My Parents Were Killed by a Drunk Driver... I Almost Lost My Life Too

My Parents Were Killed by a Drunk Driver... I Almost Lost My Life Too

Jessica Ashby's story is one of unimaginable loss, addiction, redemption, and hope. After losing her brother in a tragic car crash as a teenager, Jessica spent years trying to outrun grief. What began as experimenting with drugs and alcohol eventually turned into a devastating opioid addiction after being prescribed oxycodone following the birth of her daughter. Addiction led to a felony conviction, broken relationships, and years of chaos. Everything changed when Jessica made the decision to return to treatment and fully commit to recovery. Then tragedy struck again. On December 7, 2024, Jessica's mother and stepfather were killed by an impaired driver. Instead of returning to addiction, she leaned on the recovery community that had helped rebuild her life and turned unimaginable pain into purpose. Today, Jessica is living proof that redemption is real. She received a full pardon from Governor Andy Beshear, founded the Cardinal Grace Foundation to help others rebuild their lives, is pursuing her Master's in Public Administration, and continues to advocate for recovery, second chances, and hope. This is a powerful conversation about grief, addiction, recovery, forgiveness, resilience, and rebuilding your life after unimaginable tragedy. CONNECT WITH GITT UP  Website https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com]  YouTube https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast [https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast]  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/adam.larkin.399/ [https://www.facebook.com/adam.larkin.399/]  Instagram https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com] to: • Apply to be a podcast guest • Sponsor an episode • Advertise your business • Book Adam Larkin for keynote speaking • Book social media consulting • Coaching & mentorship • Shop GITT Apparel CONNECT WITH JESSICA ASHBY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1D9LsSGjv7/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1D9LsSGjv7/?mibextid=wwXIfr] ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? ⭐ Follow the GITT UP Podcast ⭐ Leave a 5-star review ⭐ Share this episode with someone who needs hope today. New episodes every Thursday. 🎧 Audio releases every Thursday at 5:00 AM ET on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and all major podcast platforms. 📺 Full video premieres every Thursday at 4:00 PM ET on YouTube. Visit https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com] to listen, watch, sponsor an episode, apply to be a guest, advertise your business, or book Adam Larkin for speaking, consulting, coaching, and mentorship.

I Walked Away From Corporate America to Chase My Hollywood Dream

What does it take to walk away from a successful corporate career and completely reinvent your life? In this episode of GITT UP with Adam Larkin, Damian Tanenbaum shares his incredible journey from the corporate boardroom to Hollywood, where he built a career as an actor, stunt performer, fight coordinator, entrepreneur, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and CrossFit coach. We dive into the mindset required to start over, what it really takes to succeed in Hollywood, the lessons martial arts taught him about leadership, entrepreneurship, discipline, and why betting on yourself is often the biggest risk—and the greatest reward. Whether you're an entrepreneur, athlete, business leader, actor, martial artist, or someone chasing a dream, this episode is packed with practical advice, inspiration, and real-world lessons on building success through discipline. Watch until the end and let us know your biggest takeaway. Connect with Damian Tanenbaum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damiantanenbaum/ [https://www.instagram.com/damiantanenbaum/] IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10254567/ [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10254567/] Visit GITT UP https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com] • Apply to be a podcast guest • Sponsor an upcoming episode • Advertise your business • Book Adam Larkin for keynote speaking • Social media consulting • Coaching & mentorship • Shop official GITT UP merchandise Listen to GITT UP Everywhere YouTube: https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast [https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gitt-up-with-adam-larkin/id1856214875 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gitt-up-with-adam-larkin/id1856214875] Spotify: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com] GITT UP with Adam Larkin features unfiltered conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, actors, creators, business leaders, recovery advocates, and high performers who share the real stories behind their success, setbacks, and the mindset that helped them build extraordinary lives.

