Achieng Agutu shines on Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam Digital Cover, July 2024.
Achieng Agutu has made a name for herself as a confidence queen.
The Kenyan born in 1996, a television show host, model, and digital content creator went viral on social platforms by serving a daily bowl of motivation, daily affirmations, self-love, and fearlessness. By stepping into her best self and rapidly growing her social channels, Agutu has made her way to being a global influencer that inspires and motivates women around the globe.
Through humble beginnings…
Achieng Agutu was born and raised in Kenya with her parents and brother until she turned 16 years old. At this age, she took the impressive leap to become an exchange student and moved to Richmond, Indiana to live with her second family (her host family) to complete High School. Upon graduation, she attended Goshen College where she studied Communications and Spanish. Furthering her education, Agutu then went on to study Business at Hult International Business School in Boston, MA where she earned her master’s degree international marketing & business analytics.
Agutu was slightly isolated in her studies, being the only black girl in most classes. Rather than allowing this to break her spirit, she used it as an opportunity to become her own Hype Woman. She launched an online blog about life, travel, and beauty, named No Ordinary Noire, to nurture her hobbies and passions. The blog caught on quickly and became popular with readers seeking positive values. During the pandemic, Agutu also started creating digital content on Instagram which began simply with her just dancing to hype herself up in the mornings, and quickly led to her receiving messages from people thanking her for posting and making them feel good.
By the many comments she received, she realized her posts were making a positive impact which led others to share what allows them to feel good, fearless, and motivated.
…To reaching widespread influence
The positivity led to a viral sensation which allowed the ambitious young woman to receive global attention from major brands such as Olehenriken, Victoria Secret, Iamtabithabrown and Away, to name a few, and being chosen for Create & Cultivate’s Top 100 list for creators. The ambitious young woman continues to thrive and is currently a 2024 Sports Illustrated Rookie who made her runway debut in the brands Miami Swim Week Runway Show in 2023.
Later this year, Agutu will be seen as one of the lead hosts on the Gen-Z talk show INFLUENCED produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine which will premiere on Amazon Prime on August 1st.
The “Confidence Queen” Achieng Agutu reflects on her past year, and is hopeful for the future
Four years has gone by since Achieng Agutu’s journey of motivation first kickstarted. The past year of the confidence queen was filled with challenges that she took head-on and fearlessly. She moved to her dream apartment, and took bolder steps in spreading self-love messages through multiple projects: Her stories were featured in magazines, including Harper’s Bazaar; she walked her second Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show, an event aimed to empower healthy and diverse beauty standards.
Her best milestone yet, is Achieng Agutu’s new position as a talk show host for Amazon Prime’s INFLUENCED alongside creators who have made big impact in their communities, to discussed a multitude of topics. The show format is revealed to be a mixture of traditional television and social media, which is set to air on August 1st.
Agutu’s efforts were finally recognized, at each and every milestone. “It has been very exciting and has made me feel good, sexy, and powerful!”, she said.
Each achievement, for Agutu, is a highlight that is “fundamental part of my career, growth, and a magical journey”. However, for Agutu, the biggest achievement in her entire journey is that she still maintains her identity, stays true to herself and does not lose her original spirit.
Looking to the future, the content creator vows: She will not stray far from her mission of influencing the culture, reinventing ways to see beauty in black women, and women of all body types.
Agutu’s ambitions for the next 10 years revolve around two pillars: family and career. She wants to have more choices and freedom in her career, have her own TV show, and aim for several Emmy awards. Settle down and enjoy life with her family are also her goals in the next decade.
Achieng Agutu’s art of living: Both Active and Dolce Far Niente!
Achieng Agutu has healthy habits and routines that she prioritizes every day: Therapy, praying, manifestation, being physically active such as walking, and journaling. She enjoys the littlest moments in life by keeping a lifestyle focused on activities that help maintain and generate good energy. Flower arrangement is also an activity that the confidence queen likes to pick up during her leisure time.
However, having an active lifestyle isn’t synonymous with always moving and not allowing yourself to rest. “I love lounging at home and doing nothing”, Agutu adds. The Italian concept, “Dolce Far Niente” (The Sweetness of Doing Nothing), allows Agutu to remind herself and her followers to let their bodies enjoy pleasant idle moments.
“Make sure you dance at least once a day.”
Agutu talks about how everyone deserves to live life to the fullest, and not to be afraid to express themselves. That is also the principle that guides both her career and personal life.
Achieng Agutu’s positivity does not stop at her lifestyle. Looking at the content creator’s vibrant, shiny compositions of maximalism and Luo people’s culture, we feel her confident energy at every step.
The confidence queen’s biggest inspiration comes from her parents. “They always know how to inspire, motivate and mentor others.”
**Team Credits**
MUSE: Achieng Agutu @noordinarynoire
PHOTOGRAPHER: Quintin Perez & Ron Erick Odchigue @quintinandron
WARDROBE STYLIST: Mickey Freeman @mickeyboooom
MAKEUP + HAIR: Cyler Daigle @cylersays
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
