Written in partnership with Fame Media
Chasing your dreams and living the life you’ve dreamt of is an aim many set for themselves. Those who are passionate about their goals usually focus on becoming successful no matter what it takes. The recent boom of social media and the internet, in general, has allowed many to pave the way for unique careers at a young age.
One dedicated and hard-working entrepreneur is Felix Levine. He hails from New York and has managed to establish himself as a young podcaster along with being an entrepreneur. Felix started his podcast when he was a college student studying at UC Santa Barbara during his Freshman year, before eventually transferring to Boston University. His vision was remarkable but determining a way to implement this plan was challenging.
Felix recalls the early days: “Truthfully, it was hard, but I’m so grateful it all happened the way it did. There were a lot of nights where I stayed up late sending emails to both potential guests and sponsors, knowing that 99% of those emails would be completely ignored or I’d get rejected. I didn’t really care though, I knew that eventually if I continued hard enough, somebody was bound to say yes. I literally tried everything.”
Soon, guests started accepting invitations to come on, and a few different companies agreed to sponsor a few episodes at a time. “It was so cool – I remember when the first company to sponsor me, US Wellness Meats, agreed to sponsor me just three episodes in and give me $30 per episode for a mid-roll read. I remember how ecstatic I was – not because $30 is a lot of money, but the idea that all of those emails led to a company paying me to advertise on my show was a concept that once seemed so foreign and impossible.” Nearly 3 years later, US Wellness Meats is sponsoring the opening of Felix’s own studio, which is set to open in October.
Just a year into his show, Levine was able to land sit-downs with two high-profile former mobsters, as well as the future Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. “I remember the week where I interviewed the former hitman for John Gotti Sr., John Alite, on a Monday, and then flew to California to interview the former boss of the Colombo Crime Family, Michael Franzese, on that Friday. I was 19 years old at the time and sitting with some pretty serious criminals. The scheduling was by coincidence, but when I got back from California, I remember just sitting there thinking ‘what the f***’, who would’ve thought I’d sit down with two mobsters in the span of 5 days?” Felix would also sit down with current Mayor of New York City Eric Adams later that summer, who gave one of the most honest and raw interviews Mayor Adams has ever done.
“One of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done was when I traveled to Chicago to sit down with a man named Vincent Wade Robinson, who had spent 30 years in one of Chicago’s worst prisons, after being accused of a murder he had never committed. It was gut-wrenching, hearing about how the man had spent over 30 years in horrific conditions for nothing. Never a piece of evidence against him, no eyewitnesses, nothing. I still think about his story daily.”
Since its inception, the show has managed to gain over 1 million views and downloads. His social media platforms have also grown rapidly, and Felix’s Instagram has more than 45K active followers. Over 10 companies have sponsored him since he started his podcast, including Audible, Infinite CBD, Eat Clean Bro, Manscaped, and US Wellness Meats, as aforementioned.
In addition to his show, Felix also does short MMA segments for JellySmack in association with Snapchat, where he talks about UFC/MMA news every week for 4–5 minutes. Having had many UFC guests on his show, Felix has developed many relationships with those fighters. He tries to go to as many fights of his guests as he can, and he sometimes trains with them all over New York City and Long Island. Felix says, “Being able to train with these guys and see them train upfront, all because I had them on my show and created an organic bond, is by far the best byproduct from starting my show. These are the coolest athletes ever and I have so much respect and admiration for them.” Felix has also been mentored by Laura Sanko, a valuable member of the UFC commentary team.
Keep in mind, Levine has done this all while being a full-time student at Boston University. Having just graduated this past May, Felix is plotting his next moves: “Stay tuned – I’ve been working on all of this for three years and for me this is just the foundation. I love working, especially for myself. It’s f***** scary at times, but that’s what I love about it. I approach things as if I can only ever rely on myself – that’s what gets me out of bed quickly.”
