Get a Grip Podcast

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes sits down with Lauren Shoemaker for a powerful conversation about addiction, loss, recovery, and finding hope after years of chaos. Lauren's story begins with a difficult childhood before addiction slowly took hold during her late teens and early twenties. What started with cocaine quickly escalated, leading to intravenous drug use and a lifestyl...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Jason Mains for an incredible story of violence, addiction, prison, relapse, and the ongoing fight for recovery. Jason's life was marked by trauma from an early age. As a teenager, he survived a brutal assault after being jumped and thrown from an overpass—an event that changed the trajectory of his life. Just two ye...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Ben Solove to discuss a lifetime of alcoholism, repeated second chances, and the decision that finally changed everything. Ben's story begins with an ordinary childhood, but like many people, his relationship with alcohol started at a young age. What seemed like harmless drinking gradually became a dependence that fo...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Justin Allen for a brutally honest conversation about alcoholism, homelessness, crack cocaine, incarceration, and the long road back to recovery. J ustin's addiction began at an early age. While most kids were focused on school, he was already selling drugs in middle school. By 17, he was not only becoming a father, but also develop...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Christina Rudd for a deeply personal conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, mental health, and the difficult road to healing. Christina's story begins with a childhood marked by abandonment and abuse. After her parents left, she endured sexual abuse by a family member—an experience that shaped much of her early life. As a t...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Latisha Barnes for an unforgettable conversation about surviving addiction, life on the streets, incarceration, and ultimately finding recovery after decades of chaos. Latisha's story began with a difficult childhood that was shaped by family struggles and instability. By just 14 years old, she was pregnant, living o...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Eric Wright for an honest and eye-opening conversation about growing up in Chicago, addiction, relapse, and finding hope after years of chasing a high. Eric's story begins on the streets of Chicago, where he started smoking and selling marijuana while still in school. As he got older, he became immersed in the city's...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Carmen Honeycutt for a shocking and deeply personal story of addiction, loss, survival, and recovery. Carmen's struggle with substance abuse began at a young age and quickly escalated into a devastating addiction to Opana, one of the most powerful prescription opioids of its time. What started as experimentation soon...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Lauren Hayes for an incredibly honest conversation about addiction, trauma, recovery, and the dangers of emerging substances that many people still know very little about. Lauren's story begins with a chaotic childhood that led her into risky situations at a very young age. By the fourth grade, she was already partying with high sch...

In this deeply emotional episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Bob Miller to share the story of Dareion Davis—a young man whose life was filled with promise, challenges, redemption, and ultimately tragedy. Bob first met Dareion when he was just a kid and quickly became much more than a mentor. As Dareion's family struggled, Bob stepped in to help, eventually bringing him into h...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Gary King for a wild and emotional journey through addiction, survival, recovery, and second chances. Gary's story begins with a difficult childhood before he dropped out of high school and moved to Nashville looking for a new start. Instead, he found himself pulled deeper into a world of substance abuse. What starte...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Chelsea Tipton for a powerful conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, loss, and finding a way forward. Chelsea's life was filled with instability from the very beginning. Growing up with parents who struggled with legal troubles and incarceration, she faced challenges that most children could never imagine. A...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Joey Blake for a raw and unforgettable conversation about addiction, poverty, fatherhood, and recovery. Joey's story begins with humble beginnings, born to a 14-year-old mother and raised in circumstances that made life difficult from the start. By the time he was a teenager, he was already experimenting with alcohol...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Amanda Long to discuss her journey from addiction and chaos to recovery and purpose. Amanda grew up with young parents and describes a childhood that often left her searching for direction and stability. As she entered her teenage years, rebellion became a way of life, leading her down a path of risky decisions and e...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Ashtyn for a brutally honest conversation about addiction, toxic relationships, the adult entertainment industry, and the long road to recovery. Ashtyn's story begins with a difficult childhood and early exposure to situations no young teenager should have to navigate. She opens up about being involved with an 18-yea...

In this powerful episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Rich Davenport for a heartbreaking story of childhood trauma, addiction, loss, and recovery. Rich's struggles began at just 5 years old when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. As her health deteriorated, his childhood quickly unraveled, eventually leading him into foster care and a series of emotional bat...

In this unforgettable episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Mickey Mills to share one of the most shocking and inspiring recovery stories ever featured on the show. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia and adopted into the United States, Mickey's life was shaped by trauma from an early age. After losing a close friend to suicide and experiencing abuse, she spirale...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Isabella Hoover to share a story filled with addiction, betrayal, toxic relationships, family struggles, and ultimately recovery. Isabella's life started with challenges from day one. Born addicted and suffering a stroke as a baby, she faced obstacles long before she could understand them. As a teenager, she was deal...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Kenny Maupin to talk about how addiction can happen to anyone — even someone who had a good childhood and loving family. Kenny opens up about growing up in a stable home before his parents divorced at a young age, something that quietly affected him more than he realized at the time. What started with marijuana and a...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Tree Burns for one of the rawest conversations yet. Raised in chaos with a mother addicted to cr4ck and a father constantly in and out of prison, Tree’s childhood spiraled fast. By just 9 years old he was already getting high, running the streets, robbing convenience stores, and getting lit at school while trying to...

In this intense and brutally honest episode of Get A Grip, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Carl Wilson for one of the most chaotic and emotional conversations the podcast has ever had. Carl takes listeners deep into his past, opening up about a rough childhood filled with instability, violence, and early exposure to addiction. From getting hooked on painkillers in high school to spirali...

On this intense and emotional episode of Get a Grip Podcast, hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Brandy Harden for a brutally honest conversation about addiction, trauma, loss, and survival. Brandy opens up about her chaotic upbringing, growing up with her father after her mother left when she was young, and how rebellion and risky behavior began early in her life. From stealing cars...

Reading for one of the most raw and honest conversations yet. Matthew opens up about the struggles that shaped his life from an early age, beginning with the devastating loss of his father when he was still a child. Without guidance and dealing with unresolved pain, he found himself searching for acceptance and purpose in all the wrong places. As Matthew shares, that pain eventually led him down a...

On this episode of the Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Brother Will for an unforgettable conversation about survival, violence, addiction, prison, redemption, and what it really takes to change your life after years of chaos. Brother Will tells his story from the very beginning — growing up in unstable environments, moving from hood to hood, and learning hard lessons...

In this intense episode of Get a Grip, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Vinny Walton for one of the most shocking addiction stories ever told on the podcast. From growing up during Florida’s infamous pill epidemic to surviving fentanyl addiction, overdoses, scams, withdrawals, and losing everything — Vinny tells the full truth with nothing held back. Vinny opens up about his chaotic chil...