Philip Albenze

Ohio · Northwest Ohio · Toledo

Motivational and addiction recovery speaker in Toledo, Ohio

Toledo sits at the western edge of the 200-mile circle Phil focuses on, about 155 miles from his home in Austintown. Toledo schools, recovery programs and workplaces get the full story, told by the man who lived it.

151 milesfrom Phil's home in Austintown to Toledo
Lucas County, OHToledo's county
263,423people in Toledo (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 Toledo, OH Call (330) 314-0228

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

Why Toledo groups book Phil Albenze

Phil's story speaks to Toledo the way it speaks to every Ohio factory town: a man who held a job through twenty years of drinking, until a doctor and a crying nine-year-old made him stop.

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 Toledo audience the story is close to home: he lives 151 miles away, in Austintown, Ohio.

Talks for Toledo audiences

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

The books behind the Toledo talk

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

Hear Phil before you book him in Toledo

Every episode of Phil's podcast has its full transcript on this site, so a Toledo 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 Toledo and Lucas County

In Lucas County, public money for addiction and mental-health services runs through the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County.

In 2023, 227 Lucas County residents died of unintentional drug overdoses, an age-adjusted rate of 55.3 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 Toledo 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 at a podium with a microphone

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.

Toledo schools, colleges and venues

Toledo students are served by the Toledo Public Schools; colleges in and around Toledo include The University of Toledo, Owens Community College, Lourdes University (Sylvania); Toledo event venues include Glass City Center and Huntington Center. Phil speaks to every kind of audience on that list, from a classroom to a conference hall.

Toledo became the Glass City after a fledgling glass company fired its first furnaces there in 1888; Owens-Illinois, Libbey-Owens-Ford and Owens Corning later made it the world leader in glass production. (University of Toledo News).

Booking a motivational speaker in Toledo

Phil gives a conference keynote, a school assembly, a recovery-group talk or a workplace session, each up to an hour. Toledo is about 151 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 Toledo 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 Toledo planners

Before you book a speaker in Toledo, 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 Toledo events

Questions from Toledo event planners

Does Phil Albenze travel to Toledo?

Yes. Toledo is about 151 miles from his home in Austintown, Ohio, inside the 200-mile area around Youngstown he focuses on.

How long is a talk in Toledo?

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

What does Phil talk about in Toledo?

His own story, told for Toledo 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 Toledo book Phil?

Yes. Toledo 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 Toledo book Phil?

Yes. Toledo 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 Toledo?

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

Can Phil give a keynote at a conference in Toledo?

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

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

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

How do I book Phil for an event in Toledo?

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

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Book Phil Albenze in Toledo

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