I’m Nicole Jay. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a licensed cosmetologist, fitness and lifestyle influencer, and entrepreneur. In 2018, after struggling with many health issues, I made the brave choice to take back my health and have vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) surgery.

Over the course of two years, I lost 120 pounds. I have shared my journey - the good, the bad and the ugly, and created a community of people who are on their own journeys. I never realized I would be able to inspire people by being myself and telling my truth.

Throughout my journey, I realized that when you’re on a weight loss journey there is no “start to finish.” You simply start and you keep going. When I first started I was well over 300 pounds but I knew I had a goal. Originally I had no idea how I would get there but I knew that as long as I tried and never gave up, one day I’d reach it.

Over the last four years I’ve learned that whenever you have a destination you’re trying to reach the only way you can get there is if you start. I know we say “better late than never” but ultimately what’s stopping you from doing it now? Another lesson that I’ve learned was to create balance within my lifestyle. I got so consumed with the thought that I would gain my weight back that even when I reached my goal weight I didn’t create the balance to keep me at that goal. I started to lose more weight instead of learning how to maintain. Once you reach the part of your journey where are you feel most comfortable and confident, learn how to stay there. The weight won’t come back if you change your mindset and your lifestyle.

And I want to encourage other people to embrace all of the steps of the journey. I know we’re all racing towards the finish line but you’ll learn that the “finish line” doesn’t exist. In these pictures you see a start and a current. A before and an after but never an end.

Remember that. Heart the Hustle.