Rise and Climb shares your unfiltered story of the choices that nearly consumed you, and the daily disciplines that eventually helped you change direction. At what point did you realize your experiences belonged in a book rather than simply remaining personal stories?

The moment came when I started seeing the through-line — the same themes repeating across different chapters of my life. Once I saw that pattern, the experiences stopped feeling like separate stories and started feeling like one story worth telling. Reliving those years in detail took something out of me, but I believed the lessons were worth it.

Loss framed my early childhood, and rebuilding from it became one of my core philosophies: when adversity knocks you down, find a way to come back stronger. I subtitled the book Finding Purpose Through Pain because I believe painful experiences contain fuel. That fuel can become self-destructive, or it can be harnessed for momentum, growth, and purpose.

Music runs through the memoir almost like another character. What could music express for you that ordinary conversation couldn’t?

I love the idea of music being another character because, for me, music has always been one of my most trusted friends. It has been there through every stage and has always given me a place to express what I was feeling.

And music goes beyond words. A guitar can communicate emotion through notes in the same way singing does. I often describe “talking through the instrument” as the goal of the musician. I believe the best music connects directly to the truth of the artist, and that has always been what I’ve tried to do with my own work.

That’s also why I named the chapters in Rise and Climb after songs I created during those periods of my life. The songs became part of the soundtrack to what I was living through, and their titles often reveal exactly where my head and heart were at the time.

Each chapter concludes with a “Finding Purpose Through Pain” reflection. Why was it important to move beyond telling readers what happened and ask what could be learned from it?

I wanted those sections to feel like I was talking to my younger self, my kids, or anyone currently going through something difficult. The chapter tells you what happened to me—the “Finding Purpose Through Pain” section asks what I learned from it and how that lesson might apply to your own life. I wanted those experiences to be useful to someone beyond me.

What are you still climbing toward now?

I believe every day is another chance to climb. Every day I rise and get another opportunity to find out what I’m capable of—as a musician, an author, and a public speaker.

I enjoy the climb itself. More than reaching any particular goal, I find purpose in continuing to improve my craft and push toward what I might still become. I don’t really see a finish line. I want to keep learning, creating, improving, and climbing for as long as I can.

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