From Washing Trucks to CEO: Tyler LaBarge Co-Founds DRW

Desert Roots Wellness Co-Founder Tyler LaBarge brings two decades of leadership experience to coaching focused on burnout and delegation.

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, October 22, 2026 -- Tyler LaBarge spent years learning what leadership asks of a person, beginning with a job washing trucks and ending in the role of President and CEO. In May 2026, he turned those lessons into a new venture, co-founding Desert Roots Wellness with Samka Keranovic. The Scottsdale, Arizona practice serves clients virtually and focuses on helping business owners, leaders, and high-achieving professionals pursue success without losing themselves to the pressure of carrying everything alone.

Tyler LaBarge spent years learning what leadership asks of a person, beginning with a job washing trucks and rising to the role of President and CEO. In May 2026, he turned those lessons into a new venture, publicly launching Desert Roots Wellness with Samka Keranovic. The Scottsdale, Arizona practice serves clients virtually and focuses on helping business owners, leaders, and high-achieving professionals pursue success without losing themselves to the pressure of carrying everything alone.

A Career That Shapes a Coaching Practice

Tyler LaBarge began his career in 2003 at U.S. Truck Driver Training School, where he washed trucks before earning his commercial driver's license. He became an instructor, worked across multiple areas of the organization, and in January 2020 stepped into the role of President and CEO. That progression spanned operations, sales, team development, and workforce development, along with the everyday responsibility of leading a business and the people who depend on it.

That experience informs the way he coaches today. At Desert Roots Wellness, Tyler works with leaders on the realities he once faced directly: managing people, making difficult decisions, and being accountable for outcomes. His perspective comes from having stood at multiple levels of an organization, which gives him a practical understanding of the pressures his clients describe. More about his background is available on his coaching profile.

The Pressure of Being the Person Everyone Depends On

Business owners and leaders often become overwhelmed when they are expected to solve every problem and make every decision. Their reliability can make delegation difficult, leaving them overextended.

Through Desert Roots Wellness, Tyler helps clients recognize these patterns and develop healthier approaches to communication, boundaries, and team development.

"Your team needs your leadership. They also need the chance to build their own judgment, confidence, and ability to solve problems," Tyler noted in draft remarks prepared for this announcement. His coaching emphasizes that sharing responsibility strengthens teams and encourages greater independence.

Connecting Personal Habits to How a Business Operates

One distinguishing feature of Tyler's approach is the connection he draws between how someone leads and how much responsibility they carry. He helps clients see that personal patterns, workplace demands, and team practices all influence one another. A leader who struggles to delegate may be reinforcing habits that keep their team dependent, which in turn increases the leader's workload.

This perspective links personal well-being to the way a business actually functions. When leaders communicate expectations clearly and develop their teams, they create room for their own lives while strengthening the organization. Tyler's coaching encourages clients to make decisions that support both their ambitions and their well-being rather than treating the two as competing priorities.

Desert Roots Wellness describes its work as a mind, body, and soul approach to personal growth, combining practical business experience with attention to the whole person. The practice is careful to note that coaching is distinct from therapy and does not replace medical or psychological treatment. Instead, it focuses on clarity, decision-making, and sustainable approaches to success.

Helping People Find Their Direction

Helping people build a future was part of Tyler's work long before Desert Roots Wellness launched. In his years at U.S. Truck Driver Training School, he guided graduates through career decisions, business planning, the transition to becoming owner-operators, and the time management skills needed to support their goals. He spent considerable time helping people assess opportunities and turn their intentions into practical plans.

Desert Roots Wellness gives that commitment a dedicated home, extending Tyler's long-standing interest in guiding people toward direction into leadership, personal growth, and the relationship between professional ambition and a fulfilling life. His direct, practical style carries over from that earlier work into the coaching he offers today.

A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths

What makes Desert Roots Wellness distinctive is the combination of its founders' experience and perspectives. Tyler brings experience developing teams, navigating business responsibilities, and helping people take their next step. Co-founder Samka Keranovic brings a background in executive leadership and private coaching, with a focus on boundaries, people-pleasing, self-trust, and self-abandonment. Together, they help clients consider both their personal patterns and the demands around them.

Tyler also understands the complications that arise in family businesses, where professional decisions can affect personal relationships. His approach brings care for people together with clear standards and accountability. Giving back is part of the founders' story as well. Tyler and Samka have provided coaching free of charge to help people improve their lives, reflecting a commitment to supporting others beyond their paid services.

Recognition and Client Experiences

In 2026, Desert Roots Wellness was named Best Burnout Prevention Coaching Service in Arizona of 2026 by Best of Best Review. The recognition reflects the practice that Tyler and Samka built together.

On the Desert Roots Wellness website,clients have described lasting changes from working with the pair. In one published testimonial, a client wrote, "The techniques and tools they shared are things I use every single day," describing how the coaching helped them set healthier boundaries and make decisions based on their own priorities. Another client credited the guidance with helping them advance professionally, noting, "Their guidance has helped me advance in my career." Additional reviews are available on the practice's Thumbtack profile.

Looking Ahead

Desert Roots Wellness offers individual coaching, ongoing coaching programs, self-guided workbooks and digital resources, and corporate burnout-prevention training. The practice also provides a free 30-minute Clarity Call with no obligation and a complimentary workbook titled "Before You Say Yes" for those exploring their options.

For Tyler, the goal remains consistent with the lessons of his own career. "I want to help people build a version of success that leaves room for their relationships, their well-being, and the life they are working so hard to create," he noted in prepared remarks. Readers interested in learning more can visit the Desert Roots Wellness website to explore coaching options or book a Clarity Call. For additional insights and updates, connect with Desert Roots Wellness on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook, or follow Tyler LaBarge on LinkedIn and Instagram. You can email directly to [email protected].

About Desert Roots Wellness

Desert Roots Wellness is a holistic coaching practice based in Scottsdale, Arizona, serving clients virtually. Founded in May 2026 by Tyler LaBarge and Samka Keranovic, the practice helps business owners, leaders, and high-achieving professionals build fulfilling lives and careers through greater self-awareness, healthier boundaries, stronger relationships, and more sustainable approaches to success. Services include private coaching, ongoing coaching programs, self-guided tools, and corporate training. The practice was named Best Burnout Prevention Coaching Service in Arizona of 2026 by Best of Best Review.

Contact Info:
Name: Tyler LaBarge
Email: Send Email
Organization: Desert Roots Wellness
Website: https://www.drwmbs.com

Release ID: 89206945

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