Locked In with Ian Bick - How I Built a Multi-Million Dollar Marijuana Delivery Business | Alex Merino

Episode Date: April 13, 2025

Alex Merino reveals how he turned a small marijuana delivery business into a multi-million dollar operation before law enforcement shut it down. #MarijuanaBusiness #WeedIndustry #CannabisTrade #EntrepreneurLife #TrueCrime #LegalizationDebate #IllegalBusiness #FederalCase Connect with Alex Merino: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ffhustler420?si=_hUSenVxBM4TlHTF Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Buy Merch: https://convictclothing.net/collections/convict-clothing-x-ian-bick Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction to Locked In with Alex from Vegas 00:05:32 School Memories: From Selling Candy to Trouble 00:10:59 Childhood Influences and Parental Views on Marijuana 00:16:41 The Journey from Junior College to Hustling 00:22:38 Arrest and Probation Challenges 00:28:15 Navigating Jail: My First Experience 00:34:00 Coping with Incarceration: Stories of Withdrawal and Adaptation 00:39:49 Navigating Financial Struggles and Resilience 00:45:29 Unexpected Backyard Discovery 00:51:05 Challenges of Early Wake-Up in Prison 00:56:42 Developing Resilience in Sales 01:02:29 The Rise of a Lucrative Cannabis Delivery Service 01:08:08 Facing Jail or House Arrest: A Personal Dilemma 01:13:55 Transition to a Customer Service Role 01:19:39 From Easy Money Schemes to Real Struggles 01:25:21 Building a Thriving Online Community from Scratch 01:30:58 Closing Remarks and Gratitude Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Yeah. You didn't bring the warm weather with you. Nope. But you're here rocking that stylish shirt. And thanks for the care package you brought today, yeah, for sure. So I get hooked up with some things now and again. And, you know, I didn't know if it was cheesy or not.

But shout out to Vanessa. Tell me, just do it. Hook them up. Yeah, no, nothing cheesy. So a lot of guests like to bring something and I just put it like around the studio. So it's like a little piece of every guest lives. between the Polaroid picture or in my office and stuff,

it's cool to just, you know, build that. It's a little piece of everyone, which I really like. It's going to suck if we ever move out of here one day. But oh, well. But before we start, plug in, you know, your podcast, what you do to our listeners and everything like that. So I have a sports podcast. We focus on fantasy football.

A lot of people asking questions about, you know, just who to start, get into league. So I'm pretty much a fantasy football consultant. is what I feel like I am. And you can go to fantasy football hustler.com and that gets you to Patreon, to YouTube, and literally everywhere that I am. Awesome. And we'll have all those links in the description in this episode for everyone to check out.

Did you grow up in Vegas? No. So I grew up in San Diego and moved there. My parents moved there when I was three. And my mom's originally from there. I think she just wanted to be around a bunch of her family and, yeah, live there until three years ago. Any siblings? Yeah, I got three.

So have one sister who, well, two sisters. One's two years younger. And then another one's eight years younger. And then a brother is 10 years younger. Oh, so you're the oldest? Yeah. All the same mom and dad? Yep.

Okay. And what did your parents do for work? So my mom was an accountant with the city for, I think, waste management or something. And then my dad was a plumber for the longest time. And then he started a pool cleaning service, I think when I was about 22, 23. So you get the entrepreneurial sense from him a little bit? No. No, definitely not.

I feel like it comes from a couple generations above me, you know, and there's like things that you hear about your older family members that you didn't really know about. So I feel like his dad was one of the hustlers, and then my mom's dad was like a hustler as well. So I think it might come from that generation. Does your mom help you with your business now? With taxes and stuff like that.

Yeah, and I mean, I make it easy. One of the things that I did while I was in jail was take, one of the spreadsheet, Microsoft Spreadshell classes. And so I got certified in spreadsheets, and I'm like spreadsheet master. Yeah, I do, I don't use like QuickBooks or anything. I use a spreadsheet. It's just easier for me to operate because it's not like I'm a big corporation. I'm a one member LLC, you know, so I just do all my accounting on Excel.

And I keep good records, everything unlike the past, you know, not getting any of trouble with that. Right. Yeah, and everything is just so detailed. And I hate QuickBooks, because every time. they have a commercial. It's like, are you still one of those idiots who's using a spreadsheet? I'm like, yeah, I am. It's working fine.

I think the spreadsheet's easier for some businesses that aren't, you know, intricate. You know, you're just entering your numbers. And you do have to do some math to add everything up and everything. But, you know, you've got to do what you got to do. Yeah, and that's why the spreadsheets are so good. You know a couple equations. It does all the math for you. I might have to have you look at mine because I still manually, like, combine some.

Oh, yeah. Got you covered. Did your parents struggle with money raising you guys? So we were middle class. I wouldn't say struggled with money, but it just didn't, because maybe there was four kids, it just didn't seem like there was a lot. Like, I know that I hung out with a lot of people from the wrong side of the tracks, and it's funny because, like, my mom and her friends, like,

don't even think she knew who she was, like, sending me to go hang out with sometimes. But, yeah, it totally spaced out a little bit there. But, yeah, totally spaced, sorry. Not just about if you guys struggled for money. You said you were middle class. Yeah, so there wasn't too much struggling for money. Like, we always knew that the bills were paid and nothing of that sense. You know, we always, we weren't on free school lunch or anything like that.

So, like, I saw kids like that. We definitely weren't rich. But, you know, as far as, like getting video games and things like that, it was like I had to hustle to get things like that. So, like, I think that's where a lot of things came from, like, got to hustle to get some of the things that you want. But you had your bare necessities covered. Yeah. So I can never complain about that.

Like we never wanted for food, shelter, clothes, or anything like that. That's for sure. How would people describe you as a kid? Probably a shit talker, probably a little bit of a jokester and a clown playing tricks on people. And a young hustler, for sure, because I was selling chips and caprisons at like third grade, nine years old. And I know that that was kind of the thing that a lot of people thought of me as. Yeah, that's what I would do. my dad would drop me off at CVS or drop me off at the middle school.

I'd walk to the CVS deck store, $20 load up that I was supposed to give the lunch ladies for the week for food. And then bam, I would flip that and I was good. It's crazy how much the prices have changed on stuff. Because I used to buy like a 24 pack of chips from Costco for like $6.99. On Amazon, we get all of our stuff on Amazon for the studio. And there is some good deals. And every day they have like a new water deal.

So, like, everyone's always like, you always have different water bottles here. I just find the cheapest one. Someday we got Fiji, someday body armor. It all depends what Amazon, because they'll do like a 20 or 30% off special. And I'll order like six cases to the studio. Yeah. A little Amazon hack for everyone listening. Got to be efficient.

Got to keep the overhead down. Did you go to public schools? Yeah. Yeah. So I went, I've only went to three schools. So I went to the same school, kindergarten through sixth grade. And I've always been bust around. I never went to, like, the local school or any.

thing got bust around and elementary school that was where it was a lot of like you know i'd say more upper middle class you know didn't necessarily some seemed i mean some seemed rich to me for sure but looking back they're probably just upper middle class and then junior high for two years and then high school for four years and got in trouble when i was a senior almost made it out but um yeah got in trouble when i was a senior should have just stuck stuck to selling candy and that was it even though i got in trouble, all they did was just steal the product. That was it. The teachers who were like, you can't be selling candy. Like they're selling candy for the school or whatever, and you're not doing it for that. And so they would just jack my candy. And that's how you got in trouble senior year?

So that's not how I got in trouble senior year. I started smoking weed. Probably when I was like 14 was the first time that I dabbled because of a friend. And then when I went into senior year, just started selling weed full blown. And so that's what ended up getting me into trouble. And It really was an airsoft gun that I had in my car that someone saw and said that it was a gun. And that's how I got in trouble. And I had, I don't know, a handful of grams in just under my seat. And you got arrested for that? Well, yes, I got arrested.

They actually let me, they released me to my parents. They were like, do you want us to take you to jail or do you want us to call your parents? And, I mean, I'm sure everybody would say call your parents. And so I did. And they came and picked me up. and yeah, the rest of my life changed in that exact moment. Did you get expelled for school from that? I did.

So they sent me to like a continuation school. Crazy because this school was actually like three minutes away from my house. We kind of lived in the hood, even though we had a house on the hill. And yeah, there was like 10 kids, I think that went there. All kids who got thrown out for fighting, pretty much everyone there. And there wasn't any drama or anything there because it's like literally two kids in a class. so it's like almost impossible for drama to happen. And it's just,

it was like three bungalows, and that was like the whole school. But I did get let back into school. And not my teachers, but the vice principal hated it, like hated that I got back in. And so really what happened was I was always playing baseball. That was like what I wanted to do.

And I even went to this high school, Mission Bay High School, because of the baseball program. Should have went somewhere else because I probably would have, been like one of the better kids on the team, but I went to a school with a kid that got drafted number one in the MLB draft in 2004. So it was like it was the cream of the crop like program. And they would always bring people in from other schools. And there's just so much bullshit going on

that I was like, man, I really don't want to deal with the politics of this anymore. I'm just going to stop playing baseball. And then I started selling weed instead. How do your parents react to that arrest the first time you ever got in the trouble? It was really weird because like there wasn't any yelling or screaming or anything like that. I mean, I think it was just a big, like, disappointment, you know? That's really what it was because, I mean, what are they going to do to me that the law is, like, not going to do at this point? Did you have aspirations for college, a career in mind or anything at that point? When I got arrested, I would say that I'd already made up my mind that I was probably going to junior college because didn't think I was going to

get a scholarship or anything. I mean, even though we're middle class, I don't think my mom had any kind of like, you know, college fund that was going to do a difference. And I just really wasn't down to get some big student loan either. Like, that was like the biggest thing that I wanted to avoid because every teacher that I had was complaining about student loans and shit. And I just didn't want to go down that route. So it was pretty much 13th grade.

I still did go to college. I went to community college. And it was literally 13th grade. that just wasn't fun. What type of people were you hanging out with? You said you were hanging out with some of like maybe unsavory type people. Well, so my mom's best friend and her family. So they were, I'd say, you know, a little bit of lower class as far as like financial goes.

Like they didn't, we lived in a single family home. They lived in an apartment. You know, you're just around more of the, more of the hood rat kids. You know, it's not like they were like bad people or anything. But, you know, you go outside and I know nobody goes outside anymore. but when we would go outside and play you're just hanging, you know, with all the street hood kids and doing a lot of stupid shit

and yeah, it wasn't like I was hanging around people who were like trying to do better in life or anything and, you know, that might be one of the things that helped me back a little bit, you know, because you are who you surround yourself with for sure. What attracted you to weed at first? Pop culture. Pop culture for sure. I mean, everybody who was smoking weed was cool.

Like Dr. Dre and the chronic, the first one. I don't know how old I was when that came out. I was born in 86, but then the chronic 2001, like that was like when I was like 13 or something that it came out. And there's a study that says like when you're 13 and 14, like that's the kind of music that like could shape your life. And I was only listened. I was listening to all that kind of hip hop and it was all just about smoking weed.

And then I'd watch in wrestling and some of the biggest wrestlers like the godfather. He's talking about roll a fatty for this pimp daddy. And like it just, it seems. super cool. Like it wasn't like basketball diaries. I saw that movie. My cousins, I don't know if they forced me, but they made me watch that movie because they love Leo and they were watching it. I'm like nine or ten years old. And like, I probably traumatized me for life on wanting to do any kind of like hard drugs at all.

How'd your parents feel about weed back then? My dad always smoked weed. My mom said she had bad experiences when she was younger. So she just never smoked weed. But a whole bunch of her family smokes, a whole bunch of my dad's family smoked. My dad always smoked. But it was also one of those things where it's like he wouldn't smoke in the house. For the longest time, we didn't know what he was doing. He had like a shed like outside and that was his little zone with the TV and stuff and that's where he'd be smoking. So they weren't like an anti-drug or anti-weed household? No. No. I mean, they wanted everything good, you know, for all their kids. But it's tough when you have four kids trying to make them all go down the

straight and narrow. That's for sure. So what happened to that case that you got arrested for? that first time. So I ended up having to get booked and released so I didn't have to go to jail and even just being booked and released, you know, as 18 year old still a little bit scary for sure when you know nothing about county jail. But I ended up getting like they treated it like a possession case because it was for selling like I even admitted to like I admitted to even selling weed to people like to this whole. I had to go in front of a panel of like three different principals, one from an elementary school, one from a junior high and one from a high school, just different around the county. It was almost like a court proceeding. And I pretty much told

them everything that I told you, like I had these aspirations of playing baseball. They like transferred people over here. And I kind of just, you know, started hanging out with different people. And my whole life changed. And I said that I would sell, I would leave campus because I had a car. And I would say that I would leave campus and go make some sales and then I would come back. And even though that was a lie, I still stuck with it, you know, because, yeah, it was all in my, it was either in my car and we would, like, drive around the block, go smoke weed. They'd buy a sack. We'd go back. And smoking weed before and after school, like, that was just like, you know, a tradition. Yeah, go on. And so it ended up getting treated like a possession case. So I don't know if I'm the first one who has a felony for possession of concentrated cannabis.

but that's what they told me at the time. This is 2004, March, April, something like that. I got arrested in February. It was a couple months after that. And so possession of concentrated cannabis and it was pretty much treated like, because this guy, first time I ever got arrested or anything, and it was a friend of a family member

who ended up being the lawyer, like they had a business relationship. And he fought for me not to get the sales on the record. They were like, no, no, no. This is the first time he's ever. got in trouble. We're not getting that on his record when he's 18. So they still give you a felony? Yeah. Wow. Yeah. And that's how it all started. And I got the felony expunged and everything. But that really doesn't matter when you're actually looking for it. Like that's what's weird because my later court case is like it got brought up. And it's like, oh, it shows here that he got a felony, but it got expunged. So people can find out. They just see that you got in trouble.

they just see that it's expunged. It seemed a little harsh for your first offense as a kid who just turned 18. Yeah, I think I had like, I don't know, maybe 14 grams of weed, like just bagged out in grams. And so, you know, I mean, that's nothing crazy. We're in California, you know, I mean, if I got pulled over with 15 grams, like right now, it would be labeled with different, you know, flavors and all that and it'd be 100% legal. Back then it wasn't. When did it become legal in California?

So in 1996, it passed for medical. And so there was a big loophole for the longest time. If you had a medical card, it was pretty much legal. Thing is, I got arrested before I found out about all of this. I got my medical card in the summer, but didn't make a difference on what happened, you know, then. So 96, it went medical. And then 2016 was when it went fully recreational legal. Yeah, I remember visiting California with friends.

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Iqbar.com code Brain IQ. The first time I went alone, you know, my friends are excited to go get medical cards so they could get it and how easy it was to go get a medical card. I wonder what happened to all those businesses. It was like selling fake DVDs in New York City. It was basically like go and get a medical card, pay the fee and you're good. Like medical doctor, this, all this crazy stuff. Yeah, I made a lot of money working with those doctors for sure because it was

was one of my friends who went up to San Francisco. He told the guy like, man, there's like, there's only one doctor down here, but like you legit have to have cancer. He's not going to write you a medical card. And San Francisco, they'd been on this hustle for a long, long time because it's a big loophole in the, in the weed community. If you had under like an ounce, like they're mostly, most of the time just they were, I don't even know if they would call to check. It was like you just had this paper and, you know, they bought your story more often than not. and so he got this doctor to come down, like literally in the back of a coffee shop. It was like me and five of my friends.

And then he got maybe like 20 or 30 people and it was 75 bucks. You know, nothing crazy. And we felt like legit. And then they brought the whole company ended up coming down. They started charging people 150 bucks to get the card. And that the other guy, you legit had to have like cancer. So like it just wasn't an option. But like with these people, you just.

just had to go in and tell them, I get anxiety. I have insomnia. You could bring up something, you know, if you got into an accident or something. Like literally, they just needed any kind of excuse to say, oh, okay, so you're telling me this is happening and this is happening. And then they would write the script. And if you wanted to, you could go to a dispensary. But really, it was almost like people thought of it like a get out of jail free card. So you were going to junior college, were you still living at home? Did you have a job? What that look like? So, yeah, junior college first uh i i did have a job i started working i was working at the amusement park in san diego belmont park for a while and then i ended up working at a video store and it was it's funny it's like the last

of its kind where they still have an adult section it's like the you can't do that anymore but they were there for so long they still have like the western doors or whatever that you go in and it's uh the whole porn section and that was fun because i felt like like quentin tarentino or something working at the local video store and being able to get a movie that had just came out on DVD because they bought like 50 copies or whatever. And yeah, so I always had a job. I just always had a side hustle going on as well because those doctors, I mean, every person that I sent them, I'd get 25 bucks from that.

So it was my goal to send two or three a day just so I could keep stacking it up and go get a weekly check from them. And it was cash. But I felt pretty good, you know, just having a little hustle on the side. literally didn't have to do anything, you go here, you tell them I sent you, and you better tell them I sent you because they call me every time I send someone. How did your parents feel about your lifestyle at that point, you know, where they kind of putting pressure on you to get out and do more with your life? No, not really.

I mean, they're so busy themselves and the other three kids. And, you know, it was just one of those things. My dad smoked weed. So if I was smoking weed with them, you know, never really any issues. but no, I would say there wasn't, there was, after I got in trouble, there wasn't too much motivation, I'd say from them as far as like getting better. It was just, I always had a job. So they always assumed that I was like doing the right thing. That's really what it was.

Did you have a close relationship with your sisters? No. And your brother? No, I mean, my brother a little bit when he was older, but they were eight and ten years younger than me. And the one two years younger, no, we went different paths. So, no, I mean, now I'd say my younger sister and younger brother, I have a more relationship with them. But we all live across the country from each other. So, you know, there's more talking on the phone.

They live East Coast. So my brother lives in Wisconsin. Sister lives in San Diego. And then other sister lives in Florida. So literally all over the place. Do you guys get together for the holidays? Nah, I mean, when we were younger, yeah. But, no, my mom and dad got divorced.

And so, yeah, there's just nothing like that really happened. And that probably stopped maybe before COVID. That's probably when it stopped. So when's the next time you get into trouble? So that was 2004. First time I got arrested, I had to go through a drug program and everything and just felt so stupid. Like literally heroin addicts and, you know, crackheads and people snort and blow. And then I'm like, yeah, I'm here for marijuana.

And it felt like that scene in half baked always, like, you're in here for marijuana? 2006. So I'd gotten kicked out of my house and just started living, living with a friend, and was just full-time 100% just hustling weed. Like, got tired of, pretty much those jobs that I had, like that video store, like, it literally was a job on the side to, like, just have, like, legal money coming in. That was really it. I'd already started, like, pretty much a whole delivery service in 2005 where maybe I had 50 or 100 people, you know, who would be hitting me up. And in San Diego, like, people have money and people spend a lot of money on weed. But it's like they'll get small amounts because they know that if they get more,

they're just going to smoke it faster. And so I had to be okay with that. And I would just be delivering. It would be like $50 and $60. And it was just a lot of fun. I literally would wake up when my phone went off. And sometimes it would be at 7 o'clock in the morning. Sometimes it'd be at 11 o'clock.

