If You Want To Be The Most Next Level (2317)

Hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros challenge the quiet assumptions that stall progress long before people notice. This episode questions how time, effort, and standards are treated casually, even by those who say they want more. Grounded in years of execution, coaching, and building Next Level University consistently, they reflect on what changes when goals stop being abstract and start demanding structure, pressure, and follow-through.

The conversation is direct, practical, and unsentimental. This is not motivation. It is clarity around the real cost of serious growth. Listen with honesty. Then decide if your standards match the life you say you want.

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Learn more about:
Your first 30-minute “Business Breakthrough Session” call with Alan is FREE. This call is designed to help you identify bottlenecks and build a clear plan for your next level. - https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-breakthrough-session

Ready to level up your podcast? Your first 30-minute “Podcast Breakthrough Session” call with Kevin is FREE. Real podcast growth, built through follow-through. - 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, check out our website and socials using the links below. 👇

Website: http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

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:
(3:10) The hidden cost of starting slow
(6:32) Loss aversion and missed opportunity
(8:07) Being subservient to the goal
(10:31) When desire does not match standards
(12:25) Breaking goals into executable systems
(18:19) Time scarcity and closing windows
(22:55) Rest as a requirement, not the goal
(27:42) The danger of no structure or accountability
(33:27) Why sustaining success is harder than achieving it
(39:29) 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.

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) This is going to blow your freaking mind. (0:03) As of today, our recording of this episode, which is on Saturday, we are 4.57% through the year already, and it's only the 17th of January.

Alan Lazaros

(0:14) All Kevin had to say was 4.75% and I was all in on this episode.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:19) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:22) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:23) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(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

(0:40) 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. (1:08) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,317. (1:12) If you want to be the most Next Level, dot, dot, dot.(1:16) Also just for, for consistency and accuracy, it's a 4.57, not 4.75. Just going to make sure we're accurate here. (1:24) Yeah, of course. (1:25) I was at Starbucks the other day.(1:27) I've been going, as you know, I've said it a million times, but I don't have any other stories because I don't really do anything else. (1:33) And this is the most exciting thing I have going on in my life right now, other than my wonderful marriage and fitness and stuff. (1:39) But I mean, there's not much else, honestly, at this point.(1:43) I'm traveling to a client and I, to avoid traffic, I get up super early. (1:47) I drive on down to Starbucks. (1:48) I work there for like an hour.(1:51) And Alan and I were talking the other day and we were talking about how it's only been two weeks in January and it feels like it's been months. (1:58) Yeah. (1:59) I cannot believe it's only the middle of January.(2:01) I mean, it feels like it has been another year since January started. (2:06) And I was curious and I thought to myself, how, how far through the year are we actually? (2:11) And when I looked it up, we were, I think it was 4.05%. And I did a story. (2:17) How long ago did you learn that? (2:18) And I got, it was a Friday, Thursday, Thursday. (2:23) Two days ago.(2:24) That makes sense. (2:24) Two days ago. (2:26) And somebody, somebody reached out and said, I don't remember.(2:29) They said something. (2:30) They're like, that blew my freaking mind. (2:33) And I said, isn't it wild?(2:36) How 5%? (2:37) So if you had a hundred dollars, $5 is gone. (2:40) Yeah.(2:40) 4.4, $4 and 57, gone, gone, completely gone. (2:45) That blows my mind. (2:46) I love that mentality.(2:48) And go ahead. (2:50) The re the reason we wanted to do this episode is because if you want to be next level, if you want to be just like everybody else, invest your time the same way everybody else does, and you'll most likely get very similar results. (3:01) If you want to be next level, you have to put in more for sure.(3:04) If you want to be the most next level, you have to know this. (3:10) That maybe you said, well, you know what? (3:11) I'm going to take the first couple of weeks to get back.(3:14) You're, you're behind, you're behind. (3:16) I hate to say it, but you're behind. (3:18) If you want to be really, really, really next level, you miss a day and you miss a lot of opportunity.

Alan Lazaros

(3:24) I remember I heard a quote, this is back when the new England Patriots were winning a ton.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:31) Excuse me. (3:32) They're winning a ton again. (3:33) I don't know.(3:35) I know, but I got to, I can't have somebody listen to the show and then hear you say that and say, these guys are detached, they went 14 and three this season or something. (3:46) Okay. (3:47) They're about to play their second playoff game.(3:49) They're one of the best teams in the league right now. (3:51) Somehow. (3:53) Okay.

Alan Lazaros

(3:54) I have to know these things. (3:55) Brandon is from Chicago. (3:57) Yes.(3:58) Brandon from the team. (3:59) Brandon. (3:59) What's up, man?(4:00) I was on a relationship talks coaching session with him and his wife, Hannah earlier. (4:04) She had a Chicago bears hat on.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:08) Jersey on.

Alan Lazaros

(4:09) Okay. (4:09) Apparently they're very good as well.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:11) They are very good. (4:13) Again, I don't know a ton about football, but I got to stay locked in because I have to know what's going on in the world. (4:20) Sure.(4:21) You know, you run into somebody and they're like, how about those Patriots? (4:23) And you're like, no, I had no idea. (4:26) No clue.(4:26) I don't even know what you're talking about. (4:28) I got to know. (4:28) I'm out here with the people.(4:29) I talked to people.

