Next Level University
Confidence, mindset, relationships, limiting beliefs, family, goals, consistency, self-worth, and success are at the core of hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros' heart-driven, no-nonsense approach to holistic self-improvement. This transformative, 7 day per week podcast is focused on helping dream chasers who have been struggling to achieve their goals and are seeking community, consistency and answers. If you've ever asked yourself "How do I get to the next level in my life", we're here for you!
Our goal at NLU is to help you uncover the habits to build unshakable confidence, cultivate a powerful mindset, nurture meaningful relationships, overcome limiting beliefs, create an amazing family life, set and achieve transformative goals, embrace consistency, recognize your self-worth, and ultimately create the fulfillment and success you desire. Let's level up your health, wealth and love!
Next Level University
What You Work On… Works On You (2078)
What if the real reward isn’t the goal, but who you become chasing it? In this episode, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros get real about the invisible growth that comes from showing up consistently. From embarrassing early episodes to coaching breakthroughs and hard-won lessons, they unpack how podcasting and personal development shape not just skills, but identity. If you’ve ever doubted whether your effort is paying off, this episode is the reminder you need.
Links mentioned:
Podcast Growth University: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/podcast-growth-university
Relationship Talks #48 on Thursday, June 19, at 4 PM Eastern Time: “How To Determine Your Relationship's Commitment Level” - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/gjK7xvmrR_OXIeq2toMH5Q
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Free 30-minute Business Breakthrough Session with Alan -
https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-free-breakthrough-session?month=2025-04
Free 30-Minute Podcast Breakthrough Session with Kevin -
https://calendly.com/kevinpalmieri/free-30-minute-podcast-breakthrough-session-with-kevin
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NLU is not just a podcast; it’s a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.
For more information, please check out our website at the link below. 👇
Website 💻 http://www.nextleveluniverse.com
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We love connecting with you guys! Reach out on Instagram, Facebook, or via email. We’re here to support you in your personal and professional development journey.
Instagram 📷
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
Facebook ✍
Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/
Email 💬
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com
LinkedIn ✍
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/
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Show notes:
(1:55) “What You Work On Works On You”
(4:27) From Fearful Speaker To Confident Mentor
(5:56) Why Responsibility Is the Real Secret
(7:02) Personal Growth Through Repetition
(12:26) Becoming A Man Through The Work
(13:11) Next Level Dreamliner: The planner, agenda, journal, and habit tracker to rule them all. Get a copy: https://a.co/d/9fPpxEt
(9:56) Real example: EV deal breakdown
(13:06) Cheat codes from coaching clients
(16:05) Chess, business, and knowing the rules
(17:39) Car buying leverage you didn’t know
(24:18) Outro
I tell people this all the time. The cheat code about podcasting for us is we essentially get to learn more than anybody else. So if you're watching or listening, I appreciate the fact that hopefully, you take something away from each and every episode. But I at times feel not really guilty, but jokingly guilty that I take away more than anybody else because I am growing along with the podcast.
Speaker 2:The other day my iPhone popped up and said hey, I think it was 18.51 or something. Some software update. My car updates overnight, my phone updates overnight. This podcast what you work on, works on you is also a software update. So the phone is getting better, the car is getting better, your computer windows is getting better. If you have a Mac, your Mac is getting better. This podcast, hopefully, is also making you better, just like it is for Kevin and I.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Next Level University. I'm your host, kevin Palmieri, and I'm your co-host, alan Lazarus. At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.
Speaker 2:Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life love health and wealth.
Speaker 1:We bring you a new episode every single day, on topics like confidence, self-belief, self-worth, self-awareness, relationships, boundaries, consistency, habits and defining your own unique version of success.
Speaker 2:Self-improvement in your pocket every day, from anywhere, completely free.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Next Level University, next Level Nation today for episode number 2078. Alan said the title in the cold open Guilty as charged, what you work on works on you. So you wanted to do this episode because you had a story, so I'm just going to kick it to you rather than trying to say something intelligent.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Emiliano. He has a brand new podcast he just launched, called the Coffee Lounge. He came with a whole don't know. I respect that. What are those coffee things that you ground it? It's a cold press that he had one of those and he had a little sort of shot, nice looking espresso cup, and I said cheers, my friend, caffeine, nice.
