Podcast Summary: REAL AF with Andy Frisella – Episode 959

Release Date: November 3, 2025
Episode Type: Q&AF – Getting People On The Same Level As You, Staying Productive On The Weekends & Competing Against Lower Prices
Host: Andy Frisella
Co-Host: DJ

Overview

In this Q&AF episode, Andy Frisella and DJ answer three detailed listener questions covering:

1. How to get others to rise to your level, especially friends or community members
2. Staying productive and consistent during busy weekends
3. Dealing with competitors who undercut pricing and cut corners, including facing the ethics of reporting unsafe business practices

Andy doesn’t pull punches, providing honest, sometimes blunt advice and sharing personal experiences to illustrate his points. The tone is direct but motivational, aimed at listeners wanting real-world, no-BS guidance for business and personal growth.

1. How Do I Get People On the Same Level As Me? (Angela’s Call, 05:06–18:36)

Caller: Angela from Hudson Valley, NY
Angela asks how to motivate her community/business network to function at her level, especially when they’re friends or collaborators, not formal employees.

Key Insights:

• Live the Standard Yourself:
  Andy stresses, first and foremost, you have to model the behavior and standards you expect (06:28).

  “Are you operating at the standard that you want them to operate, honestly?”
  — Andy Frisella [06:28]

• Clarity of Expectations:
  For formal teams, clear documentation and accountability are crucial—spell out requirements, have people sign on, and walk them through expectations [07:05–07:58].

• Difference Between Employees & Peers:
  Angela's challenge is less about employees and more about peer-level collaborators who often help out for perks/exchanges—not a paycheck. Andy acknowledges this dynamic is much harder to drive [08:08–08:36].

• You Can’t Drag People “Up”:

  “There's no way to drag them to be better. They have to want to be better.”
  — Andy Frisella [09:01]

  The only way is to inspire and expose them to what’s possible—find “models” or examples of higher-level organizations, show your group what’s possible, and communicate the vision continually (09:10–10:48).

• Some Simply Won't Step Up:
  Andy is candid—especially as people get older, it's increasingly rare they’ll change or elevate their game. He warns against wasting years trying to drag unwilling people with you [11:35–12:48].

  “If you wait for them, you're all going to rot together.”
  — Andy Frisella [15:11]

• Don’t Let Loyalty Hold You Back:
  Andy gets real about the downside of misplaced loyalty:

  “Do you know why most people fail? Because they’re loyal to the wrong people.”
  — Andy Frisella [16:25]

  He shares how almost no one from his early business days kept up with his growth, and he had to move on, even if it hurt emotionally [14:33–15:51].

• It’s OK to ‘Outgrow’ People:
  Angela voices concern about abandoning those who helped her early on. Andy reframes it—not about abandoning, but moving forward and welcoming anyone ready to come along [17:58].

Notable Moment:
Angela’s realization: “I don’t want to seem like I’m... dissing my neighbor, but... I really need to move on.”
Andy’s advice:

“They're welcome to come with you... But I’m going to kick ass, so.”
— Andy Frisella [17:58]

2. How Do I Stay Productive on the Weekends? (Question #2, 20:38–30:07)

Listener Question:
How to handle finishing the “power list” (a list of key daily tasks) during Friday/Saturday/Sunday—work gets hectic, but power list completion drops.

Key Insights:

• No Excuses—Weekends Matter:
  Andy exposes the myth of “weekends off” for people serious about high achievement.

  “If you fuck off two days a week, you’re automatically behind by 30%... It’s math.”
  — Andy Frisella [25:10]

• Brutal Math of Consistency:
  Missing two days a week means losing 3.6 months of productivity per year. Over a decade, that's years behind competitors, guaranteeing you can’t win against those who work every day [21:43–26:49]:

  “If you are broke and you take the weekends off, it will never change. Weekends are a luxury for once security is established.”
  — Andy Frisella [26:49]

• Force Habits & Build Momentum:
  Andy debunks the idea of “catching momentum”—it’s built by daily repetition until it's second nature [24:34–24:37].

