“Is going to work and not feeling like you’re going to work, because you’re doing what you love, doing, it as simple as that and as you doing it, guess what? As you’re doing it, people get to recognize because it’s what you love doing."

PAUL KANYEKI | AREA MANAGER FOR NORTH- EAST AFRICA FOR BACARDI MARTINI

My name is Paul Kanyeki, I've been in Commercial and General Management currently. I've been in this field for over 18 years now, I'm currently the Area Manager for North- East Africa for Bacardi Martini.

What was your drive to enter into the sales and marketing profession?

I think that's an interesting question because I think for any human being, there has to be something that motivates you or inspires you to get into something. So mine is twofold. One is my dad had been in the commercial role for very long and I admired in how he was working. And with that, I think came the affinity to liking in to getting into sales at that point at marketing. And then the second part, I think, is one thing to say, you inspired, you want to do sales and marketing. But that has to be combined with some form of character, because if your character is not that one of being friendly, wanting to be with people, then you'll find it very difficult. So for me, that's the other thing I looked at what my characters like, and it resonated very well with with, with, with the field in which I entered, I finally ventured into, so I think out probably classified into those two easily on what inspired me to get into that.

How do you feel when you see the results of your work?

Good question. I think I'll break that down into several things. One is any commercial role in commercial in this cell case would be a sales or marketing is it's the most rewarding job that you don't have to wait for the results after a month within the day or even as you interact with a customer, you get the instant results. Did you do a good job? Did you not do a good job. So, it's instant, and I always tell people, even the ones I work with. If you don't get that kick, that basic kick of appreciating that, then you're probably not in the right profession. So, that's the one thing I think the, the, the, the, the one thing is that it's easy, you get the results and it's very fulfilling for me, that's a first one. And the second one is the people, because the people who you work with in as you lead them as you guide them on what the results would be. You know it's very important to put your vision out there, get the buy-in from the people and then ultimately as you execute and roll out when the results start streaming in and you look at the people who you were with and what you've ended up achieving, I think that for me is very gratifying.

What inspires you to get up everyday and get to the grind?

I think for me, it's several things because part of what I've been able to deal with over the last 17 years. I've been in brand and the one thing is is knowing, if you have a brand, I think it's looking at the whole process from what is this brand? How does it fit in with the consumer need? And then, working out from the launch to the roll out, the execution, and ultimately the consumer resonating with that brand and appreciating that I think for me is a big thing. The second one is also the people because you work with people to get things done whereas you delegate and supervise you use there is that rewarding knowing that in as you inspire people to get things done. When the results are out, I think it's the impact to leave when with the people that you're working with. In how they feel about themselves and their achievement that they have gotten. So it's not only just about yourself anymore. So, in leadership, it's the impact that you also have with the people that you work with.

What would you consider the highlight of your success story so far?

I think, for me, it's tough but it's simple.

Is going to work and not feeling like you're going to work, because you're doing what you love, doing, it as simple as that and as you doing it, guess what? As you're doing it, people get to recognize because it's what you love doing. And as you do that naturally you get to grow as a person because you'll be given different tasks that you have to do and as you get to deliver on those that's when people recognize your talent and your capability and it stems back, you have to love what you do. And so for me, it's a simple philosophy is where I have to go to work, and I really don't feel like I'm going to work. I'm doing what I love.

How does a phone help in your creative workflow and how do you use it?

I think this digital age that we've gotten into the very many things and especially for us who in the commercial role, one is there a lot of virtual meetings that will have to have even as you in the working through the day. So the phone definitely has to offer me the opportunity to get to take those virtual calls. The second is the connectivity to the internet. It has to be something that connects very well to the internet. And in this case, I look at the Phantom X2 is 5G and so the connectivity is is is quite seamless. And and that I think is a very big, big big feature. The third one would be in terms of memory because there's a lot of things that you need to to store.

And finally, I think is a camera. If I look at the camera, the clarity I think it's big one. And if I look at the field I am in there's a lot of things that you have to pick while in the trade and as you picking that, you have to take a lot of images. So the clarity of the image is good because you also want to because if the industry I mean is in liquor. So there are times you have to take images in the night. So if you taking in the night, the clarity is pretty, pretty important. If you have a very weak camera, you will not probably get to to to pick out of what you want. And I think the camera or the Phantom X I think is in my view a second to none so far in terms of what I've seen. So, I think for me, those would be the key, three things, the connectivity, the the battery, as well, as the camera. And I think that's, that's, that's part of what I really need as am working.

What was your impression when you unboxed the Phantom X2?

When the phone was being delivered to me, it was brought to me by a rider. And when they rider a brought it to me it was in an envelope, this big A1 envelopes. And when I saw what he was holding, first of all, I couldn't appreciate that that is a phone that is packaged, I thought it was the wrong rider delivering something. So when he passed it on to me and l was unboxing and l was in front of my wife. So when I removed from the A1, I mean, the packaging itself because it was black and, you know, it was looking this very fine, nice packaging with a bold writing of Phantom X2 and the first impression was of how slender it was. Yeah, and then that for me was a signature fineness to begin with and that's extrinsic. That's what I'm seeing on the outside. But l wouldn’t want to leave on what l I just saw on the outside because there's some beautiful intrinsic things that I saw when I opened up because you have to slide it, not open up, you have to slide it open and when sliding it open it had all these compartments of where the phone was, where the battery was, where the cover was.

And I think that in itself, if not anything, that for me is a signature of premium product. And, and, and it should be something that a consumer would feel wow based on the money that they have put in. So these, I wouldn't want to call it value for money. Value would not be would be an understatement. I think it is something that exceeds what I would call expectations in terms of presentation for the first time.

On a scale of ‘it’s a bust’, ‘it’s worth a look’ or ‘it’s a no brainer’, where do you place the Phantom X2?

I will actually even look at it very differently. I used my own scaling of 1 to 10 and l would give it right now a 10 over 10. I've used it now for almost three weeks now and I've used it around my default line. And the other phone that I'm using, if I try and look at every time I want to go to social media because I've put both features in the same WhatsApp Instagram, Facebook, they're all in both phones.

My inclination of wanting to use because of the size of the screen, the clarity of the images that I take, from the experience of high and packed it, the camera. If I look at all those saying it is a good phone is an understatement. I think it is one gadget that everyone should be looking into now. There are many big brand names and there's a lot of what may be sold within value mainstream and premium this for me, clearly is in the premium category and not just because of the price at which it is being sold at because of the features that it holds.

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