Cynthia Kimola is a journalist and communication consultant who turned her voice-over side hustle to a luxurious career.
Over the years, the talented media personality has worked on numerous TV adverts and worked with notable acts such as US singer, Khalid.
Here is Kimola’s story as told by WoK.
Radio
Kimola had interest in radio while still a student at Daystar University, and she even worked voluntarily at Shine FM, the university’s radio station.
She explained that although she worked for free, her experience at the station improved her journalism skills.
It was after her time at Daystar University when she applied for a job at Radio Africa where she was hired as a news anchor for Kiss FM and Classic 105.
“This helped me amass experience which I used as my portfolio when applying for a position at Radio Africa Group,” Kimola said.
While working on radio, she explained that with time she learnt how to work fast and precisely, and taking care of her voice considering she presents news daily.
“Radio is powerful and has always been my first love. It can hold the audience’s attention and turn them into loyal listeners. While working in radio, I learnt the value of time. A second in radio is quantifiable, and you can either lose or gain a listener with one move
“Anchoring news on a daily basis can also take its toll on your voice; so I learnt how to take care of my voice so that I don’t get sick and lose it. I also grew into myself, became confident in who I am, and was not swayed by people’s expectations because they consider radio personalities as celebrities,” Kimola told Citizen Digital.
Radio to PR
Kimola worked at Radio Africa for five years before she decided to shift to Public Relations and Communication under a company dubbed, Tell-Em Public Relations.
She explained the transition noting that she wanted to assist brands and businesses to reach their target customers appropriately.
“I loved strategy and helping companies and individuals to package messages correctly for their target audiences. So far, it has been amazing, and I’m still pursuing it
“I am am always grateful to Tell-Em Public Relations, an agency that became my first PR home. It was a great learning ground for me and assisted me in refining my skills,” Kimola said.
Adverts
Following her transition to PR, Kimola worked on numerous campaigns including the launch of MyDawa into the Kenyan Market.
She has worked with notable brands such as Google, YouTube, KCC, UNICEF, Safaricom, WHO, KCB Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, L’Oreal, Canadian Red Cross and Microsoft.
Kimola also worked on a promotional piece for US singer Khalid’s single dubbed New Normal.
“As a child, I was always fascinated by voice-overs in radio & TV ads and documentaries. While at the University radio station, I would do ads for my show, the station and other people’s shows
“In 2012, I got my big break with voice over on TV with the KCC Maziwa Oriji ad. I then started pursuing voice-overs on and off and landed several local jobs over the years,” she explained.
