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 @ [email protected]

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