Suzie Wokabi

Beauty and the boys.

She received me at her door after I was ushered into the compound by the security guard at her chic home in Nairobi.

“Karibu sana,” said the entrepreneur, mother and wife, as I took off my shoes, “let me take this phone call, then I will be right with you,” she welcomed me.

Her mum appeared, holding baby Nathaniel Njenga, the newest addition to the Wokabi family.

“How did I discover I was pregnant? I took a test! We DID try to get pregnant, so it wasn’t a mistake. The tests went positive in February – very fortunately!” she beams.

The pregnancy was not bad, she goes on to say. “The second time was more difficult than the first because my life is much crazier now; running my grown company. I’m usually pulled in many directions. So with a pregnancy, it was more taxing. It felt very long, I felt very heavy.

I didn’t really get sick though, thank God, I just felt very uncomfortable.” Her work remained unaffected -nevertheless, she quips. “I did not take a maternity leave – until D-day, 19th November 2012,” asserts the 36-year-old founder and chief executive of Suzie Beauty Cosmetics. “It was a scheduled C-section as my first was an emergency one,” she recollects.

Interesting: “I craved raw tomatoes and salt,” she says -something she never thought of eating.

“I plan to lose at least 10 kilos of the 14 I gained soon through Zumba dance. So I have begun light exercises,” says Suzie.

Baby One

Maceo Njenga Wokabi was born via C-section after 13 hours of intense labour pains. Now three years old, he is overprotective of his younger sibling. My family is now complete,” chuckles Suzie.

‘Baby three’

Suzie, the last born of four children was raised in Nairobi. Her career started taking shape at United States International University (USIU) Nairobi, where she embarked on a degree in International Relations before going on to USIU, San Diego, where she graduated.

She set off working for an eye-wear company in New York City and, bham! discovered something different about her. She just loved cosmetics. “I immediately enrolled with MAC Cosmetics for initial training which led to further studies at a make-up school in Los Angeles,” she says.

For five years, Suzie kept pushing the odds aside focusing on acquiring the much needed skills to perfect her trade in beauty and ‘cosmetics.

“When I returned home in 2007, I embarked on a full time job with various local magazines and television shows,” she narrates. Working as a beauty expert in various TV shows such as Idols ‘08, Face of Africa ’09, Tusker Project Fame 2010 and the Patricia Amira Show, made her realize there was a real need for products for African colour and skin texture. “I wanted to develop a product line that offers quality at an affordable price to the Kenyan woman.” Suzie Beauty Ltd consequently launched in December 2011.

Hubby

She met Eric Wokabi while completing her degree in the states. “Our families knew each other so we were great friends. This later blossomed to love,” she smiles. The couple moved to Kenya, got engaged in 2007, and married on 8th August 2008.

Suzie says her husband has been a priceless motivation.Though in the corporate world, he has always believed and supported her-including investing in the beauty company.

Being self-employed has allowed her to put her family on top of all her priorities. “It comes first,” she states. She recalls how tricky it was with her first son Maceo. A first time mother and baby company was a super juggle.

“Family comes first,” restates the attractive African woman with some Indian roots, “I will make sure my three boys fit well in my schedule.”

END:PG47/16-19