

The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
Paul Alex Espinoza
Welcome to The Level Up Podcast with Paul Alex, where real stories fuel real success.I’m Paul Alex, ex-Detective turned 8-figure entrepreneur. After leaving law enforcement, I built multiple businesses helping everyday people create residual income and freedom on their own terms.This podcast isn’t just talk, it’s your weekly dose of mindset, money, and mission-driven motivation. Whether you’re still working your 9-5 or building your first business, every episode is designed to help you start, scale, and sustain your own journey.💥 Listen in to hear:
How I went from 100-hour weeks to financial freedom
Interviews with underdogs who made 6+ figures from scratch
Real-life strategies to build passive income
What it really takes to level up mentally and financially
📲 Add me on Instagram: @PaulAlex 📣 Tag your favorite episode in your IG Story and I’ll repost it with a personal message from me.Let’s build together. Let’s grow together. And most importantly, let’s level up.👊 Paul Alex Founder, OfficialPaulAlex.com
How I went from 100-hour weeks to financial freedom
Interviews with underdogs who made 6+ figures from scratch
Real-life strategies to build passive income
What it really takes to level up mentally and financially
📲 Add me on Instagram: @PaulAlex 📣 Tag your favorite episode in your IG Story and I’ll repost it with a personal message from me.Let’s build together. Let’s grow together. And most importantly, let’s level up.👊 Paul Alex Founder, OfficialPaulAlex.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 30, 2025 • 46min
How Faith and Grit Took Brock McClelland From Homeless to Eight Figures
In this episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, Brock McClelland (@thebrockmcclelland) shares the raw, unfiltered truth about overcoming addiction, surviving rock bottom, rebuilding his life through faith, and the mindset that took him from “nothing” to leading multiple successful companies.
This is more than a story about entrepreneurship—it’s a story about grit, discipline, spiritual alignment, and the belief that your past does NOT dictate your future. Brock breaks down the sacrifices, the 100-hour workweeks, the moment he decided to change his life forever, and the powerful role his wife played in pulling him out of darkness.
If you’re stuck, lacking direction, needing hope, or trying to achieve your first million… this episode will hit your heart and recharge your spirit. 💯
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNB9ivoJf7ppjuSplOAkEZw
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below:www.CashSwipe.com
FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 29, 2025 • 4min
Rejection Is Redirection – Building Resilience in Business
🔥 Rejection hurts — but it’s not a dead end. It’s a detour pulling you toward something better. In this episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, we break down how rejection becomes one of the most powerful tools for growth, clarity, and resilience in entrepreneurship.
Paul Alex shares how setbacks, ignored emails, closed doors, and lost deals redirected him toward the biggest wins of his life. From early ATM pitches to major partnerships, every “no” sharpened his mindset, improved his communication, and strengthened his discipline.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
💡 Why rejection builds character faster than success
💡 How “no” forces creativity and improves your strategy
💡 Why rejection is often protection from the wrong opportunities
💡 The mindset shift that turns setbacks into stepping stones
If you’ve been feeling discouraged, overlooked, or shut out — this episode will remind you that every rejection is preparing you for something bigger.
🎧 Tap in now and learn how to turn rejection into redirection — and resilience into momentum.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube:
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below:www.CashSwipe.com
FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 28, 2025 • 1h 4min
The Real Reason You Lack Confidence — Tomo Marjanovic Breaks It Down
What does it really take to reinvent your life?
To go from a career built on discipline and danger…
to becoming a multi-millionaire, global entrepreneur, and high-performance machine?
In this episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, Tomo Marjanovic breaks down the real blueprint behind confidence, discipline, pain, standards, and what it takes to join the top 1% of men.
Tomo isn’t just successful — he’s intentional.
From his early days in law enforcement, to bodybuilding, to building elite networks in Dubai, to mastering the balance between wealth, fitness, mindset, and family…
his story shows you exactly how to build the strongest version of yourself.
Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
💥 Why most people never build confidence — and how to fix it
💥 The real power of identity and having brutally honest mirror moments
💥 How fitness, discipline, and physical standards affect every area of your life
💥 Why your network is the ultimate needle-mover
💥 The 3 rules every young entrepreneur MUST master
💥 Why raw action beats perfection every single time
💥 How to operate at 20–50% and still outperform 99% of people
💥 How Tomo plans to raise his son with confidence, standards, and legacy
This episode isn’t about hype.
It’s about principles — the exact principles that helped Tomo build wealth, power, discipline, and an identity he’s proud of.
If you’ve been stuck… lacking clarity… or you feel like you’re capable of more, this episode will show you how to step into the next version of who you’re meant to be.
