Joy Limo is the Founder and CEO of Queens Court Academy; a finishing school for young ladies and gentlemen. Struck by polio at the age of 2, she only realised she was disabled when she joined secondary school and people started staring at her and feeling sorry for her – which she used to find quite inappropriate.
In 2005 when she was in Maryland in the US, she won the Miss Wheelchair contest. It was during her reign that for the first time the idea of Queens Court Academy, a place where young people would learn how to conduct themselves with grace and dignity in society, came to her mind.
Tell us about your journey in business. What inspired you to start?
This dream started ten years ago when my heart pained for youth who at the time made up 60 percent of the population. This is because of the problems caused by getting formal education but no direction. During counselling sessions I found that many of the youth have a huge gap in their lives that leads to early marriages, unwanted and teen pregnancies, abortions, diseases, untimely deaths, abuse of harmful substances, idleness, unemployment and crime. I worked with one youth at a time until the concept of a finishing school* awoke in my mind. Putting it together looked like an uphill task but one day 8 years ago we had our first finishing school. (A finishing school is a private school, usually at the high-school or junior-college level, that teaches young women social graces and prepares them for life in society).
What resources did you start with (people, money, premises, etc.) and how did you use them?
I started using my very modest savings, asked a few friends to join hands with me. We started by running the program in a hotel. Parental participation was minimal. Planning was not at its best. We did a lot of improvisation and we did not have a concrete, streamlined curriculum.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
We have used word of mouth and churches. We also made flyers and I was given a couple of interviews on TV
What have been your biggest challenges so far with running your business and how do you overcome them?
First of all we had no finances and even the people who believed in the program were sceptical about exactly how this program would work. The need was huge and obvious.
Tell us about your team.
Our team is made up of professionals and experts in their field: medical doctors, pastors, image consultants, journalists, business executives, nurses and social workers. There is a Core Team of 7 people and a faculty pool of thirty who are called in when they are needed for a specific subject matter. We also have a small support staff of a cook, a driver, and two administrative clerks.
What do you love most about running your own business?
The fact that the program is growing in leaps and bounds that can be seen after each session. More exciting is the change that almost instantly happens in the lifestyle of the youth who have gone through the program.
Our program has a conclusive curriculum that covers all the problem areas, coupled with our professional and experienced faculty; the impact of the program is tangible and rewarding.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
I remove the focus off the problem and focus on where we are heading and think of practical ways to circumvent the setback.
What’s the biggest lesson you have ever learned?
I have learnt that when things go wrong, or people let you down, deal with it immediately, let it go and move on.
How has entrepreneurship changed you?
It has made me much more tenacious and decisive.
If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?
I would definitely work on resources and sustainability much more aggressively.
Has your life changed since you got into business?
Oh yes definitely. Making money and growing the program to changes in the lives of our youth is like … an exhilarating drug… It is the most gratifying decision I ever made in my life.
Where do you see your business five years from now?
I see it being run by the Youth themselves nationally, regionally and in the whole continent.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Be sure that you love what you want to do. The passion that you have will drive you. Maintain your focus and the big picture always.
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Contact the Queen’s Court Academy
FACEBOOK | EMAIL: mishjoie@gmail.com
