Investor Mindset VS Consumer Mindset (2314)

 In today’s episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down the mindset that determines whether progress compounds or quietly stalls. This episode centers on the difference between consumer thinking and investor thinking and how that distinction affects time, money, and long-term outcomes. The focus is discipline over impulse, standards over comfort, and decisions that pay off over years, not moments.

If you care about consistency, leverage, and building a future that lasts, this conversation will sharpen how you evaluate everyday choices. Listen with honesty. The mindset you practice today becomes the life you live tomorrow.

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For more information, check out our website and socials using the links below. 👇

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Email:
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Show notes:
(2:58) Short-term wins create long-term losses
(4:20) The environments that shape financial thinking
(8:27) Discipline, belief, and delayed gratification
(10:47) Time as your most valuable investment
(12:16) Using money to buy back time
(15:18) Discipline now or regret later
(18:12) 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

• 2:58 Short-term wins create long-term losses
• 4:20 The environments that shape financial thinking
• 8:27 Discipline, belief, and delayed gratification
• 10:47 Time as your most valuable investment
• 12:16 Using money to buy back time
• 15:18 Discipline now or regret later
• 18:12 Outro

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) I want a 75-inch TV. (0:03) Either that or I want a 100-inch projector. (0:05) Is that too much to ask?

Alan Lazaros

(0:07) It is, unfortunately. (0:09) If you have a consumer mindset, that's play now, pay later.ater. (0:14) If you have an investor mindset, it's pay the price now for bigger gains later.ater.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:19) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:21) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri.ieri. (0:23) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.arus.(0:26) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:33) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:39) 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

(0:55) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:02) Welcome to Next Level University. (1:07) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,314. (1:13) You hear that?(1:14) You get a plane out there? (1:16) Okay. (1:18) Investor mindset versus consumer mindset.(1:21) Alan and I were talking about this earlier and he said, what's an example or a story when you were like very, very, very much operating with consumer behavior?vior? (1:32) And I said, dude, I'll never forget.rget. (1:33) I'll never forget.rget.(1:34) I was dating somebody at this time and she said, hey, I have family in New Jersey. (1:40) Let's go there for Christmas.tmas. (1:42) And I was like, love that.(1:43) Let's do that.that. (1:44) Let's go to New Jersey for Christmas.tmas. (1:46) Huge fan.(1:47) Let's do it.o it. (1:48) Cool. (1:48) That's the extent of the thinking?king?(1:49) Pretty much. (1:51) Yeah, pretty much. (1:52) I love this person and I like driving.(1:55) Let's do it.o it. (1:56) And I've never met this side of the family before.fore. (1:57) And I remember when we were there, it must've been coming up on Black Friday because I was just scheming on how I could get a 60 inch TV or 50 inch TV, whatever it was, for a deal.deal.(2:13) And again, this was like 2015. (2:18) TVs weren't cheap like they are today.oday. (2:19) I mean, you can get like, it's incredible how cheap TVs are now. now.(2:22) Yeah. (2:23) But I was just wasting time thinking about like, okay, yeah, I'm going to invest.vest. (2:28) I don't know.know.(2:29) What's five hours of my time worth?orth? (2:30) I'm going to invest.vest. (2:31) You never said that.(2:32) Well, no, I'm going to spend.pend. (2:33) Yeah. (2:34) I'm going to spend.pend.(2:35) And I couldn't tell you the last time I did something like that, where now I literally I'm moving and I have all these ideas and I can't do it.n't do it. (2:46) It doesn't make any sense.ense. (2:48) I can't justify it.y it.(2:49) I want to, I want to buy a nice TV or a projector or whatever. (2:53) And at some point I probably will. (2:55) But I understand the downside of that now.(2:58) And I think that probably is the conversation more than anything is when you, when you invest, it seems like an L for a bigger W. (3:07) When you consume, it seems like a W, but it's a short-term W for a long-term L.rm L. (3:13) And I just, that's something I just didn't understand because I never learned about this.bout this.(3:17) It was never modeled necessarily. (3:19) I didn't really, I didn't really get it.ly get it. (3:22) And I think it's just one of those principles that goes a long way. way.

