More Freedom = More Responsibility (2208)

In this episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros reveal the hidden truth behind success, the responsibility no one talks about. From business growth to personal discipline, they share real stories that show why every new level of freedom demands more effort, structure, and sacrifice than you expect. If you’ve ever wondered what it truly takes to build a life you love without losing the freedom you’re chasing, this conversation will give you the clarity you need. Press play and find out what freedom really costs.

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Website 💻  http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

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Show notes:
(2:05) Why clients pay to offload responsibility
(4:23) Social media hides the hard work
(7:27) Recognition follows years of unseen effort
(14:53) Behind the scenes: Discipline fuels freedom
(16:09) More responsibility, better quality of freedom
(17:20) Teamwork turns responsibility into shared strength
(18:55) Outro

🎙️ Hosted by Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

Next Level University is a top-ranked daily podcast for dream chasers and self-improvement lovers. With over 2,100 episodes, we help you level up in life, love, health, and wealth one day at a time. Subscribe for real, honest, no-fluff growth every single day.

Chapters

• 2:05 Why clients pay to offload responsibility
• 4:23 Social media hides the hard work
• 7:27 Recognition follows years of unseen effort
• 14:53 Behind the scenes: Discipline fuels freedom
• 16:09 More responsibility, better quality of freedom
• 17:20 Teamwork turns responsibility into shared strength
• 18:55 Outro

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) This is something that is fairly complex, that we have not been able to explain, that I actually think we might be able to explain today. (0:08) I'm excited to see. (0:10) Come with an open mind.

Alan Lazaros

(0:12) Let us pour in and contemplate your own conclusion for yourself.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:16) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:18) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:20) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:23) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement for Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth. (0:36) 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.

Alan Lazaros

(0:52) Self-improvement, in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (0:58) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:04) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2208. (1:09) More freedom equals more responsibility. (1:12) Okay, I remember when I left my job and I became a full-time wantrepreneur, I would say.(1:19) I wasn't really an entrepreneur yet. (1:20) Yeah, nice. (1:21) I was a wantrepreneur.(1:22) I remember somebody said to me, oh, you're going to have so much time. (1:26) It's going to be great now. (1:27) You're going to have so much time to dedicate to the podcast.(1:29) Yes, and more freedom equals more responsibility. (1:34) Just because I have the time does not mean I'm going to use the time in the way that I should. (1:39) We were talking about this in a previous episode where when you get a certain level of success, that creates a certain level of freedom.(1:48) But if you start jeffing off, you lose that freedom. (1:53) So here's the thought process. (1:55) Let's say we get a big client.(1:59) I'll use us as an example. (2:00) We get a big client. (2:01) That big client is paying us to help them.(2:03) Cool. (2:04) They're paying us a good amount of money. (2:05) Awesome.(2:06) That money equals more freedom and way, way, way more responsibility. (2:12) Every time? (2:13) Every time.(2:14) If we screw up, so if we say, well, now we have way more freedom. (2:17) I don't have to do anything now. (2:19) I don't have to worry about anything.(2:20) We will lose that freedom because we were not responsible enough. (2:22) That is my kickoff for this episode. (2:25) All right.

Alan Lazaros

(2:25) So if getting to the next level requires you to take more responsibility first, and we're going to do an episode on giving something up to grow up, give up to grow up, but, or give up to go up next level. (2:41) When you were talking, I had this moment of, it's almost like you're taking your responsibility and putting it in this other bucket. (2:48) So let me, let me explain.(2:50) We get a client and our tagline at Next Level Podcast Solutions for the podcasters listening or future podcasters or business owners who want to start a podcast. (3:01) Okay. (3:02) All right.(3:03) We do what we do best so you can do what you do best. (3:08) I do think that I have someone who's going to do podcast production with us. (3:12) I was on a coaching session with her earlier.(3:14) We'll see. (3:14) I got to send her a follow-up email. (3:16) I don't have time.(3:16) I don't have time to do it yet. (3:17) Kid's busy. (3:18) I have to do it later.(3:22) But when we say we do what we do best so you can do what you do best, it's almost like they're paying a monthly fee to give us the responsibility for their production. (3:31) But that's more of the responsibility we want and less of the responsibility they want. (3:37) So I think that people get confused when, it's like, well, why are you paying for the service?(3:44) You're paying for the service because you're giving money to get rid of a problem, to get rid of responsibility. (3:50) So that you can focus more on what you do best. (3:53) Not every, what is it?(3:57) Pilots shouldn't be booking flights. (4:01) Travel agents shouldn't be flying planes. (4:03) Nurses shouldn't be ordering supplies.(4:06) It's specialized knowledge, specialized expertise. (4:09) It's specialized jobs. (4:11) And for each individual out there watching or listening, if you want more freedom, you're going to have to take on more responsibility in your area of expertise.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:23) This is why, okay, so this lands for me in a new way than it ever has. (4:28) On social media, all you see is freedom. (4:30) You don't see responsibility.(4:31) You can't see responsibility. (4:33) Because responsibility is behind the scenes. (4:34) Which is why it's horseshit.(4:36) Which is why it's horseshit. (4:38) We just got a new client and I am grateful first. (4:45) And like, oh god, this is going to be brutal.(4:48) Oh my god, this is going to be brutal. (4:49) I'm going to have to figure out how to do this. (4:52) We just got a client, they went from one thing they wanted to do to another thing.(4:57) And it is going to require way more of me. (4:59) It's going to require way more of me. (5:01) It seems like more freedom in a way, because it'll be more opportunity.(5:07) But it is going to require way more responsibility. (5:10) And I think that you don't see that. (5:13) Nobody really talks about that.(5:15) The freedom is what's sexy. (5:16) The responsibility is the foundation that that freedom is built on. (5:20) And I don't know, I just think that...(5:22) I think this is why it's so important to actually enjoy what you're doing. (5:29) Because this cycle runs forever and the second one of these things stops... (5:35) I guess not really, because I would say the...(5:37) Well yeah, I would say the second one of these things stops, this whole thing comes to a screeching halt.

Alan Lazaros

(5:47) I've talked about this in the past. (5:49) One of my favorite shows growing up is Friends. (5:52) One of the most famous sitcoms in history.(5:58) I don't think I've seen them work. (6:01) Never. (6:01) I've watched this show.(6:02) I saw Joey. (6:03) Joey, Joey. (6:04) You'd see Joey on some sets.(6:07) You'd see him on a set every now and then, that's true. (6:09) Because he was an actor. (6:10) But dude, he was always fluffing off.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:14) Oh yeah, and of all the things, acting, it's pretty exciting, so they show that. (6:19) I don't know if any of them were working in an office. (6:21) They might not show that as much.

Alan Lazaros

(6:23) So Chandler, Chandler Bing, and for the Friends fans out there, Chanandler Bong.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:30) Okay.

Alan Lazaros

(6:30) You won't get it because you're not a Friends fan. (6:33) I'm kidding.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:33) Nope.

Alan Lazaros

(6:35) Chandler Bing works in an office. (6:38) There's this scene where he's addicted to cigarettes and he's working on his computer, right? (6:44) And this is the late 90s, so he's doing data entry.(6:47) And then he comes down here and he smokes a dart in the side drawer. (6:54) And then he like sprays, and then he goes back to working. (6:58) And then not 30 seconds later, he goes back.(7:01) It's like he's not even working. (7:03) Now again, that's hilarious. (7:05) And the show is so funny.(7:07) That show is so funny. (7:08) Talk about playful comedy that's reasonable and not toxic. (7:13) I mean, it was a great show.(7:14) But that show makes me lazy. (7:16) Straight up. (7:17) Straight up.(7:18) Hey, you want to know why? (7:20) They're all fluffing off responsibility. (7:22) There is so little responsibility in that show.(7:27) And that's because that's not the fun part. (7:29) The fun part isn't cracking like a walnut under the fucking pressure of massive goals. (7:34) No one wants to see that.(7:36) But that is the reality. (7:39) You know, and you can use this a thousand different ways. (7:43) You see someone who is getting an award on stage.(7:46) I remember senior in high school award ceremony, and I got a lot of the awards. (7:55) I got a bunch. (7:55) There was like five or six of us that got like all of the awards.(7:59) 20% of the students get 80% of the awards. (8:02) It's the Pareto principle. (8:03) But I remember thinking like that was interesting.(8:07) Some people in this audience just had a big wake up call. (8:10) My buddy, Nick, I don't think he got any awards. (8:13) I think he got one scholarship and he was like really having a hard time at that event.(8:19) And I remember thinking like that must be really depressing to have kind of like fluffed off for the last four years. (8:23) And again, Nick did okay in school, but he didn't try that hard. (8:26) Me and him would play video games all the time.(8:28) I'd have to study and he'd be like, ah, fuck it. (8:30) And it's like, I remember I gave him all my physics tests and labs and all that. (8:36) That's so funny to think back on.(8:37) They just had all my labs and all my tests, you know, him, Matt, Kiki. (8:43) I should have been friends with you. (8:45) I should have befriended you.(8:47) Right. (8:47) Well, the thing is, is when I was studying physics to get an A in physics and I got the physics award, like I get to take that with me forever. (8:57) And I know physics not great, but like pretty well.(8:59) And then when I went to college and took physics, it was easier. (9:02) It was so brutal, but it was easier. (9:05) And the people who didn't, who got my labs and tests and didn't have to like work, they just got A's because they cheated.(9:12) Like they didn't get, they didn't take the responsibility. (9:15) So they didn't get the long-term benefit. (9:17) But my point of the award ceremony is I remember that night I got like, I don't know, maybe eight awards or something, math and science and all that.(9:26) And I remember thinking like that took four years. (9:30) And in the last four hours, I got all the recognition for everyone else fluffing off for four years. (9:36) And I'm going to say it, fucking off for four years.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:38) I was going to say, fluffing off. (9:39) This is the thing of the day.

