Episode Details

What do you do when life burns everything to the ground?

You keep climbing.

In this inspiring episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with musician, author, entrepreneur, husband, and father Ben Barbic for a conversation about resilience, purpose, and the quiet decision to keep moving forward—even when life refuses to go according to plan.

Ben's story begins with profound loss. As a young boy, his family's home and business were destroyed by a devastating California wildfire, leaving them to rebuild their lives from a donated trailer in the mountains. Later came addiction, poor choices, setbacks, and another heartbreaking loss when his recording studio flooded.

But through every season of struggle, Ben discovered something that would become the foundation of both his music and his life:

You don't have to control everything that happens to you.

You can always choose what happens next.

Together, Jeff and Ben explore fatherhood, creativity, faith, discipline, addiction, music, and the daily practices that help us become the people we hope to be.

Rather than offering quick fixes or motivational clichés, Ben reminds us that transformation is rarely dramatic.

It's built one choice at a time. One day at a time. One step at a time.

In This Episode

• Growing up after losing everything in a devastating wildfire
• How adversity shaped Ben's resilience and outlook on life
• Addiction, recovery, and taking responsibility for your choices
• Why creativity became a path toward healing
• Fatherhood and becoming the man his children deserve
• Music as both therapy and purpose
• Building discipline through small daily habits
• Faith, perseverance, and trusting the process
• Why setbacks don't have to become your identity

Memorable Quotes

"Keep at it. It's all gonna work out."

"You can't always control what happens, but you can control how you respond."

About Ben Barbic

Ben Barbic is a musician, songwriter, entrepreneur, and author of Rise and Climb, a book about resilience, personal responsibility, and rebuilding life after adversity. Through his uplifting music and storytelling, Ben encourages people to embrace growth, overcome setbacks, and keep moving toward the life they're called to live.

Connect with Ben Barbic

Learn more about Ben's music, books, and upcoming projects through his website https://www.risenclimb.com/ and social media channels.

Connect with The Story of Us

🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here

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Because life will knock every one of us down.

The question isn't whether we'll fall.

The question is whether we'll keep climbing.

And sometimes the simplest advice is also the wisest:

Keep at it. It's all gonna work out.