• Sacrifice Now, Reap Later:
  He acknowledges the trade-offs—missing out on some things now to be much further ahead in life later. In the end, he prefers what he “traded for” [29:17–29:49].

Notable Quotes:

• “Success over the course of a life is determined by the amount of time you’re willing to take advantage of versus the amount of time your competitors do not.”
  — Andy Frisella [28:12]
• “There are motherfucking animals out there that work every motherfucking day... because I’m one of them.”
  — Andy Frisella [26:19]

3. Competing Against Lower Prices & Unethical Practices (Jeffrey’s Call, 30:23–44:43)

Caller: Jeffrey from Stevens Point, WI
Jeffrey, who operates a painting business, is losing jobs to a competitor who drastically underbids and appears to be endangering customers by not following safety protocols for lead paint removal. He’s conflicted about whether to report the competitor.

Key Insights:

• Market & Message on Quality (Not Just Price):
  Andy urges Jeffrey to position his higher price as delivering better value by doing things right—thus “cheaper” in the long run because cheap jobs need to be redone [34:13–35:36].

• Reporting Unethical Competition Is Moral:

  “That motherfucker’s trying to take the food off your motherfucking plate... You are actually protecting the homeowners by saying something about this.”
  — Andy Frisella [35:43]

  Andy reframes, saying the real “bad karma” is letting a negligent operator poison customers' homes: You have a moral obligation to say something (36:57–38:01).

• Competition Is Cutthroat:
  Andy stresses competitors like this would not hesitate to put you out of business.

  “Trust me, when someone steps on my toes, bro, I will step on their motherfucking throat.”
  — Andy Frisella [37:33]

• Tips for Competing on Value:
  Consider “tiered” service offerings. Begin conversations by being transparent: “We’re not the cheapest, but we do it right. I’ll tell you exactly what you need and stand by my work” [39:43–40:37].

• Protect Your Family First:
  Andy gives a gut-level reminder about priorities.

  “When you start to feel bad about having to do what you have to do because you have a good heart, I want you to look at your three kids and think about what they would look like if you didn’t have food for them.”
  — Andy Frisella [41:20]

Notable Moment:
Jeffrey’s relief at Andy’s advice is palpable—he needed explicit permission to act on his conscience while still protecting his own business and family [41:39–44:34].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you wait for them, you’re all going to rot together.” (Andy Frisella, [15:11])
• “Do you know why most people fail? Because they’re loyal to the wrong people.” (Andy Frisella, [16:25])
• “If you are broke and you take the weekends off, it will never change.” (Andy Frisella, [26:49])
• “That motherfucker's trying to take the food off your motherfucking plate... you have to protect [the customers].” (Andy Frisella, [35:43])
• “There is respect amongst competitors that are above the table and all the ones below the table you gotta crush.” (Andy Frisella, [45:04])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Show Format: 00:16–05:06
• Angela’s Call: Getting others to your standard: 05:06–18:36
• Post-call Reflection (loyalty and growth): 18:37–20:38
• Power List and Weekend Productivity: 20:38–30:07
• Jeffrey’s Call: Competing against cut-rate, unethical operators: 30:23–44:43
• Wrap and Final Takeaways: 44:43–end

Tone & Style

• Direct, honest, conversational, and laced with Andy’s trademark tough love and humor
• Serious, no-nonsense business advice but delivered with personality and a focus on uplifting listeners who “want to kick ass”

Summary

Andy and DJ deliver real, actionable advice on leadership, consistency, and effective, ethical competition. Core messages:

• You can’t force people to grow—focus on your own growth and let others keep up if they choose
• Weekends off are a luxury—early in your career, they may cost you everything
• In business, ethical action sometimes means reporting or outcompeting those who don’t play fair

Andy’s message is clear: If you want to win, you have to be brutally honest, unrelenting in your standards, and unapologetic about protecting your progress—with heart, but without self-sabotage.