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

What happens when a D1 pitcher’s career ends with a devastating back injury—only for that setback to spark a new path that changes everything? You get Daniel Wright: born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, former Memphis Tiger turned Cutco District Manager, Silver Cup winner, fastest to Court of Honor in Southern Rock history, and now the division’s first-ever Assistant Division Manager.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Daniel opens up about his journey from baseball dreams to building one of the most consistent management careers in Cutco. He shares how his dad instilled leadership from a young age, how mentors like Mark Bullard pulled greatness out of him, and why consistency—not flash—became his superpower. Daniel takes us inside his grind of selling through college, surviving insane schedules, running one of the top-performing virtual offices in the nation, and the breaking points that nearly pushed him to quit.

We dive into his biggest lessons: the power of saying no, tithing and financial discipline, living below your means, and why vision—not just results—pulls you forward through the toughest seasons. Daniel gets real about his hardest years, including 2021 and 2025, and how faith, marriage, and relentless consistency turned them into turning points. For anyone chasing big goals in Cutco or life, Daniel’s story is proof that consistency compounds and vision creates freedom.

🎧 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 Daniel Wright: From Baseball to Management
04:00 – The Injury That Ended SEC Dreams and Led to Cutco
09:00 – Early Influences: Leadership, Coaches, and Mentorship
14:00 – Selling Through College: Classes, Baseball, and Chaos
20:00 – Year-Long Hiatus and the Return to Management
26:00 – Surviving 2018: Relentless Work Ethic and Consistency
32:00 – Becoming a District Manager and Southern Rock’s First ADVM
39:00 – Running a Virtual Office: Records, Silver Cup, and Fatigue
46:00 – The Breaking Point: Burnout, Finances, and Faith in 2021
52:00 – 2025 Challenges: Health, Marriage, and the Hardest Year Yet
58:00 – Recommitting: Going Live, Choosing People Over Profit
1:05:00 – Marriage, Mentorship, and Building a Power Couple Dynamic
1:12:00 – Financial Lessons: Tithing, Living Below Means, and Investing
1:18:00 – Vision, Legacy, and Daniel’s Dream of Becoming a Division Manager

What happens when a kid from Chicago who started his Cutco career going 1-for-11 decides not to quit, leans on his faith, and turns his last name into the most recognized brand in Cutco? You get Mike Dawid—better known as Cutco Mike—the now titan who has sold over $10M, stacked four (going on five) million-dollar years, and built an empire on social media by leading with joy, generosity, and stories.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Mike unpacks the full journey: bombing his first appointments, sticking around long enough to find his rhythm, and turning Facebook into his personal newspaper. He explains how he built a following of raving fans who don’t just buy knives—they root for him like family. Mike also opens up about how faith, family, and fun became his three pillars, and why he believes the “heart score” always shows up in your results.

We dive into his backstory—growing up in the business, learning from legends like John Ruhlin, and realizing that promotion isn’t about gimmicks but about generosity. Mike breaks down how to win in gifting, why consistency beats hacks, and how to make sales feel like a win for the customer every single time. He even shares the money lessons every commission earner needs: set floors and ceilings, automate taxes and investing, and protect yourself with the right insurance before you scale.

From million-dollar years to zero returns, from branding himself “Cutco Mike” to building a faith-first business, this is a masterclass in playing the long game, loving the process, and having way more fun while you sell and build.

🎧 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 Cutco Mike: From 1-for-11 Rookie to $10M Career

04:00 – Early Struggles: Almost Quitting Before Finding His Groove

09:00 – Branding Himself “Cutco Mike” and Owning Social Media

15:00 – Facebook as a Newspaper: Stories, Smiles, and Smart Asks

21:00 – Faith, Family, Fun: The Three Pillars That Drive Everything

27:00 – Learning from John Ruhlin: Generosity, Bigger Rooms, and Legacy

34:00 – Building Raving Fans vs. Just Selling Knives

40:00 – Million-Dollar Years: Systems, Consistency, and Staying Grateful

47:00 – The “Feel Like They Won” Philosophy: Why Returns Don’t Exist

53:00 – Money Moves: Floors & Ceilings, Auto-Investing, and Insurance

1:00:00 – If Social Media Disappeared Tomorrow: What Still Works

1:07:00 – Closing Thoughts: Faith, Joy, and Playing the Long Game

What happens when a middle child from a zero-stoplight town—who almost quit Cutco training twice, and had zero confidence—decides to turn every setback into fuel? You get Alex Funk: $4.1M in career Cutco sales, Silver Cup winning manager, best-selling author of The Dreams List, and now founder of Dream Life Academy.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Alex sits down on the other side of the mic to tell the unfiltered story behind his rise. From a $20K start that sent him to Jamaica without a passport, to building a million-dollar office in under a year, to why he ultimately decided to walk away from a potential promotion. Alex breaks down the sickening work ethic, mentorship, and relentless dreaming that has shaped his journey.

We cover everything—his 600+ dreams crossed off (from running a treadmill marathon to medaling in bodybuilding), how spreadsheets run his life, the brutal sacrifices behind building wealth in your early 20s, and why he believes anyone can create financial and time freedom if they commit to a focused grind and align it with their values. He opens up about family, faith, mistakes, and how intentionality—not “balance”—is what makes his dream life possible.

Alex also reveals the mission behind Dream Life Academy: equipping high-earning sales reps to turn commission checks into cash-flowing assets, stop feeling broke, and build lives they don’t need a vacation from. From real estate investing to the psychology of dreaming, this episode is both a playbook and a wake-up call: your best isn’t even recognizable yet.

🎧 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 – Introducing Alex Funk: From Producer to Guest of No Base Pay
03:00 – Small-Town Minnesota Beginnings and Early Setbacks
05:00 – $12K Fast Start, Jamaica Trip, and Rookie Year Lessons
8:00 – Losing $4K Trading Forex and Almost Quitting Cutco
12:08 – Million-Dollar District: Building an Office from the Ground Up
27:28 – Mentorship: Dane Espegard, Mike Chu, and the Power of Guidance
36:19 – Choosing Love and Freedom Over Promotion
43:53 – Crossing Off 600+ Dreams: Marathons, Bodybuilding, and Beyond
53:22 – The Dream Life Method: From Spreadsheets to Systems
1:01:00 – Writing The Dreams List and Becoming a #1 Bestseller
1:07:02 – Why Dream Life Academy Exists: Turning Sales Income into Real Wealth
1:12:00 – Airbnb, Real Estate, and Building Cash-Flow Vehicles
1:27:00 – Faith, Family, and Redefining “Balance” as Intentionality
1:33:05 – Legacy, Impact, and Why Your Best Isn’t Recognizable Yet

What happens when a Minnesota mama’s boy, hockey player, and part-time bread delivery guy quits Cutco twice—only to come back, dominate the fair circuit, and win a Silver Cup? You get Jared Carlton: $1.2M+ career sales, $67K SC2 push, $19K single-day record, and the 2024 Rising Star CSP Silver Cup winner.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Jared opens up about what it’s really like to live “fair season,” grinding through state and county fairs to stack six figures in 90 days. He breaks down the daily discipline—ice baths, meal prep, workouts at 5:45 AM, laying everything out for the morning plunge—that’s transformed his results this year. Jared also gets real about shifting from chasing trophies to chasing profitability, cutting expenses, and valuing time at home as much as CPO.

We dive into his backstory—growing up in northern Minnesota with his mom and sister, changing his last name from Erickson to Carlton to honor his papa, quitting Cutco twice before moving into Alex Funk’s basement and giving the business a third shot. Jared unpacks the Silver Cup grind, the nail-biting $11K margin of victory, and the fog that came afterward—how marriage, faith, and focusing on net profit over gross sales gave him a new purpose.

From bodybuilding comps to hockey hat tricks, protein vending machine side hustles to joining the Avengers-level State Fair of Texas team, Jared shows what it takes to bounce back from failure, stack wins, and build a future with his wife Hannah. He leaves us with one piece of advice: surround yourself with the right people, because they’ll make or break your life.

🎧 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 Jared Carlton: Jacked, Fair Season, and Ice Baths in Underwear