🎧 Listen now and LEVEL UP.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNB9ivoJf7ppjuSplOAkEZw
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur?
Check out one of my companies below:
www.CashSwipe.com
FREE copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold — The New American Dream”:www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 27, 2025 • 25min
From His Mom’s Garage to a National Agency — How Drew Lutzke Built ADL Search from Nothing
When life forces you to start over, most people freeze.Drew Lutzke built a business.
In this powerful episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, Drew (@andrew_adltalentplug) breaks down how he went from sitting in his mom’s garage—unsure of his future—to launching ADL Search & Staffing, a faith-driven recruiting agency now expanding across major U.S. cities.
Drew shares how he:
🔥 Pivoted from college baseball coaching into recruiting
🔥 Built his entire agency virtually with zero funding
🔥 Leveraged LinkedIn, consistency, and storytelling to attract clients
🔥 Navigated massive life changes and found purpose through faith
🔥 Uses a “relentless mentality” to place accounting & finance talent nationwide
🔥 Created a patented product with his wife (The Pocket Step) from a real-life problem
🔥 Turned setbacks into stepping stones instead of stopping points
If you’re stuck at square one, unsure what your “thing” is, or trying to pivot careers, Drew’s story will hit home.
His message is simple: Don’t be afraid. You’re only given today.
🎧 Listen now and learn why relentlessness, faith, and consistency are the keys to building something from nothing.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNB9ivoJf7ppjuSplOAkEZw
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below to see if we can help you:www.CashSwipe.com
FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 24, 2025 • 1h 10min
How Jon Briseno Went From Addiction and Jail to Multi-Millionaire Sales Leader
From battling addiction… to facing jail time… to becoming a multi-millionaire in high-ticket sales — Jon Briseno has lived a transformation most people wouldn’t believe.
In this episode, Jon opens up about the darkest chapters of his life, the moment everything collapsed, and how hitting rock bottom forced him to rebuild with discipline, sales skills, and relentless self-belief.
He went from having nothing — no money, no opportunities, no direction — to leading sales teams, closing massive deals, and changing his family’s future forever.
You’ll hear:
How addiction and jail shaped his mindset
The turning point that pushed him into entrepreneurship
How he developed elite sales skills with zero experience
The strategy that led him to multi-million-dollar success
Why discipline mattered more than motivation
How he now helps others earn life-changing income
This isn’t a highlight reel — it’s a raw, real blueprint for anyone who feels stuck, broken, or overlooked. If you’ve ever doubted yourself or your path, John’s story will prove that your past doesn’t define your future.
Guest: Jon BrisenoInstagram: @realjonbriseno
🎧 Tune in now — this episode might be the mindset shift you’ve been waiting for.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur?
Check out one of my companies below to see how we can help you:
💳 www.CashSwipe.com
📘 FREE Copy of my book: “Blue to Digital Gold – The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 21, 2025 • 1h 4min
How Fareed Abedini Lost $1.7M at 20 — Then Rebuilt Through Airbnb
What would you do if you earned $1.7 million before turning 21… and then lost every dollar?
Most people would crumble.
But today’s guest — Fareed Abedini — used that rock bottom moment as the catalyst for one of the greatest comebacks you’ll ever hear.
In this episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, Fareed opens up about the brutal reality of losing millions through day trading, the shame of watching it all disappear, and the exact moment he realized he had to rebuild from nothing. What followed was a transformation fueled by mentorship, resilience, and a new vehicle for wealth: Airbnb.
From couch-surfing with his mentor…
To managing properties he didn’t own…
To scaling into arbitrage…
To building a profitable real estate operation from zero…
Fareed breaks down the strategies, mindset shifts, and painful lessons that turned him into the entrepreneur he is today.
How Fareed turned $25K into $1.7M in six months
The moment everything collapsed — and how he handled it
The mentor who changed his life and forced him to level up
How he started Airbnb with no money, no credit, and no properties
The 20–25% management strategy anyone can begin with
Why arbitrage became his turning point
The numbers behind his first Airbnb ($6,500 month, $3,000 mortgage)
How to rebuild your identity after financial failure
Why Airbnb is still one of the most scalable models for new entrepreneurs
If you’ve ever felt stuck, lost, broke, or unsure of your next move — this episode will remind you that you’re one decision away from a completely different life.
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQ
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur?
