What happens when a small-town kid from rural Indiana—where the only fast food was a single Subway—dreams of starting a business, almost takes a job at an ice cream shop, and instead stumbles into Cutco? You get Arri McDonald: full-time college student, former college golfer, #1 in the FSM Silver Cup race, and the #3 Branch Manager in the nation at just 19 years old.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Arri shares how a random mailer to his girlfriend’s house sparked the start of his Cutco journey, leading him to $250K+ in sales, multiple All-American scholarships, and top regional finishes in SC2 and Olean pushes. He unpacks how selling around school while balancing 18-19 credits and college golf taught him discipline, why deleting social media gave him back hours of focus, and how phoning twice a week non-negotiably became his secret weapon.

We dive into his first Branch summer—237K in sales, 70–80 hour workweeks, and the lessons that only come from leading reps through the chaos. Arri gets real about the tough days (no-shows, reps quitting mid-training, and eight-demos-scheduled-turned-four), and how faith, self-discipline, and a strong “why” keep him moving forward.

From budgeting $100/week and investing in a Roth IRA, to coaching with Ben Kooper and learning CSP-level skills, Arri proves that being 19 is no excuse—if anything, it’s an advantage. His story is proof that with vision, consistency, and humility, you can turn small-town beginnings into big-time results.

🎧 Produced by: Alex Funk (@unlockwithalex on IG)
💥 Sponsored by: Dream Life Academy Mastermind
🔗 DM “PODCAST” to @unlockwithalex on IG for a free 10-min roadmap call to financial/time freedom.

⏱ Chapters:

00:00 – Meet Arri McDonald: 19 Years Old and Already Top 3 Branch
04:00 – From Subway County to Cutco: How a Random Mailer Changed Everything
08:00 – First Summer Lessons: Hard Work Without a Ceiling
12:00 – Selling Around School: 18–19 Credits, College Golf, and Discipline
16:00 – Deleting Social Media: The Hidden Advantage of More Time
20:00 – Phoning Twice a Week Non-Negotiable: The Habit That Built Success
24:00 – Running a Branch: 237K in Sales, 70–80 Hour Weeks, and Hard Lessons
29:00 – Reps Quitting Mid-Training, No-Shows, and Chaos Management
34:00 – Staying Motivated: Friendly Rivalries, Healthy Competition, and Faith
39:00 – Living Below His Means: Budgeting $100/Week and Dave Ramsey Discipline
44:00 – Investing Early: Roth IRAs, Withholding Taxes, and Compound Interest
49:00 – Coaching with Ben Kooper & Alan Hernandez: Leveling Up to CSP Skills
54:00 – Why Impact > Silver Cups: Focusing on Growth, Not Just Trophies
59:00 – What’s Next for Arri: Branching Again, Sales Goals, and God’s Plan