Catching up with Sporah Njau

Irene Sporah Njau is an ambitious and perceptive young woman who for six years now, has been hosting her own creative talk show, The Sporah Show.

Currently based in the United Kingdom, her show has been aired in Africa and some parts of Western countries.

As a woman who encountered plenty of obstacles to get herself established, this is what she had to share with Woman.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Africa and did my high school in Uganda.

Has your upbringing affected who you are today?

Oh yes, whether we admit or not! Our upbringing has a major influence on who we are.  It is our families’ history, culture, and environment that mould and shape us into the person that we are today.

Being raised as an African girl has a big influence on my personality. It is very important in the African culture to respect elders. I was taught this at a very young age and it has been embedded in me ever since. I have come to be respectful not only to my elders but to everyone around me.

It is because of my parents that I strive every day to be successful. They raised me with love, they taught me to love, and they taught me that you can strongly disagree with people sometimes, yet still remain in love.

You were recently nominated by British Young Business Awards in the Best Social Enterprise category, what does this mean to you?

Oh it feels so good, I feel very proud and privileged to be mentioned in this category of entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, we did not win, but we were proud to be among so many incredible and inspiring businesses in Britain. It was a fabulous event – bring on BYBA 2014!

What inspired you  to start a talk show?

Through research, I realised how powerful  TV is, and how it can influence or change people’s lives, especially the young generation. So, that’s how the idea of  the talk show came up.

At that time we didn’t have any talk shows for coloured people of in the UK if not Europe; I saw the gap and jumped in!

Well it was my choice to live the dream or let my friends squash the vision right out of my head. So I stood up for myself. I found a website that listed all courses and began part-time studying.

And the funny thing is, once people realised that I wasn’t going to give in, they wanted to become part of the journey, too. I started hearing things like: “Hey, I know a friend that can get you on TV, and maybe my other friend can help you with this and that.”

Who does The Sporah Show target and why?

After watching different TV shows, I realised that there is room for diversity. I am targeting coloured  people in the UK, because I saw opportunities out there for minority groups.

How do you manage to be successful, first in a foreign country and then as a woman?

What I have learned is: if you want to be an entrepreneur, you must learn to stand up for what you believe in. What did help was that I had confidence in my abilities, and when I faced roadblocks, I employed two strategies. The first was refusing to take criticism and prejudice. The second was to expand my qualifications. I still do that to date.

About being in a foreign country, from the start, many people told me I had three strikes against me: I was black. I was a girl and I was not English-born. Looking to where I came from, my family used to tell me that I was very smart, they didn’t see it that way.

We can each define ambition and progress for ourselves. The goal is to work toward a world where expectations are not set by stereotypes that hold us back, but by our personal passion, talents and interests. As a young woman, it is very important to be focused. Of course, there will be many bumps along the way, but don’t get distracted by the zigzags on the road. Vision and passion are very clear; if you believe in something, other people will too.

Do you think you have achieved your goals in life?

Not at all, I still have a long way to go.

I am just a few years in the media. Honestly, I compare my progress to a baby who struggled to walk then eventually learned how to run. There’s a new project I’m working on right now, so I’m still putting my blood, sweat and tears into business as this is my running stage. From here, I will continue to run until I reach the finish line and with the strong team that I have behind me, I think reaching the finish line is just a matter of time.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Oh so much. I love my job to bits. I love the fact that I get to meet marvellous people every single day.

It is very rewarding to see people’s dreams come true and know that I was a small piece to the puzzle in making them happen. My job provides me with the opportunity to be creative and to try out new things, meet new people, work on projects, and to continually stretch myself in doing things I’m not always comfortable with.

Can you cite a show that changed your life?

Oh dear, there are so many, but it’s the heart-breaking one which I did with Josephat Torner, a Tanzanian albino campaigner, who was born with albinism.

This show left me with so many questions, but mainly about whether Tanzania was stuck in the dark ages?

As a result, I’m working on a charity organisation that will deal with albinism, just to spread the message to the world that albinism is a genetic condition.

 Which African talk show host do you admire (presently)?

 So many, but I must admit that Salam Jabir is fantastic.

Do you engage in anything else apart from the talk show?

I have a production company that produces TV shows for different TV stations. We have a big studio, which we rent for TV shows and music videos. I also deal in quality hair for women.

 You come through as very stylish, who is your style icon?

Thank you very much; my style icon would have to be Marilyn Monroe. She knew how to look sexy without being sluttish. So I look at her outfits once in a while for inspiration because she knew how to dress for her body type. She was always about classic silhouettes and simple prints.

What are your hobbies and pastimes?

Decorating my house is something I love. Greatly, I enjoy riding my motorcycle, cooking, travelling and listening to music.

What’s the one thing that people don’t know about you?

I cry a lot, ever since I can remember I have always cried. I don’t like it!

Sporah’s top secrets of success

• Confidence; it is the best thing anyone can wear
• Focus hundred per cent on what you are doing
• Speak up, believe in yourself, and take risks
• Always compete with yourself, not the competition
• Be your own PR agent; know that it’s ok to talk about your accomplishments.
• When you highlight the team around, you highlight yourself.
• Patience and listening are two qualities that are often overlooked, but can be very helpful in both career and personal life.