Segment: Your First Sale Won't Change Your Life - But It Will Get You Started

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast with Derrick Abaitey

Episode Segment: "Your First Sale Won't Change Your Life – But It Will Get You Started"
Date: July 21, 2026

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Overview:

This episode focuses on the real, gritty journey from humble beginnings to meaningful milestones in entrepreneurship, particularly in real estate. Derrick Abaitey and his guest discuss why your first sale, while not life-changing in itself, is the critical catalyst that gets you moving forward. Their candid conversation touches on resilience, learning from failure, leveraging relationships, and building confidence to keep going despite setbacks.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Taking Action (00:35–02:53)

• Guest's Origin Story:
  • Started with no loans or investors: "I've not taken a loan. I don't have any investor in my business."
  • Success began with selling: teaching people to sell, learning through wins and failures.
  • Personal struggles included inflation, failed projects, losing significant money (6.4 billion on land), but remained debt-free—"But I don't owe anybody. I don't owe the bank." (00:38)
• Resourcefulness in Starting:
  • The guest began real estate during Covid (2020), facing severe financial hardship: behind on rent, sleeping on couches and in shared workspaces, even at parks.
  • The first step was negotiating an agreement for five acres of land, using relationships, grit, and ingenuity.
    • "I met with some family who owned a large portion of land...I had drafted the agreement...got a graphics designer...I started marketing it." (01:14)
  • Pivotal first sale: "I was able to make my first sale. It was 6.4 million naira and that changed everything. Guess what? The same 6.4 for another person would not change anything. But the same 6.4 changed everything for me. And the same 6.4 did not exactly change my life immediately, but at least got me started." (02:20)

What the First Sale Meant (02:53–03:39)

• Impact of the First Sale:
  • Used the 6.4 million naira to pay the land deposit, get a shared workspace, buy two suits, and pay his mother’s rent.
  • "At least you're upgrading." (02:53)
  • Hit rock bottom financially again but now had assets and a workspace—continued persistence from there.
  • Started living and hustling out of the shared workspace, solely focused on selling.

Navigating Setbacks & Adversity (03:39–04:27)

• Hard Lessons:
  • Initial projects delivered despite investors disappearing at critical moments: "When I wanted to sign the project, I took an investor to the meeting. The day I signed the project, the guy vanished.... But guess what? Today the project is delivered." (03:44)
  • Compensated buyers when the government appropriated previously sold land; underscores integrity and resolve.

The Mindset Behind Success (04:27–06:29)

• Faith and Vision:
  • Both Derrick and the guest relate personal and connected stories of visualizing, claiming, and actively pursuing opportunities, regardless of lack of resources.
  • Emphasis on self-belief and relentless ambition:

    "One thing I've realized is this. You can achieve whatever you set your heart, whatever you set your mind to. Remember that. It's like magic. It's like. It's like. It's like drugs. It's like taking drugs and feeling fly. But I'm not going to lie to you. You can achieve anything that you set your mind to. Anything." (05:41 – B)

  • The guest aspires to even greater success, refusing to call himself successful yet:

    "I want a Lamborghini and I'm going to buy it. I want a Rolls Royce and I'm going to buy it." (06:23)

Redefining Failure (07:03–09:14)

• No Such Thing as Failure—Only Lessons:
  • Asked about biggest mistakes: "There's no mistake." (07:10)
  • Instead, every setback has been a teaching moment: "Everything that looks like a mistake is a lesson...If you didn't take that action that results into failure...you won't even be successful anyway." (07:13)
  • Powerful metaphor:

    "When you see a warrior that is crowned as a warrior, what is his back like...? Do you think there's a warrior without marks and bruises? ... No, they were pain to make him fight better. So there's no failure." (08:14)

  • Importance of never giving up: "If you give up, you give up. Giving up is not failure. ... if you failed, that's not failure. That's only a lesson." (09:01)

Practical Strategy for Getting Started (09:14–10:36)

