The Journey

Ricardo Vargas

In this podcast, I will record my journey to becoming successful in the business world, starting from literally day 0 until I make it. You will listen to raw experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I wish the great minds of our times did this as they were coming up, so I hope to do that here. Thank you for investing your time and I hope you enjoy!

  1. Change Your Circle or Stay the Same - Mark Siles

    JAN 24

    Change Your Circle or Stay the Same - Mark Siles

    Six figures in six months… sounds clean on paper. This episode isn’t the highlight reel — it’s the real timeline: the wins, the mistakes, the pressure, and the discipline it took to keep going. Mark breaks down how he started flipping products on Amazon, what changed when he began treating it like a real business, and the parts nobody warns you about: account risk, IP complaints, margins, and learning (the hard way) to track your numbers. We also get into the deeper stuff — identity, faith, insecurity, the people around you, and what “making it” is actually supposed to feel like. If you’re building from zero, subscribe and follow the journey. More long-form conversations and real breakdowns like this are coming. 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:08 The Jump: Flipping On Amazon + Big Goals Early 00:05:29 Discipline > Motivation: Staying Consistent On Bad Weeks 00:10:28 Origin Story: Early Hustles, Dropshipping, Learning To Sell 00:15:38 The Amazon Playbook: Sourcing, SellerAmp, Product Research 00:20:35 Scaling Up: Wholesale, Approvals, And The Long Game 00:32:46 Risk & Reality: IP Complaints, Deactivations, Money Locked Up 00:40:21 The Numbers Lesson: High Sales… Negative Profit 00:46:05 Work Ethic & Resilience: Toyota Days, Gym Discipline, Staying In The Fight 01:09:29 Environment & Identity: Your Circle, Family Pressure, Degree Debate 01:30:55 Outro Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thericardovargas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricardovargas174 Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@r.vargas174?_t=8lJxUUN4SD5&_r=1 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ricardov174 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ricardovargas174 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journey-from-zero-to-a-million-and-beyond/id1734802848

    1h 31m
  2. Your Standards at Home Show Up at Work - Caleb Storts

    JAN 10

    Your Standards at Home Show Up at Work - Caleb Storts

    Most people talk about winning. This conversation is about the cost of trying to win too fast — and what it takes to build a life that can actually hold the weight of the business. In this episode of The Journey, Ricardo sits down with Caleb for a raw, practical talk that moves from the realities of scaling a lawn care/home service business (systems, hiring, leadership, money) into the parts nobody wants to admit out loud: relationship standards, emotional discipline, and the seasons where you feel “locked in”… but you’re actually breaking your foundation. If you’re a builder, creator, entrepreneur — or a man trying to grow without losing yourself — this one is a watch-to-the-end episode. Subscribe for more long-form conversations like this, and keep following The Journey. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:53 Meeting Caleb 00:09:59 The Locked In Trap 00:29:53 You Can't Skip The Foundation 00:36:02 The Laundry Basket Test 00:45:54 Stop Tolerating Low Standards 00:56:09 The Weekly Test 01:01:56 Write It Down 01:11:53 The 3-Part Relationship Filter 01:17:57 Your standards At Home Show Up At Work 01:23:53 Separating Your Life From Business 01:31:58 Every Business Becomes A People Management Company 01:39:57 Flashy Goals Vs Real Authority 01:47:55 Documenting The Grind Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thericardovargas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricardovargas174 Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@r.vargas174?_t=8lJxUUN4SD5&_r=1 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ricardov174 T hreads: https://www.threads.net/@ricardovargas174 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journey-from-zero-to-a-million-and-beyond/id1734802848

    1h 56m
  3. Competitors Aren’t the Enemy - Parker Hodge

    JAN 3

    Competitors Aren’t the Enemy - Parker Hodge

    Most people think the hard part is getting clients. The harder part is keeping trust—especially when you leave town, the phone won’t stop ringing, and your business starts exposing every crack in your life. In this episode, Parker Charles Hodge and I talk through what it actually looks like to build a lawn care/landscaping business in real life: the seasons that blindside you, the marketing mistakes you only make once, and the moment you realize growth doesn’t just require more work—it requires better leadership. We get into door hanger marketing, “Mulch Madness,” hiring and training crews, the difference between training vs micromanaging, and what burnout feels like when you push past your personal capacity. Then we take it where most business conversations don’t: marriage, compromise, communication, and what it costs when entrepreneurship starts taking your weekends. If you’re building a service business, chasing excellence, or trying to become the kind of man who can carry more without losing himself—this one is for you. Watch to the end for the leadership and “long game” lesson that reframes what dedication really looks like. Subscribe if you’re following the journey, and check the channel for more long-form conversations on business, discipline, and growth. 00:00 Intro 01:22 The Episode That Almost Didn’t Happen 03:38 Competitors As Allies 10:43 Mulch Madness 14:05 Door hangers & $20K Months 16:21 Training Is Culture 23:35 Business Reflects You 30:05 Compromise & Boundaries 39:43 Leading From the Front Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thericardovargas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricardovargas174 Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@r.vargas174?_t=8lJxUUN4SD5&_r=1 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ricardov174 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ricardovargas174 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journey-from-zero-to-a-million-and-beyond/id1734802848

    46 min
  4. Building Yourself When No One Is Watching

    12/06/2025

    Building Yourself When No One Is Watching

    There are seasons in a man’s life that don’t make it onto a calendar. No dates. No celebrations. No applause. Just quiet work, silent battles, and a version of you nobody else ever meets. This video is the beginning of that journey. We start with The Lonely Chapter — the season where nothing feels certain, where you’re stuck between who you used to be and who you’re desperately trying to become. The grind is invisible. The progress is slow. But this is the price of entry for any man who wants to grow. Then we move into The Mirror Stage, where you finally see yourself without filters, excuses, or validation. This is where the truth catches up to you — your insecurities, your motives, your ego. It’s uncomfortable, but necessary. From there, The Season Always Turns. The highs and lows come and go, and you learn that nothing — good or bad — lasts forever. The struggle that once felt heavy slowly becomes something beautiful in hindsight. And finally, we reach The Weight of Wanting — the chapter where ambition stops being a fantasy and becomes a responsibility. You start to understand the cost of chasing big goals, the sacrifices behind mastery and the difference between wanting “more”… and appreciating “enough.” This video is the intro to all of it. A story of growth, loss, clarity, evolution, and becoming. Every version of you had to die so the next one could live. And it all starts here… The Lonely Chapter. Links: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thericardovargas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricardovargas174 Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@r.vargas174?_t=8lJxUUN4SD5&_r=1 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ricardov174 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ricardovargas174 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journey-from-zero-to-a-million-and-beyond/id1734802848

    55 min

About

In this podcast, I will record my journey to becoming successful in the business world, starting from literally day 0 until I make it. You will listen to raw experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I wish the great minds of our times did this as they were coming up, so I hope to do that here. Thank you for investing your time and I hope you enjoy!