Get a Grip Podcast

In this gripping and brutally honest episode, Louis sits down with Tony DeCecco — a man whose life story sounds like something straight out of a gangster film, but every word is real. Raised in a traditional Italian family with deep roots in the mob, Tony grew up surrounded by crime, loyalty, and an unspoken code of the streets. From a young age, he was exposed to a world most people only hear abo...

In this raw and gripping episode, Louis  sits down with  Sannavah , a woman whose story defies belief. Over the course of just three days, she overdosed  eleven  times — with her very first overdose caught on national television on  Live PD . That moment marked the beginning of a downward spiral into addiction, jail, and a life that felt impossible to escape. Louis guides the conversation with com...

The Justice & Stephanie Story is a raw and riveting podcast where Louis dives deep into the wild, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring journey of mother-daughter duo, Justice Blonde and Stephanie Adams. Once trapped in a cycle of addiction, crime, and chaos—Justice even stole a dump truck at her lowest point, while Stephanie desperately tried to stop her daughter’s drug deals—their relation...

In this jaw-dropping episode, Louis and Aaron dive into the wild and dangerous life of Heather McCoy, a woman who once lived a real-life Bonnie and Clyde story. Caught in the grips of addiction, Heather and her boyfriend were on a rampage—robbing, stealing cars, getting high, and leaving a trail of chaos and destruction in their wake. They were untouchable, living fast and reckless, terrorizing th...

In this powerful and raw video, Louis visits a middle school to share his real-life journey through addiction, recovery, and the hard lessons he learned along the way. With honesty and heart, he opens up about how programs like D.A.R.E. failed to prepare him for the realities of substance abuse and the deeper issues that led him down a dark path. Rather than scare tactics or slogans, he offers som...

In this powerful and deeply personal podcast, Damien sits down with Louis and Aaron and shares his incredible journey of hardship, addiction, and redemption. Growing up in a seemingly perfect, well-to-do neighborhood, Damien’s life appeared to be set up for success. But behind the facade of wealth and privilege, his home life was far from ideal. His mother’s battle with alcoholism and her explosiv...

In this powerful and raw episode of our podcast, Louis and Aaron had the privilege of interviewing Jack Lloyd, a man whose incredible journey of transformation is nothing short of inspiring. Jack grew up in a family where service to others was a way of life—every member was either in the military or law enforcement, with his father serving as a detective. Despite this strong foundation, Jack’s pat...

In this heart-wrenching and deeply moving episode, Louis and Aaron have the honor of speaking with Heather Hackett, a brave survivor of human trafficking. Heather opens up about her personal journey, describing in vivid detail how she was trafficked and the insidious cycle that kept her trapped for years. With raw emotion, she explains the psychological manipulation and coercion that often keeps v...

In this raw, unfiltered episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with David Frazier who takes listeners on a gripping journey through his tumultuous life—one shaped by addiction, chaos, and a constant battle with the demons that ran deep in his bloodline. Growing up surrounded by drugs and alcohol, David’s story begins long before his first drink or hit of substance; addiction was a generational curse th...

In this powerful full-length episode, we follow the extraordinary journey of Josh Fessler, a man who fought through a life of trauma, addiction, and crime to find a path to sobriety and transformation. Josh’s story begins with a childhood marked by pain, leading him to drugs and alcohol at a young age as a means to cope. As his addiction spiraled, Josh resorted to selling drugs and committing crim...

In this powerful and thought-provoking podcast, Louis and Aaron sit down with David Beechy, who shares his extraordinary journey from growing up Amish to becoming a corrections officer on death row in Tennessee. David opens up about the unique and often difficult experience of being raised in the Amish community, the challenges he faced both personally and socially, and the way he was perceived by...

In this powerful and eye-opening episode Louis and Aaron sit down with David Crego, a man whose journey through the dark world of Florida's pill mills in the early 2000s reveals the true cost of the opioid epidemic. David shares his personal story of getting involved in crime and hustling at an early age, which ultimately led him into the dangerous pill mill rat race. He trafficked prescription pa...

In this raw podcast, Louis and Aaron interview Caleb Alexander who opens up about his life growing up in a seemingly perfect suburban home, where privilege and opportunity were abundant. But behind the walls of that house, Caleb's reality was far from ordinary. Raised by his late father, William, a heroin user, Caleb shares the shocking truth of what went on in their home, the struggles, and the d...

In this deeply emotional and candid episode, Louis and Aaron interview Heather who shares her harrowing story of survival, resilience, and recovery. Growing up in an environment filled with relentless physical and mental abuse, Heather was forced to fend for herself from a young age. By 17, she found herself homeless, couch surfing, and doing whatever she could to survive. As she navigated life wi...

In this unbelievable episode, Louis sits down with Dustin Starkey, who we had the chance to interview on his first day out of prison. Dustin has spent the majority of his life caught in the grip of crime and addiction, and the legal system. Dustin also opens up about his family's involvement in illegal activities shaping much of his path. From wild stories of danger and survival, including a chaot...

In this powerful episode Louis and Aaron sit down with Quan Gray. He opens up about his tumultuous upbringing during the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Growing up on the tough streets, Quan idolized his father, a well-known drug dealer, and found himself tangled in the chaos of crime and addiction. With countless run-ins with the law, Quan seemed destined to repeat the same destructive patterns. But...

In this powerful episode of Get A Grip Podcast, convicted felon-turned-host, Louis Essig sits down with Judge Sheryl Munson of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court in Columbus, Ohio, for a candid conversation about the human side of the justice system. Judge Munson opens up about the traumatic events of her childhood and how they shaped her perspective on law, justice, and empathy towards others...

In this unfiltered episode of Get A Grip Podcast, co-host Louis Essig sits down with Aaron Garnes to reveal his shocking and inspiring story of addiction, loss, and redemption. Growing up in a good neighborhood with endless opportunities, Louis never imagined his life would spiral into homelessness and heroin addiction. But the path he took led him to some of the darkest moments imaginable. Louis...

In this episode Louis and Aaron sit down with Joe Seifert. Joe battled addiction to prescription painkillers early in his life, which led him into a downward spiral of criminal activity and ultimately landed him in prison. His story takes a darker turn inside the walls of the penitentiary, where he found himself caught in a dangerous game of manipulation and deceit. While incarcerated, he wasn&#39...

In this powerful and inspiring episode Louis sits down with his co-host, Aaron Garnes who opens up about his incredible journey of overcoming addiction, incarceration, and homelessness. Raised by a father who struggled with addiction and was frequently in and out of prison, Aaron grew up in a turbulent environment that set the stage for his own battles. Struggling with heroin addiction, Aaron's li...

In this powerful and emotional episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Bridget Evans. A woman whose life story is one of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and transformation. Growing up in a broken home, Bridget's childhood was shaped by her father's involvement in the drug trade. Not only did he sell drugs, but he also groomed her to eventually take over the family business, pulling her i...

In this episode, Louis dives deep into the incredible and shocking true story of Kevin Lanning—a man who once orchestrated a massive $200,000 scam at a college bookstore to feed his insatiable Oxycontin addiction. Kevin’s desperate need to fund his habit led him to manipulate the system and con his way into stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a trusted institution. But the scam wasn’t h...

In this episode Louis and Aaron sit down with Nate Burchard who tells his incredible story of being a meth kingpin, and being arrested and sentenced to 6 years in maximum security prison. His criminal empire came crashing down when he was caught with a stash of drugs, firearms, and drug money. Life behind bars was anything but easy, and he found himself facing the brutal reality of prison life, in...

In this special episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis sits down with Manny Vitale, a former Detroit Police officer and outlaw biker whose life story is one of survival, transformation, and redemption. Manny opens up about the unimaginable hardships he faced, including surviving a bullet to the face, being stabbed, and fighting a battle with alcoholism that nearly took his life. His journey through...

In this powerful and emotional video, Randy Bays opens up about his incredible journey from the dangers of gang life to a place of recovery and success. Born and raised in a world of violence, crime, and hardship, Randy’s life was shaped by the streets. He survived being shot multiple times, witnessed unimaginable trauma, and found himself trapped in the vicious cycle of gang life. But despite the...