The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
How to Dominate Miami’s Yacht Industry Using Billion Dollar Nightlife Strategies in 2025
Sat, 24 May 2025
In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, Paul Alex sits down with Humberto Dominguez, a former nightlife executive, who helped launch some of the most iconic venues in Vegas—then took that operational genius and built a thriving yacht charter empire during COVID.💡 What You’ll Learn:How to scale a yacht charter business using nightlife playbooksWhy luxury experience + marketing systems = massive profitLessons from running 9-figure clubs like Tao, Omnia & E11EVENThe hidden goldmine in boat clubs & Miami’s post-COVID boomGrowth strategies: from lead gen and SOPs to SEO and paid adsThe mindset, resilience, and systems behind Humberto’s multi-business expansion📍 Whether you're in hospitality, real estate, or want to dominate Miami’s luxury scene—this episode gives you the blueprint for high-ticket success in 2025.🎙 Hosted by Paul Alex 📲 Follow Humberto: https://www.instagram.com/hdzhub/“Your Network is your NETWORTH!”Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024Youtube: https://jo.my/ytpaulalex2024Linkedin: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur?Check out one of my companies below to see if we can help you:www.ATMTogether.comwww.Merchantautomation.comFREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com
Chapter 1: How did Humberto Dominguez start his journey in entrepreneurship?
Thank you for coming in. So, Humberto, brother, start from the beginning, man. How did you get into entrepreneurship? What made you want to get into the fields that you're in right now? And tell us about yourself, man. What's your background?
Sure. Well, originally, I'm from Venezuela. I came to Las Vegas in 2002. And I came from a military background. Excuse me. I came from a military background. I had no clue what I was getting into when I got to Vegas, and Vegas was such a hospitality-driven industry.
So quickly I got into the nits and grits of what happened in Vegas, how I could really become someone in Vegas, and without really knowing anyone, I got into... My first nightclub, Rum Jungle at the time at the Mandalay Bay.
Dude, I remember the Rum Jungle.
That was like the pregame. It was insane. I mean, like the fire dancers, the congas playing. It was a really, really cool vibe. It set the precedent for where I was headed in that industry. I started up as a busser and eventually made my way up to the bar. Eventually, 2004, down the road, now we open up The Wind, bar backing, bussing, eventually bartending. We open up... Tao Nightclub in 05.
Dude, let's slow down this real quick because right now, you don't understand, dude. Like, you're talking my time. You know I'm old school millennial. So it's just like you're talking about 2022 to probably like early 2000s, dude. It is like... The era of nightclubs in Vegas, EDM, Tiesto. I mean, you got like the hitters right there, right? You got me fist pumping, like amazing.
So number one, what made you pick Vegas coming from Venezuela, dude? Like, were you just like drawn to Vegas because of the nightclub industry or the hospitality industry? Like, what was it about Vegas that you were like, I want to go there instead of California, instead of Miami? Like what made you make that decision?
It was just a little bit of luck, I guess. I had second uncles in Vegas at the time. And I was lucky enough to at least land there. Thinking, well, you know, I mean, like, I branch out that way. Maybe family helps. Family doesn't always help that way. But it worked out at least to get my foot down there. And in 2022, how old were you? In 2002, I was 19 going to 20.
Okay, 1920, dude. So yeah. Oh, man.
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Chapter 2: What were the key experiences in Humberto's Vegas nightlife career?
Jägermeister. Yes. Yes. I remember those days.
It was rough. Yeah. It was rough because, I mean, like now I had like a lot of responsibility. Yeah. the one part no one really prepared me for was the amount of hours yeah I was gonna now be subjected to like work yeah yeah it wasn't all that much fun anymore now I actually really have to show and I have to
schedule people and I have to understand the dynamics of the venue and the ordering and the bookings and the marketing and so many different fronts that really go to run a business, right? I mean, ultimately, nightclub or not, it's still a business and it requires the same thing. It needs people coming in and people spending money.
And understanding and learning and understanding the dynamics of how to actually like how to make that profitable, how to make that like successful, how to actually keep people motivated to actually like want to like be supportive to your business. It's all like in the dynamics of management that you really like start learning and earning as you actually grow in the industry.
So what's the – I mean, obviously me and you know what's the main driver of revenue when it comes to nightclubs. But for the people that are listening right now and they're probably like a college student or maybe they're our age and they're like, dude, I want to try being in the nightclub, right?
Because a lot of people, I remember back in the day, they were like, bro, how did you get into the nightclub? I was like, I just networked, bro. Like I was just a friendly guy. And one day I went to a nightclub promoter. I was just like, hey, dude, how do you do what you do? He was just like – Well, you got to start from the bottom, dude. You know, it's the same thing, the come up story, right?
And people don't understand. It's just like your network is your net worth. I've been saying this all this morning, dude. Like you're like, it really is like, you might know one person who's going to get you in just like your mentor, right? Mr. Woods. And when he moved to the other group, the, the, the towel group, he brought you with him, dude.
And that's usually what happens when people change in management. So, you know, if you're trying to go to Vegas, you guys got a network. That's just all it comes down to, you know?
And same goes with like, I mean, like the people, you know, like if it's about party and like, like you see so many high rollers and so many people like really well connected. And then you see like their group with them and that group like with them. I mean, like some might see them as groupies. Some actually will be true friends. Who knows?
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Chapter 3: How did Humberto transition from nightlife to yacht charters?
That's interesting. The boat industry. Okay.
Okay. All right. I see where you're going. Yeah.
The boat industry... So 2019, 2020, everything shuts down. You're like, holy shit, I'm in the nightclub industry. What am I going to do? So then how do you get into boating, dude?
Well, COVID happens. No one knows what to do. Like, literally. Like, hey, by the way, like, the world shut down. Like... How do we pay for rent or pay groceries? We have to figure something out. Looking into what was still working in Miami, boats were actually working in Miami. So I decided to bring the consulting idea I already had somewhat founded in 2019 into action. And I
Form a plan, not the best one yet, but some sort of plan and then polish it. I mean, running venues for this long, it was the same recipe no matter what. It was just a different industry now, right? Or so I'm thinking. So how am I going to fix the problem? I'm actually looking for a problem I need to fix. And in doing so, okay, this actually feels natural. I'm not reinventing the wheel here.
I'm just gonna apply it. And I actually went out and I took a leap of faith and I actually started trying to, again, build a network and contact people just as many, many moons back in a whole different industry, in a whole different city. And started trying to make connections enough to place me or position me in front of someone that could have some interest in what I had to actually pitch.
And so it happened. I mean, in trial and error, I got to meet this one gentleman running a boat club for many, many years. This boat club had been in Miami since the 80s. And... It had died down a little bit. he had other assets and other businesses and other things, and he just didn't have the right tool set to make his business something again. He didn't have the right operators. Correct.
And I felt like the problem wasn't all that significant. It just wasn't being properly handled. And I actually, if implementing the right solutions, the right tools, you could easily, like,
So at that time, Herberto, do you think it was his marketing? Do you think it was his fulfillment? Do you think it was his sales? What was going wrong that you saw that you could fix?
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Chapter 4: What strategies can help scale a yacht charter business?
lose weight versus all these other guys or like wellness. I mean like how are these guys gonna like make my Botox work better than these other guys that actually offer the same thing for half of the price.
Yeah, no, absolutely. Especially in Miami, dude. I mean, it's Botox Central. But Humberto, quick question. So you've worked with different industries, different CEOs now, especially being a fractional COO for these companies, inserting yourself. I love that concept, dude. I think it's a really great concept.
So what would you say, okay, is a common trait that you have seen with winners that they have in common?
I would say a common trait within everyone that turn into a winning case study being Willing to actually learn, being willing to make changes, to not know it all and not be above the solutions. Sometimes you actually have solutions so simple right in front of your face. And sometimes I... like a doctor will actually feel like so above that level. They don't want to handle it. Exactly.
And at that point, it doesn't matter what solution you present. You're not going to see a change. And the better outcomes I've had have been like from on the different levels of friction and different levels of challenges that I've seen, like the – one of the more standard sets I've seen that actually have been a common winning token have been that.
I actually like willing to be open and implement changes and
I love that. It has to do with your core values then. Your core values of being able to adapt, have resilience. If something doesn't work, you adopt. And no, I agree, dude. Some of the best people that I know, they know how to adapt very fast. Success loves speed. So let me ask you, brother, with that being said, what role does mindset play? Play with what you do right now on your day to day.
Do you have like a routine to get yourself prepared? Do you think that, you know, there's something that entrepreneurs must do like on a weekly or daily basis to prepare their mindset? Because mindset's everything, right? The premises of this podcast is the level up, but a lot of it is motivation, self-help mindset. to help people go ahead and go do and live that life by design, right?
So what would you say is something that you, you know, value in your life that you're like, you know what, this has worked for me for my mindset that can help others?
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