(From left) Impact Limited Managing Director, Kentice Tikolo and Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert, the CEO of Professional Marketing Service (PMS) Africa Group. FILE PHOTOS | BONFACE BOGITA | POOL
Three career persons shared their fifth-floor experience with BD Life.
Kentice Tikolo, 59 radiates youthful energy. She is physically and mentally vibrant.
The Managing Director at Cause Impact, a public relations agency, says her lifestyle has gone through a good change since she turned 50.
She has never been more confident.
“I am incredibly self-assured. I have gained confidence in my decisions. Additionally, the relationships and connections I have built over time have contributed to this feeling,” says Ms Tikolo, who is also Chairman of the Football Kenya Federation Electoral Board.
Her decision-making has become better with time. “I keep telling myself, ‘I wish I knew what I know now.’”
How does she balance her personal and professional life?
“When I was younger, I was doing a lot with children, running up and down to achieve certain goals but right now, my professional life is my personal life.”
Always learning
And since she is always learning, she is back at school pursuing her PhD.
“As someone who considers themselves an intellectual, staying engaged and active in my field is essential. That’s why I’ve enrolled in a PhD programme focused on climate change and adaptation, specifically looking at communication and policy. At my age, I can become an authority in this field, and I’m taking my time to complete the programme at my own pace, aiming for graduation at 63,” she says.
Impact Limited Managing Director and FKF Electoral Board Chair Kentice Tikolo poses for a photo at Kabarnet Court on April 26, 2023. PHOTO | BONFACE BOGITA | NMG
Is making friends easier when one gets to the fifth floor?
“Choosing the right people to spend time with is easier, and making new friends isn’t challenging anymore. It’s different from before. I now clearly understand who my friends are, and I prioritise spending time with my family,” she says.
Knowing the importance of physical exercise, she has also started going to the gym, learning golf, and taking swimming classes.
However, Ms Tikolo says, “One of the major obstacles I face is the fact that I have undergone significant changes, and many of the people in my life struggle to accept these changes. However, despite these differences, I have developed the ability to connect and interact with these individuals.”
Making smart life choices
Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert, 51, the founder and CEO of Professional Marketing Services (PMS Group), says the best part of being on the fifth floor is being young enough to do whatever you want while wise to know you are fully responsible for the consequences.
“I find it strange that young people think I am ancient, yet I feel so young! I like that my children are older, independent, making smart life choices, and I’m enjoying them more.”
The hardest part for her is getting infirm and cannot do the things she used to effortlessly.
How has your lifestyle changed since turning 50?
“For the better! I have more time to have fun and enjoy life as I am less focused on accumulating stuff and more focused on doing things that add joy and pizazz to my life. I am also unapologetic about my feelings and happy to express myself and be vulnerable. I know who I am and embrace me, regardless of the numerous self-limiting beliefs society tries to throw at me.”
Like Ms Tikolo, she has also developed a keener interest in more significant issues such as global warming, economic disparity, poverty reduction, and geopolitics.
But does she find it difficult to stay connected with friends and family as she gets older?
Love deeply
“Gosh! No. In fact, the older I get, the better I connect emotionally because I am attuned to my feelings and deliberate in my relationships. My local and international friendships benefit from technology, and creating time for what matters to me is a greater priority now. I love deeply and show it freely,” she says.
Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert is the CEO of Professional Marketing Service (PMS) Africa Group. FILE PHOTO | POOL
When BD Life called Euphantus Kinyanjui, 51, a clinical officer and anaesthetist at the Olenguruone Sub-County Hospital Nakuru County, he was walking with his wife. It has become a routine since he turned 50.
“I do a lot of walks. I have children who have made me really active. If I am not working, I am on my farm. The thing about 50 is that it does not mean we have to sit down with our creaky knees. We are as young as we can be,” he says.
He has been eating well and not does not deprive himself of anything he loves. He is also deliberate about spending quality time with his family.
His new motto in this season of his life is that contentment and health are just a short step away from each other.
What I wish I knew
Has he experienced major life changes in his 50s?
“Physically, I can tell I have changed. Some ailments now drain the energy out of me. I get a lot of joint pains, lack of sleep, and sometimes I get breathless. However, when you get to my age, you start thinking differently,” he says.
He adds that he knows what is needed of him from his family and community and is always happy when he is with them.
Mr Kinyanjui advises anyone approaching 50 to stop having anxiety, noting, “Nothing much changes; you’re still you, just a better version of yourself.
“I work hard and enjoy it very much. I was a perfectionist, but now I let things slide just a little – so I no longer sweat it when I can’t meet all my self-imposed deadlines.”
What does he wish he’d done differently in his earlier years?
“I would have wished to know that I was supposed to invest a lot, not necessarily save. I wish I had known that earlier. I would always vouch for young people to save a lot.”
