Startup Story

Sylvia Wambui is the founder of Mursly Digital Group LLC in Kenya. She is a mentor, virtual assistant, and business consultant to entrepreneurs. She has spent over 6 years in marketing, across local and international clients where she has been a marketing lead, managing multiple brands and large tech brands. After COVID struck, it called for a restructuring of the business. That’s when Mursly Digital Group Limited was launched and has just recently been incorporated in March 2023. Mursly Digital Group offers business consulting services that cover strategy across business structures specifically marketing, social media, personal, and leadership development to ease the load of idea generation. It also does consulting and virtual assistance work, both in Africa and internationally, having worked with community and tech-driven brands like Black Women In Clinical Research, Blaze Group LLC, and Bauce Magazine. As a mentor, Sylvia has worked to support entrepreneurs and professionals by providing knowledge on capacity building and upskilling for scale / professional growth.

LoA spoke to founder Sylvia Wambui about the new direction of the business and her aspirations for the future.

What does your company do?

Mursly Digital Group is a social impact company that provides coaching, funding, and information to entrepreneurs.

“Community and impact are everything to us. We want to make sure that the entrepreneur has excellent support for both their professional and personal growth.”

What inspired you to start your company?

My first steps as an entrepreneur were so difficult and isolating. I did not have any knowledge of how to manage finances, operate a business, secure money, or attract customers. The information that was available online about starting a business was neither comprehensive nor rich. I decided to start an organization that would provide a secure environment for entrepreneurs to learn and network when I realized that the majority of business owners needed help just like I did.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Community and impact are everything to us. We want to make sure that the entrepreneur has excellent support for both their professional and personal growth.

Tell us a little about your team

I have three independent contractors who are based in Nairobi, Kenya that make up my virtual team: an Executive Assistant, a Copywriter, and a Social Media Manager. Everyone on my team is a business owner. They concentrate on their enterprises while utilizing their unique skill sets to grow our organization. They have the grit and entrepreneurial spirit that make our company successful. Over the years, I have gained a lot of experience about building a great team, how to be a better leader, and how to make operations simple for your staff while hiring overtime. Several important considerations for hiring include: Determining whether you require an internal workforce or contractors; Becoming knowledgeable about leading effectively without micromanaging, and ensuring you have contracts in place.

“The phrase "the sky is the limit", should be used directly in the context of entrepreneurship! It is a blessing that I can get up every morning and do what I love.”

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

My parents both worked for corporations until they retired. They hoped that their daughter would also follow in their footsteps. I continued my education and earned a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, with a focus on digital marketing from the university. At age 21, I started my employment journey working as a salesperson. I had for a long time thought that it was my destiny until I left my job in 2018 and gained some expertise in entrepreneurship, through my work in the service and e-commerce industries.

I gained a lot of knowledge, but I also experienced plenty of hardships that made me incredibly hesitant to pursue entrepreneurship. Fast forward to 2021, I started a Virtual Assistant Agency and hired my first staff members, delving totally into entrepreneurship. The difficulties faced and loneliness experienced in running my businesses increased significantly. I had no notion of how to move around in the world of business management. I looked around and could not find any resources online, that offered a wealth of information about how to run a business. I decided to explore the concept of community within entrepreneurship, and I have since learned a lot about my journey, by engaging in candid conversations with other business owners. I took note of the knowledge and support gap in the industry, and this piqued my interest, which built into a passion. I established Mursly Digital Group, where we use technology to empower entrepreneurs through mentorship and coaching, capital funding, and knowledge exchange. We recently reached a milestone and become an officially registered company.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

We intend to collaborate with numerous ecosystems that support the overall benefits of entrepreneurs, particularly female entrepreneurs. We are working on launching a podcast, and an academy, as well as building a community of female entrepreneurs.

“I am inspired to continue advocating for and supporting entrepreneurs after seeing our organization's influence and impact thus far.”

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

The freedom and endless possibilities for exploration. The phrase "the sky is the limit", should be used directly in the context of entrepreneurship! It is a blessing that I can get up every morning and do what I love. I am inspired to continue advocating for and supporting entrepreneurs after seeing our organization's influence and impact thus far.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

The hardest decision you will ever have to make is to choose passion above money, yet the journey is always worthwhile. Do not hesitate; follow your intuition and just get started. Learn to fail repeatedly but never give up.

Contact or follow Mursly Digital Group

Why LoA loves it…

At Lionesses of Africa, we are big supporters of women entrepreneurs who want to contribute to the growth of other women-owned businesses and brands on the African continent. Sylvia Wambui is doing just that, helping other entrepreneurs with their personal and professional development and growth. She believes, as we do, that when women entrepreneurs thrive, so too does the economy of the continent. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa