From Police Academy Reject to Building a Credit Card Processing Business ft. Mark Masa

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
Episode: From Police Academy Reject to Building a Credit Card Processing Business ft. Mark Masa
Release Date: August 5, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Level Up Podcast, host Paul Alex Espinoza welcomes Mark Masakai, a resilient individual who transformed repeated rejections from police academies into a thriving credit card processing business. This episode delves into Mark's journey of grit, faith, and entrepreneurial spirit, offering valuable insights for listeners aspiring to overcome obstacles and achieve financial freedom.

Mark’s Early Life and Background

Mark Masakai shares his upbringing in a military household, highlighting the profound influence of his father, an elite sniper for the Rangers. Unlike the stereotypical strict military environment, his father exemplified leadership through actions rather than rigid discipline.

[03:03] Mark Masakai: “Never forget where you came from, because that's when you begin to fall.”

This foundational lesson instilled in Mark the importance of humility and perseverance, shaping his values and work ethic.

Overcoming Early Rejections

Mark recounts early life challenges, including financial struggles that left his family living in poverty. At eight years old, he witnessed his mother’s distress over rent, which deeply impacted him and strengthened his resolve to change their circumstances.

During his senior year of high school, Mark faced a significant setback when a college counselor dismissed his potential, citing his GPA.

[17:57] Mark Masakai: “Don't focus on the ‘No’, Focus on the K, N, O, W. Focus on the know.”

This rejection momentarily shook his confidence but ultimately fueled his determination to prove himself, leading him to excel academically and earn a degree in biotechnology.

Transition to Law Enforcement

Despite his initial plans to enter the medical field, Mark felt a calling towards law enforcement, inspired by his father’s legacy. After multiple rejections, including three attempts to join law enforcement, Mark's perseverance paid off when he was finally accepted into the Orange County Sheriffs.

[24:13] Mark Masakai: “So I ended up doing social media for my agency... It doesn’t help that I look like an explorer...”
[25:45] Mark Masakai: “People are going to miss out if you don't make that move.”

Mark's eventual acceptance into law enforcement not only fulfilled his personal aspirations but also provided him with valuable leadership and organizational skills.

Lessons from Law Enforcement

Mark emphasizes the critical differences between law enforcement and other professions, particularly the importance of discipline, resilience, and leadership under pressure. His experience taught him to remain calm and effective in high-stress situations, a skill that seamlessly transitioned into his entrepreneurial endeavors.

[33:38] Mark Masakai: “You have to have the discipline and the belief to get those reps.”

He also highlights the impact of a positive and supportive environment within the police force, contrasting it with the often cynical perceptions outside of it.

Entering Entrepreneurship: Credit Card Processing

Mark pivoted to entrepreneurship by entering the credit card processing industry, recognizing a lucrative opportunity to help small businesses reduce their processing fees. He leveraged Paul Alex’s mentorship and digital marketing strategies to launch his venture, Pinoy Payments, in early 2023.

[52:05] Mark Masakai: “We go through the only legal way to transfer that fee onto the consumer called the cash discount program.”

Mark’s business model focuses on providing financial relief to small businesses by implementing cash discount programs, enabling them to retain more of their earnings while Mark earns residual income.

Challenges in Business

One of the primary challenges Mark faces is lead acquisition. To overcome this, he collaborates with mentors like Rob Sin and utilizes virtual assistants from the Philippines to enhance his outreach and efficiency.

[28:14] Mark Masakai: “Run, run and run. Running is a huge thing in the academy.”

Mark’s strategic approach to scaling his business involves continuous learning, leveraging technology, and expanding his network to reach more clients.

Leveraging Faith and Mindset

Faith plays a central role in Mark’s life and business philosophy. He draws inspiration from biblical principles, viewing entrepreneurship as a way to serve others while honoring his spiritual commitments.

[60:13] Paul Alex: “What does being called okay by God mean to you, especially in business?”
[60:20] Mark Masakai: “The gospel is the ultimate thing. If there's anything that I can give somebody that's of the most massive and immense value is to believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins.”

Mark emphasizes the importance of aligning business practices with faith-based values, fostering integrity, and maintaining a purpose-driven mindset.

Future Plans and Final Thoughts

Looking ahead, Mark aims to expand Pinoy Payments to support the Filipino business community actively, providing tailored financial solutions and mentorship programs. His vision includes fostering a supportive network where business owners can thrive while maintaining their cultural integrity.

[64:46] Mark Masakai: “Find your why. Finding your why gets you off the tracks and gets you to where you want to go, where you're needed to go.”

Mark’s message to listeners is clear: regardless of how average one might feel, discovering and embracing one's purpose is key to overcoming challenges and achieving success.

Notable Quotes

• Mark Masakai [03:03]: “Never forget where you came from, because that's when you begin to fall.”
• Mark Masakai [17:57]: “Don't focus on the ‘No’, Focus on the K, N, O, W. Focus on the know.”
• Mark Masakai [28:14]: “Run, run and run. Running is a huge thing in the academy.”
• Mark Masakai [60:20]: “The gospel is the ultimate thing. If there's anything that I can give somebody that's of the most massive and immense value is to believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins.”
• Mark Masakai [64:46]: “Find your why. Finding your why gets you off the tracks and gets you to where you want to go, where you're needed to go.”

Conclusion

This episode of The Level Up Podcast offers an inspiring narrative of resilience and transformation. Mark Masakai’s journey from repeated rejections in law enforcement to establishing a successful credit card processing business underscores the power of perseverance, faith, and strategic thinking. Listeners are encouraged to find their purpose, embrace challenges, and leverage supportive environments to achieve their own paths to success.

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Connect with Mark Masakai:

• Business: Pinoy Payments
• Instagram: @PinoyPayments

Follow Paul Alex Espinoza:

• Instagram: @PaulAlex

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If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a five-star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred platform. Share with friends and family who are ready to level up their lives and businesses.

Transcript

[Paul Alex]

Race the rudders. Raise the sails. Race the sails. Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching. Over. Roger, wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution? Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors. With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title, and more. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Get started today at LinkedIn.com results, terms and conditions apply. Welcome to the Level up podcast. I'm your host, Paul Alex. I went from being a cop to an eight figure entrepreneur that helps average people like you and me make money every single day. I created this podcast to help you get motivated and to crush your goals. Let's win together. Remember, I have your six. Get ready to level up right now. Hey, guys, and welcome back to Level Up Podcast. This is Paul Alex. Guys, here is the latest update and we have on our rankings, we are currently number 19, top podcast in the world. World. And in the United States, we are number one in business, guys. All thanks to you. Appreciate it, guys. Over 3 million downloads. I mean, Emilio is just like, I told you we could do it, bro. You remember that day where I told you you should, like, name the podcast a Level Up? I was like, yeah, man. Yeah. But now we're here almost two years later, interviewing great people like our next guest here. All right, so our next guest, his name is Mark. A man who's been told no his whole life. Guys. And I'm talking about everybody. Teachers, counselors, departments, police departments, Guys. And gatekeepers. But he turned every note into a reason to grow. Okay. From military household to preaching his first sermon at the age of 15, to being denied by the police force. Guys. Mark kept showing up, adapting and trusting God's plan. Now he's gone from being a rejected academy applicant to a certified law enforcement instructor, drone operator, and entrepreneur with multiple accounts in the credit card processing business. Guys. All while bringing his biblical values into business, which is phenomenal. This episode is about grit, faith, and flipping rejection into results. Let's welcome Mark to the Level Up. What's up, brother?

[Mark Masakai]

I am so privileged and honored to be here. It's so freaking awesome that about a year and a half ago.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

I didn't think I'd be sitting next to De Paul Alex. We'd level up, so.

[Paul Alex]

Oh, dude. Nah, man. From. From. From the streets into the. What I like to say. From the streets to the boardroom, brother.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely right. Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

That's what it's about, man.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

You know, gotta. Gotta dominate and. And make it happen. So let's get into your story, Mark. You have A very, very compelling background. You're a man of God, and you're a current police officer.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes, sir.

[Paul Alex]

I love it, dude. Back the blue guys, America. All right, you were raised in a military household. What would you say is the biggest lesson your father taught you? That still sticks with you today, guy.

[Mark Masakai]

So it's kind of wild how my dad even raised us, because it wasn't your typical military household. It was not like, drill sergeant, five in the morning, get up, you know, reveille and all this craziness. I mean, and this guy was a freaking cool dude, man. I mean, he was a sniper for the Rangers. You know, he's just.

[Paul Alex]

He was elite.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, he was elite. 100% elite. So you got to imagine as a young kid, you're looking at this guy, and you're just like, this is my hero.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and he is. And the way he explained the life lessons to us was always through his actions. And the one thing that I can say without a doubt was, well, two things I should say is. Never forget where you came from.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

Ever, ever. Never forget where you came from, because that's when you begin to fall. You know, that moment, we forget that. And then the second thing was to dominate. Humbly.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, those two things just resonated with me my entire life. I mean, he came here with 60 bucks in his pocket and made it happen.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

What's my excuse? Right?