Alan Lazaros

(4:32) So back when they were winning a ton and they're still winning a ton. (4:39) I forget who told me this, but someone said they heard an interview with Belichick, which was the head coach at the time, and they were going into the Superbowl and he said, don't get it twisted. (4:51) We're three weeks behind.(4:53) Hmm. (4:55) I think that's an awesome mentality. (4:58) One of the, that's the paradox.(5:00) That's the paradox. (5:01) Okay. (5:02) When you said you have a hundred dollars, it's like five being gone.(5:07) Obviously we're rounding up because it was 4.57. This is a mentality that I think will help people, although it will also create massive anxiety. (5:17) So tread softly with this. (5:20) Kevin and I have a goal.(5:22) Certain financial goal for the year. (5:26) I know mine, mine's for the entire company. (5:28) Yours is for your department.(5:30) Awesome. (5:31) Awesome. (5:32) I don't know if you've noticed, but we're behind.(5:35) Not by much, but we're behind that. (5:39) The mentality of a mat. (5:40) Okay.(5:41) Let's say you want to earn a hundred thousand dollars this year. (5:43) Just, I'm using a hundred thousand cause it's easy. (5:45) It's easier to visualize a hundred thousand.(5:47) Okay. (5:47) All right. (5:50) 52 weeks in a year.(5:52) So now that means you have to earn, and this is gross top line revenue. (5:56) So a hundred thousand.

Kevin Palmieri

(5:57) It's a, it's going to be a, hold on. (5:59) It's going to be $1,965.

Alan Lazaros

(6:02) $1,923. (6:03) Close. (6:04) So approximately if, if you are making an average of two grand a week, top line revenue, then you're on track.(6:12) Every time you make less than that, you have to make up for it, which is very hard to do. (6:18) So the mentality shift here is imagine, take your income goal and imagine it's already in your account. (6:26) And every time you don't be productive, you don't do what you're supposed to do, it gets taken out of your account.(6:32) There's something, there's a cognitive bias called the loss aversion tendency. (6:36) If I were to put, let's say, hypothetically, Kevin's goal, hypothetically was a hundred grand. (6:42) I put a hundred grand in your account today.(6:44) All right. (6:44) And I get to take it out every time you don't do your fucking work. (6:51) For those of you not on YouTube, Kevin just said, nope, I'll punch you right in your nose.(6:55) Come in my bank account. (6:57) No, but that's what, that's a good mentality. (6:59) I think to have, assuming you want to have crippling anxiety, I'm kidding, but that's what we miss is you have 112 waking hours a week and you have those hours to invest into earning a certain income or whatever goal you have.(7:17) And then I think it's really good. (7:19) It's called mental subtraction because people are much more concerned. (7:24) If someone came to your house and stole your money, you'd be much more concerned than if you won 300 bucks.(7:30) And, but you could easily go, we do this all the time. (7:34) It's like, oh my God, I, damn, I need to return that item. (7:38) It didn't get shipped.(7:39) But you don't freak out when you're not making that money. (7:42) Opportunity cost is harder. (7:45) So if you don't know what opportunity cost means or don't use and leverage opportunity cost, everyone, imagine I put a hundred grand in your bank account today.(7:53) And whenever you're not on point, I get to take money out. (7:56) And if you're on point all year, you get to keep all hundred grand. (8:00) That's a great way to visualize your goals.(8:02) I always say this. (8:03) You have to subserve the goal. (8:05) You have to be subservient to the goal.(8:07) You have to. (8:09) Not to other people. (8:10) Don't be subservient to other people, but you gotta be subservient to your goal if you want to achieve it.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:16) I think it's easy to villainize the goal when in reality, like maybe you just set the wrong goal. (8:22) Right? (8:22) Like nobody ever started climbing Mount Everest.(8:25) It was like this fuck Mount Everest. (8:27) This is dumb. (8:28) It's like, no, I mean, that's the goal you chose.(8:30) You chose, you could shoot, you could climb any other mountain you want. (8:33) That's the one you chose. (8:34) It's going to be hard.(8:35) People die all the time. (8:38) That's because it's not easy. (8:40) I don't know if anybody's ever died climbing.(8:42) We have a mountain near us named, uh, Mount Wachusett. (8:45) It's not a very big mountain. (8:47) Have you climbed it?(8:47) It's one of. (8:49) No, I have. (8:51) I've gone up in the chairlift.(8:53) Same shit. (8:55) You know? (8:56) No.(8:56) What am I? (8:57) What? (8:57) No.(8:58) Uh, I'm not a hiker. (8:59) Not a hard climb. (9:01) No, but that's what I'm saying.(9:02) I don't know if anybody's ever died climbing Mount Washington, uh, Mount Wachusett. (9:06) I doubt it. (9:07) Maybe.(9:08) Right. (9:08) It's, it's a lot easier. (9:09) It's a lot easier, but I think this is an episode where, I mean, if you really, really, really want to be next level, like you, you want exactly what you say you want and you really, really mean it.(9:24) This is one of those things that you're going to have to take more seriously. (9:28) I'm not saying don't, I'm not saying I'm not the, I don't work seven days a week, every week. (9:32) I usually, I work Saturday and then I check in on Sunday.(9:36) I work for like an hour on Sunday. (9:37) I'm not putting in 12 hour days on Sunday, but I'm trying to move the needle a little bit, a little bit every day, a lot, most days, and then a little bit on Sunday. (9:47) How often do they tug on you?

Alan Lazaros

(9:49) Your goals?

Kevin Palmieri

(9:49) Who is, who is tugging on me?

Alan Lazaros

(9:50) How often do your goals tug on you?

Kevin Palmieri

(9:57) I mean, more often than they ever have. (10:00) I had a moment last night where I was getting ready for bed and I was like, I got to check WhatsApp one more time. (10:10) I got to check WhatsApp before I go to bed.(10:12) And then it was like, Oh my goodness, I got to tell this person this thing. (10:16) And it was a whole, it was a 20 minute endeavor, you know? (10:19) And it sucks.(10:21) And that's not, that's why like, God, that's why if you really, really, really want to be like super next level, you have to understand what, what comes with it. (10:31) Constant pressure. (10:32) That constant pressure.(10:33) That's where I think the disconnect is for a lot of people is when you say you want something, but you don't actually want it in the way that it probably takes to get it. (10:47) That means by definition, you don't actually want the thing. (10:52) You're not, well, you can, but you're not going to get the thing.(10:55) And then you're going to get frustrated and you're going to say, well, this, it's this thing's fault and it's this thing's fault. (11:00) I think it's the goal's fault. (11:02) It's the goal's fault.(11:03) It's the goal that you set. (11:06) No, it's your fault for setting the wrong goal. (11:08) Well, yes, but it's, it's not, it's the goal's fault too, is what I'm saying.(11:13) Because it's the requirement of the goal. (11:16) If you're, if you say I'm going to make a, I'm going to make a, I don't know, whatever, a really, a tiramisu. (11:22) Okay.(11:23) A tiramisu. (11:25) If you're going to make a terrible tasting tiramisu, it seems like it's a really hard recipe. (11:33) I don't know if it sucks to make it.(11:35) The recipe was just really hard. (11:37) That's what it takes. (11:38) No, you could buy a store-bought one.(11:40) It's probably garbage. (11:41) Real quick. (11:42) All right.(11:42) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(11:44) The recipe metaphor. (11:46) Always my favorite. (11:47) Okay.(11:48) You go into 2026 and you have, you're like, I'm going to earn a certain percent more this year. (11:56) Yeah. (11:57) One of my client's goals is 130,000 this year.(12:00) Okay. (12:01) Good. (12:02) Substantial.(12:03) Now she's not jumping from 20 to 130. (12:05) That would be a dumb goal. (12:07) She's going from, I think, 120 to 130 this year.(12:11) So, okay. (12:13) That means we have to earn this amount per week. (12:16) There is a recipe, you know, breaking things down, and maybe we do another episode on this at some point, breaking things down to their smallest components.(12:25) I was with a client recently, shout out to you, brother. (12:27) And I asked him, I just broke it way down. (12:29) I said, you want to go deep fitness?(12:31) He said, yeah. (12:32) I said, okay. (12:33) What is a macronutrient?(12:35) He's like, I don't know if I really know. (12:37) I said, okay. (12:38) It's a carbohydrate, a protein, and a fat.(12:41) Do you know how many calories in a gram of carbs? (12:45) He's like, uh, 20. (12:47) I said, no, four.(12:48) And I realized in that moment, and this is nothing against you. (12:51) I know you're listening. (12:53) You can't win not knowing that.(12:56) One thing. (12:57) I don't agree. (12:58) I don't agree.(13:00) You can't win as well. (13:01) You don't know the exact recipe. (13:03) You can't get to the next, next, next, next.(13:06) Yes. (13:07) Win. (13:08) What I meant is like really win.(13:10) Okay. (13:10) Okay. (13:11) Well, so here's the thing.(13:14) Everything can be broken down into its smallest components. (13:18) So if you know that one gram of protein is four calories, one gram of fat is nine calories, one gram of carbs is four calories. (13:27) One gram of fat is more than twice the calories of one gram of protein or carbs.(13:31) So the general rule of thumb, quote unquote, and again, this is a rule of thumb, do not take this and run with it. (13:37) I said a good food, quote unquote, is one that has twice as much protein as fat. (13:43) A medium food is equal fat to protein, 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein.(13:49) Yeah, I'll put it down. (13:50) You never want to go the other way. (13:51) This is French fries, way more fat, almost no protein.(13:54) So, but these little components, dude, what is a calorie? (13:58) It's a unit of energy. (14:00) Okay.(14:01) Carbs, protein, fats. (14:02) Okay. (14:02) And that's a macronutrient.(14:03) Okay. (14:03) What about micronutrients? (14:04) All right.(14:05) Vitamins and minerals. (14:05) Okay. (14:06) Why?(14:06) Why does that all matter? (14:07) Chemistry, biochemistry, physiology. (14:10) If you don't know all this, you're basically winging it.(14:13) Kind of. (14:14) There's a recipe for everything. (14:16) Just like you make tiramisu.(14:17) I can create a physique that you want the same way, but Kevin can make tiramisu that's going to taste like shit.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:23) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(14:24) Terrible taste. (14:24) I can make whatever physique you want. (14:26) Here's the big if.(14:27) Within reason, not whatever physique you want, but within reason. (14:31) If you give me enough time and you actually have grit and are willing to do the steps every day. (14:37) I have someone right now who wants to get sub 180.(14:40) Every day she sends me her calories and I send her her new target for the day. (14:44) If she overshoots, we undershoot. (14:45) If she undershoots, we overshoot.(14:46) It's a simple math equation. (14:48) Brother, there is nothing in success that isn't that way. (14:52) Everything in success is a simple math equation.(14:54) If you know the atom level that builds the molecule, that builds the polymer, that builds the whatever, right? (15:01) It's everything needs to be broken down to its simple components. (15:04) But back in the day, when we were kids, we don't know, we don't even know what a calorie is.(15:07) We don't know the difference in Brock. (15:09) Why broccoli?

