGX 800,000 to – 1M per semester. In August 2014, I joined the KIU to study a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Communication.

Life at the university

At the start of the semester, I was commuting between Naguru to university, then Kampala Club at night and back to my place. The commute between the three places was tedious so I took up the offer to stay in the staff quarters offered at Kampala Club. It was easier to move between Kansanga and Kampala Club and at the same time I was saving some money.

 In second year, I started renting in Kansanga with a roommate. I was also the class representative so I would coordinate with the lecturers when they were coming to teach and plan my schedule with work accordingly. I was always in discussions while at university and I guess my classmates never understood why but I knew that daytime was my only time to read. Once I left the university gates, I wouldn’t have any other minute to read. I was working six days and took rest on Sunday.

Kampala Club was a great employer and they supported me however they could. Sometimes I would get salary advance to pay tuition and they also provided an option to get a bank loan and the hotel would pay it back off the salary. I survived mostly on tips from customers because there are months when the salary would not be enough everything, so the daily tips helped a lot.

From my experience, tipping waiters and waitresses is a grand gesture. That tip however small or big can mean a lot to someone. If you able to part with something after a great service do it.

I must also confess that during this time, I kind of lost my way from God because I didn’t not understand why I had to struggle so much. So, I stopped going to church.

While in in second year at University I connected with Ambrose Kibuuka a council member of KIU. He had also authored a book, After University, what Next. His book challenged me, and he said that he saw a deep hunger in me of wanting to make it in life. He introduced me to the Head of Public Relations of the University, Alex. I started volunteering with PR department as the Assignment Editor for the campus magazine and PR Associate.  This opportunity opened me up to the vast possibilities of what I could do with my journalism degree.

I used to gather content for the campus magazine, “Giraffe” and this gave me access to campus events and meetings.

Highlight of working with Giraffe

I did several stories for the Giraffe but one of the most significant ones I did was the first interview I had with the Director of Research at the time Professor George William Nasinyama. It was a bit surreal knowing that I had the audience of one of the most important people at the university. It was a very empowering experience.

 I was also the president of the Mass Communication department at KIU which gave me exposure.  I must say, when I started working for the PR department, I was curious and looking for other avenues to learn so I sought out Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU PRAU and it’s also through this association that I learnt of Professional Public Relations Diploma offered by the Chattered Institute of PR UK. Though my work at the university was purely voluntary work, I learnt so much in terms of writing, I got mentorship in Public Relations and a certain level of exposure that boosted my confidence. 

When I graduated in 2017, I knew I needed a better and full-time paying job to support my dreams like pursuit of the PR diploma which was a costly undertaking. I still maintained my job at Kampala Club, so I started saving up. At the start of 2018, an uncle gave me a top up to my savings which I used to make the initial payment for the CIPR course that I undertook in Nairobi.

Making bold moves

I always dreamed of working with the Uganda Red Cross, so I reached out to the Secretary General via twitter expressing my interest in working with them. He gave me the contact of the Communications Coordinator, Irene and luckily, she agreed to meet with me.

When we met, I shared with her what I could potentially do for them with my experience working under the KIU PR department and the knowledge I had gathered from CIPR classes.

I was recruited on a three-month contract as the Donor Reporting and Knowledge Management Officer in June 2018. This involved preparing and organizing reports from the field. This was my day job and at night I did my shifts at Kampala Club.

I knew nothing would come easy, so I was committed to doing all the work since I my biggest support system. To date I am the biggest investment I have ever made.

At the end of the three months stint, Red Cross extended my contract but around the same time I had also received two other fulltime job offers. I took the offer from Hill & Knowlton a Public Relations Agency and that’s where I have been to date.  

What’s your typical workday like?

Since March 2020 we have been working remotely. At 9:30 am every day, we have a team meeting to discuss client’s priorities and deliverables for the day.  My primary accounts are Emirates, dfcu Bank, Viacom, and Coca Cola Beverages Africa but I also support with other clients’ needs that the agency manages.  A little back story about Coca Cola, during the two weeks I worked with them at a trade show in 2013, I silently wished I would work with them and here we are today, the universe listened and brought Coca Cola to me. It’s incredible.

Back to my day, the meeting lasts an hour after which I take meetings with clients, do briefs with them, updates on what we are working on etc. My work involves a lot of writing, research for clients, stakeholder management, event planning, making pitches and developing plans for all sorts of things. I take breaks in between, rest up and work stops at 5pm. However, my days are never the same because of the diversity of my client’s needs and industries so everyday there is something new and exciting to be done.

Advice to anyone who wants to work in a PR Agency.

• If you don’t love writing don’t go to an agency, there is lot of content development.
• Be a strategic thinker, good at networking and maintaining relationships.
• Be honest and keep your word, do not make promises you can’t keep because it can do so much damage.
• Do not work with a client you don’t believe in because you need to be motivated by the work you do and believe in it.
• You should be able to stand your ground and assert yourself where necessary.
• One should be quick on their feet and mind, should be able put in long hours when necessary and should be able to handle pressure.  It also important to prioritize your mental health while working in an agency or it can take its toll and break you.

Overall, Agency work is exciting, and you get to enjoy and experience some cool things depending on the clients you handle. By the mere fact that one gets to handle a diverse set of clients, you get different perspectives on life and you pick knowledge from each of clients you work with which makes one an all-round communicator. Agency opens you up to so much and it’s a great learning ground and with that experience you can work anywhere. We get lots of trainings and for my case, working for an agency that is global, we get lots of trainings and my networks have grown immensely.  

What does it take to be a good communications professional?

You need to be a good listener, writer, be great at expressing yourself clearly and well, read a lot. Do not restrict yourself to literature related to your work but all sort of things that challenge your thinking and outlook on life.

Be good at networking because PR is about relationships, use your brain, be teachable, and surround yourself with good mentors.

Life lessons

Apart from God, I am the second most important person and when you learn that it empowers you. When you learn to choose yourself, prioritize yourself and invest in yourself you’ll reap the benefits. I also think, it’s not enough to want the good things in life, but to always question yourself if you are doing things that improve you as person. This ranges from the kind of people you surround yourself with, your networks; spiritually, intellectually, and socially.

Dealing with self-doubt

I feel that we all deal with this in one way or another. For me I have had to focus on improving myself through education, learning more skills and reading more. Levelling up gives me confidence and diminishes the voice of self-doubt.

Importance of friendships

 My life wouldn’t be the same if someone didn’t pause to listen to me and invest in me with their time and resources. I believe in surrounding myself with people who are better than me, people who challenge me and people I can learn from.  I allow myself to be humble and to be natured. Your character can either break or build you. My experiences have taught me that you can have everything but if your character is flawed, people will not take to you. Kindness, generosity are important, the universe pays back in the same currency. I believe in living for more than myself.

Biggest take way from 2020

Holding all things constant, I grew so much in 2020. I had time to connect with God and myself. I got many consultancy gigs because of referrals from people. This also showed me that people see the potential in me, and I cannot wait to see what 2021 has in store.

Plans for the next five years

I see myself heading communications for a multinational organization/company and settled with a family. I will also be done my MBA that I am starting this year, will hopefully have some good investments and my consultancy will have grown.

I believe owning and telling one’s story is one of the most empowering experiences. With that said, I plan to do more profiles this year. If you have a story/ experience, and you care to share (must be personal), send me an email to brendacommaconsult@gmail.com. Let’s have a chat.