• Leveraging Relationships and Digital Presence:
  • "First thing first, you need to understand where you currently are in your life. If you are someone who has access to relationships...leverage. Don't be proud. Don't try to be arrogant. Use that network to build." (09:28)
  • For those without networks: build visibility online. Instagram and other social media were crucial to the guest’s early sales.
    • "One of the things I did early was to start building my social media...from Instagram alone. I've built so many relationships...we've sold estates...all from Instagram. How? Brand it well, make videos, be consistent, design flyers, show progress, ... do promotions, sell." (09:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The same 6.4 [million naira] for another person would not change anything. But the same 6.4 changed everything for me. ... It did not exactly change my life immediately, but at least got me started.” – Guest (02:20)
• “You can achieve whatever you set your mind to. ... It's like magic. ... You can achieve anything that you set your mind to. Anything.” – Guest (05:41)
• “There's no mistake. Everything that looks like a mistake is a lesson. ... When people ask me, what would you have done differently? Nothing.” – Guest (07:13)
• “When you see a warrior that is crowned as a warrior, what is his back like? ... Do you think there's a warrior without marks and bruises? ... No, they were pain to make him fight better. So there's no failure.” – Guest (08:14)
• “Leveraging on that network, leverage on that, you know, relationship, right to build. Don't be arrogant or proud that you can do life on your own.” – Guest (09:30)
• “From Instagram alone ... we've sold estates ... my brother, from Instagram.” – Guest (09:55)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:35–02:53] — The guest's journey from nothing to first sale
• [02:53–03:39] — How he used the first sale and the sacrifices made
• [03:39–04:27] — Overcoming adversity, unreliable investors, and government acquisition
• [05:41] — Mindset: Self-belief and dreaming big
• [07:03–09:14] — Redefining failure and sharing lessons, not just successes
• [09:28–10:36] — Actionable strategies for leveraging relationships and building a business from scratch

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Takeaway:

The episode punctures the myth of overnight success; even the first big win won’t transform your life, but it’s the essential spark. The real work—and growth—comes from persistence, learning from every misstep, refusing to give up, and believing in yourself no matter the circumstances. Leveraging relationships and harnessing digital tools are practical takeaways for anyone getting started.

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For more episodes and motivational content, follow Konnected Minds on YouTube and Instagram.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

I've not taken a loan. I don't have any investor in my business.

[C]

How were you able to do it?

[B]

Selling. I sold. I taught people how to sell. They went to sell. Yes, I got into problems because there was inflation. I've delivered terrible projects, but I'm also delivering very good projects. I've bought lands and lost them. I've lost a lot of money. I bought a land worth 6.4 billion and lost it. But I don't owe anybody. I don't owe the bank.

[C]

Where did you get the money to start?

[B]

Yeah, when I wanted to start real estate development, right. In fact, at that point in time, it was Covid year 2020 and our rent was six months behind. And after Covid, what was going to happen? We would be thrown out of the house. I slept at least on the couch for six years of my life because, I mean, we couldn't really afford a very big house. I left home one day and I told my mom I was not coming back until I make money. I slept in different places. I slept at a park. I slept at a point someone took me in and would go for inspections, go to different lands. What did I do? My brother. I met with some family who owned a large portion of land. It was not even like very large portion as a five acres of land, right? And I had an agreement. I told them, see, I want to buy this land. I'm coming. In fact, I had drafted the agreement. Then I went ahead, got a graphics designer. I can't even find the guy for you. I didn't pay him. I said, please design this. This is for me. Design Stallion Spring Estate. That was my first estate, Put this price on it and I started marketing it. I cried, I prayed. I did everything. I did all my business, incorporation, everything. Took time. I was frustrated. Ah, but guess what? I was able to make my first sale. It was 6.4 million naira and that changed everything. Guess what? My brother. The same 6.4 for another person would not change anything. But the same 6.4 changed everything for me. And the same 6.4 did not exactly change my life immediately, but at least got me started. From that 6.4, I paid a deposit to the landowners. From that same 6.4, I got a shared workspace. From the same 6.4, I bought two suits.

[C]

At least you're upgrading.

[B]

I paid off my mom's rent, gave her some money and back to zero. But good thing now is this is what we have. The land, We've paid the deposit, we've created graphics guy. We have a shared workspace. And now I don't have a house. Don't forget. So I started sleeping in the shared workspace and just do it. Just kept trying to sell, sell, sell, sell, sell. And where we are. When I started my first project, I built six terraces, two fully detached. When I wanted to sign the project, I took an investor to the meeting. The day I signed the project, the guy vanished and disappeared.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

But guess what? Today the project is delivered. Today I own one of the units that I didn't decide to even sell. Yeah, I took another project to kind investor there. It vanished. Today the project is delivered. I even gave my mother a house there. You know where we currently are, Just behind you, I have a land. I took an investor there. The guy asked me for 60%. 60% returns in a year? How? But because I was able to buy the land, I gave it out to another developer. So I have how many more percent? Let's just say I bought land for like 10% and I have over 2000% interest. I mean returns. Let's just put it like that.

