Owensboro native Brandon Cox has released his debut book, It Goes With You, marking one year since he began his ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro — a journey that became the foundation for the memoir’s exploration of personal struggle, resilience, and growth.
Framed around that climb, Cox’s memoir uses the mountain as both setting and metaphor, exploring perseverance, vulnerability, and the internal struggles many face. From false summits to thin air, he draws parallels between the physical challenges of the journey and the emotional climb within.
“This book isn’t just about climbing a mountain,” Cox said. “It’s about the much more treacherous one — the one we climb within ourselves.”
Blending storytelling with reflection, Cox said, It Goes With You confronts imposter syndrome, perfectionism, self-doubt, and the lessons learned at nearly 20,000 feet that changed how he viewed success, struggle, and identity. The book invites readers to examine the weight they carry and decide what’s worth taking forward.
Central to the book is the idea of “The Imposter,” which Cox presents not as a flaw, but as a signal of growth.
Cox said he began the book as a private journal after his climb, later shaping it into a candid narrative on authenticity and resilience.
A former journalist and current marketing executive at Fastek Services, Cox also teaches advertising and public relations at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Cox is a 2005 graduate of Apollo High School and holds degrees from KWC and LSU. He lives in Owensboro with his wife Charity and their four children — Alyssa, Marshall, Anderson, and Boston — plus two dogs.
It Goes With You is a 240-page softcover available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers. Locally, it will be sold at Displaced Pages and will be available for checkout at the Daviess County Public Library. The foreword is written by Dr. Brent J. Garrard of Garrard Therapeutic Partners in Owensboro.