Kevin Palmieri

(15:10) Why? (15:10) Why broccoli? (15:11) Because it's fills you up.(15:13) There's nothing in it. (15:14) No calories pretty much. (15:16) And that's good for you.(15:17) Good for you. (15:18) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(15:19) You can break every goal down into its smallest components. (15:24) Build a recipe and then run it. (15:26) That's what a system of success is.(15:28) That's what I do in my coaching.

Kevin Palmieri

(15:30) I think the more next level you want to be, the more you have to know about all the components. (15:34) Yeah. (15:35) That's an easy way, right?(15:37) If you want to lose 10 pounds, like, honestly, you don't really need to know that. (15:40) Right. (15:41) Would you say that, is that fair?(15:42) Yes, but you would benefit tremendously from learning it. (15:46) Yes.

Alan Lazaros

(15:47) Oh, I'm that I'm under that assumption. (15:49) This is also why I'm so pro big goals, because when you have huge goals, you have to break everything down to its smallest components and that's when you learn the most and when you have that deep understanding, like imagine if you did have the exact recipe to get to your dream physique, my belief is you'd be more likely to do it. (16:06) You have certainty.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:08) If you knew exactly what to do and you knew for sure that it would get you there. (16:14) I feel like I do though. (16:15) And I, I'm not there.(16:17) I feel like I could do it. (16:19) Do what? (16:20) Get to my exact dream physique.(16:22) Well, you're doing it. (16:24) Yeah, but I'm not really, I mean, I could do more. (16:26) I know that you can do that.(16:27) Yeah, but no, no, you, you would, if you had no other goals. (16:31) I think about that. (16:32) I wake up some days, like I, if I could just get jacked, like my goodness, what a life, and again, I'd probably be extremely depressed and empty feeling, but I'd be jacked, which would be cool and alone.(16:44) I'm kidding. (16:45) But I think the hard thing about goals, man, is you don't have to put any goals are available to all of us. (16:53) Any size goal is available to all of us.(16:56) It's not like you have to. (16:57) Oh, you want to set a really big goal. (16:59) Okay.(16:59) Put a hundred dollars in the machine. (17:01) It'll make it for you and then it'll spit it out and then you can read it and then you can do it. (17:05) Anybody can do it.(17:06) And I think that's why anybody can set the goal. (17:08) Anybody can set it. (17:09) Yes.(17:09) Sorry. (17:10) Yeah. (17:10) But I think that's what, I'm not saying there should be like levels where you're only allowed to set a certain goal, but I think that might actually help us.(17:19) Did you use verb mid sentence? (17:21) No, I think it was like, I don't know if it was like a, like a, it wasn't a verb. (17:27) No, that's you.(17:28) You do that. (17:29) Yeah. (17:29) Sometimes.(17:29) I don't want to be talking and be like, sorry, not me. (17:32) No, I'm not the guy. (17:34) You got to do it, man.(17:36) You, I don't, I mean, you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks. (17:41) Yeah. (17:41) I'd say that's fair.(17:42) It's fair assessment. (17:42) While recording. (17:43) I try to keep it under 400 megs per day.(17:47) I heard it was, I heard something yesterday about somebody who drinks eight Celsius as a day, 1600 quick migs a day. (17:55) Oh my God. (17:56) Not good.(17:57) No, that's not, that's roughly four times the recommended dosage for a, for an adult human being.

Alan Lazaros

(18:04) An adult heavy human being. (18:07) Two minutes, 35 seconds. (18:09) You and me, 4% of the year is gone.(18:12) Kevin and I's point of this episode to bring it back is time's a wasting. (18:19) If, if you want to achieve your goals and dreams, you, you, yeah, you really can't waste a ton of time and effort. (18:27) You only have so much.(18:29) I wonder if we think about that enough of, I say this all the time and I don't know if it lands, I'm not getting any younger.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:37) I think a lot of people say it, I don't know how much it lands, but like you can't decide when you're 50 to go for your dreams.

Alan Lazaros

(18:45) I mean, you can, but what you can achieve, the window closes straight up. (18:53) So on a podcast the other day, and she's like, oh, you got trophies in the background. (18:58) And I, I, she said something along the lines of who are the bronze men in the background or something like that.(19:05) And I was like, oh, I used to bodybuild and all this stuff. (19:07) That was a dream. (19:09) I may never do that again.(19:11) We'll see. (19:12) But that window, the windows of opportunity are closing people. (19:16) They're closing.(19:18) I wake up every day and I look in the mirror, not joking, full length mirror. (19:23) And I say, Alan, you're not getting any younger. (19:29) Get after it today.(19:32) Even if it's a metaphorical mirror, I don't do that necessarily every morning, morning, first thing, but like, cause you mean he's sleeping. (19:37) I don't want to wake her screaming in the mirror. (19:38) First thing in the morning, imagine you're not getting any younger, get after it.(19:44) It's like a Rocky montage in the bedroom. (19:46) No, but I do metaphorically have that always. (19:51) That ticker is always going always.(19:54) And again, not a lot of people want to live like that. (19:56) I get it. (19:57) You don't want to always be against the clock.(19:58) It annoys me. (19:59) I have resentment sometimes. (20:00) It's like, fuck, I don't want to be against the clock.

