In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, we sit down with Brandon Campbell, bassist for the multi-platinum band Neon Trees, to talk about the parts of the journey most people never see.

Brandon opens up about growing up in Las Vegas, finding music at a young age, discovering faith, and eventually achieving massive success in the music industry. But even with family, spirituality, and a dream career, something inside still wasn’t right.

We dive deep into emotional abandonment, identity, anxiety, and how unresolved trauma can show up in unexpected ways—even decades after getting sober from drugs and alcohol. Brandon shares how a major heart surgery led to prescription opioid dependence, how addiction slowly took control, and the moment boundaries from his wife and band forced him to face the truth.

This episode is about integrity, accountability, shame, recovery, and learning how to live honestly—without substances, without masks, and without running.

00:00 Intro and guest introduction
04:30 Growing up in Las Vegas and finding music
11:20 Emotional abandonment and identity struggles
18:40 Faith, mission, and returning to music
26:10 Joining Neon Trees and early success
33:45 Open-heart surgery and prescription addiction
41:50 Hiding addiction and setting boundaries
48:30 Entering Renaissance Ranch and accountability
55:40 Recovery, aftercare, and living amends
01:02:00 Part 1 closing reflections

In this powerful episode of Caged No More, we sit down with our brother Damaar Jones for a deep and honest conversation about a cage most people never talk about — the addiction to attention, validation, and social media.

Damaar opens up about stepping away from over 50,000 followers, deleting every platform, and confronting the uncomfortable truth about how attention, lust, pornography, alcohol, and image were shaping his identity. This conversation breaks down the idea that you don’t have to be incarcerated or addicted to substances to be caged — sometimes the cage is mental, spiritual, and emotional.

We talk about faith, masculinity, therapy, parenting, trauma, performance culture, and why real freedom requires doing the uncomfortable work without an audience. Damaar also shares powerful wisdom on raising children without fear-based parenting, using technology as a tool instead of a master, and why true value is built through lived experience, not highlight reels.

This episode is full of perspective shifts, deep analogies, and real-life wisdom for anyone who feels trapped by comparison, pressure, or expectations.

• What “Caged No More” really means beyond prison

• Walking away from social media and attention addiction

• Lust, pornography, alcohol, and modern masculinity

• Faith, therapy, and healing in the Black community

• Parenting without fear and allowing children to fail

• Using technology as a tool, not an identity

• Acting, purpose, and trusting God over validation

• The diamond analogy: how real value is formed

• Speaking to youth and breaking generational cycles

  
  

00:00 – Intro & sponsor message

03:10 – What it means to be “caged” without prison

07:25 – Damaar deleting all social media

12:40 – Attention as an addiction

18:30 – Faith, therapy, and cultural barriers
25:15 – Parenting without fear and control
31:10 – Acting career without social media
36:20 – The diamond analogy explained
42:45 – Speaking to youth and identity
49:10 – Using technology as a tool
55:40 – Final message on freedom and purpose

Sponsor: https://renaissanceranch.net/
Personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/smaqs.mafia.uso/
Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/caged.no.more.pod/

Guest youtube: https://youtube.com/@damarrj?si=OE5ayoN3YFGa7eIz

What cage do you feel like you’re still breaking out of in your own life?

In this episode, we sit down with our brother Manny, and man… this one is powerful on a different level. Manny takes us through the real journey, his childhood, the streets, 11 prison terms, toxic relationships, addiction, and the moment everything finally shifted.

This isn’t just a story about surviving. It’s about choosing to break every generational chain, finding faith again, rebuilding from the ground up, and stepping boldly into recovery and leadership.

Manny opens up about the crash that sent him back to prison for the 11th time, the divine moment that woke him up, and the tough decisions he had to make to rebuild his life with integrity. He shares how his wife Misty committed to her own healing, how they built healthy boundaries, and how both of them stepped into the work of helping others change their lives.

From getting into Odyssey House, to walking alone for months because he refused to compromise his recovery, to discovering his purpose as a peer support specialist, Manny shows exactly what real transformation looks like.

And now? He’s the co-founder of Level Up IOP, helping men and women all across the state break old cycles, rebuild their families, and find themselves again.

This episode is raw, inspiring, full of wisdom, and packed with the type of experience you can’t learn in any classroom. We’re honored Manny trusted us with his story.

00:00 – Manny’s early struggles with co-dependency & relationships05:15 – Crash, arrest, and the divine moment that changed everything12:20 – Realizing the impact on his daughter & choosing a new path17:40 – Prison tension, standing on principles, and refusing to “check in”22:55 – Getting back to Conquest & discovering leadership29:10 – Sentencing day: the moment the judge changed Manny’s life34:30 – Misty’s recovery, boundaries, and rebuilding their relationship41:45 – Running an honest program & learning to walk alone48:20 – Becoming a peer support specialist and giving back55:50 – Building Level Up IOP & helping people statewide
01:03:20 – Manny’s message to anyone fighting addiction or incarceration

Sponsor: https://renaissanceranch.net/
Personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/smaqs.mafia.uso/
Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/caged.no.more.pod/

From celebrated BYU running back to full-blown opioid addiction, Alema Harrington opens up about his powerful journey through pain, identity, relapse, faith, and redemption.