Check out one of my companies below to see how we can help you:
💳 www.CashSwipe.com
📘 FREE Copy of my book: “Blue to Digital Gold – The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
🚀 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 20, 2025 • 4min
Take the First Step – How Successful Entrepreneurs Think Differently
🔥 The hardest step in success isn’t the tenth — it’s the first. In this episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, we break down the mindset that separates dreamers from doers — and why your first uncomfortable step matters more than any strategy.
Paul Alex opens up about the key decisions that changed his life, from leaving his 9-to-5 to launching multiple companies from scratch. None of it happened because he had the perfect plan — it happened because he moved before he felt ready.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
💡 Why successful entrepreneurs decide fast (even when uncertain)
💡 How progress beats perfection every single time
💡 Why failure is just feedback — not a finish line
💡 The mindset shift that turns small steps into massive momentum
Most people wait for confidence. Winners create it through action.
If you’ve been stalling on a goal or waiting for the “right time,” this episode gives you the push to finally begin.
🎧 Tune in now and learn how to build momentum, make decisions faster, and take the steps that actually change your life.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQ
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below:www.CashSwipe.com
FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 19, 2025 • 38min
Why Passive Income Is REAL in 2025: Seve Ortale Breaks Down the Payment Processing Gold Rush
What if you could build $20K–$50K/month in passive income with no tech background, no prior sales experience, and just pure grit?
In today’s episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, we sit down with Seve Ortale (@seve_ortale_), a 25-year-old entrepreneur who went from 600 straight rejections to building a multi-six-figure residual income stream in payment processing — all in under two years.
🔥 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
How Seve failed his first business… and why that failure led him to the payment processing gold rush
The exact moment he realized passive income was REAL
Why payment processing is one of the biggest blue-ocean opportunities of 2025
The mindset shift that took him from “I want to be an entrepreneur” to running his own ISO
How he built $25–30K/month in recurring revenue and stopped trading time for money
The power of consistency, grit, and getting punched in the mouth by rejection
His blueprint for beginners who want to break into the industry today
💳 If you’ve ever wanted time freedom, passive income, or a real path to entrepreneurship… this episode is your blueprint.
🎙️ Guest:Seve Ortale
Instagram: @seve_ortale_
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQ
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below:www.CashSwipe.com
FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 18, 2025 • 4min
Why Entrepreneurs Quit Early – And How to Stay the Course
🔥 Everyone wants to win… until it takes longer than expected. In this episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, we break down why so many entrepreneurs quit before they ever see results — and how you can build the mental endurance to stay the course.
Paul Alex dives into the real reasons people fold early, from chasing hype instead of consistency to misunderstanding what success actually feels like. Launching a business isn’t glamorous in the beginning — it’s repetitive, quiet, and often lonely. But that’s exactly where winners are built.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
💡 Why excitement fades but discipline keeps you alive in business
💡 How to push through the “boring” seasons every entrepreneur faces
💡 The mindset shift that turns consistency into your competitive advantage
💡 What happens when you stop expecting fast success — and start committing long-term
If you’ve ever felt like giving up, this episode will remind you exactly why you started — and show you how to keep going when everyone else quits.
🎧 Tap in now and build the endurance that makes entrepreneurs unstoppable.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQ
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below:www.CashSwipe.com
FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 17, 2025 • 36min
How Alex Ruiz Went from Broke & Homeless to Funding $12 Million by 25
What if the lowest point of your life became the foundation of a multimillion-dollar career? In today’s episode of The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex, we sit down with Alex Ruiz (@iamrobertalexruiz) — a young entrepreneur who went from being homeless and lost at 21… to funding over $12 million in credit and business capital by the age of 25.
Alex opens up about the adversity he faced growing up with a single mother and nine siblings, how he battled internal doubt, and the exact moment he decided to stop living small and start leveling up. His journey takes us through solar door-to-door sales, barber school, mentorship investments, and ultimately the credit repair and funding business that changed everything.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
💡 How Alex rebuilt his life after experiencing homelessness
💳 The REAL reason most people fail to get funding
🔥 Why being uncomfortable is the key to massive growth
🏋️♂️ The mindset & habits Alex used to transform his life by 25
🚀 How he used personal branding, community, and pure belief to scale
🙏 Why faith, foundation, and consistency matter more than anything
💼 The exact profile lenders look for (and how to fix yours)
Alex doesn’t just talk about success — he lived the struggle, pushed through it, and created his own breakthrough. His story is proof that your past does not define your future… your decisions do.
If you’re ready to level up your mindset, your money, and your environment, this episode will give you the blueprint.
🎧 Tune in now and hear how one young entrepreneur turned hardship into a $12M empire.
Your Network is your NETWORTH!
Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024
Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQ
LinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024
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