Perhaps one of the most overlooked privileges is not wealth itself, but having enough margin in your life to respond to reality. Over the last few years, we have become fluent in the language of privilege, speaking easily about financial privilege, pretty privilege, racial privilege, passport privilege, educational privilege and social privilege, and in doing so we have become increasingly aware that people do not all start from the same place and that some doors open more easily for some than for others. Yet there is one form of privilege that seems to receive far less attention, and that is the privilege of being able to do something with the information you have, not simply knowing, but acting, because the truth is that information alone changes very little. We like to imagine that if people only knew better, they would do better, and entire industries are built around this assumption, from self-help books and documentaries to podcasts, awareness campaigns, public health initiative...
Before you ask for a raise, ask yourself: has the role already hit the roof? "You can be the best driver in Nairobi, but unless you're delivering hearts for transplant, your salary has a ceiling." — A Kenyan HR consultant, off the record The Myth of Infinite Growth We are told, especially in motivational settings, that hard work and loyalty will take you far. But how far is “far” when the role itself has no ladder? In Kenya, it’s common to confuse working in a growing company with having a growing income . They are not the same thing. A company can expand from KES 10 million to KES 1 billion in revenue — and still pay its office administrator the same KES 50K it did five years ago. Why? Because some roles are structurally capped . You don’t hear this in job interviews or town halls. But it’s the silent truth behind many stagnant careers. Private Sector: The Shiny Trap In Nairobi’s private sector, salary ceilings often hide behind big brand names. Working for ...