Alema shares how pressure, injury, and painkillers at BYU led him into a secret addiction that cost him his marriage, his career, and nearly his life. But when everything fell apart, God found him — through treatment, brotherhood, and a new understanding of what true surrender looks like.

In this episode, Alema and Smaqs talk about:

• Growing up in a proud Samoan family

• Becoming a football star and landing at BYU

• His first introduction to narcotics

• The moment addiction completely took over

• Relapses, withdrawals, and losing everything

• Finding God again in treatment

• Why resentment is one of the biggest relapse triggers

• The power of brotherhood and asking for help

• Why returning home to serve others became his calling

• How he became a SUDC and joined Renaissance Ranch

• The importance of slowing down and listening to God

This is a deep, faith-filled conversation about honesty, surrender, and the way God rebuilds us when the world writes us off.

👉 Sponsor: https://renaissanceranch.net/
👉 Follow Smaqs: https://www.instagram.com/smaqs.mafia.uso/
👉 Follow the Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/caged.no.more.pod/
👉 Guest IG: @alemaharrington

💬 Question for you: What part of Alema’s story gave you the most hope or strength? Drop your thoughts below 👇

In this episode, Portia Louder opens up about what it really means when God takes everything from you — the job, the relationships, the pride, the plans — until all that’s left is surrender.

This is one of the most transparent and faith-filled conversations yet. Portia talks about being broken down to the point where the only option was to let go, trust God, and rebuild from scratch.

If you’ve ever wondered why life sometimes falls apart right before your breakthrough, this episode is your reminder that loss can actually be preparation.

👉 Sponsor: Renaissance Ranch

👉 Follow Smaqs: @smaqs.mafia.uso

👉 Follow the Podcast: @caged.no.more.pod

👉 Guest IG: portialouder

💬 Question for you: Have you ever had to lose something important for God to show you who you really are? Share your story in the comments

From playing golf tournaments alongside Tiger Woods to becoming Hawaii’s Most Wanted, Kyle Quilausing story is one of the wildest redemptions you’ll ever hear. In this episode, Kyle shares how he went from a golf prodigy on the Big Island—raised by a chief of police and trained by his grandfather—to a meth addict, fugitive, and inmate in solitary confinement. But what happened in that seven-by-seven cell changed everything. You’ll hear how God found Kyle in total darkness, saved his life, and turned his story into a testimony of hope and restoration. This one’s raw, real, and unforgettable

.👉 Sponsor: Renaissance Ranch

👉 Follow Smaqs: @smaqs.mafia.uso

👉 Follow the Podcast: @caged.no.more.pod

👉 Guest IG: @stayhumbleprayhawaii

💬 Question for you: What part of Kyle’s story stood out most — his rise, his fall, or the moment he found faith? Drop your thoughts below 👇

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Sponsor Shout-out (Renaissance Ranch)

00:45 – Meet Kyle Keilaw Singh: From Golf to Grit

02:10 – Growing Up in Hawaii & Discovering Golf

06:40 – Competing with Tiger Woods at 10

10:00 – Setting Big Goals Early in Life

14:00 – Discipline, Family, and Drive

17:00 – High School Success & College Offers

21:00 – Arrogance, Consequences, and Getting Expelled

27:00 – From Dream to Downfall: First Hit of Meth

30:00 – Becoming Hawaii’s Most Wanted

35:00 – Arrest, Beatings, and Jail Time

42:00 – Solitary Confinement & Rock Bottom

46:00 – The Prayer That Changed Everything

49:00 – Finding Jesus in a 7x7 Cell

52:00 – From Addiction to Redemption

Brad Jensen — better known as The Sober Bodybuilder — joins Smaqs to share his raw, powerful story of addiction, incarceration, and redemption. From a middle-class upbringing to drug trafficking and heroin use, Brad opens up about the moments that nearly ended his life — and the one arrest that actually saved it.

This episode dives deep into: His first drink at 13 and how body image shaped his addiction How Renaissance Ranch planted the seed for real recovery The moment he hit rock bottom — shooting up in his mother’s car Why real change starts with humility and daily discipline Building Next Level Coaching and finding purpose through service Brad’s 13-year sobriety is living proof that no matter how far you fall, you can rebuild a life beyond your wildest dreams.

👉 Sponsor: ⁠Renaissance Ranch

⁠👉 Follow Smaqs: ⁠@smaqs.mafia.uso⁠

👉 Follow the Podcast: ⁠@caged.no.more.pod⁠

💬 Question for you: What part of Brad’s story hit you the hardest — the rock bottom, the comeback, or the discipline it took to rebuild? Drop your thoughts below 👇