Welcome! I’m Jeremy Reisig, also known as J Hobbs.

My story began on the beaches of Elk Rapids, Michigan, where I spent my childhood running around on the beach, playing in the water and hanging with my amazing parents.

Music has been my lifelong passion, beginning with my mom and dad’s love for music—especially the Beatles’ melodies that filled our home. Inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” I started drumming on pots and pans, marking the start of my love affair with music.

In 1990, my family moved to a small town in northern Michigan, where I channeled my energy into sports, music, and connecting with people. Sports taught me discipline, resilience, and the competitive spirit that would later define my career. Though sports dominated my youth, my passion for music only grew, fueled by the electrifying sounds of Pearl Jam’s “Ten” and the soulful lyrics of 4 Non-Blondes’ “What’s Up.” Even as I excelled in sports and academics, music was always there. I played alto sax in the jazz band and drum set in bands throughout high school.

Life threw a curveball when a shoulder injury led to surgery and put an end to my athletic aspirations. That led me to a new college and a new opportunity: selling Cutco knives. At college, I sold Cutco—a pivotal experience that taught me more than just sales skills. I quickly became a top Cutco salesperson and, in 2002, became the top sales rep in the country. That relentless work ethic propelled me forward, and I spent 15 years as one of Cutco’s top sales representatives. That drive to succeed has shaped every aspect of my journey since.

But I couldn’t ignore the inner voice that kept saying, “Play music.” In 2006, I joined my brother’s band and started dedicating more time to music—this time as a percussion player, rapper, and hype man. Honestly, I wasn’t great at the beginning, but my sales and marketing experience helped me create opportunities for the band. That band ended a year or so into our journey, and I thought that was the end of my musical career.

When I stopped playing music regularly, I experienced little bouts of depression and hopelessness—emotions that weren’t typical for me. Something was off. Then, in 2008, while producing an album on GarageBand, I had a moment of clarity and inspiration. I remember it like it was yesterday: working on the song “Relaxation Station,” writing lyrics, and feeling something light up inside. I thought, “I would do this music thing if I got paid or not.” That moment changed my life.

I decided to make music a significant priority and asked my brother (again) if I could join his band. This time, it was FUNKTION—a 7-piece Funk Soul Groove Band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. From 2009 to 2013, Funktion played over 600 shows through 26 states. But by the middle to end of 2012, the band members were burned out, and the band was likely to take a significant step back or end altogether.

That’s when I decided to start my own band. Here’s the twist: I, the percussion player and rapper in FUNKTION, decided to become a lead singer, songwriter, and main guitar player. I could barely play instruments besides drums and percussion, and I’d only written a few subpar songs. But I didn’t let that stop me.

In late 2013, I moved to Austin, Texas, and started playing shows under my long-time stage name, brotha James. While in Austin, I honed my musical skills and continued to grow my Cutco business. By 2015, I partnered my Cutco business with another rep to generate passive income, fueling my musical ambitions. In 2015, I officially launched my music business and started playing shows on the traditional music scene—venues, clubs, music festivals, and private parties.

In 2016, I started combining motivational speaking with music. Then in 2017, I started learning how to be a facilitator and began combining speaking, facilitation, and music. It was a powerful trifecta. But, I was losing my connection with music more and more each year because my businesses were primarily built on services where I was speaking or facilitating.

In 2020, the pandemic arrived and I leaned into online facilitation using the ‘xchange’ approach, design, and facilitation method I had learned as a musical facilitator. In a short time, I led over 200 online events by July 2020. I joined a small start-up as the head of sales in late 2020, and that’s when my connection to music faded even more. On the xchange team, I was in a leadership role and needed to perform. I helped the company grow from $700K to over $2 million in revenue by 2023. Yet, my heart yearned for music.

After a loving transition out of xchange, I shed the alias ‘brotha James’ and became ‘J Hobbs’ in 2022, honoring my family’s roots.

From there, I spent a year making music and studying what my next chapter of entrepreneurship would be.   In October of 2024, I became the Chief Growth Officer for The Miracle Morning, I now dedicate my time to helping others transform their lives through purpose-driven routines. Guided by Hal Elrod’s powerful morning program, S.A.V.E.R.S., my mission is to create systems for sustainable personal growth and transformation.

I’m grounded by the most important relationships in my life—my wife Barbara, my mother Terri, and my brother Sean. These connections inspire both my work and my creative pursuits.

So, if you made it this far, you really know me now. Thanks for taking the time to read a little about where I’ve been, where I am, and where I’m headed. I look forward to learning more about you in the future, whether it’s at an in-person or online experience.

Stay Empowered!

Enthusiastically,

Jeremy Hobbs Reisig (J Hobbs)