REAL Mentors Podcast

Jason Lacayo drops raw truths on the Real Mentors Podcast—exposing the mental toll of policing from Bronx streets to badge. From NYPD's violent 46th Precinct ("the Alamo") to White Plains PD's Mental Health Outreach Team, Jason reveals how cops compartmentalize gunshot victims, cope with morbid humor on severed limbs, and fight loneliness after losing street friends. He slams "defund the police" a...

Amaurys "Bronx Native" Grullon drops Bronx truth bombs on the REAL Mentors Podcast; raw stories of hustle, heartbreak, and unbreakable pride from a kid raised in Section 8 who built a cultural empire without leaving home. Co-founder of Bronx Native, Amaurys Grullon shares how he and his sister turned "no Bronx merch" into a Mott Haven flagship store, Nike collabs, Yankees deals, and a movement ble...

Over 30 years in salsa and freestyle, Luis Damon, Warner-signed artist faced it all: Premio Lo Nuestro nominations, world tours, then post-9/11 rock bottom at Cablevision. Divorce hit hardest—"swallowing rusty screws" for his daughter—until therapy unlocked reinvention. Now indie, he owns his sound, videos, and 2026 "Rat Pack" revival with Frankie Negron and Papote Jimenez, bringing NY salsa fire...

Stephen Scoggins returns raw vulnerability to the REAL Mentors Podcast, revealing how pride led to homelessness at 22—and humility built a 9-figure empire. Scoggins discusses the five constraints that hinder leadership and personal growth, emphasizing the importance of humility, presence, and faith. He reflects on his experiences with faith, personal challenges, and the transformative power of int...

Jessica Rivera joins the REAL Mentors Podcast sharing her raw journey from Brooklyn food stamps to leading a $4 billion organization as a young Latina single mom – and now transforming leaders through her coaching firm, JRCC.From welfare rejection and imposter syndrome in male-dominated corporate spaces to doubling her income at a Flatbush car lot, Jessica reveals how she broke free from toxic bos...

Josh York, GymGuyz founder, gives raw energy to REAL Mentors Podcast, revealing how he scaled in-home fitness from a kitchen table to 3,000+ cities across 32 states and 7 countries, providing insights about true discipline, and why most people will never achieve success in life. From a tough Long Island upbringing with no direction, Josh built a rebellion against failing gyms by prioritizing accou...

Jake Hamilton, founder of Behind the Fight, sits down with the Real Mentors Podcast to drop raw truth about masculinity, marriage, and what actually changes a man. After nearly losing his marriage to church-approved workaholism, Jake was confronted with a brutal reality: you will never transform a marriage unless you have the man’s heart. In this episode, he unpacks why a man has to go first, why...

What does it take to steer a child away from the justice system? For Demishia Owens, it took surviving her own childhood trauma to find the answer. As a 20-year veteran Program Director at EAC Network, Demishia has helped divert thousands of Long Island youth from incarceration. In this raw episode, she reveals the strategies behind her programs' 90% success rate and shares the personal story—from...

Since founding EJ's PJs with just 34 pairs of pajamas on her front porch in 2011, Patricia has built a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that's distributed nearly 20,000 pairs of brand new pajamas across 8 states. But this episode goes deeper than the numbers—it's about the transformation that fueled the mission. At 300 pounds, Patricia made a decision on July 12, 2013, that changed everything. She l...

Content creation is the new hustle, but most creators don't know how to monetize it. Myq "Success" Rodriguez, founder and CEO of The Brand Success LLC and co-author of The Content to Cash Bible, returns to break down the real science of turning clout into currency. In this conversation, Myq unpacks the creator economy like never before—from why going viral is a trap to how clout without strategy l...

Melvin Thomas is building something most people never imagine possible. At 22, he was a psychiatric social worker on a mobile crisis team in Brooklyn, talking a 17-year-old down from a fire escape. Today, he's the founder of Mr. Thomas NYC—a luxury brand creating handcrafted, one-of-one lapel pins that celebrities wear on national television. But this episode isn't just about pins and profit. It's...

Since his early days working as a janitor for $8/hour, Michael "DJ SPYNFO" Eagen has built multiple six-figure businesses in the South Bronx—and he's stayed there the entire time. But this isn't a typical success story. It's about Emmy-award recognition, founding Sankofa Haus, navigating generational trauma, and choosing legacy over escape. In this conversation, SPYNFO breaks down how he built 4 t...