And that was just most of my day, just hanging around people. not even realizing how much networking I was doing at the same time because a lot of people ended up coming into different phases of my life from like networking there. 2006 though, man, that was like the dark year for me because I got arrested in Orange County in 2006. And that one, that one sucked because now to go to court, we had to go back to Orange County from San Diego. And that was not fun at all because court, you know, it's hell of early. It's like an hour and a half drive. And we were pretty much going there and our lawyer would get it extended for a month. Which was nice at the time.

But then I got in trouble again in September. And it's crazy how it all worked out because the first time I got arrested was the day of the Super Bowl. Steelers at the Seahawks. Or Steelers versus the Seahawks and screw the Steelers because I got arrested again in September. the first day of the football season. It was when they started doing the Thursday games. And it sucked. So now, and I got bailed out.

So now I'm like on bail in two separate counties and stress the fuck out. No money because my money got taken the second time I got arrested. And it was total bullshit. It was just like wrong place at the wrong time. Went into a hotel room. Sold weed to my friends. We smoked a couple blunts. And I walk outside and there's a cop there.

I'm like, oh, fuck. But it was just, like, it seemed like they were, like, dealing with someone else. And I go to my car and the cop car, like, just grr right behind me. And, like, I'm just freaking the fuck out at this point. And comes up with a gun and is like, license registration. You're on probation, huh? And I was like, what the fuck? So, like, they had to have run my license plate or something.

I don't even know, like, had to have. How would they know that I'm on probation? And that's, like, the first thing they say to me. And, yeah, I was dumb because I didn't even have that much weed on me, but I'm still on probation. So, like, even having, I don't know, eight or ten eighths or whatever, like, you know, it wasn't even that much. But, yeah, should have trusted my intuition.

I was just totally thinking about we're right next to a canyon. And I was like, fuck, should I just throw this? I'm like, no, they're not going to fuck with me. And then I shut the door and, like, start the car and they come right behind me. I feel like you're like the cliche drug dealer, like in high school that, you know, has the job. What kind of car were you driving? Honda Accord. Yeah, Honda, exactly.

either a Honda Civic or a Honda Accord, probably an older model, driving around, but you still had a job, and you were the Connect. Yeah, I was working at McDonald's for most of high school. Pretty much as soon as I turned 16, like over that summer, I got a job because, like I said, my parents, even though we had money, it's not like I had an allowance or anything. Like, when I was getting money for school lunch, it was like $12.50 per week. And it was like, because I'm going to get this and I'm going to get this. And this is like literally what it costs. But then, yeah, sometimes I'd use the money on other things. You know, I miss some of those school lunches, man.

Some of them are good, like the sandwiches and I don't know, pizza was all right. So our school lunch, like, legit was Pizza Hut, Arbys. Like, it was crazy. I don't, you know, it's all a hustle, I guess, even for the public schools. Because, yeah, there was, like, school lunch, like actual cafeteria, like style lunch. And if you were on a free lunch, like, that's what you went and got. But, like, they literally had little stations set up all around campus with the Pizza Hut cart and it's got all the sodas and the waters and the chips and

cookies and everything. And then they would have where they literally barbecued burgers and sold them themselves and they'd do like double cheese burgers. Those are actually legit because it was like real shit. But that's what was weird about my high school experience is like I hear a lot of people talking about the shitty food and I was like, dude, I was eating Pizza Hut and Arby's like a lot of times. Do you have any good McDonald's secrets or stories from when you were working there?

So, nah, not really. I mean, of course, just everywhere I am, I got to try to figure out, you know, a little lane to get in where I can get a little bit extra. And so I found out that I didn't find anything out. I tested something out to see if I would get in trouble. And I didn't get in trouble. It was when McDonald's had the 59 cent, like any size drink or whatever. And I would, I figured out that like if I did it four times, it would pretty much round up to

like five bucks. So on a bunch of people's orders, I would just put that discount in there. They would give me the money. I'd remember how much change they actually needed. And then, you know, no one's the wiser. Until I did it too many times in one day. And they're like, how'd you sell 200 drinks in three hours? I don't know.

Drive them was busy. You didn't see we were popping? So you got arrested for that bust. What happens next? So then it's, I get out on bail again. I start working for subway because one of my friends worked there and it was like, I can get you a job at this subway. It ended up being really good because that subway was right in front of one of those

fancier apartment complexes, maybe townhomes or whatever. And all these people would just go eat there. And I would just hook people up because I didn't give a fuck. Like I just wanted tips. So I would always say that. They're like, oh, can I get a little more of this? I'm like, yeah, just remember me at the tip time. And I would hook people up with the fattest sandwiches.

Because one time my friend, he came, I hate tuna, but when they did those $5 foot longs, they had the tuna ones. I made this tuna thing so fat, he was a driver that it fell all over the place. And he was really pissed, but I could have gave you a shitty one. And while I'm at that subway, it's so crazy that someone that I meet introduces me to fantasy football. And had I known what I know now, I would have taken that and ran with it. And things probably would be a lot different than they are. right now. I didn't see the writing on the wall. And also I ended up going to jail. That was the first time I went to jail. So I got out, I got out on bail in September because I got arrested

literally the day of the opening football game of the season. Going back to court, we're just all the bullshit rigamarole of court and, you know, the plea deal and this and that and end up taking the plea deal. And I end up getting arraigned in like January. And I'm so like entitled. It's like three days away from my birthday. Then I'm like, hey, can you ask him if I can like stay out for my birthday? He asked and he like rolled his eyes and the judge said, all right, you've complied with everything. We're going to give you the week.

And I don't know why he did it. And I smoked so much weed for that week. And, um, but yeah, it sucks knowing that you're going to go to jail, you know. And so like that week was just like, you know, a lot of mind fuck for sure. How much time to give you? So I ended up getting, I think it was, it was six months. on that first one, and then I did like four months out of it, maybe three and a half months out of it. Were you scared?

Hell yeah. You're a young guy. You know, you've never been to jail before. Never been to jail. I didn't have anybody that I could talk to who could give me any kind of like information on anything. I went in, when you go into downtown, I mean, I'm sure that's just like every other jail that anybody's ever been booked into. If you go to county jail, it's old, it's cold, it's bullshit. Like most people are in there for DUIs.

that are going to be getting out later or whatever. And then get to the actual cell. And it was the two-man cells or whatever. And, yeah, like once that door closed, it was like, fuck, this is like every movie that I've seen. It really is like this. And it was the bullshit tray lunches. And, yeah, then two days later,

I got shipped off to right next to Donovan. So right next to the state facility, they have George Bailey Detention Center. and one of the things that I was advised to do by my lawyer is go see a psychiatrist before like while I was going through all this to like just make it look better or whatever on paper and all I'm thinking about is man how am I going to be able to sleep like in jail like I literally smoke before I go to sleep like what if I can't sleep and so I make up all this shit about having insomnia and all that and really when I wasn't smoking like it was hard

to like sleep and so then they give me pills for that I didn't know that you can't go to a camp if you get prescribed sleeping pills. So I pretty much shot myself in the foot, not even knowing it ahead of time because nobody, I didn't know anything. All I knew is I was going to have a horrible time sleeping in jail for a handful of months. And yeah, so I end up staying at George Bailey because of that. And they call it the Thunderdome.

And I was in the dorms. I'm not, I think there was two dorm facilities. And I was in one of them. And it's pretty much like four cells with 36, with 12 bunks, three high each, military style. And the mattresses are like this big. They suck. It's like you're pretty much sleeping on the metal. So, of course, I'd know zero politics about anything.

Like I had zero idea in downtown. It's literally the place where you go for a second and then you move unless you become a trustee. Didn't because they sent me down to George Bailey because of the, the medical shit. And yeah, it sucked. I sat at the wrong table right away. And then someone's like banging on there. And they're like, hey, and they threw up an S for Southside.

And I'm like, they were just, they were like that. So I just got up because I didn't know what the fuck was going on. And then so finally go into the room that we're going in. And that's where literally I got the 101 on politics. Because I didn't even know, like, I didn't know cars or nothing. I didn't know you had to choose. As soon as you go in there, I just assumed because I wasn't, you know, affiliated with any gang, you know, there's no choosing. I'm just going to be in there.

But you got to choose. And they had this all in the detention center, like these type of politics? Oh, yeah, for sure. You were there for only six months. Yeah, and I'm at the lower level, like, too. The one thing that probably saved me was every single shot caller was in that same dorm with me, but in the exact same spot. So, like, there was no bullshit that happened in there. Like everybody police their own peeps.

Nobody was doing stupid shit. There was stupid shit happening like next door where nobody was. And then you see people checking their own people. But yeah, it was the shock caller. He was like, you Mexican? I was like, yeah. He was like, what car are you running with? I was like, what do you mean?

And he was like, well, yeah, you got to choose. And I was like, well, what are the options? Not knowing anything. And he was like, well, there's South Siders. And I was like, okay, what's that? He was like, that's the Mexicans that are usually like gang affiliated. And I was like, okay, what's next? And he was like the Pisces.

And I was like, okay, is that like Mexicans from Mexico? And they're like in the brothers and the others. And I was like, okay. And then they're like, and then the wood pile, peckerwoods. And I was like, okay. I was like, I guess I'm rolling south side because I don't think I fit in with anybody else. I was like, I'm not a gang. Like I'm not affiliated with any gang.

Does that make a difference? He was like, nope, but you got to follow a set of rules. Then they give me the rules. And just even the first one, someone jumps, you jump. you know like that's literally rule one for pretty much every car in there and so just reading that like fuck okay because i'm not really a fighter it's not like i haven't got into fights but i was always just selling weed people were like happy to be around me like it wasn't like drama really you know i wasn't fucking anybody over for money or shorting sacks or anything like that so it's never drama and like now

is like okay rule one i like there's no ifs ands or buts about it you don't follow these rules like you're getting fucked up. Number two, you get disrespected, you jump. And it's like, man. So, I don't want, you know, I don't want to get disrespected. But, like, you know, those are the first two rules and, like, there's a whole bunch of others, but nothing else matters.