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

And so I go over to. I'm young. We live in North Carolina, and we're living in an apartment. There's no furniture. We're absolutely, like, destitute. I'm talking like we're eating canned food from yesterday. You know, we're. We're. We're po. You know, we can't afford the other letters. You know, that's it.

[Paul Alex]

You're not P. O. O. R. You're not poor. You're P.O.

[Mark Masakai]

I'M POW. P.O. but, yeah. And so it was insane because I remember my mom crying on the floor. My dad was out on a mission, and he couldn't tell us where he was. I don't know if he was alive or dead, you know? And my mom was crying on the floor. She's like. I'm like, why are you crying? And she says, I need some money for rent. You know, we can't afford it.

[Paul Alex]

How old were you?

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, I was probably, like, eight years old.

[Paul Alex]

Eight years old. So you got to understand everything that's going on at that age.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I grew up a little differently. And I'll get into that when it comes down to, like, going to school and stuff in different schools that I've been to. But essentially, I remember saving some money as a kid, and it was in this little wallet my dad gave me, and it was $7 to the exact T that my mom needed to pay rent. And so God's provision has been with us this entire time. And it reminded me, like, never forget where I come from. You know, never forget. And that's where I came from. We came from a poor immigrant family that just worked hard that put grit, that put faith, that put faith beyond belief into our work style and our lifestyles. And then now I get to sit next to Paul Alex. Are you kidding me?

[Paul Alex]

No, man.

[Mark Masakai]

I get to sit next to the awesome team that you've been able to put together. I mean, that's. Your team is by far. Sorry, I'm going off topic, but it's just amazing just to see, to hear, and to know that I'm sitting here.

[Paul Alex]

No, I appreciate that, man. And we love to have you here. We love you to tell your story. You're men of God. You're in law enforcement. So, dude, you're already a servant leader. And like I was saying earlier, you know, law enforcement. And not to go off topic, guys, but law enforcement deserves more.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes, sir.

[Paul Alex]

They deserve more. More recognition, more good views in the media, dude. More support.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Because there's a lot of people that I work with have gone through trauma, dude, and you don't know that you have PTSD until you're at home, not being able to sleep. You're sleeping for three hours, then you got to go to the job again, dude. It's not. It's not normal, right? It's not normal.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

So let's go ahead and talk about, you know, before you transitioned into law enforcement. Let's talk about you and actually God, dude, church, that type of life. Right. That portion of your life. You mentioned you started preaching at the age of 15, dude. Okay, what was it like, number one. And how did it prepare you for entrepreneurship later on in life?

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. So just to backtrack just a second.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Go into being a military brat caused me to adapt and overcome and learn. Right?

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

I'm not a big dude, you know, I'm not, like, usually it's the biggest kid on the playground that kind of called the shots. But I always knew that God gave me certain faculties to be able to discern people. So the first thing I would do at this new school I'd be going to is to like, okay, this kid at the playground looks like he's the one running the show. I need to get influence from him, you know, I need to be the one to be able to influence that person, you know, so that way I don't have to work as hard trying to influence all the other people that are under them or that respect him. Right. And not in a bad way, but in a good way, obviously.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And so that translated now, to answer your question, into sharing the gospel and being hyperactive in church and ministry, and so being able to preach that first message. Man, I was nervous, nervous, you know, just shaking. I'm so glad the pulpit was bigger than me because you would have seen my knees rattling, you know, behind the pulpit. But one thing that I remember clearly was how much value am I going to bring to these people?

[Paul Alex]

Right.

[Mark Masakai]

And that's what you did with me when you shared, when you share all of these posts, these Instagram posts, but not also that, like the mentorship itself, you know, just the talk we had in the room earlier, that's value. Every word is concise and it has reason, it has purpose.

[Paul Alex]

Right.

[Mark Masakai]

And in my opinion, the gospel is the ultimatum of such value.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, because to share an eternal life with somebody, to be able to share that to a congregation of hundreds to thousands later down the road. I mean, I used to tell. I used to teach homiletics, which is the art of preaching, and I used to teach them, hey, this is what you need to do. This is. This is how you need to study. This is how you need to prepare and discipline yourself before the big day, because you realize you're holding something of extreme and immense massive value. And it's the same sense here in the business realm is that leveling up, that's so much value. And I love that the episodes are like, short because you listen to it and you're just really meditating on what is being said. You know, those limiting beliefs, you know, just the analysis paralysis, those little things, you just end up just really sucking up and you're just like, man, what did he mean by that? You know, what did Paul go through? Or what am I going through that's allowing that to happen right now to me? Why am I paralyzed?

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, so. So that's what did help me a lot.

[Paul Alex]

And let's talk about that real quick. What's your perspective in people that get paralyzed? The people that get analysis paralysis? You know, why. Why do people. Why are people their worst enemy?

[Mark Masakai]

Fear.

[Paul Alex]

Fear.

[Mark Masakai]

Fear, Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

And why. Why do they have Fear.

[Mark Masakai]

Fear of the unknown, you know, and I think that's.

[Paul Alex]

Do you think that's environment. Environmental based? Do you think it. It's because that's the way they grew up. Their parents probably brought Absolutely. Brought in bad traits. I mean, I'm pretty sure dad being in Special Forces, being the elite of the elite, man, he was all like, yo, we about to do this.

[Mark Masakai]

Right? Right.

[Paul Alex]

So he showed you how to overcome.

[Mark Masakai]

That, Paul, he's only five. Five.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

He's not a big dude.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And yet he was, you know, rubbing shoulders. Yeah, absolutely. With some beasts out there.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and the. Like I told you, he lived. He showed us how to live without fear.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and part. Part of that is you grow up with parents or you grow up with family members. You go with co workers. I mean, until now, I have co workers joking around with me, you know, like, hey, what are you doing robbing old ladies? Or, you know, what are you doing, you know, taking more money from these business owners and whatnot. And I'm just like, no, I'm helping them. I'm saving them money. I'm creating value for them, you know, and then not just them, but their families.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

So that fear gets diminished when you realize that the mission is actually helping people.

[Paul Alex]

It is.

[Mark Masakai]

And it's insane.

[Paul Alex]

You know, huge way.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. And having that unknown, honestly excites me. It scares you at first, and that's normal. Just like when you would stop cars, I'm sure you would probably like, oh, man, I don't know if these three shaved heads right now are going to let me search the car or if they're on probation or parole.

[Paul Alex]

I'll tell you something, man. And I'm fully transparent when it comes to my law enforcement career and life in general. But, you know, when I was a rookie.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

And I was doing my first car stop, you know, and I'm pretty sure you guys go through this as well. You always hear the rookie goes, Cow 33. I just did a car stop. Oh, my God. You know, and you're like, what the.

[Mark Masakai]

Hell is going on?

[Paul Alex]

And it's just because they don't have radio etiquette.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

And how do you get radio etiquette in law enforcement? Through the reps.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

That's it. You know, and that's how you learn being in stressful situations. Right. And then guess what? You've gone through different scenarios in your life. You know, you've gone through that stress in that world and you transition out to business.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

And in business, you could be cool, calm, collective.

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right. And the difference with that, I think, is that when you're in the academy and then you go on fto your training, you're forced to be there. So you have to. You have to throw out your 1033s and all that. But the difference in the business world is that that's on you.

[Paul Alex]

It's on you.

[Mark Masakai]

You've got to be the one to initiate. You've got to be the one to have that discipline and to push yourself to that next level.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely. You got to have the grip. You got to have the discipline.

[Mark Masakai]

You have to have the belief to get those reps.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely, man.

[Mark Masakai]

I love it.

[Paul Alex]

I love it. Okay, so in the very beginning, you talked about. You've been told no your entire life, dude. All right? And that's okay. There's a lot of people out there that they always say, why me? Why me? And, you know, you. You guys always hear it. If you guys follow me on social media or. Or any of my podcasts, I always talk about victim mentality. Right. And I talk about being solution driven. Abercrombie's viral denim sale is back, and Spotify listeners get an extra 15 off with code Spotify AF. Abercrombie is known for their denim with 30 to 50% off all jeans. Find out how denim should fit. Shop the viral denim sale in the Abercrombie app online or in stores. Valid in stores and online through August 11, 2025, in US and Canada. Excludes clearance price reflects discount code. Valid in US and Canada through August 11, 2025. Exclusions apply. See details online. Let's talk about the. No, from this specific time in your life from that college counselor. Okay.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, man.

[Paul Alex]

What did that moment teach you about belief in yourself? And paint the picture here, man. Paint the picture like it's a police report.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, dude. So it's senior year.

