Lafup has got IT! This is an exclusive story and it's amazing too!

WARNING-Forgive the essay below as this interview comes with a lot of history from my perspective, but there are loads of hilarious pictures to make up for it! Lafup, please forgive me for some of these pictures! he he. Let the essay begin.

If you are following @that20sblog on Instagram, you would have seen my campaign to be Lafup's "deputy governor"(you can "shek it out" here). Lafup is having his annual comedy show on the 26th of December at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, and in true fashion of a socially aware entertainer, the publicity campaign for this year's show centers around him contesting for an election on the 26th and YOU get to vote for him by buying a ticket and attending the show!

I expect you to know Lafup, but in case you don't, just accept that he is one of the most talented entertainers in Nigeria today. He is a comedian, MC, businessman, actor and so much more. This story is so important to me because of our upcoming #vlogpost (anticipate it) and also because I watched Lafup happen right before my eyes at the Arts theatre University of Ibadan (U.I), and at the U.I choir concerts he used to compere, and suddenly (actually not so suddenly) Lafup is hosting TV shows and has built a solid brand.

There are a few things I admire about Lafup but there are two things I want us to pick from his story today, but before we do that, let me just say that the reason why I do this blog is to encourage you and encourage me too,lol, because sometimes the road to discovery could be tortuous, and its even worse when you feel you are walking alone. You are never alone dear friend, I can assure you... Anyway, before I go all preachy on you, where was I? Yes, the two things we need to learn from Lafup. We need to learn how to be daring and tenacious and both are very difficult things to do.

I knew Lafup way back in 2008 from his "Efrebor" shows in U.I, and from a distance, I could observe that this was someone who knew what he was good at, and his attitude was like "this art, this comedy, this entertainment, I will do it! This hustle must work! There is no alternative and there will be no alternative! This is what I want to do and I will do it!"

I was at this show, I even remember what I wore, because it was an opportunity for a fresher to turn up! lol. 2008!

And he succeeded in bringing Ali Baba!

Tell me what Google is making you see. Is this an issue?

I was doing a Google search on a Nigerian I intend to feature in the "Our Heroes in Their 20s" segment of this blog, but as is characteristic of Google, I was attracted to something else. I noticed a trend in Google's suggestions for my search and I thought to share with you. Read the comments underneath the pictures and tell me if you see what I see or if I'm being slightly paranoid!

20s Diaries Post- The 20s Guide to STOP Famzing

Let me paint a picture real quick... So you get invited to a party, and you decide to get a friend of yours to tag along. The two of you get to the party and for some reason, your friend is able to make friends with all your other friends and even people you don't know. Your friend is having an amazing time and you are just there, enduring the party! This is definitely how you will look, lol.

When it's at a party, the effect of your friend being able to network properly and you not being able to do the same is not really a big deal, but when you have the opportunity to meet people who could probably change your life (yes, I'm being dramatic) but you are unable to say a few sentences, then it might become an issue.

For many people, the problem is that networking appears to be sucking up or what is commonly known as famzing and it doesn't seem very genuine...well, we are here to dispel that notion. If you do it right, networking has the potential to be that extra spice you need to get you going.

Enjoy our video and please share your views on famzing... sorry I meant networking! 

Aminu Jahun has got "IT"

I met Aminu first on Facebook (the things social media will do) and then I bumped into him at the train station, and luckily, we were going to the same place, so we got talking. Aminu and I had a conversation for about an hour and I was totally inspired. In order to understand what I mean you really need to read his interview. Aminu is a medical doctor who just bagged a masters in immunology from Oxford, and is currently doing a PHD at Cambridge, aimed at basically finding out how to cure diseases (it is way more technical than that!)

From reading Aminu's story, you will see that not everywhere in Nigeria is terrible and not every young person lacks passion for the country! When he told me that the government hospital in Jigawa provided free food for patients and paid a fantastic salary to its doctors, I was shocked, because that couldn't be reconciled with my reality! Aminu spoke so passionately about returning to Nigeria after his PHD  to start a world class lab and find cures for diseases. You could feel the pain when he explained to me that finding a cure for Ebola and other diseases was not something Nigeria couldn't do, but the lack of skilled persons and equipment was the constraint. I was so ashamed of myself when I got off the train because after deep soul searching I wasn't sure I had a grand plan to to improve my country.

We celebrate entrepreneurs, intellectual, artists and all those who have Innovative plans that will surely make them Thrive. I think you will be inspired by Aminu's story.

20's diaries post- You Have to Sell Spare Parts!

If you have been following this blog, you would have seen a post about a young lady called Grace (see here). Well, this 20's diaries session addresses that pride that some millennials seem to have. Some of us have a sense of entitlement and we feel that once we are done with school, life should just align. Newsflash! It doesn't happen that way all the time. Sometimes, you may have to take detours or you may have to start very small before you can achieve your goal.
Today we are not pampering yhall in this video. We are talking to those who want to work in Chevron and nowhere else. We are talking to those who are sitting about complaining because no one is willing to invest 10 million Naira into their start-up, and we are also talking to those whose only strategy for raising capital is by hoping to win Miss fine face competition (sorry, I couldn't resist taking a pass at that). However, if you have realized that there is no shame in starting small, you can still watch the video to get a kick out of it and also to remind yourself that a small beginning is not necessarily a bad beginning!

