{"id":70,"date":"2022-05-10T08:30:56","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T08:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/?page_id=70"},"modified":"2022-05-10T10:17:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T10:17:18","slug":"esmeralda-de-souza","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/esmeralda-de-souza\/","title":{"rendered":"Esmeralda De Souza"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"70\" class=\"elementor elementor-70\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0f02af2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0f02af2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e4a71fc\" data-id=\"e4a71fc\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d887435 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d887435\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1b.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-53\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1b.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1b.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1b.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6cd27d5\" data-id=\"6cd27d5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fc6b79 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fc6b79\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Esmeralda De Souza Obwaka<\/h3><p><strong>Recommended read:<\/strong><\/p><p><em>Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson<\/em><\/p><p><em>E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber<\/em><\/p><p><em>Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg<\/em><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bbf401a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bbf401a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7937da4\" data-id=\"7937da4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-533d246 elementor-tabs-view-horizontal elementor-widget elementor-widget-tabs\" data-id=\"533d246\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"tabs.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tabs\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tabs-wrapper\" role=\"tablist\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-8721\" class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-desktop-title\" aria-selected=\"true\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8721\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Background<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-8722\" class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-desktop-title\" aria-selected=\"false\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8722\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Journey<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-8723\" class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-desktop-title\" aria-selected=\"false\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8723\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Success<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-8724\" class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-desktop-title\" aria-selected=\"false\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8724\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Advice<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tabs-content-wrapper\" role=\"tablist\" aria-orientation=\"vertical\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-mobile-title\" aria-selected=\"true\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8721\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Background<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-8721\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-8721\" tabindex=\"0\" hidden=\"false\"><p>SPEZ is a combination of names: Spencer and Esmeralda, a very Kenyan thing to do. Initially, we were called Customized Catering Services Limited. Then we rebranded. We started unofficially about 10 years ago, and officially eight years ago. I started from home. I had had my son, who was very young, whom I had when I was also very young, 19.<\/p><p>By starting this business from home, I thought of it as a way I could support my son. I started with baking &#8211; cookies and trying to sell them at a cafe nearby. Then the lady asked me to make black forest cake because she said everyone loves black forest cakes. I was like, \u2018Okay, I\u2019ll find someone to teach me how to do it and then I can sell them to you,\u2019 so I did that.<\/p><p>I called a friend of mine who was in cooking school at the time, his name was Spencer and he had been studying culinary arts. I knew he probably knew how to make a black forest cake. He came home and taught me and then I started selling them.<\/p><p>I sent sms\u2019 to all my friends and family saying, \u2018I make black forest cake, please order from me.\u2019 At the time I was selling it so cheap, at 1,000 bob because I didn\u2019t know anything about costing. I was using my mom\u2019s flour.<\/p><p>Then one day a friend of mine assumed I did catering. Her mom needed a caterer for their AGM. The mom called me and <strong>she\u2019s like, \u2018I hear you do catering,\u2019 and in my head I was thinking I just do black forest cakes.<\/strong> She was like, \u2018I have an AGM I want you to cater.\u2019 I didn\u2019t tell her that I don\u2019t do catering. I was just like, \u2018Okay, let me call you back.\u2019 I called Spencer again \u2018There\u2019s an opportunity and I want to do it.\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018You know how to do a menu and how to cook,\u2019 so he\u2019s like, \u2018Yeah-yeah.\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018Okay, we\u2019ll do catering. I\u2019ll do everything else, I\u2019ll organize the tables and blah-blah-blah.\u2019 He said, \u2018Okay, we\u2019ll do it.\u2019<\/p><p>We presented her the menu and she liked it and she trusted us to do the event. It was a small AGM for about 25 packs. Luckily, it was near home because we forgot literally everything. We used our friends as the waiters, they were dressed in jeans and black t-shirts. That day my dad is the one who did the choma, you don\u2019t think things through at first like you need people to do this, this and this.