[Paul Alex]

Okay.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, you're looking at me.

[Paul Alex]

How old are you?

[Mark Masakai]

I'm 8. 17. 17?

[Paul Alex]

You're 17?

[Mark Masakai]

17 years old. I'm sitting in my algebra class, and I'm looking at the girl that I have a crush on. You know, I'm all distracted and stuff, focusing. I'm the only Asian that's not good at math. You know, I'm trying to figure things out.

[Paul Alex]

So were you a good student?

[Mark Masakai]

I absolutely was, but I was not as good as my peers.

[Paul Alex]

Got it.

[Mark Masakai]

That's the difference, you know, Was I. I was good in the sense of doing my homework and doing all that stuff. But then at the same time, my peers Just completely left me in their dust, you know, they were 4.5 GPOs. Who gets a 4.5?

[Paul Alex]

They're machines.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely. So I. I didn't think of myself very highly, you know, at that point. So I'm sitting there and they have this thing where the vice principal will call counselor, will be your counselor, and kind of set you up and prepare you for your next level, which is going into college.

[Paul Alex]

Your next stage of life.

[Mark Masakai]

Correct.

[Paul Alex]

To prepare you what you want to do. So you have direction.

[Mark Masakai]

Exactly.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And so I get that pa, you know, calling Mark Masakai into the principal's office. Mark Masakai into the principal's office. I show up and at that time.

[Paul Alex]

Did you know you wanted to go to college?

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. And I. And just, you know, Asian culture is like, dude, if you're not going to a university, then you're not going to real college. You know? So my mind was set on the highest of highs, you know, at that point.

[Paul Alex]

Mark, what did you want to do for a living? Did you know already?

[Mark Masakai]

I was wanting to go into the medical field? Okay. Yeah. Believe it or not, out of all places, you know, I want. I really wanted to join the military, but then my parents dissuaded me from that. They're like, too dangerous.

[Paul Alex]

You wanted to do what your dad did?

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Badass.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah. My parents, they actually talked me out of going to the military.

[Mark Masakai]

They did?

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, they did. I. I wanted to go to the Marines. I remember I was getting hit up by the recruits and they were. They're in my ear, dude. Those recruits, they do a good job, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

They.

[Paul Alex]

They're like, hey, man, what's up?

[Mark Masakai]

Like, pull ups in front of you.

[Paul Alex]

Exactly, man. And they paint the picture. They're like, dude, we'll pay for your college. You know, it'll be good. You'll learn discipline. You'll become a man.

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

And. And I was like, I was there. I was just like, all right, I think I'm gonna do it. And then my parents were like, are you stupid? Like, what are you doing? Like, no, you wanna get killed? You know, they start bringing down the beliefs.

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right.

[Paul Alex]

And that's what happens to a lot of people. But going into law enforcement, you know, I was just like, dude, something clicked in law enforcement for me.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

I loved it.

[Mark Masakai]

Meant for it.

[Paul Alex]

I was meant for it, dude. What's Cops?

[Mark Masakai]

Cop? Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So I think if I want to go to the military, dude. Man, who knows?

[Mark Masakai]

Four star General Paul Alex.

[Paul Alex]

Who knows, Man, I was supposed to be Captain, police, right now, you know, I have 10, 11 years, dude. I'd be over there like, all right, guys, what we about to do? Yeah, you know, just take care of business.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

But to go back to your story, so you wanted to go to the military, you wanted to go into the medical field. You go and talk to the college counselor. What happens?

[Mark Masakai]

And he. I sit down in front of him and I'm thinking, he's just probably gonna tell me what classes to take, you know, and whatnot. But the first word out of his mouth is, you've been an alumni here and you're only at a 3.85 GPA.

[Paul Alex]

Only. Yeah, only. Right, Paul?

[Mark Masakai]

I mean, like, I was just, like, offended. I was honestly, I was like, what do you mean by only? And so I didn't. Honestly, I muted him. My mind went blank, and I just said, I'm not going to pay attention to whatever this guy's saying, and I'm just gonna do what my dad did and prove people wrong, you know, and that's just. That should be your motivation, right?

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

When people tell you no, I always say, don't focus on the. No, Focus on the K, N, O, W. Focus on the know.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Focus on what you know. You know. And I know that. And it's funny because I get to college, I get to ucr, and I end up meeting people there who have, like 2.5 GPAs coming in, and I'm like, what? I had a 3.5, you know, and.

[Paul Alex]

It was possibly because he was comparing you to your peers. Yes. In the school you were going to, there was probably a very high performing rate there. So he made you feel like.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Which is not. It's not the right thing to do as a counselor. I'm talking.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And you should be uplifting people and not so worried about your own program and your stats. Yeah, exactly. You. You know, obviously, now, some of those people who graduated with those 4.0s, I'm still in touch with them and work at. As managers at Target, and I think it's managers at Target, but I mean, isn't that crazy? It's crazy, Paul.

[Paul Alex]

It's crazy.

[Mark Masakai]

It's crazy.

[Paul Alex]

So. But it all comes to belief.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Right.

[Mark Masakai]

Your belief needs to be on point.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know. Yeah. It's one thing to know something and one thing to truly believe in it 100%.

[Paul Alex]

So. So after he basically downs you and he says, like, hey, dude, like, you're not. You're not doing good, even though you for. For everybody out There they're like, What?

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

A 2.0.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know, how does that make you feel? And then what was the next step in your life after that?

[Mark Masakai]

So at first it really, like destroyed me, you know, And I was thinking, like, maybe I do, and that the doubt seeps in.

[Paul Alex]

So it gave you doubt?

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely it did. You know, because you're thinking, yeah, well, they did get 4.5s. Why did I get a 3.85? You know, and then now you're thinking, what am I meant to do? And at the end of the day, I just remembered, look, the mission's still the mission. I'm going to go into medical school, I'm going to pivot, I'm going to get into that field. And then I eventually do and I graduate with a BA with a biotechnology degree. Wow. Which is like leading in science right now.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

It's insane what they're doing. I mean, they have like algae that's creating gasoline now for us. So anyways.

[Paul Alex]

Wow, that's amazing.

[Mark Masakai]

I'm slightly inert.

[Paul Alex]

No, no, that's good.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know, at the end of the day, dude, what you don't know is what you don't know. So if you're able to get a degree in something that is hot right now, dude, use it. Right. So, okay, you end up going to college.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

When do you then have the itch to go into law enforcement?

[Mark Masakai]

That's good. Yeah. I ended up thinking, well, if I go into biotechnology, which is cool and all, will I have any cool stories to tell? As cliche and as stupid as that sounds, you know, you're thinking, I'm still an 18 year old. Okay? Give me, cut me some slack. But I was like, I don't have any cool stories like my dad, you know, what I'm going to tell my kids and grandkids around the fireplace. And so I said, what's the other coolest thing I could do that I could sneak in without my parents really knowing? Put in my application for law enforcement. Wow. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

And how old were you?

[Mark Masakai]

I was 24.

[Paul Alex]

Wow. 24. So around the same time that I initially started doing it, man. So I got in at 26. I started applying at 24, got denied like three times.

[Mark Masakai]

Wow. What agencies?

[Paul Alex]

Oakland, dude. I wanted to be an Oakland police officer. In the California guys. Yes. The most dangerous city.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

At that time, it might be now different, but at the time, dude, I just wanted to be Oakland club. Because the thing was, like, at the time I was in corporate America, dude. I did it for six years, I was a high performer. Had my first place, was making six figures. Dude was living the dream. Right, right. But something inside of me was just like, yo, okay, you accomplished this.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

What else?

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right, right.

[Paul Alex]

So I didn't go ahead and stay, how I like to say, life likes to force you to be average. I just didn't want to stay average.

[Mark Masakai]

That's awesome.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah. So I wanted to go ahead and transition into law enforcement myself. So at 24, dude, I went ahead three times, and I have my own story on that, but it took three times to get in, dude. And I didn't quit until I got in. And it was the best decision of my life. You know, everybody was saying, like, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it. I did. It changed my life for the best. It actually primed me to do what I'm doing now.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Because without that experience, I wouldn't lead from example. I wouldn't have the life experience. I wouldn't know the knowledge that I know now to lead all my employees.

[Mark Masakai]

Paul, I wouldn't be sitting here if you didn't go into law enforcement. Did you know that?

[Paul Alex]

That's crazy. Yeah. It's crazy how the world works, right? But I want to hear your journey when you're trying to go into law enforcement and they told you you weren't a good fit, dude. Yeah, because they told me the exact same thing, you know, and they tell thousands of people they're not a good fit guys. You know, at that time, what year was it when you applied?

[Mark Masakai]

Ooh, that was in 2014. Yeah, 2013. 2014. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So. So in 2014, roughly around April is when I got accepted.

[Mark Masakai]

Gotcha.

[Paul Alex]

So I was applying in 2012. I remember my physical agility test. There was 1500 applicants, bro. I waited two and a half hours. Take what is like 60 second, correct? Yeah, 60 second course on your ability to jump a fence, drag a dummy of sand, and then sprint. Right. And now here, it's like less than 20 people, 10 people now applying at a time. It's crazy.

[Mark Masakai]

It's sad.

[Paul Alex]

It's sad, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

So I think we'll. We'll touch more on that. But tell me about that time where they say you weren't a good fit, dude. How did you bounce back and get in anyways?

[Mark Masakai]

So I applied with Orange County Sheriffs. I was the type that was thinking, hey, where can I move laterally a lot? Like, different assignments. Yeah, exactly. Big agencies, being careful about the good old boys clubs. You know, because smaller agencies, good old boys clubs, a lot more difficult to get in.

[Paul Alex]

And explain that because on this podcast, dude, I wish it was all first responders. No, I don't. Guys, you're right. I love you guys, but I always tell people this, even in business.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

We got to clarify for the person that is not in law enforcement. So good old boys club, guys, what market scene is sometimes in law enforcement, there's certain departments where it's probably like less than 100 people.

[Mark Masakai]

Sure.

[Paul Alex]

And guys, there's no movement. If you want to get promoted, you want to work different assignments. You want to work homicide, you want to work narcotics, you want to become a sergeant, you literally have to wait like 50 years until somebody retires in order to get their spot.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Compared to a big agency where there's a lot of movement and there's spots opening. So like myself, I was very blessed to get into investigations in two and a half years because I was in a big department. It was 800 officers. It was Oakland. The turnaround rate and the retention of the officers was insane. I think majority, 90% of the department had less than five years long, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, it was crazy. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

I was like, what happened to all the veteran, veteran officers? They're like, I don't know. So. So with you, man, how did you bounce back and get in?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes, the. I remember I did the panel interview. And you're nervous already.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Right. So there's like, there's a citizen that interviews you. Like a. What do you call this? A civilian citizen.

[Paul Alex]

Yep.

[Mark Masakai]

That interviews you and then there's like a sergeant. And that panel comprises of multiple different people.

[Paul Alex]

Correct.

[Mark Masakai]

I get walked out and they're like, hey, it's not gonna be a good fit. And you already know, you can read their mind, of course.

[Paul Alex]

Language, correct.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely. And it doesn't help that I look like an explorer, you know, I look like I'm 12 years old, you know, when I'm 36. But that was people just immediately judging me for what I looked like.

[Paul Alex]

Right.

[Mark Masakai]

And when I did the tests, you know, the sprints, the jumping through everything, man, God allowed me to have that physical ability. So I was able to outrun. I was able to make like top notch speeds and the timing, you know, but that self doubt started to seep in again.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and you're just like, man, is this for me? You know, what if I do pull somebody over, they're going to think I have a water gun in my holster or do I have a real gun? Right.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And so I end up still throwing my applications out and the agency that I work for now, and I'll leave it out for right now, but they were so gracious. They looked at me for my background.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

They looked at me for who I was. And it came to the point, Paul, where I ended up doing social media for my agency, and the social media for Orange County Sheriffs was tied up with something.

[Paul Alex]

Yep.

[Mark Masakai]

And the chief hits me up and says, hey, can you go over there and film the procession for one of the deputies that passed away in their agency?

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

I ended up meeting the sergeant over there for their pio, which is the escaping me now. But essentially they talk to the public. They're the deputies responsible for public information. Officer, thanks.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

You're about to get me. Yeah. But I ended up talking with them, that sergeant, and he's all like, did you apply for us before? Because your name looks familiar. And I said, yes. And I gave the name of the person who threw me under the bus, but he's not like, what? Wow, did we miss out.

[Paul Alex]

Right?

[Mark Masakai]

And so it's just like for the people listening to this podcast is people are going to miss out if you don't make that move, you know?

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

So.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely, man. So, so what would be some recommendations for, let's say someone. Because I get this all the time, dude. I get DM'd by hundreds of messages from actual people that want to apply to police departments. And they're like, yo, like, how should I prepare for the process? So what would you say are three needle movers if you were to do all over again now? You know the process. You're officer, you've been doing this for years, dude. And you see new officers. What would be three needle movers that someone would have to do to prepare to go through the process?

[Mark Masakai]

Run, run and run. Yeah, running is a huge thing in the academy. Yeah. So you should be staying fit. Anyways, so Lifetime Fitness, right, as we call it.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

You give up. Once you go into law enforcement, you give up the right to be unfit, you know, and so sadly, there are officers and deputies that, you know, are unfit, you know, but our goal is to help them. Right. Is to help provide some financial avenues for them so that they can get fit and be good cops. And if they're called to stay a copy, we can provide that passive income.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

It's insane. So, yeah, run, run, obviously, don't be stupid. You know, don't go to the bar and get drunk and get arrested during. I mean, it's A lot of it's common sense.

[Paul Alex]

It is, man, but not a lot of people have common sense.

[Mark Masakai]

Let's be real.

[Paul Alex]

Let's be real, bro.

[Mark Masakai]

That's so true.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, it's very true. So no, I love the needle movers that you gave. One, One needle mover. I would tell you guys, this is what I did. I see it on social media, dude, during the application process, even if you're not doing anything bad, it could just be somebody that you're connected with that are doing something shady they're not supposed to do. And you're in the background, right? You're in the, you're at that party drinking water while everybody's getting shit faced. And guess what, right? That person might have a record. Now what? Now guess what? Your bd, your background investigator, right? Who's going through your file, they're like, yo, what is this?

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

You have to explain and they're gonna ask you those questions. They're gonna try to trick you, right?

[Mark Masakai]

Truth. Yeah. We want the best on the front lines.

[Paul Alex]

Exactly, man. We don't want people hiding shit.

[Mark Masakai]

Exactly.

[Paul Alex]

So that, dude, like when, when I went through the process, I was like, you know, I didn't do anything wrong, but I got rid of my social media because I was like, dude, I don't need. Is just going to go ahead and cause more issues.

[Mark Masakai]

So true.

[Paul Alex]

And I just, I don't need it. I didn't need social media at that time, so I got rid of it. Dude, the last time I used social media was MySpace. And then back when I jumped back on, it was like 20. 20, 2020. Middle of 2020, dude. And I. And as soon as I jumped back on it, it was because I wanted to expand business digitally, right? To learn that part of the game, right? So no good on you, dude. So how long have you been in law enforcement now?

[Mark Masakai]

11 years.

[Paul Alex]

11 years. And what would you say is the biggest difference between when you started law enforcement, your first three years and where it's currently at right now? What are the biggest differences?

[Mark Masakai]

So I applied everything that I learned, right? Just like you're in that big arena, you're looking for who the big dogs are and you're trying to pay attention to who commands reverential respect, okay. Not just like out of fear. And so I paid attention and I grew a network, first three years. So the first three years I worked hard, kept my head low. I made sure that I gave no reason for my supervisors to have any issue qualms or worries about me. My supervisor says, hey, what are you doing? I would say whatever you want me to do right now, you know, that's just how I am. And I made sure that my work ethic spoke for my. My actual words, you know? So when they say, oh, Masakayan, they call me Masa for short. Oh, Masa. That. That guy. Solid dude. He's going to take care of you. He's going to get you where you need to go.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah. He's squared away.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. Squared away is a good. Another.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Common phraseology.

[Paul Alex]

It is. Yeah, it is.

[Mark Masakai]

So. And I always joke around about a square is a bowling ball, sir. You know, so we finished that three years and then there you have it. God opens these doors. People are recognizing your work. The good supervisors are recognizing your work.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And then they start to throw those bones. And remember, I'm always reminded, like, I've not deserved any of those bones thrown my way. I don't deserve those necessarily just because of my work ethic. Because if I base it off that and I don't get it and it's based off somebody's discretion, then of course I'm going to feel crappy. Right. Because it's just that person's whim. He could have slept on the wrong side of the bed that day and not chose to select me for that assignment.

[Paul Alex]

Right, right.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, but deep down inside, I know what I'm capable of.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

I know my work ethic and I know what I am, you know.

[Paul Alex]

So in the 11 years.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Have you gone to different investigation units? Have you done special assignments? What have you done, brother?

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah. So I ended up going to. Well, now, let's see. There's a lot defensive tactics. So I teach that academy dt. Yeah. It's. It's very interesting to watch these recruits just don't know how to throw a punch or know they're very important. Yes.

[Paul Alex]

It's a physical job, guys. And you guys learned that the day that you get someone hitting you in the mouth.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, yeah.

[Paul Alex]

That's the wake up call.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Don't. Don't wait to train till the after that happens.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

You want to train before?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes. And our agency is really good about making sure you get punched in the face. So that way you know what it feels like.

[Paul Alex]

Oh yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Everybody's got a plan, right? Till 100%.

[Paul Alex]

Until hits the fan.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah. So I do that. I am really focused on narcotics. So I went to school to become a drug recognition expert. I think you did the same too. And you know, it's not just a regular class or Training where you sit there, absorb the content, you're actually like being tested.

[Paul Alex]

Correct.

[Mark Masakai]

Scientific studies and case law and stuff. So get to. I got to do that. I am also a drone pilot operator for.

[Paul Alex]

That's cool.

[Mark Masakai]

For agency. So we get to do that. I work recruiting for two years, so I handle social media and all of those things as well for the recruiting unit. So that was super fun.

[Paul Alex]

So question on that. You know, like we were talking before the podcast. You know, I'm always big, especially because I got into digital marketing. I know a little bit about the space now and how it's perceived in the online world, but then also media. Right. And with the perception of law enforcement in media, there's always a bad light on enforcement.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Okay. What is your input on how we in law enforcement can leverage social media for the greater good?

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. I think just show the stories of the day to day life of. I mean, you got to think like you're going to a domestic violence. Right. This lady is getting beat to the point of like unconsciousness. You get there, you arrest the guy and then this lady is now yelling at you who saved her?

[Paul Alex]

And that's the part where they record and.

[Mark Masakai]

Exactly. I love that you added that right now because I wouldn't have said that. And that's the part where they record and they're like, oh, look, you're. You're just taking my husband away.

[Paul Alex]

You're taking a good guy.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know, but little do they know, the public's perception is like, yo, he was literally beating her to death.

[Mark Masakai]

And to a degree, our hands are tied behind their back. Right. Because that case is still an open case. You can't just be like, well, this is what was really happening. Right. So you can't really divulge any information of that.

[Paul Alex]

Because now. Because now liability purposes.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

You could get civilly sued. The department could get civil.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

You could get an internal investigation.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Open up for you. And at the end of the day it's like, what do I do? Right. That's part of the job.

[Mark Masakai]

Law enforcement is fighting with their hands tied behind their backs. In the media space it is. So what you're bringing up and sharing with your community is super vital to help us. I'm not saying like bow down to every cop that you see, but I'm saying is show some respect because these are human beings too. And some of the most amazing individuals I've ever met.

[Paul Alex]

Self sacrificing people, 100% man, majority of people don't do policing for the money. Right. There's a very, very small percentage that people that do it for the money.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

But majority of them, they're actually people that have come from law enforcement or for military. Right. And they transitioned into becoming police officers because it's more of fulfillment.

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

All right, Right. It's more of like, hey, this is what I want to do, man. My academy class, man, back in 2014, I remember there was people that were already doctors, people that were already lawyers. They were really highly successful in life, but they transitioned to go into police academy for the opportunity to become a police officer, to wear that badge. Right, right. Because that's their calling, that's what they wanted.

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right, right, absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

So it blows my mind, you know, I think law enforcement is one of the greatest professions out there. I think more people, highly qualified people that are educated and if you want to get into business, you want to be a multimillionaire, go into policing for a couple years, you're going to learn leadership skills, you're going to learn how to be organized, you going to learn how to be in high stressful situations, you're going to learn how to talk to people.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

If it wasn't for law enforcement, dude, I'm telling you right now, I wouldn't be where I'm at today, living life by design.

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right, absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

So it's all about how you frame your mind.

[Mark Masakai]

That's so true. Yeah, so true.

[Paul Alex]

All right, cool, man. So let's go ahead and jump now into business.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Okay, my man.

[Mark Masakai]

One of my favorites. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

Yes. So you're in credit card processing, which is one of the things that I do, guys. I. I own a portfolio company called Cash Swipe, which is a fintech platform that actually is connected with one of the long lasting ISOs, independent sales organizations in Southern California. Paybotics. Shout out to Rob Sin, Shout out to John Sarabia. My homeboys right there. And they've been in the industry for 22 years, so they are my mentors. Okay. So when I jumped into credit card processing, guys, I launched Cash swipe in early 2023. I like everything else. I got my social proof, got my accounts, got my portfolio, and then I took it to mass market. I took it to mass market because I was like, dude, this is such a no brainer.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Such a no brainer. Number one, you're helping a lot of small business owners save money on credit card processing fees, which adds more money to their bottom line, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

Correct, Absolutely. Inflation, hiring, everything, right? Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

And then number two, you want to make residual Income, passive income. How do you go ahead and create freedom, guys? For a lot of people that are out there, 9 to 5ers, people that are beginner entrepreneurs, this is a great avenue because it's a beginner friendly idea.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

So how did you learn about credit card processing? When did you start and where are you currently at right now?

[Mark Masakai]

So I had a house. I was called Housebroke. I know there's a ton of people out there in the world right now that are house broke. And to make that clear, all that means is you got a house, you got a mortgage, you got a mortgage and your bills just have enough to make it through the day, you know, to make it through that. And so I said, I got to do something else. It's, it's eating into my spiritual life. It's eating and like I'm working so many hours, you know, I need to figure something else out. I go on, I hop on Instagram, you know, usual, you're doom scrolling, which is terrible, you know, And I see your ad and I'm like, what was.

[Paul Alex]

What was that picture? Dude, paint the picture.

[Mark Masakai]

I see this super handsome guy, you know, I see your dad.

[Paul Alex]

He's not talking about.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. See your ad and you're wearing your SWAT outfit. I said, dude, that guy's freaking cool. Like, that's kind of what I want to end up kind of getting into. Right. In my field and in our field, I should say.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And I'm like, what's this about? Like, is he just telling his story? It wasn't even right up all immediately about, hey, credit card machines. No, it was your story.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and so I'm here and I see you. There's another picture of you sleeping like in the airport or something like that. And like you would like tons of cash and dope and stuff. And dope's just another word for drugs. And you're just there and you're, you're telling your story. And I'm getting to the part where you turn into an entrepreneur.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

And I'm like, wait a minute.

[Paul Alex]

Interesting.

[Mark Masakai]

Ding, ding, ding. And I said, this has to be like some kind of scam or something. Right? Like, there's no way.

[Paul Alex]

It's crazy to me. Think, let's, let's think out loud real quick.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Between a former cop, a current cop. Let's think about this real quick.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

How many people right now in the online space go through the exact same thought process? This has to be a scam. The dude was a cop. They know how much Money I was making because it's online. I mean, if you're in California, your salary, benefits, your name, go look it up. Transparent.

[Mark Masakai]

California. Yep. Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

You can look at every cop's salary guys.

[Mark Masakai]

Overtime too.

[Paul Alex]

Overtime too, Right?

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So when I tell people in the online space, dude, I used to make quarter mil freaking being a cop. But here's the thing. What you guys don't want to understand is what I had to do do to go that. To get to that number, which was 80 to 100 hour work weeks.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

And people are like, how's that possible? That's not legal. Well, actually it is. You just need a break.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Eight hours minimum break. And you're able to work up to that number. Okay. So that's what I did. A lot of people did that. First responders. That's actually how they're able to afford houses.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Okay. So house broke. Dude, I can relate. I was there.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes. Right.

[Paul Alex]

So when it comes down to it now, the thought process of you seeing an ad from a person who was a cop, police officer, you know, he would make $250,000, and now he's an entrepreneur and he's talking about a business opportunity.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Why, as a society, do we think everything is a scam? What do you think? What are your thoughts?

[Mark Masakai]

Honestly, I think people are just so cynical and skeptical and a lot of people have crab mentality. Have you ever thrown crabs in a bucket?

[Paul Alex]

Yep.

[Mark Masakai]

And what do they do? They just pull. Pull the other crabs that are trying.

[Paul Alex]

To get out, trying to climb on top of each other, man.

[Mark Masakai]

And so I hated that.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and I was never that way. I. One of my good beat partners, he's a sergeant now. He always said this. Rising tides lift all ships.

[Paul Alex]

Yep.

[Mark Masakai]

And that's the goal, is we want to help each other grow.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And that's what you do, especially on this platform. You know, and we're just really extremely grateful that you didn't selfishly take that.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and you shared it with your community.

[Paul Alex]

So one quick thing, Mark.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

Something that I want to point out that you just said, ma'. Am.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

That I'm. Like you said, you never used to be like that. So you're talking about being cynical, like limiting beliefs with thinking things are scam.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

What made you think that it was a scam?

[Mark Masakai]

So the thing that made me think it was a scam was in your environment.

[Paul Alex]

Is it other people were like, Yo, Ltd. Believes Sam. Mark. It has to be a scam.

[Mark Masakai]

Right. Who gets rich that way? Who tell me a person that said, oh, I watched the Instagram video and I learned to create a business for myself, and now I learned how to be good with my taxes, too. So I get a most mostly back. You know, who does that? Everybody around me. It's, you know, it's. And thankfully my parents, you know, weren't so hard on me. They're kind of more open to it.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Because they want to probably get me out of a dangerous profession.