Your heroes in their twenties- Arnold Schwarzenegger (video at the bottom)

He was quite the looker in his days oh

Be rest assured, I cannot spell Schwarzenegger. It was very politely copied and pasted everywhere you see it in this post, so I think it will be easier to refer to him as the Terminator.  I won't bore you with too many details about him, rather, I will go straight to the facts. Terminator was born in 1947, probably many decades before you or even possibly your parents became an idea, but his story is inspiring and relevant even now.

The Terminator had a plan early on and he started weight training at the age of 15. He was not one of us who just chilled till they got into their 20s and discovered that they needed to do something with themselves, (touche) because by the age of 20, he had won Mr Universe and he won it three more times. Do I need to explain the hours of training and dedication that got him this body? I think not. 

Sorry to assault your eyes, focus on the message!

The terminator is actually of Austrian descent and when he moved to the USA, he could not speak English. What fascinates me about his story is how a young Austrian body builder could dare to captivate the heart of many around the world as an actor and then turn out to become the governor of California. This man has absolutely no chill!

I saw a video about him which made me write this post, and I encourage you to watch it. I discovered that the key to his continued success is his mindset. Without sounding "Obamaic" the Terminator felt that he could be anything he chose to be and he gave it a shot. Paulo Coelho would say that the universe then conspired to give him his innermost desires. When he started his journey, I doubt if he knew where he would end up, but i think that's what makes the journey even more interesting. Please watch this video and if you don't get goose pimples from listening to what he says, then... you are very strong indeed.

Some things are beneath me.

Some things are beneath me. I just can’t imagine how anyone in their right senses can suggest silly things, lace such suggestions with insults and deliver them so boldly. The blame for the insult I received should be on me though, because if I had respected myself by staying in my house instead of visiting Tayo, I would not have received any insult from her mother. Tayo’s mum has absolutely no idea about what I need, what I deserve and what I’m going through. Her unsolicited advice and insult today was completely unwarranted.

If anyone told me that after university, I would not get a job immediately, I would have called that person an enemy of progress.  With a strong 2:1 and a prize upon graduation from a leading university in Nigeria, a sense of humour that would put Trevor Noah to shame, work ethics that can make ants feel inadequate, all within a very attractive and highly fashionable (yes, I dare to say so) package; the plan in my head was that I would have at least three job offers upon graduation, from oil companies and investment banks and I would simply choose the highest bidder.

Banke Fasominu has got "IT"

I knew Banke in the University of Ibadan. She was a fine undergraduate babe, living the normal undergraduate life, or so I thought. Banke branched out from being just an economics student to becoming an entrepreneur. I remember when she handled the make up for a particular photo shoot, I couldn't help but notice that she was very professional and she knew exactly what she was doing. Since then, I have been using "side eyes" to monitor her, because I was so sure that she would succeed because of her immense drive.

On the 25th of October, 2014, Banke shared a post on Facebook about her journey and the journey of her brand "Oludidit" and her story is very inspirational. Her business now incorporates interior design with such a unique African flavour. It is obvious that her products come from a place of innovation and  I know that Banke has only just begun, because if my suspicions are right, she has many other fantastic things in the offing. 

Banke is young and is making huge demands from life, she is navigating her way through the 20s and is in the process of becoming an even bigger star. She deserves to be celebrated for her courage, and I believe her story is more than enough to encourage you to follow your heart and give life to your innermost dreams. You can follow Banke on Instagram @oludidit and you can check out Oludidit on Faccebook https://www.facebook.com/OludiditStudios. Drum rolls please...

New Segment on the Blog! You've Got "IT"

Innovation to Thrive

Remember when we talked about the orange and the orange juice? If not, you can find that discussion here. We complained about the fact that the process of achieving success is never celebrated while the end result is given too much hype. We also promised to begin to celebrate the process, by looking out for young people in their 20s or early 30s who are doing good stuff, thus we have created a new segment!
This segment is called You've Got "IT" and IT stands for "Innovation to Thrive". We will have a wide array of young people in business, academics, entertainment and all sorts, and hopefully, you will be inspired by their stories and maybe also get IT. The attraction of this segment is that these people who are being featured are NOT finished products, they have not gotten their perfect #surulere picture, but on our 20shonour, we are sure that they are very much on their way there.

Our very first feature is coming up in the next couple of hours and I'm super excited about the young lady you will be introduced to. Also, if you know anyone who has inspired you or whose story is worth sharing, you know we are just an email away!

20's Diaries Post- Millennials and the Proverbial Box.

(This vlog post will resonate more if you read the article here first) 

It is very fulfilling to interact with 20s and find out that they echo the same sentiments I have, because it reinforces my belief that this space is important. Thus far, we have discussed generally about what it means to be at this defining stage of life, but our vlog posts are going to another level next week, where we begin to give life hacks, some of which may not be so easy to swallow- you have been warned!lol.

In this vlog post, I referred to a millennial who I saw perform and who prompted me to do this. His name is Deji and you can check out his song "Trapped" and his website here.