From Unknown To Unmissable

So… last week, I promised to share what happened when an unexpected opportunity knocked on my door—or rather, slid into my inbox—thanks to the blog I had started way back in 2011.

Let’s rewind a little.

There I was, consistently pouring my thoughts into blog posts, not because anyone asked me to, but because I loved to write. And somewhere in the middle of that passion project, someone stumbled across my work. She asked me if I’d ever considered writing for a local newspaper that was doing English publications. I hadn’t. But it sounded exciting. Writing had become a real love for me at that point, so the idea of reaching more people? I was totally in.

Before I knew it, I was connected to Richard Mgamba—the then editor of The Guardian on Sunday. We hadn’t met, hadn’t had coffee, hadn’t even done the whole formal application thing. Just one phone call. And what did he say? “Just send me one of your best blog articles—or write something fresh. Let me see what you can do.”

So I sent in a piece. And the very next Sunday, people started calling me. “We’ve seen your article in The Guardian on Sunday!” And I was like, “Wait… what?!” 😂 I had no idea he was going to publish it that fast. I hadn’t signed a contract. Heck, I hadn’t even signed a visitor’s book at the place!

From that single article, I got a regular column—Thoughts in Words. I wrote for them every Sunday for five years. I started with a small section buried somewhere in the middle pages, but within a year, I had a full-page column—page 8, every single week. In all those years, I missed less than five Sundays. And get this: I didn’t even meet Richard in person until nearly two years later. I’m the one who insisted on finally meeting him, just to say thank you for taking a chance on an unknown voice.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

One day, I received an email from someone who introduced himself as the MD of a very well-known insurance brokerage firm. He’d been reading my column for years and said it had become the highlight of his Sunday—the only reason he even bought the paper.

At the time, I was out of the country and couldn’t access my Tanzanian line. But as soon as I landed and turned it on, a flood of messages came in from him, asking me to get back to him urgently. I was so excited, I didn’t even wait to get home. I called him straight from the car on my way from the airport.

We agreed to meet the next day and that's when he told me what he wanted from me. He invited me to be the keynote speaker at the 3rd Annual Conference of Insurance Brokers in Tanzania. I was to speak on “The Next Generation Customer – The Future of Insurance in Tanzania.” It was August 5, 2017, at Sea Cliff Hotel in Zanzibar. 

Now, let’s be clear: I’d never done a corporate keynote before. But I believed in myself enough to say yes. And when the day came? I showed up. I remember I’d just wrapped up six grueling exams in Arusha, hopped on a flight to Zanzibar, and by the time I landed, my brain felt frayed and fried. But I knew I had to pull myself together and show up for this. Fully. The audience was cracking up, fully engaged—you’d think I’d been doing this for years. (Spoiler: I hadn’t. I’d only done it once before—in Accra, Ghana.) I even got an Appreciation Award.

From that one event, doors flung wide open. Other MDs and GMs started reaching out. One GM hired me to conduct a customer service training, and together, we created their very first Customer Service Charter—something they didn’t even know they needed.

Then came Heritage Insurance Company. Their MD asked me to conduct a training needs analysis, and one of the outcomes was to start a reading club. Our first book? Who Moved My Cheese.

Now, I didn’t know it then, but that reading club was quietly leading me into an entirely new path. A path I hadn’t planned for, but one that would eventually define my current work and set the tone for everything I do now. But hey, that’s a story for another Saturday – maybe even next Saturday 😊

What did I learn from this part of the journey?

1. There’s no such thing as luck. What people call luck is just what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Writing consistently was my preparation. The column? That was opportunity showing up.

2. People will believe in your work—even if they’ve never met you. That’s why your craft must speak even when you’re not in the room.

3. Get out of your comfort zone. My first keynote wasn’t handed to me because I had done many before. It came because I had dared to put myself out there in other ways—and I said yes even when it scared me.

4. Your gift will make room for you. Sometimes literally. Page 8 was mine. That stage at Sea Cliff? Mine too.

5. Stay ready. Because opportunity doesn’t come with a warning.

Final thoughts?

Someone out there is looking for exactly what you carry—but they won’t find it unless you show up. Whether it’s through your writing, your speaking, your art, your service—keep showing up. Because someone’s future might just be waiting on your one brave action today.

PS: You can read all the articles I wrote under Thoughts In Words by clicking here.

Stay tuned for next week… because the next chapter? Let’s just say you won’t believe where it took me, and how it took me there.