[Paul Alex]

Of course. But they care about you.

[Mark Masakai]

Without thinking about them, you think about everybody else around you and you're like, oh, you're just one of those Instagram kids, you know, that's all. You're just. You're just suckling on that Instagram milk and you're thinking that that's gonna make. You're gonna do a couple dance videos and you're gonna be a millionaire.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

And in reality, that's. There's different takes on that, you know, but the reality is, is that you won't know until you try it.

[Paul Alex]

You won't know.

[Mark Masakai]

And when I was rock bottom house broke, right. I was like, well, I'm not waiting until I go broke broke, so I'm gonna take a chance.

[Paul Alex]

Why not?

[Mark Masakai]

So I don't know if you remember this, but I messaged you.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, I.

[Mark Masakai]

And what's awesome about Paul is that I didn't just get a mess, which I got a message back and I was like, we live in the land of AI that was growing. And I was like, maybe he just eyed me. I don't know if this is real still. The cynicism, the skepticism still creeped in, even to that point.

[Paul Alex]

And I'm every step of the process.

[Mark Masakai]

And I'm just sending a message. Paul cost me nothing.

[Paul Alex]

That's it. And it happens every day, man. I look at my staff and, you know, I read the messages and usually at the end of day when I'm to going, going home and just looking at everything, almost like a debrief right after an operation. And I look at the messages and I'm like, yo, how are we looking as far as just like, you know, conversions? And how are we looking with potential clients that want to work with us? Sometimes I look at the messages and then some of the messages they'll start off with, is this a scam, dude? Why would you even ask the person that is telling you about this opportunity if it's a scam? If it was a scam, they would tell you, no.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes. They're going to lie to you. Hello.

[Paul Alex]

Like it doesn't make sense whatsoever. I'm like, bro, as soon as I see that, I'm like, guys, these are people that typically, you got to just break it down at a fifth grade level. Respectfully. Respectfully. Okay. Because common sense in common.

[Mark Masakai]

Nope.

[Paul Alex]

And that's just the way it is.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So let me break it down so you understand.

[Mark Masakai]

Exactly.

[Paul Alex]

So I get what you're saying, man.

[Mark Masakai]

But.

[Paul Alex]

But you know, one thing that I could resonate with you, dude, is that my co workers, when I first started with ATMs, which was with my first vehicle, my first simple business, my first side hustle.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Okay. This is back in 2018, 2019, dude. And I remember everybody was like, oh, scamming people, huh? Automatic, automatic passive aggressive came from everybody. Oh, scamming, huh? Like, scamming what, dude?

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

They're like, that's weird.

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

Like, why don't you just do more overtime?

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right. And I'm like, you know why, though? Yeah. It's because. And I noticed this too. People actually miss your presence. I don't know if you knew this, but like, I noticed that some people, some of my co workers, they don't want me going on business trips or things like that because some of them miss my presence.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and I'm not trying to like puff up or anything.

[Paul Alex]

No, but it's true, dude. Let me chime into this.

[Mark Masakai]

Sure.

[Paul Alex]

The reason why they miss your presence, because in law enforcement, it's about who you work with, it's about who you have on your team.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

It's who is going to be your car buddy.

[Mark Masakai]

Yep. Gotta be tight knit.

[Paul Alex]

That's it. Tight knit, dude. Like, if you guys ever watch that movie, End of watch. Oh, that's as close as it gets.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know, they laugh together, they cry together, they go to family events.

[Mark Masakai]

We die together.

[Paul Alex]

We die together. That's it. Bad boys for life. But anyways, dude. Yeah. So it's about environment. So to lead into this, the reason why I'm asking you so much. Environment, guys. Okay? Environment is everything.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

And I always tell this, like, dude, when I decided I was going to go full time entrepreneur, I was burning the boats. I was gonna sell my house.

[Mark Masakai]

Wow.

[Paul Alex]

I was gonna go and move from everybody that I know.

[Mark Masakai]

Wow.

[Paul Alex]

To focus.

[Mark Masakai]

Wow.

[Paul Alex]

And when I did that, I had the biggest growth ever in my life.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

And then I decided to move again. And guess what? I grew again. And then I decided to move again.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

And I grew again.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

So at the end of the day, does environment Play a big factor.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

What are your thoughts?

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. When you have an environment that drags you down, it's a lot easier. I use this analogy when I preach all the time. If you're standing on this table right now, is it going to be easier or harder for me to pull you to the ground? Absolutely. Easier to pull you to the ground. But if you're standing on the table and you're pulling somebody up, is it typically easier or harder? It's harder. And so it's the path of least resistance. When I see somebody or when my co worker sees somebody successful, they're like not come back to us.

[Paul Alex]

They don't want you to be better than them.

[Mark Masakai]

Dude, commiserate with us. You know, misery loves company.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

And so. And it goes in your spiritual life as well. You gotta lift people up. So in the same context of what you're talking about with environment, right. You have those negative ones.

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

But you have also positive people and that's what you know. K N O W the seasons. Absolutely. And so you know these people, you hang around these people. And so for example, I love my sergeant, Sergeant Sullivan. Gotta give him a shout out.

[Paul Alex]

Shout out, Sarge.

[Mark Masakai]

And my lieutenant, Lieutenant Hall. But my team. Lt. Yeah lt. And so they always support me.

[Paul Alex]

You know, they're your mentors.

[Mark Masakai]

They approved me for this vacation. Not vacation, but I used vacation hours to get here all the way to Miami from California, you know, to be here on the pod. And I didn't hear they joke around obviously but I didn't hear like you're never going to make it. I don't know why you're wasting your time on this. Just work somewhere over. I've never heard that from them.

[Paul Alex]

Little, little do they know the, the, the sheriff might be on this show pretty soon.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh yeah.

[Paul Alex]

I'm just saying.

[Mark Masakai]

Can't wait. Yeah, yeah. I and I love our sheriff.

[Paul Alex]

He's a G bro.

[Mark Masakai]

He is. He is. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So I think I'd made a comment on one of his posts. Cuz we had haters and I had like over a thousand likes but dude, I have the trolls come out.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Giving it back to them.

[Mark Masakai]

Good.

[Paul Alex]

It is what it is.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know I'm former so they can't get me.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, exactly. Use your platform.

[Paul Alex]

Use my platform. That's right. But no, I love that. And, and here's the crazy part. So when you start talking about the table, I'm gonna tell you something funny right now. Okay. Emilio's mouth just like dropped and he was just like what we had. And you know Brad. You know Brad Scott Johnson?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

He said the exact same thing yesterday.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, wow.

[Paul Alex]

He's like, Paul, there's seasons, man.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

And you got to think about your environment like you're on a table, and there's always going to be people that are going to pull you down and there's going to be people that want to pull you up. But guess what?

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

Dude, it's so easy to get pulled down.

[Mark Masakai]

Right, right, right. And it's easy to look down. Yeah, it is a lot. Naturally you're walking, you're usually looking down. That's a natural physical, physiological movement.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, it is.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, but how often do we look up? How often?

[Paul Alex]

Not that often now. Not that often.

[Mark Masakai]

That's sad.

[Paul Alex]

Every time I would see a robbery suspect, and not to make a joke out of this, but every time I would go to a robbery victim, I'd be like, hey, how did the robbery suspect look? And they'd be like, I don't know. I was looking down on my phone. I was like, why do you look.

[Mark Masakai]

Down on your phone?

[Paul Alex]

I mean, I'm just saying. Come on, man. But, brother, I love your story, dude. I love your mindset. I think you're representing your agency to the top tier, man. Promote this guy. Promote this guy. Okay, I approve.

[Mark Masakai]

All right.

[Paul Alex]

With that being said, guys, talk to us about your credit card processing journey now. How many accounts do you have? How was it in the very first 30 days?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

And what was your thought process?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes. So five accounts now. Working on my sixth. I'm getting on top of this guy because he is being lazy and not getting his voided bank. What do you call it? His paperwork.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, the voided check.

[Mark Masakai]

Voided check, yeah. But I'm going to get him. He's loyal to me, so he's going to go for it. Go ahead.

[Paul Alex]

That's good. So answer or explain this concept to the public because they know they could go to cashwipe.com and obviously go ahead and they can figure out what this is.

[Mark Masakai]

Sure.

[Paul Alex]

But from your perspective, man, everybody articulates different. So if someone was to ask you, what do you do in credit card processing?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

What would you say?

[Mark Masakai]

So I would ask them, how much do you spend in your merchant services paying American Express, MasterCard, all that? How would you like to be able to use that money to leverage your business and grow? And so what I do is we go through the only legal way to transfer that fee onto the consumer called the cash discount program.

