Segment: Stop Blaming Yesterday's Problems - Gen Z Needs Hustle, Not Excuses

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast with Derrick Abaitey

Segment: Stop Blaming Yesterday's Problems – Gen Z Needs Hustle, Not Excuses

Date: June 11, 2026
Host: Derrick Abaitey
Guest: Unnamed, referred to as "A"

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Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode, Derrick Abaitey and his guest dismantle the culture of dwelling on past setbacks and urge Gen Z and young people to embrace a proactive, “hustle” mentality. Drawing on vivid personal stories and biblical analogies, the conversation challenges listeners to focus on their strengths, become comfortable being “used,” and seize opportunities—however menial—that fuel growth. The tone is motivating, unfiltered, and sometimes confronting, aiming to crush limiting beliefs and build unstoppable confidence.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Focusing on Strengths Instead of Obsessing Over Weaknesses

(00:00–02:41)

• Most people waste energy hiding their weaknesses, but the world already sees them.
• The host uses the analogy:
  • “A fish on a tree looks weak, but put a fish in water and it will thrive; the same way a bird’s place is in the sky.”
  • (A, 00:11)
• Rather than fixating on what you can't do, invest in your strengths. Refine them and surround yourself with complementary people:
  • “Find people around you who know your weaknesses and are better than you at it. Use them. Let them use you too.”
  • (A, 00:48)

2. The Value of Being 'Used': Learning Through Service

(01:35–03:45)

• There’s a stigma around being “used,” but it’s often an opportunity for exposure and learning.
• Memorable reference:
  • “The more and more people use you, the more you are useful, and the less they use you, you become useless.”
    (A, 01:40)
• A striking analogy: If a billionaire like Dangote asked you to simply carry his bag, that proximity alone unlocks rooms you couldn’t enter otherwise.
  • “If Dangote tells me today that he just wants me to be carrying his bag around, that's a great use… you are entering rooms you will never truly enter by yourself.”
  • (A, 02:16)

3. Personal Stories: Diverse Hustle Experiences

(02:45–06:15)

• The guest shares his range of ‘menial’ jobs—dancer, shawarma seller, mechanic, water vendor, and game operator—each imparting key skills.
• Admission of not being the best at everything:
  • “Coffee is the best dancer. What are the odds I'm going to best on coffee? Zero. I don't have the dedication, the passion... So I stopped it.”
  • (A, 03:16)
• Emphasis: Experience, not just money, matters.
  • “All of that taught me the value of hard work... In all the using, this is what I turned out to be.”
  • (A, 05:30)
• These roles equipped him for resilience in any environment:
  • “Regardless of system I found myself in, I've always found a way to adapt. And why I was able to adapt is because I learned from people who thought they were using me.”
  • (A, 06:16)

4. Gen Z’s Reluctance Toward Humble Beginnings

(06:27–06:37)

• Anecdotal observation: Many young people now are unwilling to do what they perceive as ‘low-level’ work.
  • “If you tell him [a Gen Z] to come and hold your bags… Big trouble. They don’t want to do it.”
  • (B & A, 06:35–06:37)
• Direct message:
  • “And that's the reason why a lot of them do not get what they want. I know that they will crucify for these things. And people will say, oh no. People are using people and they are mismanaging…”
  • (A, 06:37)

5. Biblical Analogy: Joseph’s Opportunity Through Usefulness

(06:38–08:15)

• Joseph of the Bible was “used”—not out of kindness, but utility—when interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, which eventually unlocked his potential.
  • “Pharaoh was not Jesus. He wasn't trying to help Joseph… Pharaoh used him to interpret his dream for free. Did not even promise him anything in return.”
  • (A, 07:20)
• Key point: Opportunities often come disguised as servitude, not as explicit rewards. Joseph’s fate would’ve been different if he acted out of resentment due to past injustices.
  • “At the end of the day, Joseph only got the opportunity because he allowed himself to be used… Like a lot of Gen Z's are doing now, attributing the problems of yesterday to solutions of today, of tomorrow.”
  • (A, 08:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the paradox of being useful:

  • “I am useful because I am full of use… you should be even glad that people are using you, because it means you have value.”
    — (A, 00:50)

• On exposure through service:

  • “When you are being used, you're also getting training… knowledge because they think they are using you.”
    — (A, 01:48)

• On resilience through experience:

  • “When I'm speaking as a street boy, you will never catch me. I know what an alternator is… you can't fool me with a car part because I've done that.”
    — (A, 06:00)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – Emphasis on strengths, analogy of fish and bird
• 01:35 – Being “used” vs. being “useless”; proverb reflections
• 02:16 – Value of exposure, Dangote analogy
• 02:45 – Host’s experience; hustling through diverse jobs
• 05:54 – How each job contributed to current skills
• 06:27 – Gen Z’s aversion to humble beginnings
• 06:38 – Joseph’s biblical story as a parable for leveraging service
• 08:11 – Caution against blaming the past for current inaction

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Tone & Language

The episode is candid, sometimes provocative, yet energetic and empowering. Derrick and his guest speak in plain, relatable language peppered with local slang and biblical references, blending tough love with motivation.

