From Cutting Hair at 13 to Building an Empire: Adrian “Apex” Morales’ Story

Summary

The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex:

Episode: From Cutting Hair at 13 to Building an Empire: Adrian “Apex” Morales’ Story

Date: September 23, 2025
Guest: Adrian “Apex” Morales
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This inspiring episode features Adrian “Apex” Morales, a Latino entrepreneur who transformed his life from a 13-year-old cutting hair for lunch money to the respected owner of Fadeaway Barbershop and founder of Apex Tax Pros, LLC. Host Paul Alex dives into Apex’s journey—through early hustles, personal struggles, building a community barber brand, giving back, and expanding into financial consulting. Every step is rooted in Apex’s purpose-driven approach and passion for uplifting his family, friends, and community.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Early Hustle, Family Roots, and Inspiration

• Start in Barbering: Apex began cutting hair at age 13 to help pay for school lunches, motivated by his immigrant parents’ work ethic and the influence of his uncle Lorenzo.
  • “I started cutting hair at the age of 13… I just needed some money for some lunches at middle school.” —Apex, [03:09]
• Family Values: Grew up in Plant City, FL, with strict parents from Mexico; their resilience and sacrifices framed his drive to succeed and give back.
• Loss and Motivation: Inspired by his late uncle Lorenzo—whose hustle but lack of business sense motivated Apex to “help more” and “push purpose.”
  • “Seeing my uncle die at such a young age… he had more to offer. So I kind of want to push that into people… life’s short, purpose.” —Apex, [04:08]

2. Building and Leading Fadeaway Barbershop

• Turning Point: Owned his first home at 22, then bought into a barbershop at 24 while escaping a “dark path” of substance use and bad influences. A mentor’s advice catalyzed change:
  • Quote: “If you want to change your life, you can do it in a year… Cut off all your friends, put your head down, and work hard for one year. That’s exactly what I did.” —Apex, [10:10-10:35]
• Community Focus: Built the shop on a foundation of service—giving free haircuts to those in need, uplifting friends, and fostering a family/mentor dynamic.
  • “We went out every Sunday to give out free haircuts to those in need… I always wanted to build a community-based barbershop.” —Apex, [11:22-11:30]
• Team and Ripple Effect: Hired close friends, elevating them from similar backgrounds.
  • “You literally changed the bloodline for all your friends… Now it’s a ripple effect.” —Paul Alex, [12:00]

3. Transition to Finance & Apex Tax Pros

• Education and Gap: Despite early math struggles, earned a Finance degree due to parental insistence; saw firsthand that barbers and many Latinos lacked access to real financial literacy.
  • “A lot of Hispanics... either good at math or bad at reading… I had to go to college... went to do finance, a degree in finance at USF. Finished that and right… went straight to cutting hair.” —Apex, [16:41, 19:11]
• Motivation for Finance Business: Needed to manage and strategize his own cashflow after realizing “just collecting cash, and it wasn’t really going anywhere.”
• Mentorship Investment:
  • “I got real solidified in that, hired a mentor… $10,000.” —Apex, [19:55, 20:00]
• Building the Business: Still a solo operation, but scaling—learning to find others who “do it more efficiently than myself.”
  • “There’s probably gonna be somebody that does it more efficiently than myself… I definitely want to look out for those people.” —Apex, [25:40]

4. Strategies for Growth, Time Management, & Avoiding Burnout

• Daily Structure: Starts the day at the gym, splits time primarily between the barbershop and family; during tax season, shifts focus to Apex Tax Pros.
  • “First of all, I like to start off my day at the gym. Gather all my thoughts… then straight to Fadeaway Barbershop… During tax season, I focus more on Apex Tax Pros.” —Apex, [27:24-28:44]
• Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome:
  • “All those conversations… people have FOMO, invest in three, four different ventures, then never complete one thing…become successful by going all in.” —Paul Alex, [29:45-30:25]
• Long-Term Thinking: Aims to step off the cutting floor and lead as a business owner/consultant long-term.

5. Mindset, Adversity, and Uplifting Others

• Honesty and Vulnerability: Open about past struggles, understanding their value as leadership:
  • “There’s a lot of people, they’re not willing to tell their story. That’s what makes you real.” —Paul Alex, [09:07]
• Family as Motivation: Why shifted from personal gain to providing for parents and community.
  • “My why definitely shifted to helping my parents out… I always have to double think everything I did as a younger child.” —Apex, [14:32-15:28]
• Giving Back: Shares highlight of supporting his best friend and now co-owner, Arleigh Bloss, who built a new life through the barbershop and Apex’s mentorship.
  • “Right now, we’re four years strong, and he bought a house recently… new truck, new house… my best friend got to come with me on the ride too.” —Apex, [34:28]

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MEMORABLE QUOTES & STANDOUT MOMENTS

• On Purpose and Fulfillment
  “Life’s short, purpose, man.” —Apex, [04:45]
• On Mentorship and Change
  “If you want to change your life, you can do it in a year.” —Apex, [10:10]
• On Community Impact
  “You literally changed the bloodline for all your friends. That’s deep.” —Paul Alex, [12:00]
• On Financial Literacy in Latino Communities
  “Where Latinos get their finance literacy from is TikTok. That’s not good, bro.” —Paul Alex, [16:52]
• On Time Management and Focus
  “If you go your day without a goal, then you’re gonna have a goalless day.” —Apex, [32:17]
• On Personal Growth and Advice to Younger Self
  “Just two things for you, man: keep your head up, don’t look down, and keep moving forward.” —Apex, [43:30]

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TIMESTAMPED HIGHLIGHTS

• Adrian’s origin story and early influences: [00:00–04:45]
• Mentorship & opening Fadeaway Barbershop: [06:17–11:57]
• Building community and giving back: [11:22–12:41]
• Transition to finance/tax consulting: [16:41–20:00]
• Investment in mentorship ($10k for finance knowledge): [19:55–20:05]
• Daily routine & time management: [27:24–29:17]
• Apex’s candid advice to his younger self: [43:30]

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PARALLELS: Barbering & Tax Consulting

• Both roles center on confidence—crafting client pride and empowerment, whether it’s through a sharp cut or smart tax advice:
  “I get advice from the craziest things to how can I talk to a girl?… In the tax pros business, you’re having people… asking, ‘How can I save money here?’” —Apex, [37:40]