<\/p><p>Anyway, it worked out and it worked out very well. Of course, <strong>the client didn\u2019t know what was going on behind the scenes<\/strong>. After that, we sat down, he was just finishing culinary school and I was looking for a way to earn some money. He was like, \u2018Why don\u2019t I join you in this cakes as well so that when you are in uni,\u2019 because I was studying geology at the time, I can help you.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tab][vc_tab title=&#8221;Strategy&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;175effc9-2a06-6&#8243;][vc_column_text]I used to bake until 4 a.m. and then go to school. I said, \u2018Okay,\u2019 and that\u2019s how it started. He used to help me, when I was in uni, he was at home baking the cakes.<\/p><p>Then slowly we started getting referrals for the catering. Eventually we grew. We were now too much in my mom\u2019s space so she\u2019s like, \u2018You guys need to find another home to operate from.\u2019<\/p><p>Luckily, around the same time, we were participating in these little fairs at International School of Kenya. We had our little pastries and jams and stuff. There was a lady who approached us and said we should make stuff for the American Women\u2019s Association.<\/p><p>She gave me the contacts of the chairlady and I called her. I was like \u2018Yeah you know we have pastries we can provide for your meetings?\u2019 she was like, \u2018Okay, I\u2019ll keep your contacts if anything.\u2019 Then a few weeks down the line she\u2019s like, \u2018Hey there\u2019s an opportunity to run a kitchen in Kilimani at a ladies lounge, Seraph.\u2019<\/p><p>I\u2019d never done a restaurant in my life but I thought, let me just see. We went to see the space, it was a small, little kitchen. We met the owners; they\u2019re like \u2018Prepare a sample of what you do and then come and show us.\u2019 We presented to them and they were happy and let us run the space. My folks gave us a loan of 100,000 to buy the pots and pans and cookers, this is just basic stuff and we started. This was of course after convincing my mother I need a break from geology. Because I was only in my second year, I hadn\u2019t finished. So I\u2019m like, \u2018Just let me take one year off. I promise I\u2019ll go back.\u2019 This was probably six to seven years ago.<\/p><p>From there, we realized we needed another source of income because we were very idle in between the restaurant and the caterings so we started to do lunches. We did like a one-page poster of the lunches and then started distributing them. Spencer used to drive around and I go to the building and go to all the offices and tell the secretaries, \u2018Please put this on the notice board. We can do the lunches.\u2019<\/p><p>I used to sit down on the top of the store and call companies from the directory, just literally call one by one and send them emails with the menu, so eventually that picked up. Then we needed to hire someone, first of all to do the dishes because I was sick and tired of washing. <strong>That was actually our first employee, he now leads the cold kitchen, that\u2019s how he\u2019s grown. He was just initially for washing the dishes<\/strong>.<\/p><p>Then I needed a cook, our second employee.<\/p><p>Initially, I used to be the one driving to deliver but then we got a rider. <strong>The first rider we had is currently the operations manager at SPEZ. <\/strong>The guys who stayed grew with us.<\/p><p>When we were at Seraph, we ended up doing a lot more work for ourselves than for the restaurant so the owners said \u2018We want a percentage of what you\u2019re doing as well.\u2019 That was actually the red flag and we\u2019re like \u2018No-no, we need to move again.\u2019 That\u2019s where the investment came in.<\/p><p>We found a space in Kileleshwa, it was one of the old railway houses and they had a free garage\/store area but it wasn\u2019t a kitchen so we needed money to change that into a kitchen. We got another friend of ours to invest in the company, he had an investment company with his friends. He\u2019s now my co-director after Spencer left.<\/p><p>We were just looking for a means to an end, we didn\u2019t know anything about value in the company. Like, \u2018So you have money? You want 20 per cent? Fine, take it.\u2019 We just wanted to move and see the company move.<\/p><p>We moved to Kileleshwa with two employees then and moved out with about 26 employees three years later. That was amazing for us. At first we said \u2018We don\u2019t even need an office, we\u2019ll just work from the kitchen.\u2019 Eventually, we took three rooms in the main house because the lady had only sublet us the sq.<\/p><p>It was all back into business. We were lucky enough to still be in our parent\u2019s houses so there was no pressure for rent. What we used to do was give each other money to live. That\u2019s what we called it. Living to us then was just going out and buying what we needed. Of course, my son\u2019s school fees was also coming from there and we paid employees. And that was the reason I started the business.<\/p><p>Exactly, yeah. It was not really an income as such, it was just money to live; a budgeted amount. In fact, even when we were doing the cakes from my mom\u2019s house, we used to. Like if we would make 1,000 from a cake, we would split five hundred and save five hundred. That way even when we were registering the company we had money at least to do all that.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-mobile-title\" aria-selected=\"false\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8722\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Journey<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-8722\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-8722\" tabindex=\"0\" hidden=\"hidden\"><p><strong>The challenges then were much like the challenges now. Cash flow<\/strong>. I remember we wanted a credit card from Barclays because we had an account with Barclays bank. At first, for a long time, they completely refused and we just needed a credit card so we could buy stuff, do the function and then pay up. Even now actually, to get proper credit facilities with the banks is hard. Because we had no assets as such. Of course we didn\u2019t have land, we didn\u2019t have any big machinery because it\u2019s a catering company.<\/p><p>That was the main challenge then so what we tried to do was at least the lunches were a cash basis mostly so that at least helped us with the cash flow to fund them, the catering and staff. It\u2019s gotten harder now because we don\u2019t have that. We\u2019re trying to do it with the cakes, to have something that\u2019s cash based but most of our catering is for corporate so it\u2019s really, really hard.<\/p><p>Building a relationship with the suppliers, is what has saved us actually over the years because back then, no one knew us, we\u2019re a small company, two young guys.<\/p><p>The credit we needed on the card was about 100,000 kshs. <strong>People don\u2019t realize that, just even to get that 100,000 is really, really, hard to get.<\/strong><\/p><p>We had asked someone how to get a loan and they told us to make sure we banked all our money. We did that and eventually they\u2019re the ones who came knocking and like, \u2018Yeah, do you guys want a loan?\u2019 Don\u2019t we all know that story.<\/p><p>Eventually we got a loan and I think we bought our first car if I\u2019m not wrong. Even my parents at the beginning, that 100,000, we had to pay back. It was a loan, it was not real money but at least it was interest free.<\/p><p>We used to borrow a lot from our parents and also my brother to just try and fund. It\u2019s borrow-return, borrow-return. At least they knew what we were up to and that we\u2019d pay back. <strong>Having family support was what has saved us the most over the years.<\/strong><\/p><p>When we were registering the business we were advised to put other people on the board so we had put our parents. Even though they were giving us their money it a director\u2019s loan.<\/p><p>To access financial facilities what we did was a bit dodgy but smart at the same time. Now eventually we took the loan that Barclays was giving us but what we did is take the loan and put it in a Sacco, borrowed from the Sacco and repaid the bank.<\/p><p>That\u2019s where we moved to, because we were like, \u2018This bank is not going to help our lives.\u2019 It was hard enough to get this loan. We were then paying it at a lower cost and we had access to a lot more money as well. <strong>Sacco\u2019s really help when it comes to borrowing<\/strong>. Now, at least we have some good clients on board so when we want LPO financing, the bank would do that.<\/p><p>At time we had to use the microfinance\/loan sharks. The interest they charge is almost 10 per cent\/month which kills your business completely because you can\u2019t grow at all.<\/p><p>I think my whole life has been taking risks clearly. I had more luxury to take the risks then with my parents\u2019 support. Now, it has to be a bit more calculated.<\/p><p>I didn\u2019t go back to Geology. Mostly because geology was going to be a full time thing so it would have taken up too much time from the business. I have done courses with Strathmore, the business school and any other course I find for entrepreneurs.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-mobile-title\" aria-selected=\"false\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8723\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Success<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-8723\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-8723\" tabindex=\"0\" hidden=\"hidden\"><p>What ended up happening was the lunches were taking up too much time and the catering was bringing in more business, more cash. Around the same time we were approached by Seven of chef Kiran \u2013 he used to play rugby with Spencer.<\/p><p>They wanted to start a similar setup like one of the company\u2019s in UK called Pret A Manger. Basically, it does what we were doing with the lunches. We were like, \u2018The timing is perfect, we should do this.\u2019 We were starting a new company called The Good Food Company which still exists. They funded the idea and we built it. We got a kitchen in Industrial Area. For us it was like oh my God, we finally get to do it, we have the resources. We set up the company for them. The lunches are now being done from that company. Although we are no longer part of it because when Spencer left it was a bit difficult for me to run both.<\/p><p>***<\/p><p>When it comes to branding, <strong>we started with the cakes but somehow it got lost in the brand. People just know us for catering and not for the cakes. What I did was started The Missing Slice which is a completely separate brand from SPEZ<\/strong> for the cakes and pastries.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-tab-title elementor-tab-mobile-title\" aria-selected=\"false\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-8724\" aria-expanded=\"false\">Advice<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-8724\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-8724\" tabindex=\"0\" hidden=\"hidden\"><p>I think, what I would tell othe young women going into business is, <strong>you have to be very clear about what product or service you\u2019re giving and especially how you intend to stand out<\/strong>. Even days when we were really broke and were like, \u2018Oh my God, we need some business.\u2019 We didn\u2019t do functions that did not reflect on our brand. Then you have to be persistent. Yes, I was a singer, I was a backup singer, I was whatever, but once you start one business you have to focus on it and focus on it as much as you can.<\/p><p>I\u2019m really interested in also having something for my kids to remember me with and to take over. It would be nice to have my daughter take over the business. The risks I take are now more calculated, because I have more to lose. Also just trying to build a solid business as opposed to just moving, moving, moving.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Esmeralda De Souza Obwaka Recommended read: Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber Lean [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-70","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104,"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions\/104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/candidbusinesswomen.co.ke\/book\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}