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Interview with James Karundu, Life Coach and Motivational Speaker
Date Published: Wednesday August 26, 2009
Human beings spend countless hours a day in pursuit of the one thing that will make them happy. A lot of times that one thing is success, money, happiness, spirituality and such like common denominators. A lot of times while on these pursuits one may lose focus, go off course, lose hope, become impatient and lose sight of the ultimate goal. Deprived of adequate motivation and the crafty ability to adapt to circumstances, many never make it to the final destination. So how does one ensure that they stay the course, make the right choices, and plans are seen to fruition?
Motivational speaker and Life Coach, James Karundu has a secret to how to go about doing this. In his book, "7 Keys to Success Beyond Chance," he chronicles the principles that one can apply to help produce positive results in almost any area of life. Tujuane had the privilege of interviewing James on his new found passion of motivating others, his journey from lecturing to self employment, and his book.
Name:JAMES N KARUNDU
Company: Personal Coaching & Mentoring Services Ltd (PCMS Ltd)
Title: Managing Director
Years of Company Existence: 6 months
Marital Status: Married
Age: 42
Tell us about Personal Coaching & Mentoring Services Ltd. When was it founded and by whom?
Personal Coaching and Mentoring Services Ltd, was founded by myself and I run it with my wife Rita who is also the other director. It was always a dream of mine to form a company that offers personal coaching and mentoring services but it was not until early this year that actual formation and registration was done early this year.
What services do you offer?
We offer a series of monthly Motivational talks for Personal and Business success; give motivational talks and group mentoring programmes, guidance and mentoring programmes for young people and a have a personal coaching and mentoring club called The Inner Circle
Who is your target Audience?
The Monthly Motivational talks and The Inner Circle Club target individuals who want to learn how to market themselves and their products/services.
The Motivational talks and Group Mentoring targets businesses especially SMEs, and educational institutions that want a speaker for their meeting, training, seminar or workshop.
The Guidance and Mentoring targets young people and also Schools and individual parents looking for a mentors and positive influence for their students/children - especially standard 7 and 8 and high schoolers. Also included here are the parents looking for school holiday guidance and mentoring seminars
What makes your approach at personal coaching and mentoring unique?
What is unique about our approach is that we have an integrated approach - that of continuous coaching and mentoring. People need some form of hand holding and accountability system /mechanism after any learning exercise. Most people are not aware that it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit! So one has to be doing the new 'thing' for 21 days for it to become permanent.
Keep in mind motivation is like taking a bath - once is not enough! I believe that any form of training, seminar or workshop that doesn't have a plan to ensure its implementation is simply entertainment. The mentoring and lack of follow through aspect is what is missing from most of the training programmes that are available.
With that in mind, we prefer to work with clients who are willing to go through a programme as opposed to a single event. The other aspect is the linkage between personal and business success - both go together. Personal growth and development precedes business success. So we always emphasize aspect too.
As a motivational speaker what is it you talk about?
For my business clients I have three main topics;
- From Goal Setting to Goal Achieving: How to Achieve your big goals faster
- Market to Attract : A new model for how to Attract and keep Ideal clients
- How to thrive in a down (or any) economy (which is my personal favorite)
For the young people:
It's usually about believing in themselves, study skills, how to handle peer pressure, and positive habits for personal and academic success.
What are some of the challenges you faced in getting your company off the ground? How did you resolving them?
One challenge was identifying the Niche I was happiest serving - one that's looking for what I am offering and is happy and willing to pay for it . This was a challenge because I had many ideas on products and services I could offer. I spent a large part of 2008 doing research and trying out different topics and formats for my motivational talks.
I realized I loved teaching people how to achieve their big goals and how to market themselves AND that it is a major challenge for many people. Thus I developed, designed, tested and refined my ideas into products and services.
Later I developed my unique marketing model I called Market to Attract. Which is the same model I had used to attract exactly the right kind of clients I want.
How do you market your services whether online or offline?
Offline: Mainly through a speaking, writing and networking strategy. I belong to a number of organizations like the Barclays Business Club, Tujuane Network, and Junior Achievement among others. I also occasionally use posters in shopping malls or community centers to publicize events.
Online: Via my Free online Ezine / Newsletter The Stepping Up Guide that offers tips and strategies for business success. It goes out twice a month.
This Newsletter is my main keep - in - touch tool with participants of my motivational talks, clients, readers and prospects. It's also an excellent follow up tool with prospects.
I offer free tips and advice and also announce my upcoming events.
Speaking, networking and my newsletters generate steady flow of referrals - usually up to 50% of all the business that we get.
How are you utilizing new media and new technologies within your business?
I have a simple blog page at the moment http://www.jameskarundu.wordpress.com
I have a website coming up soon that will also include a blog site and a Facebook and Twitter link.
Your book "7 Keys For Success Beyond Chance" sounds fascinating. What is it all about and what compelled you to write it?
I love reading and I have always wanted to be an Author. I knew I had a message to share that can help someone move closer to achieving their goals. I felt moved and inspired to share what I had learned and experienced so far - especially what works.
Regarding the 7 keys book, it's a 'How to' book. The book came about out the material I was teaching in my monthly motivational talks in 2007 and early 2008. It contains simple (but not necessarily easy) principles that one can apply and produce positive results and breakthroughs in almost any area of your life.
