Phil Bode is a retired businessman who grew up on an Iowa farm in the middle of the twentieth century. He has been among others a farmer, pipeline foreman, college wrestling champion, secondary school teacher, business manager and now retired.

He was a wrestling coach from 1974 until retiring from the sport in 2017. He is married to his wife Ann and has three daughters and six grandchildren.

Through it all he has been a storyteller relating the life experiences that influenced his success.