From the studio. This piece is about the business side of the work, which lives at Mirembe Muse. It is kept here so its link keeps working.
# From Waitress to Founder
My LinkedIn shows a journey that doesn't make linear sense: Junior Waitress → Senior Waitress → Marketing Assistant → Team Leader → Event Coordinator → Manager → Creative Technologist → Founder.
But here's the thing: every single role prepared me for what I'm building now.
The Restaurant Education
At Balkan Burger, I didn't just serve food. I got a masterclass in business operations.
As a Waitress (2023)
I learned customer psychology through reading body language and anticipating needs. Time management came from juggling 10 tables, which means triaging in real-time. And upselling? That's just product marketing with breadsticks.
I authored the entire operations manual, improving service speed by 30% and reducing onboarding time by 50%.
As Team Leader
I managed 10+ staff, increased upsell conversions by 30%, and achieved a 4.8/5 customer satisfaction rating.
The skills transfer directly: managing a dev team isn't that different from managing a restaurant floor. Both require clear communication, quick problem-solving, and keeping morale high under pressure.
As Event Coordinator
I executed events for 100-500+ guests, boosted attendance by 40% through digital marketing, and generated a 20% increase in ticket revenue.
This is exactly what I did for my book launch, just with poetry instead of burgers.
As Manager
I directed daily operations for 15+ staff, digitized paper processes reducing overhead by 35%, reduced inventory waste by 22%, and improved profitability by 18%.
Now I do this for clients through Notion systems and workflow automation.
The Sportsmans Warehouse Years
Before restaurants, I spent 4 years in retail. Key lessons:
As Receiving Clerk, 99% accuracy taught me attention to detail (critical for debugging). As Cashier, handling money and trust built foundations for business finances. As Sales Assistant, understanding customer needs is now called "user research."
What University Taught Me
Nelson Mandela University gave me three degrees with 15 distinctions: a Higher Certificate in Business Management (NQF 5), a Diploma in Management (NQF 6), and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management (NQF 7).
But honestly? The theory made sense because I'd already lived it.
Teaching Myself Tech
Between shifts, I learned to code. SheCodes bootcamp. YouTube tutorials. Documentation until my eyes blurred.
The same work ethic that got me from Junior Waitress to Manager in 18 months got me from "Hello World" to building full-stack applications in a year.
The Mirembe Muse Vision
When I launch Mirembe Muse (Pty) Ltd in 2026, I'll bring restaurant efficiency as streamlined client processes, retail customer care as client experience focus, event execution as launch and project management, academic foundations as strategic thinking, and self-taught coding as technical delivery.
Advice for Non-Linear Journeys
Nothing is wasted: every job teaches something. Document your skills: you have more than you think. Connect the dots forward: the story will make sense later. Start before you're ready: I was coding while still managing restaurants.
The Truth About Entrepreneurship
You don't need a perfect path. You need willingness to learn, ability to adapt, courage to start, and resilience to continue.
I'm proof that waitresses become founders. That restaurant managers become tech entrepreneurs. That the non-linear path might be the only path that truly prepares you.
What unexpected experience is preparing you for what's next?
Reader Insights
0 responses
No insights yet. Be the first!