Sometimes Courage Is Letting Go (2399)

When good starts costing great. In today’s episode, Kevin and Alan talk about the hard moment when commitment stops being growth and starts becoming a drag. After years of building, testing, and carrying multiple projects at once, they share what it means to step back, make honest cuts, and protect the bigger mission. This episode gets into courage, self-awareness, identity, and the trade-offs that come with real progress. It is not about giving up because something feels hard. It is about knowing when holding on is no longer the highest move.

If you have been wrestling with whether to keep pushing, pivot, or let something go, this conversation will help you think with more clarity and less emotion. Hit play before your loyalty to the old version of your life blocks the next one.

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Learn more about:
Book Alan’s Business Breakthrough Session. Your first 30-minute coaching call is FREE. Learn how to prioritize success and let your quality of life become the byproduct. - https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-breakthrough-session

Track the Work. Earn the Results. To know more about the "Next Level Fitness Accountability Group," reach out.

• Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
• Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

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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

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:
(2:05) When pruning beats persistence
(5:29) The cost of staying spread thin
(8:12) Best self Vs. Toddler self
(10:01) Giving up good for great
(17:33) When stories keep you stuck
(21:57) Consistency without reflection
(26:44) 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) I did my final episode today of Podcast Growth University. (0:05) I made 198 episodes, I didn't even make it to 200, and we'll explain why we're not going in that direction anymore. (0:11) But there was a piece of me that, number one, was afraid to do the episode explaining why I'm stopping.(0:16) Definitely a piece of me that felt like a failure, for sure. (0:19) And then there was a little piece of me that was embarrassed, because I tend not to stop things that I start, but that is the point of this episode. (0:26) Everybody talks about courage as, go do the thing, go do the thing, go do the thing.(0:30) Sometimes courage is stopping to do the thing that you know you need to stop.

Alan Lazaros

(0:36) Embarrassment, disappointment, failure, feeling like a failure, everything Kevin just said in that opening is necessary to reach the next level, at least to some degree.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:47) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:49) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:51) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:54) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(1:01) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:07) 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

(1:23) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:30) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:35) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,399. (1:39) Sometimes courage is letting go. (1:43) We occasionally have meetings where we're on schedule to record like four episodes or whatever, five episodes, but we just haven't caught up on business and the future and all the stuff, all the happenings at NLU.(1:59) All the macro priorities. (2:00) All the macro priorities going back to yesterday's episode. (2:02) Yesterday was that day.(2:05) So I thought we were going to meet, I'm going to hammer out our four or five episodes, and then it's all going to be gravy.

Alan Lazaros

(2:12) Gravy, baby.

Kevin Palmieri

(2:13) That is not what happened. (2:15) We ended up saying, all right, you know what? (2:16) We're going to can Podcast Growth University.(2:19) We're going to can Podcast Growth Nation. (2:21) We're going to can Business Growth University. (2:23) We're going to can a bunch of stuff.(2:26) And that's scary. (2:27) That's scary. (2:28) That can be really, really scary.