And I was scared shitless. Bonjour, compadre. It's the... Price line negotiator. How do I negotiate so many great travel deals? My greatest gadget. The Price Line app. It's got hotel deals, flight deals, rental car deals.

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Were there a lot of low-level drug dealers like your, or weed dealers like yourself in there? Not really. There was a lot of, it was a lot of petty crimes for sure. I mean, a lot of the woodpile stuff, like those. were guys who were like running a lot of meth or his possession meth things like that but yeah it wasn't not a lot of weed dealers not a lot of weed dealers that's for sure like if anything weed was like the thing they did to support their habit it was mostly mostly a lot of powder how hard was it for you to not have weed while you were in there pretty hard because you were smoking every day at that point

yeah it was super hard and like you know really for me there's no withdrawals like I saw people withdrawing off heroin so it's like even you know like I'm not throwing a pity party for for myself over that because fuck like they're like one guy was just totally having these crazy withdrawals from heroin they're like literally shoving honey buns down his throat like anything that they can to get him to try to eat and like that's real withdrawals i saw people like that but yeah not me um the the sleeping pills so the sarah quills so you take one of those like man you knock out like really quick that's so crazy that they send you to jay for literally weed back then.

Yeah. And you didn't even get caught with that big amount, right? No. I mean, like 10 or 12 eighths. Yeah. What was the final charge? So it ended up, I mean,

that one was a possession for sale and trafficking. So those ones. Big trafficker. Yeah, huge. And the thing that was crazy is this is how you know most of it's bullshit

because I got arrested in two places. I'm out on bail. I end up getting arrested in San Diego. That's where I ended up going to jail. Orange County, didn't even care. They were like, okay, we'll run the time concurrent, just go there.

Was there any like counselors there for you, you know, like case managers, anyone there helping you at all? No, hell no. No, no way. Not in a place like George Bailey. Like I know when I, the next time I got arrested in 2009, then I went to a camp and that's where they had, I don't even know if they had case managers or anything like that. Never talked to anybody. How would you pass the time? A lot of time just playing cards. Spades. Yeah, a lot of Spades.

A lot of Pinnacle. One of the older guys taught me Pinnacle. I never liked Pinnuckle. I mean, it's like spades on crack, right? Like spades on steroids. So once you get it, you understand it. But it was, you know, there's literally only a couple people. It was like two guys in there wanted to play Pinnacle.

Like, fuck, we need partners. So one person taught me. One person taught the other. And then, you know, then we had four to play Pinnacle. Yeah. I think I'm like the type of person once I learn one type of game, I don't want to play anything else. Yeah. Like that's all I wanted to play.

So I'd just play spades all the time. And then I learned how to play C-Lo. Okay. Do you guys have dice in there at all? So you couldn't get two. Yes. And it was hard to get two. Like a lot of people just had one.

Yeah, what could you do with one dice? So I forget what the hell the game was called. But there was one game that people were playing like crazy for soups. And I can't even remember it for the life of me. because I would just never win, so I just wouldn't play. But organizing, you know, like poker tournaments and stuff, that would always be fun. You know, one suit buy-in. We got our monopoly money.

And just play till one has it all. So when you get a six-foot sentence, do you do every day that six months? No. No, I think it's like somewhere between 60 and 70 percent, something like that. So I got the six-month sentence and I did, I want to say it was almost four. It was probably a couple days shy of four. How old were you when you got out of there? I was, I was in 2006, I just turned 21.

Wow, 21 already in jail labeled as a felon. Yep. And it wasn't easy, you know, because literally every box that you check where it's like felony, it's like you're automatically not getting that job. That's the one thing that sucked. Yeah, what was tough for you about getting out because you had always worked a job, you know, and I'm sure you wanted to go resort back to that when you got out? It's just some kind of job.

But, you know, I know I didn't want to, like, sell weed, like, right away, even though a lot of people were like, hey, when are you getting back in the business? And so I, one of my friends, luckily, like, got me a job at Vons. And they just, they needed people at the time. I don't know what happened, but I know they fired a couple people or a couple people quit or something. And all I cared about was being able to watch football on Sundays for fantasy football. And that was it. And that was my only stipulation. They were like, you could work like till midnight.

I was like, yeah, man. So I would be like the three to midnight checker, one of them. What's Vaugh? I've heard of it before. Safeway. What is that? Oh, it's a grocery store. Okay, gotcha.

It's Safeway on the East Coast. I think in California, Nevada, it's Vaughns. And they would be open that late, and they would have football for you to watch? Well, no. So I would just, that was my one day that I wanted off Sunday. That was my only stipulation. But a lot of people who worked there had all these crazy-ass requests about certain days off and, you know, certain times and all that. probably just because they had kids,

so it probably wasn't even that crazy of a request. But it was as long as I had Sundays off, like you could schedule me any time. Where'd you end up living? Did you go back to your parents? Yeah, so that time I did go back to my parents' house. And that was, I guess, interesting to say the least, because they're always so busy that they were never home.

So, I mean, I'm just going to work. I'm coming home. Super broke, zero money. Like, I mean, I got to drive 20 minutes to work. against, like, the gas just, like, sucks because, like, 2005, that's when the gas got crazy. Like, it was, like, below $2 before that. So when I started driving, gas is, like, $180, 190. In California?

In California. And they've never seen that since. Fuck, no. Once 2005 came, like, gas jumped up to, like, $5. Like, it was crazy. Like, I started charging people delivery fees. I was like, you see how much gas is? Like, yeah, I never charged a delivery fee.

I'm charging it now. Or you could just come meet me. Remember the days when you would say you got to throw in five for gas or something wherever you brought someone gas money? Imagine doing that as an adult now. Like someone hops in your car, you got five for gas? It's not even a thought. Right. Well, because when you order something, it's like you just pay the delivery fee.

Like, I mean, it's happening. It's just not happening literally an extra, you know, you're not pulling out an extra five to give. But yeah, if you were rolling around with your windows up and AC, it was like you were a baller back then. Like jumping literally all, like more than double. It seemed like in like a year or two span all because of everything that was happening. So how long until you got back into the game again? It was less than a year for sure. Like I mean, I was just scraping by, you know, just, I mean, it's a bullshit job where I was probably making like $7 an hour, whatever minimum wage was at that time.

Maybe $7.25. Because you were $7.25 or $6.75. But the first jobs that I ever had, $6.75 was minimum wage. Like, yeah, I mean, I could make three, I could make four hours worth just meeting one person, you know. So it was like, it just made too much sense to like not get back into it. I still kept the job. I didn't quit that. But it was, I had to get a little bit just more intricate with what I was doing because I didn't want to get in trouble.

And like literally, like people would come to Vaughns. It would only be a couple people that I like, you know, I'd known for years and years and years. And like they would come through and buy like a Gatorade or a candy bar and I'd give them the spare key to my car and they'd go into the car the sack was already there for him with their name on it and they'd leave the money and in the center console lock up and lock the key in there and then I'd come out of work to like more money than I made on my shift. What was the most you were making at a time in all your years?

Um, selling weed. So in 2000, I mean, we got to go up a few years because that's just me being a one man show. Literally learning processes that I didn't even know that I would be like utilizing. So in 2012 and 13, we started a full-blown medical delivery service. You know, at least that's what we called it. We didn't have any paperwork or anything. That was an illegal business. Of course.

And this was when weed maps was like just super popping at this point. And there's no verification for there. Like, you pay money, you get whatever spot you pay for. And we lived in North County, San Diego. Who's we? Me and my friend, Chris. We don't really talk too much anymore. But we started a delivery service in North County.

And that kind of, it started the process of us learning how to become one of the biggest delivery services in San Diego. There's only one that I would say was like bigger and more popular than us. But they were so big and so popular that people started calling us because of their crazy wait times. And before this, you didn't get into any trouble between 2008 and 2012? I did. We skipped over one part. So I'll go to that. part before we get to the weed delivery service.

So from 2007 when I started maybe, let's say I got out in June, something like that. Maybe it was like right before the summer. I don't think I did anything for a handful of months. It was probably like maybe close to the end of the year when I started getting back into it. Got a new phone that I was going to use, you know, just for business, started making sure that anybody who I dealt with before, they knew that I was back at it and started getting it. and started getting referrals like crazy, because people just used to refer me, like, crazy to people

because I was super reliable. If I said I was going to be there in an hour, I'd be there in an hour. And like, there'd be sometimes where I'd be like, hey, I got to go here, here, here, here, but I'll be to you in an hour and a half if you can wait that long. And they'd be like, okay,

because I knew that if I said an hour and a half, I was going to be there. Not like those guys who tell you, I'm going to be there in five minutes, and then you're still waiting an hour and a half. Like, where the fuck are you at? But because of that, it just, it built up my reputation as just someone who was

reliable. You know, I'm not, I'm not a thug. You know, I'd probably smoke with you. You know, if I'm waiting for another delivery, because that's what I would do. I'd just go to people's houses. A lot of times they'd offer to smoke me out and I'll just wait until I get another call. And as soon as I get another call, gone. And that lasted for a few years in 2009. That's when I got in trouble again. And it was kind of bullshit because this one, it was because of a neighbor who hated my family since before I was even born. Well, not before I was born, but pretty much since I was like three years old. So it was like just drama for whatever reason

with this crazy old kook that live next door. And I had one of my friends come over to the house. He was getting a sack. But this was someone that I've known for like years and years. And he was actually getting a video game too. This is when we were like literally passing around no online video games then, or at least it was like in the beginning stages. So we're like literally passing around an Xbox 360 hard drive with our dynasty on it.

and so he came over to get that plus weed and my dad like makes a big ass scene in front of the house and like it had to be the neighbor something that heard because all of a sudden I get a probation check the next day I had not reported for probation since the day that I got out of jail and I never had to go back like that's how probation is such a joke is like if you're there for something petty nonviolent you probably don't have to deal with them at all they just want you on paper and so they do a probation check everything is in the backyard in my dad's shed and it's like in a safe and everything

and they come in and if they would have searched anything in the house they're not going to find anything not a speck of anything but it's only my sister my sisters that were there and they asked and so they went they tore up my whole room and shit they couldn't find anything they tore up like all the main like areas like trying to find shit didn't find anything

and they're like what's going on in the backyard. And my sister's like, oh, it's like where my dad hangs out. And they were like, does your brother go out there? And she was like, yeah, sometimes. Like, okay, we got to search that then. And that's literally how they, like, go out there and they see the safe. It's like underneath, like, some, like, I don't know, a towel or something.

