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

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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

WHERE TO FIND & FOLLOW APEX

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

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]

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