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Recap & Takeaways

• Don’t major on your weaknesses; double down on your strengths.
• Allow yourself to be “used”—that’s where real-world learning and opportunity happen.
• Menial jobs often teach the best lessons and open surprising doors.
• The habit of blaming yesterday’s problems is a dead end; hustle is the only way forward.
• Historical and spiritual examples underscore that serving others is often the path to breakthrough.

“Stop looking for comfort and start looking for exposure—because sometimes carrying a bag is carrying your future.”

Transcript

[A]

Leave the weaknesses. Most of us major on our weaknesses and we're trying so hard to cover them so that the world doesn't see them. The world has seen it already. That's why it's called the weakness. The world can see that you are not the smartest in this space. There's a popular proverb, I don't know, but there's a popular analogy. A fish on a tree looks weak, but put a fish in water and it will thrive the same way a bird on water is. Just simply pray for a fish but put it in the sky. It's the king. Find your spaces. Don't even. In fact, I always tell people, ignore your weaknesses and ignore it. Not like abandon it, but don't major on it. Focus on your strength, refine your strengths, refine them. Find people around you who are great at this, your strength, refine them and then find people around you who know your weaknesses and are better than it at you. Use them. Let them use you too. That's why people always struggle. People always struggle. People using them. There's the same my friends at university then who say I am useful because I am full of use, meaning somebody had used me excessively, so I am full of using. That is why I am useful and I am useless because they are using lesser and lesser of me. Meaning so one would tell me, oh, you. I'm like, you should be even. And I'm going to go biblical because I'm a Christian and I unfortunately anytime I start to speak passionately like this, I start quote Bible. Even the Bible says very clearly that another Bible has hit my head. But the point is the more and more people use you, the more you are useful and the lesser they use you, you become useless. Because if you don't find a thing that is useful and use it, then you will become useless. So people should allow themselves to be used because if you are used is where you can get training. If you are used is where you can get somebody else impacting you their knowledge because they think they are using you. But you know what happens. I always tell them, if you go to Dangote today and Dangote says I need to use you. Most of us, we agree, but Dangote's use is the kind of use that you know would add to your life. No why? He tells you, you know, I'm going to use it for something. I need you to be the guy that will help me run around, go around. And then they'll be like, people worry because they're thinking that he's using me. He's not paying me. If Dangote tells me today that he just wants me to be carrying his bag around, that's a great use. Yes. You might think just carrying his bag around, I'm not doing anything. I'm not learning anything. But you know what you are doing when carrying his bag around? You are entering rooms you will never truly enter by yourself.

[B]

If you were 19 years old, would you accept that role?

[A]

I did it.

[B]

Talk to me.

[A]

There was a time in my life where all I did was help other people. I always tell people there's nothing I've not done. There's no business. I said in the last interview I had. There's no business I've not attempted. I used to be a dancer in dancing. I followed Kafi around. I can't remember. I don't think Kafi ever paid more than 40,000 Naira max. And I don't think she even paid me that much. But I would follow her to shows. We would dance, we would go there. I was a dancer. I stopped dancing because I didn't also the best at dancing, by the way.

[B]

Right?

[A]