And there's, like, random shit on it. And so at this point, like, then I get a call. Like, because I got a random call and I didn't answer it. And then I got a call from my dad. And it was like, you got to answer the phone. And so I answer it and it's like the detective or something. I don't even know who it is. He's like, Alex, I'm going to give you one chance.

What's the combination to the safe? I was like, I don't know. They had to pull out a blowtorch and to open it up. And it's like literally like a couple ounces of weed and like a scale. And it's like it's nothing even major. Like I didn't have some crazy budget. I would just always replenish. And of course they come like the day after I replenish.

Like I think that's always like how it works. Like I don't know. Maybe it was a quarter pound, five ounces, you know, something like that. But it doesn't even matter because I'm on probation. And so they're like, where are you at? Like after they opened it up, they called me back and I just answered. And they're like, where are you at? And I was like, I'm at work, but I wasn't.

And so they call Vons. They're like, I called this person that I knew there. And I was like, hey, if anybody calls, say that I am there. And she's like, okay, what's going on? I was like, it doesn't matter. You'll find out soon, I'm sure. and someone called and luckily she answered. And he was like, oh, yeah, he's here.

And she called me later and she was like, they got so pissed. And she was like, oh, you're talking about that, Alex? There's another Alex who works here. And so really during that time, I'm just, you know, I don't even know what I'm thinking at that point. Like, I just, I know, like, shit's hitting the fan. I know that I'm not going to, like, run for my life, like, over this, you know. So I pretty much start coming to terms with,

I'm going to get arrested today, and I don't want to be let out because anytime you do before you go to court, that counts for double time. So that's all I'm thinking at that point is I'm just going to go to jail. We're going to get the double time. And I'm probably going to get a county year because that's, you know, because I don't think I'm in anything more than that. You have to get two county years, I think, before they actually like send you to prison for bullshit.

So I knew I was still in that window. And after they get to Vaughn. they get really pissed and they call me again. They're like, why'd you lie to us? And I was like, I was at work, sorry. I was like, oh, I'm working my other job with my dad right now. And I would do the pool cleaning stuff. And so that's what I said that I was doing.

And they're like, all right, you got until midnight to turn yourself in or we're putting a warrant out for your arrest. And they said, if you go home, we got guns drawn on you. I was like, damn, should I try to go home? Get what I can. But now, luckily I was around, you know, a couple people who were, empathetic to the situation. You know, we got a bunch of pizza and wings,

smoked a crazy amount of weed. And my dad took me to the police station at like, I don't know, it was like 12.30. Like, so it was still a little bit after and the guy was pissed because he was supposed to get off at 12. But yeah, it went and turned myself in. And yeah, I ended up getting nine months that time.

But my lawyer, I think so. My lawyer, I was really pissed because this lawyer that my dad paid for. I told him don't pay for a lawyer. Like in the couple cases that I had for whatever reason, my paid lawyers sucked and my public defenders actually like, it wasn't like it was like a passion for them. So I don't know how I got so lucky. And so I told him not to pay for a lawyer, but he did. And then the lawyer told me I was only going to get six months and then they came back with nine and I'm just pissed about it. I was like, why do you fucking lie to me?

It's like, he should have just told me a year and then I would have been happy when I got nine months. And yeah, so that time wasn't fun. That one, I did end up being a trustee that time because I knew not to tell them that I'm taking any pills for sleeping. And that was just different because there was no politics at that point. Zero. I mean, you're in trustees. There's, everyone is just trying to like not be around the politics being in the trustees. It's sucked in downtown. Like you're literally cleaning up like, shit. shit in fucking in the cells, you know, all the holding cells and everything. Luckily, because I'm Mexican, I ended up working in the kitchen for whatever reason. They don't let the

Mexicans work in the laundry. Like the too much stuff gets passed around. But I ended up working in the kitchen. And I was there for breakfast. And you have to get up at like two o'clock in the morning because breakfast goes out at four o'clock. It was the worst thing ever. Literally, the worst thing ever and you know there's no alarm clocks or anything like people are coming up like pushing you like get the fuck up it's two o'clock and the guy

who was like the worker in the chef like he wasn't a sheriff or anything he was literally just like an employee who just watched over the kitchen that guy was an asshole like he would talk shit to people call him a piece of shit and all that

that he was like you're in here and you get to eat like regular food I'm call you a piece of shit He was like, if that's the worst thing you have to deal with in your day, you should be happy. And I don't know why people act like that, but it's because it's county jail if it was prison. You know, he probably would have been stabbed 10 times over by that time. Yeah, you know what sucks is going to bed early in prison. It's like near impossible or jail or anything. So if you have to wake up early, you're kind of screwed.

Yeah, because I wouldn't go to sleep early. Yeah, and there would be a count time at like nine so you can never really go to sleep before nine anyways. Yep. And then you're forced to get up. So it's tough having the, I did the morning bakery shift. They'd wake you up on your bunk 3.30. Terrible. Not fun.

And for a lot of my life, I would get sick waking up early. Like, I don't know, just for the longest time, it wasn't a morning person. Like, even when I would go to school, like, I remember 7th, 8th grade, getting up hell early. And it's like getting sick and like literally throwing up at school because I didn't get enough sleep. Learning later, you know, if I just had some weed, like, it would have calmed down the nausea. But so I ended up like getting sick. a couple times and they're like, you can't keep getting sick. And I was like, well, switch me to the afternoon shift then.

Switch me to dinner instead of this because like getting up at 2 o'clock is what's making me sick. And so they switched me. Awesome, by the way. Because then it was like once lunch was over, then we would just go. And we're there for a couple hours. But it was whoever was the cook, they would always ask, what do you guys want? Because like they made food for the deputies. And like every time we got to choose double bacon.

cheeseburgers and it's like legit you know regular cheeseburger bacon cheese and I just wouldn't eat the regular food after that it was because it's the brown tray shit like all the trash like it's like a lot of times it's like a bullshit TV dinner you know that probably cost them 20 cents those stupid sponge bob eggs that were like so gross and yeah so I felt like I got really spoiled like working in the kitchen for a little bit because it was during a good time of the day and we got to eat like a lot of different things. For breakfast, it was always just breakfast food. Kind of got old after a little bit.

And waking up at 2 o'clock definitely got old. Yeah, prison eggs and the non-real eggs, like the ones that are in the bag, are terrible. Gross. It's like literally like McDonald's eggs. Yeah. And I mean, waking up at 4 o'clock for it as well, a lot of times I'm just sleeping through it because you know there's always someone there who has the exact schedule of what's coming out because they'd been there for 30 days.

So they track it and then it just gets passed around. So if it was something bullshit, I just wouldn't go. I'm just sleeping through it. And like, don't fucking wake me up. I'm sleeping through it. So how old are you when you get out of there? So that was 2009. I was 23 at that point.

And so that time, that time I wasn't allowed to go back to my parents' house. About your parents? Yeah, was not allowed to go back that time. Because before I got in trouble, my mom looked to me in my eyes and asked me if I was selling weed again and all that. And I lied. And I said no, because like, what are you going to do? Like, I mean, you just, you know, you lie when you feel like you have to get out of something, you know.

And so I did. And so before I got like, she was one of the people that I'd call like randomly, not all the time. But I asked her what's going to happen when I get out. And she was like, well, you can't come back here. And I was like, okay, fuck, glad I found out now. And so start making, you know, arrangements and things like that. And I was working for my dad still. So, I mean, at least I had a little bit of a source of income at that point.

So it's because I didn't know. what I wanted to do, but I was just tired of getting like bullshit jobs. And so I really just wanted to save up a little bit of money for my dad to be able to do something else. Still ended up getting a bullshit job to a lot of people, but I got hurt. I got into an accident. Like someone, it's crazy how I'm still alive after this. So I'm driving around in one of those pool trucks, you know, and just at a red light,

I'm about to turn left. And we're just, it's a big hill. and I see this car and it's going like super fast. And I just look in the mirror like, dude, what the fuck is going on? Like it's still, it has not slowed down. It's like getting close. And I like, I took the car out of gear and I just like put it in neutral. I didn't know what the fuck was going to happen.

We're at a super busy intersection. And this car just plows into me full speed. It hits me so hard that I drive all the way without hitting the gas in neutral. It pushed me all the way across the intersection. and I swear it's like a movie. It's like, cars in front of me. I don't know how I didn't get hit.

And this fucking dumb ass was drunk. They had a breathalizer thing in their car. And so I don't even know how the hell they were able to drive it, like having that. And because of that, like my back was, I wasn't fucked up, like super injured,

but enough to where I literally couldn't clean pools without my back hurting. So I had to get another job. And luckily, one of my friends had a place. He was like, dude, just come down.

