Episode 156 - Anne Muhia's Improbable Journey From CFO In The Corporate C-Suite To Becoming A Successful Business & Entrepreneurship TikToker In Kenya
On the sidelines of the Zaumu launch yesterday, I finally met Anne Muhia in person — someone I had been introduced to virtually through a mutual friend a year or two ago. Life and packed schedules meant we never got to collaborate but meeting Anne was everything I expected — and more!For context, Zaumu is a newly launched Pan-African, creator-first digital marketplace designed to transform how brands and content creators collaborate. True to its Kiswahili name meaning "for the people," Zaumu puts creators at the centre, offering transparent job listings, milestone-based payments, enforceable contracts, direct brand communication, and AI-powered campaign management. Naturally, I couldn’t let the moment with Anne slip away. I did what I call a 'gangster podcast' — pulling out my phone and recording a raw, authentic conversation for my podcast, Pure Digital Passion. No studio, no fancy gear — just two creators talking entrepreneurship and digital storytelling. Anne’s Journey: From The C-Suite To TikTokAnne’s story is both improbable and inspiring. A former Group Head of Finance, she left corporate life in 2016 to build her own business. Like many entrepreneurs, she expected the transition to be relatively smooth. Reality hit differently!Building a business was far tougher than anticipated. Anne struggled with finding the right product-market fit, redefining her identity beyond accounting, and navigating self-doubt.Then in 2022, stuck in traffic, Anne recorded her first TikTok video — a candid story about dealing with employee theft. She posted it and switched off her phone. When she checked later, she found thousands of views and overwhelming engagement. Building a Community One Authentic (and Often Hilarious) TikTok at a Time!From that first post, Anne committed to posting at least one TikTok video a week. Often, she recorded and edited late into the night after work and family duties.Her real magic? Her storytelling style:Her videos are anecdotal, humorous, and profoundly relatable. Anne doesn’t preach — she shares, often using self-deprecating humour and everyday experiences to deliver deep entrepreneurial lessons.In a space often dominated by polished, jargon-heavy content, Anne’s refreshing, light-hearted yet insightful approach has built a loyal community.Today, her TikTok account "Unprepared to Entrepreneur" has grown to over 35,000 highly engaged followers.Beyond regular videos, Anne hosts "Friday Night Live" sessions every Friday at 8:30 PM, tackling practical entrepreneurship topics, often with guest entrepreneurs joining live.She’s also expanded to YouTube, hosting rich conversations with entrepreneurs like Sam Wanyoike from All My Laundry — stories that have led to real-world mentorship and business results.The Business of Content CreationAnne’s content isn’t just about building influence — it’s about creating real impact.Through TikTok and YouTube, Anne now supports paid consulting work, online training programs, and her broader entrepreneurial ventures.As we discussed during the podcast, content has become the lifeblood of business growth. Without her consistent storytelling, Anne notes many of her best opportunities wouldn’t exist.It’s a model that extends beyond TikTok: Authentic storytelling, delivered consistently and with real value, builds trust, opens doors, and drives sustainable success.As many still dismiss TikTok as a dance-and-meme platform, Anne’s success — and Zaumu’s numbers (TikTok now has over 5.6 million monthly active users in Kenya and over 10 million users overall) — proves there’s a massive, hungry audience for serious, thought-provoking content.Why Anne’s Story MattersAnne’s improbable journey from CFO to TikTok business content creator is a testament to one thing: authenticity wins.Her success isn’t built on gimmicks or overnight fame. It’s built on showing up consistently, sharing the real, messy parts of entrepreneurship, and connecting through humor and humanity.
New Zealand