Get a Grip Podcast

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Chris Tudor for an incredible story of addiction, world travel, relapse, and the realization that no matter where you run, you can't outrun yourself.

Chris' struggles began early with juvenile detention and behavioral issues that hinted at a lifetime of chasing the next escape. After spending time at a recovery center as a young person, he believed he could leave addiction behind—but the patterns continued to follow him into adulthood.

Following his first felony stop, Chris enlisted in th...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Rachid Yatkin for an unforgettable conversation about childhood trauma, incarceration, addiction, and the fight to rebuild a life after years of destructive choices.Rachid's story begins with a turbulent childhood marked by conflict at home. He opens up about his complicated relationship with his father, enduring abuse from his mother, and growing up as what he describes as a "Ritalin baby."

He also reflects on what it was like being a student during the September 11th attacks and how those early...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Shawn Mims for a powerful conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, homelessness, and the journey toward lasting recovery.

Shawn's story begins with a difficult childhood that set the stage for years of destructive choices. He shares how he started smoking cigarettes at just nine years old, long before he understood the consequences of addiction. After losing his father, Shawn struggled to cope with the grief, and substance use quickly became an escape.

As a teenager, marijuana became a major part of his life...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with T.Y. Brooks for a raw and honest conversation about growing up in the streets, juvenile detention, addiction, and finding a new path through recovery.

T.Y.'s struggles began at an early age. After getting into trouble as a kid, he spent two and a half years in the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS), an experience that shaped much of his teenage years. Once back on the streets, he quickly became immersed in the drug culture, experimenting with opioids and finding ways...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes and Louis Essig sit down with Eddie Pennington for a gripping conversation about growing up in addiction, surviving the streets, and finding hope after years of substance abuse and legal trouble.

Eddie's story begins in a home where addiction was already a part of everyday life. Raised by an alcoholic father and a mother battling crack cocaine addiction, he was introduced to alcohol at a young age, drinking Little Kings while still a kid. As if that wasn't enough, a devastating car accident during his early teens...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes sits down with Lynn Vetum for a powerful conversation about addiction, incarceration, relapse, and the long journey to lasting recovery.

Lynn's story begins with what appeared to be a normal childhood, but everything started to change after leaving private school and entering a new environment. Like many people, her first experiences with alcohol seemed harmless at the time, but they quickly escalated into a lifestyle of partying, substance abuse, and increasingly dangerous choices.After being kicked out of college, Lynn found herself bartending, where cocaine, Vicodin, and...

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 lifestyle centered around survival. She shares how addiction consumed every aspect of her life, from selling methamphetamine to terrifying encounters—including being held at gunpoint while involved in the drug trade.

The conversation al...

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 years later, at 17 years old, Jason made a decision that would alter everything when he shot another person, leading to a lengthy prison sentence before he was ev...

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 followed him through high school, college, and adulthood.

After attending The Ohio State University, Ben eventually dropped out and took a job at Chi-Chi's, where drinking became woven into his everyday...

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.

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 developing a severe alcohol addiction that would dominate the next chapter of his life.

DUIs, homelessness, repeated treatment attempts, and years...

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 teenager, she found herself in juvenile detention, navigating a teen pregnancy, and struggling to find stability while growing up far too fast.

Throughout high school, Christina's life became increasingly ch...

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 on her own, and trying to survive in one of the toughest environments imaginable. At 15, she had become a mother while navigating life in the streets with little support and few options.

Not long...

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 rave scene, experimenting with party drugs and experiencing the dangerous highs that came with them. After an early run-in with the law, Eric entered his first treatment center...

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 became a daily battle that would consume every aspect of her life.

At just 19 years old, Carmen found herself pregnant while working in the restaurant industry and navigating a complicated relationship. As...

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 school students, setting the stage for years of unhealthy coping mechanisms and destructive choices.

At 15, she met the man who would become her husband, and by 18 she was a...

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 his home and obtaining temporary guardianship. What began as an effort to help a young man find stability grew into a father-son relationship built on love, trust, and ho...

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 started with cocaine quickly escalated into Xanax, prescription opioids, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.

Along the way, Gary found himself living a life few could imagine. He shares stories of...

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. As family trauma continued to mount, including the loss of her father and the emotional impact it had on her siblings, Chelsea found herself navigating foster care placements, psychiatric wards, and a childhood marked by...

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 and marijuana, while simultaneously facing the responsibilities of becoming a father at just 16 years old. Less than a year later, he was expecting another child.

As the pressure mounted, Joey found himself...

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 eventually substance abuse.

What started with pills quickly escalated into a much more serious addiction. Amanda shares how opioids and heroin took control of her...

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-year-old when she was only 13, setting the stage for years of unhealthy relationships and destructive decisions.

As addiction entered the picture, methamphetamine quickly became a major part of her life. Over time...

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 battles that few children should ever have to face. By the age of 7 or 8, he was already engaging in self-harm and being admitted to psychiatric hospitals as he searched for a way to cope...

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 spiraled into addiction, overdosing on benzodiazepines and experimenting with heroin by just 15 years old.

Mickey opens up about homelessness, toxic relationships, living under bridges, moving across the country...

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 dealt another devastating blow when her mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, sending Isabella deeper into a lifestyle of partying and poor decisions.

What followed was a relationship that would completely change...

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 alcohol eventually progressed into harder drugs and ultimately IV heroin use. Kenny shares how addiction slowly took over his life, changing the way he thought, li...

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 survive a life with no real stability.

As the violence, partying, and addiction escalated, Tree found himself in and out of trouble, spending years in DY...

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 spiraling into harder drugs later in life, Carl tells his story with raw honesty and zero filters.

What starts as stories about growing up in a small town quickly turns into...

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 in high school to buying a house at just 19 years old, Brandy’s story is full of extreme highs and devastating lows. She shares how toxic relationships and bad decisions pu...

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 destructive road filled with violence, crime, and poor decisions. What started as a troubled childhood spiraled into robberies, assaults, and nearly a decade spent in prison. Behind bars...

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 at an early age. He opens up about the moment he discovered his father had another family, the emotional impact of finally meeting his real father, and what it was like growing up...

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 childhood, watching his father spiral into crack and cocaine addiction, and the terrifying moment his dad nearly shot him with a shotgun. He describes growing up in a house flooded with pills during the heig...

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 everything.From surviving the chaos of addiction to facing the brutal reality of prison, Ron shares the pain, fear, and consequences that came with living on the edge. But this ep...

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 trauma, and brutal moments from addiction culture, this episode goes deep into the realities most people never see. Dustin shares raw, unfiltered stories about his uncle, life around fentanyl, viol...

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 into chaos. He talks openly about stealing from a young age, battling an identity crisis, and growing up while his family dealt with the heartbreaking reality of his sister being bo...

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 from school, and soon after, thrown into a foster care system that would bounce him through over 40 different homes. What he experienced inside those homes is ha...

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 after. Pain, both physical and mental, became a recurring theme—and by 16, drugs and alcohol had already taken hold.What follows is a rapid descent. Brandon shares how his addiction escalated into r...

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 escalated, leading him to Chicago where everything changed. He shares the intense and painful reality of using for the first time intravenously, including missing veins and learning th...

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 shares what it was like walking into something as normal as an English class while high on cocaine, and how fast that lifestyle became normalized. What begins as curiosity turns into patterns, in...

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 follows is a chain of events that pulls her deeper into trauma, survival, and ultimately, addiction.

Brittany shares what it was like living under the same roof as a preda...

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 is a daily battle.Louis sits down with men and women living on the streets, many of whom are caught in the grip of alcohol dependency and the devastating rise of fentanyl...