Podcast Summary: Konnected Minds Podcast

Episode: Listening Is Your Superpower: The Skill Nobody Teaches But Everyone Needs, Consuming Information Without Application Is Useless

Host: Derrick Abaitey
Date: December 9, 2025

Overview

In this vibrant and insightful episode of the Konnected Minds Podcast, host Derrick Abaitey and his guest dive into the transformative power of listening—a skill often overlooked yet essential for personal and professional success. They explore why merely consuming information is futile without actionable application and discuss practical strategies for maintaining relevance, achieving results, and building confidence in today's noisy, information-saturated world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Real Value in Public Speaking

• Substance over Hype (00:00-01:48)

  • The guest argues that while motivational speaking has its place, sustainable value comes from solving real problems—like protecting children online, not just offering inspiration.
  • Quote: "It's not just about the speaking. This is why substance matters...let's talk about protection first." (A, 00:48)

• Niche Expertise Pays

  • Speakers who become subject-matter experts in high-demand areas naturally create lucrative opportunities for themselves.

2. The Importance of Adaptability and Blue Ocean Thinking

• Following Industry Evolution (01:48-03:18)

  • The guest recalls early days of digital marketing, staying ahead by learning new platforms and skills before markets became saturated.
  • Quote: "Always elevate above the noise places in an industry. Everybody's doing a podcast. Elevate." (A, 02:54)

• Reference to 'Blue Ocean Strategy'

  • Derrick mentions the influential book and its lesson to seek uncontested market spaces, reinforcing the idea of innovation over imitation.

3. From Knowledge to Results: The Cycle of Application

• Test, Get Results, Share (03:44-04:36)

  • The approach: try out knowledge, document outcomes, then offer those results to others (via courses, mentorship, etc.).
  • Quote: "Apply yourself to it. Try it. Get your results, document the results, sell it to the next person." (A, 03:53)

• Mentorship & Paying for Experience

  • The guest discusses why people invest in mentorship—to avoid costly mistakes and fast-track their own journey.
  • Quote: "The money I will pay you is far more cheaper than the money I will lose experimenting my way through mentorship." (A, 04:53)

4. The Critical Skill of Listening (The Episode’s Core Theme)

• Listening = Superpower (05:32-08:22)

  • Listening is identified as the most underrated but impactful skill in public speaking and communication.
  • Discusses Julian Treasure’s TED Talks on speaking vs. listening and how the demand to be heard far outweighs the willingness to listen.
  • Quote: "People 10x want to be listened to more than they want to listen." (A, 06:26)

• Vocal Awareness

  • Practical breakdown of the voice’s four registers (whistle, falsetto, head, chest) and their effects on audience trust and perception.
  • Body language, tone, and vocal mastery are emphasized as teachable elements.

• Lifelong Learning & Systematic Information Gathering

  • The guest maintains Google Alerts for all topics of interest and reviews dozens of articles nightly.
  • Quote: "I still do two hours of practice in front of the mirror. I still do two vocabulary pickups a day so that I can have a plethora of words when I need to use them." (A, 07:45)
  • Quote: "If it's AI, every single AI information that has popped up anywhere on the Internet is living in my email waiting for me before I go to bed." (A, 08:09)

5. Education’s Blind Spot: Teaching Listening and Speaking

• Skill Deficiency in Schools (08:28-09:07)
  • Derrick remarks on educational systems prioritizing reading and writing, but not listening or public speaking, leading to communication breakdowns in society.
  • Quote: "We've churned out hundreds of thousands of students out of our education system who can [neither] speak or listen." (A, 08:55)

6. From Information to Transformation: The Necessity of Application

• Why Listening Isn’t Enough (09:44-10:16)

  • Consuming information does not equal transformation; action and implementation are key.
  • Quote: "We love the idea of listening. Pause this bloody video...go and apply. Implementation. Execute." (A, 10:02)

• Execution as a Contagious Habit

  • Derrick describes how his own fast-paced execution creates a productive environment for his team.
  • Quote: "By the time I get to the end of that project, I'm looking for the next thing to work on...it sort of have an effect on everybody else I work with." (B, 10:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On finding the right lane:
  "Elevate above the noise places in an industry." – (A, 02:54)

• On applying knowledge:
  "Apply yourself to it. Try it. Get your results, document the results, sell it to the next person." – (A, 03:53)

• On the real reason people pay for mentorship:
  "The money I will pay you is far more cheaper than the money I will lose experimenting my way through mentorship." – (A, 04:53)

• On listening versus speaking:
  "People 10x want to be listened to more than they want to listen." – (A, 06:26)

• On education’s neglect of speaking/listening:
  "We've churned out hundreds of thousands of students out of our education system who can [neither] speak or listen." – (A, 08:55)

• On the application gap:
  "Pause this bloody video. All the notes you've written...go and apply. Implementation. Execute." – (A, 10:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Public Speaking that Pays: 00:00–02:00
• Blue Ocean Strategy, Staying Ahead of the Curve: 02:47–03:26
• Results-Based Learning & Mentorship: 03:44–05:03
• Listening: The Hidden Superpower: 05:32–08:22
• The Application Gap & Power of Execution: 09:44–10:53

Takeaway

This episode powerfully reframes the idea of success and communication: Listening is a cultivated superpower, and true progress only happens when knowledge is put into action. Derrick Abaitey and his guest break down actionable strategies for standing out, building expertise, and leveraging mentorship—all with conversational energy and practical wisdom anyone seeking growth will appreciate.