Next Level University

#1741 - Attitude Is The One Thing You Can Control

Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

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0:00 | 28:13

How can a positive attitude shape your career and lead to success? In today’s episode, Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros explore why a positive attitude and strong interpersonal skills matter more than technical expertise. They share personal stories, highlighting how a friendly demeanor and optimistic mindset can transform your career and personal life. Tune in to discover the game-changing impact of positivity!

Links mentioned:
Next Level Nation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700
We Love it When You Leave Reviews!!! -https://lovethepodcast.com/nextleveluniversity
Alan’s Coaching - https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/business-consulting/

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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, please check out our website at the link below. 👇

Website 💻  http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

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Any of these communities or resources are FREE to join and consume
Next Level Nation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700
Next Level 5 To Thrive (free course) - ​​https://bit.ly/3xffver
Next Level U Book Club - https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/next-level-book-club/
Next Level Monthly Meet-up:  https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/monthly-meetups/

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We love connecting with you guys! Reach out on Instagram, Facebook, or via email. We’re here to support you in your personal and professional development journey.

Instagram 📷
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Facebook ✍
Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/

Email 💬
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

LinkedIn ✍
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

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Show notes:
(3:07) From gas station to personal trainer
(05:43) Importance of personality in securing jobs
(7:08) Hiring for attitude over skills
(08:19) Hard skills
(13:34) Soft skills
(14:33) At NLU, we want you to win! So, we’re giving tools and resources to ensure your success. Join our Monthly Meet-up every first Thursday of the month at

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.

Speaker 1

Next Level Nation. Welcome back to another episode of Next Level University, where we help you level up your life, your love, your health and your wealth. We hope you enjoyed yesterday's episode, episode number 1740. It was Freestyle Friday Today. For episode number 1741, based on what we talked about on Freestyle Friday, attitude is the one thing you can control. On Freestyle Friday, attitude is the one thing you can control. Back in the day, alan, I was a Avid fisherman. I was an avid fisherman. This was even before the days of being an avid fisherman. Actually, believe it or not, I was the gas station attendant at Helen Fuels in Uxbridge, massachusetts. I do remember, yes, and eventually it got to the point where I was the head attendant, where I trained other people and I got the best shift. 6 am to 2 pm Monday through Friday. Are you kidding me? I'm at home by 2.15. Playing Grand Theft Auto, having a grilled cheese, grilled chi.

Speaker 2

You know they just came out with a GTA movie, what I think. So I pulled up Netflix yesterday, recently, I don't believe this and it said Grand Theft Auto, and there was a you know how. There's a very specific cartoony. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's a movie. I could be wrong. How Did I miss this first? No idea I I could be wrong, but I know that it was netflix and I had that moment too, did they create a animated grand theft auto movie? I'm gonna do some research yeah, I love that game that game was legit.

Speaker 2

It's different. I like how you could pick the right music in the car. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they were ahead of their time with that game they were.

Speaker 1

But I, I remember I I used to. This is how focused I was on productivity back in the day. So the gas station that I worked at was and I'm not exaggerating three minutes from where I lived, Probably about three minutes. Did I once walk to work? Ever, Never, Never in a million years would I have done that. So I got in the. I had a Mustang at the time. Lunch break would come. I had an hour lunch break. I'd buzz right home. Mima would have a grilled cheese waiting for me. Grilled cheese and pepperoni, Nice. And I'd go upstairs. I'd eat my grilled cheese and pepperoni. I'd play some Grand Theft Auto on my lunch break Nice, yeah. And then I buzzed back home. I buzzed back to the to work and then pushed through the last, I think I only had two hours.

Speaker 2

I think I took my lunch, no idea why you weren't more successful.

Speaker 1

Yeah, yeah, me either I thought I was doing all the right things but I used to play call of duty during work trust me yes, yeah, so you didn't do it on your lunch break, you did it during work, during work.

Speaker 2

So worse than I am technically, technically speaking.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 2

I was in sales sir and as long as you're hitting quota and exceeding quota you're good and I was exceeding quota, so I'm going to need you to take it easy.

From gas station to personal trainer

Speaker 1

Well, excuse me, I was exceeding quota as well. So I get to do what I want on my lunch break, son, but back in those days I did not have many skills. Did not have many skills when I went from that job to my next job after that was working at the hospital cleaning floors and bathrooms and stripping and waxing the floors, that type of stuff. The reason I got that job was mostly personality and attitude. I remember the guy who was hiring for the job his name was Jack and him and I got along really really really well for the job. His name was Jack and him and I got along really really really well. That's one of the reasons I got that for sure. And then what did I do after that?

Speaker 1

After that job, I got the job as a personal trainer at a very high-end studio where it wasn't like a normal gym. It was a boutique personal training place where there was only three rooms. Personal training place where there was only three rooms and each room had its own Cybex machine, dumbbells, bosu ball exercise like place to stretch everything. Everybody had their own stuff. So I got hired there. One of the reasons was they liked me. They said like you have really good attitude. You have a good personality and I was jacked that's. One of the guys said that. The guy who hired me is like like you're jacked man, so you're gonna fit in perfectly here that was in your personal trainer.

Speaker 2

That sells itself it helps.

Speaker 1

It helps. And he said you don't have any bad habits that we need to break because I didn't have any experience as a personal trainer. I didn't like them very much. Yeah, I'm not a fan of those people. That's the. That's the one I quit and I had to pay money to get out of and then eventually I got. Where did I go from there? I don't know Every opportunity I get after that was based on.

Speaker 1

I don't have any experience, but I do feel like I have a good attitude and I feel like I'm a pretty positive person and I'll do my best. Especially if it's customer facing and I'm talking to people. I'll really do my best to make people have a good day. Always, even now, that's when I go to the store or whatever go get coffee. I always try to make sure I'm positive and I have a good attitude. But that was the thing that got me this job where I made all the money I made was the fact that I was a good fit for the team. You have a, you're really positive, you have a good attitude and you have a good personality. I think you'll fit in perfectly here.

Importance of personality in securing jobs

Speaker 1

And it's kind of come full circle where now, when I go on certain podcasts, they'll ask about the team and they'll say, like, what's your process for bringing people on? And I always say, most of our team comes from the community. So they listen to the podcast and then they end up joining next level nation. They do group coaching or they do one-on-one coaching or they come to a meetup and we know their core values based on the content that they like. They know our core values based on the fact they listen to the podcast and they're all really good people and they all have really positive attitudes and they all have really great personalities and, most importantly, they're just really good people.

Speaker 1

And I would say, if we're being honest, most of the opportunities that we've given to the team is not based on competence or skills. It's. You're a really good person and I can see myself working together with you for a long period of time and you have core values, core beliefs and core aspirations and alignment. So even the way we're doing things now, it's the same. It's the same thing. I'd rather work with someone who is super positive and doesn't know anything about computers than somebody who's like a computer whiz. That is just insufferable and always complaining and and all that.

Speaker 1

So just a story to get today's episode started. Well, there's hard skills and there's soft skills. I never understood what that meant, so hard skills would be your computer skills. Mine are 10 out of 10. I'm a whiz. Nine point. Hey, I'll keep it humble 9.9 out of 10. There's room for growth? Yep, that right, there is what suppression looks like.

Speaker 2

Well, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1

It's funny.

Hiring for attitude over skills

Speaker 2

So recently on the NLU team we went through a list. Christina and I sat down. Christina's the COO of the company, chief operations officer, and as far as tech skills go, she's the next highest After me yeah, no, next highest after. So if you attended Next Level Live, virtually thank you to Christina and Jerryann for making all of that happen. Yes, and Christina, that would not have been possible without you, so thank you.

Speaker 2

So we created the 13 tech skills that we think the NLU team needs to come up on, and this is not to be unkind, this is just facts are facts. So Google Sheets, zoom, webcams, mike, google Calendar, whatsapp, phoneweb, native App, Google Drive, gmail, facebook Messenger, facebook, personal I think we're pretty good on that Canvaly, google docs, google tasks, nlu website how to use it, how to navigate it, what's on it, all that kind of stuff. And so one of the things that I think is a big bottleneck for nlu from a business perspective, this is just business jeff. We call me business jeff, business jeff, yeah, business jeff. And then there's like warm, loving heart driven jeff. So business jeff says we need to come up on our tech skills because lately what I've been doing and I know your team, I know you're listening, so please don't take this the wrong way. I've been having everyone share their screen and I've been having them kind of run some of the stuff and it's. It's been interesting to see the level of tech competence.

Speaker 2

And I get it right I was in computer engineering. I love technology, I did gaming, I was a computer nerd my whole life, so so the things that I take for granted are not normal skills. Like one person in next level nation said something no, it wasn't next level nation, it was evolved venture society. And I realized that this is a me thing, not now, not not another person thing. But there was someone who said, oh, it was next level nation, it was laptop versus phone and D-Rock Derek. He said I don't even have a laptop. And my brain went, brother, and I would tell this to Derek too. This is not me talking bad about Derek, but in my head it's like we got to get you a laptop, brother. I ended up giving my old laptop. I was supposed to give it to him. I ended up giving it to, I think, bianca. But at the end of the day I just know that's a me thing. I can't imagine not having a laptop. I've had a laptop since I was 10 right, I can, I can.

Speaker 1

I remember the first. I remember I got a tablet when I was, and you know the only reason I did it? Because I just had a bunch of money. It's the only reason I got it, brother. I remember going to I was like I'm gonna go to best buy, I'm gonna buy myself a tablet. Let me go buy this tablet Just because you had money. Yeah, I was like it's a bigger phone.

Speaker 1

Honestly I you know, I didn't know. I remember when I got my first laptop yeah, I didn, you need a laptop for 21st century man, I was living in the 20th.

Speaker 2

That's fair. Well, that's again, I'm a computer engineer so I'm biased.

Speaker 1

The first laptop I got was when I was working with you. It was my first laptop seriously, yeah, 100.

Speaker 2

I remember I used to say this to kevin. I used to say, brother, everyone has a linkedin.

Speaker 1

He's like dude, no one has nobody that I know personally at that time had a linkedin other than matt. Nobody else I knew had a linkedin, not where I come from, but everyone had a facebook from your perspective?

Speaker 2

yeah, yeah, okay, of course, yeah, yeah, well, again it's, we're all in our own echo chamber. I don't want to go down that rabbit hole, but the point of this, hard skills and soft skills, those are all hard skills. Knowing how to use Google Sheets, knowing what formulas to put in Like hard skills are very important. I don't know HVAC, I don't know cars Like those are hard skills. I fixed my chair with an Allen wrench yesterday. I fixed my chair with an Allen wrench yesterday. I was really proud of that.

Speaker 1

A Jeff wrench.

Speaker 2

The point is, but I have hard skills in Wi-Fi computers, hot keys, all that kind of stuff, and Emilia and I Emilia just figured out how to use two mice simultaneously. I said, sweetheart, that's a you thing, she uses I'm not even kidding two mice at the same time.

Speaker 1

In your hand.

Speaker 2

Yes, she writes with two hands simultaneously.

Speaker 1

She's an. She writes with two hands simultaneously. She's a unbelievable dude.

Speaker 2

She shaves, wait, wait, wait, she writes yes, at the same time with both hands on the same line or different on the same line it's the same word no. So yes, whoa dude. I told her. I said, sweetheart, there's no market for that. So, like you, have evolved ventures. Technologies do not create like a ambidextrous mouse because quad mouse. She, literally she, because I got her a mouse uh she was jealous of my rainbow mouse.

