One man’s lifelong weight loss battle turned into the creation of a supportive Facebook community, then a podcast, and monetized content. He’s sharing his health story and detailing how that led to becoming a paid content creator.

Jay Casale is a lifelong performer and educator who lost almost 200 pounds after having bariatric surgery in 2018. After struggling with his weight for most of his life, Jay sought out an online community designed for those who were dealing with the same weight loss issues. When his experience with Facebook groups was less than great, he started his own Facebook Group, The Lighter Side of Weight Loss with Jay, where anyone struggling with weight loss can find everything but judgement. Today, Jay’s group has grown to over 20,000 members, his daily Podcast just reached 100 episodes in 100 days, and he’s turned his personal journey into monetized content.