Get a Grip Podcast

In this unforgettable episode, Louis sits down with Jeremy Harrell, a U.S. military veteran whose life took a shocking and surreal turn after he returned home from serving his country. What begins as a story about service, sacrifice, and trying to do the right thing quickly unfolds into one of the most unbelievable cautionary tales you’ll ever hear. After spending time deployed in Iraq, Jeremy cam...

Drake Phillips grew up surrounded by wealth in Beverly Hills, but behind the gates and privilege was an emotionally absent father and a deep sense of rebellion that would shape the course of his life. In this episode, Louis sits down with Drake to unpack how a childhood that looked perfect from the outside led him down a dark and dangerous path. Drawn to the streets at a young age, Drake was initi...

In this deeply personal and powerful episode, Aaron sits down with Louis for a raw, unfiltered conversation about mental health, grief, and survival. Louis opens up about the profound impact of losing both of his parents and how that loss reshaped every part of his life. He speaks candidly about the mental health struggles that followed — from overwhelming grief and isolation to panic attacks, anx...

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Louis sits down with Kevin Dye for a raw conversation about survival, addiction, crime, loss, and redemption. Kevin opens up about growing up in chaos and being exposed to addiction at a young age, watching his family struggle while trying to find his own identity in an unforgiving environment. The conversation dives deep into Kevin’s relationship with his...

In this episode, John Ross sits down with Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes to share his story with honesty, perspective, and hard-earned clarity. John walks through his early exposure to drugs and alcohol, growing up around addiction, and the choices that led him to drinking heavily by 14 and experimenting with substances at a young age. He reflects on his first experiences with Xanax and the blackout...

Louis sits down with Kyle Darby for one of the craziest, rawest, and most brutally honest conversations ever recorded on the pod. Kyle opens up about his chaotic past, from breaking into his dad’s safe as a kid to the night cops stormed into his house and the spiral that followed. He dives into the infamous M3th story, how he once got people strung out without even realizing the long-term damage,...

In this raw and unfiltered interview, Bianca opens up to Louis and Aaron about a life shaped by chaos, survival, and resilience. She begins with the shocking revelation that her father once stole an ATM machine and the moment she discovered he was a crack dealer, a discovery that set the tone for the instability she grew up in. Her own struggles started early—popping bottles of Seroquel, being int...

Louis and Aaron sit across from Joe Haag in a quiet studio, microphones on, the soft hum of the equipment blending into the background as Joe prepares to share the kind of story most people spend their lives trying to hide. But Joe isn’t hiding anymore. For him, honesty has become a lifeline. Joe grew up in a neighborhood where survival came before childhood. The streets were loud, unpredictable,...

Louis and Aaron sit across from Joe Haag in a quiet studio, microphones on, the soft hum of the equipment blending into the background as Joe prepares to share the kind of story most people spend their lives trying to hide. But Joe isn’t hiding anymore. For him, honesty has become a lifeline. Joe grew up in a neighborhood where survival came before childhood. The streets were loud, unpredictable,...

In this gripping episode, Aaron and Louis sit down with Mike Justice — a man whose life spiraled into chaos before he was even old enough to drive legally, and whose journey from destruction to transformation is nothing short of unbelievable. Mike opens up about getting his first DUI at just sixteen years old, the charges stacking up, and the early signs of a life already slipping out of control....

In this powerful episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Kee Brown — a young woman whose life story moves at the speed of a disaster she somehow survived. From childhood struggles to back-to-back tragedies, Kee’s journey into f3ntanyl addiction is as raw and gripping as it gets. Kee starts strong, diving straight into the chaos of her upbringing and the early life experiences that shaped her. The c...

In this episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with someone who truly embodies the definition of “old school.” Kathy Williams—once a hard-living criminal alcoholic—has now been sober for nearly four decades, and her journey is nothing short of unbelievable. Kathy grew up in a world where chaos felt normal, and the madness only intensified when she met her first husband. He wasn’t just dabbling in crime...

Aaron and Louis sit down with Kendra Mertz, whose childhood and early adulthood played out like scenes straight from Breaking Bad. Kendra grew up in a home where meth wasn’t just nearby — it was everywhere. The chaos, the chemical smell, the secrecy, and the constant fear of police lights at the end of the driveway were all part of her daily reality. One of the most unforgettable moments in her st...