Speaker 2

It's like it glows, it's awesome, it's a gaming mouse, I love it. And she was truly jelly, and rarely does she have any jealousy whatsoever about anything. So I know that's value. And, uh, I got her a mouse and and now she's like I've been waiting for this for 10 years. They never came out with it. I can't believe I can do it. It's so cool. I was just in her office earlier. I was like sweetheart, that is a you thing and I want to give you all of it. It's unbelievable Because she shaves her legs with two razors simultaneously. Dude, I cut myself the other day with one razor. Yeah, it's a risky game. Yeah, it's high, exactly so anyways, emilia is unbelievable. That's the point of that.

Speaker 2

But hard skills are tangible, tactical I know how to do that and I'm good at and I've practiced it type of skills. Okay, the soft skills are attitude, people skills, empathy, vulnerability, love, joy, passion, energy levels, being a good person. Those are what they call soft skills. So most people hire for hard skills in the corporate world and I think that that's a huge mistake in the 21st century. Of course, that's why we're running our company differently. It's a huge mistake in the 21st century. Of course, that's why we're running our company differently. I think that in the future, I hope that people will study what we've done, because I think we're doing things more optimally. Of course, I would think that I get that. I'm biased, but our team was not hired for hard skills. Obviously, no offense right, with all the love to the team and same, neither was I.

Speaker 1

Exactly so you're all good there 's how this started.

Speaker 2

If you have a positive attitude and you have a positive mindset and you have a desire to serve and you're hard working, we're good. We can work with that. We can work with that all day. Last piece, I want to kick it over to you.

Speaker 2

I was watching a leadership training. I've been doing a lot of business and leadership trainings lately, like the last couple years. I think my 30s are focused mostly on those two things leadership and business, because I sucked at leadership in many regards. I didn't realize. So, anyways, there's this leadership training and I won't give it away.

Soft skills

Speaker 2

But there's this person who's giving a speech to, let's say, 200 people in a crowd, and these are all leaders or aspiring leaders of some kind. They run teams or businesses or whatever. Right. So if you are leading your family, leading a team, leading a business, leading a department, you are a leader. Awesome. Leading a community, leading your neighborhood, whatever.

At NLU, we want you to win! So, we're giving tools and resources to ensure your success. Join our Monthly Meet-up every first Thursday of the month at 5 PM.

Speaker 2

So he says, okay, isn't it interesting? And he has this triangle, he pulls up fire. This was great. He said in the bottom, left, left, of course, I would love it. I love triads, his skills, those are the hard skills we were just talking about google sheets, zoom, canva, tech skills, blah, blah. So bottom left, skills. Top was knowledge, also known as awareness knowledge, okay. And then the bottom right was attitude. He pulls up this slide with all of the most admired, successful and respected leaders in history nelson mandela, oprah winfrey, these right.

Speaker 2

And regardless of whether or not you agree with the list, the point is he calls out the audience. He says listen everyone, please give me one word that best represents why you believe these people were successful and impactful. And it was freaking awesome, man. I almost just swore because of how awesome it was. Everyone was consistent, uh, hard-working, disciplined, focused, positive, empathetic, vulnerable, authentic. They just named all these things right, and I just made those up, but that everyone was naming the things. And then he broke it down. He had his person, one of his executive admins, write down Whether it falls into the skills, hard skills, knowledge or attitude.

Speaker 2

And dude 70 was attitude. That is aka mindset Dude. I don't care how much you know, know, and I don't care what your skills are. I went to some. I went to school. I went to college with some of the people that have the hard skills I'm talking top in the country in electronics who have. There's one person I'm thinking of and I'm going to keep this anonymous forever, so if the person was listening he'd probably self-identify himself.

Successful and impactful

Speaker 2

But he had hard skills out the wazoo I'm talking like top electronics, brilliant human in the country, okay and his attitude was garbage. I always had trouble with him. Now, we were close friends and we partied and we had a lot of fun, okay, and he had a good attitude about that stuff. But his attitude towards his own school, towards his own childhood, towards his own future he always played the victim, in my opinion, like he didn't blame himself for anything. It's like, dude, your attitude is so detrimental.

