Hannah Githuki

Reflect on this with me.

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 158 of 2026

Today I don’t have a very profound story.
I don’t have a major leadership lesson.
No dramatic breakthrough even 🤩

Just me, sitting quietly with a book, and thinking.

I am Thinking about life.
I am Thinking about growth.
Thinking about the kind of human being I am becoming beneath the titles, the work, the noise and the applause.

And maybe that is leadership too.
Not always me speaking.
Sometimes just reflecting.

I want to invite you today , just for a moment to reflect with me.
Not on where you are performing.
But on who you are becoming.

Because the older I grow, the more I realize,
a good life is not built only through achievement.
It is built through awareness.

Reflect on these questions on page 293 of this book.

Hannah G

Still becoming !

This Is Why I Still Believe in Young People !
My day is made.

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 157 of 2026.

Yesterday I sat at a restaurant having my usual cup of coffee when a young man walked up to me.

Very respectful, Very articulate, Probably about 22 years old.

He asked if he could speak to me for a minute.

I said yes.

He introduced himself and then said something that stayed with me the whole day.

“Hello mum, I’m selling bananas. I know you can buy them from the store, but I wanted to tell you why I’m asking you to buy from me.”

He went on to explain that he is a second year law student and he is trying to raise money to buy a laptop for school.

I asked him how much the laptop would cost.

He said about fifteen to seventeen thousand shillings.

Then I asked him how much he had raised so far.

He smiled and said,
“Two thousand.”

I asked him a few more questions and then I told him,
“I will give you twenty thousand shillings. Will you go buy the laptop?”

The look on his face, The shock, The smile, The gratitude !! I loved to see .

He even handed me a bunch of bananas before he left.

But honestly, this is not even the best part of the story.

Two things made me deeply happy.

First, this young man is not sitting somewhere waiting for life to happen for him.
He is selling bananas to strangers with dignity.
No entitlement, no excuses and, no shame in honest work.

And secondly, the reason I’m writing this letter today, He sent me photos of the laptop he bought.

Oh, that made me emotional.

sometimes you help people and never know what happened after.
Sometimes you give and get silence.
Sometimes people disappear after receiving help.

But today , I smile knowing that somewhere, a young man is probably typing his law assignments on a laptop bought through courage, humility and the kindness of a stranger.

Those are the stories I want my life to be full of 🙏🏽

Not just success stories, Human stories.

Hannah G

Still becoming !

My 11 -year old gave her life to Christ !

Letters to the leader I am becoming.
Day 156 of 2026.

Today I am a very happy mother.

My 11-year-old daughter was away at camp this week, and while there, she gave her life to Christ.

When she told me, I cried.

I immediately remembered my own story. I gave my life to Christ when I was 12. And looking back now, I can honestly say it shaped my life in many ways.
My life didn’t become perfect, It did not. But this decision gave me direction early. It gave me values, conviction and an inner compass in moments where life could have easily pulled me elsewhere.

As a parent, there are many things you hope for your children. You hope they succeed. You hope they become confident, educated, exposed and capable. But beyond all those things, you pray they become grounded.

Because talent without values is dangerous.
Influence without character is dangerous.
Leadership without conviction is dangerous.

And today reminded me that leadership really starts long before titles, careers and platforms. It starts in the heart. In the choices people make when nobody is forcing them. In the values they choose to carry into adulthood.

One day, our children will lead in different spaces. Some will lead homes. Others businesses, governments, communities and industries. And in a world where so many people are searching for identity, direction and meaning, I pray my children never lose themselves.

I am grateful today.

Deeply grateful.

Because some moments remind you that while we are busy building careers, businesses and brands, we are also building people.

Hannah G

Still becoming !

Dear Older Women, Your Insecurity Is Showing.

If a Younger Woman Threatens You, You Were Never Secure to Begin With, Sorry, not sorry !

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 155 of 2026.

Today I had a conversation with younger women and honestly, dear older women, we need to talk.

The younger woman is not your competition.
She is not your threat.
She is not trying to take your place.

And even if she is brilliant, gifted, bold, beautiful, articulate, educated, connected or rising fast, so what?

There will always be someone smarter than you.
Younger than you.
More current than you.
That is life.

But wisdom is when your confidence is no longer shaken by somebody else’s potential.