03:00 – Life in the Fair Circuit: $200K Goal, $118K at Halftime

07:00 – Daily Systems: Prep, Meal Plans, Ice Baths, and Discipline

11:00 – Backstory: Northern Minnesota, Hockey, Mama’s Boy, Cabin Life

15:00 – From Ericson to Carlton: Honoring Papa and Carrying the Family Name

19:00 – $1.2M Career Sales, $67K SC2, $19K Day, and Rising Star Silver Cup

25:00 – Bodybuilding, Hockey Goals, Marriage to Hannah, and Life Goals

30:00 – Winning the Silver Cup: Burnout, Breakthroughs, and a Nailbiter Finish

36:00 – Life After the Trophy: Shifting Focus to Profitability and Home Time

42:00 – Quitting Twice: Burned Bridges, Bread Trucks, and Funk’s Basement Invite

50:00 – Faith, Positivity, and the Power of Who You Surround Yourself With

56:00 – Marriage as a Team Game: Combining Incomes, Shared Purpose

1:02:00 – Hannah’s Career: From Cutco to AI Bot Boss in Med Spa Marketing

1:08:00 – Federal Team, State Fair of Texas, and “Run Your Own Race”

1:14:00 – Fitness at the Fairs: Protein, Sleep, and Cutting Social Media

1:20:00 – Goals Ahead: Debt-Free, Six-Month Savings, Investments, Fatherhood

1:26:00 – Protein Vending Machine Side Hustle: Passive Gains, Not Just Muscle Gains

1:31:00 – One Word of Advice: Food, Water, Roof, Lord, and the Right People

What happens when a small-town Alabama girl—born in a double-wide, raised by a Marine dad and nurse mom, first airplane ride to a Cutco conference—becomes one of the most decorated women in Cutco history? You get Chelsea Rodriguez: $7.8M career sales, $1M in a single year, $100K SC2 pushes, and the first female guest on the No Base Pay Podcast.

In this episode, Chelsea goes deep on her journey from pulling weeds in Cottondale to becoming the “Queen of Cutco.” She opens up about paying for college debt-free through sales, rebuilding her business three different times from scratch, and grinding through 22 trips in 2022 to hit the elusive million-dollar year. She also shares how she scaled down after having her daughter Adeline—working 7 months, selling $700K, and proving that boundaries, systems, and priorities create freedom.

We talk about her unapologetic sales style, why she believes anyone can master rapport, how she and Roger built a powerhouse Cutco marriage, and what it really takes to balance motherhood with being one of the most elite reps in company history. Chelsea doesn’t hold back—covering the hustle, the chaos, the money moves (Tesla, Vanguard, Airbnb), and the wisdom she wants every rep to hear: your best isn’t even recognizable yet.

This is raw, real, and inspiring—a blueprint for reps, CSPs, and entrepreneurs who want to build wealth, freedom, and a life they’re proud of while still being present for the people that matter most.

🎧 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 – First Female Guest: Introducing Chelsea Rodriguez
02:00 – Growing Up in Cottondale: Marines, Nurses, and Family Yard Day
05:00 – From Double-Wide to Debt-Free College Grad
08:00 – Early Cutco Days: 180 Names, Mrs. Jones’ Kitchen, and First $275K
12:00 – Career Highlights: $7.8M Sold, $100K Pushes, $1M Year
16:00 – Style of Selling: Unapologetically Chelsea
21:00 – Building Rapport Fast: Why People Buy You
25:00 – Power Couple: Meeting Roger, 10 Years Together, 8 Years Married
32:00 – Adeline Arrives: Balancing Motherhood and Million-Dollar Sales
38:00 – The Chaos and the Beauty of Being a Mom in Sales
44:00 – Protecting Family First: Vacations, Boundaries, and Saying No
50:00 – 2022 Million Dollar Year: 22 Trips, Relentless Grind, and Breaking Through
58:00 – Jason Jeffery’s Mantra: “Maybe Your Best Isn’t Even Recognizable Yet”
1:05:00 – From $1M to $850K: More Profitable by Working Less
1:11:00 – Investing: Tesla, Vanguard, Airbnbs, and Financial Lessons Learned
1:18:00 – Why Cutco? Product, Programs, and People
1:23:00 – Closing Thoughts: Seasons, Sacrifices, and Enjoying the View

What happens when a Southern fraternity kid—who only got into Cutco to pay for dues and golf—sticks around for a decade, shifts from DM to CSP, and decides to bet everything on himself? You get Ryan Leirer—five-time #1 All-American, Honeybadger Award winner, national record-breaker, and the man behind the single biggest order in rep history: $230,679 CPO.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Ryan unpacks his journey from paying fraternity dues in Alabama to rewriting the record books as a CSP. We cover his early management days under Brian Stevenson, running a $125K branch, and helping break a national new business record as a DM.

He opens up about stepping back from management to finish his degree, going all-in on CSP, and what it’s like selling in markets people dismiss—like Mississippi—only to prove that big business exists everywhere.

