As a football player, he barely received playing time in high school, got laughed at for it, and still kept showing up. Greg Harrell joins us on The Klimb to tell the full story of how a kid from rural North Carolina went from the “number one benchwarmer” to junior college standout, Maryland Terrapin, NFL player, and ultimately an Olympic bobsled athlete.

We talk honestly about the parts people skip: waiting while others shine, fighting comparison, and building confidence before you have proof. Greg opens up about a devastating ACL injury at Maryland and the mindset that carried him through rehab, including late-night stadium steps and a commitment to being comfortable being uncomfortable. If you’re navigating injury recovery, a career setback, or a season that feels unfair, his lessons on patience, perseverance, and faith land with real weight.

During his journey, Greg also shares his experience as an armored truck driver, where he was recognized for his professionalism, and keeps training because he believes another door will open. It does, through mentorship and a bobsled tryout that puts him alongside world-class athletes, plus a high-stakes arbitration fight just to compete. We close with a speed round on success, failure, family, and how to keep climbing when life hits speed bumps.

If this conversation helps you, share it with someone who needs fuel, subscribe to The Klimb, and leave a review so more climbers can find these stories.

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Contact Greg here: gregharrellinc@gmail.com

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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

Keep Klimbing!

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Join us as we sit down with Fleceia Comeaux to discuss her remarkable journey and the inspiration behind her decision to walk away from professional basketball. With a strong mindset and unwavering faith, Fleceia shares her story of self-discovery and the motivation that drove her to pursue a new path.

Through her faith journey, she found a true calling that brought her a sense of purpose and fulfillment. This powerful conversation is a testament to the human spirit and a reminder that sometimes, taking a leap of faith can lead to a more meaningful and inspiring life. With her courageous story, Fleceia aims to inspire and motivate others to reflect on their own values and aspirations, and to trust their instincts as they navigate life's challenges. Her story is a shining example of how a strong mindset and faith can lead to a more purposeful and inspiring life, and we are honored to share it with you.

If this conversation of faith and resilience strengthens you, subscribe to The Klimb, share it with someone who’s fighting through a setback, and leave a review so more klimbers can find the show.

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Follow Fleceia here: https://www.instagram.com/fcasouth/

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He turned down the Naval Academy as a teenager, got cut from his high school varsity, and still found his way to become a Division I basketball player and 34-year career in the United States Army retiring as a Major General. That arc is why Cedric Wins’ klimb story is so impactful: it’s not a highlight reel, it’s a blueprint for resilience, leadership under pressure, and doing the right thing when it costs you.

We talk about how winning habits get built early, why the Virginia Military Institute “chose him” more than he chose it, and how service finally started to click for him once he realized the similarities between the military and organized sports. Cedric shares a mistake from his early officer days that would shape his leadership philosophy: mission success means nothing if you fail to support the people you're leading. If you manage a team, lead a classroom, or run a business, you’ll recognize that moment instantly.

We also discuss the lessons he learned in crisis leadership at VMI during COVID-19 and intense public scrutiny. The General breaks down what leaders actually do when an institution’s culture and reputation are on the line: assess the climate, clarify mission and values, rebuild trust, and listen better than you speak. We also get into his core non-negotiables: integrity, character, and the courage to choose “the hard right” over “the easy wrong.” You’ll leave with practical leadership lessons, a sharper sense of what grit really means, and a reminder that the extra mile stays uncrowded for a reason.

If this conversation helps you, subscribe to The Klimb, share it with a friend who’s leading through a tough season, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. What’s one “hard right” you’re choosing this week?

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Follow General Wins here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cedric-t-wins/

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One pivot can decide the next 30 years of your life. I sit down with Bruce K. Rosenblum, a former baseball standout who thought he was headed for the majors until reality hit in college and forced a hard, early reinvention. What follows is a story about setbacks, identity, and how you keep moving when the dream you trained for is no longer on the table.

Bruce takes us from his childhood dreams of playing for his hometown LA Dodgers to the moment he realized he wouldn't reach the major leagues. From there, we trace how he broke into the entertainment industry through media research, learned the language of ratings from scratch, and built credibility through preparation and trust, eventually becoming the Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Media Research & Insights Group. Along the way, he shares the unforgettable Paramount Pictures softball game that accidentally became the best networking event of his life, putting him in front of the executives who mattered and proving the power of performing under pressure.

Bruce also shares insights into the balance between creative instinct and analytical evidence in media. He explains his impactful research on television and how audience trends, positioning, and even wardrobe choices affect public perception of TV shows. If you care about leadership principles, career pivots, networking that actually works, or business strategy, this conversation brings real lessons you can use immediately.

Subscribe to The Klimb, share this with a friend who’s navigating a pivot, and leave a review so more climbers can find these stories.

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Follow Bruce here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-k-rosenblum

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What happens when you achieve every goal in life and still feel lost? Jesse Heisler did exactly what he was taught: chase the biggest house, the biggest car, the biggest bank account and call it “the good life.” By 32, he had the toys, the status, and the wins. Sitting alone with all of it, one word cut through the noise: purpose.

We walk through Jesse’s winding path from Southern California to UNLV, from nearly joining the military to landing at Pepsi, where mentorship and pressure helped him build a real sales work ethic. Then one unprofessional moment and a “bad joke” became a wake-up call about character, reputation, and what it really means to be a professional. From there, Jesse steps into a family business and finds himself inside a toxic, Wolf of Wall Street-style culture that promises freedom but quietly drains the soul.

The conversation turns when Jesse finds The Purpose Driven Life and begins a faith journey that includes doubt, conviction, and what he describes as a supernatural experience of God’s love. That inner change forces real-world decisions: leaving an unhealthy environment, reshaping his definition of success, and moving toward service. Today, Jesse mentors inmates in the California penal system while also working in private equity with values-driven leaders, and he shares how LinkedIn became the “new golf course” that opened doors through genuine connection.

If you’ve ever wondered why achievement can still feel empty, or how to rebuild after a misstep, this one will meet you right where you are. Subscribe to The Klimb, share this episode with a friend who’s chasing success, and leave a review so more climbers can find stories like Jesse’s.

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Follow Jesse here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jes-h/

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