Nairobi Woman Shares How Friend Convinced Her to Dump Job for Business, Gave Her 6 Clients

• Jullie Adhiambo Abadha is lucky to have the type of friend everyone dreams of
• When her friend stepped into her beautifully styled home, she was stunned and immediately knew Jullie had a gift
• With a simple nudge and the promise of referrals, she convinced the mother of two to turn her passion into a profession
• That one visit led to six clients, a new career, and a life forever changed

Nairobi — What started as a love for fine things and a knack for home décor has blossomed into a booming career for Jullie Adhiambo, aka Adhiambo Abadha — a self-made interior designer.

Jullie’s journey into interior design began in 2010, not in a showroom or a design school, but within the walls of her own home.

How Jullie stumbled on interior design business

With a natural eye for beauty and a love for collecting beautiful pieces, she transformed her space into a sanctuary of color, texture, and taste.

The mother of two often spent her time repainting walls and experimenting with styles, determined to perfect every detail.

Jullie told TUKO.co.ke that everything started when a friend visited her house at Greatwall Gardens in Athi River and was wowed by how she had transformed it.

“She told me, ‘This isn’t normal. What you’ve done here is different. You should be doing this as a business.’ That’s when the bulb lit up in my head,” she recalls.

Jullie's friend gave her head start

The friend wasn’t just offering praise — she offered an opportunity. She became Jullie’s first client, giving her a pro bono project in exchange for referrals. And the referrals came in fast.

"From that one job, I landed six more clients," Jullie says. Her second client paid her KSh 20,000—her first professional paycheck in interior design.

That moment was life-changing. After seven years in sales and marketing, Jullie made the bold decision to quit and dive full-time into her newfound passion.

Today, Jullie not only lives and breathes interior design but is also glad that she listened to her friend's advice.

Jullie has no regrets about resigning

She’s built a name for herself as a creative, intuitive designer who turns houses into homes.

“I sleep and dream all things interior,” she says with a smile, adding that she has no regrets about business.

With her signature blend of elegance and authenticity, Jullie Adhiambo is proof that passion, when paired with courage and the right encouragement, can build an empire from a single compliment.

Dos and don'ts in quitting a job to start a business

Quitting your job to start your own business is a big decision that requires strategic planning to evade any challenges that may emerge.

According to information shared by Forbes, it is important to have a solid business plan which have a complete overview of your business vision, including an elaborate market analysis, target market and all things finances.

Secondly, test your business idea first by launching it first as a side hustle, or offer the product or services to a small group of customers to see how it performs.

Thirdly, consult your lawyer for possible tax and legal implications that may arise, especially if your new business would be a competitor to your employer.

While quitting, do so professionally without burning bridges. Give a notice, and offer to make the process seamless by training your replacement.

Plan for health and retirement benefits since leaving full-time employment will deny you such benefits. Find your insurance and create your retirement plan.

On the don'ts side, do not begin the process without having enough savings that can last you for six months to a year.

Do not rush the process and take calculated risks. Do not burn bridges with your employer.

Kenyan woman honours friend who pushed her to apply UK scholarship

In an unrelated story, Grace Akinyi wrote a moving tribute on social media honouring her friend Achieng Otieno for playing a pivotal role in her academic journey.

Akinyi shared photos of her graduation ceremony, revealing that she received the scholarship through the relentless support of Achieng.

Achieng sent Akinyi the application links to the University of Edinburgh, encouraged her, and even bought bundles to ensure she had no excuses.

Racheal Nyaguthie, HoD Human Interest, added details of dos and don'ts in quitting a job to start a business.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke