He thought money would fix it. It didn’t.
In this open-hearted and deeply honest episode, I sit down with Kevin Palmieri, co-founder and CFO of Next Level University, to unpack the silent suffering so many men carry, and the identity death it takes to finally come alive.
They talk about everything men are rarely allowed to say out loud:
- Rock bottom moments and intrusive thoughts
- Rage masked as self-reliance
- Identity wrapped up in performance
- The loneliness of male friendship, Rebuilding after feeling worthless
…plus Kevin walks through the SHIFT Framework™, sharing how men can rebuild their sense of self, heal without shame, and start showing up with integrity AND without losing their edge.
This one’s for every man who wants more, and everyone who loves one.
🔍 In This Episode, We Talk SHIFT About:
00:00 – Meet Kevin
02:15 – Why success didn’t feel like success
04:30 – The cost of achievement without alignment
06:40 – The podcast that saved his life: Hyperconscious to NLU
08:20 – What led him to the edge—and the moment he called for help
10:15 – Meeting Alan, building trust, and why men need safe male friends
13:00 – Loneliness in male friend groups, locker room talk, and internal conflict
15:30 – How father wounds shape emotional safety
18:10 – Why men don’t go first and why they need to
20:00 – Discomfort with being different (and learning to own it)
22:40 – The danger of over-identifying with pain as power
25:10 – Meeting his father at 27—and releasing the villain story
28:00 – Why savior energy is unsustainable (and how to tell it’s showing up)
30:40 – Letting people down without betraying yourself
33:10 – Why “being your own boss” doesn’t always mean flexibility
35:20 – The SHIFT Framework: Kevin breaks it down for men
45:00 – Why emotional growth isn’t sexy but it’s essential
47:10 – How Kevin and Alan coach men through meaning, purpose & identity
49:00 – Final message: nobody else will believe in you until you do
🧠 Connect with Kevin Palmieri + Next Level University
🎙 Next Level University Podcast – new episodes daily
🌍 Website – Coaching, free courses, book club, & community
📱 Instagram – @neverquitkid
👥 Free Facebook group: Next Level Nation
📖 Free monthly virtual events + book club
💥 Ready to Build a Life That Doesn’t Break You?
Explore the SHIFT Framework™ with me and reclaim your self, your relationships, and your sense of steady.
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