Nick Grajeda Talks All: Childhood, College Drop Out, Suburb Talks, CHISME & MORE!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Noche de Pendejadas with Alannized

Guest: Nick Grajeda (Suburb Talks)

Episode: Nick Grajeda Talks All: Childhood, College Drop Out, Suburb Talks, CHISME & MORE!
Date: August 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Noche de Pendejadas features Nick Grajeda, creator and host of the popular podcast Suburb Talks. Host Alanized and Nick dive deep into Nick’s upbringing in Fullerton, CA, his experiences as a college dropout, the evolution of his friendships, the challenges and rewards of working with friends, and the pressure of being an online creator. Throughout, the conversation flows in the show’s signature Spanglish style, blending humor, vulnerability, and lots of insider “chisme.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nick’s Childhood & Family Life

• Different from his Sister:

  • Nick describes himself as "a little shit" who always got into trouble, the opposite of his well-behaved, book-smart sister.
  • "I was just always getting into trouble...my mom would tell me, hey, like, you should probably not really mess with that beehive over there. And then I go and mess with that beehive or something like that." (07:06 – Nick)

• Grew up Outside & Social:

  • Mom and dad discouraged video games; pushed Nick and his sister to play outside—soccer, biking, hanging with friends.

• Relationship with Parents:

  • Loving, but dad was often working late—instilled work ethic but sometimes absent emotionally.
  • "My dad, I think, always did the best that he could... one thing that I like about my dad and I get from him is just that he's, he's just a workhorse." (11:41 – Nick)
  • Credits mom for emotional support—she’s his “rock.”

• Navigating Culture & Language:

  • Spanish was Nick’s first language, but due to his dad’s Central Valley upbringing and past discrimination, English was emphasized at home.
  • "In the Central Valley...a lot of families didn't want to teach their kids Spanish because if you had that accent...they wouldn't let you in the public pools." (14:08 – Nick)

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2. Teenage Years & Friendships

• Friends as Family:

  • Nick spent more time with friends than at home; they became his main support system.
  • Emphasizes nurturing friendships through highs and lows.

• Sibling Rivalry:

  • Typical teenage drama; sister snitched on him for parties.
  • "My sister was snitching on me all the time...I would throw a party or something like that, and my sister would get pissed and she'd tell, my parents." (10:46 – Nick)

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3. School & Early Adulthood

• High School:

  • Admits to being the “class clown.”
  • Smart in subjects he cared about (especially math), but English and Spanish suffered.
  • “I was a really big, like, class clown… I would just talk. I'd get in trouble. I would get, like, FYIs, detention. I got suspended from school just doing too much, being a little shit.” (22:24 – Nick)
  • Spanish teacher told him he'd “peak in high school”—now he sees it as motivation.

• College Journey:

  • Out of high school, denied by four-year universities due to poor grades, so he attended junior college.
  • Intense schedule: worked at the college admissions office, took a full load of honors courses, did volunteer work with kids separated at the border.
  • "Doing that volunteer work...opened up my view on, like, my culture, for one thing, and also, like, what's been going on… It exposes you to more things." (37:45 – Nick)

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4. Taking Risks – Dropping Out for the Podcast

• The Leap:

  • Nick was accepted to USC after one semester at junior college, but COVID hit and all classes went online—he couldn't justify the cost.
  • Chose to drop out and focus on Suburb Talks, despite only making ~$300/month at the start.
  • "I went over to the house...I'm talking to my mom and I'm like, I think I want to drop out of college and, you know, pursue this...My dad was just quiet and...he's just like, you know, I wish I would have followed my dreams just like that." (44:30 – Nick)

• Parental Support:

  • Mom was shocked, Dad quietly supportive:
    • "If he's telling me that he wished he would have followed his dreams at like the age of 21, why not fucking take the risk?" (45:10 – Nick)
  • Conditions: apartment rent no longer covered by parents, had to hustle for survival.

• Pressure as Provider:

  • When podcast began to generate money, friends quit their jobs, creating pressure for Nick as both peer and provider.

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5. Origin and Evolution of Suburb Talks

• From TikTok to Podcast:

  • Started making skits on TikTok; audience suggested pivoting to a podcast format.
  • Early podcast involved 10+ friends rotating, eventually stabilized to the current core based on chemistry and dedication.
  • "All you need is one video...It was like this domino effect of people kind of just falling in love with...this podcast full of friends." (48:51 – Nick)

• Podcast Name:

  • Brainstormed in a jacuzzi.
  • "Somebody said, like, suburb talks. Like, we should just be called suburb talks. I genuinely want to remember...but...Sean says that it was him, so I believe him." (50:28 – Nick)

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6. Realities of “Making It” Online

• Doubts and Consistency:

  • Faced doubts, slow growth, negative feedback from peers, and financial instability.
  • "You literally cannot lose unless you quit. Whatever you do in life, you cannot lose unless you quit." (53:32 – Nick)
  • Alan echoes: “This is your timeline...if you stop [at a tough moment], you're never going to be able to really enjoy the success that was already timelined out for you.” (54:09 – Alanized)

• Changing Roles & Delegation:

  • As podcast became successful, friends took official roles: editing, social posts, captions, etc.
  • Challenge: learning to be both boss and friend; separating work from personal relationships.
  • "Working with your friends seems a lot more fun than it really is... the highs are high, but the lows are really low." (56:56 – Nick)

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7. Handling Conflict, Growth, and Online Scrutiny

• Conflict & Breaks:

  • Admits to group conflicts, “boss” role offering tough conversations.
  • Recently took a break—needed space to avoid resentment.
  • "If I keep doing this with y'all...I'm gonna grow to, like, resent y'all, like, deadass. And you guys are gonna need to meet me halfway." (59:56 – Nick)
  • Encourages direct communication, mutual respect, knowing friends’ strengths and weaknesses.

• Online Hate & Gender Double Standards:

  • Nick notes more online hate toward female co-host Maru.
  • Recommends not letting internet strangers’ opinions carry more weight than those closest to you.
  • "They don't know you...they run with the clip and that's it. They put the title in the clip. They don't have anything before or after that." (63:11 – Nick)

• Rumors & Addressing Drama:

  • Most persistent internet rumor: relationship with Maru, often spurred by out-of-context clips.
  • Nick makes a point of checking in privately with Maru anytime online chatter flares.
  • "Whenever I see a clip like that, I always text Maru...hey, just a heads up, I didn't mean anything like buy this...I never want to make you feel like I'm putting you down." (67:17 – Nick)

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8. Looking Ahead: Nick’s Vision for His 30s

• Personal Goals:
  • Wants stability, a home, and to be able to say he tried everything in his 20s.
  • Not in a rush for kids/marriage; wants to enjoy youth and not fear failure.
  • "When I'm 30, I just want to make sure that I can, like, look, look at myself in the mirror and just say, like, you did everything you wanted to do, and whether you failed or you succeeded, you still did it." (69:43 – Nick)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Outgrowing Friends and Following Dreams:

  • "A lot of people, yeah...like, oh, Nick switched up. Oh, like, bro, you're too famous for me now...If you can't respect that. I like what I do and I love what I do..." (32:54 – Nick)

• On Creative Partnership and Communication:

  • "When you work with friends...you have to be able to be open with them. You have to...I'm gonna have to get on your ass about it, right? And then eventually I'm gonna look like the asshole..." (59:56 – Nick)

• On Online Persona vs. Reality:

  • "The Internet is not for everybody. It really isn't...because some people, they can't handle that. And I feel like sometimes that happens with people who don't have much of an offline presence..." (64:46 – Nick)

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Important Timestamps

• [07:06] Nick describes childhood as a "little shit" and parent/sibling relationships
• [11:41] On his father's work ethic and effect on family dynamic
• [14:08] Family’s decision why Spanish was not prioritized
• [22:24] School experiences, being a class clown, and negative teacher comments
• [37:45] College volunteer work with separated immigrant families—lasting impact
• [44:30] Telling parents about dropping out for podcasting
• [48:51] The early days and rise of Suburb Talks
• [53:32] On perseverance—"You cannot lose unless you quit"
• [54:51] Delegating roles among podcast friends
• [56:56] The difficult reality of working with friends
• [59:56] Group break and the challenge of separating friendship and business
• [63:11] Maru receives more online hate due to being a woman
• [67:17] How Nick addresses rumors about his relationship with Maru
• [69:43] Five-year outlook—trying everything in his 20s

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Tone & Takeaways

The tone was candid, affectionate, at times irreverent, and always rooted in realness—a signature, both for Alanized’s show and Nick’s approach to content. Both host and guest mixed serious reflection with playful chisme, inviting listeners into the unfiltered dilemmas and joys of millennial/Gen-Z adulthood, friendship, and digital hustle.

Best for:

• Aspiring creators wondering if they should “take the leap”
• Listeners interested in real-life influencer realities (not just “highlight reels”)
• Anyone who loves Spanglish, family stories, and heartfelt—but not cheesy—life advice

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Transcript

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[Nick Ojeda]

like my older sister and me are so different, right? So like, she's very book like book smart, listens when she's like told to listen, like very much to the book, doesn't like to break the rules. And I don't know if it's because I saw that. I just want to be the exact opposite.

[Alanized]

What is up, everyone? I'm your host Alanized, and this is Noche de Pendejadas, your favorite podcast turn talk show and on the yotrago at Influencers. So without any further ado, please help me welcome my guest tonight.

[Nick Ojeda]

I'mma say I got like, I got like 42% of that. Okay, we need more.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Nick Ojeda]

Okay. Okay. Okay.

[Alanized]

How are you?

[Nick Ojeda]

I'm doing great. Oh, thank you for having me. I'm actually so excited. I was telling Alan earlier that I see a lot of your clips and I remember I had watched like one of your podcasts a while back. I can't remember if it was with. No, actually it was with Christian. You had Christian?

[Alanized]

Okay. Yes.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah. And I wanted to watch because he said that he had a great time, that you're a great interviewer, and he said that he loved the set. And literally the second I walked in, I'm like, this set is amazing. Like, it looks like an actual like, like full on, like talk show that could be on the tv.

[Alanized]

It's so crazy because I feel like a lot of people don't really know like the studio. They know that we have a studio. But like, I've never really given like a full blown up like tour just for like privacy reasons. So when they, like, walk in since they really only see, like, the blue curtains and like, this little background.

[Nick Ojeda]

Exactly.

[Alanized]

They walk in and they're like, oh, this is nice. But I'm so excited that you're here with us today. Fun fact, you guys. When we were, like, coordinating everything, I didn't. Well, both of us didn't realize how, like, close we live from each each other. Like, when we're trying to coordinate, I was thinking, like, oh, he's probably coming from la, so, like, let me give him a time where he can, like, skip traffic. We're like, cheeto, how was the drive?

[Nick Ojeda]

What did you do? Easy. I mean, it was, what, 15 minutes? So I was telling Alan earlier. So I'm born and raised in Fullerton. Right now I'm living around, like, the Brea area.

[Alanized]

Okay.

[Nick Ojeda]

It's so funny because it is so rare for me to meet content creators that live literally a city, like, down from here too. The only ones that I really know are, like, Logan and Julian, and we've known them since we were like, they

[Alanized]

live like, they're literally my neighbors.

[Nick Ojeda]

Actually. They grew up in Hacienda Heights and then they lived in Anaheim Hills, and then now they're just in the apartment complexes right across me from Angel Stadium. So it's always great to see content creators here. Like, I was the same thing I saw Alan earlier when Karen and Eddie are asking me to go to some. I'm driving two and a half hours, two and a half hours back. If I'm like, yo, guys, Travis gonna be ass on there. I can make it. They're giving me some and I can't. And then I feel bad not going, you know, and then you're like, I

[Alanized]

guess I'm gonn stuck in traffic, but I feel like it. It is very real. Like, we were just talking about that too. Like, a lot of content creators either live, like, passing la, like Ventura, like, like Six Flags area, or in the Eye. Yeah, I feel like we're right in the middle.

[Nick Ojeda]

I feel you're not gonna catch me in the Inland Empire.

[Alanized]

We're not.

[Nick Ojeda]

I'm not going to Empire.

[Alanized]

Hey, we're literally like, at the border, so that's good. But I'm so excited to have you here today. I feel like, you know, a lot of people know you, but I feel like you don't open up, like, too much. So I'm really excited to, like, get to know you better. I feel like this our first time meeting and by the time I leave this interview, I'm going to be like, Knowing so much about you. Yoste bien emos. Before we get started with today's interview, for those that may not know you, give us a little bit more about who you are and what you do.

[Nick Ojeda]

Well, guys, my name is Nick ojeda. I am 25 years old. I currently have a podcast with a bunch of my, like, hometown friends. I think the oldest friend that I have on the podcast is Maru, and I've known her since I was 10. 10 or 11 years old. Yeah. And then I also livestream on the side as well. Definitely been taking it a lot more serious over the past year. And I've just, I've fallen in love with live streaming. I don't know what it is I feel like with the podcast. Obviously I love having a podcast with my friends because literally my work is to hang out with my friends, so it's the best thing ever. And then when you live stream, I feel like you're able to break like another wall with your audience, you know what I mean? Because now I'm actively able to like, talk to my audience. I remember when we were first doing the podcast and people used to ask me for, like, advice on like, what to do with their lives or just anything in general. They would send me like an email or a DM sometimes, occasionally, like, I would like to answer back. But I feel like when you have a live stream you can actively see and you're talking.

[Alanized]

Yeah, yeah, I really do feel like that, like, especially when they leave comments on like a YouTube video that's like pre filmed. It's like, alan, how did you get through this? Or like, nick, how did you go through that? And it's like, well, you'll see it in the next video. I upload in like a month. But I feel like with live streams and I feel like that's why streaming and just live streams have been and have become so popular. It's because it's that, like, instant interaction with the audience. You know what it is? I feel like growing up, I don't know if you ever had like this mindset, like, did you guys ever, like, when you guys were growing up, like, and you guys had like your favorite celebrity or like, actress, Would you guys ever be like, I wonder what Justin Bieber is doing in this exact moment, you know? And you're like, I wonder what he's doing.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, I'm in this stupid ass class and he's probably like, living it up on an island.

[Alanized]

So I feel like live streams kind of like give you that, like, direct connection to like, Your favorite creator. Because, like, if you're wondering, like, what Nick is doing and if he's live, you're like, oh, like, I'm over here watching him on my couch, on my bed while he's literally doing whatever the he's doing. I really do feel like live streams have become a way for, you know, a creator and an audience to connect in a greater level, you know? Yeah, almost. I want to go ahead and start this interview to really get to know you a little bit more. And I feel like to do that, we have to start with, you know, your childhood. You know, we have to start with little Nick. Tell us a little bit more about your childhood. What was it like growing up for you? What were things you loved doing?

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, growing up, I feel like the best way I could describe myself was just, like, a little. I would just talk too much in my classes. I'd mess around too much. I never listened to anything my parents told me. I feel like. So I have one sibling. I have an older sister, and I feel like my older sister and me are so different. Right. So, like, she's very book, like, book smart. Listens when she's, like, told to listen, like, very much to the book, doesn't like to break the rules. And I don't know if it's because I saw that. I just want to be the exact opposite.

[Alanized]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

But, like, growing up, I was just always getting into trouble. Like, either me and my friends were out too long, or my mom would tell me, hey, like, you should probably not really mess with that. Be like, that beehive over there. And then I go and mess with that beehive or something like that. But mostly, like, my childhood, I would say it was mostly spent, like, outside. Like, a lot of my friends make fun of me because I didn't really grow up with, like, video games because, like, I don't know what it was. My mom and dad didn't like me playing video games. They thought that it was going to, like, rot my brain, all that type of stuff. So they kind of, like, made me just go play outside. Right. A lot of my childhood was just outside. I used to play soccer. I love soccer. At one point, I don't know why, I thought I was going to be a professional soccer player, but I was ass. I was terrible at soccer. But I think a lot of my childhood also was just spent with friends. Don't get me wrong, I had a great household. My parents raised me the best way they could. But I feel like, for me, my whole life was just around my friends, like, it was like, okay, well, if I'm feeling down, my friends were there. If I'm feeling up, my friends were there, you know. So I feel like that's also carried on for so long in my life where to the point of, like, I've kind of realized, like, how to like, nurture my friends, you know what I mean? And like, realizing that they're always gonna be there for me, you know, which

[Alanized]

gap with you and your sister, so.

[Nick Ojeda]

My sister's 28.

[Alanized]

So she's 28?

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah. Because I'm about to turn 26. We're about two, three years apart and we went to the same high school, so she was a senior, I was a freshman. I think that was the only weird thing growing up was just when I was a freshman and she was a senior. And then I'd just be doing too much. Like, we'd be at school dances and she'd get embarrassed of me doing too much, like, at the dances and stuff like that. But we have a good relationship now. I feel like once you move out, I don't know. Do you have any siblings?

[Alanized]

I have four. Me and my sister are actually the same age gap as you and yours.

[Nick Ojeda]

Got you. Are you youngest or youngest?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Alanized]

Okay.

[Nick Ojeda]

Your parents love you the most.

[Alanized]

I feel like growing up. Yes. I feel like my mom and me were really close growing up. I feel like as we got older, I feel like she's gotten closer to my sister just because she's more around her. But I do definitely agree with like the whole, you know, going. Because I was also a freshman, my sister was a senior, so it was kind of like I always felt like she was like, embarrassed. Exactly. How was your guys relationship growing up? You say that you guys have a great relationship now, but what was it like growing up?

[Nick Ojeda]

I would say it wasn't the best. I feel like for a lot of the time we just, like I said, just had such clashing personalities where we just didn't get along. We shared a bathroom too, like back at our house. And it was always like one of us knocking or banging on the door to get the one out. Why is there pee all over the toilet? Stuff like that. And like I said, we just didn't have a good relationship growing up in the house. But once I think I moved out because what happened was so she was living at the house, and then she moved out for college and then she came back while I was still at the house. And then once I moved out to go to like, university because I went to Junior college for two years. I feel like that's when started to, like, mend our relationships. I feel like a lot of times when you're just in a really enclosed space through family, you guys can't really grow until y' all move out. You know what I mean? Because then it's like you can miss them, and you're like, oh, well, like, I missed these moments that we had and stuff like that. That's when you start FaceTime each other more, and then you start making more plans to go out and have dinner and stuff like that. So I have to say that that's when our relationship started to grow a lot.

[Alanized]

I really do feel like, you know, obviously, I have four siblings. You have two. Well, I have three siblings. I'm the fourth. I feel like when you're growing up and you get to, like, that, like, stage in your life where you're really trying to discover or you're trying to figure out who you are, I feel like your siblings become annoying. Your siblings become. They're telling on you with your parents, so it's like. It becomes like a.

[Nick Ojeda]

No dead ass. No dead ass. Yeah. My sister was snitching on me all the time. Like, we would have friends over. One thing I do like about my parents a lot is that they like to travel a lot. So they'd leave me and my sister at home. And obviously, me, I'm like, okay, well, they're gone for a week. This wasn't a time where the ring was around. There were no. There weren't a lot of security cameras. And I would throw a party or something like that, and my sister would get pissed and she'd tell, my parents

[Alanized]

had this from Phineas and Fern.

[Nick Ojeda]

No, it really is.

[Alanized]

It really is.

[Nick Ojeda]

And then my parents come home and they're like, your sister told me you broke stuff, that there was a party here. And I'm like, it's spotless, right Where. Yeah, I'm like, where it's good. Yeah. I'm like, she's lying. There's no way. She's, like, jealous or something like that. But like I said, eventually, though, yeah, she's apologized for it and stuff like that.

[Alanized]

It's like sibling shit. Like, everyone. I feel like it's such, like, a universal experience that we all go through. Like, I feel like you said, we really do have to get to a point where we're all independent and out of the house to really appreciate what we had growing up. You know, what was your house environment like? Do you feel like you grew up like in a loving, strict house household. What was that dynamic in the house?

[Nick Ojeda]

It was definitely a loving household. I feel like growing up my dad wasn't really around a lot because he just worked. He worked a lot of hours. He was the boss of a water company. So he'd come home really late. He would have like really late meetings and stuff like that. That would. So I probably wouldn't see him until like, I don't know, some nights I didn't see him till like midnight or something like that. And that was if my mom would allow us to like stay up to see him weekends. He'd work too, or he'd be out doing contract work or something like that. So it was a loving household. I would say that. The one thing though is I feel like I get my work ethic a lot from my dad because he was just working so often and I feel like his whole thing was I need to work to put, you know, food on your guys plate. You know, I'm doing this for you guys, stuff like that. So I feel like that's one thing that I like about my dad and I get from him is just that he's, he's just a workhorse. And you know, he didn't even want to retire. Like that man's like 70 and he retired like a year or two ago, you know, he was just a workhorse. Like that was just his life, you know.

[Alanized]

Do you feel like that's come with like downsides too? Because obviously it's a great thing to be a workaholic because I feel like I can also, you know, relate to that. Like I saw my parents, both my parents always working, that I feel like now as an adult I'm always working. But you know, maybe your dad, because he was always working, he kinda, you know, wasn't there emotionally or physically to be with his family. Because, you know, that mentality of like, oh, I'm a provider, right? Do you feel like that's something you struggle with now to where you're like, like, I prioritize work so much because I know my future depends on it, but I'm also lacking in like the family aspect or like any of those.

[Nick Ojeda]

I feel like in the past year or two I've started to really like dive deeper into that where I'm like, well, because my dad, I feel like his whole thing was that life is work, right? And I feel like over the past year or two I've realized like, I don't want my life to be work. I don't want to work. No offense, Dad. I don't want to work 68, 70 years of my life and then retire and I didn't get to go on more trips with my family or be there for my kids. My dad, I think, always did the best that he could. I feel like another thing, I've talked about this, like, in the podcast and on stream before where, like, one of the reasons why I don't speak Spanish as fluently as my mom and my. I believe that lives with us and she only speaks Spanish. Right. Is because when I was growing up, up Spanish was my first language. But my dad, whenever he'd come back from work or he'd take care of me, I would ask for things in Spanish and he wouldn't know what I'm saying, you know. And my dad is fully Hispanic, but he grew up, you know, a different time. He grew up in the Central Valley. And in the Central Valley, if you're. They were a lot more discriminatory towards Hispanics, especially if you were like, darker skinned and stuff like that. So a lot of families didn't want to teach their kids Spanish because if you had that accent.

[Alanized]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

They wouldn't let you in the public pools. They wouldn't let you in certain restaurants and stuff like that.

[Alanized]

It would discriminate against.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I understood where, like, why my dad didn't speak it and I understood why my dad kind of wanted my mom to teach me more English. We talked about this with my friends, too. When we were going to school. I was, I grew up in a very, like, heavily Korean, like, area. And I feel like my parents also thought that I would be a little alienated if I was going into these schools speaking Spanish or asking my teacher for like, agua or anything like that. And they wouldn't understand what I'm saying. So now I think about, I'm like, dad, it's like three words that I'm asking when I'm young, like leche, agua, what, what else?

[Alanized]

Tell us a little bit more about your relationship with your parents growing up. I know you have a great relationship with your mom. How would you describe, you know, your relationship, each of your parents growing up, where you consider yourself, you know, as a child, closer to your dad or to your mom, and how have those relationships changed as an adult?

[Nick Ojeda]

I feel like growing up I was just very isolated to myself. I think that's also why I'm so close with my friends, is because I didn't really have the best relationship with my mom and dad because I was just, you know, you go through that stage where you just don't want to be alone and stuff like that, and you feel like all you have is just yourself or your friends. I feel like growing up, up, like, after high school and getting out of college and living on my own and stuff like that. You get to reflect on, like, what your parents did for you, and you're able to appreciate them a lot more. And my mom is literally my rock. Like, she is always there for anything that I need, whether it's, like, a business question or a friendship question or it's girl problems or anything. My mom is there, and there's. There's days where she tells me something. I'm like, mom, you don't. You don't know Mom. Like, you're old. Like, you don't know anything. And then a week or two later, she's right.

[Alanized]

She.

[Nick Ojeda]

She said the exact thing that was gonna happen. So she's literally the best. My dad. I would say we've a lot better with our relationship. You know, I feel like, specifically with Hispanic fathers, it's a bit harder to say, like, I love you. You know what I mean? And to get that back and, you know, to hug and get that physical

[Alanized]

affection, I feel like they didn't grow up with that.

[Nick Ojeda]

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. My dad grew up very, very different. Like, he grew up on a farm. He had, you know, three siblings, and he had his. He was always moving. You know, he's moving constantly. I didn't get to meet my grandpa. My grandpa died before I was born. And, I mean, they. I've only heard good things about him. But I do know that my dad had, like, a rougher upbringing. And I feel like when I think about the way he, like, raised us, I always tried to just think, you know, he raises better. Better than his father. You know what I mean? He's always just tried to do his best, so I really can't knock him for that. And I feel like I said, like, recently, it's gotten a lot better where I'm able to open up to him and I'm able to, like, understand him. And if he's criticizing me for something, I'm not angry about it. You know, I feel like when you grow up and your parents criticize you, it's like, why are you on me? You know, like, you don't know, like, blah, blah, blah. But now I can take it in and be like, you know, like, you have a lot of wisdom. I should be listening to you. You know, I shouldn't be Getting angry or mad about it. But my parents, I think I would have like a really, really solid foundation. My parents. And like I said, my mom's just, she's literally the best.

[Alanized]

I feel like that's very normal too. I feel like as children, like the enemy, right? Like we see our parents as in like, oh, they don't want us to have fun or they don't want us to, you know, enjoy life. And it's like as a parent you're like, yeah, you can enjoy life but at the pace that you should be going. Right? Because I feel like, you know what's so funny and talked about it too. My brother in law, my boyfriend's little brother, he is 15, he just turned 15. And he's also in that stage where his friends are his everything so bad. To the point that like we've even gotten like at it with him. Like, bro, like your friends.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah.

[Alanized]

Because he'll be like, we'll be at like a family gathering and he's gotta

[Nick Ojeda]

go, yeah, yeah, yeah, like just on his phone.

[Alanized]

But his friends come around and he's all high. Or like we'll be at like my, his mom's birthday. This is like the recent thing. We did a whole YouTube video where like my boyfriend and his little brother went at it because you know, in January my Swagra lost her brother and we were celebrating her birthday later that month. The little brother was like, can I go with my friends? And we're like, bro, read the room. We're celebrating your mom, your friends. Like and it was like a whole thing, right? Yeah, but what I'm trying to say is like he's in that stage where like his friends are like his everything. We as a family, we're like, hey, like hello. Like you know, but we also do know that he's gonna get a to a point in his life where he's gon realize like everything that his family has done for him. Because I feel like he lives such a good life. Do you feel like that was like kind of like a learning thing for

[Nick Ojeda]

you when you're at that age? Obviously everyone goes to that thing where it's like their friends is their whole life. And even though I've stayed very, very close with my friends from high school, the majority of my friends from high school I am not friends with. Right. And it's so funny because like I said once, he's what, like 21, 22, maybe even younger than that. He's gonna be like, I don't know why I was trying to leave, you know, I should have been there. There's been moments with me too where like I've left certain things family, G because I wanted to be with my friends. It's like, just shut up man. Just stay, enjoy the moment. If I could go back, yeah, I'd beat the fuck out of myself at like 15. I really would.

[Alanized]

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[Nick Ojeda]

I was a really big, like, class clown. I was trying to make, like, everybody laugh, talk to everybody. And the one thing that I'd be able to get away with it was because I was. I would say I was pretty, like, smart growing up, but only in, like, the things that I, like, cared about. So I was always good at math, so I was always good at my calculus classes. But my English class, my Spanish class, all that. I was getting season Ds, my AP classes, I pass because, like, for some reason, like, that was more important to me. So all my other classes, I would just talk in. I would just talk. I'd get in trouble. I would get, like, FYIs, detention. I got suspended from school just doing too much, being a little shit. And it's just funny, though, because I remember distinctly, I had this one Spanish teacher, and I was just always doing too much in his class. And I remember he told me one time, he's like, you talk so much, you're not gonna. You're not gonna do anything after this. He's like. And he was definitely, like, a terrible teacher. But I remember he would just tell me, like, you're not gonna go anywhere after high school. Like, you're gonna peak in high school. This is it for you. Yeah. And then after this, you're gonna be A nobody. And I just remember, I was like. I was like, fuck you. Like, that's a crazy thing to say. And now, you know, I have my own podcast, I Live Stream. I've met so many amazing people, and it's just so funny that people want to tell you, like, who you can be and who you are. And I'm just so happy that I've been able to, like, make a career out of what I used to get in trouble for.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

You mentioned a little bit earlier that a lot of your friends that you currently have in your life today, you know, you met at 10, 11 years old, you know, the first one being Maru. Tell us a little bit more about how you met your friends. What was your first impression of them? What were the friendships like at the beginning? And how did you see the friendships evolve over time?

[Nick Ojeda]

I would say, like, starting with Maru. So we met when she actually moved here. She's Korean, but she was born in Argentina.

[Alanized]

Okay.

[Nick Ojeda]

So she moved over here when we were like, in the fourth, fifth grade. And I don't know what it was like. I remember we met Maru, and out of nowhere we, like, we just kind of clicked. We would hang out all the time with our big friend group. She lived literally right down the street from my house. So we would bike over to our house. We would always hang out and stuff like that. And then in high school, she had gone to a different school, and then we kind of reconnected because then she transferred to our school for some reason. I don't know what it is, but, like, with the friends that I have in my life currently, I've always somewhat known that they were going to be there, like, forever. Obviously you have those friends that you pass by and you're like, oh, yeah, that's my friend. That's my best friend. You kind of know that they're not going to be around, but I don't know, just like with everybody who's currently in my life, on camera and off camera, it's just like I see them and it's just not awkward. I always say this to my friends. Like, I've known them in other lives to the point where I see them now. Like, we. There was. There was. It's so funny because we were like, at this Mexico watch party and then we went out. I don't know if you ever been to Treehouse in L. A. I've heard

[Alanized]

a lot about it. You know what's so funny? I had just seen a TikTok of Karen Eddie talking about that.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

Like, in Their podcast and people were like, they're always that tree house.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

So I don't know what it is,

[Nick Ojeda]

but I've heard, like, a lot of good things about it. But I went and I was with people who, like, weren't like, my, like, main friends. I like, like, Devin was with me, but they weren't like my, like, really close hometown friends. And it was the first time ever where, like, I had, like, an anxiety attack. I don't know why. It was just a lot of people. I was, like, overwhelmed. It was just loud music and I just felt, like, super claustrophobic. And I remember in that moment I was thinking, like, damn, I really just want to be around my, like, my friends. Like, I wish my friends were here. Yeah. Like, and I realized, like, they genuinely do bring me, like, comfort. And I feel like that was one of the moments too recently where I was like, dude, like, I love my friends. You know what I mean? Like, they're the best people ever. That was just strange. Yeah. And it was weird too, because like I said, I never really had an anxiety attack before. Eventually, like, I calmed down, but it was just a really funny feeling.

[Alanized]

Do you feel like as you've gotten older and like, obviously, you know, as kids, I feel like friendships are very, ah, my friends, very surface level. But you feel like as you've gotten older, do you feel like the relationship with your friends have gotten deeper?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah. I feel like, especially as a man, I would say a lot of people or I hear a lot of stories about how it's a lot harder to open up, or all you're doing is just getting drinks through work buddies, or it's just golfing, or some people have friends where it's like, oh, this is just my drinking friend. This is just my going out friend, whatever, shopping friend. And with my friends, it's like I can see that there's a deeper level. Like, I pick up on certain cues, right? So people come in the the house, maybe they open the door a little weird, or maybe I make a joke, or they're not making as many jokes, and it's like something's up. You know what I mean? And the cool thing is, too, they pick it up with me too. It's really cool because like I said, if I'm feeling down. And they also know, obviously. And I also know not to push too hard. You know what I mean? Like, maybe they just want to be distracted for the day. Maybe they just want, like, to go out and grab some food. On a deeper level, it's Just kind of picking up on certain, like, physical cues with each other, realizing, like, when to back off, when to give someone space, not overstepping, like, you know, you've known someone for, like, 10, 12 years. And I work with all my friends where I know how to kind of, like, speak to them, and they know how to speak to me. We're able to handle things and leave it at that, you know?

[Alanized]

Have you guys ever had, like, a miscommunication, misunderstanding where maybe you guys have stopped talking, you know, for a period of time? If so, you know, what do you feel like as someone that's had friends for so long? What do you think it's, like, important to, like, navigate when you are having those, you know, arguments, moments that for a lot of people, end up becoming like, okay, well, I'm arguing with my friend. You know, we're falling off, and we're not going to reconnect that. Like, how do you feel like you've navigated, like, times like that?

[Nick Ojeda]

I feel like a lot of times it comes to ego. I've seen a lot of people where, like, they're too proud to make that extra step, step to reach out. Like, oh, no, they messed up. Like, they did this wrong. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna reach out. They should be the one reaching out to me. And it's like, well, if that's truly your friend and that's truly your loved one, it shouldn't matter, you know? And even if it's just to get clarification, I feel like I tell my friends all the time, there's always, like. To every story, there's always something different. Right. Like, if I have an interaction with somebody, that person has had a completely different interaction with me than I did with them. Right. Because they might have noticed something different. They might pick up, they might overthink. You know what I mean? Whereas. Exactly. And sometimes you need that clarification. And I feel like when you're getting into it with your friend or you guys aren't on speaking terms right now, it's important to, like, just reach out. Just reach out. Hey, you know, if you truly are my best friend, if you truly are somebody, like one of my loved ones, let's get some food. Let's figure it out. Whether it's yelling at each other, whether it's, like, talking shit out. Let's. Let's just do it. You know what I mean? Because I feel like a lot of times people let their mind run.

[Alanized]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

And that's when they start thinking about different Things. And that's when it gets worse, confronting

[Alanized]

them in their mind. But it never gets to, like, actually, like, yeah. About it in person, in their head. They're like, oh, I already.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

The whole scenario, how it happened, we're still going to fall off, and that's it. Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

So, like, one of the things, too, is because of what I do and because, like, where I'm at with all my friends, I feel like the business and the podcast, I feel like I've been everyone, everyone's best friend, boss, HR coworker, like, all that. Right. So I've also kind of realized, like, if there's disputes within the group, kind of, like, how to, like, facilitate that. Right. And I always tell people, like, if there is an issue in the group, don't let your mind run. Just go figure it out. You know, I'm like, if you want me there, I'll be there. That's fine. It's never happened where I've had to be there. But every single time they've talked to each other, they talk it out, and it's okay. You just need to take that extra step to make sure that they're okay. You know, a lot of people know.

[Alanized]

A lot of my hometown friends I've known all my life. Life, too, Right. And I feel like I have friends that are moms sometimes, you know, especially when you're living different experiences and people, you know, as we get older, we're all handling or trying to handle whatever we're living in the moment. I feel like sometimes, because you can't understand the place there, you can't, you know, relate. It can sometimes get rocky and it can sometimes get hard. Like, for me, I can say that. Like, sometimes I feel like there's moments and seasons where I don't connect fully with, like, my friends because I'm like, oh, Like, I don't know what it's like to be a mom. I don't know what it's like, you know, to take care of one, two, three kids. Right. And then have a marriage and then have, you know, all this stuff, which we're all living life at different pace, which, again, they probably don't know what's it like to be in my shoes? Right. So I feel like sometimes a lot of friendships can just, like, you know, mellow out and you just stop talking to that person completely. But I feel like it's very important to try to understand when your friends are going through different seasons where they have to handle shit by themselves. How do you feel like you handle that or how do you feel like you navigate when, like, your friends are going through different shit or they're not on the same path as you, but you still want to make sure that they know you're there for them.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah. So I feel like a lot of it comes down to, like, nurturing and just being understanding. So obviously I have my best friends that we do, like, content with and stuff like that, but I also have, like, a group of best friends that we are. It's like, I guess like the bigger friend group who all have work regular jobs, like they're finance bros, or they got their nine to fives or. Or they got families to take care of and stuff like that. And I realized younger and I've seen it with, like, other friends where sometimes like a jealousy thing where it's like, okay, well, now you got this job, now you got this girlfriend, and you can't even reach out to me. You know what I mean? And even though I understand that, it's still like, well, you're also not actively trying to reach out with my friends who have, like, these jobs that take them away or they got to go on business trips, stuff like that. I still check up on them. Hey, man, how is Dallas? You know, they do have, like, these. These jobs take them away. I always am quick to say, like, hey, how is Dallas? Hey, like, if you got the time, let's go grab dinner. Even if I get them only for like an hour, that's still important. You know what I mean?

[Alanized]

As adults, I feel like knowing and respecting what each of your friends are doing. Like, I've been doing social media for over 10 years. Right. So I started in high school. I feel like a lot of when I was starting to chase the dream that I saw so clear of becoming, you know, a content creator and making this my career, I feel like a lot of my friends, because they couldn't relate. Like, they would be like, oh, secret. If I'm also like, oh, he's always busy, like, going to events. That used to get to me a lot. I've talked about it recently that maybe within the last, like, maybe three years, I stopped having that guilt of like, oh, second, if I'm also like. Because it's like, at the end of the day, it's like the way I see it too, it's like, I can respect my friends, you know, lives to a T, but it's like they also have to put themselves in the shoes of like, well, what if this is Alan's life? Monday through Friday, this is what I do Monday through Friday. So of course I'm going to want to chase my. My dreams. Of course I be here because I gotta travel. You know what I mean? So it's like, it really does come down when you have a friend group that you've been with for a long time. You have to really respect and understand where everyone is in that time of their life. And then when you come together, like, you come together and it's a blast, and it feels like times have never changed.

[Nick Ojeda]

No, exactly. I totally agree with that. I feel like it's funny that you bring that up, because when we started, like, you know, the podcast and everything like that, and then we started to gain more, like, attraction when we would get invited to things or there'd be things going on, I'd be like, oh, well, we gotta go to this. Right? But my friends are doing, like, a little house party down the street.

[Alanized]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

It's like, okay, well, no offense, but, like, I want to go meet people. I want to go introduce myself to more people, like, be introduced to more people. And I feel like there was definitely that sort of, like, miscommunication where it was like, whoa, so you're famous now, so you can't. You can't come to the house party anymore, so now we're not good enough for you. And it's like, it's not that, bro. It's like, I'm doing this because I want to do this, and I'm still seeing you guys, like, when I can, you know? But I think there was definitely, like, a stretch of, like, a year or two where, yeah, I wouldn't be going hanging out with my friends. Like, I want to go out and meet new people and stuff like that, or we have to film and we wouldn't be able to go to, like, a pool party or anything like that. And eventually, again, like I said, I think that also weeded out a lot of people in my life who I'm happy, like, stayed and who I'm happy I left. Like, a lot of people. Yeah. Like, oh, Nick switched up. Oh, like, bro, you're too famous for me now. Oh, bro, like, what's going on with you? It's like, bro, like this. If you can't respect that. I like what I do and I

[Alanized]

love what I do as content creators. And I feel like it can differ for a lot of people. You know, maybe if you're having a situation similar to where your friend that isn't a content creator, you guys are going in different paths. I feel like it just Comes like we've been saying, it comes down to respecting and being like, you know what? You know what? I've told my friends too, because I've had conversations and I feel like all my friends, which I love now, we're all like the same plate. I feel like to me is we see our friends, let's say one once, twice a month, whatever, parties or whatever, right?

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

And you're talking to them throughout that month or whatever. But like, they don't see or I don't see what their Monday through Sunday looks like when you're not seeing them. So obviously like you said for you, you had to chase your dream if that's what you saw. Like, oh, I gotta go network, I gotta go do this, do that, because you're Monday through Friday, you're chasing that dream that you're seeing for yourself.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, exactly.

[Alanized]

I really do feel like, you know, if you have friends and you feel like you guys are drifting apart, like, don't make it a thing. Where it's like, oh, fuck them.

[Nick Ojeda]

This.

[Alanized]

It's like understanding, like, hey, friend, I haven't seen you. Oh my God, I've been seeing you so busy. Like your mom now or you are trying to go to college or doing this, but like, give them that space sometimes that people need to grow and really work on their dreams. And, you know, it's magical and it's beautiful when you get back in that same room with the friends that, you know, you always loved, you know. Today's episode is sponsored by Hyli dating app. One thing I realized about dating is that the most meaningful connections happen when people show up as themselves. That's why I like Highly dating app. A recent survey by Hyli found that more than half of young daters have gone on a date with someone who looked different than their profile photos. And honestly, that's one of the most frustrating parts of online dating. You want to know the person you're talking to is actually the person you're meeting. It encourages you to show your personality and connect through shared interests, values and compatibility. I also like that the app Smart Matching learns who you genuinely click with. Over time, it makes the experience feel less like endless swiping and more like meeting people who actually fit your vibe. I've recommended highly to a couple of my single friends and let me just say, they've loved it. And I told her about Hailey and so far she's been loving it. For anyone who's tired of trying to seem perfect and would rather build a real connection, highly feels like a refreshing approach to dating. Download Highly Dating App from the App Store or Google play or visit hyli.com that is H I L Y.com day as you are with Hyli Dating App. Now let's get back to today's episode. This one goes out to all my ladies. All my multitasking mamas who need energy to show up at work and at home. All my empty nest explorers who need a little gut health support for the journey ahead. AG1 is the daily health drink designed to support whole body health with over 75 essential nutrients and pre and post probiotics so you can make the most of every day and every decade. Learn [e-mail]

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[Alanized]

Yeah, we talked a little bit about you going to college. Tell us a little bit more about that. You know, after high school you decided to go to junior college.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

What did you go for? Where did you go? What were you trying to study? Yeah, tell us a little bit more about college.

[Nick Ojeda]

College was an interesting experience for me. I had like definitely some ups and downs in college. So when I got out of high school, just because like I said, I just did not pay attention to school. I was always going out. I remember the set, like I said, the second I hit 16, I got a car and I was like never home. So I was dishing class like not doing what I should be doing because of that. I remember I applied to certain colleges and I'm like, oh dude, I'm gonna get in these colleges. And I just got denied from everywhere. And so that kind of like, you know, was a really big kick in the ass to be like, okay, well my only option is to go to junior college. I kind of don't really want to go to any of my local colleges. I want to go to like a, like a sick ass college and work my ass off and get connection, stuff like that. So I was really set on going to usc. When I went to junior college, they had this program where if you were part of the honors program, if you kept like above like a 3.5 GPA, you got all your classes paid for. So I went in the honors program. I met with my counselor, I don't know, like, once a month, every other week, to make sure that I was on track, because I told her I was like, listen, I'm only. I only want to be here for, like, one semester. And she's like, okay, well, that's not really possible. You do the full year. And I'm like, no, like, I'm gonna do one semester. I'm gonna try. Try and make it to usc. Tell me what I need to do. And she's okay, well, you guys need. You need to do these classes. You need to do this volunteer work. And another thing that's really cool is actually because of that and because I was trying to go to usc, I did volunteer work with a lot of kids that got separated at the border, whose families came over here illegally. And, like, this was back when I think this is underneath, like, Donald Trump's, like, first. What do you call it, like, his first presidency, when he was separating families at the border. And I think that also really, really opened up my view on, like, my culture, for one thing, and also, like, what's been going on. And that's also why. Why I am very outspoken about what's going on with, like, immigration and ice and why I try and help any way I can is because, like, when you see kids, young kids, like, I work with kids like, that were under 18. And the sad part is, you know, the kids that were over 18, they couldn't find any families. They get sent back right to the country where they were trying to get away from. And I feel like when you see a lot of these kids that come from a lot of these really messed up countries, families, houses, whatever, the. And you kind of see, like, that trauma in their eyes, or they're quiet, and it's like, why are you quiet? Like, I wasn't quiet as a kid. That just hits at home, you know, like, that really hits at home. And so that's why I'm happy that I took that route to try to get into these prestigious colleges, because it also opened up that doorway into seeing, like, more things. You know, I think it's really important for people, especially, like, young kids, to do volunteer work.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

Just in general, because, like I said, it exposes you to more things, and you're doing it for a good cause. You're not doing it for extra money in your pocket. You're not doing it for, like, any malicious reasons. You're doing it, like I said. Yeah, because it's a good thing to do. Right. Because I was Doing that volunteer work. And I was going to school. School. And I was trying to also start the podcast up and stuff like that. My days were just shot like they were just like. It was work at 7am I worked in my admissions department of my college. And then afterwards it was like classes until six. So some days it was till six and then we do the podcast and then I have to edit. And then the other days it would be work at seven, school until like three, and then it'd be volunteer work until like five or six. Yeah. So she's booked and busy. But, like, I liked it. Don't get me wrong. Very little sleep. Man. People talk about how bad like my eyebags are, like right now, but you guys should have seen me back in college. Like, it was.

[Alanized]

This is good.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, like this is good. This was good. Yeah. Compared to when I was like.

[Alanized]

Like those eye patches.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

No, if they had eye patches back then, maybe you just didn't know. I had no idea. I had no idea. I just found out about eye.

[Alanized]

Patrick wasn't around.

[Nick Ojeda]

Exactly. That would have helped me. But yeah, so. So then when I was doing that and trying to get into usc, like I said, I was just really booked and busy. I had very little free time. I remember my friends, same thing used to give me. Because when my friends were out at like parties and they were getting drunk and stuff like that, I was like editing the podcast, you know, I mean, like, I was at home on my stupid ass, like, laptop and it lag out like all the time because it was like, what, a 50 gigabyte podcast that I have to edit? And then on top of that, I was also doing like the clips for the Tick Tocks and stuff like that. So it was just so much stuff. And then I was able to get into usc. I ended up getting in just after one semester at my junior college. But at that time, that's when Covid hit. And so when Covid hit, I was going to usc because I was like, okay, I'm gonna go. I'll be on campus. I'm gonna make all these connections. I'm gonna join a frat. If I have to join a frat. This one. That's my whole point for going. When Covid hit, they were like, yeah, no one's going to come on campus. You guys can't come. And they were charging full tuition. So it was like. It was like 70 grand to go to USC and I was going to take out student loans for it, which is also stupid. I'm happy I didn't do that. And when Covid hit. Yeah, they sent out an email, stuff like that. And they had said, by the way, school is still going to be full tuition if you're trying to go. And I'm like, bro, I'm not going to pay full tuition to take you classes online.

[Alanized]

Right.

[Nick Ojeda]

So I ended up doing another year at a junior college. And then after that year, I kind of had to make a decision on do I go to usc, which is in la, and leave everything that I have. The podcast was doing all right. It wasn't great. Maybe I was pocketing like 300 bucks a month. Maybe.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

And like I, like I said, I was also working my job and stuff like that. I had to make a decision. Okay, well, do I fully send this, this podcast, stay local, go to my local college, get a degree in finance, or go to usc, throw everything and kind of take the safer out, right. Where it's like I can. Because usually people say, like, if you go to USC for like business or stuff like that, and you join a frat, you can kind of get work anywhere you want. Because they're very much like the prestige. Yes, yes. They want to see like that document that says you graduated from usc and if you go to where somebody was in your frat, like anywhere at another job, they'll hire you right away because they're like, you know, you know, the handshake, you know, like the secret code and stuff like that.

[Alanized]

The homie.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, that's the homie. Exactly. So you get a one up on everybody. So it's kind of like one of those things. And I remember I talked to my mom and dad about it and it was so funny because I was scared of what my dad was going to say. I was scared to tell my dad, like, hey, this is when I was going to drop out of college.

[Alanized]

Was education like a big thing growing up?

[Nick Ojeda]

Very big. And another thing too was my older sister. She's like the star of the family. Like, she has a graduate's degree. She went to Chapman University. Yeah, she's a physical therapist. She's so fucking smart. And I'm so proud of my older sister too. I mean, she makes me. She's another person that makes me want to, to work hard. So it was also like trying to tell my family my. Well, my sister's at graduate school, tell my family, hey, low key. I think I'm drop out of college and kind of pursue something that hasn't really bared too much fruit. Right. And I remember I went, I went over to the house. Because the time I was living in my apartment and I went over the house and I was just nervous. I remember I was sweating. I was like, all right, I tell you guys something. And my mom was like, oh, you know, what? You know, what's wrong? And stuff like that. My dad's like sitting at the table, like, eating his food or whatever, and I'm like, I'm talking to my mom and I'm like, I think I want to drop out of college and, you know, pursue this. I remember she dropped everything. My mom has never dropped cooking before. Like, if she's at the stove or whatever, she's like, wait, you know, wait, we'll talk about it at the dinner table. I remember she stopped everything, turned the stove off, and she looked at me like, in awe, like, what? And she just goes on this rant, like 30 minute rant about why I need school, why I should be taking these opportunities and stuff like that. And my dad was just quiet and I was scared. I was like, my dad's about to pop off. And then, you know, my mom just got goes. She's like, you're, like. To my dad, and she's like, you know, you're. You're very, very quiet. Tell him. Tell him that he needs to stay in school.

[Alanized]

Back me up.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, back me up. And I remember I went to sit down at the, the table with him and he's like, eating and he put like. I remember so distinctly, he puts his, like, spoon down and he looks at me and he's just like, you know, I wish I would have followed my dreams just like that. Yeah. And I was like, is this. Am I in a movie? I'm like, am I deadass in a movie? And I like, my, like, my heart just dropped. And I remember my mom was pissed. My mom was just mad about it. She was just like, oh, my God, like, why can't you do both at the same time? Why can't your friends go to LA with you and all this stuff? Blah, blah, blah, blah. As soon as I kind of got that approval from my dad, I'm like, okay, you know what this man is? You know, he's older. He's got so much wisdom. If he's telling me that he wished he would have followed his dreams at like the age of 21, why not fucking take the risk?

[Alanized]

Was it scary, though, at the beginning? Obviously, like, taking that leap of faith? Because social media, like you said at the time, wasn't even giving you enough to be like, you know what? Fuck school. Like, this shit can pay my bills.

[Nick Ojeda]

And. Yeah.

[Alanized]

Was it scary to actually take the leap of faith? Like, you know what? Like, yeah, it's easier said than done, but, like, to actually do it, was that, like, super hard, like, actually dropping

[Nick Ojeda]

yourself from school at the time? I had made this deal with my family before, so where they were going to put me up an apartment with the roommate, and then eventually, just by myself, if I was to go to school. Okay? So I was. I. Mom. Like, mom and dad. Like, fine, I'll go to school, whatever, for, like, however long if I have my own apartment. So, boom, they're paying for it. And then when I told them that I wanted to drop out, out of school, they're like, okay, listen, well, if you drop out of school, then the deal's over. You know, like, we're not going to pay for this apartment. You're going to come back home, whatever. And I was like, I'm not going to come back home. I was like, I'll figure out a way. So the scary part for me was trying to figure out how to balance buying groceries and paying for my apartment while also juggling my job that I had in my admissions department and then also the podcast. But I will say, though, it made me want to work a lot harder because it's like, dude, I got nothing after this. Like, I had nothing to fall on. Obviously, my parents would take me back, right? It's not. They would say, like, hey, my door closed.

[Alanized]

Come back as a failure.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, no, exactly. No one wants to come back a failure, obviously. And when you have that behind you, the thought of, like, holy shit, like, I'm gonna have to figure out how to make ram. I'm need to figure out how to get these groceries. My friends want to go to a fucking rave, like, every other weekend. And even though they're fun, I'm gonna have to fucking pay for that, too. It definitely kicked the fire underneath me. Another thing, too, was once the podcast also started to make a lot more money, it was kind of like I felt responsible for my friends as well, because eventually my friends told me started to, like, you know, quit their jobs because we needed to be together a lot more often, to film a lot more often, to go to a lot more things. So I feel like that was another thing in the back of my mind was, okay, well, now I also am, like, somebody that's providing for my friends, like, almost.

[Alanized]

You felt like they depended. Yeah, that pressure, exactly.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah. Because at the time, I was doing everything. So, like, I was editing the podcast I was editing the TikToks, I was meeting people, I was getting brand deals, I was talking to different managements, and then they really just had to show up for, like, some of the podcasts, and whenever I needed something, they would get it and stuff like that. There was a lot of things, things on top of each other where it made me want to work harder. And I think that's the reason why we succeeded was just because there were so many variables that, like, I had to be like, all right, well, we got it. We have. I have to make it happen, right? And I was going to school to be, like, a financial advisor.

[Alanized]

You have that responsibility of, like, so much on your page. How are we gonna fucking make this right? How did the podcast come to me? Obviously you've been doing it. You. You're the you, you created it, right? So how did that come to be? What in your head was like, you know what, I want to get some mics and I want to start a podcast to talk some shit with my friends.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

How did that come to be? How did you decide on who was going to be hosting with you and what were the early, you know, days of hosting for y'? All?

[Nick Ojeda]

Dude, it was a lot. It's just so funny because, like, you look back at that time and I feel like the same thing for you, Alan. We're like. It's just. It's like happened in the blink of an eye. But it's years, right? Like, it's years and years. But what happened was when we had graduated high school, that's when TikTok had first started coming around and everyone kind of thought too. I was this, like, you know, joke. It was just a dancing app, like, you know, whatever. And then people started to blow up making funny skits. So I actually originally was on TikTok making funny videos, right? So, like, I was doing, like, funny skits, relatable stuff. And I had a mass, I think, like 30, 000 followers on it just by myself. And then eventually I was always with my friends and we were like, we should just start like a YouTube channel. Yeah, so start off as like a vlog channel. We did this, like, funny, like these funny, like, series where we teach people how to get girls. But it would be like a parody, like a joke. Like, if you're, like, listening to us, you should. You need a hang up.

[Alanized]

Don't take the advice.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, don't take the advice. You're supposed to be funny. And eventually people just started to really fall in love with, like, us, like, As a collective. Not really, just like, the idea of it just as the collective. And I remember people in the comments were saying, you guys should start a podcast. You guys already meet up and talk. It's hard to hear a couple of you guys. Why not just get mics for everybody and do this for real? And I have this funny picture on my phone phone of, like, when I got my first, like, audio mixer. Like, like one of the audio mix back there. But it was like some old behemoth. Look, it was huge. It was heavy. I'm learning how to work the mics. I'm learning how to work the audio gain. I'm learning how to do it post production and stuff like that. I'm learning, like, when to raise up the mics, when to lower them down. Just eventually we started to do that more often, and then more videos would pick up. And I always tell people, all you need is one video. We had one video that, like, blew up, and then that blew up our TikTok. And then eventually another video blew up and another video blew up up. And then just. It was like this domino effect of people kind of just falling in love with, like, this podcast full of friends. And then eventually when it came down, because originally it was like 10 of us, right? And we would just rotate. Like, it'd be like, I'd hit up the group chat and be, okay, well, who's available? Yeah, who's available? You know, who can make it this time around? And then Covid was ending. Once people started to go back to school or they had work or anything like that, it would always be the people who would come around more often, were free more often, who took it more seriously than others, and who I realized had better banter. You know what I mean? Like, because you're obviously gonna have better banter with certain people. And the audience also fell in love with certain people on the video versus others. And eventually it was like. It was like a puzzle piece. Like, everyone just fell into place.

[Alanized]

How did you come up with the name? Was it like a you thing or, like, did you gather? Everyone were like, hey, we need a name. What are we gonna call this podcast? How did that compete?

[Nick Ojeda]

It's funny because, like, to this day, I don't know who made up the name, because we were in a jacuzzi at my friend's house, and our friend Sean says that he made it up, but I really don't remember. Somebody had said, like, that we should do something that's about us. And we're like, okay, well, what are We. We just live in the suburbs, right? And somebody else said something stupid, like, O. Then we have a podcast, something about, like, talking, and somebody said, like, suburb talks. Like, we should just be called suburb talks. I genuinely want to remember. I really want to remember who said it or how we came about it, but I. For the love of God, I cannot remember who said it or who came up with the idea. But like, I said, to this day, Sean says that it was him, so I believe him.

[Alanized]

I believe he'll take the credit.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, I'll give it to him. We. There's, like, arguments with, like, three other people in the friend group who say that they made it up, but I don't know. I don't. I don't tell. I'm like, you know what? Whatever. You guys. You guys want to believe you guys can figure it out together, but I don't know.

[Alanized]

Before it started blowing up, you know, you mentioned that you dropped out of college when it was barely, like, getting on its feet. Was there ever moments after you dropped out of college where you're like, yeah, I don't think it's gonna pop off, or, like, my dream is looking a little too far, too big?

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah.