[Paul Alex]

Boom.

[Mark Masakai]

Probably as short as that.

[Paul Alex]

That's it. Simple simplicity, skills, complexity fails. So, so essentially what Mark does, guys, is he helps business owners save a ton of money in credit card processing fees. And mind you, business owners, especially new ones, and there's literally millions of them a year. It's a big blue ocean right now. They're rolling up in traditional processing, which means the banks in the, the large credit card processing companies are charging them tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

[Mark Masakai]

So. True.

[Paul Alex]

So what you do is you're going in there as a credit cop and you're literally wiping the fees for them. You're saving them from poverty, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

And on top of that for helping them, you're getting paid residual income.

[Mark Masakai]

That's the best part.

[Paul Alex]

It's a win win. It's badass, dude. It's a no brainer. So you're at five accounts. Within six months, you're about to make a six. So that means I count a month, dude. Let me, let me ask you something. What is the hardest part of what you do with credit card processing?

[Mark Masakai]

The hardest part that I'm running into right now.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Is lead acquisition.

[Paul Alex]

Okay.

[Mark Masakai]

So. But watching you having mentors, I mean talking with Robson, had lunch with him. Amazing guy.

[Paul Alex]

Great guy.

[Mark Masakai]

Setting up a va, A virtual assistant.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know where.

[Paul Alex]

Exactly.

[Mark Masakai]

And so doing that to boost my lead acquisition is going to be the like tip top thing that I'm focused on currently. You know, for a micro scale. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So absolutely. And then in the next, by basically December of this year, 20, 25, how many accounts is your goal?

[Mark Masakai]

So I want to get to 30.

[Paul Alex]

30 accounts. Okay, 30 accounts. So these accounts, guys, Mark is talking about the accounts on average, you guys can make in residual income, income 300 to about th,000 bucks. Okay. There are outlier accounts where guys, there's guys that are pulling in like $10,000 in a single account, which is amazing. But is it going to happen every single time? Absolutely not just being real. Right. But it could happen. So if you're currently a business owner in Southern California or California or in the United States, hit up Mark. We'll make sure to drop his socials and where you can actually contact them. So Mark, all right, so you're focused on credit card processing. You're still an active LEO law enforcement officer. What is your future plans?

[Mark Masakai]

Future plans is actually to level up with you, Paul. Yeah. To be, to be mentored and learn about how to help people get to where I am and granted and specifically towards law enforcement. And then I do Have a big heart for the Filipino business community. So tell us.

[Paul Alex]

Tell us the plan with the Filipino community, man.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely. So the reason why I hired my VA out of the Philippines. One, it's affordable, but two is they can speak Tagalog. I don't care if you speak the main language of the Philippines.

[Paul Alex]

Speak the tongue, man.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, exactly. And so that would help them gain more leverage and trust, more authority. And then you said credit card cop, so now there's even more trust. Like, oh, he's in law enforcement.

[Paul Alex]

He goes 100%.

[Mark Masakai]

You know what he's doing. So I don't want to lead them down in a legal way. Right. So we teach them about, like, fulfillment and all those different things going into the future. Plans is to help these business owners grow and then maybe have a mentorship.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah. And teach people, have an offer, have a program to help people do the exact same thing, what you're doing.

[Mark Masakai]

Exactly.

[Paul Alex]

Oh, that's awesome, man. I think it's very powerful, dude. Because before we were talking guys, if you guys didn't know, Mark is exactly like me when I was in law enforcement. He's working anywhere between 60 to 70 hours a week. Okay. Some people can't even fathom working more than 40 hours. Okay? So whenever I hear people, I work too much. I have no time. No, no, no. You got to stop watching Love island, all right? It's not that you don't have time. It's you choose not to have time. We choose to do the hard things. We choose to go ahead and find solutions for what we need in our life.

[Mark Masakai]

And we.

[Paul Alex]

We have to get rid of our old life for our new life. Right, Mark?

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, I heard. I heard this on a post. I can't remember where I saw it. Maybe it was yours. And it's funny how people get so angry at, like, small things in life, like, I spilled my coffee, or this person in front of me is driving slow. I need to get to work because I'm late. But they'll never get mad at the rut that they're in.

[Paul Alex]

Exactly.

[Mark Masakai]

They won't get mad at themselves. So just. I just came to my mind, dude.

[Paul Alex]

Extreme ownership.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely. Oh, yeah.

[Paul Alex]

Ownership. And I'm pretty sure your dad taught you that. It's like, yo, you own your decisions.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

That's what I told my wife. You know, the day we got married, I was like, babe, we're never going to get divorced. And she says, I agree. We're never going to get divorced. We will go through some Shit, yeah. But we will never get divorced, right? And here's the thing. I was like, babe, the only thing I want you to, to promise me is you would never doubt yourself. You would never doubt yourself. You would never say maybe. You would never say, I can't. You would never say that. Life is very simple.

[Mark Masakai]

So true.

[Paul Alex]

Yes or no?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Are you going to do it?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

That's it. That's it. You should know yourself well enough to know what you're capable of. And guess what? We're humans, dude. We're going to be good at certain things.

[Mark Masakai]

Right?

[Paul Alex]

I would say I'm a visionary guy.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

Am I good at doing the finances for the companies? Am I good at going ahead and doing the operations? Am I good at micromanaging? Absolutely not, right? I'm good at being a leader. I'm good at delegating. I'm good being a visionary. That's what I do.

[Mark Masakai]

And you learn those things along the way.

[Paul Alex]

You do.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, I wasn't a salesman at all. You had background in sales?

[Paul Alex]

Yes.

[Mark Masakai]

I'm not a salesman. I have, you know, I show up to people's house because they have problems, because I have to be there. Right. I had no background. I learned to be a salesman.

[Paul Alex]

You have to.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

It's people skills.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

Because what you're doing in business, what you're doing in law enforcement is you're dealing with emotions, right? You're in the people's business. That's what people don't understand. I remember there was times, man, because I've gone through my, my time of going through multiple protests, getting M1000, throwing my leg, getting dumpster fires like crazy guys, craziness. Back in 2014, I called that I was going through FTL. It was the second month. Oh, I was in a van and riot gear for an entire month, thrown to the wall. It was crazy, bro. I ate Costco pizza every day. That was my diet as a cop. Okay, it was nuts. But anyways, now I miss it. I'm like, damn, I wish I got pizza now. But no, no, no. It's all about perspective.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

I remember my academy mate. We're still an fto, dude. We're not even like full fledged cops yet. We're still trainees. He goes and he says, do they intel's? We're going to go through this shit.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

And I'm like, bro, you're getting paid a lot of money to basically do customer service, right? That's all it is. Don't take none of this shit personal that's so true. And that's what you guys got to learn if you're currently an applicant right now, if you're currently a police officer, you're like, dude, that freaking sucks. You have an attitude. Guess what? You're already building that negative environment. Going into a call, talking to a civilian.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Talking to your co workers. No one wants to hear your. About freaking how horrible your life is. No one wants to deal with a negative Nancy.

[Mark Masakai]

Nope.

[Paul Alex]

Life is already hard. That's why I say environment's everything, dude. You know, you can love people from afar.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You really can.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

But at the end of the day, dude, you have a beautiful mindset, bro. You're gonna go places. And you already have a winning attitude, dude, because of your father, your mom, dude, your background. So you just got to keep going. You got to lead, bro. So here's a great question I want to ask you, since you're a man of faith, brother.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

What does being called okay by God mean to you, especially in business?

[Mark Masakai]

So, for me, the gospel. That's the ultimate thing. If there's anything that I can give somebody that's of the most massive and immense value is to believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, I don't. My pastor just passed away. He's 86 years old.

[Paul Alex]

Sorry to hear that.

[Mark Masakai]

Thank you. And honestly, he has made leaps and bounds. He was sued by Gavin Newsom. Our church was one of the only churches open during COVID Wow. Grace Community Church.

[Paul Alex]

Wow.

[Mark Masakai]

I love the people there. If I break into tears right now, this is going to be the time it will happen. And John MacArthur. I've only met him a handful of times. He supports law enforcement. In fact, LAPD does training at the church. And if there's anything that I would model my life after is his life in the sense that he was a herald of the truth. And that's the reality, because at the end of the day, sure, God may bless us with a Ferrari, a nice jacket, and all these things, and. But you're not going to take that with you.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and so you have to think about the ultimate goal, but you don't ignore the goals that are set before you to get there.

[Paul Alex]

Yep.

[Mark Masakai]

And that's when the entrepreneurship comes, kicks in. When I work super hard for any. And this goes with anybody in any organization, you're working for them. So you're getting a wage. You know, you do above and beyond. You may or may not get the bone thrown your way.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

But if you work for yourself, if you work as an entrepreneur, garbage in, garbage out. What you put in is what you'll get out.