It's a sales. job, but he's like, I know you'll be good at it because it's all about, like, talking. Didn't know that it was like literally cold calling. And so it's really, I only got the job because it was my friend. Like, it didn't seem easy. Like, we're literally calling real estate agents, trying to sell them websites and social, and marketing material. And it was the hardest thing ever.

But I feel like that made me so good at sales that it really propelled me through, like, everything else because you have like 10 seconds if like someone actually answers the phone to like get them to stay on for 30 seconds. And if you do good enough in that 30 seconds, maybe they'll stay on with you for 60 seconds. And like if they stay on with that 60 seconds, maybe you can keep them on for five or 10 minutes. And there was a couple times where I called someone, they picked up, they answered, and I said all the right things. And they literally sat on the phone with me for three hours and then gave me their credit card at the

end. And it's the craziest feeling like in the world for it to actually happen. Like you're getting so many nose and getting hung up on like every second. It's like literally like the Wolf of Wall Street, but we're selling like websites and marketing material to dumbass agents who can't sell houses anyways. And yeah, it's like if you weren't dialing like your manager would be up, what the fuck's going on? Like you had to be on the phone. And yeah, it was hard. But that made my my skin really thick. Like, you get a no, it doesn't matter. You get 20 knows, it doesn't matter because that yes is coming soon. And it like makes you develop this, don't give a fuck mindset, like of what the other person says. Like, they're

either going to respond to everything that I'm saying or they're just going to hang up on me. One of the two. A titty purchase. Yeah. No, a lot of times, I mean, I'm a good talker, you know. And when I started, really just have to find out like a little bit about someone to understand why. they would buy whatever you have. Could be anything. Like just the Wolf of Wall Street. Sell me this pen.

That's what I was literally just thinking of. Yeah. It's like that with any type of sales. And it just like it was pretty much like boiler room. Like if you guys, you've seen that movie boiler room, it's pretty much Wolf of Wall Street. But Vin Diesel's in it. And it's like not based on anybody's life. It's like his story, but they made a fictional version, kind of of of it.

And that's what it seemed like. was like this chop shop of like salespeople that like you're either you're going to get to the point where you buy or I'm just going to keep talking until you hang up no matter what you say and that that really helped me develop a thick skin because now with things that I'm doing you get a lot of nose and I know a lot of people get discouraged especially with like content and social media in general and I've dealt with so many nose that bullshit people like that don't bug me anymore. Hearing a no doesn't bug me because I know I'm going to get a yes soon. Yeah, just keep pushing. Yeah. So how do you go from that to then starting the new delivery

business? So just like everything, I'm going to start, you know, just that's what's been my whole life. And literally I kept starting over. Like, that's what's crazy is like I start over when I'm 18. I start over when I'm 21. I start over when I'm 23. But it was like this time I felt like I was a little bit smarter. Like I get, you know, I'm 23, 24. I start building up my delivery service. again. I have this job now that like I'm meeting a bunch of people. There's like hundreds of people that work in this place. So it's like just easy sales, easy money. And my friend noticed that what I was doing, like we were, we were living together. And he's like, dude, he was like, how many flavors do you have right now? It's like, I don't know, maybe like 20. He's like, what the fuck? He's like,

yeah, more than the dispensary. And I was like, yeah, man, I need a lot to smoke. And, you know, I'm like self-sustaining now, like way better than I ever have been. People are, still paying the 50, 60 bucks, you know, for the eighths. And now I'm getting weed way cheaper and weeds way better. And it's because all the dispensaries, I kind of like changed the game where weeds started getting a little bit cheaper. But prices stayed high. And like people would rather give me 60 bucks and go into dispensary and pay 60 plus all this

tax. And so pretty much what happened is my friend propositioned me. He's like, dude, why don't we start like an actual delivery service on weed maps? He had a dispensary before. and I kind of worked there from time to time after I had gotten out of jail. And we'd known each other for a while and he just knew that I was a hustler. He knew that I knew a lot about weed and everything. And he had a lot of connections to getting cheap weed.

And I was really good at running the delivery service aspect of it. So that's kind of what it was. And that's why it was a good partnership initially because he was good at one thing, had a lot of connections. He was really bad at everything that I was good at. And it's not that I was bad at things that he was good at. But when you have connections, you have connections. It just is what it is.

So start this delivery service and we're charging like $65 and $70 an eighth because it's like it's so good compared to everything that we're seeing on weed maps. It only lasted about a month, but we got super loyal customers. And then we were like, okay, no more 70s. You get like $5 off of any time you order your VIP now. And just like literally giving someone five bucks off. It was like, really? Like I'm never ordering anywhere.

ever again, even though it's still high priced, but we're doing a good job with deliveries and everything where we're really reliable. Or I'm really reliable anyways. So then we moved to downtown and we found this cool spot kind of like right in the middle of downtown. And he found out that it was the number three spot on weed maps. Like if you typed in San Diego, it would pop up number three. And so we bought that. And now we have this prime listing that's like literally right at the top. You search San Diego or almost any zip code, like we're popping up as a top three.

And we would give out stuff for reviews. And so we would just get insane amount of reviews. And it went from something that was making 100 a day to at one point making 100 plus 100 plus thousand in a month. And I remember one day, it was like the craziest day ever. It was like 80 orders that came in on a Friday. And I'm the one who's like doing the phones and everything. And like it was probably the most stressful day that I ever had because these hours between four and six, it was like there was people texting every second. There was calls that I had to make back.

And we had like seven drivers or something at that time. And everyone got their order in like less than an hour. Like I was stressed the fuck out. But we made close to $10,000 in that one day all of like the average of $100 like delivery. And yeah, that's what it was for a lot of. of these for a little while with the delivery service. It got pretty big. What's weed maps? So weed maps is it still exists right now. It's an app where you can find dispensaries. So if you're in a different city or even in the city you live in, someone can pull up the

weed maps app, go see where all the dispensaries are, go look at the menus, see if there's discounts. But it's pretty much Google for weed. And they weren't, the law enforcement was a monitoring that back then? No, there's just too many. Like it was impossible, especially if it's a delivery service. Like, we didn't have, like, our actual, like, address or anything on there. And cops couldn't, you can't fake having a medical marijuana card. So, like, they couldn't be any kind of entrapment, like, in that. So everybody who ever did business with us before we went out there, we would ask them for all of their, like, they had to send us a picture of their ID. And then they had to send us their paperwork.

And then we would verify it. But you guys weren't legit. You didn't have the licenses. No. And really, it's like, if someone's going to send me their license that has their assets, that has their address on it that we're literally driving to. And they have their medical paperwork. That's their exact same name and everything.

And then we pull it up and we say it's legit. You know, it's like you got to be pretty crazy to try to rip someone off for like 50 or 100 bucks, like with giving all that type of information. But I'm saying it's kind of ironic that you guys yourselves weren't legit, but you're asking people to show if they're legit with their paperwork. Oh, yeah. And really it's just to make sure that we're not going to get robbed, you know,

because there's a bunch of people who'd never want to give their IDs or anything. And, you know, we just wouldn't deal with anybody. like that. How much would the drivers get paid? I mean, they were getting paid minimum wage, but we paid for gas, like, as well. And, like, anytime you're out the office, you get to smoke weed and, like, your job, like, if you're not delivering is just rolling joints. And so it was like a dream job for, it was a lot of 18 and 19 year olds. How much weed would you keep on location?

It was a handful of pounds for sure. And, like, we would, I mean, everything was kind of like, it got to a point where we had to have stuff pre-packaged. And, like, it would get pre-packaged or the day of or the day before. But it would just take too long to like weigh it out. So it got to a point where we had to start prepackaging. And what did you do with the money? A lot of, I mean, a lot of it just went to bullshit. Because like, I mean, I was making, you know, maybe 5 to 10,000 like for myself, you know,

take home. We're living in this dope-ass mansion that's like $5,000 a month. And like the business is paying for that for every utility. We're still getting money from like a couple roommates that we had. This is crazy three-story house. And because we were paying all cash, we got a discount on it because the guy who we were renting it from, he bought a house. This is how Ballin's guy was in Del Sero. It's like one of the more expensive areas in San Diego.

Guy has like a two or three million dollar house, buys the house next door because he wants to give it to his son for a wedding present. But they didn't end up getting married. Something happened. And so then we ended up moving in that place and living there for a few years. crazy house. It's like a three-story house, like all on the hill, and we're just running hell of weed out of there. So what happens? Why does this business fail? So really what happened was I messed up. We should have closed for a day. Literally every driver called out. I don't remember what it was. I don't remember what was going on. Every driver called

out on a Friday. And I was like, man, I just need to like boss up and like do this. And I'm just going to keep like every single tip that I get because of people want to tip me and I'm, you know, I'm going to make a bunch of money like off of this, you know, it's probably could be a $2,000 day where I'm going to take home that. So I just did all these deliveries myself. And it sucked that I'm literally going from 9 o'clock in the morning until 1 o'clock in the morning again. So it's an insane amount of hours. I'm like getting tired.

I'm going to one more delivery. I didn't even want to do it. But there's someone who orders all the time. And of course, it's always. the last one. I'm on the freeway. I don't know if this person was drunk or what, but this person almost hits me, like almost sideswipes me. And I just kind of turn like just, and the guy gets off the freeway and then the cop gets behind me. And I like, I have all this weed on me still. And now it's all like pre-packaged, just being super stupid, not thinking I'm ever going to get in

trouble. And like someone pretty much almost sideswipes me. I should have let him hit me because head if they would have hit me. I mean, no one's going to be thinking about weed at that point. But I don't know. They asked, like, have I been drinking or anything? And this is how crazy the universe is. The person who arrested me in 2013 was the person that arrested me in 2006. Wow.