Kevin Palmieri

(20:02) I had it this week for sure.

Alan Lazaros

(20:03) Yeah. (20:03) But I always tell myself this. (20:06) I say, Alan, I said this to Amelia yesterday.(20:11) This is what it takes. (20:12) Cause I was venting. (20:14) I was venting after the gym.(20:17) It's like this, uh, you know, I can't have level 10 standards and everything. (20:20) This is brutal. (20:22) And what did I say?(20:24) I said, and then I said, the other side of the coin is Alan, that's what it takes to be the best. (20:31) You, if it was easy, everyone would do it. (20:35) It's the hard that makes it great.(20:37) Those are the exact conversations I have with myself. (20:39) It's not like you're trying to do something kind of well. (20:45) Oh, I want to achieve X, Y, and Z.(20:49) And I want to do something that's never been done, but I don't really want it to be hard. (20:53) It's, it's the stupidest shit ever. (20:56) And so every now and then I do, I get, I get frustrated and I have to, I have to talk to myself and say, Alan, you chose this, you chose this.(21:05) It's the hard that makes it great. (21:07) You know, you chose this. (21:08) Don't, you know, it's okay.(21:14) Get rid of the goal.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:15) Then you don't have to do any of this. (21:17) No, it's hard to, because you do have so much time left, but not, it's, it, it's both sides. (21:24) I was talking to, I was talking to a client about that.(21:26) I was like, Gary Vee's really good at motivating people and he's super successful, but he's like, if you're 80, you have plenty of time left. (21:32) Like statistically you don't.

Alan Lazaros

(21:33) No, no, not at all.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:34) Like statistically you're actually, you're dead already. (21:36) Yes. (21:37) You're dead.(21:37) You've already passed away to the, to the Everland. (21:39) Whatever happens after this. (21:41) If you're 20, you got plenty of time to, to, to chase your dreams.(21:46) Most likely. (21:47) But, but it's hard because there's both ends of that. (21:50) Yeah.(21:50) Like I worked, I worked in corporate until I was 38 and I know now I don't have time to, of course you have time to chase your dreams. (21:58) Is it as easy as it would have been if you started when you were 22? (22:01) No, probably not.(22:03) But, but of course you have time and time matters more now. (22:07) Now you need, really need to lock in because you, you're, you're missing out on 20 years of potential.

Alan Lazaros

(22:14) You used to work when you were at work and you were hardworking, but when you were off work, you were not just hanging out. (22:23) Best on earth at hanging out. (22:24) It was the best.(22:26) Talk to me a little bit and to the listeners about, okay, when you have huge goals and you believe in yourself a lot, you basically are always being pulled at, always, if I'm R&Ring and relaxing, I always have this knowing I'm falling behind on my own standards, my own goals, all that kind of stuff. (22:51) And R&R is also part of that equation. (22:53) So that's, that's important.(22:55) Some people, their goal is rest. (22:57) Some people rest is a necessity. (22:59) And if you're a goal achiever, rest needs to be a necessity, not the goal.(23:03) But talk to me about what it was like before versus now, because, okay. (23:11) I've never not had that tug ever. (23:14) That tug is always there.(23:16) She has it. (23:17) Emilia has it. (23:18) It's always there.(23:20) It's like, Hey Alan, I think it's my highest self saying, Alan, come on. (23:24) You're fucking this up. (23:25) You know it.(23:26) When you know what it's going to take to achieve your dreams and goals, your highest self is always on you. (23:33) Always. (23:34) It's like, Hey, come on.(23:34) You know, you're not doing what you're supposed to do. (23:36) You know, you're not doing what you have to do. (23:38) You know, you're not doing what's necessary.(23:41) Talk to me about old Kev versus new Kev, because now that you believe in yourself more, you must have more pull.

Kevin Palmieri

(23:48) For sure. (23:50) I don't, it's hard because so much of I've realized this a lot lately. (23:55) Like a lot of what I do is for self-preservation, like very honestly, because I'm really redlining often.(24:05) So a lot of now it's like, I still get the pull to do. (24:08) And I, it's just like, I don't know. (24:11) Do I do it and burn myself to the ground?(24:13) Or do I say, yeah, I know, I know. (24:14) I know. (24:15) I see you.(24:16) I know. (24:16) I know it's there. (24:17) I'm going to make sure it doesn't, I don't lose it.(24:19) It doesn't burn down. (24:20) I'm going to keep momentum. (24:21) I, back in the day, there was no pull because it was, you did what you had to do and now you're done.

