In this special crossover episode, guest host Paul Brown — barbershop owner, life insurance pro, and creator of It’s Always Personal in Philadelphia — jumps in to co-host and open up his studio as we sit down with someone we both know from North Star Mixed Martial Arts: Jay.

When I first walked into North Star MMA, I wasn’t there to make friends.

Hood up, earbuds in, train hard, go home. That was the entire plan.

But then there was Jay — the human contradiction to my antisocial gym routine. Loud, outgoing, endlessly positive, and somehow always able to pull you out of your shell. Within weeks he had me at my first Korean hot pot. Months later, he had become one of the most genuine connections I’d made in adulthood.

But behind Jay’s energy is a story that doesn’t show on the mats.

A story that weighed over 300 pounds at its heaviest.

One that now stands at 166 — but the real fight was never on the scale.

From early relapses to moments of doubt, from fighting in the cage to fighting in your own head, Jay shares a brutally honest look at what it really takes to rebuild a life — not just a body.

We wrap with reflections on self-worth, advice for anyone feeling stuck, and what work is still ahead.

This isn’t a weight-loss episode.

It’s a human one.

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