Philip Albenze

Ohio · Central Ohio · Columbus

Motivational and addiction recovery speaker in Columbus, Ohio

Central Ohio has booked Phil more than anywhere outside the Mahoning Valley: four talks at Otterbein University in Westerville, about 200 people each, and a session for 600 at the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio.

143 milesfrom Phil's home in Austintown to Columbus
Franklin County, OHColumbus's main county
938,396people in Columbus (Census estimate, July 1, 2025, U.S. Census Bureau)
Up to an hourper keynote or talk, for audiences of 50 to 600

Book Phil in Columbus, OH Call (330) 314-0228

Phil speaking at a podium with a microphone

Why Columbus groups book Phil Albenze

Columbus groups have asked him back, which says more than any description could. His talks for Central Ohio audiences cover the same ground: the functional alcoholic who never lost his job, the doctor's warning, and the climb to a natural bodybuilding title.

Phil drank for twenty years, held a job the whole time, picked up three DUIs and was shot on New Year's Eve 2002. In 2009 he weighed 304 pounds. He quit drinking cold turkey, lost about 140 pounds in a year, and became a champion natural bodybuilder and a personal trainer. For a Columbus audience the story is close to home: he lives 143 miles away, in Austintown, Ohio.

Talks for Columbus audiences

Recovery centers in ColumbusFor treatment programs and recovery groups in Franklin County: twenty years of drinking, three DUIs, quitting cold turkey, and the twelve steps a year later. Schools in ColumbusFor Columbus middle and high school assemblies: the shy kid, the liquid courage, the DUIs, and five lessons from a jail cell to the stage. Colleges in ColumbusFor Columbus campuses: Phil has spoken four times at Otterbein University, about 200 students each time. Veterans in ColumbusFor Columbus veterans' groups: Army, 1987 to 1993, and the twenty years after it. Workplaces in ColumbusFor Columbus HR and wellness events: the functional alcoholic who never lost his job. He spoke to 600 at HRACO. Conferences in ColumbusA keynote of up to an hour for a Columbus conference or association meeting. His largest audience so far: 600 at HRACO. Fitness events in ColumbusFor Columbus gyms and wellness days: 304 pounds to 4.5% body fat, and Masters boxing past 50.

The books behind the Columbus talk

Every talk Phil gives in Columbus comes from his memoir The Black Sword (2025) and its sequel, After the Sword (2026). Columbus hosts can order copies on Amazon for their audience.

Hear Phil before you book him in Columbus

Every episode of Phil's podcast has its full transcript on this site, so a Columbus event planner can hear exactly how this motivational speaker talks before booking him.

22 minBattling Addiction and Taking Your Life Back11 minFrom Jail Cell to Stage: 5 Takeaways11 minSmall Habits, Big Change

Addiction and recovery in Columbus and Franklin County

In Franklin County, public money for addiction and mental-health services runs through the ADAMH Board of Franklin County.

In 2023, 701 Franklin County residents died of unintentional drug overdoses, an age-adjusted rate of 51.6 per 100,000 (Ohio Department of Health, 2023 Unintentional Drug Overdose Report, Table 8). Phil drank for twenty years before he quit, and his message to people still inside it is the one he gives on his podcast: "If I could do this, anybody can."

What a Columbus audience hears

Every talk is Phil's own story, the one in his memoir The Black Sword. The flyer for his 2019 evening at California Palms Addiction Recovery Campus described it as his story "of battling obesity and alcoholism to what motivated his transformation and commitment to helping others." Talks run up to an hour.

The turning point is the center of the story: his nine-year-old son crying at the doctor's office, and Phil pulling into a gym he had passed every day on his way to the liquor store and telling a stranger, "I need help." From there he talks about replacing one habit with another, cutting off the people who drag you back, and why asking for help was the hardest step for a man raised the way he was.

Phil speaking on a stage in front of a screen that reads BELIEVE

Where Phil has spoken

Phil has spoken at Otterbein University, the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, California Palms Addiction & Recovery Center, the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center, Boardman Middle School, Hubbard High School, TCTC and the Rotary Club, to audiences from 50 to 600.

Columbus schools, colleges and venues

Columbus students are served by the Columbus City Schools; colleges in and around Columbus include The Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, Capital University; Columbus event venues include Greater Columbus Convention Center and Nationwide Arena. Phil speaks to every kind of audience on that list, from a classroom to a conference hall.

The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus took 22 years to build, from the laying of its cornerstone on July 4, 1839, to its completion in 1861. (Ohio Statehouse).

Booking a motivational speaker in Columbus

Phil gives a conference keynote, a school assembly, a recovery-group talk or a workplace session, each up to an hour. Columbus is about 143 miles from his home in Austintown, inside the 200-mile area around Youngstown he focuses on, and he travels farther when an event needs him. His fee isn't published: send your Columbus date, audience size and venue to ask.

As a speaker he has addressed audiences from 50 people at a Rotary Club to 600 at the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, and Otterbein University has had him back four times.

Phil Albenze in the press, for Columbus planners

Before you book a speaker in Columbus, check the record. TRAIN magazine put his before-and-after on its cover. The Tribune Chronicle profiled him and The Black Sword. 21 News and The Vindicator reported on the blind client he trains.

  • Tribune Chronicle
  • TRAIN magazine
  • 21 News (WFMJ)
  • The Vindicator
  • Business Journal Daily

Read the press coverage

Talk topics for Columbus events

Questions from Columbus event planners

Does Phil Albenze travel to Columbus?

Yes. Columbus is about 143 miles from his home in Austintown, Ohio, inside the 200-mile area around Youngstown he focuses on.

How long is a talk in Columbus?

Up to an hour, for a Columbus classroom, a recovery group or a conference hall.

What does Phil talk about in Columbus?

His own story, told for Columbus audiences: twenty years of drinking, three DUIs, a shooting, 304 pounds, and the day his son's tears sent him into a gym. Then quitting cold turkey, natural bodybuilding, and helping others.

Can schools in Columbus book Phil?

Yes. Columbus middle schools, high schools, career centers and colleges can book him. He has spoken at Boardman Middle School, Hubbard High School and four times at Otterbein University.

Can recovery programs in Columbus book Phil?

Yes. Columbus treatment centers, recovery groups and county programs can book him. California Palms Addiction Recovery Campus in Austintown has hosted him three times.

Does Phil speak to veterans' groups in Columbus?

Yes. Phil served in the US Army from 1987 to 1993 and speaks to Columbus veterans' posts and programs about the drinking that took over after he came home.

Can Phil give a keynote at a conference in Columbus?

Yes. He spoke to 600 people at the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, and Columbus conferences can book a keynote of up to an hour.

Is there a book to go with a talk in Columbus?

Yes. The Black Sword is the story the talk comes from, and After the Sword is the sequel. Columbus hosts can order copies through Amazon.

How do I book Phil for an event in Columbus?

Send a message through this site with your Columbus date, audience and venue, or call Body by Phil at (330) 314-0228.

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Motivational speaker in every city within 200 miles of Youngstown · Speaking

Book Phil Albenze in Columbus

Send your date, audience and venue in Columbus, or call (330) 314-0228.

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