And he was like, do you remember me? And I was like, no. Why would I? He was like, because I was the one that arrested you in 2006. I was like, you fucker. I mean, well, when you pull up, I mean, you pull up someone's record or whatever, it's going to have everything that you've ever done.

So, yeah, so that was just really bad luck. I bailed out after that. And I'm going to court, going to court for a while. And the DA, like I hear him talking, it wasn't my lawyer, but he was talking to someone else. And I see him pull out my case file. And he was like, dude, why the fuck are we even dealing with this stuff like this anymore? So I probably had like a pound of weed on me.

Like, I don't even know how much. I'd been doing deliveries all day. But it may have been somewhere like a pound. And it's all separated in like eighths and half ounces. Like mobile delivery that I shouldn't have even been doing that day. So stupid. And but even hearing the DA say that is 2013, maybe even 2014 at this point. Because it was like end of November when I got arrested.

It's like, why the fuck are we even dealing with cases like this anymore? And I wanted to yell. Like, yeah, why are you dealing with cases like this? But this time, I end up getting the option. County jail for a year. And it's pretty much, I mean, I'm already, you know, I'm like, I'm guilty. Like there's no going to court or like anything for this.

I get the option, go to jail for a county year, which I'll do like six, seven, eight months. because I wouldn't have any good time at that point or get house arrest for a year. But house arrest was fucking expensive. But I still did it because, yeah, I mean, why not? This is the first chance I had. And luckily, my mom went, my mom let me stay there at her house

because I couldn't stay at this big mansion where we're like literally running weed out of because I even worked out a deal where these guys were going to be paying me, you know, like I'm not going to be involved. But I was like, I need to be getting some money, you know, from everything that I built. So I was getting like two or three thousand.

thousand a month, like from that. That was good until, you know, I just living too stupidly, not saving money. And then I ended up going and getting another job after that at a very similar company that I did with the cold calling. It was actually someone who worked there before. And they were cool with me being on house arrest, getting the job. Like literally sometimes I'm having to like charge the ankle monitor underneath the desk and would always wear pants.

Like I don't, like a normal basis, I'm just rocking basketball shorts. Like, I try to use the wardrobe of Adam Sandler. You know, like, that's just, that's goals. He rocks it. Yeah. And, but I'm always wearing pants now. And, yeah, it sucked, man.

House arrest was way better than jail. Because once I found out that you only needed to be clean for a day or two and you wouldn't test positive for weed, I mean, I just started smoking again. And like a lot of these clients and stuff, you know, that I had acquired. I pretty much sold these accounts to my friend. And he was like, well, where's the guarantee that you're not going to start selling

weed again? And I was like, dude, just give me weed for like a while. Like I was like, the only reason, like I sell weed most of the time is for my habit, you know, like that's how it all started, like selling enough weed just to get enough to smoke versus spending all my money on it. He was like, oh, that's it. And he's like, okay, I got you. So I would like literally drive home from work, go hit his house on the way home,

go get some weed and just smoke. And that was going good for a while. There was one time that I almost got caught. And man, it was about to be horrible. I'd figured out the schedule of when they would come to the house. They would always come on like Tuesdays and Fridays. It would always be at like two or three in the afternoon. And I'd taken the test before I started on house arrest.

And I'd only stopped smoking for two days. And I passed. It was one of those cotton swab type tests. So I was just smoking and I would just stop if they were coming on Tuesday. I just wouldn't smoke like that day before or whatever. And one time it was it was either Fourth of July or the day before Fourth of July. They came at like 9 o'clock in the morning and they just, they were pounding on the door. Screen door, super loud.

The dog's barking going crazy and I get up and I'm all super tired and eyes are probably red. Like I'd smoke the day before, but I'm literally tired just because I didn't wake up yet. And they're confronted, they wanted to take me to jail for some reason. I'd been nothing but good. You know, all the checks and everything and I got a job. I'm doing good. And the only thing I'm doing is smoking. Everything's outside, though.

Everything's in the backyard. And if it's me there, I'm not going to say go check outside. And so they, they confronted me knowing that I'd smoked. I didn't smoke that day. I'd smoke the day before. Like, why your eyes so red? You just smoke? And I was like, no, man.

Like you literally woke me up. Like I like this is like boogers in my eyes right now because I literally just open my eyes. And like, oh, so if we go get the test right now and test you, you're going to test clean. And I just got to look people in the eye. And I looked him in the eye and I said, go get it. And he didn't call my bluff, thankfully. Because just like a halfway house or anything, you get caught. You're going back and everything starts fresh.

So man, my heart was pounding like that was the most anxiety I might have ever felt in my life and had to not break while he's looking at me and telling. and telling me is about to go get a test out of the car. So luckily they didn't. But I was so shook after that that I didn't smoke. I had like one month left. I'm like, I'm not even smoking. Like I just, I can't. Like, I'm so close to the finish line.

And it was such a joke. When I got off house arrest, they let me, I think I got off three months early or something. Thankfully, because it was like 20 bucks a day or something. It was ridiculously expensive. Yeah, I remember I had to pay that too when I was on house arrest for a year. So expensive. It's such a scam and it doesn't go to the government. It goes these private companies that run it.

They're literally profiting off of people being on house arrest. Yep. I'd rather be in prison than these companies, you know, making the money from it. Yeah. It's ridiculous. And so luckily I got let off a few months early. And kind of after that, I mean, that was like the final straw like for me when I finally got off house arrest that time, I'd already, with the job that I was doing, it was a little bit better.

So I started doing the cold calls and everything. That was how it all started. But pretty much told them, like, dude, I was like, I can't do this anymore. Like, you need to find another spot for me. I'm just going to go somewhere else. Like, it's like so demoralizing, calling idiots that, like, need these services. And, like, you know, they just won't give me the time of day. So they moved me over to customer service where I just had a job being a customer service agent,

answering emails, taking calls, things like that. nothing to it's a bullshit job you know still I'm making way more than minimum wage though and so that was good and I'm dealing with a boss that knows that I smoke every break knows that I smoke every lunch and makes jokes about it so I'm like

in a good environment where I'm not going to get in trouble for smoking and I started going I was so bored that I just started doing things to kind of go above and beyond like I they we would always get people to renew their

renew their monthly services or sign up for six-month contracts or things like that. I just brought it to his attention. I was like, dude, why am I going to sell a six-month contract if I don't get any money off of it? Like, where's my incentive? He never had anybody in customer service ask that because they're all kind of pencil pushers just wanting an easy job. And he was like, you know what?

No one's ever asked me that. He was like, let me go talk to the other guy and we'll run some numbers. And so I ended up, they put in this policy, you know, for me. Well, they put it in for everybody, but I'm the only one who was, like, good at sales, who I could get people to sign up for, like, six months or a year. And it was something like you got, like, 5% or 10%. Like, I wouldn't charge them anything extra. I would actually give them a discount for doing that,

but I got, like, 5% or 10%, just in addition to everything that I was already doing. And so that ended up working out great, because now I'm, like, going above and beyond trying to create these relationships with people, actually teaching them how to, like, use their websites and stuff. And after a couple calls, I'd be like, hey, so you're doing really good. If you want to continue, you know, these calls with me, you got to sign up for like six

months or a year. And you got to pay it in advance, but it's going towards your bill and everything. And so most people are like, oh, okay, yeah, I want to keep doing these little appointments or whatever. And so they would pay. I would get a little cut of it. And I was actually making, like, decent money, like, finally. And that was when we found out that our first son was coming into the picture.

and so that was like another reason why I was like, man, I really, I can't be a cliche like anymore. I'd probably been a cliche for like a while at this point. I was like, man, I cannot go to jail having a kid. Like that would just like my dad was around but he was never like he's not hanging out like with us or anything. And so I just, you know, every single movie that you ever see where someone goes to jail, It's like the heart, the tug at the heart string is the kid, you know, and I just never wanted to be that. So I was flying on the straight and narrow. And like that was 2014 and I haven't looked back on any selling weed or anything.

Like now I'm in Vegas. I just go to the dispensary. And yeah, like it was, you know, kids do change your life. And he for sure, like, changed my life. And yeah, he was like my little road dog. And so I couldn't do anything to like fuck up. and I finally got off a probation in 2018, and it was like a 14 year, like just whirlwind of fuckery,

and it was like the biggest weight off of my shoulder. Because I did get off of probation one time for one week. And that was the time in 2013 when I got arrested. And so this time, knowing that I was never going to go back on probation because I'm not doing anything, you know, to get me in trouble at all. That was a really, really good feeling. You know, when you're finally free and from the government, from all of that,

and it doesn't even feel real at first. You know, it feels real after months. And it's good that, you know, what you said there about you wanted to do better for your kid and not go through the system in prison that's powerful because there are so many people and we've heard on the show that go to prison with kids. Yeah.