Alan Lazaros

(3:25) The first question I would ask to everybody out there listening, how many investors are you around? (3:34) And if the answer, how many consumers are you around? (3:38) There's like levels to this.this.(3:39) There's consumers, which is just spend, don't worry about it. about it. (3:44) Then there's conscious consumers, which you vote with your money.oney. (3:48) So you're very careful with where you put your money because businesses you, the businesses you spend money with win. win.(3:56) So if you don't believe in Kevin and I, and you don't believe we're good for the world, you shouldn't spend money at our company.oney at our company. (4:02) I believe that wholeheartedly. (4:03) I don't, I try really hard not to spend money at places that aren't good for the world.the world.(4:07) And trust me that the lines are blurry there, but you gotta do what you gotta do. (4:13) So there's, there's consumers, which are people who don't think much.7;t think much. (4:16) Then there's conscious consumers that think about every dollar and where they're going.;re going.(4:20) Then there's investors, then there's conscious investors.investors. (4:23) And then there's like world-class investors.tors. (4:27) So one of the things I'll share, and I actually talked to my mom about this recently because I was a little frustrated with some of the people I was surrounded with growing up.g up.(4:37) I asked her, you know, why weren't we around more people that had like long-term thinking and were conscientious and all these things?ings? (4:47) And we had a deep conversation about it. (4:49) But the point is, is that I, I grew up around no, no investors.(4:53) They were my, my mom and stepfather were not super conscientious with their decision-making paradigm. (5:04) That's a polite way to put it, which pisses me off quite frankly.nkly. (5:08) But at the end of the day, I get it.(5:11) And then I got to companies like iRobot and I meet mentors that are very conscientious and very careful with their money. (5:21) And they invest, they're investors.tors. (5:24) And what is an investor?(5:25) So let me ask you this. (5:28) You were not at all an investor when I met you.

Kevin Palmieri

(5:32) Excuse me. (5:33) I had three, three fucking shares in Apple. (5:35) So I don't know if you know that about me or not, but I had to liquidate my assets when I ran out of money.oney.(5:42) That is true. (5:43) That is true. (5:44) You were technically an investor.(5:45) I swear to you, I had like three shares of Apple and there was a, there was a, How much was it worth back then? (5:52) 125 or something, a share.

Alan Lazaros

(5:54) I was with a, it was a one-off, so he's not, he's not technically a client. a client. (5:58) If you're listening, shout out to you, brother.ther. (6:00) He invested 32 grand in one hour on the call, on the call.(6:04) I've never done that.that. (6:05) I said, how are you doing brother? (6:06) He's like, ah, I'm a little outside my comfort zone.fort zone.(6:08) I said, brother, I promise we invested very intelligently.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:12) I could have used you back then because I, my buddy and I went, I remember we went to the mall, to the food court and we were just like talking about stocks and I was like, what do you think? (6:21) He's got on this couple of big steel, big steel aluminum companies that I think are going to pop off. off. (6:25) It's like, what is this research based on?d on?(6:27) He's like a mad money on MSNBC.SNBC. (6:29) I said, that's good enough for me.r me.

Alan Lazaros

(6:31) Where do I send the money? (6:32) Do you remember what you bought your Apple stocks for? (6:34) I think it was like 125 bucks.(6:36) All right. (6:37) So if you had kept them, yeah, you would have more than doubled your money. (6:40) It's worth 260 per share now. now.(6:42) It's a real shame.hame. (6:43) So it would have been, hold on. (6:44) Ready?(6:44) This is investor mindset in real time. (6:46) Kevin had three stocks in Apple back in what year? (6:50) Probably 20, no, before, before.(6:52) Yeah. (6:53) 2015 probably. (6:54) 2015.(6:55) Early. (6:55) Got in early at Apple. (6:57) Not bad.(6:57) I am joking. (6:58) That's not early at all. all.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:59) All right.

Alan Lazaros

(7:00) Early in Apple. (7:00) Apple's like 49 years old. old. (7:02) So, uh, you had 375 bucks invested in Apple.(7:05) You, you believed in the, in the brand. (7:08) I, no, not really.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:09) I just knew it was Apple. (7:12) Meaning you believe in the brand. (7:14) You don't invest in a company you don't believe in.elieve in.(7:16) No, you, I invest in, you invest in what you know. (7:18) I knew of Apple. (7:19) It was like, yeah, I believed in it, but not like based on anything other than it's Apple.pple.

Alan Lazaros

(7:25) Everyone knows that you, you don't take action without certainty.inty. (7:28) Certainty is belief. (7:29) So you believed in Apple, whether you were conscious of it or not.(7:32) I think you're giving me a lot of credit and I appreciate it.e it.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:36) Unconsciously you believed in Apple. (7:37) That's why people buy iPhones.ones. (7:38) They believe the phone Yeah, but it was also like three, three shares.(7:41) I was like, let me just throw this in here and see what happens. (7:44) Okay, fair. (7:44) I was kind of playing the lottery.(7:45) I was kind of, it was like, let's see what this does.does.