[Paul Alex]

Absolutely.

[Mark Masakai]

And it just reminds me of the parable of the talents. Jesus said that there was a master who gave his servants. He said, I'm visiting this town. I'm going to give you the first servant 5 talents and talents was just a measurement of weight and gold. So five talents of gold, and it was about 75 to 100 pounds of gold is one talent. And so he goes over and he gives one servant five. He gives the next servant two, and he gives the last servant one. And he says, I'll be right back. He comes back, the guy with five says, hey, Master, I used five. And in my Bible, I can even pull it up right now. I want to read this actually to you. He says this immediately. The one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more talents.

[Paul Alex]

Wow.

[Mark Masakai]

That's 100% that he got back. And he got an investment back.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

In the same way. In the same manner. The one who had received two talents gained two more. And then you read about the guy who was last, and I'll just paraphrase it, but the guy who gets last says, well, I wanted to keep this one because it's the only one. And he's clinging to that one talent. And he's like, well, at least I have it. Jesus said. Or the master tells him. He says, you should have just put it in the banks. It was at least made me interest, you know, and he cast him away. He fired that servant. Right. So for us that are investors, we're looking to see not how much we have, but how much we can multiply that. And now this master has 10 talents, because five plus five and then two. So 14 total. Because he invested it in the right people.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and to me, it's just like that's 2,000 years ago that this story was told. And now we're on a podcast with electronics and cameras and all these things, and the same story is being told.

[Paul Alex]

It is.

[Mark Masakai]

In a different format.

[Paul Alex]

Yes, it is.

[Mark Masakai]

And that, to me, is just mind blowing.

[Paul Alex]

It's amazing.

[Mark Masakai]

It's amazing. It's amazing.

[Paul Alex]

Life is good.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, Yeah. I love my pastor, Pastor John, you know, Good guy. Good guy.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. I could see it, man. He poured into you for sure.

[Mark Masakai]

Absolutely.

[Paul Alex]

So, Mark, this is going to be your final question, brother. All right. You ready for this?

[Mark Masakai]

Yes. Yes, sir.

[Paul Alex]

Now, I think there's going to be an impactful question. I'm Going to ask you that. A lot of people need to hear you say you're an average guy.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

I should say this myself. I'm like, I'm a simple, average guy, guys. I really am. What message do you have for others who feel like they're too average to succeed?

[Mark Masakai]

Find your why.

[Paul Alex]

Find your why.

[Mark Masakai]

Find your why.

[Paul Alex]

And what does that mean?

[Mark Masakai]

Finding your why gets you off the tracks and gets you to where you want to go, where you're needed to go. Everybody's called, they've got. People are amazing. They've got certain skills. But when laziness, when doubt and fear creeps in, it pulls you away from your why.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And you forget, you know, going into law enforcement, being in law enforcement for almost a dozen years now, you're thinking, I think to myself, was I meant to just work my nine to five or 60 hours a week or whatever it is that week and that's it? Or was I meant for more? And I constantly hammer that in my head. It's almost like a mantra you say in the morning, what am I doing again? Why am I alive again? Why did God give me another breath of life? I remember to share the gospel.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

I remember to help people, to help families, to help small business owners grow and then create an avenue to share the gospel to them. Like, that is insane. You're not gonna. And I was working, and I was like, man, I won't be able to share a gospel to a guy who's literally tweaking in front of me right now. Tweaking, by the way, is just somebody who you. I'm just kidding. You guys know, tweaking is, you know, and you're not. Because they're under the influence. They've commanded their bodies under the authority of the devil of. Of drugs.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, and they lost all the faculties to be able to understand you.

[Paul Alex]

They're trying to escape reality.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

And. And I do want to help those people, but not while they're high. How am I going to help them?

[Paul Alex]

Right.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, so the reality is, is we need restoration, especially in America today. And I can see that it's happening ever so slightly. There is that silent majority that's speaking in favor of law enforcement, in favor of the right things, you know, And I hope that it happens, you know, and if vote for Bianco, you know, that's going to help change California, you know, And a lot of people are just so focused on themselves.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

You know, but if your why is not just, oh, I hope so. I don't have to work again. God created us to work.

[Paul Alex]

Purpose.

[Mark Masakai]

The Garden of Eden was created for Adam and Eve to work in.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah.

[Mark Masakai]

Not to just lavishly, like, enjoy the fruits and all. No.

[Paul Alex]

And just chill.

[Mark Masakai]

And just chill. No. Create us to work. And so by finding your why. And I get it that there's not everybody here is a Christian or anything like that, but find your why. If it's to have a family and be such that dedicated father or mother or husband or wife, then that's your why. So every single day, you get after it, when your eyelids creep up to the top of your head, you remember, why am I doing this?

[Paul Alex]

Yeah. A hundred percent. And it's going to keep pushing you. You know, I always say, and people always ask, why do you keep going? And I was like, what do you mean? And they're like, well, you already built one business, you built another business. You help a lot of people. Now you're doing events, the podcast, like you do a lot. And I'm like, yeah, I do. And they're like, for what? And I was like, well, number one, I do it for fulfillment. You know, I. You know, when I got into police work, man, it was. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed thinking. I enjoyed thinking outside the box. I enjoyed investigations. I enjoyed helping people. But realistically, what made the biggest impact for me was the difference. The little bit of difference that I did. I wasn't able to change the entire city, but I was able to change people's lives and perception of the police.

[Mark Masakai]

Right.

[Paul Alex]

Because I would always get told, you know, in the very beginning, they're like, dude, you're a very nice guy, but I hate that uniform you wear. I would ask why? Why? Because I just had bad interactions with other cops, and I'm like, well, that's why I'm here, to change that perception, man. So now, now that I'm a business owner, now that, you know, I leverage digital marketing and social media, I'm gonna use my platform to pass.

[Mark Masakai]

So. Awesome.

[Paul Alex]

And that's what it is, dude. You know, like DMing the sheriff. Yeah, we're back and forth, dude. And going ahead and back in the blue, dude. Like, I don't mind, because there's a lot of people out there that support law enforcement.

[Mark Masakai]

Yes.

[Paul Alex]

But they're not the crazies. They're not the crazies over there talking shit, you know, on social media or in public. No, those are usually people that bad. People that want chaos.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know, and. And you need the police, right? You need the police to have order. Dude, that's why they're the 10 blue line.

[Mark Masakai]

Romans, chapter 13. Shout out to Romans.

[Paul Alex]

That's it, bro. Shout out to Romans. So with that being said, brother, where can my audience find you, brother?

[Mark Masakai]

I love it. So just for the viewers out there, Pinoy Payments is going to be the handle. We're specifically targeting Filipino business owners, but obviously we're open to branching out. But that's just the mission of helping those people that just are trying to make it in life, you know, and I have that special connection with them and then also with law enforcement too. So you can just follow us at Pinoy Payments and yeah, we'll be expanding. Expanding. I have this brainiac sitting next to me who's just pouring into me and I hope nothing's spilling out, you know, and. But I'm just so thankful, you know, that you're. You've allowed me to sit here.

[Paul Alex]

Oh, dude, you're gonna grow. And realistically, it's all up to you. Yeah, it's you, it's really you.

[Mark Masakai]

Personal responsibility.

[Paul Alex]

You have the resources. You now have the correct environment to launch whatever you want.

[Mark Masakai]

I love that. Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So at the end of the day, guys, make sure to follow Mark at what he said. I'm pretty sure we're gonna go ahead and drop a link down below, so. So if you guys know somebody that needs to hear this, whether they want to join law enforcement, whether they come from a military background, whether they want to go ahead and start a beginner friendly business like credit card processing, this is the episode that you want them to tune into. Guys, leave a five star review on Spotify. Guys, we are ranked number one on Apple podcasts. Business podcasts, actually. Fun fact, we're number 19 top podcasts in the Philippines.

[Mark Masakai]

Oh, no way.

[Paul Alex]

Which is crazy, right? Crazy stat, dude.

[Mark Masakai]

Well, I follow you every day and I saw you were number eight at one point in top charts.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, bro. Yeah, we're trying to stay consistently there like we do in business. Right. But we're. We're against some really good podcasts, of course, some really good shows that, hey, they got skin in the game.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah, absolutely. You got skin in the game too.

[Paul Alex]

Yeah, we're just starting.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

You know, Emilio's hair is not long enough yet, so. So we're just getting there. Okay.

[Mark Masakai]

Yeah.

[Paul Alex]

So with that saying, guys, Emilio's my engineer for the podcast. With that being said, the. This is Paul, Alex, guys. We will catch you on the next one. Thanks for listening up to the Level up podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to share with a family friend and everyone you know who's ready to level up. Leave a five star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you tune in. It really helps spreading the word. And don't forget to check out officialpaulalex.com for more episodes and resources to kickstart your journey. Let's level up together.