Get a Grip Podcast

In this gripping episode of the Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Ron Don for a raw and unforgettable conversation about addiction, violence, prison, and redemption. Ron opens up about the dark road that led him deep into substance abuse, the choices that nearly destroyed his life, and the moment he almost took another man’s life in a violent encounter that changed eve...

On this episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Dustin Ryan for one of the wildest and darkest conversations we’ve had yet. Dustin opens up about growing up surrounded by addiction, chaos, crime, and loss — and how those experiences shaped his life from a young age. From shocking childhood stories and early exposure to drugs and sex, to felony charges, family...

In this powerful episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Dion Evans for an unbelievable story of trauma, addiction, prison, and redemption. Dion’s life started with pain early on. After being hit by a drunk driver as a child and suffering traumatic brain injuries that would permanently impact the way he thought and reacted to the world, his life slowly spiraled in...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Chase Tomak for one of the most intense and unfiltered conversations yet—a story that starts in chaos and somehow finds its way to hope. Chase was born into addiction, entering the world as a crack baby and immediately facing odds stacked against him. By the time he was in 5th grade, he was already being expelled fro...

In this episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Brandon Muth for one of the most intense and eye-opening conversations yet—a story marked by trauma, addiction, violence, and ultimately, transformation. Brandon’s life started with chaos early on, including a near-fatal accident where he was hit by a dump truck as a child, followed by another serious injury not long...

In this episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Tyler James to tell a story that starts in a quiet small town and spirals into a life consumed by addiction, chaos, and survival. Tyler opens up about his early years, growing up in a place where not much seemed out of the ordinary—until he was introduced to Hydrocodone at 17. What started as experimentation quickly...

In this episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Michael Larkin to unpack a story that starts in the heat and chaos of Miami and winds its way through addiction, consequences, and ultimately, recovery. Michael takes us back to his early years growing up in Miami, where experimenting started young—first with weed, then quickly escalating into harder substances. He s...

In this powerful and deeply unsettling episode of the  Get A Grip Podcast , Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Brittany Hanson to uncover a story that is as heartbreaking as it is eye-opening. From the very beginning, Brittany’s life was shaped by instability and danger—growing up without her father and being exposed at a young age to environments no child should ever experience. What foll...

In this raw and unfiltered episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig takes the conversation out of the studio and into the streets of Columbus, Ohio—coming face-to-face with the harsh realities that so many people walk past every day. This isn’t a distant discussion about addiction or homelessness. It’s real people, real stories, and real pain—captured in the very environments where survival...

In this eye-opening episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Amber Vance to share a story that starts early—and escalates fast. Amber’s childhood quickly gave way to adult consequences when she found herself pregnant at just 13 years old. She opens up about what it was like navigating middle school while hiding a life-altering secret, and the moment she had to face...

In this deeply emotional and unflinchingly honest episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nicole Kaufmann to tell a story that cuts straight to the core of trauma, addiction, and survival. Nicole’s journey begins in a chaotic childhood marked by instability and exposure to substance abuse at home—including the haunting memory of her mother taking an entire bottle...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig flips the script and sits down with co-host Aaron Garnes to uncover the full story behind the man listeners hear every week. Aaron takes it all the way back to his childhood, shaped by chaos, survival, and the shadow of his father’s past—smuggling heroin during Vietnam and living a life that blurred the line between hu...

In this gripping episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Rob Schilder for a raw, unfiltered conversation that traces the full arc of addiction—from early pain to full-blown chaos. Rob opens up about his childhood, shaped heavily by his father’s battle with cancer, and how that emotional weight followed him into his teenage years. What started as experimenting with...

In this powerful episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Jake Knappy to unpack a raw and unfiltered story of addiction, chaos, and ultimately redemption. Jake takes us all the way back to his childhood before diving into the moment everything began to spiral—using meth for three straight weeks in high school and quickly falling into a pattern of reckless behavior. What follows is...

In this deeply raw and emotional episode of Get a Grip Podcast, hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Alysha Shbasky to share a story that is as heartbreaking as it is powerful. Alysha’s journey into addiction started early—watching her mom misuse opiates and cocaine before she ever touched weed herself. By high school, she was introduced to meth, and by 16, she was already experiencing...

In this powerful episode of Get a Grip Podcast, hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Cameron Brewster for a raw and unfiltered conversation about a life shaped by trauma, addiction, prison, and ultimately redemption. Cameron opens up about his early childhood, growing up with his father in prison for murder and the instability that led him into the foster care system. As he got older,...

In this episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Josh Shaw to unpack a wild story of early crime, addiction, and building an underground empire during the height of the pill mill era. Josh’s journey starts young—getting arrested at just 9 years old, fighting in juvenile detention, and being prescribed high doses of Adderall as a kid. By high school, he was alre...

In this powerful and emotional episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Shaye Shunkle to share a story that is as heartbreaking as it is inspiring—a journey through addiction, motherhood, chaos, and ultimately, recovery. Shaye’s story begins with a difficult childhood, born to a mother who was just 15 years old. Growing up surrounded by instability, she was exp...

In this intense and unfiltered episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Matt Wiseman to unpack a life story that is as shocking as it is deeply human. Matt’s journey begins in a chaotic childhood where innocence was stripped away early. He shares what it was like taking his first drink at just 6 years old—forced to grow up fast in an environment filled with tra...

In this powerful and raw episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Vinny Ramirez to uncover a life story that spirals from chaos and survival into addiction, crime, and ultimately redemption. Vinny takes us back to his childhood growing up in East Chicago, where instability was the norm. With nine people packed into one house and violence never far away, he looked u...

Louis takes the conversation beyond the studio and into the streets, sitting down face-to-face with people experiencing homelessness to hear the stories most of us never get to hear. In this raw and unfiltered episode, he speaks with men who are living day-to-day survival, many of them battling serious addiction while navigating life without stability, safety, or support. What quickly becomes clea...

In this deeply emotional and eye-opening episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Marrissa Hibbler to share a story that begins in what many would consider a “normal” upbringing—but quickly unravels into a journey marked by trauma, loss, addiction, and ultimately, resilience. Marrissa takes us back to her early years, opening up about her childhood and the complicated relationship she h...

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Al Savage to unpack a life story that most people couldn’t imagine surviving—let alone coming back from. Al doesn’t hold anything back. From the streets to the system, he walks us through the chaos of a life consumed by addiction, crime, and survival at all costs. What started as substance use quickly spiraled into...

in this powerful and unfiltered episode of Get A Grip Podcast, the team steps out of the studio and into the streets to uncover the raw, often unseen reality of addiction and homelessness. What unfolds is an eye-opening look at the lives of people many pass by every day—stories that are rarely heard, and even more rarely understood. Through honest, on-the-ground conversations, the team connects wi...

In this episode, Chelsea Boggs shares her raw and unfiltered story of addiction, survival, and the long road to recovery. Chelsea opens up about her childhood and how a major family shift shaped her early life. What started as partying on the weekends quickly escalated after experimenting with drugs in her teenage years, leading to the use of Percocets and eventually daily dependence. As her envir...