Speaker 2

I had a worse life than you by a significant margin, dude, you should be grateful you're here. You're lucky. Do you know how many people want to come to this school? Do you know how many people get rejected from this college? You're taking your gifts for granted. Man, I could have been nothing and you are one of the best in the world at this and you're you're a dingus like that was so hard for me, and so he had skills and knowledge out the wazoo, but his attitude is what I'm telling you. I'm leagues ahead of him, but it's because of my attitude. He had hard skills out the wazoo. He was the one teaching me how to pass the tests, and then I would pass them. I'd do better than he did. I'm sure that helped our relationship right, but at the end of the day, attitude is everything yeah.

Attitude is everything

Speaker 1

A story to wrap this up. When Tara and I were moving, however, many years ago, we hired a company to help us Two gentlemen showed up and they were polar opposites of one another. Polar opposites One of them, and this was not because of a lack of physical. Another Polar opposites One of them, and this was not because of a lack of physical capability. The kid who had the 10 out of 10 attitude was he was jacked, but he was much smaller than the other kid.

Speaker 1

One kid was hustling like just bags and bags and boxes and boxes and just happy as a clam, just super happy to be there. He's like the faster we get this one done, the faster we get to the next house. It's like, dude, good for you, good for you. And the other one was just dragging ass, just like dragging his feet head down. You just knew he didn't want to be here. Now, look, manual labor sucks.

Speaker 1

I understand I did not always have the most positive attitudes when I was actually doing the job. I did have the positive attitude when I was trying to get the job, not always when I was doing the job. I'll be very honest about that, because I don't. It's like, kev, if you were carrying heavy stuff. Honestly, yeah, I might not have been the most happy person either, but I wouldn't have been there, I wouldn't have been at that place and, yes, I don't know what he's going through and all that, yes, just as an example.

Polar opposites

Speaker 1

Let's not dig too deep here. So one kid is just grateful for the opportunity, grateful that he has a job, grateful that he's making money and just hustling, and the other one was dragging his feet, just not doing a good job. And when we got to the end I had a moment where it was like I would hire on the spot come on our team, I don't care what you know, you're going to be fine. You're going to be fine because you're so positive and you'd fit in with everybody because you're. You're going to be fine because you're so positive and you'd fit in with everybody because you're positive and you have a great personality and you're not entitled and you're humble.

Speaker 2

And you're hardworking.

Speaker 1

I don't care what you know, I don't care who you know, I don't care if you have the cure for everything. It's not going to work. It just couldn't work because you don't have a positive attitude that I would like to spend time around, and I don't think anybody else in the team would like to spend time around you either. That is a really good example of I'm telling you. I mean, I'm sure that'll happen at some point when we he's gonna win.

Speaker 2

Where do you 100? Be honest with me as a business owner now, because you never used to think from this frame, and that's okay, where do you think his career will be in 10 years? I? Don't know no, I mean I'm talking the positive one, the hard I don't know, I think he'll be in a very good place yeah, I think he'll be able to take care of his family. Yeah, he'll probably have more time freedom. He'll have a better network of people.

Speaker 1

I wish I remembered his name so I could reach out to him in five years.

Speaker 2

I wish you'd remember his name so we can hire him, I would.

Speaker 1

Yeah, but that's how I think. Now I think of that. There's a kid at the gym who's like and he does the morning shift. Just the nicest. He's there at 6 o'clock in the morning. He opens the gym at 6 o'clock in the morning and every time I go in there I go in at 8. I don't go at 6 anymore. I'm getting old. He's always like what's happening, brother, how you doing? And I say the same thing. I say so far, so good. Man, we're going to find out. We're going to find out, we'll see, we'll see how the day is going to go. And he came up to me today and he waited for me to finish my set and he gave me knuckles and he's like dude. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone who has as good a form as you and I was like dude. I appreciate that man. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. He's like yeah, to hang out with you, I want to hang, I would spend time with you. That that that goes such a long way in business it is, brother.

Future success predicted by attitude

Speaker 2

I sent you the warren buffett speech and again, regardless of what you think of warren, I'm very careful with names these days. I don't want you to associate us with anyone yeah but but the speech.