Alan Lazaros

(7:48) Well, strong work because that's not playing the lottery at all. all. (7:51) You're basically guaranteed to win. win. (7:52) You're not, but you understand.tand.(7:54) All right. (7:54) So anyways. (7:55) Yes.(7:57) So $375. (7:58) You remember that for me?

Kevin Palmieri

(7:58) Yeah, of course.

Alan Lazaros

(7:59) Three times 260 minus 375. (8:02) So you would have made $405.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:05) Devastating.

Alan Lazaros

(8:05) If you had kept your shares, man. (8:07) I sold them at a loss. (8:07) You sold, did you really?(8:09) I was really riding the struggle bus at this point. (8:12) You sold them at a loss. (8:13) Yeah.(8:13) I had to lose some of my assets at a loss too. (8:15) Entrepreneurship is brutal. (8:16) All right.(8:16) So I have these 100 success impact points that I'm creating.ting. (8:19) I'm eventually going to teach like a 12 week bootcamp on these for anyone who is out of their mind for success.cess. (8:27) But one of them is the investor mindset over the consumer mindset.(8:31) So back to my original point, you didn't have an investor mindset, but you did have three stocks in Apple.pple. (8:37) So congratulations. (8:38) Thank you.(8:38) When you hear an investor mindset, what would Kevin in 2015 have thought?

Kevin Palmieri

(8:47) In 2015, it doesn't make sense.ense. (8:49) It's like, why delay it?y it? (8:55) Like why?(8:55) What's the point?oint? (8:57) Okay. (8:57) Keep going.(9:01) It seems very boring. (9:05) It doesn't seem very exciting.ting. (9:07) Yeah, it's not. not.(9:08) You just like, you just do that forever. (9:11) It's like always deny yourself forever.ever. (9:14) And then like one day you have like more, but you still deny yourself.(9:18) It doesn't make any sense.ense.

Alan Lazaros

(9:19) Nice. (9:20) Nice. (9:20) This is exactly what this is supposed to be.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:22) You plant a bunch of corn and then you see the corn grow and you're like, and then you just go back inside.side. (9:29) You don't even pick the corn.corn. (9:30) You don't even eat the corn.corn.(9:31) All right.

Alan Lazaros

(9:32) So that's a little or nothing thinking.king.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:33) And then you just keep planting corn and it just eventually you go, I'll have some now. now. (9:40) All right.

Alan Lazaros

(9:40) I'm going to need to bring current Kevin back.back. (9:42) Yeah. (9:43) All right.(9:43) What does current Kevin think when I say investor's mindset?dset? (9:47) Brother, if we take away our team, you and I could each buy five cars and two homes. (9:52) Straight up.(9:52) It's definitely very...ry...

Kevin Palmieri

(9:54) But we're investors.tors. (9:56) You gotta be, you gotta be on top of it. (9:59) Like now it's like, now I'm always thinking like today I door dashed Starbucks cause I just didn't have time.27;t have time.(10:09) And I literally went to Tyron and said, Hey, I'm going to, can you get it when it comes?omes? (10:12) Like I'm back to back.back. (10:14) I just don't have time, but I'm not doing that on Sunday when I'm hanging out.;m hanging out.(10:19) Yep. (10:20) I'm doing that because I'm investing that time elsewhere.elsewhere.

Alan Lazaros

(10:23) Nice. (10:23) So, so when you were back in 2015, you were what? (10:27) 25?(10:29) I, 20...

Kevin Palmieri

(10:29) 2026.

Alan Lazaros

(10:30) So you were 25. (10:32) Yeah. (10:32) No, 2036.(10:33) No, I was 26 cause I was born in 1989. (10:35) Okay. (10:36) All right.(10:37) So you were 26 and you, you never used to invest time. (10:41) No. (10:43) Okay.(10:44) That's where we should go in this.this. (10:45) Cause we only have like four minutes, five minutes. (10:47) Speaking of investing time, every one of us, and you give your version of this, if you don't think this lands, maybe this is one of the things I say that you think lands really well.well.(10:56) And at the end of the day, I think it does with some people, but I want to capture everybody. (11:00) Okay. (11:00) If I, if possible, if you lived 100, you have 36,500 days, 30, 365 times 100 is 36,500.(11:11) Okay. (11:12) If you only had $36,500 and you could never make another dollar, how carefully would you spend that money? (11:19) Does that land?

