Podcast Summary:

The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
Episode: From Door-to-Door Sales to Multi-Million Deals: Justin Colby’s Brutal Entrepreneur Truths
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza
Guest: Justin Colby
Date: December 8, 2025

Overview

This dynamic episode features Justin Colby, a seasoned real estate investor and entrepreneur, sharing his journey from humble beginnings—hustling as a kid and enduring a turbulent home life—to building multi-million dollar businesses and becoming a leading real estate educator and podcaster. Justin gets candid about the mental battles of entrepreneurship, brutal setbacks, the real estate landscape, and what it takes to not just survive but thrive as an entrepreneur in 2025. The conversation overflows with practical strategies, mindset shifts, and hard-won truths about business, money, and personal growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Justin’s Backstory: From Hustler Kid to Real Estate OG

[02:09–04:26]

• Justin details his Bay Area childhood in a dysfunctional family, developing hustle early on—flipping baseball cards, collecting recycling, and turning small profits.
• He never saw himself in a typical job; the entrepreneurial itch was always present.
• After UCLA (which, he admits, he never used his degree for), he went into door-to-door sales.
• “My childhood was difficult… alcoholic mom, dad and stepdad. Moved out when I was 14…But it’s not a woe is me. I hope people hear some of that and can relate and say, ‘Okay, if I can make it, I can get there.’”
  — Justin Colby [02:37]

2. Education, Insecurity, and Fueling Ambition

[04:51–08:16]

• Justin reflects on academia, noting he had to work much harder than his friends just to get into UCLA.
• He shares a humorous yet honest story about plagiarizing a paper at UCLA, getting caught, and being forced to retake the class—a turning point in realizing that personal and academic failures aren’t catastrophic if you confront and learn from them.
• The root of his drive: “I wanted to be seen… I was never seen as a kid… So I wanted to create something to be seen."
  — Justin Colby [05:42]

3. The Entrepreneurship Cycle: Thriving Despite Setbacks

[14:27–17:02]

• First sales job was almost accidental, followed by the grind of door-to-door work in Boston’s winter (which led to pneumonia and a business collapse).
• Reconnected with his old friend and started a real estate brokerage in Northern California—a business that still thrives today.
• Justin emphasizes the non-permanence of setbacks: “Nothing’s permanent… I weighed 170 pounds. I’m 6’4”. My family was like, you are not good. But this is where God works, bro. God is so good.”
  — Justin Colby [16:15]

4. Real Estate: Then and Now

[17:19–19:09]

• Reminisces on buying a $550,000 condo with $3,000 to his name during the era of “free money” (100% financing).
• Warns that similar government-backed easy lending may return soon, echoing serious concerns for the market.
• Paul and Justin discuss today’s real estate challenges: high interest rates, unreachable prices for “middle class” buyers, and the looming “housing crisis.”
• Justin’s actionable tip: “If people start paying their mortgage twice a month… you will save yourself a lot of money.”
  — Justin Colby [18:59]

5. The Cost of Living, Money Management, and Social Pressure

[20:18–23:27]

• They unpack the reality that in expensive cities like Miami, it’s nearly impossible to live well on less than $500K/year.
• Justin and Paul tell cautionary tales—like a young sales star blowing $40K in 45 days just trying to “keep up” in Miami’s scene.
• Justin: “To have that life by design and create it… you gotta be making $500 grand or more to really have that level.” [22:54]

6. College, Competition & Parenting as Entrepreneurs

[24:03–25:48]

• Paul and Justin debate college’s value for their kids, agreeing it’s less about the degree and more about discipline, network, and confidence.
• Justin: “It forced me to level up my education because my friends got into incredible colleges… I proved it to myself I could, which is a huge confidence boost.” [25:33]

7. Mindset: The Duality of Drive and Self-Sabotage

[28:27–29:47]

• Justin openly discusses his tendency (diagnosed by his therapist) to “create some level of a downfall… so I can prove to myself I can get out of it.”
• Recognizes the need for healthy competition, purpose, and the double-edged sword of being driven by wounds from the past.

8. Scars, Vulnerability, and the Price of Business

[32:05–35:02]

• Justin stresses that authentic entrepreneurs have “scars”—if a coach or mentor says everything was easy, don’t trust them.
• He goes “full steam vulnerable” on social media about business battle wounds and mistakes, including a recent year-long (and counting) ordeal caused by misplaced trust in a contractor.
• “If you don’t have scars to prove it, I don’t trust you… If you’re going to tell me how good business has been… and you don’t have scars of the wars that you’ve been in, I will not trust you.”
  — Justin Colby [32:14]
• Key lessons shared: “Trust but verify” and “Inspect what you expect.”

