Meet Louis Essig | Influencer & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Louis Essig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Louis, how does your business help the community?
Our hopes in terms of Get a Grip Podcast is one major thing, to change the way people look at addiction and recovery using humor. Over the time I have been in recovery I’ve noticed there is a specific stigma that is attached to addicts or alcoholics. Some are afraid to share their experiences out loud, others are ashamed. By sharing our stories with the world and being able to laugh at them, we hope to help change this landscape and stigma. We hope to empower people to share their own stories of recovery and addiction, in hope of helping others. When you share lived experience with someone in recovery or still struggling you never know who you may help or at the very least, plant a seed that could shape their future.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I currently work for a logistics company in Columbus Ohio. Being a restored citizen and someone with a criminal record, the road to a career has not been a cake walk. I experienced an abundance of rejection after being released from jail with a stigma attached to me I never thought I could overcome. From working in food service, to corrections and now logistics I have found that if you let people get to know the real you before finding out about your background or past, it makes a huge difference. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I have been given up to this point in my life and am hopeful there will be many more to come. My true passion and where I hope to be one day is helping and inspiring others using my experience to help lift them up and eventually change their lives.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Columbus Ohio has more to offer than people realize. As someone in recovery, while I do not drink, I do not limit myself to certain places. Fine dining in German Village is always fantastic. After my experience working in fine dining I have really grown to love and appreciate good food, and good service. You can never go wrong with sporting events with our local teams, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Columbus also offers fantastic golf which I played in high school, and other fun outdoor activities (when weather permits).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a special shoutout to the people that were by my side the entire step of the way. The people who were there when I was incarcerated, going through early recovery, and were there when things started to get better. Caring about an active alcoholic, addict or even someone in recovery is not always easy. Having those people who I never want to let down is part of what drives me everyday. A special shoutout to my father who raised me and shaped me into the person I am today, without him and the sacrifices he made for me I would be lucky to be half the man I am today.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisessig

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetaGripPodcast614

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