You know, and they leave them at home. So it could have been an entirely different experience for your child. 100%. If you didn't, you know, have that. motivation to get yourself together. And it's also interesting to see the progression of marijuana in your story of how it became more legal to the point where you could literally walk and get it free. And meanwhile, you know, you gave up a couple years of your life, not even including the probation just for marijuana. Yeah. And my son was born a week after weed went fully legal in

California. So that's another crazy thing is he's never lived on this earth when weed wasn't 100% legal. So, you know, like, it's not like I'm going out in the backyard and hiding it like my dad was. Like, it's, you know, if you ask what's going on, it's my medicine. And like, it is like, man, there's a lot of times where you want to strangle your kids. And like, I'll go smoke a bongload or something. Relax. Now let's assess the situation. What gave you that motivation to, you know, leave a regular job and start your own business? So, COVID, that's what happened. So I'd been working at this job for, I think, four years at that point and it was just starting to get really bullshit is what it was. It was like they were hiring

people that sucked and I needed to do more work because people just were slacking. And I hated that shit. And I like one of my friends started some Bitcoin business and ATM. He had an ATM company and had one of the only licenses or whatever, you know, out of, I don't know how many were available in 2018, but to literally get a license to have ATMs. Like he got in before it was like cost a lot of money. And he was like, dude, why don't you just come work for me? I'll pay you like five. thousand bucks a month and it all sounded good lasted for like three or four months and i was like man this is bullshit like i know that this isn't going to last and so i got a couple months worth you know and literally was like hanging out smoking weed like helping him refill the ATMs and

shit like that but nothing you know really that crazy and you kind of find out it's all bullshit like one of his main clients was just a drug dealer from like him it or something that went and would clean all his money like everyone would pay him in bitcoin then he would just come clean it for like a $40 fee or something crazy, but it's all illegal drug money. So like, I didn't give a fuck. And so COVID happens. Well, COVID doesn't happen. I start working for another company. It's another person that I'd met through the cold calling company and he started his own. He's pretty much like a two-man shop and he was finally going to start expanding. And I was like, dude, why don't you just bring me on over there? I'll be like, you do the sales, I'll do everything

customer service. And I was like, we'll figure out a way for me to make more money off of these clients, but as long as I'm getting, I think I, I think at that time, I was like, as long as you could pay me between 2,500 and 3,000 a month, you know, I mean, this is, what is this, 2018. I was like, that's good. I was like, I literally just need that as like a base. And as long as there a way that I can make money off of the clients, like, we're good. And so started working with him, all working from home, too.

This is 2018 before COVID. And bullshit happened with him after COVID started, because I was. I'm getting paid every single week for those couple years. But COVID happens. And like every real estate agent that's like I'm canceling. I got to cancel my credit cards. Like, you know, all this type of shit. And so he pretty much strings me along for like a couple months telling me he's going

to pay me. And it's like, I'm a spreadsheet master. I knew every dollar that I was owed, you know, from him. And so like three or four months go by. We're going through bullshit with like our house, like the house that we were renting. Like we thought it had mold in it. and ended up being asbestos, but like these guys, like, they pretty much forced us out. It got to the point where, like, it was me talking.

I had to send a certified letter to the owner of the house. I was like, this is happening. This is happening. And finally, then I get a call from, like, the lawyer. And I negotiated with the lawyer. And I got, like, twice as much as they initially offered me. So I was like, man, my negotiation skills are working. And we find another house and we're about to move in, or not about to move in.

We're just about to look at it. and I get a text on my phone and it's from my boss at that point. And he's like, hey, dude, like everything that's going on with COVID. Like, I'm sorry, I'm not going to be able to pay you for anything I owe you. He was like, just go sign up for unemployment. You'll be able to get everything. This is literally as I just turned off the car and I'm about to go like walk up to this guy, to his real estate agent or property manager or whatever about getting this house.

So I just go through everything and sign everything as if I still have that job and all that. I didn't have that much money saved, but enough to get me through a couple months. And then I told them that I lost my job. I was like, I can't pay rent. And I was like, as soon as I get unemployment to, you know, give me this money, it's coming to you. And unemployment would show how much money I had. But they wouldn't send it to me. It was this week, like, California was fucked during COVID.

Like, I was literally calling every single day to try to get to anybody that I could talk to, like just a real person. You were going through all this, hit this for this, hit this for that. And there's so many times at the end of the call, it was like, sorry, we've experienced unexpected difficulties. Goodbye. And that happened for like two or three months straight. I started live streaming during the fantasy football season. I started week one of 2020. Didn't know what I was going to do.

Before this, I'd taken one editing class. And so I knew a little bit about editing. created like a cool intro for like my show. And I didn't know what I was doing. I just knew I was going to, I found the software stream yard for everyone who doesn't know about it on fantasy football hustler.com. There's a link. And that made it to where I could live stream to YouTube, which I had like 20 subscribers.

I was doing nothing on YouTube at that time. But I had a Facebook group. And I'd started that in 2017. And it was all for fantasy football advice. And I think at that time it got. up to like 6,000 people, like while COVID was going on. And then once COVID happened, it went from like 6,000 to 25,000. And I would always be live streaming and putting it in the group.

And everybody who commented from Facebook, I'm like, come to YouTube. Fuck Facebook. Come to YouTube. And it was this grind of knowing that I got to figure out how to make something out of nothing. Because like, I don't know where the hell any money's coming from. literally can't leave the house. But everything that I was doing, it was information that was in my brain.

And people would ask the questions. I would give them advice based on what I thought. And I would say, and if you like this more, go support me. Go to my Patreon. I had it to where there was a $1 tier. Like literally Patreon take like 30 cents from that

plus like whatever their percentage. I'm literally making nothing. But like I would give them like a $50 like service in my mind. So I had it was like a dollar, $3, $5, $10, $15, $25, $50. And I would treat them every single person, whether I spend $1, $10, whatever. Like they were like a top of the line, like person.

And all my customer service experience came into play. All of my sales, like, came into play. Because there was a lot of people who'd message me from the group. I'd help them through text message or through message on Facebook Messenger. And then once I'd help them out, I'd have to drop the line. I'm creating a business out of this, and I need you to go support if you want this help continuously. And some people wouldn't. They'd say fuck off.

And then the people who would, like, it was crazy because people would sign up for a dollar. One of the people who've been around like forever, Corey, shout out to Corey. He came around like maybe week three or week four, signed up for a dollar. And he was like, dude, he was like, I just signed up for a dollar. He was like, you're telling me I get this much. And I was like, I just want people to like stay on and sign up for more. You know, like, am I going to do this forever where I'm giving the $1 person like all of my time and energy and effort? Like, no, it's not going to happen.

But it's like I need to build a base of like legit people who know that I'm legit. And he went from $1 to $5 to $10 to $15 all in the span of the same month. And it's people like that who like made me know that I'm doing the right thing. but it might be it might take time because what I'm doing is very taboo like there's some big companies that do this but not like I'm doing it not where it's like literally like one-on-one help there was times where I was live streaming because I was trying to get monetized I'd live stream for like five six hours a day and like just make sure you sub make sure you sub and just making sure all the subs like came in because I couldn't have the the subscriber chat on

felt like when I tested that out it was like I wasn't getting you. getting as many comments and stuff. So I would leave it off, but I'd say, you better sub. I just gave you help that no one else is going to give you. And that was 2020. And I built this community, super dope, 420 crew, rocking the shirt right now. And it's a lot of sports advocates, weed advocates. There's some people who don't smoke weed, but, you know, they dig the vibe.

And now I host a bunch of leagues for this community and just a bunch of experiences in general. In 2023, I got like a huge Airbnb and like a couple dozen people came from like all over the country and yeah, just super cool experience. Tomorrow for the next couple days, I'm going to be going to New York, going to be meeting up with some of these peeps, you know, in person that, you know, some I have never met in person, a couple guys I've met before but haven't seen, you know, in the flesh for years. And I feel like a lot of people got my back. And it's crazy how it's like it's always the random people, you know, like now these people are

friends. But at one point in 2020 or 2021, there's just random people who like found me on YouTube or like found me on Facebook and they've turned into like super loyal supporters that support with their time coming on the live streams. Like that's huge. Like a lot of people don't support with time. And then there's some people who support with money and they'll support monthly and get into the things that I'm doing, like leagues or whatever. And then there's people who do both and like feels awesome because like nobody in my family plays fantasy football. Like, I even wrote a book, like, last year, and I'm, like, sending it to, like, my family members or something.

Just seeing if anybody will actually buy it. It's like a $10 digital book, but will they actually support me? A couple did, but, like, you know, it's like my mom, like my cousin, you know, like a couple people. But then a bunch of these random people, they buy it and they're like, when's the next one coming out? Can we get an autographed copy? And, like, you know, that makes me feel good.

And that's what's probably the hardest part for a lot of people. They're friends and family, not really supporting. But I feel like once you get over that and you realize that, like, there's a whole bunch of people out there who, like, will support you. But they got to dig your style. Maybe they look like you. Maybe you sound like someone they knew or, you know, maybe you're like a friend that they hung out with in high school.

Like, I feel like that's me. Like, I was just like the weed smoking buddy of, like, a lot of these guys or that's what they think of me as. Well, what do you say is the biggest takeaway you want people to get from your story? Don't put all your eggs in one basket as far as your job. Like, I feel that there's a lot of Uber drivers out there, DoorDash people who like, your job is going to get replaced by like, you know, these cars and stuff. Like whatever you're doing for a job, get a side hustle going.

It doesn't have to be an illegal side hustle. Every hustle I do now is 100% legal, you know, and taxes and everything. And yeah, you've got to believe. in yourself. I feel like a lot of people don't believe enough in their self, especially with like anyone who's doing content. Like people are so discouraged to like try and just just try. Take advantage of the opportunity. Grab the bull by the horns. I love that. Alex, thanks so much for coming on the show today, man. I love the comeback story and redemption. How you, you know, you went through all of that to find your purpose and you got something going on, you're passionate

about and you needed all of those things that happened to you before to get to where you are. And I think that's really inspiring. And there's a lot of people that were in your shoes before that I think will take something away from this episode. I appreciate you having me on. This is super dope. And I literally just messaged you during one of your live streams because I've been watching your show for maybe almost a year after the football season got over. I was like, man, I need to go study like not sports podcasts. I just want to study podcasts.

And you and the Connect, you guys were like some of the first two that I vived with and saw when you were on his, saw when he was on yours. and yeah, man, I love everything that you're doing and super cool to be here. I appreciate you, brother.