In 2003, a young man walked into my life — shy, quiet, eager to work. He must have been 19 or 20, fresh out of school, looking for anything to keep himself busy. He got a job as a cleaner in the Contract Catering Business I was running at the time.
But I saw something more in him. I saw potential. His name is Isma aka Chef Marz. Today, the world knows him as Chef Marz, the Head Chef of a bustling restaurant that seats over 100 people daily, serving a diverse, beautifully curated menu. But the journey from mop to menu, from apprentice to mentor, is what this story is really about. The Hidden Spark in the Kitchen!
What caught my attention early on was his willingness. Isma was always available. Whether cleaning, supporting the kitchen team, or observing how meals were prepared, he had a spark. So I asked our pastry chef, the generous and gifted Pastry Chef George Ndugu from Kenya, to train him. Just an hour or two a day. That’s all we needed to light a fire. From pastries, Isma moved to hot kitchen work. We were serving 500 meals a day under our contract catering program, and he rose to the challenge. No culinary school. No formal degree. Just inborn ability, relentless work ethic, and a teachable spirit. From Student to Master. He grew in wisdom to managing a team of 15 for a couple of years and eventually, Isma outgrew the Contract Catering Business.
He got a chef job elsewhere. Then another. Fast-forward to today, he leads an entire kitchen, trains young chefs, and co-creates menus that wow customers. When I visited him recently, after nearly four years he proudly told me, “I have trainees in the kitchen now. I’m passing it on.” I was moved. Deeply. Because if no one had taken a chance on him, he would never have known what lay dormant within him. And now? He’s changing lives by passing on what was once given to him. Lessons from Isma’s Journey, Isma’s story is a reminder that:• You are not your current job title.• You are not your background.• You are your God-given potential waiting to be activated.
But activation requires three things:
1. Awareness of who you are and what you’re capable of.
2. Acceptance of where you are right now, without shame.
3. Action stepping out in faith, even into roles that scare you.
From Apprentice to Mentor. This is what the RINT School of Apprenticeships Program is all about. We help people rediscover their identities and inborn talents, cultivate them, and develop real-world solutions that can bless others. It’s about reviving what God placed in you not just for your own transformation, but so that you can pass it on. Because every time you rediscover your gift, you unlock destinies connected to you.
A Question for You. What are you doing with the natural talents and gifts God placed in you?Are you sitting on them because of fear, shame, or uncertainty? Or are you ready to step into the space you were ordained for and let transformation begin? Let Isma’s journey remind you that you don’t need a title to start. You just need willingness. You can go from cleaner to chef. From overlooked to outstanding. From apprentice to mentor. But it starts with a choice. Choose YOU.
If this story touched you or reminded you of your own hidden potential, I invite you to connect with the School of Apprenticeships where we help individuals rediscover, cultivate, and multiply their God-given gifts for generational impact.
Let’s talk.
Let’s walk this journey.
And most importantly, pass it on.