A young man who faced early challenges after graduating high school without clear prospects for higher education took on an assistant teacher role. Despite being an underdog, he maximized every opportunity available, from tutoring to cooking, eventually innovating the school’s food system, resulting in better earnings than even those with advanced degrees. It’s a tale of resilience, where he navigated his path by adapting to circumstances and seeing potential in every role.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many faced idleness, this individual adapted by channeling his passion into food creativity, making noodles that delighted visitors. This led to a burgeoning business through social media, especially WhatsApp, where positive reviews from initial customers started a ripple effect of increasing popularity. By consistently using social media, he transitioned from personal connections to an expansive online reach, leveraging humor and engagement to grow his brand beyond imagination.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. jaw-dropping [ˈdʒɔː ˌdrɒpɪŋ] - (adjective) - Astonishingly impressive or surprising. - Synonyms: (astonishing, amazing, breathtaking)

And also because my idea for a TED talk is, you know, audience screaming, jaw-dropping, everyone gagging, you know, what a typical Nigeria we call a wasbo stock.

2. milking [ˈmɪlkɪŋ] - (verb) - To extract or draw benefits from something fully. - Synonyms: (exploiting, utilizing, extracting)

So he kept on milking every opportunity that came out in that space from a kitchen assistant

3. idleness [ˈaɪdlnəs] - (noun) - A state of inaction or inactivity; being unoccupied. - Synonyms: (inactivity, rest, laziness)

We had a lot of idleness. We had a lot of people sit back at home at that time.

4. hospitality [ˌhɒspɪˈtæləti] - (noun) - Friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests or strangers. - Synonyms: (reception, generosity, friendliness)

And it was a great hospitality, if you ask me.

5. review [rɪˈvjuː] - (noun) - A formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility of instituting change if necessary. - Synonyms: (assessment, evaluation, critique)

He maintained the culture of hosting the reviews.

6. accolades [ˈækəˌleɪdz] - (noun) - An award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit. - Synonyms: (honors, awards, recognition)

If that was your story, if someone posted about you giving you accolades, you own it right ahead.

7. stereotyped [ˈstɛr.i.ə.taɪpt] - (adjective) - Having a set notion or standard patterned belief, often applied to groups or paths. - Synonyms: (conventional, typical, patterned)

There is no single part, there is no stereotyped part saying you must go through this path to achieve success.

8. self-realization [ˌsɛlf ˌriːəˌlaɪˈzeɪʃən] - (noun) - Fulfillment of one's own potential or capabilities. - Synonyms: (self-actualization, self-awareness, fulfillment)

Our journey to self-realization can be likened to a tree.

9. industrial [ɪnˈdʌstriəl] - (adjective) - Relating to or characterized by industry, especially manufacturing. - Synonyms: (manufacturing, commercial, business)

And for the business, we have moved from that small kitchen to an industrial kitchen that serves over hundreds of thousands of people.

10. hop on [hɒp ɒn] - (verb phrase) - To join or take part in something quickly. - Synonyms: (participate, join, engage)

Opportunities are hidden. Trends we rarely hop on.

The Joseph Obasi's Story - From Classroom Teacher to Digital Fame - Joseph Obasi - TEDxIkenegbu Salon

I respect the TEDx. In fact the TEDx concept, I love it so much. And I respect everyone who speaks at TEDx. And also because my idea for a TED talk is, you know, audience screaming, jaw dropping, everyone gagging, you know, what a typical Nigeria we call a wasbo stock, you know, Until I realized it was about my story.

I paused a bit because my story. I hope the DJ has that stand Yokore song that says that's because that's how I see my story. That's how I perceive my story. Okay, this young man, I'm going to tell you a story about this guy. So let's forget about the other one. This guy here. You'll be, you'll be shocked at what he turned into by the time you realize where he's coming from.

Okay, so this is a young man who just graduated from secondary school and there was no hope for college university. And he decided of course, just like every other person to get a job, you know, so that he can save up God bless Nigeria. He does not have the certificates to earn high so he was given a position called the assistant teacher position. So your job basically is to clean, assist the main teacher, do what you have to do.

And for someone who wanted to work for a short time and then get back to college, you know, there was some level of delay in that hope. He had hope, but there was a delay. But he understands the concept of opportunities and how to milk every opportunity. So he kept on milking every opportunity that came out in that space from a kitchen assistant. There was a room for cleaning, he took it. There was a room for personal tutor, he took it. There was a room for even cooking for the kids to the point that the school system was adjusted a bit. They moved from allowing children to bring food to now making the food in the school. All thanks to him. Great job.

As he stands at that time, he could even earn more than the people who entered with masters master's degree. Because I mean money now, money Abi, he was making money. So it does not matter the certificate you're making the money with. At the end of the day we all came to make money. Let's fast forward. He has a career. Let's fast forward to the COVID 19 outbreak when the entire system of the world shifted was disrupted.

We had so much focus on social media because I mean that's where we could get our hope at a time we wanted to see whether it was going up, whether the COVID was in our neighborhood, whether your neighbor has it already, you know how it Was. So at that time, a lot happened. We had a lot of idleness. We had a lot of people sit back at home at that time. A lot of people will also say, the mind of an idle man is. There's a way to put it. The mind of an idle man is the devil's workshop.

