Leo Pareja Unfiltered

eXp Media
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Welcome to Pareja Unfiltered, where host Leo Pareja explores what it takes to lead, grow, and win. Leo built companies and led tens of thousands of agents as CEO of eXp Realty (NASDAQ: EXPI). He's learned the difference between good and great isn't what you know—it's how you think, adapt, and inspire others. Real strategies for real leaders, featuring CEOs, founders, and game-changers who've been in the trenches. This is podcast for leaders ready to stop playing small and start playing to win.

  1. MAR 3

    Byron Lazine: He Went Bankrupt, Couldn't Buy an Ad, and Built Real Estate's Biggest Media Company

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Byron Lazine built a media empire starting from bankruptcy — no budget, no audience, no choice but to figure out what everyone else was ignoring. Leo sits down with the co-founder of BAM to break down why distribution beats skill, what 15 years of building in public actually costs, and the uncomfortable truth about agents who post versus agents who actually build. Byron also gets into what live content is going to dominate in 2026, the backdoor narratives still controlling the real estate industry, and the two paths forward for anyone scared to put themselves out there. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 The Bankrupt Agent Who Couldn't Buy an Ad and Built a Media Empire Instead01:17 When Byron Realized Distribution Mattered More Than Skill03:06 The Facebook Live That Changed Everything (A Builder, 9 Homes, and Zero Foot Traffic)04:31 What That Version of Byron Got Dead Wrong About Success05:22 The Real Cost of Building in Public for 15 Years06:41 Why Chasing Trends Is the Slowest Path to Consistency07:44 The Deleted Podcast, the Stop Zillow Debate, and the First Real Inflection Point13:00 How BAM Was Born and Why the Industry Needed a Media Company, Not Another Blog17:45 The Difference Between Agents Who Build Audiences and Agents Who Just Post24:30 Why Byron Wouldn't Post on Social If It Wasn't for Business30:15 Raw Content, Live Format, and What's Going to Crush in 202637:34 The Emerging Trend Most Agents Are Completely Sleeping On39:52 Live Content for Listings: Why Zoning Meetings Are Goldmines Nobody Is Mining42:05 Cringe Mountain and the Two-to-Four Year Grind Nobody Talks About44:06 Grind It Alone or Latch On — Byron's Closing Advice for Anyone Scared to Build in Public ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja

    45 min

  2. FEB 20

    Neil Patel: SEO Is Dead — Here's What's Actually Driving Revenue Now

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Most marketers are spending money on SEO that was never going to drive revenue anyway and Neil Patel is the first to admit it. Leo sits down with one of the most recognized names in digital marketing to break down why informational SEO is collapsing, how LLMs are rewriting the rules of visibility, and what actually drives revenue in a world where ChatGPT answers the question before anyone clicks your link. Neil also gets brutally honest about losing clients for telling the truth, burning millions on a cloud computing bet before AWS existed, and the hard lesson every founder eventually learns: drinking your own Kool-Aid is necessary until it isn't. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 Why Informational SEO Is Dead (And Was Never Driving Revenue Anyway)00:55 How LLMs Are Replacing Google and What to Do About It02:10 The Exact Strategy to Get Mentioned by ChatGPT and Gemini04:45 Personal Brand vs. Corporate Brand, Which One to Build First07:30 Why AI Slop Is Flooding the Internet and How to Stand Out10:20 The Coca-Cola AI Ad Backlash and What It Tells Us About Human Content13:00 Neil's 2008 Collapse and the Three-Year Grind That Followed17:45 Burning Millions on Cloud Computing Before AWS Existed21:00 The Investor Who Hired His Girlfriend and Gave Her $50K for a Logo24:30 Don't Drink Your Own Kool-Aid, Hire People Who've Already Made the Mistakes27:00 Why Boring, Ugly Businesses Make the Most Money30:15 When to Expand vs. When You're Just Adding Feature Creep33:40 The Zero-to-One Founder vs. The Scale Operator, Know Which One You Are36:00 Quality Time Over Quantity, How Neil Thinks About Family and the Grind ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja

    40 min

  3. FEB 13

    Focus Is a Superpower: How to Know When to Quit or Keep Going

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Most entrepreneurs don't fail because their product is bad—they fail because they try to do everything and slowly become forgettable. Leo breaks down why hyper-focus is a superpower, how to audit where your marketing dollars actually go, and the hardest question in entrepreneurship: when to keep watering the seedling versus when you're pounding solid concrete on a bad idea. He also shares what marquee capital allocators told him they actually look for in founders—and it's not first-time winners. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 The Feature Creep Trap That Kills Businesses00:45 Why the Best Brands in the World Are Hyper-Focused01:20 The Framework: Audit Your Marketing Spend Ruthlessly02:10 Saying No to Good Ideas Is Mandatory, Not Optional02:55 The Duality of Never Quit vs. Knowing When to Walk Away03:40 Watering a Seedling vs. Pounding Solid Concrete04:25 The Sunk Cost Fallacy Will Destroy Your Business05:00 Separate Your Identity from Your Business05:40 Feedback Loops: Trust Your Gut, Filter External Advice06:20 Why You Should Start as a Side Hustle First07:00 Having Hard Conversations with Investors and Employees07:45 Failure Is a Superpower: What $48M in Fundraising Taught Me08:30 What Marquee Investors Actually Look for in Founders09:10 Ask Yourself Why—And Be Honest About the Answer ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja

    11 min

  4. FEB 6

    Why 99% of Businesses Fail (The Revenue Trap)

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Profit should always be the key metric that keeps your company afloat—but the last decade of entrepreneurship glorified valuations, funding rounds, and revenue while quietly burying the one number that actually matters. Leo breaks down why the real superpower in business is profitability, exposes the vanity metric trap that kills companies (businesses with profit talk about profit, companies without it talk about revenue, and the ones without revenue talk about market size), and reveals the exact moment it's okay to sacrifice margin for market share—and when doing so will destroy you. From understanding your customer acquisition cost to lifetime value ratio, to why most businesses die not from bad strategy but from making decisions too late, this is the financial discipline framework every entrepreneur needs before the next market shift hits. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 The Superpower in Business Nobody Talks About00:28 Why Vanity Metrics Quietly Kill Companies01:03 The Shift from Revenue Obsession to Profit01:32 Bootstrap vs. Venture-Backed: The Real Math02:15 The Only Time You Should Prioritize Revenue Over Profit03:05 The Vanity Metric Hierarchy (Profit → Revenue → Valuation → Made-Up Numbers)03:45 Why Most Businesses Die Too Slow04:15 Invest in a CFO Before You Think You Need One04:58 Seasonal Business Survival: Forecasting Downside05:30 Should You Sacrifice Margin for Market Share?06:05 Blue Ocean Strategy: When Going Fast Is the Only Option06:30 The Unit Economics Trap That Kills Growth Companies ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja

    6 min

  5. JAN 30

    Why You Should Master Every Role Before You Hire For It

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Most founders rush to hire for roles they've never done themselves—then can't figure out why they can't hold people accountable or spot real talent. The mistake: filling seats before understanding what success actually looks like in that position. I break down the hiring philosophy that cost me hundreds of thousands to learn: why mastering the role first changes everything, the shift from hiring specialists to hiring grit, and Gary Vee's controversial take on protecting company culture at all costs. The reality check: you can teach skills, but you can't teach work ethic. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 The Hiring Philosophy Nobody Teaches You01:04 Master the Role Before You Hire For It01:39 Why Team Members Say "What Took You So Long"02:19 Cultural Fit Isn't Negotiable03:03 Personality vs. Skills: What Really Matters03:16 Gary Vee's Bold Take: Culture Over Performance04:08 Creating Job Descriptions That Actually Work05:22 The 90-Day Probationary Period Strategy06:14 The Early Warning Signs of Cultural Decline07:03 How Culture Evolves With Company Size08:08 Building Teams That Protect Your Culture ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja

    9 min

  6. JAN 23

    Why Most Profitable Businesses Die (The Unit Economics Trap)

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Most founders confuse growth with success—but growth without unit economics just scales your losses. The difference between Casper burning cash and Uber's land-and-expand play isn't luck—it's understanding what business you're in. I break down why good opportunities kill great ones, the geographic depth trap that cost me 10 hours a week for nothing, and how I ruthlessly prioritize time as ROI. The brutal truth: saying yes to everything creates burnout and dilution. No is a complete sentence. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 Growth Without Economics = Scaling Losses  01:03 Casper vs. Uber: The Unit Economics Lesson  02:34 The 3-5 Year Curve to Sustainable Profitability  03:49 Good Is the Enemy of Great  04:48 My Geographic Dilution Mistake  05:40 Ruthlessly Prioritizing Time  07:55 My Hard Rule: No Professional Dinners in Miami  08:45 The Force Multiplier: Pouring Into Leaders  10:07 No Is a Complete Sentence ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/  Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/  Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja   #UnitEconomics #ProfitableGrowth #Entrepreneurship #SayingNo #TimeManagement #ROI

