Eric Mbandu: Why I quit law school to become a porter and later a consultant in the hospitality industry

It is not uncommon to find yourself in a career that you later realise you are not passionate about.

And unfortunately, even when you do come to that realisation, it can sometimes be difficult to make the change. 

But this was not the case for Eric Mbandu. When he entered the University of Nairobi to study law, it was clear to him and his parents that his future was as a lawyer.

But after three years of law school, he decided to drop out and follow his passion in the hospitality industry.

"It was during the third year holidays when my pastor helped me to get a job as a porter in one of the hotels in Nakuru so that I would not be idle during the holidays and that is when I decided that I wanted to be in the industry," he says.

With this decision, he dropped out of school without telling his parents, and it took three years before they knew he had dropped out.

After working as a porter for six months, I was promoted after helping the hotel make a deal with a company that made them millions of dollars based on the way I served a customer who had visited the hotel.

"That moment is etched in my mind because the client was pleased with my services and my knowledge of the hotel and when the company she worked for had an event in Nakuru, I was their contact person and got my manager to promote me to receptionist," he notes.

Since then, Eric has risen through the ranks from Operations Manager & Marketing to General Manager and now runs Gemini Infinity Consultants, which manages three hotels in Nakuru.

Mr Mbandu says he has no regrets about changing careers.

With eight years in the industry, he notes that there is huge room for growth in the industry, having started as a porter (a person employed to carry luggage), worked his way up to general manager and is now a consultant.

"The industry has a lot of room for growth for those at the beginning of their careers, especially if you know what you want to achieve and are willing to pursue it," he says.

He decided to leave individual hotel management as he felt he had nothing more to offer and sought new challenges in consulting.

"It felt right to move on and start consulting. I had learned and contributed enough at an individual level and needed a new venture. I'm already loving it," he says.
To succeed in the hotel industry, Eric advises investors to consider the five 'Ps': product, price, place, people and promotion.

"It is crucial to know your product, set the right price, choose the right location, hire the right people and implement effective promotional strategies," he advises.

He adds that it's important to hire professionals to grow the hospitality industry in Nakuru, as Nakuru has the potential to host high-end hotels.

The 34-year-old notes that one of the major challenges within the industry is that most people look down on most workers, especially porters and cleaners. 
He notes that to be successful in the industry, you have to be honest, listen and allow feedback from customers.

Eric lives by the philosophy of making the most of life. "If you want to do something, do it excellently, as if you'll never get another chance, and have no regrets," he says.