Live Inspired Podcast With John O'leary

Commitment is an act, not a word. - Jean-Paul Sartre Last week I saw first-hand the selflessness and commitment of caregiving from two shining examples. In addition to watching my mom prepare my dad for surgery, I interviewed Richard Lui, NBC News journalist who was prepared to put his 30-year career on hold to care for his father with Alzheimer’s. Today, let’s recognize that the work of a committed caregiver can be wildly isolating and absolutely exhausting. Let’s let them know we are aware of all they do and inspired by their love in action. Even more, let’s choose to ask how we can assist them. [Tune into my conversation with Richard Lui on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 358 to hear us celebrate the hidden joys and gifts within caregiving.] *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010.

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 54 million Americans give care for an ill or disabled family member. Five years ago, NBC News journalist Richard Lui found himself in this group as his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Today, Richard shares about preparing to leave his 30-year career to care for his father and how the prolonged illness taught him the power of selflessness. While caring for others has profound difficulties, Richard shows us how it can also offer an abundance of purpose + joy.   Did you enjoy this episode? You'll love hearing from my mom Susan O'Leary. After selflessly raising six children, I believe she's doing her finest work today as a caregiver for my father with Parkinson's. Listen to Susan O'Leary on ep. 000 now. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010. *** About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking cu

Did you hear last week's Live Inspired Podcast with Seth Godin? When I asked one of the greatest marketers, thought leaders and influencers of our time how he wants to be remembered he said: "Someone who made a ruckus. To shine a light; do generous, remarkable work; teach people to teach other people; and leave things better than they found them." Be a ruckus-maker: Do little things consistently well and use your talents in ways that amplify others. Listen to Seth Godin on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 356. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010.

Seth Godin is one of the world’s most renowned marketing experts, 20-time bestselling author, distinguished speaker and writer of one of the most popular blogs on the Internet. Seth is also one of the most humble people I’ve ever spoken with + shared profound yet simple, thought-provoking life reflections I can’t stop thinking about. Seth’s brilliant insights on life, success, failure, and the “audacity to settle for anything less than remarkable” are a treasure you won’t want to miss. SHOW NOTES: In coaching kid's sports team, Seth found they learned, played and engaged more when losing than if they were winning.  "If it's easy to measure and easy to gain, it's not a useful measure. And if the measure profits someone else more than it profits you, you're working for them and the measure." Stop stealing dreams: On his blog, Seth shares his beliefs in needing to change the current educational system to address the needs of the future, not the needs of the past. Read it here. In the year Seth received 800 reje

The approval ratings in which we view our photos, actions, thoughts and lives is a broken system. A week ago a friend sent me a hilariously negative review he found on Amazon regarding my book On Fire. We spend significant time rating others and ingesting their judgment of us. The goal of our lives is not status or ease, but leading, serving, elevating and inspiring in such a manner that other lives are better because we were part of it. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010.

Celebrating National Siblings Month, my sister Susan O'Leary Ciapciak joined me via livestream for this special episode. We discuss her life-saving role the day of my fire, the challenges of being a working mother of five during a global pandemic, and more! Watch a replay of the livestream on Facebook or YouTube! If you enjoy this episode... You'll love hearing my episode about adult sibling relationships. I share three things we do to stay close as adults! Don’t miss it, listen to ep. 88 here. SUSAN O'LEARY CIAPCIAK'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read? A. On Fire by John O'Leary. Q. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? A. Carefree, relaxed mentality. Q. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? A. Because I'm an organized person, I own a business, have five children and work, a box of all our important documents. Q. You are sit

Studies show that Americans work longer hours and have more stress-related illnesses than their European and Japanese counterparts.  Bucking this statistic Megan Hyatt Miller is chief executive officer at Michael Hyatt & Co., recently named a 2020 Best Workplace by Inc. Magazine, a ranking of American companies’employee engagement. Megan and her father New York Times bestselling author + leadership expert Michael Hyatt wrote Win at Work and Succeed at Life to coach leaders through the principles that helped them rethink work and productivity to discover the "double win" —a perspective that sees work and life in partnership, not opposition.  Today's conversation is full of practical tips that will help you break free from the cult of overwork. Join us to rebalance, reprioritize and reimagine what success looks like for you. SHOW NOTES: "We either have regret or fear having regret." "We cannot do it all and have it all. What we can have and do are the most important things." To avoid being swept away by li

Amy Wolff did everything wrong... and yet it worked. With more than 1,000,000 "tokens of encouragement" displayed across the United States and in over 26 countries, Amy's desire to make a difference is life-saving.  Today, remember that you may get everything wrong. But the simple act of courageously taking the next right step may lead to significance and impact you can’t yet imagine. Amy Wolff shared what ignited this global movement. Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 350 here. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010.

