Episode 25: The Man Behind the Gloves | A Conversation with Joshua Brown

Most people know Joshua Brown as a boxer.

Many know him as a coach.

Many know him as the owner of JB Boxing & Fitness.

But in Episode 25 of Life, Finance, & Real Estate with KirbyTheRealtor®, we're talking about the man behind the gloves.

Join Kirby Harrell for an inspiring conversation with Joshua Brown as he shares his journey, his faith, his purpose, and his passion for serving others.

Together, they discuss leadership, perseverance, community impact, and why true success is measured by the lives we change.

Because sometimes the greatest champions aren't the ones holding belts.

They're the ones helping others win.

This episode is a reminder that purpose is bigger than popularity, and impact is greater than recognition.

"Most people will ask about boxing. Few people ask about the man behind the gloves."

Own Your Life… so you can own a Piece of America. 🇺🇸

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Hey family, hey family, hey family. Welcome back to Life Finance and Real Estate with the girl Kirby the Realtor. Yes, that is me. I'm Kirby. Hey, so I want to thank you, as always, to my listeners that support me, that shares my posts, that comments on my YouTube, that, you know, shares it with other people. Thank you for all the encouraging words, texts, emails, the questions. I appreciate you guys that don't know how much that means to me. And I want to welcome my new listeners. I want to thank you for tuning in today because here on Life Finance and Real Estate, we educate, we empower, and we elevate because I don't teach you how to earn it. I'll teach you how to what? How to keep it because ownership, y'all, it starts in the mind. It starts in the mind and it's all about success. It's all about purpose and growth. I teach you how to own your life so that you can work on a piece of America. So listen, before we jump into today's episode, let's quickly recap last week's conversation. Last week on episode 24, we talked about the pulse of the people. We talked about the importance of actually listening. The importance, y'all, of listening to people, listening to what they're experiencing, listening to the challenges that people are facing, listening to the concerns they have about life, finance, and their future. Because we're honest. People are caring a lot about stuff. People are working hard. People are raising families. People are building businesses, and people are trying to keep everything together while they're carrying burdens that many people never see. Many people don't know what other people are doing with the surface. They think that's what they see. You know, they're riding good, they see their houses, and they dress well, but they really don't know that people are really carrying a lot of weight. But one thing became very clear now people are looking for hope. They're looking for somebody to really see them, they're looking for purpose, they're looking for leadership, they're looking for community. When I say they're looking for community, like when we were growing up, we had when they said it takes a village. Yeah, it really takes a village. It really takes a village. And we don't have it anymore. People are looking for that again. Perhaps now more than ever, people simply need to know that somebody cares. Which brings me to today's catch, y'all. Many people know him as a boxer, they know him as a coach, they know him as the owner of JB Boxing and Fitness. But after knowing him personally, I can tell you there's much more to his story than boxing, y'all. Most people will ask about boxing, boxing, but few people ask about the man behind the glove. And today, that is exactly what we're doing. Because behind every pair of gloves is a story. Behind every entrepreneur is a journey, and behind every chapter is a purpose. Today's guest is someone who has poured into countless lives throughout our community. He has mentored young people, he has encouraged people. He's not only mentor young people, y'all. He has mentored people older than him, including myself. He has helped people improve their physical health, strengthen their mental health, and we got confidence. We got confidence in ourselves. And many times he's done because of cars. And as I listen to his story, one thing stood out to me. He doesn't define success by trophies or by belt. He defines success by impact. Because sometimes the greatest champions aren't the ones holding the belt, they're the ones changing lives. Today we're talking about purpose, leadership, faith, community, discipline, and what it truly means to become what Muhammad Ali once represented. The people's champion. So grab your notebooks, settle in, and join me as we get to know the man behind the gloves, Joshua Brown, owner of JB Boxing and Fitness. Welcome to Life Finance and Real Estate. All right. So, Joshua, many people see the boxer, they see the trainer, they see the entrepreneur, but I believe many people don't realize the heart behind what you do. Most people will ask about boxing, but few people ask about the man behind the glove. So let's start at the beginning. Who is Joshua Brown and what first drew you to boxing?

SPEAKER_02 6:09

That is a wonderful question. So, yes, um, just to introduce myself, I am Joshua Brown. I'm from Princess, Mississippi. Um, that's a small town in the state of Mississippi. Um, the neighborhood that I grew up in, I grew up around like 13 young men. Um, a lot of our mothers were single-parent mothers. Um, so the area that I grew up in was a lot of aggression. Um, I saw a lot of things that, a lot of unfortunate things. I had to grow up very fast. Um I grew up without a father and I had a little anger in me, but I was just, you know, the environment that I grew up around, it caused me to have tough skin. Um, and the way that we solved our problems in my neighborhood is by using our hands. Um, and you had to learn how to think like fast at an early age. So um anger led me to boxing, but I was inspired by uh Muhammad Ali, Lloyd May, um, I want to touch on those two. Muhammad Ali, one thing that I was inspired by when it comes to him is um his character, his integrity, the way that he was um, I say I don't say he the people's champ because of uh what he did in the boxing ring. I say he's the people's champ by the way he treated people because the true champion can go out into the community and they can embrace the people and be accepted by the people. Um Floyd Mayweather, when I saw Floyd Mayweather at an early age when I was being inspired and led into the boxing world, one thing I I learned from him and what drew me to him is that um he comes from a similar background like myself, and one thing that I took from him is that if you focus on your craft and give it all that you got, um you can change your lifestyle, you can generate revenue, you can um change those lives around you. You can you can earn a fortune, but me, um, I don't do a whole lot of things for money. I give my all into everything. Um my service to the earth is the rent that I pay to be here on this earth. So Joshua Brown, the man behind boxing, is a man that's here to make a difference. Um I'm here to spark a flame, uh, change the minds of anybody who has a brain like myself to let them know uh with the example of my life that you can do anything by using the ability that God has placed on the inside of us. And we all have the guilt and we all have a purpose. But some people know what their purpose are, and some people know why they're here, um, and some people don't. Me, I was blessed to know why I'm here at an early age. And I can say uh I had thoughts like it could be a blessing or it can be a curse. What I mean by that is you can use it the right way or you can use it uh the wrong way. Um, because when you focus on your purpose, you're walking in your purpose, God allows you to have a lot of the things that you think about. So um again, I'm Joshua Brown, and I am what I am a boxing promoter. That's always been my ultimate goal, but there are some steps that I had to take. I had to first be a boxer, then I became a coach, and then I opened up a gym, and after that, I later on started hosting boxing events. I have sold four boxing events, three of them I sold out, my fourth show. I did um some record-breaking numbers, but we still got more work to do, and soon I'll be opening up my new business, God willing.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Okay. Um, so let me ask you this. What made you decide to open JB Boxing and Fitness?

SPEAKER_02 9:56

What made me decide to open up JB Boxing and Fitness is I did it because I wanted to reach my community. I know that uh the service that I offer, which is I'm a personal trainer and I am a USA boxing coach. I know that when it comes to fitness, everybody needs to take time out of their day and out of their life to service their vehicle. If you don't service your vehicle, your vehicle is not gonna perform at its highest potential. It's not gonna get you far. It's not too much you can do. You can even lose your life, you know. Um my boxing services, I feel like everybody needs that. It is a great way to relieve stress. It's good for hand and eye coordination, it's good for cardiovascular health, it's um it just helped save lives. And the main reason why I opened up JV Boxing Fitness is so that I can help my community, help myself and help my community.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

So this really became bigger than just a business for you. It sounds like you weren't just building a gym. You were building a place where people, you know, could belong and can become more healthier and clear in mind. So would it be fair to say that this became more of a ministry than just a business?