Alan Lazaros

(2:30) We sliced and diced, sliced and diced the business. (2:34) What we really did, and I want to make this as clear as possible, in respect of any business owners out there that are listening, I want to explain this first. (2:47) Sometimes you quit things way too early.(2:52) Sometimes you quit things way too early. (2:54) It's one month, two months, nothing's working, nothing's working. (2:58) Listen, you haven't found the formula yet.(2:59) You haven't dialed in the lock. (3:01) You're about to break through. (3:02) Don't stop.(3:03) Keep going. (3:04) Keep going. (3:04) You got to get that breakthrough.(3:06) But sometimes you spend years and years and years and you invest time and effort and money and you get wiser and older and more mature and acceptance and you realize, okay, I don't think this is what's called product market fit. (3:24) In this case, department market fit, because we slice departments, but each department has some sort of a service or a product attached to it. (3:31) And Kevin and I had to get real honest with ourselves.(3:33) So the way that I've tried to explain it to the team and now to all the listeners is NLU 8.0, when we were eight years in last year, 2025, we were boys and we're becoming men and we're becoming mature and we're leveling up our life in many ways. (3:56) We've reached a whole bunch of new levels. (3:58) And at each new level in life, you have to reassess where you're investing your time, effort, and money.(4:05) You have to. (4:06) What's working, double down on it. (4:08) What's not working, cut it in half or get rid of it completely.(4:12) And the rosebush metaphor is good here. (4:15) You cut away some of the rose, I don't know if they're called canes or whatever, but you basically have to prepare a rosebush pre-spring in order for it to fully blossom. (4:25) Because if a rosebush is not pruned, it will kill itself from not having enough resources.(4:32) And I think that's a good metaphor for life. (4:35) That's why I believe in minimalism and essentialism. (4:37) And that's why I'm very big on getting rid of things, donating things, upcycling things, recycling things.(4:44) Emile and I are very, very, very, very adamant about that. (4:47) Me more than her. (4:48) And spring cleaning.(4:50) Let's get, okay, listen, I haven't worn that shirt in three years. (4:54) Donate it. (4:55) Donate it.(4:57) And so we talked about macro and micro priorities last time. (5:01) The macro mission is more important than the micro moment. (5:08) And there's loss and grief with this.(5:12) There's acceptance and there's feelings. (5:14) I feel the same way. (5:15) I woke up this morning feeling like the mourning, the loss of what could have been.(5:20) And so we slice some departments. (5:23) We don't have a mailing list anymore. (5:25) We slice and dice the company without getting into the details.(5:29) The point of this episode is it takes tremendous courage. (5:31) And I told Kev this yesterday. (5:32) I said, I can't tell if it's courageous to keep going even though this investment isn't really paying off in the way that we thought it might, or if it's more courageous to can it.(5:47) And you and I talked and we knew intuitively. (5:50) It's like, I think it takes more courage to can it. (5:53) And I don't want everyone to start slicing there.(5:56) Like, don't go quit your job after this episode or something like that. (5:58) That's not my point. (5:59) But what I do want everyone to reassess with is like, you opened, you did your last podcast, Growth University episode today.(6:08) And I haven't done my last BGU one yet, but I'm gonna. (6:12) And there's a part of me that will feel like a failure as well. (6:15) But there's another part of me that will feel liberated by the fact that I'm not spread too thin.(6:23) Too little butter spread across too much bread is how I've been feeling. (6:26) And I don't know if you've been feeling that way, I'm assuming.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:30) It's hard to explain because even on the episode, I said, I'm going to be very honest. (6:34) It's not because I don't have the time. (6:37) That's an excuse.(6:38) If I said, I don't have the time. (6:39) Of course I have the time. (6:40) It's 20 minutes.(6:41) It's fucking 20 minutes. (6:42) Of course I have the time to record a PGU episode. (6:44) We have a team.(6:45) They're the best. (6:46) I send it to the team. (6:47) Everything gets taken care of.(6:47) That's a cop-out if I say that. (6:50) Or I'm super overwhelmed and I can't do it. (6:52) That's a cop-out for me.(6:53) Of course I can do it. (6:53) I 100% can do it. (6:54) What'd you end up saying?(6:56) It just, as we have learned and as we have grown and as we have evolved, it just doesn't serve the purpose that we thought it once would. (7:07) That. (7:08) I love it.(7:09) I don't care. (7:10) I said this on the episode. (7:11) Like I don't, I don't even think about the listens.(7:14) I've gotten more clients from PGU by accident than I've had clients like reverse engineer. (7:19) Like it's worked quite well, honestly, all things considered. (7:22) So for me it's, I have nothing, I don't care about any of that.(7:25) It's, that's not what it is for me. (7:26) It doesn't, it's not like it didn't, it didn't serve the purpose, quote unquote. (7:30) Yeah.(7:30) It's like, if we just put that 20 minutes into a better NLU episode, we can help more people because of the way this is rolling and the unique thing we have going. (7:42) It just, it makes more sense for the mission.

Alan Lazaros

(7:46) Wasn't it not three days ago? (7:47) And just so everyone knows, I didn't mention any of this Kevin with Kevin last night. (7:53) Like we didn't say, Hey, we're going to like that.(7:55) That went from meeting to new business model very quickly. (8:00) Yeah, for sure.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:01) For sure.

Alan Lazaros

(8:01) And my point of that is, wasn't it a few episodes ago or like earlier this week when I said, I've been thinking a lot about our time, 60 times, 52 times too.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:11) Yes.