Alan Lazaros

(24:27) And if you didn't believe in yourself, there's nothing, there's no opportunity cost kind of back then, like if you don't believe in your potential, I wasn't about, yeah, it wasn't about potential.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:38) It was about, I have to do what it takes to get to, to keep my job. (24:42) And I've accomplished that for the day and now I can do what I want. (24:46) That was it.(24:48) Every time the second three o'clock hit or whatever time hit done, that's it. (24:54) We're now we leave and now we go do what we do. (24:57) We go play NBA 2k at the hotel or I go to the gym or whatever, but it wasn't about potential.(25:03) It was about a paycheck. (25:04) Yeah. (25:05) Entrepreneurial life is different.(25:07) But I think the, the benefit, obviously there's many benefits, but the benefit is you get to do, I told you this and I know we got to, we hop, we'll hop after this. (25:15) I've been going to job sites with this client's crew and I had a moment yesterday where I was like, I, there's no way I'd rather do this. (25:29) Then beyond this crew, I had a conversation with one of the managers and, and I was like, do we have another job site to go to or what?(25:38) He's like, ah, it looks like we're probably going to end up going back to the office. (25:40) And I said, you're going to go back to the office. (25:42) I'm going to go home.(25:43) I said, this is the benefit is your boss is not my boss. (25:46) I'm, I'm going home. (25:47) That's what, that's what I'm going to do.(25:50) It was, we were joking and me and this kid are, we're buddy, buddy.

Alan Lazaros

(25:54) How different is that for you being back on a job site?

Kevin Palmieri

(25:57) It's, I don't know. (25:58) I'm going through it. (25:59) Not really.(26:00) It's not like, it's just weird. (26:02) It's weird to, yeah, you earn that too. (26:06) Cause it's weird to have somebody else tell me where I'm going.(26:10) Like where, this is where you're going. (26:12) And this is what, dude, that's weird for me.

Alan Lazaros

(26:13) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:14) There's a part of me, like I have to get my, it's like this, Kev, this isn't a big deal. (26:18) This isn't a big deal. (26:19) Like, this is fine.(26:20) This is, this is what you signed up for. (26:22) This is what you're doing. (26:23) But there's a little piece of me that's like, fuck that.(26:26) I'm not doing it. (26:27) No, I'm going home. (26:31) I'm going home.(26:33) Cause I called, and again, this is a very unique circumstance and I'm very close with his client, but I called them and they didn't answer. (26:39) And I was like, I'm, I'm no matter what, I'm going home. (26:43) Like, I'm not going to drive an hour to their headquarters just to drive an hour back.(26:47) It doesn't make any sense. (26:48) But I had that, like, I was justifying it in my mind. (26:51) Like, well, what if they say this?(26:52) What if they say that? (26:53) Like, dude, like I was at work back in the day. (26:55) Yeah.(26:55) I know, I know we got to go, but I think this is of tremendous value.

Alan Lazaros

(27:02) Brother, that's a, that's a gift and it comes with responsibility. (27:08) I remember when I left corporate and I was already on the more productive achiever end, and I remember thinking, hmm, am I way lazier than I thought? (27:20) You go to school and the bell rings and you got to have your ass in that seat.(27:24) You got homework, you got accountability all over you. (27:28) Preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, corporate, all of it is structure. (27:33) And you have someone looking over your shoulder to make sure you're doing what you're doing.(27:37) You jump into entrepreneur land.

Kevin Palmieri

(27:40) Nobody cares. (27:41) Nobody cares. (27:42) Yeah.(27:42) Nobody cares what you do. (27:43) And honestly, people don't want you to work. (27:46) They want you to hang out.(27:47) I know.

Alan Lazaros

(27:48) And they think that you have all day.

Kevin Palmieri

(27:49) You're your own boss.

Alan Lazaros

(27:50) So, you know, come chill. (27:54) No, no, no, no. (27:57) That is a barrier that I think you and I should talk about again.(28:00) And we'll do it on another episode. (28:01) But for anyone who is an entrepreneur out there watching or listening or even considering it, we need to warn you immediately. (28:08) There's this chasm of time where you have no, you go from tons of structure and having a boss and accountability to none, and you go from income to no income.(28:21) No accountability, no structure and no income is like a really dangerous place. (28:27) That's the chasm where the majority of people die. (28:29) Metaphorically, metaphorically.(28:31) And companies, businesses go out of business right there. (28:34) I wonder how many people get through those early years of you and I combined first two years in business, combined gross top line revenue, 13 grand. (28:45) Less than seven grand each in Massachusetts.(28:49) That is like abject poverty. (28:52) That is significantly below minimum wage. (28:55) And you and I made it through.(28:57) And I, the more I coach and the more I do book club and masterclasses and relationship talks events and coach people at 25 now, I went 24 now, 25 about to be 26. (29:11) It's like, Oh, you and I really made something here. (29:15) Like we really did it.(29:16) I mean, very rarely do I genuinely feel impressed with us because I wake up in the morning and I'm always thinking about, I'm always up against the goal. (29:27) Like, okay, 2025, we did a great job. (29:29) Awesome.(29:29) Go us. (29:30) But our goals are way bigger in 2026 and it's game time. (29:32) And it's 4.57% in a year already. (29:35) We're not getting any younger. (29:37) Like, congratulations. (29:38) Let's get after it.(29:39) But every now and then I have those moments of we really built something here, huh? (29:49) And to bring this to the listener, whatever your dream is, whatever your goals are, you pay for them daily. (30:09) It's a luxury for you not to have a boss.(30:13) Technically I'm your boss, but you know what I'm saying? (30:15) It's, it's a, that's a luxury. (30:17) You have to earn that every day, every day.(30:20) And I know you felt that shit on that job site.

Kevin Palmieri

(30:23) Oh yeah. (30:23) Well, there was a little piece of me that was like, how cool would it be? (30:26) Just to like be done.(30:28) Like I did, I swear. (30:29) I was like, I would just, I would just go home and be done. (30:32) And then like tomorrow, you owe it to yourself listener to go on YouTube and see Kevin's face right now.

Alan Lazaros

(30:37) How much do you miss being done?

Kevin Palmieri

(30:40) Well, being done is not a thing in goal, like achiever land. (30:44) It's you're there, but it's also, I had that moment last night of like, it really is, it's very empowering to know it's like up to you, like there's a lot of people relying on us and it's in power, it's scary at times, but it's empowering to know like this is on us. (30:59) This is on us.(31:00) If this doesn't work, that's on a hundred percent. (31:02) If it works, it's on us. (31:04) And again, there's people behind the scenes that help us for sure.(31:07) I'm not saying we're not self-made by any stretch of the imagination, but like it's, if I don't send a message to the team about something that I know has to get done, it's not going to get done because nobody else knows it has to get done and the client knows it's supposed to get done and that's going to, that's not going to work. (31:21) Like there's, you know, there's a, there's a piece for that too. (31:24) So last question, I promise.

Alan Lazaros

(31:25) What did Kevin back then not know about this? (31:29) Because none of this, and again, as pretentious as it sounds, I don't care, this is our podcast. (31:33) Like there's no surprise in that.(31:36) Like, yes, I was surprised that BJ Fogg considers 20 pushups hard. (31:41) I, that surprises me. (31:42) You and I having gone through what we've gone through to get here.(31:46) None of that is a surprise. (31:48) How hard this has been and being on every second of every day, having all the responsibility on us, the weight on our shoulders, like it's been harder than I thought in certain regards, but there's, there's hasn't been any, I wasn't expecting to ever be off. (32:01) There was no like, yeah, I'm going to punch a time clock and then I'm going to be done because that's not how it's wired anyway, for you, what's been the biggest surprise in, in this?

Kevin Palmieri

(32:16) Hmm. (32:18) That you never would have imagined. (32:21) How exhausting it is, even though it doesn't seem like it's, I mean, I don't leave the office I do now, but like how exhausting it is, like cognitively.(32:32) There's just always, I said that to Tyron the other day. (32:35) I was like, my brain's on fire all the time. (32:38) It's all, it's just so loud.(32:41) There's so much going on in my head all the time that I didn't understand that because to your point, when you punch the clock and you're done, that's it. (32:50) You don't have to worry about anything. (32:52) Like you just show up.(32:53) It's almost, it's like, um, different scenes in a movie. (32:56) Like that scene is over and now the next scene starts. (32:58) And then tomorrow the scene, the work scene starts again.(33:01) There's, it's all the same scene that I didn't understand that for sure. (33:06) The cognitive labor. (33:08) That's yeah.(33:09) That, and then like the pressure of the weird thing is like when you're not successful at all, all the success, all the pressure is to be successful.

Alan Lazaros

(33:18) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(33:19) But once you start getting opportunities and you get responsibilities and you get quote unquote success, it's way harder to keep it. (33:27) I'm convinced. (33:28) I'm convinced it's way harder to keep it than to get it.(33:31) I'm convinced of that. (33:33) I'm convinced that. (33:35) That surprises me.(33:36) Not in the success doesn't make life easier. (33:39) It makes it harder, but just like what it takes to maintain it. (33:43) Because you're just juggling so many things at the same time.(33:46) Let's do an episode on that. (33:49) That for sure. (33:50) I would say that you're a super longterm.(33:56) So I think that's a piece of it too, is like, I don't know what it would be like if I, if I had somebody else that wasn't as longterm, like, I don't know, I think it would be way easier in some ways. (34:07) Cause it wouldn't be like, wait, wait, wait. (34:12) You know what I mean?(34:16) You don't know what I mean? (34:17) It wouldn't be like delay, pleasure, delay, pleasure to play, like delay it, delay it, delay it, delay it as much. (34:26) So maybe, I don't know, I probably wouldn't work as much I'm guessing, but I also know I wouldn't be as successful, but I wouldn't know the difference.(34:35) Maybe that too.

Alan Lazaros

(34:38) There's so much to unpack there. (34:39) I just, we don't have time.

Kevin Palmieri

(34:41) No, no, we don't have time.

Alan Lazaros

(34:42) We'll do an episode on it. (34:44) Yeah, we could do that.

Kevin Palmieri

(34:45) I just don't know.

Alan Lazaros

(34:47) I'm convinced with that at all. (34:49) I do. (34:49) But I also happen to be good at sustaining, right?

Kevin Palmieri

(34:52) So scaling and sustaining. (34:54) I've never met anybody that looks the same way they look on stage a month after.

Alan Lazaros

(34:59) I kind of did. (35:02) No, not the same. (35:03) Not the exact same, but dude, not that different.(35:05) Brother, I didn't have to diet down that much for those shows. (35:08) That was actually my problem. (35:09) But you don't anymore.(35:11) That. (35:14) Same. (35:14) I remember saying this.(35:16) I want the fitness show to not be a drastic transformation. (35:22) I want to walk around like this in fitness, in, in show.

Kevin Palmieri

(35:26) I know, but I'll, but I'm saying now, yeah, but that was pre this. (35:30) Yeah, but it's the same concept, right? (35:32) I know, but you and I don't look like that anymore.