Ryan tells the full story of how a single sharpening service call turned into the largest order ever sold by a rep—1,800 Santokus for a Fortune 500-level company.

He breaks down how patience, persistence, and creative follow-up landed him the deal, what it took logistically to close and fulfill, and how he’s already planting seeds for next year. On top of that, we dive into his $138K SC2 push just a month later, his “whale hit list” strategy for closing massive accounts, and the family-first planning that allowed him to prep for fatherhood while running monster numbers.

He gets real about spending $50K on IVF, Whitney’s health struggles, and how that fueled his grind. We also get into his why, his mindset on money (treating the $230K order as bonus), and the brutal truth about preparation, territory, and excuses.

This is the playbook for CSPs who want to dominate gifting, reps who think their “territory” is a disadvantage, and anyone who wants to see what it takes to stack six figures in sales on top of six-figure orders.

🎧 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 – Who Is Ryan Leirer? From Fraternity Dues to CSP Legend
03:00 – Starting in 2013: Karate Discipline Meets Cutco Sales
06:00 – Branch Rookie Year: $125K and Drinking the Kool-Aid
09:00 – DM Years: Breaking National New Biz Records with Stevenson
13:00 – Transition: Stepping Back, Finishing School, and Going CSP
17:00 – Selling in the South: Why Territory Excuses Don’t Matter
21:00 – The Honeybadger Award: Finding Loopholes, Never Taking No
25:00 – The $230K Order: How a Sharpening Service Call Turned Historic
33:00 – Pallets, Production, and Logistics: Behind the Biggest Order Ever
39:00 – SC2 Push: From 93K Last Year to 138K This Summer
44:00 – The “Whale Hit List” System for Closing Heavy Hitters
49:00 – Preparing Clients Months Out: Why July is Christmas
53:00 – IVF, Miscarriage, and Marriage: Why the Grind Mattered More
59:00 – Delegation at Home: Paying His Mother-in-Law to “Fill In”
1:05:00 – Craziest Day of Push: 30K in 24 Hours
1:11:00 – What’s Next: From Record Rep to Multi-Year Gift Contracts

What happens when a 23-year-old from Nebraska—who once sold just $12K in his first summer and quit his only SC2—decides to actually try? You get Tyler Strauss—now $4.2M career, Silver Cup winner (twice), Panerai watch earner, BMW driver, and the newly promoted ADVM running a multi-million-dollar empire.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Tyler unpacks his evolution from “worst rep in the office” to building one of the sharpest young dynasties in the company. We dive into his branch “I’m him” moment, his first million-dollar DM year, and why his SC2 team just put up $500K. He shares how he developed almost ten $50K reps, coached two rookies to $150K+ years, and deployed seven branches at once—all while traveling to 15+ countries in two years.

Tyler breaks down his bounce-house accountability philosophy, his social media recruiting hack that landed him 250+ student promoters, and why culture > numbers if you want longevity. He opens up about the struggles too—laying on his office floor ready to quit, a 4K new-business month, and the internal slip signals that forced him to rebuild vision and discipline.

We get into his why, his financial playbook (salary yourself the same every week), and how he’s stacking capital to build Nebraska into a national powerhouse. Plus: what it actually takes to delegate without micromanaging, why he pays reps to fail “on his dime,” and the brutal truth that most managers don’t think nearly big enough.

This is the blueprint for branches who want to win, DMs who want to scale sustainably, and anyone who doubts that you can go from average rep → division-level builder in just a few years.

🎧 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 – Who Is Tyler Strauss? $4.2M at 23
03:00 – From $12K Fast Start → Worst Rep in the Office
06:00 – The Branch “Dark Horse” Story & Silver Cup Breakthrough
09:00 – First Million-Dollar DM Year & $500K SC2 Team
13:00 – Why He Thinks Most Managers Don’t Dream Big Enough
17:00 – The Bounce House Analogy: Leading Top 20% vs. 80%
21:00 – Recruiting Hacks: 250 College Influencers on Payroll
25:00 – Delegating Without Micromanaging (Fail on My Dime)
29:00 – Developing Dogs: Coaching Kale, Trenton, Reese & Co.
34:00 – Traveling the World While Running Multi-Million Offices
39:00 – Hardest Seasons: 4K New Business, Football Identity Crisis
44:00 – Regulating Stress: Building Vision Beyond Silver Cups
49:00 – Investing Discipline: Salary Yourself the Same Every Week
53:00 – Withholdings, Savings, and Preventing Rep Burnout
57:00 – Culture Standards: Pack Mentality & Public Accountability
1:03:00 – The Next Step: ADVM to Division Builder