Alan Lazaros

(8:12) 6,240 hours a year. (8:14) Where are we putting those? (8:16) And I hope the, the reason why I, it's one of those weird mature conversations where it's like, I don't even want to get rid of these.(8:28) Yeah. (8:29) I actually want to keep them, but I'm, I think it's less optimal than getting rid of them. (8:36) And it's like this shedding of the old skin thing, this just because you want, what's another example of that?(8:45) I want to drink alcohol. (8:47) I just know I shouldn't highest self highest version, best version of Alan knows that you need to be sober and not drink alcohol and not have that be a part of your life. (8:59) And long-term you will be grateful that you did that.(9:03) There's definitely a small part of me that like, misses partying. (9:07) Of course. (9:08) That's what this is.(9:09) And so you, for everyone out there, when it comes to these big decisions, you got to figure out which one is best self and which one is toddler self. (9:18) I think toddler self wants to hang on to, I mean, you mentioned like the narrative of we've been doing this for however many years and the story. (9:28) And again, I, I, I need to make this as clear as possible.(9:31) I am not suggesting you quit. (9:33) I told Kevin this. (9:34) I think the majority of people, this is my truth.(9:37) The majority of people quit too early. (9:40) The majority of people do quit too early. (9:42) That's my trend for sure.(9:43) Yeah. (9:43) Okay. (9:44) But it's not at NLU.(9:45) I don't think at NLU we usually run things for years before we get rid of them.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:49) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(9:49) We run them too long. (9:50) We run them too long. (9:51) And that's my pattern.(9:52) That's definitely my pattern. (9:53) So if you're on the quit too early, do not use this as an excuse to quit. (9:57) We are not quitting because it was hard.(9:59) We are not quitting because it wasn't a value. (10:01) We are quitting because you have to give up good to go for great and you have to give up great to go for extraordinary. (10:06) And I would rather, and I had an honest, candid conversation with Kev, I said, I'm liking what NLU has become.(10:12) I think NLU is really special. (10:14) I think the dialogues and the debates we have on here are like extremely valuable and very rare. (10:20) I don't think I've been on a lot of podcasts.(10:23) There's, there's not a lot of people who, who can respectfully discord from two different angles on the same success topic. (10:30) I think we have something really special here. (10:31) Of course I would, but I really, really feel that and I want to put all of our time, effort and money back into this podcast.

Kevin Palmieri

(10:41) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(10:41) And that's something we agreed on and we didn't make that decision lightly. (10:46) That was not an easy conversation. (10:47) That was like, that was a fucking brutal.

Kevin Palmieri

(10:51) I was sad. (10:52) I was sad this morning. (10:53) Yeah.(10:53) It was weird. (10:54) It was weird. (10:55) And I think that's the other hard thing about stuff like this is you have the, you have the fact that you invested so much into it.(11:04) Costs and buys. (11:05) Yeah. (11:06) The costs and buys.(11:07) Like I've done, I did 200 episodes of this podcast. (11:10) That's four years.

Alan Lazaros

(11:11) For BGU it was only 33 episodes, so it wasn't as big of a loss for me. (11:14) But still, I mean, still. (11:16) Yeah, yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:16) It definitely, I poured my heart and soul into that. (11:19) Should I just go to four years? (11:22) Like, should I just go to episode 210?(11:23) That way I can say, yeah, 52 times four, 208. (11:28) Should I just do that? (11:29) And I was like, no.(11:30) That's, again, that's the narrative too. (11:32) That's just a story. (11:32) So then I could say I did four years, you know?(11:36) But I don't know. (11:37) When it comes to stuff like that, I'm very weird.