    10 min

  7. JAN 18

    Delegation vs Abdication: Why Great Founders Know When NOT To Do Something

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Most founders confuse delegation with abdication—and it's costing them scale. Delegation is strategically giving a task to someone else. Abdication is deciding not to do something at all. The difference determines whether you're building leverage or just creating chaos. I break down the 10-minute tracking exercise that reveals where you're spending double-digit percentages on hourly work, the "do, delegate, or delete" framework that clears mental RAM, and why documentation is the only thing preventing burnout from micro-decisions. The brutal truth: your team will never hit your 90% conversion rate, but 10 people at 60% destroys you doing everything alone. This is how you stop being the bottleneck in your own business and start building systems that scale without you in the room. ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 Effort Isn't the Metric—Not All Hours Are Equal01:15 "If You Want Something Done Right, Do It Yourself" (The Biggest Fallacy)01:54 The 10-Minute Tracking Exercise That Changes Everything03:00 Your Time Has an ROI—Are You Calculating It?03:31 Delegation vs. Abdication: The Critical Distinction04:14 The Never-Ending To-Do List Stealing Your Sleep04:54 When You Become the Bottleneck (And How to Spot It)05:37 The One Task You Should Never Delegate07:04 Letting Go of Tasks You're Emotionally Attached To08:01 Why Your Team Will Never Be As Good As You (And That's Okay)08:34 The Documentation Mistake That Kills Delegation09:27 Trust Without Tracking = Anxiety (The Domino's Pizza Tracker Principle)10:40 Understanding When Failure Is Normal vs. Operational12:00 My 20-Year Evolution: From Control Freak to Leverage Master13:07 Your First Hire Should Clean Your House (Here's Why) ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja #Delegation #Productivity #Entrepreneurship #TimeManagement #BusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #Leverage #ScalingBusiness #ROI #Leadership

    14 min

  8. JAN 10

    $500M, 5 Exits, 0 Failures: Jody Glidden's Playbook No One Talks About

    ➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja Jody Glidden dropped out of computer science after one year, joined a startup as employee #5, and sold his first company for $1 million at 19—a deal he now calls one of his biggest mistakes because he "didn't know anything about multiples." The five-time exited founder reveals how growing up in a fishing village programmed him to clash with every acquirer's vision, why getting acquired by the same company twice still couldn't teach him to execute someone else's decisions, and the brutal math showing why going deep in a vertical beats going broad every time. This is the raw playbook from someone who built IntroHive to a $500 million valuation serving 93 countries, now runs 25 people doing what used to take 150, and has generated 100-200x angel returns—exposing why commodity SaaS is dead and what separates founders who exit from founders who get disrupted. ➡️ Show Links LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jodyglidden ➡️ Timestamps 00:00 He Didn't Just See Data—He Saw Relationships01:41 Born at the Right Time: The Malcolm Gladwell Outlier Reality03:22 "It's Hard for Me to Execute Other People's Decisions"04:01 One Year of Computer Science Then Quit—Employee #504:43 $1 Million Exit at 19: "Never Should Have Sold"06:45 Pitching the LMS They Rejected—Then Becoming Their Competitor07:35 Same Buyer, Second Acquisition: $10 Million (Still Too Early)10:02 The BlackBerry Relay Idea: One Year Building, Zero Market12:40 Chalk Media: Ephemeral Content Before Snapchat Existed14:29 Raising in September 2008 (The Worst Timing Possible)15:35 Reporting to Jim Balsilie: Learning From a Childhood Hero16:26 Big Four Discovery: 500K Employees Who Don't Know Who Knows Who17:52 PWC: 100 Seats to 93 Countries to $500M Valuation18:34 The Private Equity Firm That Didn't Go Well21:32 Going Deep in a Vertical: The Strategy That's Never Failed22:46 25 People Now vs. 150 Before: The Vibe Coding Shift24:13 Commodity Software Extinction: The 8090 Problem32:39 "I've Never Had an Idea Turn Out Exactly How I Expected"33:35 Two Equal Founders = Tiebreaker Problem (The Speak Story)35:54 Only Invest Where You Can Move the Needle37:40 Irrational Confidence + Thirst for Learning ➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja #JodyGlidden #IntroHive #FiveTimeFounder #StartupExit #PrivateEquity #VibeCoding #SaaSDisruption #VerticalStrategy #AngelInvesting #SerialEntrepreneur

    28 min
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About

Welcome to Pareja Unfiltered, where host Leo Pareja explores what it takes to lead, grow, and win. Leo built companies and led tens of thousands of agents as CEO of eXp Realty (NASDAQ: EXPI). He's learned the difference between good and great isn't what you know—it's how you think, adapt, and inspire others. Real strategies for real leaders, featuring CEOs, founders, and game-changers who've been in the trenches. This is podcast for leaders ready to stop playing small and start playing to win.

Information

  • Creator
    eXp Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 eXp Media
  • Show Website
    Leo Pareja Unfiltered