What happens when a lowkey, down to earth guy from Louisiana drops five $50K+ pushes without a silver cup or flashy event booths? You get Alex Noel—the Demo Demolisher, the bayou king of in-homes, and one of the most slept-on killers in the Cutco game.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Alex pulls back the curtain on how he's quietly built a million-dollar Cutco business off pure referrals, old-school appointments, and a belief that where you're from doesn’t define what’s possible. We talk mindset, daily routines, emotional resilience, how he turned “doing demos” into a six-figure career post-college, and why CSPs need to stop sleeping on their most profitable sales pillar.

He drops tactical scripts, advanced referral psychology, push strategy, faith-based motivation, and how he's using Cutco as a launchpad for financial freedom. Plus: gym discipline, family impact, saving vs. spending, and why most reps burn out after a win.

🎧 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.

This is the new era. No fluff. No filters. Just fire.
Welcome to No Base Pay.

⏱ Chapters
00:00 – Who Is Alex Noel? Rolex, SC2s, Swimming
03:00 – From Snapchat Swipe-Up to Million-Dollar Rep
06:00 – Selling in Louisiana: Mindset Over Market
10:00 – Why In-Home Demos Still Dominate
15:00 – 5x $50K Pushes: What It Actually Takes
21:00 – The Power of Urgency, Gratitude, and Passion
26:00 – Tyler Park’s Coaching + the 100K Mentality
30:00 – Building Momentum from Zero Leads
36:00 – Referral Scripts That Actually Work
43:00 – Selling as a Post-Grad: How to Own It
48:00 – Non-Negotiables, Time Management & Balance
54:00 – From $26K Paycheck to Whole Life & Real Estate
1:01:00 – What CSPs Need to Hear About Demos
1:06:00 – What’s Next for Alex + Final Words

This one’s not just for new reps. It’s for anyone who forgot how powerful this job can be—if you treat it like a business.

What happens when a Texas-born grinder who couldn’t even get hired at Five Guys stumbles onto a Craigslist ad and sells $20,000 of Cutco his first summer? You get Alan Hernandez—the now Southwest Region record-breaker, back-to-back $400K+ years CSP, $2.1M career, and the man who just obliterated the SC2 push ceiling with $145,925 in 3 weeks.

In this episode of the No Base Pay Podcast, Alan breaks down the three-year climb from 74K → 84K → 145K pushes, the mental shift that killed his need for recognition, and doing it while his biggest order was just $4,700. We go deep on service-call strategy, team building for push, skill-set upgrades from Brandon Brown & Jason Jeffrey, and how to sell big packages without flinching.

He opens up about failing forward, his faith, his fiancé, stacking capital until 2030, and why he wants to be fully job-optional by 2035 so he never has to miss his future kid’s soccer game. Plus: health standards, event coordination realities, coaching with Ben Kooper, and why he thinks almost no one is tapping the true demo/referral goldmine.

This is the playbook for reps chasing scary numbers, leaders wanting to scale sustainably, and anyone who thinks they’ve “maxed out” their potential.

🎧 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.

⏱ Chapters00:00 – Who Is Alan Hernandez? $2.1M Career Sales, $3M Events Team03:00 – From Craigslist Ad to $20K First Summer06:00 – Rolex, All-American Scholarships, First Property at 2209:00 – $74K → $84K → $145K: The 3-Year SC2 Climb13:00 – Why 100K? The Goal That Scared Him Most16:00 – Crossing 100K with 5 Days Left & Chasing the Region Record21:00 – Breaking Down $145K: Service Calls, Events, No Big Orders25:00 – Push Team Roles: Caller, Driver, Admin Support29:00 – Learning From Brandon Brown & Jason Jeffrey33:00 – The Mental Shift: Letting Go of Recognition38:00 – Investing in Outside Coaching (Champ Dev, Mike Chu)42:00 – Paying It Forward: Sharp Ninja Coaching with Ben Kooper46:00 – Health Standards: From 29% to 19% Body Fat52:00 – What Event Coordinators Actually Do58:00 – Stack Season Until 2030: High-Yield + Whole Life1:03:00 – Defining Your Survive/Live/Thrive Numbers1:06:00 – What’s Next for Alan + Final Words