Alan Lazaros

(11:39) Didn't we, didn't we exactly, we gave up two really good podcasts for one really great one.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:47) That's, I mean, we are biased for sure, but yeah. (11:50) And by the way, that 20 minutes you're taking, we need that for this podcast. (11:54) Well, of course, of course.(11:56) But, but all I'm saying is like, dude, I do that at 10 o'clock. (11:59) Like we never record at 10 o'clock. (12:00) That's fair.(12:01) But still. (12:02) So it's not. (12:02) Time is time.(12:03) I just want to make sure like. (12:04) Yeah, yeah. (12:05) Yeah.(12:05) Because yeah, you could be. (12:06) But I just don't want that to be the excuse. (12:08) Yeah, I know.(12:08) And I respect that. (12:09) I couldn't find time. (12:10) Of course I could.(12:11) Get the fuck out of here. (12:13) I'm very strange in this where there have been times, what did we do? (12:18) Tara and I drove like an hour somewhere.(12:20) I don't remember what it was. (12:21) This was a long time ago and it was either closed or something. (12:26) And she's like, oh my God, I'm so sorry.(12:28) Are you mad? (12:28) And I was like, I fucking care. (12:30) No, I'm not mad.(12:31) Why would I be mad? (12:32) Cause you drove an hour. (12:33) It's like, well, we're here now though.(12:35) So it's, it's not open. (12:36) So we'll drive back. (12:37) It's not the end of the world.(12:38) Like, I don't, I don't care. (12:39) It's not a big deal. (12:40) Yeah.(12:41) I think I'm like, like, I don't. (12:43) Get that attached to things. (12:44) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(12:45) No, not really. (12:46) I'm, I, you're attached to a few things really deeply and then you're not, if you don't think it's what's best.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:53) Well, and then like you will learn something new. (12:57) Like you learn something new and then it, that was kind of one of the lessons. (13:01) Cause I was like, what is this fucking episode even going to be about for PGU?(13:04) Like, what am I going to say? (13:04) I'm not going to teach you anything about podcasting. (13:07) I'm usually like 17 to 20 minutes.(13:09) How long was this one? (13:10) Probably 17 minutes. (13:12) And you just talked about everything.(13:15) Should you send them on over to NLU? (13:16) Oh yeah. (13:16) Come on over.(13:17) I said, come on.

Alan Lazaros

(13:18) If you're, if you know, you want to keep hearing the kid, you know, you have to put up with all the time and effort and money that we invested. (13:22) Cause there's money invested in that podcast, the production, like all the time, effort and money, the production team, all that. (13:28) We're going to reallocate to this show, baby.(13:30) We're doubling down on this show for the listeners of this show, all the time, effort and money we put into business growth university and podcast growth university. (13:37) It's coming back into NLU. (13:39) So get ready.(13:40) Next level university, 9.0 baby. (13:42) I don't even think of that.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:44) And I don't even, I don't even think to me, it's like, okay. (13:47) It it's, we've just learned a lot and we're less. (13:54) Do you think we're making the right choice?(13:58) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(13:59) Yeah. (14:00) Same. (14:01) And even if you said, well liberated in any way.(14:03) No, really? (14:06) I felt very liberated this morning of like, I have, because I am, and I'm not maxed out. (14:13) That's a cop-out more, too many departments, man.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:17) Way more than me for sure.

Alan Lazaros

(14:18) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:19) In terms of time.

Alan Lazaros

(14:19) Emilia asked me a question cause I've been mulling this over for a lot longer before I talked to Kim about it a lot longer, three fucking days. (14:28) Um, but it's been more than that in my own head. (14:29) It's been a long time coming in my head.(14:33) And Emilia said, what would Steve jobs say? (14:38) And I was like, he'd say, can it double down on what's great doubled, like have the courage and can't fucking can it. (14:47) And I want to make this as clear as possible.(14:52) Steve jobs was a hero of mine growing up. (14:55) My buddy and I, Kiki and I used to, uh, Microsoft versus Apple, Steve jobs versus Bill Gates, the whole Silicon Valley. (15:02) I mean, I remember when Google earth was brand new, we were talking about moving there and starting a company.(15:07) We built our first computer PC gamer magazine, all kinds of shit. (15:11) And, uh, Steve jobs was a hero of mine. (15:16) And in certain regards, he still is vision business, some courage for sure.(15:22) That kind of thing, but also an atrocious leader in some ways. (15:25) So don't associate me. (15:26) But what I will say is I liked that Emilia did that because I realized that I was holding on to a lot of people don't know the story.(15:38) I think it's a good anecdote. (15:39) Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy and they hired Steve jobs back and he came in and deleted everything they were doing except for four quadrants. (15:50) They focused on the iPod, the Mac book, retail, and one other, I forget what it was.(15:57) And then they came out with the iPhone and they couldn't have done that if they were spread too thin. (16:03) So, so when you get a creative group of people focused on fewer things and making them truly great, I always say, you know, Red Bull shouldn't sell cars. (16:13) Tesla shouldn't sell energy drinks.(16:15) Like the point, I think that's my point in this episode. (16:19) I know it's not yours. (16:20) You're talking from a personal place.(16:21) For me, it's just a, it makes good, it's a good business move. (16:25) It makes personal Allen sad. (16:28) Professional Allen is like, fuck yeah.(16:29) And liberated.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:31) I don't know. (16:32) Liberate. (16:33) Yeah.(16:33) That liberated isn't it for me, but it wouldn't be. (16:36) Right. (16:36) It wouldn't be.(16:37) It wouldn't, that's, that wouldn't be my thing anyway. (16:38) It would be, well, then you definitely didn't feel trapped by it.