Speaker 2:So four years ago he had a podcast called the Book Lounge and he asked me my favorite books and he interviewed me about the books. Awesome, he was 16 years old, I was 32. Four years ago 2021. And I saw him and I was like Emiliano, you have grown, my friend. He had this strong jawline. He hit puberty, the whole thing. I'm like I'm hoping hit puberty too at 37. But anyways, it was an awesome interview and he opened with a question that I thought was really powerful. He said you were on the show four years ago. What has changed since then? What is something that you're thinking about, that you've learned since then? And I said it's very, very, very clear to me at this point we have 2074 episodes of the next level university podcast. What you work on works on you.
Speaker 2:So way back in the day I worked as a car kid and a bus boy, and I don't think that job was making me any better. Maybe a little. I socialized, I had to be respectful to the guests, I had to wash carts and I had to wash clubs and I learned how to talk to professionals and stuff. So, yeah, maybe a little, but not nearly as much as this. Because I said, brother, I saw you four years ago, you've changed a ton. Those are some critical. Four years from 16 to 20 is a big deal. And I said hopefully you've noticed some changes in me too. He said no, none at all. I'm kidding.
Speaker 1:Nice, strong work. I respect that.
Speaker 2:But I'm far more. I can even tell, because it's the same ish setting and I could tell well, I'm a completely different man than the last time I saw this, this guy. And why? Because what you create creates you. What you work on works on you and we happen to have a personal development company about success and reaching the best version of yourself, and I feel so blessed with that because our work directly helps us grow.
Speaker 1:It's very weird to think about because I've sort of lost sight to a degree not completely of what it's like to be afraid to speak in front of people. Now, again, if you put me in a large group I'm going to get nervous. But I was on a podcast right before this and at the end he was like any words of encouragement or words of advice that you'd leave people with. And if that happened to me, like eight years ago, if you, if I got to the end of something and you said words of encouragement or I just had to freestyle something, I would lose my freaking mind. I hammered it was great, very freaking mind. I hammered, it was great, would you say very, very humbly. I went on a rant, I just I went on a rant and but it wasn't, I didn't think about it, I didn't have to know what it's to your point, it was just all of the reps of this, it was just that it's yes, what'd you say?
Speaker 1:so this was a show for men, and I said something along the lines of there's there's two parts that I want to give, and I think it's important to make sure that I separate the two, because there are some of you out there that need to take more responsibility for yourselves, because there are people that are counting on you, and there are also some people out there, some of you out there, who you kind of have become your own hero in a way, and you don't fucking know it yet, and you got to own that, because if you don't own it now, you're never going to feel good enough. There was something along the lines of that Nice, I've never said any of that before, neither of those things.
Speaker 2:Dude Emiliano, right before this, a half hour ago, asked me the same thing Any words, not words of encouragement, but any last words, any anything that we didn't, that I didn't ask you that you want to say anything you want to part with, and I said responsibility. I said the truth is as as as unfortunate as this is. No one really cares about your future. They don't really care that much if you're successful or not. They don't really care that much if you're successful or not. So I said you have potential, but no one cares about it. You have to care about it and you have to take responsibility for the future you want now. And so it's funny that we both went to responsibility it is, it is, it is very.
Speaker 1:I think we're on that, that vibe, that's the it's the you hate when I you hate when I you hate when I talk about seasons, but I think it's the responsibility. I don't hate when you talk alan doesn't.
Speaker 2:I was like dude, let's do an episode on seasons, always talking about seasons, fuck seasons, man don't be going on. You always want to talk about seasons. I do. You do always want to talk about seasons perspective, self-awareness kevin's interviewed me six times on this podcast. He always starts with what season are you in, man?
Speaker 1:gotta know gotta know now the reason fucking hating seasons, the reason I brought that story up was not to talk about my speaking capabilities. That's not it. That's one of the things I've gotten better at, though, because only because I do it so much the the desire to add value to someone, has helped me understand how to, hopefully, express a message in a better way. Now, is that conscious? Yeah, I'm always consciously thinking of it, but that's a big piece of it. I told Alan today. I said, man, I'm dialed in when it comes to saving money. I'm like obsessed with it. I had a moment where I was about to download an app that will get me a discount on charging my car, and rather than doing it now for $6.99, I'm going to wait until the day I do it and get a couple extra days out of it.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. I told Kev, I said, if you were like that in the beginning, you would have been so much better off.
Speaker 1:But again, it wouldn't have been fun. We wouldn't have suffered as much and there was a lot of growth in that. But growth in that, but that that's all a byproduct of what we're doing. That's, that's all a byproduct of of what we're doing. If you've ever worked at a restaurant, every time you go into a restaurant you see it differently than I do. I have. I have no fucking clue what goes on behind the scenes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no idea I was like. I said I was a bus boy. It's a whole thing back there.
Speaker 1:I have clue. I have no idea. There's certain things that maybe I know. If you've never seen above the ceiling at a school, I can tell you exactly what's up there not a lot dead birds rats. Some kids like to throw pencils and pens through the ceiling, through the drop ceiling, probably pretty disrespectful. But yeah, you used to say it's not about what, what. It's not about what the job pays, it's about what you become.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a Jim Rohn quote. And again, personal development speaker very sound to fundamentals.
Speaker 1:Very sound. He's a great speaker.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's a great speaker, and one of the things he used to say is it's not about what you're making here, it's about what you're becoming here, and for anyone who's younger, that is very true when.
Speaker 1:How do we get that to actually land? Because it sounds I I know if I heard that I'd be like, yeah, fucking land that. Like what that's out in the atmosphere, like how do we get that to land this?
Speaker 2:is good. I would love. Every time I say something that would would never land with older kevin.
Speaker 1:I need to know why I love you to death. We don't have fucking time for that. You know what I mean. I'd love you to death. I'd love to do it every time.
Speaker 2:I was just on with a 20 year old, and I mean this with all the respect I can possibly muster. He's 20, he's a new podcaster and this is the point. I've 2074 episodes. It's very clear. It's very clear. He might coach. I'm excited, but he's interviewing me. He's not. He's not a seasoned speaker, that's okay. So what's my point? What would I tell him, 20 year old? I would say, brother, I listened to myself, so earlier today this is on my Instagram story right now, if you're listening to this, it's not anymore, probably. Yeah, it's not anymore. 24 hour window.
Speaker 1:You missed it. 24 hour window you missed it.
Speaker 2:I'm kidding. Big loss for all of you, so I'm joking. The episode 20, I watched Five minutes of it. I had to shut it off because it was fucking terrible.
Speaker 2:Understandable, but I watched it on YouTube. Great setup, Strong work, Great setup. Where was it? Catherine Nash's house, Ah yeah, great setup. You and I dude dude, brutal could had to shut it off, but here's the deal. No one's good. 20 episodes in. In comparison now for 20 episodes in. I thought it was very strong. Compared to now, we were terrible. That's okay. So what would I say to this 20-year-old how do I make it land? He's not making any money with his podcast right now and if he is, it's very little. That's okay. The podcast that you create. And I told him this. I said Emiliano, you're interviewing me right now. He said these words. I'm so grateful. He said of all the people I interviewed back then on the book lounge, you had the biggest impact on me. I said that means a lot to me. Thank you so much. That was what we opened with and I made sure to make that point Cause I was like no-transcript.
Speaker 1:So would you, if somebody came to you, would a list of what it's making for you be beneficial? Like, okay, right now it's not making money, I know we want that't check that box, but what is it making? Is it making more confidence? Is it making more punctuality? Is making more preparation organization? You think that's a good good, like next step, because I didn't know what did the podcast do for you?
Speaker 1:let's talk about that. Everything made me a man. It made me a man made me a an. It made me a man, maybe a a, an adult who had responsibilities and it all of that. But in the process I didn't appreciate it. I didn't appreciate that.
Speaker 2:Remember when I used to say it's not about getting the goal, it's about what the goal will make of you. To achieve it.
Speaker 1:It never landed it never landed. No, because that's a I feel like it's such a now it does, but it eight years too late. But but here's the thing, it's this it's going to be the same thing in 10 years, but I don't really understand what it will make of me make it I know it'll make of me more what would have made it land.
Speaker 2:You know what it is it's experiential learners. Hello, hello, hello nlu listener. Thank you, as always, for listening to next level university. It's experiential learners into goals, milestones and daily habits. We hope you enjoy it. The link will be in the show notes. I have an idea You're an experiential learner. Until you experience it, it doesn't land.