Alan Lazaros

(9:41) I don't want to swear as much, man. (9:42) I've been swearing a lot, but I also kind of like it. (9:44) I think I like it.(9:45) I do. (9:46) I think there's a part of me that likes it. (9:48) So the high school students who fucked off for four years, they got no awards.(9:54) I didn't even go to the ceremony.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:55) You don't get awards for that. (9:56) What do I, what's the point of going? (9:57) You're not going to win anything.(9:58) You didn't go? (9:59) I don't think so. (9:59) I can't imagine a world where I would have.(10:01) Were you forced to go? (10:03) I don't know. (10:04) No, you got to go if you're getting awards.(10:07) I'm not getting an award. (10:07) Nobody, nobody, nobody's going to give me any awards. (10:09) Was there any physical, physical education?(10:12) Was that a golf course? (10:12) You remember?

Alan Lazaros

(10:12) Oh no, I probably didn't go. (10:14) Didn't go. (10:14) Okay.(10:15) Anyways, the point is, is I took a lot of responsibility to get straight A's in high school. (10:21) The president's academic excellence award. (10:23) I wanted that since I was in eighth grade.(10:26) And it took four years of, I don't want to say hard work because yeah, it's hard work. (10:32) It's all relative. (10:33) Like I worked harder than most people, but I definitely didn't put it all on the court.(10:37) I mean, I fucked off too. (10:38) And school was very easy for me, but like I worked way harder than some of my friends for sure. (10:46) And I remember thinking like, was that fucking worth it?(10:49) Like four years of dedication for like awards and scholarships and stuff. (10:54) Now it has been worth it later on. (10:56) I got into my dream college.(10:57) I got financial aid and scholarships. (10:58) I got an MBA and a computer engineering degree and that's been unbelievable. (11:02) But it is weird how this works.(11:06) You get four hours of recognition for four years of effort. (11:09) Like that is how it works, dude.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:10) That's how life works. (11:12) Straight up. (11:12) I, I agree.(11:13) I, I agree that I, I, you'll like this most likely, you know, many times I've been golfing and check WhatsApp and I check my emails like in between holes. (11:24) All the time. (11:25) I love it.(11:26) And it's increased. (11:28) Now, again, I do gotta teach you batching at some point. (11:31) I batch, I could, but I want to be the guy who's there.(11:35) Yeah. (11:36) I had a client message me yesterday and I messaged them within five minutes and the problem was solved within 10. (11:42) That's what I aspire to be.(11:43) I don't care. (11:44) That's love it. (11:45) Did you end up golfing yesterday?(11:46) You go to the driving range? (11:47) Yes, I did. (11:48) Nice.