Alan Lazaros

(16:41) No, no, no. (16:42) It was, do you feel trapped by the mission at all? (16:45) Sometimes.(16:46) Yeah. (16:47) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:47) Sometimes I'm going to go on a golf.

Alan Lazaros

(16:49) So there are definitely things you would feel liberated by. (16:51) So there's a couple departments that we sliced that you do feel liberated by. (16:54) Oh my God.(16:55) At least one.

Kevin Palmieri

(16:56) Yeah. (16:57) Can I say it? (16:59) No.(16:59) Why not? (17:01) Yeah, you can. (17:02) Today's Saturday.(17:03) So if you were, if you're attending next level live today, it's going to be the last ever next level live. (17:07) Yeah. (17:07) Maybe not last ever, but probably.

Alan Lazaros

(17:10) Yeah. (17:11) We sliced next level live because, and I want to make this as clear as possible. (17:15) We're going out with a bang, baby.(17:17) Well, you're already with a bang.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:18) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(17:18) You're already, we already have the people. (17:20) We got it all set up. (17:21) We're doing it.(17:22) Um, and we're not going to invest a fraction less into this event.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:26) No, no, no, no.

Alan Lazaros

(17:26) Okay. (17:27) However, yes, that was a tough one, man. (17:30) We did it live.(17:31) We did a live, we did live events for nine years.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:33) Maybe that that's an important thing too, is like, if you fall in love with a story, sometimes you overlook the fact that you shouldn't be in that story anymore. (17:42) Yep. (17:42) That's a very, I don't, I tend not to fall in love.(17:45) Like, I don't give a fuck about the story. (17:46) I could care less.

Alan Lazaros

(17:48) Well, that's because when you were a kid, you fell in love with the story.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:51) I fell in love with a lot of stories when I was a kid.

Alan Lazaros

(17:54) I think that you, you, uh, one of the, you always said you're weird about relationships and all that stuff. (17:59) I'm convinced this is my just Freudian analysis. (18:02) I don't even know if that's a good metaphor.(18:04) Cause I don't think Freud, no, he wasn't holistic. (18:08) Uh, my Allen's analysis of you is, can I share this? (18:13) Of course.(18:13) Okay. (18:14) All right. (18:15) Uh, will I smile?(18:19) Someone, someone said your dad's going to come pick you up today and he never did. (18:25) I would say that's probably, and so you fell in love with the story and were wildly disappointed multiple times, I think. (18:31) And I think you decided unconsciously or subconsciously.(18:35) I think that trauma created a protector that said, I'm never going to fall in love with a fucking story again. (18:40) And I think that's why you don't like delusion because delusion caused you massive pain.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:47) I would say that's accurate. (18:48) I think it was probably a very like liar, liar, you know, he says he's going to take him to wrestling and he doesn't show up. (18:52) I think it was probably that probably like the same.(18:54) I think wrestling was one of the things we're supposed to go to wrestling or something. (18:58) Really? (18:58) Yeah.(18:59) I think so. (19:00) Oh, that movie is so sad.

Alan Lazaros

(19:01) Such a sad movie. (19:02) That's such a sad.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:03) And honestly, fuck it. (19:05) At the end, he still finds a way to get back in. (19:07) Like, come on, you know, what are we doing here?(19:09) He was an asshole for the whole movie because he stole a freaking thing and rode next to the plane and did a somersault.

Alan Lazaros

(19:17) You really don't like liar, liar. (19:18) No wonder. (19:19) I thought that was a powerful movie of transformation.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:21) Honestly. (19:22) A man coming around to the truth. (19:23) Yeah.(19:23) But I also like Jenny and Forrest Gump, like Jenny. (19:27) Jenny, you were so bad to Forrest. (19:30) He was bad.(19:30) She was bad. (19:31) And you had your own shit, obviously. (19:33) Of course.(19:34) The first time I saw that, I had no clue. (19:36) I didn't understand any of that.

