Never in his wildest dreams did Joseph Maina think that shooting videos of different events in Nakuru and uploading them on his YouTube channel would earn him his dream job.

Maina is one of the hosts of the Teen Republik show that airs every Saturday on NTV.

His humble beginnings he says is what prepared him for the big screen, he narrates to Mtaa Wangu on his journey and how it is possible to achieve your goals no matter where you come from.

Most of you know me from TV. However, I was a video content creator before I got here. I started making online content in 2018 posting them on YouTube when I joined Mount Kenya University, Nakuru Campus, to pursue a Diploma in media studies.

The YouTube channel is called “Vegas Trends” where I would capture trending things in Nakuru. I would film myself at events and just explain to my viewers what the event was all about and why it was taking place in Nakuru.

I believe doing that is what gave me a platform to build my oratory skill, which many employers in broadcast media look out for, among other things when it comes to hiring a TV presenter.

Filming at that time was not easy since I did not own a smartphone or laptop that I could use for editing.

I remember I would ask my friends who had good phones or cameras to tag along and help me shoot content, or even borrow someone’s phone and laptop to shoot events and edit the video.

Sometimes my content would not get a lot of views because people with smartphones would share about the event before I got the chance to upload my video. But it was alright because that was something I had no control over.

Vegas Trends content made people in Nakuru recognize me for my videography and photography skills. I was also able to interact with celebrities and prolific individuals and eventually my small hustle grew and I started looking for content beyond Nakuru County documenting different things including the war-torn areas in Samburu.

I earned my first pay check of Sh16,000 for documenting what Peace Cop Kenya was doing in a war torn area, a group which I had met through Tobias Orwa, a chef from Nakuru.

This went on until 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. I stayed home as everyone else.

In 2021, I came across a Teen Republik job advert. At that time Martin Kimathi and Tracy Wanjiru were exiting the show and the company was looking for people to take over from them.

Coming from Nakuru I was a bit hesitant to submit my video, though my friends convinced me to submit a 24 second video. Interestingly I submitted it on the deadline day, and I received a call to go for a screen test and that is how I got to Teen Republik.

My advice to young people is for them to never give up on whatever they are doing and to always remember to put themselves out there to chase opportunities, create meaningful relationships and be consistent in their craft.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

How my amateur YouTube videos of Nakuru landed me an NTV job

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