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FUTURE VISION & LEGACY

• Coaching and Mentoring: Apex’s next aim is to leverage his journey, especially for young people from similar backgrounds, and expand as a coach and mentor—supporting others in both barbering and financial education.
  “I definitely want to coach. That’s why I joined this mentorship with you and your staff… I can bring a lot of opportunity and information to those people that kind of lived the same thing through I did.” —Apex, [40:47]

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EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• Service Over Self: Apex’s focus on uplifting others—whether clients, friends, or his family—has been the secret to his sustainability and growth.
• The Power of Mentorship: Life-changing advice, taking big leaps (like dropping $10k on self-education), and cutting toxic ties were pivotal.
• Mindset for Growth: “It’s either going to work or it’s going to work even more.” There’s no quit—only adjust and keep moving forward.
• Invest in Yourself: Knowledge and action trump skill alone; don’t be afraid to pay and learn from others.
• Give Back, Level Up Others: Ripple effects of positive leadership can transform not just your circle, but whole communities.

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WHERE TO FIND & FOLLOW APEX

• Instagram: @ApexTheBarber
• Apex Tax Pros LLC: Instagram & Facebook

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FINAL WORDS (Apex’s advice to his younger self)

• “Keep your head up, don’t look down, and keep moving forward. That’s what helped me a lot through my dark times.” —Apex, [43:30]

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This episode is a must-listen for barbers, aspiring business owners, and anyone inspired by real, relatable stories of turnaround, service, and sustainable success.

Transcript

[A]

I started cutting hair at the age of 13 and having strict parents, I had to go to college no matter if I wanted to or not. Finished that and right off the bit went straight to cutting hair. That's when I kind of wanted to have my finances in a better way. I thought I was just collecting cash and it wasn't really going anywhere. I got real solidified in that. Hired a mentor.

[B]

How much did you invest to get a mentor?

[A]

10,000 was just like, man, you have so much potential. And I was just like, what do you mean? He's like, you'll cut off all your friends, put your head down and work hard for one year. That's exactly what I did. We have a lot of recognition throughout the Tampa Bay area for helping the community. We went out every Sunday to give out free haircuts to those in need. Built a huge community based barbershop and it, it got even On Bay News 9, one of the top rated TV shows.

[B]

Hey guys. And welcome back to Love all podcast. Guys, we have another phenomenal guest here. You know, every single Saturday, I bring the best of the best in different industries, guys. He is not only a Latino that has built multiple businesses, guys. But surprisingly, you guys are going to be surprised on the actual niche and industry we're going to be talking about today. Okay? It's going to be an industry that a lot of people are like, no, you can't make that much money off of it. Or I don't know, you got to build multiple locations or, you know, go ahead and get investors. But my guess, Apex, okay? And they actually call them Apex. The barber guys is a multi passionate entrepreneur who has built an empire from the chair to the office, guys. He's the owner behind Fadeaway Barbershop and the go to number one rated barber guys in Plant City, Florida. Okay? But he's more than just clippers and fades, guys. He also runs Apex Tax Pros llc, empowering clients with financial clarity and strategy. So today we're going to dive into how he balances elite barbering with small business consulting and how you can take your own hustle to the apex level. Apex, welcome to the show.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you. Alex.

[B]

He's just like, damn, that was a, that was a long intro, bro. Yeah, I mean, I got, I got, I got it. I got to give him the intro, bro. You know, they got to know who you are. So with that being said, man, close mouths don't get fed. Welcome to the level up. This is where we help aspiring entrepreneurs. But then everyday people, dude, just like us, man. Go ahead and make it happen, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So with that being said, go ahead and tell them a little bit about yourself, who you are, where you're from, and anything else you want them to know, and then we'll dive into your story.

[A]

Hey, guys. I go by Apex. Adrian Morales is my real name. Real short for Hispanic. Yeah, I just grew up in a small town in Plant City, Florida. Had really strict parents, Came from immigrants, they came from Mexico when they were young, young, young, possibly five to six years old. They crossed over, grew up in Plant City. Always knew that there was more to life and more to just, just growing. So, yeah, that's, that's basically.

[B]

No, it's good. Short and sweet, dude.

[A]

Short and sweet.

[B]

Short and sweet, man.

[A]

Really crazy.

[B]

You're gonna leave it open for me to ask you questions now? Yeah, I love it. I love it. So currently, how old are you right now?

[A]

28.

[B]

You're 28. Okay. And then when did you start your career in barbering?

[A]

I was 13. You were?

[B]

No way.

[A]

Yeah, I started cutting hair at 13 years old. I just needed some money for, for some lunches at middle school. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

You're making it happen.

[A]

Yeah, I was making it happen.

[B]

So, so you were like, man, you know, I don't want to ask mom and mom and dad, so let me go ahead and learn a skill, which is a remarkable skill. You can make so much money in that industry, be becoming a barber, owning shops and all that jazz, which you're doing, you're currently doing right now. So you've been in the game for what, like 14 years? 14 years. Since the age of 13, guys. And then what was the shift that moved you from becoming just a, a barber to now a multi unit owner and operator?

[A]

I've always enjoyed barbering. It's something that my uncle, rest in peace, Lorenzo Savala. He, he was, he was cutting my hair ever since I was probably like 10. And I, it's just, it's just being outside with my uncle always like chopping it up with him. He was very smart, but he just wasn't like business minded, you know, he always, he always wanted to hustle, but never, you know, like, it's just something that stuck with me. So I got the inspiration from my uncle after that. I picked up the clippers. Picked up the clippers and I kind of never stopped. You know, I've always wanted to, to be a barber as well. I thought it was, it was a cool thing. Once I started cutting hair, I just knew that there was, I Could help more. You know, I could do more and help more Hispanics, especially people my age, grow of seeing my uncle die at such a. Such a young age. And also too, I feel like he had more to offer. So I kind of want to push that into people before, you know, I don't want to say before anything tragically happens, but life short purpose, man.

[B]

Life short fulfillment, you know, make it happen. Because. No, you're absolutely right. You're a realist, dude. Life is short. You know, at the end of the day, you're 21. Before you know it, you're in your 30s. Before you know it, you'RE in your 40s, you got kids, and now you're like, man, I got kids, so I can't live out my dreams, right?

[A]

25 year old, your mark hit me.

[B]

That's what I'm saying, man. You know, I think it hits me every single year, you know, I'm like, Damn, I'm already 37. I'm like exiting my 30s, bro. And I'm like, I remember becoming like, 30. I'm like, oh, cool, I'm about to be 30. I'm about to get in my prime. I know what I'm doing. I'm an adult. You know, I got a little bit of money. This is cool. Now going into my 40s, I'm like, Damn. I'm like, I'm that old, dude. But at the end of the day, I'm embracing it. So it's cool, right? I'm about to become a father. I got, as you guys know. You guys been listening past couple weeks now. I got, I got one in the way.

[A]

Congrats, bro.

[B]

Little, little, little Maverick.

[A]

Maverick. I like that name.

[B]

It's gonna be dope, bro. Man, Top Gun was one of my favorite movies, bro. So. So I'll call him Maverick. And then, you know, we're getting a new, new puppy. You know, I'm gonna go pick up the puppy when I go back to Puerto Rico, you know, a couple days, pick him up, probably name him. Like there's. What was it? Maverick and Goose, Right? So Maverick and Goose, they were both partners in that movie, bro, so. And then make them wear little Pilot J. That's how it's going to go down. You guys hear. Heard it here first. All right, dude, so let's get back to it. So your barbershop. Okay, fade away. Barbershop. When did you actually open that up?

[A]

I opened that up four years ago. Exactly.

[B]

Okay, so four years ago, from the time that you opened it up, what was your Aspirations, dude. Like, what was your vision for that shop?

[A]

So in the beginning, it kind of came as an opportunity. I was going down a really dark path around that time. I got really soaked up into drugs, being around people, like, gang affiliate affiliated.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I really didn't have a purpose for it. I just had the opportunity, so I took it. You know, me being a hustler at that age, I kind of took the opportunity either way because I thought it was a good source of income.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Once I got that opportunity, I think just life changed there. Before the shop, two years prior, I bought my house. So I bought my house at a very young age. It was. I believe I was 22. Wow.

[B]

That's amazing, dude.

[A]

Yeah, 22. It was a good accomplishment for me.

[B]

No, it's a great accomplishment. And, you know, especially nowadays in the era of social media, dude, you know, one thing is just like. What, what, what, what? My heart goes out to a lot of, like, the younger folks in their 20s going into 18. Why? Because now they're comparing themselves to people around the world, dude, number one. Number two, they're seeing that there's other people their age that are going ahead and accomplishing things that, like, literally. It's like one in a billion can accomplish. Right. But then now they're. They. They're literally comparing themselves to that 1%, 1 out of the billion, and they're like, well, bro, I don't got my house by the age of 22. So you're gonna get some people listening to this. There's probably somebody that's 25 that doesn't have the house, that probably living with their parents, or they're sharing an apartment with some friends, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And they'd be like, damn, how'd he do it? Right?

[A]

How do. That's a lot of people around my age, you know, So I kind of. I have a pretty strong following on Instagram, so I try to really push that, you know, really try to push the financial stability and, like, financial literacy.

[B]

It's important.

[A]

It's important. It's very important.

[B]

And then, like you said, life is short. So at the end of the day, you might be 21 now, having fun, going to the club, going ahead and spending your money. But, hey, you'd be 25.

[A]

Don't go to the club. You'd be dirty. You know, I'm saying, yeah, all these tattoos happen in one year.

[B]

Bad decisions, bad decisions, bad decisions.

[A]

Hanging around with the worst people, you know, that's.

[B]

That's. That's the way it goes down. I mean, for me, bro, it was a transition of my entire life. I think I had my first tattoo at the age of 15. And then it is young, bro.

[A]

I was.

[B]

I was. I was going down the wrong path in high school, bro. I was smoking weed and all that. And trust me, all that came to light when I was trying to be the police, because my background investigators get it's how many times you smoke weed? And I was just like. Like three times a week. Okay. And how old are you now? And then he broke it down. So you smoked weed over 10,000 times? He made it look even worse. I was just like, bro. He's like, so. So are you telling me you smoked weed, weed 10,000 times? And if. And some people will be like, no, just out of fear, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I knew it was psychological. If I was to say, no, I'm done, I would never be the police. So I was just like, it's one.

[A]

Of those tests, right?

[B]

It's a test, Psychological test, bro. So I was like, yes, I smoked weed 10,000 times. And they just want you to come out and just be honest, bro. Yeah, so. So it's crazy. No, no. I mean, that's. That's powerful, dude. The fact that you're able to own up to it. You know, at the end of the day, there's a lot of people, they're not willing to tell their story. There's not a lot of people that are willing to be as real as you. But that's what makes you different, bro. That's what makes you a leader. And I tell people, you got to be real with people because that's what people buy into, you know, that's why you're a successful barbershop owner now. You got another business going on, man. You're about to grow another business. We're about to talk about the end of this. So it's fire, bro. So. So four years ago, you started Fade Away Barbershop. So now it's an award winning barbershop in Miami and Plant City. So how did you build a team for that and the culture that stands out in such a saturated market? Because, man, there's barbershops left to right. So how do people. Why. Why do people pick you? Why do people pick, you know, Fade.

[A]

Away Barbershop, for one thing. I have. I had plenty mentors before I opened up the shop. And they were really trying to help me get away from the friends and kind of like the influences I had, because they saw potential.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, so they would always tell me this is the one quote that got me. He's like, if you want to change your life, you can do it in a year. And that's one quote that just stuck with me for forever. Around that time, I mentor, he was just looking up to, he was just talking to me and he was just like, man, you have so much potential and you can grow so big. How come you just don't start now? And I was just like, what do you mean? He's like, you can change it in one year. And I was just like, there's no way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he was like, tell me right now you'll cut off all your friends and put your head down and heart and work hard for one year. And that's exactly what I did. And right, literally right before that, I told you I was messing up for two years. That one year was pretty trouble. The other year I locked in, got the shop. And I always wanted to build a community based barber shop. So that was kind of like the foundation after that. We have a lot of recognition throughout the Tampa Bay area for helping the community. So we went out every Sunday to give out free haircuts to those in need, you know, and that kind of, it kind of sparked us something that we wanted to do in the beginning, especially me because again, my uncle, he, every time we went out somewhere, he would always just give his back his shirt off, his back for somebody. I remember one time going to a park, he saw a homeless man and we literally just bought our sandwiches, food. He literally just gave it to him. Yeah, gave it to him right then and there. And I kind of wanted to bring that into my shop.

[B]

Right?

[A]

So we built a huge family based, community based barber shop. And it got even On Bay News 9, one of the top rated TV shows, you know, weather channels. And that's kind of one of the stories and picking the people. I mean, a lot of my friends kind of saw the path that I was going to and they were on the same path as I was. And I guess they just wanted that change as well. So they just wanted to hop on board. And I. That was probably the easiest part. I had. The shop was running literally the first.

[B]

Day, bro, you know what's crazy? And this is some deeper thought and to, to give you some reflection because I always tell people I'm a visionary guy, I'm a startup guy, and then I hire smarter people to implement my ideas, right? And a lot of business owners, they take a lot of pride in what they do because it's a craft, right? Like yours it's the craft. But one thing you got to be really proud of is that you literally change the bloodline for all your friends. You got to think about that, bro. That's deep. We're getting deep here.

[A]

Yeah, that's pretty.

[B]

Yeah, that's pretty deep, bro.

[A]

I didn't see it like that. It's like when you're in that, like, chair, you don't see it like that. You know, you just, you love to see all the changes in your friends. But in reality, it's like how you said you're changing, bro.

[B]

You are changing lives. You're even going to change lives with this pod. There's going to be a lot of inspiring barbers. There's going to be people that are looking for transitioning out of what they're currently doing. And they're going to be like, oh, wait a minute, Apex is cool. Like, I think I want to try that, right? And they're going to go ahead and try getting into the industry. Now. You might get some people reaching out to you, trying to network with you off of this, right? But at the end of the day, that's the impact that you're doing here, dude. You're doing here to not only level up yourself, but also level up the community, which is awesome. And I always say this, guys, you guys want to be ultra successful in life. You guys want to have an abundance of wealth. Guess what? Take care of people. That's it. As simple as that. Any industry that you're in, just as long as you're not doing it for just the money, obviously the money has to be there. Yes, you guys have to go ahead and work for money. But at the end of the day, look at it like this. Any job that you do, the more value you give to people, the more you're going to get back. Dude, that's just the name of the game. So you go ahead, you give an opportunity to all your friends, you change their bloodline. Now it's a ripple effect, dude. Not only did you change your friends life, but you changed their family's lives. You, you change their family, their, their, their, their bloodlines lives. Because now their kids, guess what they're gonna be like, oh, well, you know, I remember my dad had a good friend named Apex, and he changed my dad's life. Now I'm gonna go that route. Dude, that's powerful.

[A]

Yeah, it's huge. It's. It's huge.

[B]

It's huge, bro. It's about environment. Okay, cool. So now you dominated, you know, the barber industry. You helped a lot of people. You helped your community, dude. You completely transformed your life and just in a matter of a few years, because the inspiration of your uncle, which is extremely powerful. I love that type of story. It's a, it has to do a lot with your. Why has your why changed since you launched. You launched the barbershop?

[A]

I kind of knew that I wanted to help people, but I'm super connected with my mom and my dad and my family in general. And I've seen, you know, buying my house at 22. I've seen the type of money like, can bring good, but I can also see that it brings bad. Yeah. So. Because that's one of the main problems that started my addiction and, and everything. And I had to really step back and see, like, there was plenty of nights where I'll just sit in my, in my car or my house alone and just be like, why, you know what, what, why am I doing this? Why, why did God give me strong minded like this to think different? You know, I thought just life was just going to work, coming home and that's it, you know, doing whatever, what everybody does, you know, But I was just, I don't know, it's something that just clicks in me and I always have to double think of everything I did as, as a younger, as a younger child. So for me, my why definitely shifted to helping my parents out.

[B]

Good.

[A]

Right before coming even here, my mom wanted to talk to me. She was just like, she always gets worried. She was like, you're gonna go to Miami by yourself? And I'm just like, yeah. And she was just like, well, let me go with you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. She's always, she's always worried because she's seen like how I get. But now she, she kind of know, like notices my, my changes and differences. And I showed her your, your podcast and she was just like, you know what? I feel good about you going out here, so.

[B]

No, it's good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So it's definitely gonna, it's gonna inspire so many people, you being on this episode. And also it's gonna inspire your parents. They're gonna see that, you know, the transformation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Especially after this episode. Dude, we're gonna extract a lot of information that's gonna show people the real you and it's going to be awesome. So, okay, now that you dominated that man, like in a true entrepreneurial spirit. I love it. Okay, you decided. Hey, you know what? I've been able to dominate in being a owner now in the barber industry. Let me try and educate People in finance with Apex Tax Pros. So you decided to launch Apex Tax Pros in addition to your barbershops. So let me ask you this question. What inspired you to move into tax advising and consulting.

[A]

In high school? I've always had trouble with math, and that's just something, I guess a lot of Hispanics or a lot of Hispanics are either good at math, and I don't want to do, like, stereotypes, but either good at math or bad at reading.

[B]

Hey, let me, let me stop you right there, bro. Look, look, guys, I 100 agree with Apex, and check this out. When in the past couple years, you know, obviously social media has blown up more than ever, but when there is media coverage on saying where Latinos get their finance literacy from is tick tock. Come on, bro. Like, come on, man, like 70. It's just like, that's not.

[A]

That's an insane number.

[B]

That's not good, bro. You know, that's not good. That's not a flex. So all my Latinos over there, I mean, we all gotta, you know, level up, but at the end of the day, just educate yourself. That's. That's, that's it. If you get anything out of this, just educate yourself.

[A]

Definitely educate yourself because it can bring you a far as way. It brought me me to places I've never thought, like, especially Miami, you know, like, I never thought to. To drive to Miami and be on a podcast with such a successful person as yourself.

[B]

So I appreciate it.

[A]

It definitely. It definitely brings out a lot of good things once you start really sitting down, looking at your finances, starting from the bottom and then working yourself up.

[B]

No, absolutely, man. So let's, let's. What inspired you with going ahead and moving now into tax advising and consulting? Was it an experience that you might have experienced during owning a barbershop? Because I know once you become an entrepreneur, know, and you're just. You're moving, dude. You're. It's a lot of moving parts being an entrepreneur, right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So one thing that I'm weak in is finances as well. That's why I have a cfo. That's why I have tax lawyers. That's why I have, you know, a great CPA now. You know, I've paid millions of dollars to the irs. Hey, I'm here to pay my taxes, but at the end of the day, man, please don't take advantage of, you know, business owners. Come on, man. Really? Really? But at the end of the day, dude, was there, like, a bad experience that you had with taxes that, like, you were like, hey, dude, I'm gonna hone in on this.

[A]

Well, just like I was saying before, I was really bad at math, and it's just something that I. I've always wanted to get better at. So saying again. I had very strict parents before I was. I was. I was. I started cutting hair at the age of 13. So that was middle school, high school, obviously, being having strict parents, I had to go to college no matter if I wanted to or not. I always tell my mom, now, let me just go cut hair. Like, I'm. I'm making money off here. I don't need to go to college. But my mom real therka, like, just means stubborn.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In Spanish. She was like, no, you're gonna go to university and you're gonna get your degree, and that's gonna be it. And after that, you can do whatever you want. So went to finance. Went to do finance, a degree in finance at usf. Finished that. And right off that. Right off the bit just went straight to cutting hair. And then right when I got into the barbering scheme, that's when I kind of wanted to have my finances in a better kind of. In a better way. I thought I was just collecting cash, and it wasn't really going anywhere. Just putting on. Underneath the. The mattress. Yeah, the mattress. The worst way. So that's kind of where what kicked off the. The Apex tax Bros. I got real solidified in that, hired a mentor, you know, invested X amount of money in that, learned. Learned how to file.

[B]

And for the people, man, it's hard to cut you off. How much did you invest to get a mentor?

[A]

10,000.

[B]

There you go. 10,000. I say with your chest, bro. Like, 10,000.

[A]

10,000.

[B]

I invested 10,000 in actually learning digital marketing back in April of 2020, dude. Okay? Back in April 2020. And I already had a successful business as a cop. Okay?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But the only reason why I did it, because I jumped back on Facebook after not being on Facebook for like 80 years since MySpace. I'm aging myself. And I was like, hey, dude, I gotta learn this. There's a lot of successful entrepreneurs out there, so let me invest some money into this. So I read this book and I. I recommend that you read it, dude. I know I give you a copy of my book, but read this book because you're gonna love it, dude. It's gonna change your life. It's called Digital Millionaire by Dan Henry. Okay. Actually, I actually ended up buying his program. Dude ended up jumping on a call with one of his consultants and I remember his consultant told me this. He's like, what are you good at? And I'm like, like, being a cop. And like, ATMs at the time. And he's like, all right, well, no one likes the police, so you're gonna teach people the ATM business. I was just like, you think I can actually, like, like, like launch a successful business online teaching people that? He's like, yeah, bro.

[A]

Like, you could do it just like that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, just like that. Smooth, right? And I'm like, in my car, bro. And I'm like, all right, how much? He goes, if you pay now, it's 10,000. But the minute you hang up and you don't pay, it's gonna be 15,000.

[A]

15,000.

[B]

And I'm like, oh, snap. And at that time, man, I didn't know about high ticket selling. I didn't know a massive urgency. And he's just like, yeah, bro, we.

[A]

Ain'T playing around creating that fomo.

[B]

Yeah. Fear of missing out, guys. And I'm like, okay, you know what? What? I'm gonna do it. So I put on two credit cards. And I remember walking to my house that day. I just worked 18 hours, bro. Shift. And I walked to my house. He sent me everything. I didn't even look at it for like three days. And. And I remember going, and just laying there and saying, what did I spend my money on, bro? Like, what did I just buy, right? And then I go, I go to work on the end of my shift. I was like, you know what? I like my desk. It keeps me focused because I don't have distractions like TV in my house. So let me go ahead and start the program. So I start the program, and I remember one of my colleagues at the time, he just got done doing his masters, okay?

[A]

He.

[B]

He wanted to also be a lawyer. And he walks in, he's like, hey, what are you. What are you studying? And I was just like, dude, I just bought this program. I'm gonna learn how to sell information online based on my expertise in the ATM business.

[A]

And what do you think of that, bro?

[B]

He talks so much shit to me. You got a scam, bro. He's like, are you stupid? Like, you're hella d. He says, like, you're good at policing, but you're dumb at everything else. I was just like, what? You know, and then everything skyrocketed, bro. Like, literally, like, it was like a straight movie, you know? Yeah. Six months. I call it six months of hell because I had to learn everything, right? I had to, you know, go through.

[A]

It takes time. Go through the mud, bro.

[B]

You got to go through trenches and then, yeah, it takes time. And I was able to figure it out. Build multiple eight figure online businesses, help a whole lot of people and it's great. You know my biggest why transition to not only helping my family, but my family's good, dude, they're gonna be good forever no matter if I'm here or if I'm not here. What my why now is just helping people become multi millionaires. And the way I'm doing that now, dude, is I find people just like yourself that put us here. Right. So that have the passion, that have that it factor, dude. It's just like it's gonna work or it's gonna work.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

There ain't no excuses. Right?

[A]

That's how I definitely view it too. I say it's, it's either gon work or it's going to work even more.

[B]

Well, that's it. That's the only, that's the only. That's the only way I view things. Because once you view where you have an option to opt out or to say, hey, I'm just going to quit.

[A]

That'S where you mess up.

[B]

You're going to quit?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're already talking about quitting. Think about that. It's psychology here, right? But if you tell yourself, okay, I'm not going to quit, I have no choice, guess what? You're going to make it work. You're going to think outside the box to make it work. So, so with, with your situation, dude, I love the fact that you launched that not only to help people, educate them on taxes and also finances, but how do your experience as a service business owner, service based business owner inform. Inform the financial advice you give to clients. Like, are you doing it based off your experience? Did you hire more people on your team that are experts in finances? And you know, you're just the, the founder and the visionary. Like how, how did you, how did you combine that, your experiences as a service based business owner to inform about financial advice to your clients?

[A]

Basically the way I kind of give out my advice or help to other clients is through, through the chair. There's a lot of power in being a barber. There's a lot of power of having that one person listen to you or you listen to them in the chair. So for me, I kind of give out. They, they see everything, they see the progress, they see me building. And that's always going to ask the, the client, well, how are you doing this? You Know, so I definitely break it down how I did everything for right now, for me, the business, I kind of run the Apex Tax pros by myself. I just launched it not too long ago. So I'm kind of working myself self up to have more employees. But I'm trying to, I'm definitely trying to look for, for good talent and especially for driven individuals as well as myself. And just like how you said, like, there's probably going to be somebody that does it more efficiently than myself. So I definitely want to look out for those people as well.

[B]

And that's a great, that's a great saying. You just did manage. It shows me what type of entrepreneur you are. You're very smart. You're very smart. And the reason why I could say that is because some of the best entrepreneurs that I know that are true operators. Okay? Because that's what we are. We're operators, dude.

[A]

We're.

[B]

We gotta be the visionary. We gotta work on the business that in the. So you are humble enough to say, hey, you know what, I'm good, but if there's someone better, I'll put them in my place. And that's what you want to do? You want to delegate your business, dude, because you don't want to create another job, right?

[A]

No, no, exactly.

[B]

That's entrepreneurship, guys. I love it. Okay, so let's go into basically time management and you know what, what you're doing to optimize your day because I think it's very important. You know me in 2024, dude, I was running two eight figure companies. I had a little bit over 200 employees. I was running a startup six figure company for consulting business owners. At the time I was 40 pounds overweight. I was going through the depression. I mean, it was, it sucked, bro. I mean there were some episodes here where like if you ask Amelio or a producer dude, I was sitting here like, don't be an entrepreneur. Don't do it.

[A]

Breathing hard into the mic.

[B]

I mean, I breathe hard regardless. I mean, I got Emilio on the queue. He's like, hey bro, quit breathing so hard. But, but he's just like, but he's just like. I was like, bro, just be number two. Don't find me on the COVID These guys don't be number one. It's liability, right? But anyways, you gotta go through the mud, dude. You gotta go through the mud. Sometimes there's gonna be different seasons. But that's what makes you an entrepreneur is your level of experience and then you're able to dominate later. On. So you manage two high demand businesses. Okay. How do you optimize your day, delegate and maintain quality across both? It's very important.

[A]

Yes, very important. First of all, I like to start off my day at the gym. I like to gather all my thoughts. I just started the gym, I was already working out. But I'm taking a lot more seriously after seeing Alex, after seeing Vince and everybody in this office. Everybody's in this office looking pretty, pretty healthy.

[B]

So, guys, so, so you guys know Apex and I, we have a very close friend named Vince. He goes by Vince Conquer on Instagram. Look him up, he's a rock star. But he's recently just joined one of the companies called Cash Swipe and he, he helps entrepreneurs go ahead and start their own credit card processing business. He is a master of his craft. Talk to him. Really good guy. Very knowledgeable, very. But he went through the same journey as me. Like, dude, like he, he was a little plump and like, like myself and dude, he is shredded. Shredded, shredded.

[A]

That's the, that's the type of route I'm taking right now.

[B]

Yeah, bro.

[A]

Waking up early as he is, like today I saw his Instagram, I was like, oh yeah, he's up. I gotta get up. Yeah, I gotta get up right now.

[B]

And motivated.

[A]

But yeah, I like to, I like to get up and start my day with the gym. Go straight to work at, at the Fade away Barbershop. You know, I love, I like to get the shop nice and ready for the clients to come in. Right now, during the season of it's off tax season, obviously there's extensions, but right now I like to put a good 70 of my time into the barbershop and then the other 30 with my family.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then once I get a little off season for the, Once the barbershop takes a little like kind of like down slope and clients coming in, I like to focus more onto the Apex tax rows. But really I'm, I'm always learning. I'm always on my. Like you said, I've got notes, TVs at my house. Yeah, I just got a laptop podcast room and I'm there learning every day, every day something that I can add to the business. Something that I can add to the, the Fadeaway barbershop. But right now it's just, it's. It's off season for tax season. So until then I'm, I'm fully into the barbershop right now.

[B]

Yeah, fully grind mode. Just focused on one business at a time. And that's the smartest Way to do it, dude. I. I give you kudos on that, because a lot of people, you know, I've Talked to over 10,000 and entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, people that are just looking to invest into themselves. And what I got out of that and talking in all those conversations and throughout the years of entrepreneurship and even being the police, is that sometimes we get blinded by what is called the shiny object syndrome.

[A]

What is that? I never heard that.

[B]

The shiny object syndrome is when you're starting off a business or a new venture or a new investment, and then let's say I started investing into crypto, for example.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then you just got into, let's say, real estate investing. Well, you tell me, bro. Paul, like, man, I just made this much money on real estate investing, and then I go, did I mess up investing in crypto?

[A]

Okay, okay, okay. Let me try it.

[B]

Let me try it. Right? And then what ends up happening is people have a FOMO if you're missing out, so they end up investing into three, four different adventures, bro. And then they can never complete one thing. And then they're like, entrepreneurship is not for me because they never go all in.

[A]

Yeah. I feel like that's what I had to do for the Barbershop firsthand. I feel these four years before I even started the Tax Pros, I just wanted to solidify our name in the city we were in.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Try to navigate all the clientele so my barbers can be well fed, you know? And sooner or later, I mean, I hope to not. I love cutting hair, but I don't want to be there standing up, messing my joints every day. So I definitely want to take a step back once I get the opportunity. Opportunity. Which I can right now. But, like, again, Apex Tax Pros is still a little off season. It's my first year. I did great numbers. I. I passed my investment the first. The first three months, so definitely looking good. So that's. That's the round I'm gonna take for this.

[B]

That's great, ROI Man. Three months, you make your money back and all that.

[A]

That's happy.

[B]

That's the way to do it. That's the way to do it, man.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

But I like how you think about the future, dude. You're. You're very intelligent, you know, especially being in your 20s, man. My wife, she used to be a Mac artist. The company. The makeup company.

[A]

Makeup company, yeah.

[B]

She. She did that for 17 years, dude. She did that for a long time as a side hustle. Right. Even though she left, she worked. She went to go work for the government for a while. She just still did that because the passion of just doing makeup artistry and all that stuff. So she tells me all the time. She's like, oh, yeah, you got to stand for hours and your joints and it affects you.

[A]

You know, I'm talking to clients every day. Sometimes clients. Yeah, sometimes clients. They're going to bring all their problems to you.

[B]

Drama.

[A]

Yeah. When you get home, you don't want to talk to anybody.

[B]

Oh, that's how it is. Your brain is mush.

[A]

Just fried.

[B]

Yeah, fried, dude. So I get it, man. All right. So as an investor yourself right now, how does your mindset evolve after managing clippers, appointments and tax season stress? So this goes right into what we were just talking about. As an investor yourself, how does your mindset evolve after managing clippers, appointments and taxis and stress?

[A]

It really involves in a way of time management. I feel like a. Time management is a key part in those roles. I have to really schedule out my days, framework my day, start with a foundation. I have to have plans. That's. That's the top priority. If you go your day without a goal, then you're gonna have a goalless day. So I feel like that's one of the, the key parts of that.

[B]

Intention is everything and time management is everything. Yeah, some. Some of my best guys, my most successful guys. Guys, I, I haven't. I have employees, business, I like to call them business partners, but essentially they work for me that already became millionaires. And that's just based off of, like them, like them paying attention to me telling them, dude, if you can affect your time, your goal is to hit a million within a few years, not 30 years. Everybody can be a millionaire, but it just really depends how fast you want to be a millionaire. Right?

[A]

And I've seen. He's not lying when he says that he's. There's millionaires in here that are just blowing my mind right now. I've seen the, the high intensity work, but also the calmness that they have in this, in this office. So I've definitely been. And keep an eye on that. Especially Hugh. He was a. He's a savage. He's a beast at such a young age. He's a beast.

[B]

He's a youngster, man. I've, I've been working with Hugh since the age of 20, man.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah, since the age of 20.

[A]

He told me his age and my age and I was like, man, how, like saying, right? Yeah. It's insane. Yeah.

[B]

A lot of 20 year olds. If you guys are listening to this, or if you're under 20, you're in high school or whatnot, you have the massive opportunity to go ahead and network with some business owners that can go ahead and mentor you. You just got to reach out, number one. You got to invest in your yourself. That. That's the name of the game is invest in yourself. I wish I would have invested in myself a lot sooner, but also, I know that we didn't have the exposure to social media that a lot of people. Dude, it's the. It's. It's. It's the connection. You can truly be connected to everyone in the world through the social media. So it's amazing, dude. Okay, so Level up podcast. We created our core values around impact. Impact Leveling up. People helping up with their mindset, self help. It's everything, dude. Right? So let's talk about out one of your standout success stories, dude. Okay. Either a barber you coach to success, or a business owner you guided through Apex Tax. What is a really good story that you could tell us?

[A]

Actually, I have a business partner for my Fadeaway Barbershop. His name's Arleigh Bloss. He was kind of going down the same path as I was, and it's just something. When I was barely starting out, he was just like, hey, man, come. Come cut with me at the shop. You know, I'll talk to the owner. I'll get you in. I'm like, all right, cool. Boom. I got in. And I kind of. Once I got the opportunity to start the shop, I was like, man, since you gave me that opportunity, I have to give it back. Like, you definitely opened my eyes into the barbering career, and I have to. I have to give it back. So right now, we're four years strong, and he bought a house recently. He's on his third kid, and he's. He's my, like, my ride or die. He definitely follows. I have a lot of things that I go for him for help, but for financial help and. And set him up. And I. He trusted me with his taxes. He trusted me with his money to build the shop. And after all that trust, I mean, new truck, new house, it's. It's beautiful. And I'm glad that my best friend got to. To come with me on the ride, too.

[B]

Dude, that's amazing. That's amazing. See, guys, the ripple effect is the more value you give out to people, the more you get back. It definitely is. And then also, you're doing it smart, man, because you're. I'm not saying you're buying loyalty, but essentially you are ingraining loyalty into him to stay with you for the long run, dude. And I always tell people that I've met so many business owners in the past seven years, dude, that they're like, bro, you know, it's still business, you know, at the end of day. But, dude, like, you know, I guess you could say that I'm big on culture. So for me, it's hardly ever that we ever lose anybody that we work with.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And is the reason why is because they love working here. They love working for the organization, the vision, what we're doing, impacting clients. And we care, dude. Communication is everything.

[A]

Oh yeah, it's. It's huge. Like right now, since I'm over here and we have work today, you know, I can trust AB is going to take care of it, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

AB's at the, the shop right now. I already know it's running like a train over there. So that's one of the things about having a partner and also somebody you can trust. Yeah.

[B]

Handling business, dude. Right. You're over here promoting the business, you know, working on the business, not in the business. So it's good to have that, man. That's, that's called leverage, guys. Remember that, okay? As a business owner. All right, so in barbering, you craft fades and confidence. In tax advice, you craft financial empowerment. What parallels do you see in these two roles?

[A]

As in. Can you elaborate?

[B]

Yeah, I'll elaborate on this. So essentially, when you go ahead and you cut hair.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You make somebody feel good. You make them feel confident. When you go ahead and you give somebody tax advice now, you make them feel confident to make certain moves in their business or in life regarding taxes. Right. So. So what do you think the two have in common? Attention, law enforcement. You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your neighborhood safe. But in too many cities, dangerous illegals walk free as police are forced to stand down. Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst. Drug traffickers, gang members, predators. Join the mission to protect America with bonuses up to $50,000 and generous benefits. Apply now. Join.ice.gov and fulfill your mission.

[A]

Oh man, this. There's a lot of uncommons in here. You know, you're helping somebody out with their appearance. You're helping somebody out with their confidence. I get, I get advice from the craziest things to how can I talk to a girl? How can I talk to this in the shop? But I guess it goes hand in hand. As well, too, because in the tax pros business, you're having people with businesses like, well, how can I do this? How can I save money right here? How can I. I leverage this to here? You're hand in hand. I have a lot of good customer satisfaction.

[B]

Yeah. So. So, I mean, I think I. I could touch on what you're saying. Apex, number one, you're. You're the expert when it comes to these two niches. So. So I. I feel like you're really helping them with their level of confidence when it comes to them making their own decisions.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, I think you. With the level of experience that you have, brother, is now people hear your story, and they're like, oh, well, he's been a barber for 14 years now. When this episode comes out, you're gonna get a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs that want to open their own shop. You know, currently, right now, I moved to Puerto Rico three months ago. I have a barber named Coco. Coco is phenomenal. He cuts my hair so good. So I told him, I was like, hey, dude, have you ever thought of opening your own barbershop? And he's just like, yeah, bro, but I'm not businessing savvy. He's like, I'm gonna keep it real with you. I'm not business savvy. And. And I was just like, well, what if you open it with me and he goes with you? Oh, I'll quit all day.

[A]

You got the confidence in that?

