Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler (LCH) - Part 9 #LCH

Its was fun when I'd wake up by 10a.m. when everyone in the house had either gone to work or school, reading a newspaper while taking a dump, seeking attention and getting pseudo-relevance on twitter and other social media.….and GBAM!!! You go to the kitchen, no pot on the cooker and the fridge is locked!!!….like seriously?!….at this point, reality dawns on you…you've become a parasite to even your folks! Close to 27 with over 400 or more applications, 32 calls for interviews, 20 interviews, 12 offers…and still no job(sustainable and secured one I mean) and my parents were pretty fed up with my case and demands. (whiny baby, boo hoo)

Business had been slow and I hadn't paid any bills of late in the house! All I did was sleep, bury myself in my computer locked in my room and eat! Its not that the jobs weren't coming but after being a contract staff on a world bank project, the bar had been raised,  I wouldn't settle for anything less! I enrolled for my MBA a while back and that served as an excuse for some time but lectures were just for weekends and ASUU succeeded in dragging an 18 month programme to its third year….what's more, my account balance kept mocking me and the little money I made or raked from my folks went to; recharge cards, loading my nairabet account, subscriptions(DSTV, modem, blackberry and my cute android), investing in the small t-shirt business I had been running and to my sisters(they don’t care if I’m jobless). Though I didn't make extras, I made just enough to get me by in the month….then one day I sat down to retrace my steps, there had to be more to making a living than just getting a job if only I could just put more dedication into all I the work of my hands. The regular street hustle could become a regular business if I streamlined and concentrated efforts on a few, I thought.

I started consulting for other entrepreneurs, sourcing and procuring for firms from toiletries to gadgets, I printed my business cards and next I knew, satisfied customers were referring me to friends, I did not go to school to stroll around computer village looking indifferent from those just trying to make a living. I had become a link between those that have (and are willing to part with) and those that need(and are willing to pay for it). I once bought a cow for an client just coming in from Haaj and a carton of Nollywood movies for a family in London. Yea, I am badht like that!

Now people add me up on BBM just to help them push their wares, upcoming artistes call me to connect them to music sites, event planners and managers call to confirm market prices, friends call to get apps, pastors call to send bulk sms to members etc and oh yea, I call my parents once in every few days since I left their house...no more locked fridges and empty pots; just me calling out on my dreams!