Most episodes of the No Base Pay Podcast feature national champs, CSP monsters, and people you’ve seen on every report for years.

This one is different.

Devin Ashling isn’t “the most decorated guy in the company.” He even jokes that his branch wasn’t anything special. But he’s the clearest example you may see of what Cutco is supposed to be: a vehicle that takes you from where you are now to the life you actually want.

A 20 year old who recently got engaged, Devin is living a version of the “dream life” most people talk about… and never build.

He started Cutco as a college freshman at NDSU, selling entirely on Zoom. He ran a branch early, learned the hard truth about environment and leadership, and then made a decision most people never make: instead of spending his commission checks on “stuff,” he started stacking cash and using it to buy back his time.

In this episode, Devin breaks down how he thinks about money (save, then invest), why optionality matters more than titles, and what he’s building outside the business right now: a short-term rental in the Black Hills that almost went sideways until he doubled down and turned it into a top-market five-star experience… and a duplex deal in Fargo that’s set up to reduce his living costs while building long-term equity.

We also get into the non-business stuff that actually drives everything: his faith, his habits, his mental game, and getting engaged to his high school sweetheart. The thread through all of it is simple. Devin is building his life around what he values first, and then choosing income vehicles that support that, not compete with it.

If you’re in Cutco right now and you’ve ever wondered, “What do I do with this money so it actually changes my life?”… this is the episode for you.

🎧 Hosted by: Spencer Campbell🔥 Produced by: Alex Funk (@unlockwithalex)💥 Sponsored by: Dream Life Academy Mastermind🔗 DM “DREAM” to @unlockwithalex on IG if you want help mapping a path from commission → real assets → time freedom.

⏱ Chapters:

00:00 – Why This Episode Is Different

01:17 – Who Devin Ashling Is (Faith, Family, Health, Optionality)

04:30 – How He Found Cutco and Started Selling on Zoom

05:34 – Early Wins: All-American Scholarship + AM Role

06:29 – Running a Branch (And What He Learned the Hard Way)

08:13 – The Season After the Branch: Habits, Identity, Next Move

09:48 – Environment, Rejection, and Not Caring What People Think

10:55 – Making Money Doing Things That Don’t Feel Like Work

12:57 – Why This Episode: What He’s Using His Cutco Money For

14:42 – Airbnb Arbitrage Explained (Black Hills Deal Breakdown)

16:31 – The Mistake: Underbuilding the Property + Losing Momentum

17:18 – The Fix: Doubling Down to Create a Five-Star Experience

20:01 – Airbnb Arbitrage in Plain English

20:29 – The Fargo Duplex: Buying Below Market + Rehab Plan

21:29 – House Hacking: Lower Living Costs + Equity Growth

23:26 – Why “Buying a House Is Bad” Is Usually the Wrong Take

25:47 – Lessons From Investing at 20: Quit Feelings + Doing It Right

31:23 – Getting Engaged and Building With a Life Partner

34:07 – The “Dream Life” Inventory (And Why It Still Feels Surreal)

38:08 – The 3 Levers: Work Ethic, Mindset, Environment

41:31 – Why DLA Matters: Rooms, Mentors, and Cutting Learning Curves

44:37 – What’s Next: More Doors, Faith First, Becoming a Great Husband

46:29 – Closing: Cutco as the Vehicle, Not the Finish Line