“Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” — African proverb
If the first ascent of the creative founder is survival, the second is recognition. It is when passion, once doubted, begins to attract attention, when resilience forged in scarcity is suddenly visible to the world.
For Silvia Tonui, who has built her life’s work around creating access-to-market pathways, the second ascent is about scaling visibility without losing grounding. She has seen too many ventures flare up in recognition only to fade when systems underneath were thin.
For creatives, this means formalising what was once informal: contracts instead of handshakes, financial discipline instead of wishful cash flows, governance instead of gut feel. Without these foundations, visibility becomes exposure — a bright light that blinds rather than illuminates.
Priscilla Muchinyi experienced this transition in her fashion journey. What began as sketches stitched for individual clients, grew into collections seen on bigger platforms. But recognition brought a new challenge: expectation.
The market no longer applauded effort alone; it demanded consistency, speed and professionalism. In her words, “what once felt like art became an enterprise.” That transformation is both blessing and burden, a signal that the second ascent is not only about being seen but about proving that you can stay.
Peter Elungat, whose paintings now hang in collections far beyond Kenya, spoke of the delicate balance between recognition and authenticity. The applause is sweet, but it tempts you to repeat what sells rather than risk what is true.
For him, legacy requires resisting the trap of imitation, even when it is imitation of yourself. To be celebrated yet still innovate is the true work of the second ascent.
Emotionally, this ascent demands a new resilience: not against obscurity but against overexposure. When everyone watches, the fear of failure morphs into fear of visibility. It is the impostor syndrome magnified, as if the very applause might unmask you.
Many creative founders falter here, self-sabotaging by shrinking back, or overextending by chasing every opportunity.
The African Founders Operating System (AFOS) reminds us that emotional clarity is critical: the ability to separate self-worth from public opinion, to know that applause and critique are both temporary weather, not permanent verdicts.
Socially, the second ascent reshapes relationships. Recognition attracts admirers, investors, collaborators and opportunists. Networks expand, but discernment becomes paramount.
Silvia notes that access is no longer just about finding markets; it is about choosing the right allies to sustain growth. AFOS at this stage demands that the founder shifts from dependence on goodwill to curating ecosystems of trust, where value flows in both directions.
Strategically, the stakes multiply. Survival once meant selling enough to live another month; recognition now demands planning for years.
Creatives must learn to translate talent into scalable models: licensing, franchising, partnerships, intellectual property protection.
For Priscilla, it was moving from tailoring for individuals to designing collections that could sustain a brand identity. For Elungat, it meant professionalising his studio practice without losing artistic soul. Strategy, in the second ascent, is about turning recognition into systems so that success is not episodic but repeatable.
Spiritually, the ascent tests purpose. When the world claps, it is easy to forget why you began. Did you create to express truth, or to be famous? Did you paint, sing, or design for applause, or because something deeper compelled you?
Mindset, again, ties it all together. A scarcity mindset whispers: “Don’t risk your recognition. Stay where it’s safe.” Abundance replies: “This platform is not a cage but a launchpad.”
Africa’s creative economy, at this stage, faces its own second ascent. Our musicians, designers, and filmmakers are finally breaking global barriers yet the question remains whether the systems underneath can sustain the momentum.
Nigerian music exploded because infrastructure, investment, and audience scaled together. For Kenyan and East African creatives, the challenge is ensuring that visibility does not outpace structure. If we celebrate our stars but fail to build the scaffolding, we risk burning out brilliance before it becomes legacy.
Silvia, Priscilla and Peter’s journeys remind me that the second ascent is less about the moment you are seen and more about what you build with that visibility.
As I reflect, I return to the African proverb: until the lion tells his story, the hunter dominates the tale. For too long, African creativity has been narrated by outsiders as exotic, secondary, derivative.
The second ascent is our chance to tell our own story: bold, authentic, unafraid. It is when survival becomes recognition and recognition becomes narrative power.
Michael Anthony Macharia is a serial entrepreneur, founder of Seven Seas Technologies and Ponea Health
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