[Alanized]

Like, was there ever moments that you're like, I think I made the wrong decision.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, I think that towards the end, and, like. Like, my junior college, it was more so. Like, I had started to think about it, and I was like, you know, I'm. How was I, like, 20? I think I was, like, 19. 20. Things were just slow. Things were static. Like, it was just. Every video was hitting the same number below. A lot of. I don't know if you guys have YouTube. You have YouTube. So, you know, you see those 10 out of 10, like, video after video, and you're like, maybe this is it. You know, I was posting on Tik Tok. Nothing was grabbing and a lot of doubts. A lot of late nights where I would just stay up, not want to see my friends. Friends, because I'm like. Like, is. Maybe this is it. Maybe literally the farthest we go is right here, right now. And I can just tell myself, well, we at least did. We at least went further than I would have ever expected because, really. Right. And for. I don't know what it was, but just for some reason, I just. I didn't want to stop. There were moments where, like, I questioned myself on, like, why don't I just take, like, the safe route? Why don't I just become a financial advisor? At least I have, like, a yearly salary, right? Versus Me waiting to see what that check is. You know, when you have, like a job, a 9 to 5 job, whether you're a financial advisor or not, yeah, you might work off commission, but you know that at least you're going to get that minimum of, I don't know, like, that page, that paycheck that's going to 5K, whatever, and on top of that, you have commission. But when you're doing, you know, YouTube or you're doing something, like you're an entrepreneur or something like that, where you're relying on other things and other variables, when you get a check that's like a thousand, and the next check you get is like 100, and the next check you get is like 50. Next check you get as 100. It's like, damn, man. I don't. I don't know. Like, maybe this is it. But for some reason in my head, I was like, if we can do this, I can do anything that I set my mind to. Because. And that's why one of the reasons why now I always tell people, you literally cannot lose unless you quit. Whatever you do in life, you cannot lose unless you quit. Like, I've realized that with how I handle the business, how I handle certain things, relationships, the people who I've seen fail at trying certain things and my. My life, they've just quit. They get in their head and they're like, you know, like, this is too hard. How did you do it? And stuff like that. It's like, it's okay to doubt yourself. Like, everyone's gonna doubt themselves. Like, I remember certain people would say, like, oh, you can never doubt yourself. You know what I mean? You can never second guess what you're doing if you want to make it. But how can you not do that? You know, there's going to be a couple of really hard days, really hard nights. I had a lot of, like, close friends, too. I'm not that close. Doubting me? Yeah. Like, why do you do this? Like, oh, that's embarrassing, bro. Like, you're embarrassing. Like, just go back to college. Like, this isn't gonna go anywhere. And for some reason, I think the biggest thing for me was whenever someone told me that I couldn't do something, I wanted to do it. Yeah, right.

[Alanized]

Motivated you more.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yes.

[Alanized]

I feel like that's very real advice. I've always said. I've always. I've done this product so many times on the podcast. I always like to say, this is your timeline, right? Like, let's say you're here, but let's say your success best comes here. And if you stop here because it got hard, because you're losing hope, you're never going to be able to, like, really enjoy the success that was already timelined out for you. You know what I mean? How have the roles changed over time? Now that you guys have made it to a point where, like, oh, shit, like, we have something that really is giving us, we have become successful, do you feel like the roles of every one of your hosts have changed over time? What are the roles and how do you feel about, like, the success successes had?

[Nick Ojeda]

When we first started the podcast, it was very easy because, like I said, we'd show up. I was always the one to make up the questions, right? I would just need my friends to show up. Most of the times we'd get drunk or whatever. We have a couple drinks, and then we're on this podcast. And then obviously, like I said, it was just everything after that would be the hard part. So, like I said, editing the podcast, I mean, TikToks and stuff like that. Now it's definitely changed because we have people, like, that are in charge of the Instagram, right? So we have Instagram posts, people are in charge of stories, people are in charge of captions. We have people in charge of, like, titles and stuff like that. As you grow, you need to start delegating work, right? And one of the biggest things, too, was I didn't want to delegate work to my friends because it's like, like, they're my friends. Like, I don't want to tell him or her, like, what to do.

[Alanized]

And then you also think about, like, bro, like, they're not even making much. Like, why am I gonna put them? Give them a whole response.

[Nick Ojeda]

Exactly. No, exactly, Exactly.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

That's like, one of the things. And then eventually, though, one of the cool things, too, and why I also love working my friends is they also would see that I'm getting stressed out or that I'm doing too much. They're like, bro, like, what do you need? Whatever I can handle, I can handle. You know, I feel like with me, I'm very particular about, like, my. The videos being edited. Like, I like them, like, a certain way. So I always tell them, like, hey, story posts, Instagram posts, funny trends, whatever, you guys handle it. But when it comes to, like, editing the videos, I'll just handle it. You know what I mean? Now we have, like, a team of editors who I feel like I've trained really well, and they're able to, like, replicate how I want the videos done, But I would definitely feel like people just have more responsibility now. And I think it's also really important because they feel like they're more involved in a part of, like, the process of growing.

[Alanized]

How has it been, like, working with your friends? I feel like a lot of people, you know, say, don't mix business with friendships. Do you feel like that's been a learning lesson for y'?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

All?

[Alanized]

Obviously, as you guys have grown and have seen the fruits that the podcast has given you guys, do you feel like it's become a learning process where we're like, okay, let's sit down, y'.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

All.

[Alanized]

This is getting serious. And have you guys ever had, like, maybe any, like, misunderstandings when it comes to working with your friends? And how do you guys navigate and get past those?

[Nick Ojeda]

I'll definitely say working with your friends seems a lot more fun than it really is. I think that the best way I can put it is just the highs are high, but the lows are really low. Like, the fact that I can make money with my best friends is one of the best feelings ever. The fact that, like, I'm there for, like, these big milestones. Like, when we're younger and you grow up, people, they talk about, like, who they're watching on YouTube or who their biggest role models are, and then when you can see them meet that person in real life and then now become friends with them. Yeah, it's one of the most beautiful things ever. Like, it's so funny because you go from, like, seeing your friend fangirling over a certain someone to now they got them in the contact, you know what I mean? And now they're friends with them. Now we hang out with them and stuff like that.

[Alanized]

Or a lot of the time, they're fangirling over. Yeah, like, oh, shit, I was your biggest.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, exactly. So it's. It's amazing. So I love moments like that. But I will say, like, the lows definitely can be low. Like I said, when you're struggling, making money or someone's going through a hard time and they're not speaking about it, I would say that would definitely be, like, the hardest parts, because then you let your mind run. Then you have people saying, you know, well, so and so is not doing what they're supposed to be doing. So and so is not doing this. And then the person who is lacking or whatever, they have something going on in their mind. If there's something going on in your personal life, you don't really have to speak on it. Maybe you want to stay in one night, whatever. But we have a commitment to. To each other, where we have to see each other.

[Alanized]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

Multiple times a week. You know, like, this is our job and this is our friendship. And I think that doing it for, you know, five to six years now, like I said, you kind of just learn each other and you learn how to navigate certain things. I think that the hardest part for all of us was just very much like, trying to separate friendships and being co workers. Right. I feel like, for me, there was a time where I felt very, like, you know, angry with my friends because, like, they don't want to work as hard as I do or something like that. Or it's like they don't want the same things that I want when it comes to, like, the business or just growing as a whole. Right. I think I only feel this way because they are my friend. Right. Like, if this was just some random co worker.

[Alanized]

Yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

You know, you just show up, you do your job, bro, and that's it. But, like, when they're your friend, you want them to go above and beyond, you know, you want them to see you, want them to, like, pass you up. And I feel like those would probably be the only times where it's been hard is just when there was, like, some certain miscommunication. I feel like for me, specifically, like I said earlier, when you're your best friend's boss, HR coworker, a lot of things fall on you, right? When there's issues, issues in the group, people come to you, right. And then they expect you to fix it. And in the beginning, I. I really didn't like it. I. I hated it. I hated the fact that sometimes I had to be certain people's like, dad, right? Where I'm like, dude, like, you can't be doing this. Like, you gotta speak in a different way. My friends, like I said, are always very open to listening and understanding. But, you know, recently we took a break from the podcast for a while.

[Alanized]

I saw you guys just came back, like, three months ago.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, like three months ago, we just came back. And I remember we took the break. I kind of, like, didn't really want to come back because it was really hard time. Before we took the break, we were just going through a lot, like, as a friend group as a whole. And it was a lot of conversations that I had, had a lot of hard conversations. And when everything kind of came to an. Ended really abruptly, it's kind of just like, you know.

[Alanized]

Yeah, I'm just.

[Nick Ojeda]

I don't want to Be my friend's boss, you know, playing it. So I don't want to be my friend's boss.

[Alanized]

Really worth it.

[Nick Ojeda]

And, you know, I felt like we really needed that break because I think was it. Think if we would have kept pushing, I think that I would have looked at my friends a lot differently. And I remember telling them that, too, because, like I said with. When you work with friends, especially, you have to be able to be open with them. You have to. And I remember I was always open with them where I was like, listen, guys, like, if I keep doing this with y', all, if I don't get this break, if whatever the happens, I'm gonna grow to, like, resent y', all, like, dead ass. And you guys are gonna need to meet me halfway. You guys are gonna need to be able to open up just as much as I open up with you guys. You guys are gonna need to tell me what's going on in your lives, whether you like it or not. You don't need to go into full detail detail or anything, but, like, if you need space, you're gonna need to say that you need space. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to get on your ass about it, right? And then eventually I'm gonna look like the. Where it's like, oh, well, I'm going through this. Can you just lay off me? And it's like, bro, you could have just told me that, you know? So I would say, like, during that break, I didn't really want to come back because I was worried about that. And we all came together as a friend group, and, you know, everyone kind of calmed me down, and they were like, yo, like, we all want to do this isn't something like, we want to do this kind of, like, send off year, year and a half, whatever, where we kind of get the chance to just come together and do it like it's old times and enjoy it. And I feel like more recently, I've definitely started to fall back in love with it. Fall back in love with the fact that I get to see my friends more often and stuff like that. Sometimes you just need breaks, you know?

[Alanized]

Sometimes I feel like it's real.