Alan Lazaros

(11:49) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:50) No, they have lights. (11:51) You can't really see how far the ball is going, which is not ideal because I need to figure out how far I can hit my clubs. (11:55) But I went supposed, supposed to be open until nine 30.(11:59) Marshall shuts it down about eight when he feels like it. (12:04) About eight. (12:05) I, I'm sure the owners are pumped.(12:07) I don't, I mean, he's, he's been there for a hot minute, so he might, he might have some, some pull. (12:12) I pulled up at like seven 30 and I said, are you packing up? (12:15) And he said, no, about eight.(12:17) And I said, all right, can I, can I go? (12:19) He said, yeah, as long as you're done by eight. (12:20) I was like, cool.(12:20) Yeah, that's no sweat for me. (12:22) Finished about seven 55. (12:24) I'm putting my clubs away.(12:26) He comes over my car and he shakes my hand and gives me a piece of paper. (12:30) And I was like, what's this? (12:30) And he said, a bucket free bucket on us.(12:32) Cause you're number one. (12:33) You didn't really get to enjoy your bucket. (12:35) I was like, okay, so I got a free bucket.(12:38) Nice, nice work. (12:40) Cool. (12:40) So yeah, I owe you.(12:41) Hang on to that one. (12:42) You don't want to hang on to that one. (12:43) Nice free bucket.(12:44) Free bucket. (12:45) 12 bucks. (12:47) $12 a bucket over there.(12:48) Excellent work. (12:49) But that's, I'm telling you, that's the thing.

Alan Lazaros

(12:51) You never expect to be a golfer. (12:52) You never, dude, if I talked to you eight years ago.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:55) Now, listen here. (12:56) Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(12:56) That's true. (12:57) I'm about to fuck you up with the truth. (12:59) Put some fucking respect on it.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:00) Back when I was 20.

Alan Lazaros

(13:01) I just never pictured you as a golfer. (13:03) You're a weird bird. (13:04) I am a weird bird.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:06) I think I was probably like 22 maybe. (13:07) I would work 11 to seven. (13:10) So I'd work overnight and I would go straight from work to the golf course.(13:14) And I would be the only person there. (13:16) And I would play 18 holes by myself on like three hours of sleep. (13:21) Oh my God, it was perfect.(13:23) What a perfect time to be alive. (13:25) That is such a unique story. (13:27) Love it.

Alan Lazaros

(13:28) Nobody does that. (13:29) Have you ever met someone who does that? (13:31) No.(13:32) On three hours of sleep. (13:33) 18 holes alone. (13:35) Oh, love it.(13:36) If I could play.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:37) Facebook posts in between calls. (13:39) Yeah, I'm good. (13:39) Probably.(13:40) If I could play 18 by myself, I would play 36 by myself tomorrow. (13:45) Zero questions asked. (13:46) I love it.(13:46) I don't go to hang out with people. (13:48) I like playing by myself. (13:50) Just interesting.(13:50) I love it. (13:51) It's a very interesting cat. (13:52) Okay.(13:52) What's the takeaway for you here? (13:55) We're trying not to do part one, two, three, four, fives, and sixes. (13:59) So we're trying to keep these concise and valuable.(14:01) Okay.

Alan Lazaros

(14:04) I agree with you 100% on the social media front. (14:08) Genuinely, it is all the surface. (14:11) It's all the freedom.(14:12) It's all, I mean, we went paddle boarding, the lake, road trip.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:18) This is going to be a good example. (14:20) You're going on a road trip. (14:21) You're going on a driving road trip.(14:23) We will see the highlights on social media. (14:25) I'm not making that wrong. (14:26) And outside of it, you and Emilia have to take a massive responsibility to make sure the pets are taken care of, and you're packed, and you have the right route, and all the chargers are chosen, and you have a place, and you've got to find a fucking conference center to work at.(14:38) Carry bags in and out. (14:39) You've got to do that. (14:40) You've got to find a gym.(14:42) You're not going to miss any of your paid calls. (14:44) We're not missing any episodes. (14:45) Yep.(14:46) We're not missing any workouts either. (14:48) Nobody would know.

Alan Lazaros

(14:48) I'm not missing. (14:49) Yeah. (14:49) Any of that.(14:49) I know. (14:50) That's the weird part. (14:50) That is it.(14:51) That's my takeaway. (14:53) Behind the scenes is the discipline, and the work ethic, and the responsibility. (14:59) The front of the scenes is the freedom.(15:03) Almost always. (15:05) And it's the real work that's done behind the scenes when no one's watching. (15:08) I really firmly believe that.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:10) My takeaway is you're going to get more freedom. (15:18) But I think it goes from like a nine to five. (15:20) It's like, okay, now I can do my own thing.(15:23) And then once you start doing that, you get less, and less, and less freedom, realistically. (15:28) Because if you want to get more successful, you're most likely going to have to put more time in. (15:32) So you leave your nine to five, and you're like, all right, cool.(15:34) I'm going to do my own thing. (15:36) Then you realize I'm going to have to work like seven to seven for the first however many years.