But it was not his story because for someone who loves opportunity, he was quick to find the opportunity. At that time, someone visited, of course, in the mid, in the heat of COVID someone visited and I can't stand that food. But that was the first noodles where they bossed brain. The first noodles that ever busted brain. He made this special noodles, you know, sort of a way to. That's. This should tell you that nothing is really small. Nothing can be less special. It's always about how far you can go to make it special.

All right, so moving out. He didn't have all of this, didn't have all of those momo inside his house. But he had to rush out to make all of that. And then his friend tested it and it was a great hospitality, if you ask me. He posted it on social media saying, oh, wow, my friend, I visited my friend and he made this for me. So brilliant. I love it. If that was your story, if someone posted about you giving you accolades, you own it right ahead.

That young man posted as well. I mean, if someone says it's good, then it's good, you understand? So he posted saying, in fact, at this time, I think I'm due for a restaurant business. I mean, look at, look at the review. So, you know, being someone who had the audience of parents, you know, when you are a teacher or you are in that education system, you have parents pay close attention to you because they want to understand the kind of life you live. The person who, they place their children in his care, they want to know the kind of life you live. So he had little audience, you know, sort of 25 viewers on WhatsApp.

Someone now a parent, actually said, okay, if you say it's good, then we agree that is good. Let's have it. Someone placed an order, he delivered casually again posted telling everybody, I told you I made my first sales under 24 hours. It went on. Some other persons wanted to try. It went on from one person to the second person, third person, fourth person. And he maintained the culture of hosting the reviews. He maintained the culture of telling the story behind every meal he prepared.

And that gave birth to a business that gave birth to a system that was a full blown business. Emerging business kept on cooking and cooking and posting and cooking. Being someone who understand that his power, his sales come from social media. He now decided to channel his inner comedian trying to be funny. Post some things that will make people come so that people don't just come when they are hungry.

People don't just come, they come because, oh, it's always I will ease off once I get to Joseph's status. There must be something funny if it's not him talking. It might be someone else talking, but it will just make me feel very good. Then he made a random video talking about how people take these products to end it all in their words, end it all. And he was wondering. He just made a very funny post. Random, just like every other content he will always put out on WhatsApp story.

And he went viral without his permission. You know, a lot of people started, you know when you go viral and your contacts are shocked at how far you've gone because your contacts, they also have their contacts. When I didn't share this, I know this person personally. I didn't share this video with you. How did you get it? How they posted it in our group. This person put. So he had a lot of people from his contacts talking to him about bro, this video, I don't know, are you not the original? Did you dig it out from somewhere? Is that, is that not your voice? Because it's everywhere. People are asking for social media handles where they can meet you because they want to hear more.

That was how he created a page. Even on WhatsApp. He asked for suggestions, customers suggested cruise with Joe. He created a page and he moved from trying to push his business on WhatsApp to pushing other businesses globally.

The story of the guy we are talking about, it is me standing before you. So we have moved from few WhatsApp status views to having over a million following across all social media platforms.

And for the business, we have moved from that small kitchen to an industrial kitchen that serves over hundreds of thousands of people in a month. As if that is not enough, we travel to make that food. A new brand was created. Several brands created more job opportunities. A lot has happened.

And in this journey, in this journey, I have learned so much. But I'm going to share three yet very significant. College education cannot give you the life you didn't work for. We make it. You go to social media, you see people screaming. I am a seven star general with first class. So why don't you have a work? How did you work to get first class? Did you stop working? Did you retire after the Certificate.

So education, college education cannot give you the life you didn't work for. Nobody is going to carry you, remove Tinibu and put you there. Even though it will be a good news for some people, you know. But putting you there, nobody's going to do that. You will work. You will keep working. You will never stop working. That is number one.

Number two. Our journey to self realization can be likened to a tree. Then I will explain. To get to the top of the tree, you can take any branch. I hope you know you can take any branch to get to the top of the tree. You can start from here, you can branch here. You can start from the other side. But you will get to the top of the tree. My point is, there is no single part, there is no stereotyped part saying you must go through this path to achieve success.

People just paint their life. My point is, people paint. You paint your life so much and you become so rigid. Oh, I am going to study math so much that I will be the owner of a bank. I will move from a staff to a bank. And then you're living your life. You're living a stereotyped life. When you see other opportunities, when you see the job he saw.

When you see other opportunities in that environment, you will not take it. When you see, let's take for instance the cleaning job, the cooking job, other opportunities that came, you will not take it. Because you've conditioned your mind. And I'm here to tell you that there is no single part. You have to be flexible even as you work really hard. That is number two.

Then let's get to number three, which is like the last one. Opportunities are hidden. Trends we rarely hop on. So now what do I mean by this? I will explain. You know when the one that is trending now is fish pie, that's the one everybody is jumping on. That is the trend we know. But I want us to understand that every day we wake up to a trend.

We wake up to a trend. Opportunities are always there. A new business must have at least first 10 customers try them out. In fact, 70% of the consumers in the world wants to try a new business because they feel you will give them more attention. So I don't know what you have done with these opportunities. I don't know why you are messing up the trends you're supposed to jump on.

So take it from me today that there is always a trend waiting for you every morning. My name is Joseph Obase and that was my story. Thank you so much.

Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Motivation, Social Media Success, Overcoming Adversity, Opportunities, Tedx Talks