The other reason for writing the book was marketing related. Part of what I teach in my marketing model, Market to Attract, is that one must have some sort of publication or book to assist in the marketing effort. So the book is a marketing tool that gives the author instant credibility and opens 'doors' more easily.
What are some of these "keys" and what kind of message are you trying to get across with your book?
Some of the keys and the message I am trying to get across include:
- Mastering your thoughts because what you think and feel affect your outcomes
- Knowing that you are here for a reason - to pursue your dreams, to follow your bliss.
- Gratitude and how having a gratitude ritual can help you bring about what you desire faster.
What is the secret of success in your opinion?
I believe your life unfolds out of your intentions for it - conscious or unconscious.
So start by knowing what you don't want in your life. Use what you don't want as feedback to guide you in the direction you do want! Decide what you want. Start taking deliberate action. Take the obvious actions and inspired actions. Stay focused. Stay positive. Course correct along the way. Keep moving.
What's next on the agenda? Do you have more books coming out?
Let me start with the books. I have three others in the pipeline:
- Market To Attract
- Kumon as a tool for personal and academic success in children
- Converting the material in The Stepping Up Guide newsletter into a book.
Next on the agenda:
I am developing an 8 week Personal Breakthrough course based on the 7 Keys book. It will be a 'live' and online course
Where can someone buy "7 Keys for Success Beyond Chance"?
It's available at Wells Bookshop, 1st flr Nakumatt Lifestyle building in the city centre, Tel: 0722 340 100 and Kasuku centre, Kileleshwa. Tel: 434 3158
Tell us about your personal background?
I am the second born of five boys. My parents were both teachers and I am the only one that has followed their footsteps. I grew up on our farm Kiambu though I went to school in Nairobi. I am married to Rita Ndinda. She is also in Business, dealing with property management. We have one lovely daughter called Amy.
Can you tell us about your educational background?
I went to City primary school in Ngara, then Rift valley Technical High school in Eldoret for form 1- 4 . I then moved to Ndururumo High school in Nyahururu for my form 5 and 6.
I joined Kenyatta University to do Bachelor of Education and because I loved mathematics I opted to study double Mathematics and education. I graduated in May 1990 and was posted to Kenya Polytechnic as a lecturer.
I have also done many personal growth and development programmes and courses including The Landmark Forum, Forum In Action and Advanced Forum and also undergone a personal coaching programme by Jack Canfield ( Author of Chicken Soup Series and one of the teachers featured in 'The Secret')
What was the motivation behind your getting into the field of Personal Coaching and mentoring?
Apart from the realization that I had a keen interest in the area, I had also noted that personal coaching is one of the major parts that are sorely missing from the few personal development programmes available.
What did you do before founding your company? Are you involved in any other projects other than PCMS Ltd?
I was a senior lecturer at Kenya Polytechnic University College. It is while I was teaching there that I discover I had another gift and talent - that of inspiring and motivating people. I realized that there was more to me than being a mathematics lecturer and that is when I started doing occasional seminars on Saturdays.
Due to my involvement with organizations such as Junior Achievement and The Barclays Business Club, I started getting invitations to speak. Some schools also started calling me to speak to their students especially before exams. I began to develop and refine my speaking style and message. And that's how I became a Motivational speaker.
Meanwhile in 1990 I had come across a Franchise for Mathematics and English called Kumon. In May 1991 I was licensed to start a Kumon study centre in South C. Later on in 2006 I acquired a second Kumon centre in Kileleshwa. Kumon is an after school educational programme. It offers any child an opportunity to practice and improve their Mathematics and English skills at their own pace. It is suitable for all ages and all abilities. It's a continuous type of programme and not a holiday programme. For more information please visit http://www.kumon.co.za.
I resigned from Kenya Polytechnic in June 2008 to have more time to work on my projects. It is after I resigned that I managed to get the book done and also to start the company. I still run my two Kumon study centers and also do the Motivational, Coaching and Mentoring
Do you belong to any professional or social groups that you find helpful to your business and career?
Yes I do: The Barclays Business club The Parklands Sports club. The Junior Achievement St Andrews church Young Professionals. Tujuane Network
What are your plans for the future - individually, professionally and for your company?
Individually: Staying focused on what I am good at - and delegating everything else. This is an area I am working on as part of my continuing personal growth and development.
Professionally: More higher level coaching training and certification.
For the company: At the moment the immediate and continuing plans are to build my team (staff). I already have an excellent team of staff and volunteers. I want to attract and retain even more team members for the new roles that come up as the business grows.
Any last words or advice for our readers?
Is there something you have been procrastinating on? You don't have to get it right. You just have to get moving! Correct your course as you move along.
CONTACT INFO
Personal Coaching & Mentoring Services Ltd
Kasuku Centre, Kileleshwa
P.O Box 44196 - 00100 Nairobi
Tel: 43 43 158 0722 625 329
Email: jameskarundu@consultant.com
To subscribe to James Karundu's FREE e-newsletter 'The Stepping Up Guide' send a blank email to jameskarundu@consultant.com with subject as NEWSLETTER
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