I am not a victim.
What happened to me wasn’t my fault. What I do about it is my responsibility. That’s the most freeing idea I’ve ever found, and it saved my life.
The real version
My Story
I grew up in a home with physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. By six years old I was already hooked on the things that numbed it: food first, then lying, then pornography. I didn’t have words for what I was carrying. I just knew how to hide it.
So I hid it for decades.
I played college football. I built a career in sales and real estate. I sold 72 homes in my first 14 months. From the outside, it looked like I was winning.
Inside, the addictions kept growing: food, money, sex, pornography. I made millions of dollars, and I lost $6 million. I chased approval from everyone around me and never once felt like enough.
Then it all caught up with me.
In 2013, I was sentenced to 366 days in federal prison. I walked in at 475 pounds, wearing a jumpsuit I couldn’t zip closed. My marriage was over. My mother died without forgiving me. My four children barely knew their father.
Prison is where I met God. It wasn’t in a cathedral. It was inmates with almost nothing, tithing toiletries and shower shoes into care packages for men coming in with less. That was the first real generosity I’d seen in years.
But getting out didn’t fix me. I hadn’t done the work yet.
In October 2019, I sat alone in a dark apartment and decided I was going to end my life.
What stopped me was my children’s faces. I picked up the phone and asked for help. For the first time in 51 years, I meant it.
And I’ve walked through the night every parent fears, when someone I love more than my own life was fighting for theirs. I won’t tell that story here, because it isn’t only mine to tell. But I know that fear, and I know what it takes to stay standing for someone else when you’re barely standing yourself.
Lessons earned the hard way
What Rock Bottom Taught Me
After that night, I did 150+ sessions of intensive therapy. I tore down every false identity I had built: the hustler, the people-pleaser, the guy who always had an angle. I started over at 52 years old, a convicted felon with 54 cents to my name.
Shame grows in the dark.
Every addiction I had got stronger every time I hid it. The day I started telling the truth, the addictions started losing.
You can’t heal the man without meeting the boy.
The scared kid I was at six was still running my life at fifty. I had to go back and take care of him before I could grow up.
Let go of other people’s opinions.
Trying to control what other people think of you will destroy you. I let that fear cost me 10 years of my career and nearly my whole life. Letting it go changed everything.
Who I work with
For People Who Are Done Pretending
Successful on paper. Empty inside.
The income’s there. The peace isn’t.
Fighting something you can’t talk about.
It could be food, pornography, spending, sex, or the lie you’ve told so long you half-believe it.
Starting again after loss.
Money, a marriage, your freedom, or your reputation—you’re not sure who you are now.
Carrying the past into the present.
You have experiences from childhood that still shape your adult life. Coaching can complement—not replace—professional trauma care.
Faith and struggle.
You’re a person of faith who feels like your struggles disqualify you. They don’t.
Getting in your own way.
You keep sabotaging things right before they work.
You don’t have to have been to prison. You don’t have to have hit the bottom I hit. You just have to be honest that something has to change.
What changes when you change
More Than Feeling Better. Living Differently.
Life coaching isn't about pretending the past didn't happen. It's about identifying what you can influence today and building a different way forward.
More Inner Peace
Understand the patterns that keep you stuck in shame, anger, or constant self-judgment.
Greater Confidence
Build trust in yourself through honest choices, consistent action, and meaningful progress.
Healthier Relationships
Show up with clearer boundaries, stronger communication, and less need for outside approval.
Freedom From Old Patterns
Recognize the habits and beliefs that no longer serve you and practice new responses.
Purpose and Direction
Get clear about what matters now and take practical steps toward the life you want.
Personal Responsibility
Focus your energy on the decisions and actions that are actually yours to make.
Everyone's circumstances are different; coaching does not promise a particular result.
The coaching process
How I Coach
I’m not going to tell you to think positive and make a vision board.
I’ll help you get honest about what’s actually driving you. We look at the identities and patterns you’ve built, explore where they came from, and take practical steps toward a life you don’t need to escape from.
You get someone who won’t flinch at your story. I’ll call you out with love, and I’ll encourage you to take responsibility for the choices you can make now.
A free, honest conversation
You tell me where you are. I tell you straight whether coaching is a fit.
Getting to the root
We identify the patterns underneath the behavior, within the scope of coaching.
Radical responsibility
We stop blaming and start rebuilding, one decision at a time.
A new identity
You practice living as the person you want to become.
Experience and perspective
Why Listen to Me?
200 lbsLost on The Biggest Loser
100,000+Coaching Sessions
4Children — my greatest reason to keep growing
I survived abuse, addiction, federal prison, and my own darkest moment—and I kept rebuilding. I’m the author of Tragic Hero, Six-Figure Agent, and ReThink Everything You “Know” About Prospecting.
My story and work have appeared in publications including Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, as well as Times Square Today. I’ve spoken at churches, men’s groups, and youth programs. I’m a father of four, and I’m still doing the work every day.
A moment with Wally
Real Talk. Real Transformation.
Watch this short message from Wally.
Real people. Real experiences.
Hear From People I've Worked With
Their stories, in their own words. Watch these video testimonials about working with Wally.
Alex B.
HE DELIVERS ON HIS PROMISES
Peter B.
40 YEARS OF ANGER. FINALLY FREE.
Ivette R.
MY BREAKTHROUGH STORY
Kayla M.
BREAK THROUGH YOUR INTERNAL BARRIERS
Brandon B.
REAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE
Andy I.
WHAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Jim M.
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
Shelby S.
THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE
Individual experiences vary. Testimonials reflect the speakers' personal experiences, not a promise of specific outcomes.
The next chapter starts with a conversation
You Can't Change What Happened.
But You Can Change What Happens Next.
You don't have to keep living by the same fears, patterns, shame, or beliefs that have held you back. Your past may explain where you are, but it doesn't have to determine where you go.
Let's talk about what's standing between you and the life you want to live.
Let's Talk About Your FutureFree 30-minute conversation · No obligation
Your story isn’t over
The Worst Chapter Doesn’t Have to Be the Last One.
I came back from losing $6 million, a prison sentence, 54 cents to my name, and a dark apartment in October 2019. I believe there can be a way forward for you, too.
You don’t have to be ready. You just have to be honest.
Book Your Free Call with WallyIf you’re thinking about ending your life right now, please don’t wait for a coaching call. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, day or night. If you are in immediate danger, call emergency services.
Life coaching is not therapy, medical care, crisis intervention, or addiction treatment. It can complement appropriate professional care, not replace it.