A childhood tragedy can echo for decades, even when someone looks “fine” on the outside. Our guest, Phil Coles, is the kind of man people naturally root for, but he shares a truth that stunned us: at six years old, he witnessed his father drown, and the trauma shaped his identity, relationships, and choices in ways he didn’t fully understand until much later. We talk openly about grief, blocked memories, and what it means to function with a mask while still showing up as the “good guy” everyone expects.

You’ll also hear about Phil's internal struggles with addiction despite being a stand-out basketball player at Robert Morris University. Phil connects the dots between unresolved pain and substance abuse, explains why addiction is often about the wound beneath the habit, and shares how serious medical crises, including silent heart attacks and a life-altering battle with West Nile virus, forced him to rebuild from the inside out.

We go deep on faith-based recovery, resilience, self-care, and the practical values Phil now calls non-negotiables: integrity, transparency, and letting your word be your bond. He also breaks down the heart behind his books Bruised But Not Forsaken By God and I Got Next, written to help people navigate pain and life transitions with hope and direction.

If you’ve been carrying something quietly or you love someone who is, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more climbers can find stories like Phil’s. What part of his climb connects most with yours?

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Interested in Phil's books? Contact him here @ phillipc842@gmail.com

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A football scholarship was on the table, then one reckless moment flipped everything. Jeffrey Garza Walker survived a horrific rollover that fractured his skull, kept him in the hospital for a month, and ended his athletic future overnight. What happens next is the kind of story you do not forget: on the morning he was scheduled for a life-altering surgery, he says he woke up healed.

Adrian Branch and Jeffrey walk through the real work that followed the miracle. We talk about growing up working class in Billings, Montana, being raised by a single mom and grandparents, and learning to dream bigger than your environment. Jeffrey shares how bodybuilding gave him a new target after the crash, how the YMCA shaped his commitment to service, and how living overseas in Mexico and Spain widened his view of leadership, culture, and purpose (including an unforgettable 1992 Barcelona Olympics moment).

Then we get into the business side of resilience. Jeffrey describes the rise and fall of real estate during the 2008 recession, the emotional cost of chasing success alone, and why building teams and mentoring others matters in an industry where commercial real estate is still overwhelmingly dominated by white males. He also breaks down his daily discipline routine: 3:30 a.m. prayer and meditation, 4:00 a.m. gym, and a mindset built around “faith, family, community.”

If you care about mindset, leadership, faith, discipline, and overcoming adversity, this conversation will meet you where you are and challenge you to keep climbing. Subscribe to The Klimb, share this with a friend who needs a second wind, and leave a review with the habit you are committing to next.

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Follow Jeffrey here: https://www.instagram.com/jgwsomo

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Some people get written off early and never stop believing the label. Darryl Colbert heard it in a different form: he was “the horse nobody bet on,” a kid who struggled with reading, got held back, and spent summers in school just to move forward. Yet his life ends up becoming a case study in resilience, character, and what can happen when you stop letting your past make your decisions.

We talk through his Washington, DC upbringing, the real-world cost of falling behind academically, and the hidden shame that shows up later when you are filling out job applications or trying to advance at work. Darryl shares how substance use started at 12, how it grew into a lifestyle, and why being a reliable worker is not the same thing as living with integrity. Then we get into the turning point: sobriety in 1992, a slow rebuild of his mind and habits, and an unexpected breakthrough in reading comprehension through structured Bible study that taught him how to think, not just how to read.

From there, the story expands into impact. Darryl explains why he founded the Lillian S. Jones Foundation, what it looks like to adopt a school and focus on attendance and tutoring, and how he now serves athletes as a University of Maryland character coach and as a chaplain with USA Wrestling teams. He also opens up about training for Ironman triathlon, collapsing near the finish, and realizing how quickly a goal can become an identity. If you care about overcoming adversity, addiction recovery, mentoring, servant leadership, and building a champion mindset, this conversation delivers practical insight with real heart.

Subscribe to The Klimb, share this with someone who feels behind, and leave a review so more klimbers can find stories like Darryl’s. What part of his journey sounds most like your own right now?

Follow Darryl here: https://www.facebook.com/darryl.colbert.1

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