Some older women are gatekeeping opportunities like success is running out.
Withholding information.
Being unnecessarily harsh.
Competing with girls young enough to be their daughters.
Trying to “humble” younger women instead of helping them grow.

And it is exhausting to watch.

Correct younger women when they are wrong.
Guide them.
Rebuke them if you must.
Teach them etiquette.
Teach them wisdom.
Teach them how to survive rooms that almost broke you.

But please, do not punish them for being young, ambitious and full of fire.

A secure woman does not fear another woman’s light, She expands it.

The older I grow, the more I realize this:
legacy is not just what you build.
It is who you raise.

And maybe the real sign of maturity is this,
being able to sit in a room with a younger, smarter, louder woman, and still fully know who you are.

When younger women enter the room, do you feel called to guide them, or threatened by them?

Also , What kind of older woman are you becoming for the next generation of women?

Hannah G

Still becoming !

I am in shock 😳

I dress fully and put make up on in a virtual speaking engagements !

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 154 of 2026.

Today during a public speaking workshop, the conversation on virtual speaking came up again.

And I realized many professionals still treat virtual speaking casually, as though presence matters less because people are not physically in the room.

It matters even more.

Virtual speaking exposes weaknesses very quickly.

3 things I always tell people to pay attention to:

1. Dress like you are presenting physically.
Fully , and Not just the shirt on top and pajamas underneath.

The way you dress affects your posture, confidence, and energy.
You stop merely joining a meeting and start showing up with intention.

2. Your energy must work harder online.
Virtual rooms are full of distractions.

People are checking emails, replying to messages, and scrolling while listening to you.

If your energy is flat, you lose people quickly.

Online speaking demands stronger delivery, clearer structure, and more intentional engagement.

3. Your environment speaks before you do.
Your lighting, camera angle, background, and noise level are all communicating something before you open your mouth.

Professionalism is not just in your words.
It is also in your preparation.

Many people will experience your leadership, competence, and brand through a screen before they ever meet you physically.

And opportunities are being decided there every day.

Question for you ,
Do you prefer virtual speaking engagements or physical ones? And why?

Ps : pictures of A session I had with SLOCAT Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport on communication.

It was so cold , we had to have a fire going 🤩

Hannah G

Still becoming !

The More Educated I Became, The More African I Became

Letters to the leader I am becoming.
Day 153 of 2026.

Some days quietly change you forever. Yesterday was one of those days for me , a moment that felt bigger than celebration, bigger than tradition, almost like standing at the doorway between who I have been and the woman I am becoming as an African Kikuyu woman.

We held a beautiful traditional ceremony surrounded by family and friends. It was a deeply meaningful transition.

And as I sat there watching culture, language, food, laughter, prayer, elders, and generations come together, I felt grateful. Truly grateful for this next chapter.

Later, someone told me something interesting.

They said,
“I always thought when people become highly educated, they stop doing traditional things.”

I smiled.

Because for me, the opposite has happened.

The more educated I have become, the more curious I have become about culture.
The more I have travelled, the more I have appreciated home.

The more rooms I have entered globally, the more comfortable I have become with my African identity, my accent, my name, my story, and even my small nuances.

Education did not remove me from myself.
It brought me back to myself.

And maybe that is true growth.

Not becoming less African to appear “civilized.”
Not abandoning culture to look enlightened.
Not mocking traditions because they look “too local.”

But learning how to sit confidently in both worlds.

To be globally exposed, yet deeply rooted.

There is something dangerous about an education that disconnects people from who they are.
Because when people become ashamed of their roots, they slowly become copies of everyone else.

By the way, Some of the most powerful people in the world are deeply connected to who they are.

Yesterday reminded me that there is beauty in knowing where you come from.

Tell me , in a world constantly teaching us who to become, how often do we pause to ask ourselves who we were before the world told us otherwise?

Hannah G

Still becoming!

36 episodes!! Before Anything Becomes Big, It First Looks Small and Repetitive.

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 152 of 2026.

Today I was doing a recap of the podcast episodes we have shot and wow, I had to pause for a moment.

Season of Beyond the brand 3 is done !
36 episodes.

And wow I felt grateful. I am grateful!

Because when we started, it was just an idea. Conversations. Cameras. Planning. Calling guests. Trying to make schedules work. Hoping people would show up and believe in the vision.

And they did.

People came.
People opened up.
People shared their stories, lessons, failures, victories and experiences with us.

That is not something I take lightly.

Sometimes we become so focused on the next goal that we forget to acknowledge what has already been built through consistency.

One episode at a time.
One guest at a time.
One conversation at a time.

That is how meaningful things are built.

And today reminded me of something important,
people do not have to support your dream. They choose to.

People are busy.
People have their own lives and priorities.
So when people keep showing up for something you are building, be grateful for that.

Not every season will feel loud.
Not every step will feel significant in the moment.
But if you keep showing up consistently, eventually you look back and realize, something meaningful was quietly growing.

I am grateful for every guest, every viewer, every conversation and every lesson from this journey.

Ps : see some guests I have had on Beyond the brand !

Hannah G

Still becoming !

My people . We need to talk ! Do we have a problem managing our own institutions ?

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 151 of 2026.

Today I went back to Limuru.
Back to Tigoni.
Back to spaces that shaped parts of my childhood.

And honestly, I was shocked.

I visited two institutions that, growing up, felt world class to us.
Beautiful compounds. Clean. Well maintained. Systems worked. Workers were respected. There was dignity in those spaces.

Today?
Dilapidated buildings. Neglected spaces. Broken systems.

I kept asking myself,
“What happened here?”

And someone quietly said,
“Oh, management changed. The foreigners left. Locals took over.”

Now before somebody misunderstands me,
this is not about locals lacking capability. We have brilliant, intelligent, highly capable people.

But this is the uncomfortable conversation,

Why do some institutions collapse the moment accountability disappears?

Why do some people inherit greatness,
and slowly destroy it?

Because leadership is not just about taking over.
It is about stewardship.

Some people inherit systems they did not build, and instead of preserving, improving, and protecting them, they consume them.

And slowly, excellence dies quietly.

Sometimes institutions do not collapse because of lack of money.
They collapse because standards collapse first.

Tell me, What institutions do you remember that were once excellent, but completely changed after management changed hands?

Ps : I ate at a very beautiful restaurant ..
Photos or it never happened 😎

Hannah G

Still becoming !

Woman, make your own money. Please 🙏🏽

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 150 of 2026.

Women, please make your own money.

Not because men are bad.
Not because marriage is bad.
Not because you are competing with anybody.

But because life becomes very difficult when you cannot make even the smallest financial decisions for yourself.

Today I heard a story that disturbed me deeply.

A woman went shopping and had to call her husband to send money at the counter. He did not pick. When he finally answered, he told her he was busy and she should shop another day.

She had to return everything to the shelves.

Someone later asked her, “You didn’t even have money for a few things?”

She quietly said,
“I don’t even have a bank account.”

This is 2026.

Ladies, please hear me carefully.
There is dignity in being able to handle some things for yourself. Even small things.

As a coach, I hear too many stories of women who slowly lost their confidence because they lost financial independence completely.

Even if your husband provides fully, please have something of your own. A skill. A side income. A small business. Something.

Not for pride or for control.
But , For wisdom.

Because sometimes the issue is not luxury.
It is dignity.

Hannah G

Still becoming !

This is not a happy letter !

Letters to the leader I’m becoming.
Day 149 of 2026.

A nation does not collapse in one day.
It collapses slowly, when leaders stop fearing God, stop valuing people, and start treating power like personal property.

And the frightening thing about poor leadership is this, ordinary people pay the price for decisions they never made.

Eventually, a country becomes emotionally exhausted.
People stop hoping.
Stop trusting.
Stop believing tomorrow will be better.

But today my question is not just about political leadership.

It is also about us.

The corporate leaders.
The executives.
The board members.
The business owners.
The people building brands, companies, careers and wealth inside the very country that is hurting.

What is our role when we see rot?
What is our responsibility when systems fail?
What happens when leaders in business become so obsessed with profit, image, and survival that they stop speaking about truth, justice, integrity, and people?

Because silence is also leadership.

And sometimes nations bleed quietly not only because of bad political leaders,
but because influential people with power, platforms, money, and access chose comfort over courage.

Leadership is not a title, It is a burden.

And every leader, in every sector, must eventually answer this question,

“What did you do when your country needed moral leadership?”

Hannah G.

Disheartened.