9. The “Trust Era” of Online Business & Brand Building

[36:29–40:57]

• Both Paul and Justin stress the importance of authenticity in coaching and online business—people are “tired of being sold to”; real connection and trust are what converts.
• Praises industry peers (particularly Pace Morby) for leading with genuine care and accessibility.

10. Real Estate Advice for Beginners

[41:16–46:44]

• Justin’s #1 advice to new real estate entrepreneurs: “Go find the deal, first.”
  • He created his community, REILive Co, which goes live every day to practice calls, deals, and underwriting—"done with you" for $297/month.
  • Beginners should focus on being the "personal shopper" for hedge funds, as large institutional investors are now coming back to buy.
• For those with a 9–5: just 1–2 hours a day (including weekends) is enough to land that first deal—if you execute consistently.

11. Justin on Podcasting, Connection, and Expansion

[47:09–50:31]

• Justin’s original show, “The Science of Flipping,” focuses on real estate, while the newer “Entrepreneur DNA” explores the “real shit” of entrepreneurship: wins, losses, mindset, and business mechanics.
• Podcasting is promoted as a powerful networking and brand-building tool.

12. How to Level Up in 2025: Justin’s Formula

[50:56–52:48]

• “There’s three things. Focus on your brand is the overarching theme. I’ve interviewed several billionaires… they say there’s two things that mean anything moving forward: your personal brand and AI.”
• “Let people know what you do, who you are, and what you need… If you do that on a consistent basis, your brand will explode… Be very aggressively patient with your level of success, but focus on content that creates the brand of you.”
  — Justin Colby [50:59]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Alex: "If you haven't been through adversity, if you haven't been through actual, like, real-life pain, dude, business... it will break you." [31:53]
• Justin Colby: “I will not trust you and I won’t do business with you [if you haven’t been through it].” [32:14]
• Justin Colby (on building trust): "My mess is my message. And people will endear the fact that you’re not perfect." [32:58]
• Paul Alex: “The belief of some people, the reason why people can't afford their own house, is maybe stop eating out so much, dude.” [21:29]
• Justin Colby: “Trust but verify. Inspect what you expect… the damage was already done. And now for the last nine months, I've been working basically to repair the damages.” [34:06–34:18]
• Justin Colby: "If you're listening to this... you want to be an entrepreneur... You need these three things: Let people know what you do, who you are, and what you need." [51:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:09 | Justin’s background and early hustle | | 04:51 | Mental drive: Invisibility, therapy, and academic struggle | | 09:41 | (Sponsor content—skip) | | 14:27 | Door-to-door sales, rock bottom in Boston, pneumonia, and comeback | | 17:19 | First boom/bust in real estate; $3k down on a $550K condo | | 18:59 | Real estate crisis, creative mortgage hack | | 20:18 | The cost of living and income realities in Miami/similar markets | | 24:03 | College, competition, and the parenting debate | | 28:27 | Healthy competition and self-sabotage cycles | | 32:05 | “Scars” & the necessity of adversity in entrepreneurship | | 34:06 | Trust but verify—Justin’s recent business learning | | 36:29 | The “trust era” and creator authenticity | | 41:16 | Justin’s beginner real estate playbook | | 45:37 | How much time a 9-5er needs to get first real estate deal | | 47:09 | Justin’s podcasting journey and mission | | 50:56 | Justin’s “three things” to level up | | 52:54 | Connect with Justin on Instagram |

Action Steps & Takeaways

• Real Estate Beginners: Focus on finding deals, not buying—partner with those who can fund/buy them. Consider a community/coaching program with "done with you" features for real-time learning and partnerships.
• Brand and Content: Share who you are, what you do, and what you need—consistently and vulnerably. Brand and trust building are paramount.
• Endurance: Business setbacks are not permanent—those who succeed in entrepreneurship embrace the scars, confront mistakes, and keep moving forward.
• Trust Era: People buy from those they know, like, and trust—authenticity and accessibility are real advantages.
• Leverage Podcasting: Consider launching your own podcast to open doors and expand your network.

Where to Find Justin Colby

• Instagram: @thejustincolby – “It’s really me. Reach out and say you heard me on Level Up Podcast.”

This summary captures the spirit, language, and tactical wisdom shared by Justin Colby and Paul Alex, distilling an inspiring, practical roadmap for ambitious listeners at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey.