Next Level University

Latest Episodes:

There Are Levels To Being “Productive” (2524) Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
In this episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down why having more free time does not always lead to greater productivity. Without structure, necessity, and a clear standard, open space can turn into distraction, minor tasks, and momentum lost. Drawing from their own work with demanding calendars, clients, business responsibilities, and years of studying performance, Kevin and Alan examine the role pressure plays in personal growth. They explain how to distinguish meaningful work from work that simply feels busy, why aligned demand can strengthen discipline, and how to assess whether your goals match the life you say you want.
This conversation is not about glorifying exhaustion. It is about using time, effort, and responsibility with greater intention. If you have ever felt busy without feeling productive, or wondered why success can create more pressure instead of less, this episode will challenge how you think about freedom, focus, and long-term fulfillment.
Digital Asset:
The Top 10 Distractions - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDUSnbitxR4E2G4hlgkpm0T-BZxLVto6/view?usp=drive_link
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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:
(1:59) Why free time can reduce productivity
(3:41) Important work Vs. Meaningful work
(5:15) How necessity drives performance
(8:36) The long-term cost of wasted time
(10:41) The misconception about success and freedom
(16:34) Why meaningful work still feels difficult
(21:25) Building a life through honest tradeoffs
(23:04) 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.

Your Results Are A Receipt (2523) Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
What if your current results are not a mystery, but a record of the choices you have repeated? In today’s episode, Kevin and Alan clarify why your health, mindset, relationships, and finances are shaped by more than one big decision. They are built through the small actions you repeat when no one is watching. The conversation focuses on cause and effect, personal responsibility, and the difference between worrying about what you cannot control and improving what you can.
You will hear why progress often feels slow, why many people mistake consistency for luck, and how honest self-awareness can help you change direction before the consequences become harder to ignore. This episode offers a direct framework for assessing your habits, owning your patterns, and building results that hold up over time.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(1:53) Your results are a receipt
(3:32) Control what you can control
(7:33) Why consistency feels so difficult
(12:49) Facing your past choices honestly
(16:35) Small habits shape your future
(18:07) Fundamentals over quick fixes
(19:25) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

Why It Feels Like The Harder You Work The Luckier You Get (2522) Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
Success has a system. In this episode, Kevin and Alan explore why the results people call “luck” are usually built through years of focused effort, skill development, and consistent action. Drawing on their experience coaching clients, building businesses, and creating more than 2,500 episodes, they explain why opportunities often appear after the work has already been done. You will hear how clear goals shape what you notice, why small improvements create larger outcomes over time, and how to separate real cause and effect from surface-level success.
They also address the pressure that comes with growth. More success can create more responsibility, more standards, and more problems worth solving. Do not wait to feel lucky. Build proof that you are ready when the opportunity arrives.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(2:15) The compound effect of consistency
(4:21) Why big results require small steps
(5:44) Goals help you see opportunities
(7:49) Success is cause and effect
(12:07) What happens behind the scenes
(13:50) Understand the work behind results
(14:41) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

What Does It ACTUALLY Mean To Grow Up? (2521) Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
In today’s episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros dig into what it actually means to grow up. Maturity is not about eliminating every enjoyable part of life. It is about being honest about your habits, priorities, and the consequences that come with them. This conversation examines the tension between immediate comfort and long-term fulfillment. Kevin and Alan address self-discipline, personal responsibility, addictive patterns, and the rationalizations that keep people from making necessary changes.
They challenge listeners to consider whether their leisure choices support a strong, healthy, meaningful life or quietly work against it. If you want more clarity around discipline, adult responsibility, and building a life that aligns with your goals, this episode offers a direct and practical perspective.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(2:46) Give up to grow up
(4:47) The child self Vs. Adult self
(7:49) Discipline requires sustainable balance
(14:27) Building a life that lasts
(18:47) Why moderation can be difficult
(21:19) Make leisure support what matters
(24:15) Doing what matters over what you want
(26:47) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

The Other Side Of The Coin No One Talks About (2520) Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
What if the strength you rely on most is quietly limiting your success? In this episode, Kevin and Alan share why lasting personal growth requires more than confidence, ambition, or hard work alone. They break down the four traits that shape sustainable success: self-belief, drive, humility, and willingness.
Learn how unchecked strengths can become blind spots, why high performance without self-awareness creates problems, and how to identify the trait currently holding you back. This conversation offers a practical framework for building discipline, stronger character, and a more balanced approach to your goals. Rate yourself honestly. Your blind spot is not going to send you a meeting invite.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(2:40) Why willingness determines what is possible
(5:06) Balancing belief, drive, humility, and willingness
(7:03) When grit becomes a liability
(10:28) Identifying the strength that creates your blind spot
(16:06) Looking successful versus building real success
(21:43) Character, honesty, and the long game
(22:29) Strengths, weaknesses, and unsexy fundamentals
(25:54) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

