Boys to Men w/ Alex Salazar

In this episode, host Alex Salazar discusses his recent trip up to Los Leones Hike-- detailing the thoughts and meditations he came across. Most notably, Alex thought of two poignant things:

1. Social media is poisoning our minds with comparison

2. We inspire others by living out our truth.

In this episode, I explore why you should not embark on your self-care journey alone.

Before, the nuclear family had defined roles and responsibilities. This isn’t a thinkpiece on whether or not those specific gendered roles are good or bad, this is an exploration of the necessity of roles and responsibilities. When we have the freedom to do anything we want, whenever we want, that's a daunting task for someone who isn’t grounded in something bigger than themselves. You don’t have to worship a religious institution, but then, what do you worship? What is the anchor that will ground you? How will you identify the community that you connect with, whose values align with yours? Because you need that. Every human being does. This also explains the rise in Astrology. Again, I’m not arguing for one or the other, merely the importance of recognizing that we all need SOMETHING to go to in our times of need.

We live in really confusing times with the endless possibility of choice. The Jam Study is one of the most famous psychology experiments ever performed. Essentially, the study found that offering customers fewer choices led to better sales and happier consumers. With technology and the “Free World” ideology, we are constantly drowning in choice. The choice of what to do with our days. The choice of partners. The choice of meeting people or keeping to ourselves. And nearly every modern business is moving the needle in such a way that increases autonomy and independence from community. You don’t need to go to the store, order it online. You don’t need to actually see a therapist, talk to a robot. You don’t need to go to your favorite coffee shop and connect with a barista, just use UberEats.

The trajectory of where we are headed is making us ‘need’ each other less and less but I hope I’m wrong… because how sad would it be to live in a world where all of us operate in our own little silos.

In this episode, I recall one of my favorite stories that came from 23 of my chromosomes (my father). Here, he talks about being a new recruit in Camp Pendleton and having to find toilet paper. Below is a little excerpt:

"In the next 30 seconds, magic did happen. I didn’t stop my thinking, but I quickly changed the way I was thinking. I needed to find toilet paper. I happened to be looking out the window after getting out of my Drill Instructor’s face. I kept thinking, “Find the toilet paper.” I remember noticing that the barracks across from our building were empty—their recruits had just returned to MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) to graduate in San Diego. I also recalled the saying that,  “Marines didn’t ever steal, but Marines did acquire.” I quickly ran across the hallway that connected the two barracks and ran into the heads and found plenty of toilet paper. I quickly stuffed all of my cargo pockets with toilet paper, and carried back as much toilet paper as I could to stock our own heads. I felt as if I had just discovered the New World—amazed and proud. I must have made several trips, but that detail eludes me now."

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Christian Carreon is an immigrant entrepreneur who co-founded a wealth managing firm at the age of 27 in order to help people create financial plans that help minimize the impact of any life events they go through. He has then founded two other companies, Paradigm Shift Trading, an educational company that focuses on helping young traders create a systematic way of approaching the markets, and Create Wealth Management, a wealth managing firm that helps High Net worth Individuals outperform the market through algorithmic strategies that he created. Christian’s journey as a kidney disease survivor has propelled him to build a business that helps people create the life they want.

In this episode, we explore the importance of financial literacy, how he dealt with kidney failure, and why gratitude is so instrumental to his life. 

Christian can be found on the socials:

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The floors must be cleaned by Friday night and the agenda must be set by Monday morning.

In the words of Jay Z, "I'm not a businessman; I'm a business, man." We all are. Each and every one of us is a company. We are the CEOs, marketing managers, sales reps, compliance personnel, front desk operators, accounting directors, recruitment chairs, public relations associates, risk-management officers of our own lives. This can feel overwhelming because it is overwhelming, but it's also exciting. Not only do you get to tidy up your life with day-to-day maintenance, but you also get to strategize in the high-level decisions that influence your life 3-5-10 years from now.

Strategize your weeks/months accordingly. Recruit the right people into your life. Know the power of your words, your brand, and understand that your reputation matters. Consult a trusted friend/mentor if you are doing something that feels wrong. Speak with conviction. Listen with curiosity. Assume most people are good people. Do not ignore the laundry that needs to be folded. Do not neglect the dishes for too long. Do not neglect the people that love you. Do not compromise on your values, ever. Be kind to yourself if you have an off day, but never have two consecutive off days.

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In this episode, we explore the downside of being a "nice" guy; and why there is often an ulterior motive at play when you present yourself as overtly nice. This extends beyond romantic relationships, this can be applied to business partnerships, friendships, boundaries with family-- any situation where an interpersonal relationship is at play.

We also discuss the difference between being a Good Guy vs. Nice, and why we should strive to be good men.

In this week's episode, I discuss the 5 Lessons I learned from the 75 Hard Challenge. For context, the challenge was created by entrepreneur, best-selling author, and host of the MFCEO Project Podcast Andy Frisella. The challenge is as follows:

It's important to note, that if you go to bed before completing any steps of the challenge then you have to start back on Day 1. I attempted this challenge twice in 2019, and the third time was the charm for me in 2020.

The Five lessons I learned from the 75 Hard Challenge are:

1. It's a Solo Journey, but I can't do it alone

2. I became hyperaware of my body (in the best way)

3. I learned to appreciate the little things much more

4. Sunlight makes me happy

5. I'm not owed success, I need to pay the dues every day

Tune in next week for our discussion of Good Guys vs. Nice Guys.

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Welcome to the Boys to Men w/ Alex Salazar. 

In this podcast, I will be helping young men become great men through the exploration of topics like health, wealth, entrepreneurship, relationships, and much more. The purpose of this exploration is to inspire action, allow room for reflection, and offer tangible tools to attack your weeks. Because I can’t do it alone, I will bring in guests with a variety of backgrounds and expertise. My philosophy on this channel is “Respect through thoughtful dialogue in the pursuit of truth”. We can disagree, but let’s keep the conversations going. 

Thank you for tuning in, and I hope you enjoy.