No budesko made me: Phoina sets record straight on her hustle
By Ascah Mwango, September 13, 2025Beauty entrepreneur Phoina Tosha has dismissed claims that her success was funded by a sponsor, insisting that she built herself from the ground up.
Speaking on a local TV station on Friday, September 12, 2025, she said her career began with disappointment after being turned down for a job at a leading cosmetic brand.
Instead of walking away from the industry, she revealed that she started working with photographers to sharpen her skills and slowly built a reputation that gave birth to her business empire, Phoina Beauty.
“It wasn’t easy because I got so many challenges along the way. I went for an interview for a big cosmetic brand, but I was turned down. I was very sure that I would get that job. But slowly, I continued working with photographers until the brand Phoina Beauty came to be,” Phoina stated.
Phoina advised women against depending on sugar daddies to succeed, saying such thinking only traps people in waiting instead of working towards their goals. She noted that success is possible through personal effort, creativity, and consistency, urging women to drop the belief that financial support from men is the only path to progress.
She stressed that young people should stop believing that success only comes with the help of a sponsor, saying such a mindset only keeps people waiting instead of working on their goals.
“There is no Budesko who made me… if you have that mentality that to succeed you must have a sponsor, please quit,” she said.
Adding;
“I always tell people to leave that mindset, there is so much you can do with yourself than having a sponsor. If you will always be waiting for a sponsor to help you, you will keep waiting all your life.”
Successful brand
Phoina is the founder and chief executive of Phoina Beauty and Hair, a company she started nearly a decade ago and grew into one of Nairobi’s most sought-after beauty brands. Her salon at Sebuleni Centre on Riara Road is a regular stop for clients seeking hair, nail, and skincare services.
In 2022, she formally launched her make-up and skincare line at a colourful event in Nairobi, marking her entry into the cosmetics market. The products are now available both in-store and online, expanding her reach beyond Kenya.
Recently, Phoina opened another outlet at Chaka Place, described as a modern beauty clinic offering a wider range of services to her growing clientele.