She Survived Prison, Addiction & a Suicide Mission | Ronni Welcher

Ronni Welcher joins Adam Larkin for one of the most emotional and inspiring conversations ever featured on GITT Up Podcast. Growing up in poverty, Ronni witnessed domestic violence, alcoholism, and chaos inside her own home. As she got older, the trauma continued through abusive relationships, sexual assault, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, incarceration, and unimaginable loss. Ronni shares the painful reality of surviving childhood trauma, multiple assaults, prison, and losing her mother just weeks before her release. Soon after, she lost her longtime boyfriend to an overdose and later her father, leaving her feeling completely hopeless. What followed was what she describes as a year-long suicide mission. Everything changed when she cried out to God and made the decision to fight for her life instead of giving up. Today, Ronni is more than seven years sober and has dedicated her life to helping others. She founded her own nonprofit, advocates for overdose prevention and recovery, serves as a Certified Peer Support Specialist, is Narcan trained, and provides street outreach to people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Her dream is to build a resource center where people can find safety, hope, essential services, and a pathway to recovery. This conversation is about resilience, faith, recovery, second chances, and proving that no matter how dark life becomes, hope is still possible. Topics Include: • Childhood trauma • Domestic violence • Addiction and recovery • Sexual assault • Homelessness • Mental health • Prison and incarceration • Grief and loss • Suicide and hope • Faith and redemption • Peer support and advocacy • Building a nonprofit • Overdose prevention • Helping people experiencing homelessness • Finding purpose after addiction Connect with Ronni Welcher: https://facebook.com/Ronniwelcher [https://facebook.com/Ronniwelcher] Become a Guest, Sponsor an Episode, or Advertise on the Show: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com/] Connect with GITT Up Podcast: Website: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com/] YouTube: https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast [https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast] Hosted by Adam Larkin If this conversation impacted you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear Ronni's story. #RonniWelcher #Recovery #MentalHealth #AddictionRecovery #SecondChances #GITTUP

The Friend Who Took Me to Detox Changed My Life | Zachary Schwartz

Zachary Schwartz joins Adam Larkin for a powerful conversation about overcoming childhood trauma, building a successful life, entrepreneurship, fatherhood, and the unexpected role he played in Adam's recovery journey. In 2019, Zachary was the friend who drove Adam to the first and last detox of his life—a decision that ultimately changed everything. While Zachary's story is very different from Adam's, his influence helped set in motion a chain of events that led to lasting sobriety and a completely different future. In this episode, Zachary opens up about growing up in an abusive environment, the challenges he faced as a child, and the adversity he had to overcome to build the life he has today. He shares lessons learned through hardship, the mindset that helped him succeed, and how he became a successful entrepreneur, devoted father, and leader for his family. This conversation is about resilience, personal growth, entrepreneurship, fatherhood, overcoming obstacles, and the impact one person can have on another person's life without ever realizing it. Topics Include: • Childhood trauma and abuse • Overcoming adversity • Entrepreneurship and business • Fatherhood and family • Personal growth and resilience • Friendship and loyalty • Leadership and mindset • Building success from humble beginnings • Life lessons and personal development • The story behind Adam's first and last detox Connect with Zachary Schwartz: https://www.facebook.com/zach.schwartz [https://www.facebook.com/zach.schwartz] Become a Guest, Sponsor an Episode, or Advertise on the Show: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com/] Connect with GITT Up Podcast: Website: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com/] YouTube: https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast [https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast] Hosted by Adam Larkin If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from this conversation. #ZacharySchwartz #Entrepreneurship #Fatherhood #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #GITTUP

Chandler Maze on Heroin Addiction, Armed Robbery, Prison & Recovery

Chandler Maze joins Adam Larkin for a raw and powerful conversation about addiction, incarceration, recovery, redemption, and rebuilding a life after years of destructive choices. At the height of his addiction, Chandler was heavily dependent on Xanax and heroin. His addiction ultimately led to armed robbery, a prison sentence, and years of consequences that impacted every area of his life. In this episode, Chandler opens up about the reality of addiction, what life was like behind bars, the mindset that kept him trapped, and the moment he decided he wanted something different. He shares how recovery transformed his life and how he now helps others battling the same addictions he once faced himself. This conversation is about second chances, personal responsibility, redemption, and the hope that recovery can bring, no matter how far someone has fallen. Topics Include: • Heroin addiction • Xanax addiction • Armed robbery and incarceration • Life in prison • Recovery and sobriety • Mental health and addiction • Personal responsibility • Redemption and second chances • Helping others recover • Building a meaningful life after addiction Become a Guest, Sponsor an Episode, or Advertise on the Show: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com/] Connect with GITT Up Podcast: Website: https://gittuppodcast.com [https://gittuppodcast.com/] YouTube: https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast [https://youtube.com/@gittuppodcast] Hosted by Adam Larkin If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from this conversation. #ChandlerMaze #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #HeroinAddiction #Sobriety #MentalHealth #GITTUP