It wasn't. Again, the same analogy applies because I'm like, coffee is the best dancer. What are the odds I'm going to best on coffee? Zero. I'm not. I don't have the dedication, the passion. And think about, see how fat I got it. Coffee kept on dancing, right? She's still prim and proper. I can't. So I quickly understood that this me that is dancing is not going to able to maintain this energy. So I stopped it. I just woke up and never went. No reason. I just stopped going. That's it. Because I'm that guy. The same. But in that same space I said, shama, I sold Sharma. I didn't sell Sharma like oh, I was selling shawarma like it was cool. No, it was a water current. I was looking for some brush and they had a shop and I was standing on the shower machine. I'll be cutting shower all night till morning and I'm making Sharma. And all of that taught me the value of hard work. I was a mechanic at some time in my life. Yes. My mom saw morning. I was like, you're playing too much on the streets. You want to be mechanic. And I went to yes to be a mechanic. And I can go on and on about things I've done. I've done pure water business. I've worked on pur shop. I was my auntie's place and she said, you cannot Sell him the room. I started making me do pure water. And I did it for day for months. I was doing delivery water. I've. I've hawked all of these things. Were people using me? Do you understand where I'm going? None of it was me saving and making money, right? I was. I was a game. I used to have the word for it here. A local palace is only but a game operator. You know, I had a game shop, right? Come to play and pay me. I was the guy. And I had to learn how to play the game so that I could beat people. So I will leave the game. You know that when they come and play, the winner never stands up, okay? So the only way I could force the guy to leave the part so that other people can play to beat himself. Learn. So when everybody has gone, sit down the shop at midnight and I'll be playing the game. Because that guy, he played to yesterday and he still has another game. Because you know when he played the game then back then you play when they are closing, you'll be like, I'm still carrying my champion to tomorrow. Which champion? Guys? Tomorrow. So people are coming tomorrow. Do not play because they will play. But they have to play against some people that cannot play against him. So be okay, I'll give them time to play themselves. When they start, we come back in. I'm like, what's this? As a friend of mine is in Austria now, I. I learned how to give psychopathy. But see dedication I have to the craft. I did not. I don't have to do that. I was only employed to collect money. But because I wanted to make sure that we made money off that business. I learned how to give so I could beat the guy. Yes, of course it was only a child, so I also needed the fun of it. But my point is, my brain had always and my training and my refinement has always been that use and be used. I was used a lot and I did not mind it. And in all the using, this is what I turned out to be in all the using.

[B]

Are you happy with your life now?

[A]

So excited. Because I see it now for all of what it is. The days I spent at the mechanic workshop taught me how to deal with street issues. When I'm speaking as a street boy, you will never catch. I know what an alternate. I know all the parts. You can't fool me with a car part because I've done that.

[B]

You are built for the system.

[A]

Regardless of system I found myself in, I've always found a way to Adapt. And why I was able to adapt is because I learned from people who thought they were using me. The mechanic that taught me how to repair cars, I give my custom to repair.

[B]

Now I want to bring your. Your. Your mind to something. The boy that is listening to us, these Gen Z's. If you tell him to come and hold your bags.

[A]

No, they don't want to do it.

[B]

Big trouble.

[A]

They don't want to. And that's the reason why a lot of them do not get what they want. I know that they will crucify for these things. And people will say, oh no. People are using people and they are mismanaging. They're using. I'm like Joseph in the Bible was used when Pharaoh asked Joseph to come and manage the empire. It wasn't genius of evil. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Pharaoh was not Jesus. He wasn't trying to help Joseph. Joseph was in the prison because he tried. Potiphar's wife tried to sleep with him and he said no. And then they jailed him. When the baker and the butler gave their dreams. And then they killed one and the other one called the other one because oh, there's a guy in the prison, he asked, you know, has interprets dreams. What do you think Pharaoh asked for? Pharaoh was Pharaoh had a problem. Pharaoh had a dream and he did not know the answer. He had wise men who he was paying, who were at his service. They could not give the answer. I said, call me that dreamer boy. In the prison, they say he can interpret. Let him interpret my dreams. And God help him, let him interpret that dreams very well. When Joseph came up and interpreted, you think Pharaoh did it because he liked Joseph? Pharaoh wanted to use him, right? It wasn't for the love of Josepho. It was for the sake of Pharaoh's dream. Pharaoh used him to interpret his dream for free. Did not even promise him anything in return. There was no reward attached to the dream interpretation. Joseph interpreted the dream. Pharaoh said, that's a good dream interpreted. So since then is you that we solve it. In other words, you have created the problem, go and fix it.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Again, none of it was to Jesus benefit. It wasn't a reward. It was. You found the problem. Imagine you said, not fix the problem. Think Pharaoh will bless him. You told Pharaoh that you're about to face famine, your family is about to go through a lot of pain. Messed up at that job. We won't be hearing the story today. Yeah. So at the end of the day, Joseph only got the opportunity because he allowed himself to be used to tell he could have said, this same Pharaoh, Potiphar that. I mean, this same Pharaoh that nearly killed me because of his wife. This same. I'm not serving the king because it was Potiphar's organ. I'm not serving anybody. The last person why Follow talk. My wife nearly killed me the other day. He could have done that. Like a lot of Jerseys are doing now, attributing the problems of yesterday to solutions of today, of tomorrow. Connected Minds podcast.