Alan Lazaros

(19:38) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:39) Well, when you first saw it, you were 12 probably. (19:41) Her dad was always holding her and it's like, I didn't. (19:45) At the time, I was like, yeah, that's normal.(19:47) Right. (19:47) I didn't know what that meant. (19:50) Right.(19:50) I didn't know what that meant. (19:51) And then you didn't know why she was throwing rocks at the house and all that? (19:53) I didn't know why she was throwing rocks.(19:54) I didn't know why she was hiding. (19:56) Yeah, of course. (19:57) Of course.(19:58) World-class movie. (19:58) World-class movie. (20:00) Unbelievable.(20:01) Unbelievable. (20:01) One of the best.

Alan Lazaros

(20:02) Gotta see it.

Kevin Palmieri

(20:02) I don't. (20:04) The story. (20:05) I don't care that they overcame the thing and now at the end they're like kind of good.(20:09) I don't care about that at all. (20:10) They're still shitty. (20:11) What about all the shitty things they did?

Alan Lazaros

(20:13) All of them. (20:14) Yeah, true, true, true. (20:15) But all of them.(20:16) By that rationale, you don't believe in transformation? (20:19) Not in movies, because it's dumb. (20:21) But in real life?

Kevin Palmieri

(20:22) In real life, oh yeah, of course.

Alan Lazaros

(20:24) Transformation? (20:25) Yeah, because in a movie, it's so compressed. (20:27) It's like.(20:27) Well, I think there's, it's really, yeah, it's so compressed. (20:30) That's very mature of you, actually, because I, as a kid, wanted to believe in transformation so deeply that I. (20:36) Makes sense.(20:37) I over-believed in it. (20:38) There's not a question in my mind that I over-believed in it. (20:41) And I'm, I think that actually narrative is powerful and I think stories move people and I think they can be constructive.(20:51) They can also be completely inaccurate and wildly destructive. (20:55) So. (20:55) Of course.(20:56) Real life and you have to be very, very careful with every movie having a happy ending and you thinking your life will end up that way because yeah, movies are movies and my goodness. (21:09) But also, to your point, that is an awesome narrative. (21:14) Nine years in a row.(21:15) For sure. (21:16) Live events. (21:17) It took courage to can that for me because I do get attached.(21:23) I get attached to trying to do something meaningful. (21:29) And sometimes I, I've had to. (21:33) Your tendency is giving up on things too early.(21:35) My tendency is giving up on things too late. (21:37) Persons, places, things, and ideas. (21:38) And I want all the listeners thinking about which one are you on?(21:41) Do you quit too early? (21:43) Or do you just do things even when they don't make any sense forever? (21:48) And, uh, we all have to find five in that for sure.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:57) My takeaway is the simple, I mean, it's the point of the episode. (22:00) I, we talk about courage as getting outside of your comfort zone, usually like an action in a resistant direction. (22:09) Sometimes it is stopping an action that is in a resistant direction.(22:14) You just don't, you just get so used to it. (22:17) Just run it, run it, run it, run it. (22:19) I think consistency without reflection is dangerous.

Alan Lazaros

(22:29) You're, if you look back on your life, you feel, correct me if I'm wrong, like you would have benefited from more courage of like saying yes to, to going for more. (22:41) Is that fair? (22:42) Yeah, I would say so.(22:43) For me, it's the opposite. (22:45) I needed to sail away way fucking sooner. (22:48) And I think now that we're teamed up, it makes sense that we went past five.

Kevin Palmieri

(22:56) Yeah. (22:56) Well, it makes sense. (22:57) Because I always give you the benefit of the doubt.(23:00) So I appreciate it, man. (23:01) Fuck it. (23:01) What's the worst thing?(23:02) We do it for 10 years and realize we don't like it. (23:03) Like, yeah, whatever. (23:04) It's not that big of a deal.(23:06) Well, it's not about liking it. (23:07) It's about. (23:08) Well, that's what I mean.(23:08) Is it meaningful? (23:10) And is it effective? (23:12) But that's like, in my mind, I don't care that we've been.(23:15) I'm so anti-story that it, it's a detriment to a detriment at some point too. (23:20) Not really, though, because we were talking about other things and I was like, no, there's no way we can stop that. (23:25) Like, there's no way like that.(23:26) If we, if we stop that, we lose sight of this whole thing. (23:28) Like, no, we have to continue doing that. (23:30) That's, that's a necessity.(23:31) So I think.