[B]

It's the confidence, bro. So I think based on what you're doing, dude, is you're doing the same thing. You're building the confidence in your clients, but you're just doing it within different industries. That's all you're doing, dude.

[A]

Definitely.

[B]

So. So at the end of the day, just keep doing what you're doing with going ahead and providing value, because that's what you're good at, dude. What I see when you. When you talk, everything, you' Your values, your core values, what you learn from your uncle, who you are, your family, just being a good person, seeing that someone helped you. Now you help someone else. And guess what? They help you back, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Core values, dude. So the exact same thing in business.

[A]

I kind of. And it's. It's crazy because coming into the business, I'm not very good at, I guess, talking in front of cameras and everything, and that's okay. But definitely, like, when I get in and it's like a phone call or on the chair, I'm. I'm talking my head off, you Know what I'm saying? So it. It's crazy being in the setting, but I'm slowly working into it, dude, trust me.

[B]

I was horrible when I first got on camera, and I didn't have any of these cameras or set up or the nice background or anything like that, dude. It just started in my. My home office back in California. I was still a cop, and being a cop, I had a level of confidence. But when it's you and the camera dude by yourself, you're just a different beast.

[A]

It's a different beast.

[B]

You don't have somebody telling you, hey, you messed up. Hey, you have a booger in your nose. Like, you know. Yeah, it's like, what do I do? Right? And it's funny because sometimes Emilia will say, hey, do you have, like, a booger? I was just like, just run with it, bro.

[A]

Just edit it out.

[B]

Just edit it out. Come on, bro. Just make it happen. All right, so let's go ahead and talk about your expansion, dude. What are your future plans, man? What do you. Where do you want to see your legacy when it comes to the barber industry country to go?

[A]

And also with Apex Consulting, I definitely want to coach. I feel like I would be a good coach. That's why I joined this. This mentorship with you and your staff. Yeah. I just feel like I can bring a lot of opportunity and information to those people that are kind of live the same thing through I did. You know, there's a lot of people my age and there's a lot of people in my hometown that kind of look up to me, so I don't want to let them down or. Or kind of give them the sense of, like, man, he was.

[B]

He.

[A]

He did all this, but at the end, didn't do nothing with it. You know, I definitely want to. I definitely want to prove everybody wrong and. And prove everybody right. You know, definitely my parents as well. They. They believe in me and they trusted me, and I don't want. I just don't want to let anybody down. And I have. I have really good intentions. I've been through some dark things, and now seeing the different side of it, I. I definitely want to push that towards everybody.

[B]

Well, it seems like you got a good head on your shoulders. You have your parents at. Have belief in you, and typically, your family or people are close that have known you for a very long time. Yeah, they won't have that level of belief until you actually prove them wrong.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you've already proven wrong multiple times? Probably. Yeah. They have no choice, but to believe what you're gonna say. Right.

[A]

I feel like once you reach that certain level also, too, you just want to keep on going. Keep on going. It never stops. It never stops.

[B]

Yeah, like. Like, I'll give you guys a great example. You know, I always talk about my mom. I love my mom, but she is literally a Chihuahua with a lion's voice. She is Peruvian. She's a tiny little lady. She'll. She'll tell you the truth. She won't. She won't hurt your feelings. She doesn't care. So whenever I talk to her, she's like, son, I'm still your mother. You're still gonna respect me.

[A]

I was like.

[B]

And be respectful. But she goes. She goes, are you sure it's a good idea? I was like, mom, I have a great track record. I'm, like, almost never wrong when it comes to business. And she goes, okay, okay. Yeah. Because I saw something on TikTok, and.

[A]

I was like.

[B]

You'Re literally feeding it to the stats, Mom. Like, please.

[A]

You know, literally, I was having dinner with my mom yesterday, and she was saying, well, did you see on Facebook? Did you see on tape? I'm like, ma, don't. Don't listen to that stuff. Don't listen to that.

[B]

Please, Mom. Like, please. All right, man. So coming to the end of the interview now. I think it was a phenomenal interview. You have an inspired story. You inspired me a lot, dude. I'm glad we met today. It's gonna be fire, bro. Hopefully you can make Vegas in July. It's gonna be fire. You're gonna meet so many people, bro. You gotta bring business cards left to right.

[A]

Like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna bring a pocket full. You got to, bro.

[B]

You got to. So this is what we do at the level of podcast with every guest, dude. So think back before you launched your barbershops, before you launched Apex, when you were in that dark space, dude, I want you to talk to that Apex and give them some advice.

[A]

There you go, man. Just two things. Two things for you, man. Keep your head up, don't look down, and keep moving forward. I think that's. That's what helped me a lot through my dark times. And being in my house or being in, like, isolated area, I would always tell myself that. So I would definitely tell you to keep going.

[B]

Yeah. There you go, guys. That's the level up. All right, Apex, where can the audience find you?

[A]

Y' all can find me at ApexTheBarber or Apex Tax Pros, LLC. On Instagram, Facebook. And, yeah, if you ever want a haircut, just come by Plant City, Florida. Or if you're anywhere in Florida, just hit me up and I'll fly over there.

[B]

And then any, any, any shout outs you want to give out to anybody.

[A]

Shout out to my brother Lalo. Shout out to my boy Ab. Shout out to everybody. All the boys at the barber shop. Chris, Miguel, Timmy, Prodigy. Yeah, that's it. That's it, guys.

[B]

I love that. I love that. So, guys, for the barbers at Fadeaway Barbershop, you guys have a phenomenal founder and CEO here sitting next to me. He cares a lot about you. Keep hustling, guys. You guys are gonna go places. With that being said, guys, that is it. That is the end of this level up podcast with Apex. Guys, if you like this podcast, make sure to share this with somebody who's an aspiring barber or someone who's looking to get into the barber industry or even the tax consulting realm. Guys, okay? Apex has a wealth of knowledge to go ahead and help them. Also, we're gonna be working on actually going ahead and building him an offer. So you guys are gonna see him all over social media here in the next few months offering consulting services for anyone that wants to go ahead and level up with Apex. With that being said, guys, we are currently ranked number one in business on Apple podcasts and we're currently ranked top 20 in all categories. And I'm gonna continue saying this until I'm on the show. Rogan, what is up, dude?

[A]

All right.

[B]

Alright. With that being said, guys, my name is Paul Alex. I'll catch you on the next one.