Speaker 1:This is my thought the skills that you develop and the confidence that those skills will create for you will end up being way more meaningful and way more powerful than any of the goals that you end up accomplishing. I would say that, but I don't know if it would actually land or not. Don't imagine how you're going to feel when you accomplish the thing I don't know. You're going to be way more proud of the person you become than the things you accomplish. Probably.
Speaker 2:But the person you become is a byproduct of what you try to accomplish. Well that that? That's good. Well, yeah, but that was under the guides of what you try to accomplish Well that that.
Speaker 1:That's good. Well, yeah, but that was like under the guides of that right. But I don't know, I don't know how I would make it land Guys, whatever. I didn't say that so loud. I tried to sneak that one by you, the guys of it.
Speaker 2:You said something earlier and my brain said something. I just started smiling. He said, well, here's my thought. And I, my brain, said, fuck your thought, I'm just joking, I'm having fun again.
Speaker 1:This is nice. We're trying to again. We're always trying to figure out who we are and it's very challenging when you do it publicly, but this started as a fly on the wall, Like, let's imagine if you were a fly on the wall of two people that were just obsessed with growth.
Speaker 2:that I think feel like we're getting back to that yeah, I would say, and I want to have fun, want to have funnies, funnies yeah, we like funnies big fan.
Speaker 2:All right, what you create creates you. What you work on works on you. The goals that you and this is the journey destination thing. I talk about this often in coaching. It's about the journey, not the destination. Real talk, real talk. No, it isn't the destination you choose dictates the journey, it dictates the journey.
Speaker 2:Kevin chose a destination. He committed we're going to do an episode on commitment after this. He committed to finding a way to create a successful podcast and you had to build a business. You had to learn how to lead. You had to deal with me. You had to read books. You had to understand finance. You had to learn how to use AI. You had to learn how to podcast, audio, edit, video, edit everything. Look at how much you've had to understand finance. You had to learn how to use AI. You had to learn how to podcast, audio edit, video edit everything. Look at how much you've had to learn who you've had to become to achieve the level that we've reached.
Speaker 2:Now you are that man. You ever see what's a good example? This is a weird one, but Chris Hemsworth, 42 years old, boot size seven and a half I'm kidding, no, but I was thinking to myself. This dude just crushed it in life. Chris Hemsworth was Thor. For those of you who don't know. He just fucking crushed it in life. This dude just crushed it A decade ago when he first started as Thor.
Speaker 2:No one even knew this dude and for the last 10 years and obviously the 10 years before that when he was a no-name, he was still grinding. And I just think to myself. This dude is 42 years old. He's a mammoth of a man and he's got it going on. He's doing all this work. His dreams made him that he wasn't born that way. You can look at old photos of the guy. He was like this weird looking semi surfer dude. He. He became something through his fucking dreams and I just I believe so deeply in that your dreams make something of you and if you don't have dreams, you're not going to make yourself something. Diamonds are created by dreams, not the other way around. I just don't know how to get it to land. When you didn't have self-belief, what would you need to hear?
Speaker 1:What would I need to hear? What would I want to hear? What would I need to hear? I don't believe in myself. I don't feel like anything's possible. I don't feel like I'm going to be successful. It will be worth it. That's what I needed to hear.
Speaker 1:I know it might not feel like it because even if you don't accomplish the goals, you'll be way more than you ever were. So what's the? What's the? Yeah, the downside might be look, you try really hard and you never.
Speaker 1:And this is where it's like it's kind of fucked up. This is where the shoot for the moon if you miss, you're still amongst the stars, like there is a piece of that. That is slightly true here. But not bumper sticker self-improvement, true. If you do shoot for a goal and you end up missing it, yeah, it sucks and yeah, it will hurt and your, your feelings will be hurt and you might be disappointed, you might be frustrated, but you're going to be way more than you were before you started and I think, while it still sucks, not accomplishing the goal, that's a pretty cool second prize. It's a pretty cool second place trophy.
Speaker 1:I mean, how many of the goals have I shot for that? I haven't hit A lot of them Like not necessarily macro goals, but how many times have I tried something, it not worked, and then me figured out a ton of lessons from it. It's like, ah well, I tell I say this all the time and then we'll, we'll hop. There was a. We had an opportunity to get a very big client very early in this journey and I fucked it up all me, full, full ownership. I fucked it up and at the time it felt like the end of the world. I was like, oh my god, I can't believe that happened. You know how many positive things came from that.