Alan Lazaros

(23:32) We talked recently about, uh, I had a client who I asked to get the ego involved. (23:38) Yeah. (23:38) And you got to be careful with this and make sure it's not actually ego, but what are you willing to fight for?(23:43) Yeah. (23:44) Like there's certain things. (23:45) And I, that's what I was testing in you.(23:47) Cause I didn't want you to give up BG, uh, PGU unless you were willing. (23:51) So I had to like, are you going to fight for this thing? (23:54) I need to know how important is this 10 out of 10?(23:57) Cause you got to give up the ones to go for the twos. (23:59) You got to give up the twos to go for the threes. (24:01) You got to give up the threes to go for the force.(24:03) This is the law of trade-offs. (24:04) This is the give up to grow up. (24:05) If we want to get, let's say we're at level seven in life.(24:08) Okay. (24:09) We got to give up some shit at level seven to get to level eight.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:12) For sure.

Alan Lazaros

(24:12) We got these empty oxygen tanks. (24:14) We got to, we got to get can them. (24:15) We got to can them and we can't carry up empty oxygen tanks.(24:19) We're not going to make it. (24:20) We're going to, we're going to freaking die. (24:21) So.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:23) I think that's a good metaphor. (24:24) Cool, cool, cool. (24:25) All right.(24:25) Uh, how does somebody get ahold of you? (24:27) If they're looking to increase their courage towards success?

Alan Lazaros

(24:32) Yeah. (24:32) So the things that we're doubling down on, one of them is social media, Instagram and Facebook, particularly. (24:38) Instagram is where we started this thing.(24:40) So DM Kevin or myself on Instagram. (24:42) If you listen to this show consistently, please reach out, connect, please DM us. (24:47) We will answer.(24:48) That's like, that's actually us, not an AI bot, not my EA. (24:51) That will be Alan and Kevin. (24:53) So DM us on Instagram.(24:54) Just say, hello, I've been listening to the show and we would love to hear from you.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:58) Sincerely. (24:58) We've had a bunch of like all the people in the WhatsApp group, many of the people in the WhatsApp group have direct messaged us. (25:04) Me, Alan on Instagram and said, Hey, I heard you on the podcast.(25:07) Talk about this. (25:08) Can I get in? (25:09) It's like, yeah.(25:10) Somebody did recently. (25:11) I sent them an audio and said, Hey, I just want to make sure you understand like these are kind of the, the, this is the vibe of the group. (25:16) I just want to make sure you're positive.(25:17) You're going to be supportive. (25:18) Give me a green check. (25:19) They did bada bing bada boom.(25:21) You're in the group. (25:21) So yeah, please. (25:22) And we also have the next level fitness accountability group.(25:24) It's cranking. (25:25) I am feeling, I feel like back like a bodybuilder. (25:28) I could see the veins in my shoulders through my shirt today.(25:31) And I was like, Whoa, baby, we are, we are getting to some stuff. (25:36) So if you are looking to be more consistent in fitness, Alan and I are happy to assist by leading the charge in the group. (25:44) We're in there every single day.(25:45) I post every day, even if I don't work out cause I don't work out every day, but I will post say, Hey, happy Sunday squad, crush it or whatever. (25:51) You're going to have accountability built in and it's going to be positive, healthy accountability, not toxic shit. (25:57) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(25:57) If you're in there, you can be our 60th member. (25:59) We have 59 people in there now DM Kevin or myself on Instagram. (26:03) This is what it's for.(26:05) If you're not exercising consistently, this group will probably make you feel like you're falling behind. (26:14) And hopefully that gets your ass in gear, but no one is going to police you. (26:19) No one's going to be disrespectful.(26:20) No one's going to make fun of you. (26:22) None of that. (26:23) We're all you versus you in a group.(26:26) So we're staying accountable. (26:28) Kevin and I promised our listeners, we would be in there every single day for all of 2026. (26:34) I have not missed a day yet.(26:35) I don't intend on it. (26:37) And I know you don't either. (26:38) So for the rest of the year, we will be in there every single day.(26:41) If you want more accountability, that is the fucking place.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:45) As always, we love you. (26:46) We appreciate you grateful for each and every one of you. (26:48) 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

(26:55) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential. (26:57) Next Level Nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:59) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (27:03) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(27:06) We mean it when we say family. (27:08) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (27:11) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.(27:15) Thank you again, and we will talk to you tomorrow.