Muna Harare’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2008, a time when YouTube was abuzz with business gurus and get-rich-quick schemes. Like many young entrepreneurs, Muna was swept up in the excitement, trying her hand at various ventures, from dropshipping to affiliate marketing. However, it wasn’t until she reflected on her past failures that she discovered the secret to success.
“I realized I was constantly delaying tasks, thinking there would always be time later,” Muna admits. “This habit of putting things off was sabotaging my progress and execution.” She also recognized that she had fallen into the trap of chasing every new trend, spreading her energy too thin, and giving up when things got hard. Moreover, Muna had been thinking like a big brand, trying to scale before she had a steady income stream.
These hard-won lessons led Muna to develop the 7 Business Stages Model (7BSM), a framework that breaks the business cycle into seven distinct stages. The model covers the building phase, from creation to earning the first income, and the growth phase, focusing on scaling, branding, and expansion.
A Journey of Resilience and Adaptation
Muna’s personal story is one of resilience and adaptation. Born in Somalia, she was forced to flee her home country due to civil war. She found refuge in Kenya, then Italy, where she eventually settled. Despite the challenges she faced, Muna’s entrepreneurial spirit remained unbroken.
“I was born into a middle-class family in Somalia,” Muna recounts. “My father was an entrepreneur, while my mother stayed home, raising me and my nine siblings. Life was simple, predictable, and safe until it wasn’t. In 1991, the civil war erupted, but my father knew it was coming. Months before the chaos unfolded, he brought home a big car, one that could fit all of us. And when the war reached our doorstep, we left that same day.”
Reviving a Passion Project
Muna’s journey took her to various countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Italy, where she eventually settled. She attended high school and university in Italy but dropped out to pursue other interests. Later, she met her husband and moved to Sweden, where they built a life and started a family.
In 2018, Muna started a blog called Afroneurs, aimed at sharing stories and insights about African entrepreneurship. Although the blog struggled with consistency, the idea never left her. Today, Muna has revived Afroneurs as a newsletter, delving into the journeys of seven-figure African entrepreneurs and reverse-engineering their success.
“My goal is to break down their stories, to show that behind the success are strategies, lessons, and steps that we can learn from and apply to our own businesses,” Muna explains. With the 7 Business Stages Model as her guiding framework, Muna is committed to helping African entrepreneurs achieve their goals.
A New Chapter in Entrepreneurship
This time around, Muna is determined to apply the lessons she has learned. “I’m committing to consistency, no matter how busy or difficult things get,” she says. “I’ll stick to this project, no more jumping on shiny new trends.” With her newfound focus and the 7 Business Stages Model, Muna is poised to make a lasting impact on the African entrepreneurial landscape.
As Muna looks to the future, she remains committed to empowering African entrepreneurs. Through Afroneurs and the 7 Business Stages Model, she aims to provide a roadmap for success, one that is tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of the African market. With her inspiring story and invaluable insights, Muna Harare is a name to watch in the world of African entrepreneurship.