Speaker 1:So many positive things like that one man you set me up. Yeah, it was, it was a dub. It was a dub. But honestly, if I could go back and change it, I wouldn't. I needed that. I needed that to happen yeah, I know I'd rather that happen then than now, that there's a reason it doesn't happen now as much. And do I still fuck? Of course I fuck up, but not like.
Speaker 1:Not like that, yeah there's a reason, because it happened and I took the lesson. I wanted the goal, I wanted that goal. I didn't get the goal, but I got all the lessons and those lessons come with me and I've gotten way more, way more quote unquote success because of that L that I would have if I got the W right away for sure. So you have to believe that something will be worth it. It might not be getting the trophy, but there are a lot of other things that go unseen even if you don't get the trophy.
Speaker 2:In the last two days I've talked to two 20 year olds and it's such good perspective for me. One's name is Christian and Emiliano, and you just have this moment and again I'm that old guy now. You just know. Oh, I see who you were four years ago. I see who you are now. I see the delta, the growth, and then I see your future and I see potential. I see so much potential. His speaking was not great, like filler words, of course so was ours, but I see so much potential. It's like if you focus on the right skills, if you focus on the right goals, if you get the right coach or mentor, if you stay after it, you're gonna get so fucking good. You will and you'll blow your own mind if you stick with it. But if you don't believe in it and commit to it, why would you manifest a potential you don't believe in? That's got to be the biggest conundrum in the world is how do you get someone to see their own potential?
Speaker 1:there was a post, the next level nation.
Speaker 2:I know we gotta jump. There's a post the next level nation that said you said something, see my own future. What was the post you remember? You commented on it superpower, if you had superpower, I think it was like something like that. Yeah, my answer is usually pause time with Emilia.
Speaker 1:Mine's usually Hulk strength, but I chose a different one this time. Same.
Speaker 2:So I chose get people to see their own future, get people to see their own potential. And someone commented on I think it was Amy, oh my God.
Speaker 1:Excuse me, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2:That's a burp. And she said you do do that, listen, not well. Thank you so much, amy, not fucking well, I are you kidding me like I'm lucky you?
Speaker 1:trusted me. You need like a 10 year. It's like, all right, you're gonna sign up for coaching 10, 10 year, 10 year coaching package. Yeah, just give me 10 years just give me 10 years, just gotta show up, yeah, every call years you'll see no, no improvement whatsoever for sure bianca's the best example dude.
Speaker 2:Six years of coaching her, she is just for sure rushing it. And but she, I told her, I said I have the most credibility with you, kev, you, you guys have seen it the longest. If everyone had the same, like with b, I don't even have to sell anything. It's like hey, are you in? She's yes, of course you've seen it.
Speaker 1:I wish the world knew one day they will one day they will all right into that anymore.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll save, we'll save that for a different episode all right if you are listening to this podcast and you are a podcaster or want to become a podcaster and you feel like you need guidance. If you're already taking personal development guidance from us, I'm happy to help you with the podcast front as well. I have a podcast called Podcast Growth University. We'll have the link in the show notes. An episode every week on how to grow, scale and monetize your podcast. Nice, thank you, sir.
Speaker 2:Got me.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I'm in Hell yeah, nice work. Yeah, you could learn a thing or two. It was a good pause. You could learn a thing or two, I honestly thought you froze.
Speaker 1:I thought you froze.
Speaker 2:Well, my camera also did a weird wonky thing, too at the same time it did. So. It was an opportunity, it was an anomaly. We have Emilia and I. We have a company called the we, so there's me and another me, which is her, and it's the we, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That's what this is built on. We have relationship talks, virtual events, every single month. The next one is on June 19th 2025. How to determine your relationship's commitment level? Kevin and I are about to do a episode on commitment and that'll be tomorrow's episode, but that event june 19th 2025, 5 pm, eastern standard time. Basically, we take the unconscious patterns that are running in your relationship, running amok the weeds in the garden, and we help you make them conscious, hyper conscious. Nice, and it changes everything. So we hope to see you there the link.
Speaker 1:Always show notes to register. Always it's free, free, as always. Free, free value on love why not? All right, as always, we love you, we appreciate you, grateful for each and every one of you and l. You either have fans, we have family. We will talk to you all tomorrow keep it next level, next elimination. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. We love connecting with the Next Level family.
Speaker 2:We mean it when we say family. If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes.
Speaker 1:Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.
