Diana G. Muturia: From Cleaning Homes to Developing a Cleaning App
“Arizona entrepreneurs are like the cactus; resilient.”
Having the “next best idea” does not make you a great entrepreneur. Try having courage, empathy and resilience. Diana G. Muturia encompasses all of those qualities and so much more.
Her journey to opening up the doors for women in the tech field has not been without its challenges. Originally from Kenya, she immigrated to the U.S. by way of Texas to pursue her degree in math and mechanical engineering. After falling on hard times, she dropped out of college and moved to Arizona where she began cleaning homes. It was then that she met many other service providers, especially in the Black and Hispanic communities, which led her to create her app; Clyn (pronounced Clean). Clyn is a mobile platform that optimizes the cleaning industry by connecting homeowners to home service providers.
We had the opportunity to interview Diana as the introduction of a series highlighting the stories of entrepreneurs of color in the Valley. We aim to amplify their voices and give insight on how to not only survive but thrive amidst current and future times of hardship.
There are a lot of barriers women of color face to even break into the tech field, how were you able to navigate that industry and allow your voice to be heard?
No [woman] is an island. The badass women in the Valley such as Cindy Gordon, Valeri Marsh, Jalia Pettis and Shatha Barbour to name a few have been such great pillars to Clyn. Whether it’s through connecting us with their inner circles, advising, or offering their expertise and resources. They gave me, and ultimately Clyn, a platform to be heard. Matter of fact, women of Arizona are badass! We lift each other up with every opportunity we get.
What has your experience been connecting with other Arizona entrepreneurs?
Arizona entrepreneurs are like the cactus; resilient. I am proud of how far Arizona entrepreneurs have come. They have made great strides with resources the fraction of what other entrepreneurs have in larger cities.
What is the biggest lesson you learned from operating your own business?
I learned that my business will only grow as much as I grow as an individual. The company made a huge pivot in 2020 when we started challenging ourselves. Asking ourselves what we need to work on in terms of our skills, communication and perspectives.
What advice would you give to other young people who are considering becoming an entrepreneur?
- Might as well start now. You will fail about 3-4 times before you actually succeed, so don’t waste any time. It sounds cliche but you have to play the long game. The long game means you need to keep failing with enthusiasm until everything clicks. That might take a few months, but realistically it will take you a few years. So start now, and do what you truly enjoy!
- Think far into the future. I often have to remind young entrepreneurs, including myself, that we live in a world where everything seems to be instant. We’ve become remarkably impatient. Gary Vee’s wine library’s growth was very small in its first 3 years. Jeff Bezos’ Amazon bookstore didn’t see profit for its first whopping 7 years. Facebook is an anomaly; we like to romanticize and have the perception that it’s the standard, when it’s in fact the opposite. Most successful companies we know today started before they were understood; we have been there. Now that we are tipping into the era where the market gets us, it will no longer settle for less than what we deliver here at Clyn.
- Don’t go at it alone. Bring together friends and family members that you look up to as the hustlers and grinders and make a team. You will accomplish more together.
Lastly, do you plan on starting any new initiatives or continue to expand your platform?
The goal is to expand our work under Clyn. We have some tech heavy projects and humanitarian initiatives we are excited to dive into after Clyn 2.0’s launch this June.
Diana’s courage throughout her journey has opened the doors for many other women in entrepreneurship to push past their obstacles and achieve success. Her story is not only inspiring but a true testament to her cactus-like resilience that she displays so well.
To learn more about Clyn visit https://www.clynapp.com and to connect with Diana you can find her @DianaMuturia on Instagram and LinkedIn.