[C]

When you started talking about the action you took to get the acres of land, get it designed, and then try to make the first sale. I went into a zone where one of my pastors. That man has been a pastor for over 35 years. He's one of my senior men. He tells me that Derek, the last five years, my life has changed. Because there was a time I went on the land. When I saw the land, I told God I want this land. And I started looking for the family. He found the family and told the family he wants to buy this land. At the time, he had nothing, no money. After serving God for over 25 years in hardship, he only came to that realization five years ago. Today he owned that space.

[B]

Let me be honest with you. I'm not where I want to be in my life. Yet. So I wouldn't say I'm successful yet. Yeah, people see me as. But I won't even say I'm successful yet.

[C]

You are driving my dream car.

[B]

I won't say I'm successful yet. There's still a long way to go. Very long way. But guess what? One thing I've realized is this. You can achieve whatever you set your heart, whatever you set your mind to. Remember that. It's like magic. It's like. It's like. It's like drugs. It's like taking drugs and feeling fly. But I'm not going to lie to you. You can achieve anything that you set your mind to. Anything. Name the craziest things. I didn't know I was going to buy this car. I want a Lamborghini and I'm going to buy it.

[C]

You buy.

[B]

I want a Rolls Royce and I'm going to buy it.

[C]

I'm like, when you buy WhatsApp, I'm coming to Lagos to sit in there.

[B]

It's a thing first of the mind. Just believing you can and just going for it. It's not going to come easy. That first same land. Do you know? The government took it? Yes. A road past it now. Yes. But guess what? I've solved the problems. Even the same people I sold to them, I've compensated them, giving them another place. So it doesn't mean that if your life start on the wrong side or on the right side, it will probably go smooth and end up in a good way. No, you would. You would have problems.

[C]

What's the biggest mistake you made in real estate? The biggest mistake? Something that you know, this young person can learn from.

[B]

There's no mistake.

[C]

You haven't made any mistake.

[B]

Everything that looks like a mistake is a lesson. I bought land. I lost it. I started a project without money. Inflation met me on the project. I was depressed. I got the wrong contract on a project. Project turned out something else. It's not a mistake. It's not. In fact, when people ask me, what would you have done differently? Nothing.

[C]

So this is the thing. Let me tell you the thing. And I know you're going to be in the comments. Somebody said you keep interviewing successful people. We want to hear their failure story.

[B]

It's the failure.

[C]

So if you don't tell us today, I'm sure Kwame and Pascal in the comments.

[B]

There's no failure, my brother. There's no failure. There is only lessons. Because the same failure. If you didn't take that action that results into failure, it won't. You won't even be successful anyway. You won't. When you see a warrior that is crowned as a warrior, what is his back like? What does. What are the bruises on his.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

Do you think there's a warrior without marks and bruises? So those bruises, do you think they are. They were pain because he failed to fight? No, they were pain to make him fight better. So there's no failure. I think maybe the things. Maybe in my life now, there's just some things I'm realizing that, I mean, a lot of people agree to first, agreeing that there's no purpose. There's nothing like purpose. And just believing that life is in faces and maybe they're just purposes.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

And maybe also believing that there's no failure.

[C]

Right.

[B]

If you give up, you give up. Giving up is not failure. You've given up, you've given up. That's up to you. But if you failed, that's not failure. That's only a lesson.

[C]

Now, I want you to give me one strategy that you teach your students that this person listening to us can use to go to a family. I don't know, somebody good.

[B]

First thing first, you need to understand where you currently are in your life. If you are someone who has access to relationships, all good for you. All you need to do is to leverage. Don't be proud. Don't try to be arrogant. Leverage on that network. Leverage on that, you know, relationship, right to build. Don't even be arrogant or proud that you can do life on your own. If you have access to people who can support you, can help you take it. If you don't, tie your. Maybe adjust your seat belts and do it the right way. What's the right way? How can you be seen, my brother? One of the things I did early was to start building my social media from only Instagram alone. I've built so much relationships and I've built. In fact, nobody knew me. Nobody knows me. I usually build from the Internet. We've sold estates. Eh. And not just land estates. My brother from Instagram. How brand it well, make videos, be consistent, Design flyers, show progress, updates take people to sites, do promotions, sell.

[C]

How do I get a site? The site, you know.

[B]

Okay, okay, fine. You want to do real estate, Everything good.

[C]

But now I want the site. I cashed out my entire 401k thinking

[B]

someone stole my identity. A fake email cost me my dream home. After I sent my personal information to

[A]

a scammer, my AI agent wired thousands to an account I'd never seen.

[D]

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