In this powerful and emotional episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Katie Szabo from Youngstown, Ohio, whose story is one of unexpected turns, heartbreak, and redemption. Katie grew up never knowing her father, but she was raised by her mother—a brilliant and hardworking woman employed by NASA—who did everything she could to provide her daughter with a stable and loving home. Katie’s childhood a...

In this powerful and emotional episode, Aaron and Louis sit down with Amber Rabold, a woman whose life has been anything but ordinary. Amber’s story begins in the rough neighborhoods of north Columbus, where she grew up sharing a single room with her family—four people crammed together just trying to survive. From a young age, chaos and instability were all she knew. Her parents, both struggling w...

In this emotional and eye-opening episode, hosts Aaron Garnes and Louis Essig sit down with Josh Hively, a man whose story of addiction, pain, and redemption will leave you speechless. Josh opens up about his life — a childhood that seemed picture-perfect on the surface. He grew up in a loving family, played sports, and excelled in school. From the outside, Josh looked like the kind of kid destine...

In this raw and powerful episode, hosts Louis and Aaron sit down with Alex Butt, a man whose journey from a normal upbringing to the chaos of addiction shows just how fast life can spiral out of control — and how strong a person has to be to fight their way back. Alex grew up in what most would call a normal household. He wasn’t born into dysfunction or addiction. But like so many, he was drawn to...

In this powerful episode, hosts Aaron and Louis sit down with Dan Vanwallsen, a man whose life took a sharp turn from a normal childhood into the darkness of addiction — and eventually, into a life dedicated to helping others heal. Dan didn’t come from chaos. He didn’t grow up surrounded by addiction or crime. In fact, his childhood was nothing out of the ordinary. But addiction doesn’t discrimina...

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, host Louis sits down with James Witherspoon, a man who grew up in the tough streets of Detroit and knows firsthand what it feels like to be underestimated. As a kid, James was bullied relentlessly. He never felt like he fit in, never felt like he was enough. But unlike many who struggle early, James didn’t dive into addiction right away. He didn’t start dri...

In this moving and eye-opening episode, Louis Essig steps into an 8th-grade classroom with one mission — to tell the truth. Not the sugarcoated version, but the real, gritty, and painful truth about drug addiction and how it completely derailed his life. Louis grew up with every opportunity in front of him. He was a bright student, earned good grades, and was active in sports. From the outside, he...

In this raw and unforgettable episode, Louis sits down with Josh Nugent, a man whose journey through addiction, chaos, and near-death experiences is as harrowing as it is inspiring. Josh grew up in the gritty streets of Detroit, where instability and addiction were a part of daily life. His father, a hardworking man who fell victim to alcoholism, eventually lost his job, forcing the family to upro...

In this powerful and brutally honest episode, Louis sits down with Brett Wilder, a man whose story of rebellion, addiction, and ultimate redemption is nothing short of extraordinary. Brett opens up about growing up in a deeply religious household with strict, rule-bound parents. What was meant to guide him instead became the fuel for his rebellion. By the time he turned eighteen, Brett decided to...

In this gripping and emotional episode, hosts Louis and Aaron sit down with Kaytie Adams, a woman whose life has been a rollercoaster of heartbreak, addiction, and redemption. Kaytie’s story begins in childhood, when her mother left her between the ages of four and five — a moment that would shape the rest of her life. Left in the care of her father, a police officer, Kaytie grew up in a home fill...

In this raw, deeply moving episode, host Louis Essig sits down with Dani McManis, a woman whose story challenges everything you think you know about addiction. Dani wasn’t the type to experiment with hard drugs or chase the next high — for most of her life, she stayed far from that world. But somewhere along the way, what started as casual drinking turned into a full-blown battle with alcohol that...

In this powerful and emotional episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Katie Szabo from Youngstown, Ohio, whose story is one of unexpected turns, heartbreak, and redemption. Katie grew up never knowing her father, but she was raised by her mother—a brilliant and hardworking woman employed by NASA—who did everything she could to provide her daughter with a stable and loving home. Katie’s childhood a...