It's our 100th episode of Chiseled and I'm so excited to have Paul Hutchinson join me for this milestone. You may have heard of Paul, the executive producer and inspiration for the movie, The Sound of Freedom.
Paul was living the high life building a multi-billion dollar company, Bridge Investment Group. He had a house with 10 bathrooms, seven fireplaces, three kitchens, and a closet larger than most people's apartments. A basketball court and a full-on DJ booth with light structures and a stage were set up in his basement.
He was also on his way to his second divorce, his kids wouldn't talk to him, and he had lost his relationship with God.
The parties every other weekend with NBA players and half-naked women kept him busy, but his soul wasn't fulfilled. However, his reputation as a flashy playboy with a disarming charm made him the kind of recruit that spy agencies look for.
Paul turned down the CIA's overtures, but when he got a call from the attorney general asking him to insinuate himself into a child trafficking ring, the challenge motivated him to action.
"I didn't want to put my life in danger for some white-collar crime guys in Dubai, but when it came to kids, if there was something I could do to help, great," he said.
Two days after a follow-up chat with a homeland security agent stationed in Cartagena, Paul was in Colombia making a deal to "purchase" young virgins.
"Then things became really real. I mean these guys knew who I was, and I realized the depth of darkness that they were engulfed in, and I realized how dangerous it really was, but I said to myself, 'If that was my child, if that 11-year-old was my daughter, I would take a bullet to get her out. I would give everything I have to destroy the lives of whoever tried to take her,'" he said.
The successful mission saving a group of children from a sex trafficker profoundly moved Paul. But it still hadn't quite renewed his soul. That would take another two years engaging in some mind-bending experiences with the operators who helped him save so many lives.
"I had what I call an 'ego death' and that ego death was absolutely necessary for 'Paul Effing Hutchinson' to go away," he said. "That's what brought me back to God."
Paul completed 70 missions in 15 countries during his 10 years undercover. He has earned the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the International Medal of Freedom. He has been knighted three times, earned 12 honorary doctorate degrees, is the founder of Child Liberation Foundation, and personally donates millions of dollars to rescue children from enslavement.
As if his story needed any more drama, it has been brought to life on the big screen. The Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel and Eduardo Verástegui, who plays Paul's character is a must-watch. In fact, watching the film moved me to call Paul up and ask him to be my guest on this 100th episode of Chiseled.
I could not be more honored, he agreed. When you hear Paul's story, when you hear how bad human trafficking still is, particularly in the United States, you won't believe that Paul could remain as humble as he is. But as he says, "a piece of coal doesn't become a diamond if it's just sitting out there in the sun. It's gotta go through some pressure, it's gotta go through some heat."
You can learn more about Paul and the efforts to end human trafficking at Liberating- humanity.com, ChildLiberation.org, and the SoundofFreedombook.com. You can also follow him on his Instagram and Facebook pages.
But first, hear him on this week's episode share some of his darkest nights and most dangerous missions. Afterward, let me know if you were able to get through this episode without crying. I wasn't.