Kevin Palmieri

(11:22) Yeah. (11:22) But in this case, we're talking about investing it.g it. (11:24) So, but that, that does land.(11:28) Okay. (11:28) Okay.

Alan Lazaros

(11:29) So we're just giving away our days.days. (11:33) Yeah. (11:34) And we'd never get them back.back.(11:37) So whenever I like the success impact points, one of the other ones on here is people who waste time. (11:43) If I see someone wasting time immediately in my head, I go, the chances of them being successful is very low. (11:50) Time management is like one of the things you look for if you're going to invest in somebody.body.(11:54) And in the future, you and I are going to invest in people, podcasters, business owners. (11:57) I'm excited.ited. (11:58) Same.(11:59) Okay. (11:59) And I'm, we're going to have to be very discerning.iscerning. (12:01) You can't just invest in anyone.yone.(12:03) Yeah. (12:04) Right. (12:05) So you're going to have to figure out what are the success impact points and what determined, it's just like, uh, in dating, you don't just date anyone.st date anyone.(12:11) You date someone with certain core values who is respectful and all this stuff. (12:15) Right. (12:15) Yeah.(12:16) So to bring this back to the investor mindset, you have time, effort, and money. (12:20) That's the only thing you have.have. (12:22) Time is finite.(12:24) It's technically semi-finite because if you focus on longevity, you can get more time back essentially, especially nowadays with medical breakthroughs and supplements and all that stuff.tuff. (12:32) So let's call them all semi-finite, but money is infinite.nite. (12:36) So what's more valuable time or money?oney?(12:38) More valuable in my mind.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:40) What's more important currently?ntly? (12:43) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(12:46) Money. (12:46) Luckily I'm on the other end. end. (12:48) Okay.(12:49) You use your time to earn money and then you're supposed to use that money to buy back time, which is why investors make everyone think of someone who doesn't have to work.e to work. (13:03) You got one. (13:05) Yes.(13:06) Okay. (13:06) What is the difference between you and them? (13:11) Honestly, like 30 years is one for sure.(13:15) Time. (13:15) But they invested that money. (13:17) Yes.(13:17) Yes. (13:17) Yes. (13:17) Okay.(13:18) They invested their money and if not, they got social security, which is everyone puts in for later on. (13:23) And again, we're talking about the US.e US. (13:25) A lot of countries have things like this.(13:26) I know Canada does, but at the end of the day, I think an investor mindset to argue with old Kevin would be, hey brother, what if you could eat more and more corn every year for the rest of your fucking life?

Kevin Palmieri

(13:40) Well, it all goes back to belief. (13:42) That's the thing is like, I think it's one of the reasons I think people make money and spend money so fast is they don't think they can hold out for a long enough time to invest it.e to invest it. (13:52) I think investing in general, just having an investor's mindset, it requires a lot of discipline.line.(13:58) I mean, that's a very disciplined way to live.live. (14:03) A good friend of mine made a lot of money in corporate and still like every time went to the grocery store, I was like, what are the deals? (14:12) Eating frozen chicken patties.(14:14) You're a very wealthy man. man. (14:14) For sure. (14:15) But I think you can also push that a little.

Alan Lazaros

(14:18) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:18) There's overly scarce and overly abundant.dant. (14:20) You can get some chicken or something. (14:22) You don't have to get chicken patties.ties.(14:23) You can get chicken. (14:25) But even like Tara and I were talking recently and she's like, I like diet Dr. Pepper.pper.

Alan Lazaros

(14:31) Do you think that that person, I'm sorry to interrupt you. you. (14:33) Do you think that person lives a lower quality of life or higher quality of life than most people?

Kevin Palmieri

(14:38) I would say it seems lower quality, but it's higher.gher.