SPEAKER_02 11:13

Yes, it is definitely my ministry. Um, boxing is my ministry. I'm able to reach so many people through this. It's my purpose, it's my ministry. It's great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Okay. So for some people listening right now who think that boxing is only for like fighters, that's really not the case. People may be surprised to hear how much of a full-body, you know, workout boxing actually is. And the beautiful thing is you don't have to become a professional boxer to experience the benefits. Um can you talk about that a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Yes, I can. Um, so one of the number one questions that I get asked when I'm out in the community tour, when people are on my website and they send me an email is hey, I would love to come to your gym and experience a service, but um, do I have to be a boxer? Or they say, hey, I want to come and uh hit the mitts or do uh take on your boxing service, but I don't want to get in the ring. I don't want to be in the face. But I'm here to tell each and everyone who is listening that you do not have to be um a boxer. You do not have to get inside of the ring. I offer mix work services. You actually um I can take you through drills, take anyone through drills without even having to put gloves on their hand. Um I work with people from all different walks of life. I can um teach my service to someone who's in a wheelchair. I can work with anybody. As long as you have the ability to see and listen and you can pay attention to me, all I need is a few minutes at your time and I can get the job done. But um, my service is for anyone. Um, you want to lose weight, you can come and experience my service. If you want to tone up, you can come and experience my boxing service. If you need therapy, you can come and experience my boxing session. There are so many great benefits, but I always tell every human being, you need this. And you will not understand until you experience it one time. Most people become addicted to the service because of the way that they feel after they leave uh doing a session with me. They feel all they often tell me how great they feel.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Yeah. Yeah. That's good. Cause I feel like when we when we do that too, you're not just a trainer, but I mean, boxers like you, for me, I just know that people tend to like, you know, talk about their worries, their stressures and stuff, and and then they were dumping it on you. Um, because even being a realtor, you know, our eight clients become family, right? So how do who who helps Joshua? How do you clear your mind? How do you get those burdens and things off of you, of other people?

SPEAKER_02 14:03

That is a great question. So how I take care of Joshua is around 7:30 in the mornings when my fighters arrive early, or when they don't arrive early, I often go on like a three-mile run. Um sometimes I ask my boxes to hold the pad to the punching mix, and I punch the pad. I work out with them. I take our time every day. I break from 12 to 3 and I do simple things like outside of my service, I do simple things like um go to my home. I watch boxing. When I watch boxing, I lock in on it, and no problem in the world don't exist. I forget about all the challenges and pressures of life. Um I go to I travel and go to boxing events. Um another thing that I do, I like to be around water. I like to be around water. Sometimes I I um sit in sauna, sometimes I go swimming, sometimes I go in the steam room. Um, but the my go-to when I have nothing, nobody to go to is always going to run. Because um, going on a run, it teaches you a lot of things. When your body wants to quit, you have to tell yourself, keep going. It's just you in that role. You know what I'm saying? Your body, like a lot of challenges, you get a chance to think about life, you get a chance to talk to God. Um, but like I said, your body always wants to stop when you close, but it teaches you a lesson every time when you just keep going, you realize it's that process. So those are certain things that I do to take care of Joshua.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Yeah, that's good. Um, what would you say has been one of the hardest parts about owning your own gym?

SPEAKER_02 15:51

Wow. Um one of them, there are a lot of challenges. Uh one of the hardest parts about owning my own gym is having a heart, having a big heart. Um and that's a lesson that I'm trying to learn with being an entrepreneur is I care so much about my community. Sometimes I get clients like young boys or something, or sometimes little girls, or um, and they want to come in and work out or something, or they need to be in the gym. Um, sometimes I know that they can't afford to pay, and I still take them on, and I still give them the service. And when I give them the service, I give them all I got. You know, I give them 100% of them because one thing, um one thing you gotta do is and think about it. I would rather, as an entrepreneur, I would rather that young man be inside of my gym training than being out there in the streets, uh being influenced, getting on, getting put on drugs, you know, getting um getting involved with some negative things in the streets. Um I know that with me taking our time with them, my one lesson can help change their life and stop them from making a 20-second decision that can destroy their life. So that is one thing. It's having a big heart because I got bills too. I got a family. Um, my landlord does not care about having, you know, he don't care about, I can't go and tell him, hey, I helped 10 people this month, or I helped 25 people this month. No, when them when the rent is due, when the light bill is due, have the time, hey, you don't even see a human being. You better put it on that money or then put it in that box. So just having a heart, having a big heart and caring for. But it at the end of the day, I cannot say that it goes in vain because I never ever came up short as a husband.