Personal Development Isn’t A Phase… (2519) Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
The habits that work are the ones you can sustain. In today’s episode, Kevin and Alan discuss why personal development, fitness, financial awareness, and meaningful relationships cannot be treated as temporary phases. Real progress is built through repeated action, not a short burst of motivation followed by a return to old patterns.
Drawing on their own years of training, coaching, and building Next Level University, they explore the role of momentum, measurable goals, and long-term consistency. They explain why extreme challenges can create short-term results but often fail to build lasting habits, and why the most important work is usually not exciting or glamorous. If you want sustainable self-improvement, the goal is not perfection. It is to create routines you can repeat, track what matters, and continue showing up long after the novelty wears off.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(2:07) The four rules for building momentum
(5:36) Why healthy habits must continue for life
(9:24) Changing your life through regular action
(13:43) Sustainable habits versus short-term challenges
(16:18) Goals, measurement, and focused accountability
(25:30) Consistency as the foundation of health, wealth, and love
(29:10) Start small and build a sustainable identity
(33:38) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

How Well Do You Know Your Trauma Responses? (2518) Aug 08, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
In this episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros explain why success is not only about ambition, discipline, or bigger goals. It is also about how you respond when stress, pressure, conflict, and opportunity push you beyond your current capacity. They break down the fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses, helping you recognize how these patterns can either protect your progress or quietly pull you away from it.
You will learn why self-awareness matters when you feel overwhelmed, how to identify your personal triggers, and what it takes to regain perspective without abandoning the work in front of you. The next level is rarely reached by avoiding pressure. It is reached by learning how to stay in the arena when pressure arrives.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(1:51) Understanding stress responses and self-belief
(3:35) Constructive Vs. Destructive fight responses
(5:20) When flight becomes avoidance
(6:30) Building capacity before greater success
(10:08) Knowing your triggers and regulating your response
(12:18) Using awareness to get back in the fight
(13:55) Finding perspective when overwhelmed
(15:07) Different triggers require different tools
(16:02) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

You Can’t Shut Down And Succeed (2517) Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
What happens when the pressure of growth makes you want to escape instead of step up? In today’s episode, Kevin and Alan examine why shutting down during stress, setbacks, or uncertainty can quietly limit your potential. They discuss the patterns behind avoidance, overwhelm, and emotional reactivity, along with the self-awareness required to interrupt them. Kevin shares what it feels like to face a changing identity and new levels of responsibility as his work expands. Alan draws from years of coaching and performance work to explain why sustainable success is not built by avoiding discomfort. It is built by learning how to respond when the plan gets hard.
This conversation will challenge you to look at your default reaction to pressure, failure, and unmet expectations. Because the real goal is not simply getting results. It is becoming someone who can keep showing up long enough to create them.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(1:38) Identity shifts, insecurity, and increased opportunity
(3:32) How growth creates more pressure
(5:04) Success is a lifelong cycle, not a finish line
(7:01) The real purpose of goals and self-belief
(11:17) Self-awareness during emotional overwhelm
(12:35) Panic moves, trauma responses, and constructive change
(15:42) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

One Of The Reasons You Can’t Find Clarity (2516) Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
The truth you avoid is often the clarity you need. In this episode, Kevin and Alan break down why self-awareness can feel so difficult when shame, fear, and low self-belief are involved. They explore the difference between identifying a surface-level issue and facing the real constraint holding you back.
You’ll learn why clarity requires humility, courage, and vulnerability. You’ll also learn how attaching one behavior to your entire identity keeps you stuck, and why asking for support is a strength, not a surrender. If you want more confidence, better habits, and meaningful personal growth, start with honest ownership. Your blind spots will not send a calendar invite.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(1:47) The three requirements for real change
(4:07) Why shame blocks self-awareness
(10:00) Believing you can change
(13:30) How shame creates an avoidance cycle
(18:35) Separating behavior from identity
(23:31) Asking for support without losing self-respect
(29:17) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

Success Is Selfish (Kind Of) (2515) Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

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
Fitness is forever, it's a lifestyle. Join the Next Level Fitness Accountability Group. Reach out to Kevin or Alan on Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/
_______________________
In today’s episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros clarify why pursuing meaningful goals can sometimes look selfish to the people around you. Growth requires tradeoffs. Your time, energy, attention, and availability are limited, and not everyone will understand the choices you make to build a better life.
Drawing from their own experiences with changing friendships, family expectations, and building a mission-driven business, Kevin and Alan break down the difference between selfishness and self-leadership. They discuss how to set honest boundaries, communicate changing priorities, and recognize when relationships are no longer aligned with your values or direction. This episode is a grounded look at maturity, accountability, and the real cost of committing to your goals.
_______________________
NLU is more than a podcast. From the Next Level Dreamliner to Group Coaching, we provide tools and communities to help you grow with more clarity, consistency, and accountability.
Visit our website and socials through 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/

Show notes:
(2:02) Why success can appear selfish
(4:15) Building success that benefits others
(9:44) When goals create relationship tension
(13:11) Taking responsibility for your priorities
(18:15) Honest conversations prevent deeper hurt
(21:14) Setting expectations as your life changes
(23:54) Relationships require shared values and goals
(27:39) Seeing relationships without false narratives
(30:25) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

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