Alan Lazaros

(15:44) But it's in your thing.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:46) It's in your thing.

Alan Lazaros

(15:47) Which is good. (15:47) It's more of the responsibility you want.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:49) Yes. (15:50) I would still consider that freedom. (15:52) I would consider working an 18-hour day doing this more freedom than working a nine-hour gig somewhere else.(15:57) That's me, personally. (15:59) But the quality of your freedom increases. (16:03) The duration might decrease, potentially, but the quality increases.

Alan Lazaros

(16:07) Agreed.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:07) That is my thesis. (16:09) But the responsibility increases way more.

Alan Lazaros

(16:11) All right, good. (16:13) The last piece is there's stuff around. (16:17) So you're a podcaster, and you get to podcast.(16:19) And you're the podcast guy, and you're a podcast coach, and you're a podcast producer. (16:23) And that's all great. (16:24) But there's a bunch of stuff that I do that you would have to do if you didn't have a business partner, and vice versa.(16:32) And so you and I have gotten more, and more, and more percentage of our life to be the responsibility we want. (16:40) And I guess for the future episode, potentially, is that's when team comes in. (16:46) Because if everyone on your team is taking on more of the responsibility, not only in what they're good at, but also the responsibility they want, that's awesome.(16:56) Because then you can double down on your thing. (16:58) I picture a team as, you're the best at that, you're the best at that, you're the best at that. (17:02) We all need all of this.(17:04) Let's all double down on our own thing and row in the same direction. (17:07) And I think that we've done, I think, a very good job of that in this space, in this industry. (17:11) I don't know any podcasters that have an 18-person team.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:16) I know there are some out there that do, but it's very rare. (17:20) The big, big, big ones. (17:21) All right, friends, if you're a podcaster and you want to get to the place eventually where you have a team and you can do what you love while they do what they love, make sure you join the Next Level Podcast Accelerator starting on October 7th.(17:35) I had a podcast breakthrough session with somebody today and they said, hey, can I ask you a couple questions about it? (17:39) I said, of course you can. (17:40) I'm pretty sure they're going to be joining, so that is very exciting.(17:43) It starts October 7th, 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and it's every Tuesday at that time for 12 weeks. (17:49) And it's going to be awesome. (17:50) We're super excited, super affordable.(17:52) With the discount code NLU, listener at checkout, it ends up being like $24 a call, a bargain at twice the price, as they say.

Alan Lazaros

(18:00) I was on with a woman earlier. (18:02) She said, listen, Alan, I know I look really young, but I'm actually almost 60. (18:05) I want to retire in 10 years and I want to do this podcast thing full time.(18:09) I said, let's go. (18:11) It's the best start to a call I've ever heard. (18:13) And I asked her all the data.(18:14) Where do you work? (18:15) How much? (18:16) What's your net worth?(18:17) How much do you make per year? (18:18) How do we get this full time? (18:20) I taught her.(18:20) I said, I'm going to give you everything I wish I knew 10 years ago in this session to the best of my ability. (18:27) Obviously, it's not all of it. (18:28) And I think she's going to sign up, by the way, for my one-on-one coaching, which is exciting.(18:32) And I even drew out the work ethic and coachability. (18:35) And I said, if you don't have high coachability and high work ethic, you're not going to like me at all. (18:39) And honestly, I don't want to work with you.(18:41) And she's like, no, I do. (18:43) Send me all the stuff. (18:44) So if you have high work ethic and high coachability, and you need a coach in your corner who's going to make sure you crush it, let's fucking go.(18:51) The first one's free. (18:52) 30 minutes. (18:53) Link in the show notes.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:55) As always, we love you. (18:56) We appreciate you. (18:57) Grateful for each and every one of you.(18:58) And if you are as committed as you say you are to getting to the next level, make sure you tune in tomorrow, because we will be here to help you get there. (19:06) Keep reaching for your full potential. (19:08) Next Level Nation.(19:11) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (19:15) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(19:17) We mean it when we say family. (19:19) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (19:23) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.(19:26) Thank you again.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:27) And we will talk to you tomorrow.