SPEAKER_07 17:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

But always have some help there when it's time for getting help.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

Yeah. That's that I I can attest to your big heart because I've seen it in action. I know there was a season in my life where I could not afford to pay for the gym. And you know what you told me? You said, come on in, I got you. And I was showing up every day. And I was, um, I want to tell you publicly, I I'm so grateful and I appreciate you for doing that. Because it meant a lot, but it helped too. Um, it helped. It helped me be able to clear my mind, but it did show me because I'm like you, I have a big heart in business too. And I don't know. I just want to thank you, Joshua. Thank you, because it it just meant a lot. It meant a lot, and I appreciate you. And anyone who knows you knows how much you love kids. So you already kind of answered that my next question about why is investing in young people so important to you. So I appreciate you, and I I'm I'm glad you have a big heart. But like you said, you can have a big heart, but them bills don't stop coming, right? Um, so yeah. So have there been moments um where you've seen boxing like change the child's confidence or direction that they were going in life? Like, have you actually seen it happen, like transform them?

SPEAKER_02 19:14

One more time. I want to make sure I answered it correctly. I had a uh call coming. One more time.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

It's okay. Have you been have there been moments where you've seen like boxing change a child's confidence or the direction in life?

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Absolutely. There have been plenty of times. I can use um, I can use one, I can use a guy, and I changed his name because uh his mama was mine, she's so happy. Um I remember working with a young man who was uh he was in what is it called juvenile? Juvenile detention center downtown Hatterburg. Well anyway, um when I met him, he was in and out of that. Um and I was like back to the he couldn't afford it. Uh thinking that parent. Uh I remember her coming to me and saying, Hey, actually I can talk about. Um first the woman coming to me saying, Hey, I want you to uh work with my team at the time. But anyway, um I was like, Hey, here's my price, this is how much I charge, and I know they disappeared.

unknown 20:23

And I ran to the mother. Hey, what you have to take them. Um that happened twice. So one day buy.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

I know it's like opening up. He um what to do about he started asking me a lot of questions. Man, where you come from? How do you get how you get things like the job? American. Hey, man, I didn't come from a rich background. Hey, I didn't my father, you know, I don't know the the the the difficulty my mother and father had, but hey, I used to deal with anger, hey, I had goals, but I turned my life around, I thought what I want to do is tell myself. I know it's uh he used to discipline. So I said, Oh, that's like later on find out that same young man ended up disappointing. Came back to me. Um he was 18. Came in the gym. First thing he said, I was like, Man, you want to work out? He said, No, I want to invite you my birthday. I'm going to the Navy. Uh huh. So now that young man probably doing way to break me. Um, another young man. Um I was his mother brought him to me. And he was. 16. Um, this is unfortunate. I just worked with him this Saturday. This young man, uh, mother brought him to me when she was when he was 16. And I worked with him until like he was 17, disappeared. Then he came to me his senior year. She brought it back to me his senior year. I was working with him. Now it's a conversation with mother. Come to find out two weeks before his graduation, he came and said, Hey man, can you come to my graduation? And I was just like, um, yeah, I can't. You know, being an entrepreneur, you never really know how your schedule's gonna go because you gotta do everything possible to stay, to keep what you got most of the time. Um I was like, man, I'm gonna do all I can. But he came to me, I was like, man, I'm gonna do all I can. And he said, No, I need you to. So why? He said, Man, my mother was trying to take care of me. She had to do some things that she had no business, and she went to prison. She got caught. She was trying to pay for his senior stuff. So he was telling me, man, you all like that, too. Come. So that same young man just came back to visit me last Saturday. He graduated, he now graduated from Pearl Row. He's a wealthy. He um told me his mother be getting out soon. But just like change things like that. And as an entrepreneur, as a gym owner, most of the time I think I'm helping people, but those people be helping me just as much as I'm helping them. Because somebody's going through some stuff and it reminds me, like, man, it could all be worse. You know what I'm saying? So help as people as you can. Don't be a money-hungry entrepreneur, gym owner. Don't be greedy, because it all will be taken away. I tell people that you'll get more, you'll get more blessing when you're doing it for the right reason versus the wrong reason. You know what I'm saying? You could do what you're doing just for money, you won't get too far. You could do it and have a good heart and have integrity and character, and you'll get so much further. But yeah, that's our that's the truth.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

What do you what do you think young people need most today?

SPEAKER_02 24:15

I think that most people need um leaders like the old school leaders that need somebody to take our time to talk to them. I feel like back then there were more um adults reaching out to the youth, and that was the what do they say, take the village? The village was so much stronger. But now I feel like all of us be in survival mode and we all be having our own thing going. And sometimes we can forget about the youth. You know what I'm saying? So I think that they need more leaders. They need more, like back then the the leaders was was harsh and poor. Like if if like that the village were big and strong, for example, if somebody uh an adult in my neighborhood taught me out at a football game doing something. I ain't had no business. Hey, you know you don't suppose to be doing that. You need to get yourself together, you know, they'll check. Right. I think we need more aggressive leaders out here. I think we need more community events. I think we need more of God, man. I think we need to bring the church bands back and go and pick the go to the neighborhood and pick the kids up and take them to to uh I forgot what he was talking about.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Vacation Bible school.

SPEAKER_02 25:38

Yeah, vacation Bible school, and we all pitch in and feed them and take, let them go on for a field trip or something. We need all of that, all of those things. They need all that back in the community right now.

SPEAKER_07 25:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

One thing I'm doing is hosting boxing boxing events. But the last event I did, I tried to allow, well, I didn't try, but I allow kids age 13 and under to get in free. Without the the meaning behind that, the whole moral behind it was I was trying to force families to spend time with their children.

SPEAKER_07 26:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

To come to get the opportunity. Like if the kids get in free, who's gonna bring them? The mother and the father. That was my purpose behind it.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Say that part again, it was perfect. What?

SPEAKER_02 26:28

I said that was my purpose behind allowing those kids to get in free. Was that I know if the kids came to the watching event and got in free, the mother and father had to bring them. Another thing I did was I paid food trip to feed all the kids for the fight. Why? Because if the kid comes get something to eat, the mother and father has to bring them. And that was the whole purpose behind all of that. It was forcing unity amongst families.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Yeah, I like that. I like that. If you could speak to every young person listening right now, what would you tell them?

SPEAKER_02 27:06

If I could speak to every young person, um I would tell them um if there's anything they ever wanted to do, I tell them to do it. Never let anybody trick you into believing that you can't use in the uh you can't be what you want to be. You can be anything that you want to be by using the ability to guide his place on the inside of you. Um, just a little short testimony, and I said this on an interview. When I started doing what I wanted to do, that's when my life began to be how I wanted it to be. The moment I started doing what I love, I then began to live the life that I love. And that is what it is. So I would tell them to um stay focused. I tell the young boys, don't fall victim to the girls, you know, a lot of girls and stuff, a lot of ladies. Um, one of the things that my mother always told me that every woman that's smiling your face, that don't mean they want you. And that has helped me throughout my life. Um I tell young boys, just get, you know, stand upright. Um keep your pull pull your pants up, keep your head up, follow your dreams. You want to play drums? Um, get on YouTube, study the great. If you want to be a boxer, find a boxing gym. Find me, research me. Uh, when you're not with me, get on YouTube, get on social media or something, and study the best boxers. Um, and the number one thing I wanted to say, be yourself. You don't have to be like anybody else. God made you the best way he could. Everything about you is great, everything about you is enough. That's to the young boys and the young girls. You are enough. Be yourself. You can get so far in life by being yourself. Your your dream is your dream. Don't steal nobody's dream, no hate on nobody. Don't be envious. Don't look at your your your friends um thinking that they don't don't look at the shiny things and look at your friends and think that they got it all together. Everybody deals with something. It ain't always what it looks like. So make the be grateful for what you got and make the best out of what you have. That's what I I say to them, the youth, anybody.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

