In this episode of Next Level University, Kevin and Alan unpack a question that hits harder the more you grow: what if getting to the next level means learning how to disappoint people? They talk openly about the skills that do not feel good to build, like saying no, giving hard feedback, protecting your time, and facing the guilt that can come with all of it. Through stories about sports, leadership, friendship, and business, they show how external success often creates internal pressure. They also explore the difference between under-committing, over-committing, and building relationships you can actually sustain.

This episode will help you think about the one skill that could change everything for you and the hidden skill you may need to build right after it. Press play for a real, honest look at growth that most people do not talk about.

_______________________

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/

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(1:25) Why uncomfortable skills often lead to real growth
(3:50) Internal skills vs. external skills
(5:31) Leadership and the weight of letting people down
(7:42) Building relationships you cannot sustain
(9:34) Why shared goals shape stronger friendships
(16:44) Finding your most important skill
(18:17) Every new skill creates a new challenge

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

In this episode of Next Level University, Kevin and Alan break down a hard truth most people miss. Success and health are not always the same thing. You can be disciplined, driven, and productive while still building from fear, insecurity, and old wounds. The source of your ambition shapes the quality of your life. Drawing from their own journeys, years of coaching, and thousands of episodes, Kevin and Alan unpack the difference between playing not to lose and playing to win. They break down how identity, self-awareness, and emotional maturity shape performance, fulfillment, and long-term consistency.

This episode will help you look deeper at what is really driving your goals and whether your progress is creating peace or just more pressure. Press play, then take an honest look at the engine behind your ambition.

_______________________

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/

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(1:29) Success cannot be a trauma response
(4:39) Fulfillment reveals what is driving you
(7:00) Workaholism as a coping mechanism
(11:13) Playing not to lose vs playing to win
(15:52) The drive to five framework
(17:30) How insecurity becomes identity
(20:34) Neediness, value, and aligned sales
(24:24) Constructive pressure and mature decision-making
(29:29) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

Clarity changes everything. In today’s episode, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down why so many people stay stuck, not because they lack ambition, but because they are building their future on vague standards, borrowed beliefs, and unclear priorities. They explain how clarity shapes self-awareness, decision-making, identity, and long-term growth, and why progress becomes harder when you keep chasing goals that are not truly your own.

If your life feels full but off course, this episode will help you think with more precision, choose with more intention, and stop mistaking movement for momentum. Hit play before your old habits start pretending they know what’s best.

_______________________

Digital Asset:
The 5 M's of Motivation - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SNYQ2RuPg6fgqGA5Og9a7xFmX2lR3y7x/view

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

Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

The “Next Level Dreamliner” is a productivity journal that turns clarity and accountability into consistent action. Grab your copy 👉 https://a.co/d/9fPpxEt

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(3:59) Choose the paradigm at the center of your life
(14:01) Pick your primary sport and accept the trade-offs
(18:14) Identity and elimination create real clarity
(22:05) Know what truly motivates your decisions
(25:32) Get clear on your craft and long-term future
(30:36) Measure fulfillment and regret
(43:35) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

What if the reason you still feel stuck is not a lack of potential, but a lack of committed direction?

In this episode, Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros unpack the connection between belief, clarity, and long-term growth. Too many people wait to feel certain before they move, but certainty is rarely the starting point. Through years of coaching, real client results, and thousands of episodes, they have seen that clarity is often built by making better decisions, staying in motion, and learning who you are through action.

This episode speaks to anyone questioning their path, wrestling with purpose, or trying to separate a temporary interest from a real calling. It is a grounded conversation about identity, commitment, and what it actually takes to build a meaningful life.

_______________________

Learn more about:
Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

Where learning turns into action. Join “Next Level Book Club” every Saturday:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkcuiupjIqE9QlkptiKDQykRtKyFB5Jbhc

The “Next Level Dreamliner” is a productivity journal that turns clarity and accountability into consistent action. Grab your copy 👉 https://a.co/d/9fPpxEt

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(3:08) Book club sparked the real question
(5:35) You cannot succeed without choosing
(10:50) Job, career, and calling are different
(14:10) Real calling shows in daily behavior
(20:27) Most people are unclear on mastery
(23:12) Why does school miss career clarity
(26:16) Truth, standards, and being a good ma
(29:12) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

In today’s episode of Next Level University, Kevin and Alan unpack the tension between doing more and doing what actually matters. If you have been chasing progress through volume, staying busy to feel productive, or trying to win in every area at once, this conversation may force you to rethink what real growth actually requires.

They explore performance, self-awareness, identity, consistency, and the hidden cost of spreading yourself too thin. This episode takes a direct look at what happens when effort stops producing results, why maturity demands better trade-offs, and how to build a sustainable path forward without lowering your standards. If you want stronger results without quietly exhausting yourself in the process, this is an important one to hear.

_______________________

Learn more about:
Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

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

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(2:14) When more output stops helping
(9:14) Admitting you are doing too much
(11:17) Why adulthood demands narrower focus
(14:35) The risk of mistaking volume for excellence
(17:04) Sustainability versus pushing past the limit
(19:35) Retooling through delegation and adjustment
(21:36) Essentialism and the cost of divided focus
(23:33) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

Growth needs better decisions. In this episode, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down why real growth does not come from saying yes to everything. It comes from knowing where you are in your journey, which opportunities matter, and what your decisions are actually costing you. Drawing from years of coaching, business experience, and thousands of episodes and client conversations, they unpack self-belief, opportunity cost, focus, and the difference between building momentum and protecting alignment.

If you have been confusing motion with progress or availability with ambition, this episode will help you think more clearly about your next move. The right decision at the wrong stage can still hold you back. Listen before your next choice starts shaping your future without you realizing it.

_______________________

Learn more about:
Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

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

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(2:43) Why early growth requires reps
(5:12) Finding the right balance of yes and no
(7:03) Saying yes to one path means saying no to others
(13:36) Why discernment comes later
(17:49) Build demand before you expand
(20:29) When self-belief changes the rule
(25:22) The real rule for saying yes or no
(28:45) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

Why do some people stay stuck for years while others build real momentum one choice at a time?

In today’s episode, Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down the hidden patterns that keep people stuck. They talk about self-belief, identity, consistency, and why real progress often starts before you feel ready. This episode explores the difference between waiting for confidence and building it through action.

If you have been overthinking your next move, doubting yourself, or letting one result define your future, this conversation will likely hit home. Press play and see what changes when your excuses stop running the meeting.

_______________________

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

Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(3:23) The success loop and doom loop
(12:40) Define success and improve consistently
(16:24) Separate identity from outcomes
(28:53) The drive to five
(32:59) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.

In this episode of Next Level University, Kevin and Alan continue their conversation on the success principles that school never taught. They unpack the hard truths behind personal responsibility, grit, entitlement, self-discipline, and what it really takes to build a strong life when no one is coming to rescue you.

Drawing from their own experiences, coaching lessons, and years of helping people grow, they challenge the idea that life is supposed to get easier with time. Instead, they explore why so many people stay stuck, what real maturity actually looks like, and how to build the mindset needed for long-term growth, consistency, and success. If you are serious about personal development and are done waiting for perfect conditions, this episode will challenge the way you think and raise your standard.

_______________________

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

_______________________

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/

_______________________

Show notes:
(2:22) The hard truths most people learn too late
(8:23) Why personal responsibility changes everything
(14:51) Success does not make life easier
(17:24) Gratitude must be backed by action
(22:27) How entitlement quietly destroys progress
(26:42) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

🎙️ 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.