Alan Lazaros

(14:42) Okay. (14:43) I think it's the intentional decision.sion. (14:44) This is the long game versus the short game.(14:46) So it's like, imagine there's two friends.o friends. (14:49) One of them's a consumer.umer. (14:50) One of them's an investor for the first 10.t 10.(14:52) Let's say they're both, uh, 20.h, uh, 20. (14:55) You and this person, you're the consumer.umer. (14:57) He's the investor.stor.(14:58) Okay. (14:59) You're both 20.h 20. (15:01) He's getting deals on every chicken patty and you're like, fuck it., fuck it.(15:05) Door dash, baby. (15:06) Right? (15:08) Tacos every other night, whatever.(15:09) For the first 10 years, your life is better.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:12) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(15:13) But after that, his life is better forever. (15:15) Yeah. (15:15) And so I think it's discipline or regret.gret.(15:18) It's, it's, you have the discipline to invest today for a brighter tomorrow and, or you enjoy yourself now and regret it.regret it. (15:25) And there is no way around this. (15:26) Like, this is a truth that we all must face and hopefully you don't make short term decisions that destroy your longterm potential.tial.(15:34) Like that's why, you know, it's a, it's a really tough metaphor, but like sleeping around is very dangerous.very dangerous. (15:42) Like there's a lot of risk with it.h it. (15:44) You can have children with people, you can get STDs.(15:47) Like it's, you have to be smart.mart. (15:48) You have to be smart. (15:49) I think intelligence is very critical in your decision-making.(15:52) And I, yeah, it's boring.ring. (15:53) Of course it's fucking boring, but you can't just run around like a, you know what I mean?at I mean? (15:58) Like you gotta pay the piper one way or another, no matter what.(16:03) And all I'm saying is there's no downside long-term to increasing the dial of investor. investor. (16:11) So where are you at? (16:12) Are you a consumer, a conscious consumer, an investor, or a conscious investor?(16:15) Or are you like crazy delayed gratification wanting to be, you know, doing something that's never been done?done?

Kevin Palmieri

(16:24) I used to, I used to really resonate with the people that were like, ah, fuck it, just do it. (16:28) Like anytime there was money involved, it's like, ah, get it delivered or whatever, whatever it is.t is. (16:33) And now I really take pride in like, no, I'll go pick it up.t up.(16:36) I'm going to go pick it up.t up. (16:37) I'm not paying $7 for them to bring it here.here. (16:38) Now again, today I did because I was working, but on Sunday, Sunday's my off day. day.(16:44) It's my R and R day. day. (16:46) I'm not working.king. (16:48) I can go, I can drive 15 minutes to get the food.(16:51) I can drive 15 minutes to get the food. (16:53) And I used to be the guy that was like, ah, whatever. (16:57) Real quick, last thing before, before we go.(16:59) When I, I used to live in New Hampshire, I moved to Worcester, Mass, like an hour ride. (17:05) My landlord, my former landlord called me one day and he said, dude, I need you to come take the trash out. (17:10) Like just bring the trash to the, to the curb.(17:13) And I was like, can't you just do it?o it? (17:14) Like you're there.here. (17:15) He's like, no, I can't do it.7;t do it.(17:16) You got to do it. (17:17) I was like, I'm not doing it.g it. (17:19) Between you and me.(17:20) You think he's a dick?dick? (17:21) He was a little bit of a dick at this point for some reason, for some reason. (17:25) And I was like, dude, I'm not doing it.g it.(17:27) I'm not doing it.g it. (17:28) And he said, well, something, something happens. (17:30) So I called 1-800-GUT-JUNK and I said, hey, I need you guys to go to my house and just take my trash out.(17:36) I just need, that's all. all. (17:37) You can throw it in the back of the truck. (17:38) You can push it, whatever.

Alan Lazaros

(17:40) Again, I think that's smart.mart. (17:41) If you're using that time.time. (17:43) No, I wasn't.27;t.(17:43) I was smoking weed for sure. (17:45) I was definitely smoking weed and eating pizza. (17:47) Speaking of time, I got to get out of here, but let's do this.this.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:49) That's one of those things that sounds really cool.cool. (17:51) That's not, I mean, if I was investing that time in a podcast episode or something that's different, but I was not.I was not. (17:56) Okay, cool.(17:57) All right. (17:57) If you're looking to invest in your own growth, one of the best ways, probably the best way I would say, maybe a controversial take, but an accurate one is coaching.hing. (18:05) Alan has coaching slots available.(18:06) Reach out to him. (18:07) And if you're a podcaster and you want to invest in your podcast, reach out to me.o me. (18:10) I'm happy to help you with your show to get it to the next level.evel.(18:13) As always, we love you. (18:14) We appreciate you. (18:14) Grateful for each and every one of you.(18:16) 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 every single day to help you get there.

Alan Lazaros

(18:22) Keep sacrificing today for a brighter tomorrow and leveling up to your full potential. (18:27) Next Level Nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:28) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (18:32) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(18:35) We mean it when we say family. (18:37) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (18:40) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.(18:44) Thank you again.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:45) And we will talk to you tomorrow.