That's real. So one last thing, maybe two. What legacy do you hope to leave behind?

SPEAKER_02 29:37

What legacy I hope to be le uh leave behind is I want to be, I want to be remembered as somebody who if you ever crossed paths with me, um, I gave you a hundred percent of me. I hope I made you smile. I hope I was myself. I hope I was genuine. I hope you look at me as a true inspiration because um, like Tupac say there's a role that grew in concrete. I I had I started off with nothing and I turned into something. I always worked with what I had. I never looked at somebody else and wanted to be um like them or wanted what they had because I've always been, I've often and still is to this day, get looked at as like I got it all together. I don't. There's been times where I was in my gym training clients, and everybody was like, well, a lot of people is like, man, I want to be in this position, I want this. They didn't even know I ain't had the money, didn't know how I was gonna pay rent next month. There was some months like that, like you can't look at shiny things, you know. Um, but the legacy that I want to leave behind is do remember as um a man that walked in his purpose, a man who served his community, a man who left the world empty. I do everything that I think about. I even if I'm most afraid. When I'm most afraid, that's when I know it's time for me to do it. I gotta do that. Because one thing I found out is always gonna be alright. Um my legacy would be that I made a difference. And I was the people's champion. And I did all I could to catch as many people as I could and be a servant, and I always ask God to use me until I'm useless. There's one pride that I prayed before. I go in my gym every morning when I still might say, God, use me to shine like a light in every dark place. That's your grace and mercy be upon me everywhere that I go. There's work that needs to be done. Use me to do it, oh God, for I am not afraid.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

I like that. I like that. Listen, Joshua, I don't want to keep you all evening because I have a lot of questions, but I truly, truly enjoy and I appreciate you taking our time to share a little bit about us, about who Joshua is, the man behind the glove. So I appreciate you for tuning in and taking our time to listen today. Joshua, if someone listening today is struggling physically, mentally, emotionally, or even financially, what message would you leave with them?

SPEAKER_02 32:19

Oh, I tell them to stay strong, hold on, um, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't be afraid to, don't be ashamed of your situation and circumstance. We're trying to ask for help. I'm 35 years old. I need my answer. Close mouth, don't get fed. Be humble enough to say, hey, I need some help. Hey, I'm trying to get this. Ask God first, ask your peers, because he got all types of resources around each and every one of you. So don't be afraid to ask for help because your situation ain't always gonna be like that. Be humble enough to hold your head up when you're not in the best position, and be grateful and humble enough to hold your head up when you are in the best position.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Yes, sir. Well, Joshua, thank you so, so much.

SPEAKER_02 33:14

Anytime I'll talk to you later. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

You're welcome. All right, thanks. So, family, remember that success isn't just measured by what you have in the bank. It is also measured by your peace, your health, your relationships, and your ability to enjoy the life you've worked so hard to build. Because I don't just teach you how to work, how to earn it. I teach you how to keep it all your life so you can own a piece of America. Listen, my friends, thank you so, so much for tuning in today. Bye for now.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

Thank you for tuning in to live at real estate with Kirby the Real Estate. Catch us every Thursday at 12 p.m. on 92.1 WJMG 951 W J Two. And also it's live at nine two one WJMG.com.