Alan Lazaros

(35:34) Yeah, great. (35:34) I know that. (35:35) That.(35:35) I know that. (35:37) That. (35:39) One thing we'll do in that other episode is I actually feel like maybe this is harder for you because I'm, I'm always preparing to be the person who can handle everything that we're, I'm very proactive in my preparation, like that course I want to buy, brother, that course is going to help us for decades.(35:59) I'm certain of it. (36:00) 10 out of 10. (36:01) And I'm just going to buy it and then learn it all.(36:03) And then, and then by the time we get there, that course has nothing we need right now. (36:06) Not nothing. (36:07) It has things we're going to need.(36:09) It's enterprise building stuff. (36:11) So I'm always preparing way in advance for whatever domino I'm going to knock over next. (36:16) And so like, I'm preparing to be a father long before I'm a father.(36:22) Right. (36:23) So maybe, maybe that's why it feels different for you is like, you're like, oh shit. (36:26) I didn't realize I was, well, I don't know.(36:28) Yeah. (36:28) I don't know what it's going to take. (36:29) Yeah.(36:30) So maybe that's why that didn't land is like for me sustaining. (36:32) It's easy because I was always preparing for that. (36:35) Not easy, not easy.(36:36) That's the wrong way to put it. (36:37) Of course it's challenging, but it's not nearly as challenging for me. (36:41) The hardest part, maybe we'll do an episode on this at some point is doing it all at once.(36:47) None of this individually, I think is very difficult. (36:51) Like podcasting, I think is not that hard. (36:53) Coaching is not that it's doing it all at once.(36:56) That's really hard being a CEO. (36:57) I don't consider that difficult. (36:59) I find it difficult when I'm coaching 25 people, we have 126 paying clients.(37:04) We have 24 team members, like it's, and then I'm in the gym every day, running a household in a relationship. (37:10) What's really hard for me is having level 10 standards in like seven categories simultaneously. (37:17) For me, that is like really fucking hard.(37:20) The rest of it, I don't feel is that hard at all. (37:23) I feel like if we just did one thing really well, that would be easy as hell.

Kevin Palmieri

(37:27) I don't know, but probably, but I don't know. (37:29) Cause I don't know. (37:30) I don't have anything to compare it to really.(37:31) I can tell you right now when I don't go to the gym, life is easier. (37:37) Yeah, for sure. (37:38) But I won't let myself, it's way easier.(37:41) Yeah. (37:42) Cause I can sleep for two hours extra every day. (37:46) Great.(37:46) Yeah. (37:47) But after a week of that, I'm like, what the fuck is wrong with you? (37:51) What are you doing with your life?(37:52) A hundred percent. (37:53) Yeah. (37:53) We'll do an episode.(37:54) I just don't know how many people actually want to be entrepreneurs slash. (37:57) I don't know how many people should be.

Alan Lazaros

(38:00) So I don't want to lead anybody in the direction. (38:03) Getting the goal. (38:04) You think sustaining the goal is harder than getting the goal.(38:06) That's the thesis. (38:07) Let's do an episode.

Kevin Palmieri

(38:08) A hundred percent. (38:09) Especially if you're wired like me, cause you get the good. (38:11) And again, I think I'm very good at this humbly.(38:13) When I get a goal, it doesn't really affect me. (38:16) Like I don't stop striving. (38:18) If anything, I think it motivates me more to like set the next goal.(38:21) So it's not that, but it's more the. (38:25) If you can, okay. (38:26) What part of juggling is the hardest learning two or then three, four or five?(38:31) Like a lot of people can juggle two balls or three, but when you get to four or five, six or seven, it's harder to maintain that than it is just to that.

Alan Lazaros

(38:39) Let's do. (38:39) That's why it's harder. (38:40) Next episode.(38:41) Getting the goal is easier than sustaining it. (38:46) Okay.

Kevin Palmieri

(38:46) But I want to debate that because I don't agree. (38:49) We're going to debate it. (38:50) All right.(38:50) We got to go. (38:50) We got to go. (38:51) You got, you got shit to do.(38:52) I got shit to do. (38:52) It's Saturday. (38:53) I got to go play in the snow.(38:54) I'm going to make a snow angel. (38:55) They'll build a snowman or something. (38:57) If, okay.(38:57) If you really, really, really want to be next level, like you want to be more next level than anybody, you know, and you feel weird about it and you're scared to share it and you don't feel like you fit in Alan's coaching. (39:07) 100% will help you get there again, within reason, right? (39:10) If you have massive goals that aren't really good for you, you probably won't end up getting there, but you will get to the place you're supposed to get to with Alan's coaching.(39:17) And if you're a podcaster who has really big goals, I can help you get there for sure. (39:21) That I can, I can say with confidence. (39:23) I've helped a lot of people get a lot of really amazing goals with podcasting and, and that type of stuff.(39:27) So I'd love to help you if you are interested as always, we love you. (39:30) We appreciate you grateful for each and every one of you. (39:32) 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 freaking day.(39:39) Keep leveling up every day to reach your full potential. (39:44) Thanks for joining us for another episode of next level university. (39:48) We love connecting with the next level family.

Alan Lazaros

(39:50) We mean it when we say family, if you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (39:56) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.

Kevin Palmieri

(39:59) Thank you again. (40:00) And we will talk to you tomorrow.