Speaker 2

There's a lot to learn because he's been in business for 94 years. Charlie munger is 99 years. That was his business partner, so they've been around like they. They know what works in business. Let's just leave it there and kev, what was the number one thing from the speech? It was customer experience. You'll go back to that gym for that guy, like you'll stay on morning shift for that guy unconsciously, maybe not, I mean, you will be conscious of it. But also, isn't it interesting what he compliments you on these days? Excellent form instead of hey, I saw you swinging those 120s?

Speaker 1

oh, no, no, he says that, you know he's, he's already, he's already given me. Yeah, that's just funny, because the sweatshirt is still on.

Speaker 2

I remember you shoulder pressing with no form, 225 on a whim you know there was form.

Speaker 1

There just wasn't warm-up. The form, I think, was still okay, but now we're back to basics. We're back to basics, we're back to basics. Yeah, but he's.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

There are like Restaurants that I will go to Because of the people, for sure, 100% Dude Starbucks.

Speaker 2

Built their whole.

Speaker 1

Chick-fil-A.

Speaker 2

On being friendly.

Speaker 1

Chick-fil-A.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and again, I don't want to Associate with Chick-fil-A either.

Speaker 1

Yeah, yeah, no, I know, chick-fil-a is not. Yeah, yeah, there's, there's stuff going on but careful.

Speaker 2

You got to be careful associated with anything, let's just let's just use the example yeah, I'm not.

Speaker 1

I'm not saying to eat there, I'm not saying yeah, yeah, but there's like it's the running joke of like you pull in, there need an oil change, they'll find a way to get it done while you're in line. You know, like you got flat tire dude in and out burger Burger.

Speaker 2

How happy and positive are those people? The happiest. It's unreasonable. It's like you and I, we want to go there. I want to go there today, man.

Speaker 1

I'm sad that they don't have one. I think I might get Five Guys tonight. Five Guys is another good example. Five Guys is usually very, very positive. Humans working there yeah, super important. It's the play, it's the play All right. Working there yeah, super important. It's the play, it's the play all right. Next level nation. If you're looking for a group of more positive, like-minded individuals, we have a private facebook group called next level nation. We'll have the link in the show notes and if you found value in this episode, please leave us a review on your platform of choice and make sure you subscribe on wherever you're watching or listening, so you never miss an episode of how to get to the next level of your life, your love, your health and your wealth.

Speaker 2

Do I have anything to share?

Speaker 1

Do you have words?

Speaker 2

Yes, the words, the words. I have spent a large majority of my time and effort in this life learning how to help people become more successful and fulfilled I didn't know where.

Speaker 1

I didn't know if you were reading something or you're just trying to buy time, because it was just a very long I'm fiddling with my pen, okay, okay I thought you were looking at these pens, these are great, man, uh, but it's got a lot of a lot of words on it anyways

Speaker 2

so I have spent a huge amount of time and effort in this life helping people become more successful and fulfilled. That's really the thing that I've worked hardest on. I can authentically say that helping people achieve their goals and dreams is, without a question, what I've worked hardest on. So if you want help, every fighter needs a good trainer in their corner. Insert other metaphor I can't think of now. Let me be in your corner, let me help you achieve your goals and dreams faster and more effectively over time, and so reach out.

Speaker 2

My coaching is far more affordable than you probably think. I have monthly, I have bi-weekly and I have weekly, and even if you want to do just once a month, it's very affordable, like super, super affordable. For a reason and just because we're only having one session a month doesn't mean that I'm not going to talk to you in WhatsApp and help you stay accountable, stay on the system, stay on the rails, and so you can start with monthly and then ramp your way up. Or you can start with weekly and ramp your way down, and there's no long-term commitment, there's no contract, it's nothing like that. It's pay as you play. For a reason, because if it's not a win-win, I don't want to do it, and so please reach out alan at nextleveluniversecom Boom as always.

Speaker 1

We love you, we appreciate you, Grateful for each and every one of you. And at NLU we don't have fans, we have family. We will talk to you all tomorrow. Keep after it Next time on Nation.