Music executive Max Escobar shares his journey from professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds to becoming one of the most influential Latin music executives in the industry. Learn how he built AudioMack's Latin division, signed 4,000 artists in two months, and founded 1844 Tech music distribution company with Universal Music backing. What You'll Learn:✅ How to break into the music industry f...

Vladimir Bautista went from hustling on the streets of Harlem’s Sugar Hill to becoming one of New York’s leading voices in cannabis culture and social equity. A Dominican-American raised by a single mother, Vlad saw firsthand how communities like his were targeted by the War on Drugs. After being arrested over 20 times for cannabis, he turned that same street hustle into a mission—to create opport...

Coss Marte is back on the Real Mentors Podcast with an update that’s as raw as it gets. Since his first appearance, the founder of ConBody and ConBud has faced new challenges — this time from the state itself. After building three licensed cannabis shops in just 15 months, Coss and more than 150 other small dispensary owners were hit with sudden rule changes that could force them to shut down. In...

Hugo Sánchez went from spending two decades away from society to becoming the Founder & CEO of MOTI, a multi-million-dollar tech startup that’s redefining how humans connect, communicate, and get paid for their time. A proud Puerto Rican from Bayamón who rebuilt his life from zero, Hugo embodies what it means to bet on yourself. From construction and dry-cleaning businesses to creating a globa...

Dan “Big D” Sachkowsky went from filing bankruptcy at 24 to rebuilding a multimillion-dollar construction and coaching empire rooted in faith, structure, and the discipline to say no. Raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey by immigrant parents who taught him to work hard but think small, Dan learned early that breaking generational limits meant unlearning everything he’d been told. At 15, his father told...

Chad Willardson went from top 2% at Merrill Lynch, speaking on Wall Street stages, to walking away from the corporate “matrix” to build a life where family and freedom come first. Today, he’s the founder of Pacific Capital, a fiduciary wealth advisory firm serving entrepreneurs and families, a five-time author, and a leading voice challenging the hustle culture with a new framework: work-life inte...

Abbie Ayala went from hustling in the Bronx during the 1990s “get money” era to becoming the host of the ABFive Podcast, a raw and authentic platform that gives real people a voice. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, Abbie became a father at 19, grew up alongside his daughter, and later learned the hard truths of parenting, hustling, and surviving street life. From driving cabs for drug...

Chef Kelvin Fernandez went from a kid in Harlem who didn’t even realize his family was poor—to becoming the youngest executive chef in New York City at just 22, a Beat Bobby Flay winner, and a private chef trusted by Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. Raised by Dominican immigrant parents, Kelvin discovered cooking in high school, found discipline in kitchens that tested him to the edge, and built...

J. Scott Scheel went from a broke twenty-something living in his mom’s basement to a nationally known commercial real estate investor and educator whose mantra—“one deal, one time can change your life forever”—has helped 100,000+ entrepreneurs get into the game. Raised in Cleveland with humble beginnings and a faith-first compass, Scott learned to turn adversity into advantage, master creative fin...

Sean Callagy went from being a Division I baseball captain at Columbia University — with dreams of playing pro ball — to having those dreams shatter overnight when he discovered at 17 he was going blind. Instead of giving up, he built a multi-state law firm, pioneered an entire industry, and created a movement teaching people how to master influence, business, and themselves. This episode explores...

They ride in leather. They look intimidating. But behind the image is something deeper. Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.) is an international nonprofit of riders who stand guard for kids who’ve survived abuse — escorting them into courtrooms, surrounding them with love, and showing them they’re stronger than the people who tried to hurt them. On this episode of the REAL Mentors Podcast, Sean M...

Saddiq Ali went from running “distribution” in high school — with 9th and 10th graders selling for him and pulling in $600 a day — to becoming a former NYPD officer who walked away from the badge to build something bigger: Drive Forward Academy, a Bronx-based training program that helps underserved and justice-impacted communities earn their CDL licenses and second chances. This episode explores:...

Jenn Drummond went from surviving a car accident she shouldn’t have walked away from — to becoming the first woman in history to summit the Seven Second Summits, the second-highest peaks on each of the seven continents and some of the most dangerous climbs in the world. Her story is one of impossible odds transformed into record-breaking achievement. After police rebuilt her crash 50 different way...