Elvis Warutumo:
From hustle to high impact
Listen to the podcast
Audio Title: Elvis Warutumo: From hustle to high impact
Description: Ever wondered how someone posts 6–10 times a day, runs a digital agency, teaches courses… and still claims, “It’s not that busy”? Sounds a bit like that high school friend who “never studied”, but always got an A… Meet Elvis Warutumo, the Kenyan entrepreneur who turned necessity into a thriving web of web design, digital marketing, and AI-powered wizardry—all while making it look like a leisurely stroll.
Ever wondered how someone posts 6–10 times a day, runs a digital agency, teaches courses… and still claims, “It’s not that busy”?
Sounds a bit like that high school friend who “never studied”, but always got an A…
Meet Elvis Warutumo, the Kenyan entrepreneur who turned necessity into a thriving web of web design, digital marketing, and AI-powered wizardry—all while making it look like a leisurely stroll.
“Employment is not so easy to come by,” Elvis reminds us.
Still studying at Dedan Kimathi University, he faced Kenya’s unemployment crunch head-on. “I had to look for an alternative that would allow me to get something on the side, because we really have an unemployment crisis in Kenya.”
Cue the birth of Tera Creations, founded amid the 2016/2017 election frenzy when everyone suddenly needed posters faster than you could say “campaign slogan.”
“There was a huge demand for graphic designers… but no one would trust me if I didn’t have a business or an agency,” he laughs. So, young Elvis registered Tera Creations—and voilà, instant credibility. “Now they can trust a person to be delivering the service well.”
Passion Meets Pragmatism
But hold on, when did this web-design thrill ride begin?
Blame Dad.
“It’s my father who taught me development. I used to really enjoy watching him create websites for local businesses.”
I can imagine those family dinner conversations: “Pass the potatoes, and by the way, can you redesign Uncle Joe’s homepage?”
His parents’ influence runs deep: “They had a wonderful positive impact on my life.”
Still, passion alone doesn’t pay the bills, so Elvis leaned on data.
“A lot of market research… before you really get to sell something, you have to understand if it’s needed.”
– Elvis Warutumo
Collecting pain points like Pokémon, he discovered clients wanted more than pretty graphics—they needed websites that made money.
Thus, digital marketing entered the mix: SEO, content creation, conversion optimisation… all the glamorous ways to ensure a site doesn’t just look good but rakes in clients.
From Web Designer to Course Creator
By May 2022, Elvis took his talents to TikTok, hoping to turn his $1,000-a-month side hustle into $2,000. Instead, the internet had bigger plans. He started posting tip-filled videos and found people yelling in the comments: “Teach me how to do this!”
He launched his first web-design course at 7,500 KES (~$60 USD), snagged eight students in a week, and pocketed over 50,000 KES. His calculator nearly exploded.
“I thought, ‘People only have about 1,500 KES per month for self-improvement… so I’ll price my classes at 3,000 KES.’ Next thing I knew, weekly revenue jumped from 50,000 to 200,000 KES.”
Webinars followed in 2024—bite-sized, interactive sessions priced at 2,500–3,500 KES that let students actually ask questions. “It blew up, because people could engage with me directly.”
The “Not-That-Busy” Productivity Playbook
So, how does Elvis post eight times a day and run a business?
“I’m not a pretty busy guy. I’m pretty organised, so I don’t like to multitask, and I like to delegate.
He mutes notifications (sorry, Facebook friends and colleagues on Clickup), limits his daily to-do list to three must-wins, and corals all meetings into Wednesdays.
Want to know his secret sauce?
- No Multitasking. “I just schedule a time to do it.”
- Simple Systems. “I list three important things for the day. I don’t like to do four.”
- Delegation. Two virtual assistants handle Facebook and emails.
- AI & Automation. “ChatGPT… the free Picasso suite for image generation… and Descript for transcriptions and reports in five minutes.”
His single biggest “aha” moment? Realising that software should solve problems, especially AI. “If it doesn’t give me a return on investment, I won’t pay $50 for it. ChatGPT does that thing, so I keep using it.”
Strategy? Nah, Let’s Call It a Plan
With 104,000 LinkedIn followers and counting, Elvis has a refreshing take on social-media “strategy.”
“I don’t call it strategy. I call it a plan because you intend on executing.”
He tried the “post at this magic time” advice, and found it about as effective as bathing in muddy waters – you’ll get clean…eventually.
Instead, he carved his own rules: six to eight daily LinkedIn posts, content that actually solves audience problems, and zero worrying about “best practices.”
Client-Centric Entrepreneurship
Throughout our chat, one theme resurfaces: solve real problems. “Most entrepreneurs in Kenya… are solving first-world problems. We are a third-world country. You have to solve our problems.”
For example, over one weekend, he taught 50 entrepreneurs to run Meta ads—for $20 each. That’s $1,000 solving a genuine pain point.
“Entrepreneurship is solving problems. It’s not just starting a company because you think people will buy.”
– Elvis Warutumo
So before you dream up your next unicorn app, take a leaf from Elvis’s notebook: talk to clients, collect data, and break big problems into bite-sized solutions.
Final Takeaways
Elvis Warutumo’s journey proves that Hustle + Heart + Smart Systems = High Impact.
He turned a job crisis into a digital empire, all while dodging chaos like it’s Monday-morning emails before coffee.
If Elvis’s story taught us anything, it’s that real productivity is less about doing everything and more about doing the right things.
Ready to tame your to-do list? Maybe swap out multitasking for a plan. Or just mute those pesky notifications. Elvis would approve.
Teagan specialises in Copywriting, Public Relations, Social Media Marketing and Blogging. Teagan uncovers the deeper “why” behind every venture. She believes that every person and project has a unique story, and nothing excites her more than transforming these narratives into compelling content that demands to be shared with the world.
Subscribe to our Blog list
recent articles
GET IN TOUCH
CONNECT WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
Fio Head Office
63 Saal Street, Zwavelpoort,
Pretoria
2 Responses
Hi Fio Media Team,
I’m excited about the work you’re doing and would love to connect with your community of like-minded individuals. Please let me know how I can get involved or contribute to your initiatives.
Looking forward to your response!
Best regards,
Samson Muia
Thank you for your comment! Feel free to send an email to teaganr@fio.group.