[Nick Ojeda]

I feel like, you know, also.

[Alanized]

Me, too. I feel like my boyfriend and my best friend, you know, she. Irma. Y' all know Irma. They have a podcast together now. Irma works with me with my podcast. Right. And I feel like a lot. You know, we've been knowing each other for plus 10 years, you know, So I feel like sometimes it's like a Learning, like, curve, that you kind of have to be like, all right, you know, you're my best friend. Yeah. But when we're here in the studio, you're my assistant. So I think it's like, learning how to really, like, separate the, Like, I love you, you're my friend, but, like, you're here on a job, you're here, supposed to do what you got to do, dude, like, knowing your guys', I guess, like, boundaries when it comes.

[Nick Ojeda]

And I feel like.

[Alanized]

I think a lot of people have that, like, negative, like, oh, you can't do business with friends. And I feel like it's the opposite. You can, but you have to communicate. You have to get to a point where, like, you both know, like, what you're doing and what you're bringing to the table and really, like, leaving work where work needs to be left, which I feel like it's very important. And I feel like for a lot of people watching, too, if you want to create a podcast or a business with a friend, you really have to, like you said, communicate, lay everything on the table, what you want, what you don't want, what you like, what you don't, and then really work it.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah, definitely. Learning curve. But I will say that because I've been friends with my friends for so long, and because of the business that we do, they have definitely taught me how to communicate so well. And, like, even when I'm, like, seeing somebody or talking to somebody, it's very easy for me. Me to, like, say what I. What I want or say what I mean. There's no, like, subliminal messages. There's no, like, oh, you know, I don't really know how to, like, say what I want to say, you know, because I've been almost in a sense, like, forced to do it. But I will say another thing, too, with working with friends is you got to know your friends, like, strengths and weaknesses.

[Alanized]

Right.

[Nick Ojeda]

You don't really want to put your friends in a scenario where their weaknesses show a lot. Right. So, again, like I said, it's a learning curve.

[Alanized]

How do you guys deal with, like, the negative outside noise that sometimes can get in the middle of the relationship.

[Nick Ojeda]

Yeah. I think one thing about us is that we. We really don't let a lot of comments get to us. I think that the Internet also is a lot harsher on girls. For one thing, I've seen it a lot with Maru, where she gets a lot more hate comments or more opinion. People are more opinionative of her than they are of the guys, and it's really interesting because I feel like I've said probably the most outlandish on the podcast and like, just in general and people know me as, I guess, the outlandish one, the one that will say anything. But it's like people still have something to say about her specifically. So I would say that it's never really bothered. Bothered me, but I can see it bothering other people. I always tell Marty, like, whenever she like sees like a hate comment or something's bothering her, I always tell, like, they don't know you. Like, they really don't. Like, I get that they can form opinions. I get that you're putting your life online, but, like, they don't see you offline. They don't know. People take things out of context all the time, right? So it's like they run with the clip and that's it. They put the title in the clip. They don't have anything before or after that. Like, they don't know you. So I feel like it's usually us trying to more so, like reassure her to tell her, like, like, it's okay. Like, these people, this is one comment. It's going to come and go, pl.

[Alanized]

Like, we're not seeing it that way.

[Nick Ojeda]

These people.

[Alanized]

Yeah, I feel like it is very much that, like, especially with online, I feel like a lot of people do tend to think they know everything about you. With the 10 minute video that you're posting like babes, there's 24 hours in a day. I'm posting once a week. I, like, you really don't know my life. I feel like sometimes it can get to people, which is normal because at the end of day, we're all humans and we have feelings, you know? What do you think are the pros and cons of being online?

[Nick Ojeda]

The pros of being online, well, at least for me, is I love being online. Like, I love social media, I love what I do. It's the best thing ever because I can pick it up and put it down whenever I want or whenever I need. Right. Like I said, I love my job. But I think one of the cons of it is just like I said, that anybody and everybody can form whatever opinion they want on you and you kind of have to be okay with it because it's like once you decide to go online, once you decide to be an influencer, a content creator, whatever, you're signing a contract that says, okay, well, guess what, you're putting the spotlight on yourself where anybody anywhere can see one clip or they can watch you for the, for however many years you've been online and they can say whatever they want about you, they can, they can go out to a bar, all their friends and talk about how much they hate you as a person and you, and not know you. And you have to be okay with it. Yeah, you have to. And I feel like one of the things is sometimes like, like the Internet is not for everybody. It really isn't because some people, they can't handle that. And I feel like sometimes that happens with people who don't have much of an offline presence, who show their whole life online, you know what I mean? And they don't have friends offline or they don't have, they don't have a good connection with their family. But I feel like because we all have so many friends offline and we all do so much stuff offline that it's okay for us to put the phone down and just go out, you know what I mean? And I'm cool. Like my friends opinions mean so much more, my family's opinions mean so much more to me than somebody who's seen a 10 second clip.

[Alanized]

We're talking about the idea of being okay with, you know, people having an opinion on you. Obviously with social media and especially I feel like even more now with the clipping, I feel like it's very easy for people to start rumors for people to like post something outrageous and there will be a lot of people that will believe it without doing, doing their own investigation. What do you feel has been either a scandal or a rumor or something that you've heard about yourself online that you're like bruh? Like yeah, like no, I feel like

[Nick Ojeda]

one thing is probably just like my relationship with Maru specifically that I feel like a lot of people clip up sometimes I feel like people can say that I come off like rude a little bit just because I'm kind of naturally myself. And I feel like I've seen a couple of like clips, stuff like that where I'm a little bit too mean to like Maru or rude or whatever, whatever. And whenever I see a clip like that, I always text Maru. And I always tell like hey, just a heads up, I didn't mean anything like buy this or if I'm ever doing too much. Like I remember when we first started doing the podcast, me and Maru, like I said, since we grown up together, I see her like as my sister and I treat my sister like lowkey, you know, like a piece of, I'm not gonna lie just because she's my older sister. Like, that's how you are.

[Alanized]

Yeah, yeah.

[Nick Ojeda]

And I feel like, because I see Maru, like, that there's been times where I talk to her like a sister, and people will, like, be like. Like, oh, like, that's kind of rude. Like, why would you say that to a girl? Right? And it's like, I always tell her. And I remember we had to have a couple conversations where I tell her, like, hey, if I'm ever doing too much or I say anything, we. I take it out. I'll apologize all the time. I never want to make you feel like I'm putting you down or bullying you in any type of way. So whenever I see a clip like that, I always text, bonus. Be like, hey, just the heads up, I'm sorry for this, blah, blah, blah. And all the time, she's super understanding. So I would say that's the one thing that I would see a lot.

[Alanized]

I feel like it's better when you adjust, address it in person, because I feel like a lot of the time people want you to get online and, like, address a stupid rumor, something that knock it, and it's, like, important. Like, you said that once you see something, you go straight to the person, like, hey, girl, like, I thought we were around. People are taking it out of context. And I feel like, again, I feel like that's another big reason why I feel like your guys's relationship is still, you know, here today. You know, to finish off today's interview, which I feel like I've been loving this whole podcast episode.

[Nick Ojeda]

No, I've loved it.

[Alanized]

It's been running so smooth. And I feel like you guys at home are also getting to know Nick a little bit more. But we're going to end off with a question that I feel like, you know, I love to ask everyone. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Whether that's, you know, personal life, career wise, family wise.

[Nick Ojeda]

In five years, what is that? I'm 30.

[Alanized]

Yeah, 30.

[Nick Ojeda]

When I'm 30, I don't know, I want to be. I want to be set up my own home. I don't know if I want kids and everything by 30. My parents had me a little bit later, which is why I feel like I'm not in a rush to get into a relationship and get married and have kids. Because my dad, like I said, we were like two generations apart. My dad had me when he was 45. Yeah. And my mom had me when she was, like, 36, I believe. So they've also always said, you know, enjoy your 20s. Like, enjoy them to your fullest. Don't let a girlfriend or a boyfriend hold you back from anything. Enjoy your time with your friends. I also always feel like I tell people this too. Like, your 20s are your time to, like, make mistakes, right? So, like, try everything. Don't be afraid to fail. That's another thing. Like, I feel like so many people are so afraid to fail. When I'm 30, I just want to make sure that I can, like, look, look at myself in the mirror and just say, like, you did everything you wanted to do, and whether you failed or you succeeded, you still did it. Like, I feel like that's one of the most important, important things ever, is to just go out there and just try your best at anything you do, Anything you do.

[Alanized]

That's a great way of thinking because, you know, like you said, you really do have to push forward. You've been saying the whole interview, and I feel like every goal and every dream you have, just by listening to you talk today, I feel like you're driven enough to make it happen,

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

to

[Alanized]

see all the goals you achieve for yourself, you know? With that being said, amigas, I've really been enjoying this interview to an end. If you guys have not followed him and his podcast, make sure you guys do so. I will leave the links down below as well as on the screen. Make sure you guys do so you guys don't miss any future episodes. And with that being said, thank you so much.

[Nick Ojeda]

Thank you, Alan, for having me. I. I had a great time. This is amazing. This is a great podcast. Great podcast. I love the studio and I can't wait to watch the, the video period.

[Alanized]

And thank you guys so much for watching and we'll see you guys in the next one. Take care. Bye, guys. Yay.

[Nick Ojeda]

Perfect. I'm not giving up. I am selling the building.

[Alanized]

The final season of FX's the Bay.

[Nick Ojeda]

The restaurant is flooded. Everything's either gonna be okay. Nope.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Stop.

[Nick Ojeda]

Or not. We are outgunned and we are outmanned. But we have each other. FX's the bear.

[Alanized]

The final season, all episodes now streaming on Disney.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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