Don't give up. You are worthy of love. Your mistakes don't define you. These simple phrases launched a global movement. Overwhelmed by the staggering suicide rates in her small Oregon town, Amy Wolff was determined to support those struggling.  With her husband and two young daughters, Amy anonymously staked 20 yard signs with encouraging phrases across their community, never anticipating it would ignite a powerful + life-saving movement of hope, love and encouragement. Today, these phrases are displayed on yard signs, wristbands, stickers and cards across the United States and over 26 countries. After a year of uncertainty, struggle and unrest for so many, today's conversation will inspire you to be generous with love... for yourself and others. SHOW NOTES: "Your brother saved you and I couldn't save mine." As a teenager, Amy watched helplessly as her older brother Jeremy drowned teaching her purpose, perspective, fragility of life and urgency. Walk with others in their suffering by showing up, staying tend

As winter surrenders to spring and the number of those vaccinated soar, our office has been receiving far more requests for both live and virtual presentations including several as their commencement speaker. With less than ten minutes to speak with graduates who are turning the page on an important chapter of their lives, stepping into a post-pandemic world, and likely dealing with significant anxiety around what their life will be like next... what do I say? Today, I share the one sentence that reminds all of us, including today's graduates, where to find real success, recognizing what really matters, and embracing the awesome gift that this life is. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010.

Research suggests that our experiences in childhood will have a profound impact on the overall wellbeing + trajectory of our life. Never acknowledged by his father and abandoned by his mother at three years old, Steve Pemberton spent his childhood being shuffled through the foster care system where he was abused, neglected and forgotten. Yet small gestures of kindness from ordinary people helped Steve forge a new path that that led to personal and professional success. Today, Steve is a husband, father, bestselling author of A Chance in the World and a trail-blazing executive championing workplaces where employees feel recognized, respected, and appreciated for who they are and what they do. This conversation is a reminder that we’re all able to impact others simply by being a beacon of hope. SHOW NOTES: “Comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.” As Chief Human Resources Officer for Workhuman, Steve champions leaders worldwide to build workplaces where every employee feels recognized, respected

It’s easy to not respond... to remain passive, indifferent, busy.   But as I was reminded last week, the most effective, transformational and life-giving leaders are the ones who respond and pay attention. They are the ones who step up and step forward. And, they aren’t always the individuals you thought they’d be.

In April 1994, nine-year-old Jeanne Celestine Lakin's parents and nearly all of her adult relatives were some of the one million people killed during the Rwandan government’s ethnic massacre. For 100 days, Jeanne and her three-year-old twin sisters hid in bushes to stay safe. Heartbreaking and unimaginable, Jeanne shares her harrowing story of survival, courage and strength. Jeanne reminds us that we all have the power to choose forgiveness, leave a legacy of peace and move forward. SHOW NOTES: "For nine years, my parents gave me the love to carry me to this day." In addition to having a large immediate + extended family, Jeanne felt closeness with many other families in her village. because of how welcoming her parents were. Power shift in the 1960s: While being colonized, Rwanda was divided into ethic groups with the largest being the Hutus (85%), frequently accompanied by Twa (1%) and the former ruling class of Tutsis (13-15%). April 7, 1994: The Rwandan government seals the border, preventing any Tutsis

As a child, I never understood why Jack Buck was so generous. Even after his death, I couldn’t comprehend why he did so much, so selflessly for some random little boy. Years later, his son Joe shared the reason... In a world where many look for evidence of things that divide, diminish, cause pain or excuse poor behavior, let’s seek to be the ones who unify, elevate, reflect hope and take positive action. The very act of showing up, sharing love, being kindness and offering encouragement will in fact change the world one life at a time. Want to see the heartwarming videos of Deyvion? Text VIDEO to 314-207-5010. *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 

In the span of a few weeks, Nora McInerny experienced three unimaginable losses: a miscarriage, the death of her father and the death of her husband. Yet in the wake of loss, Nora, host of the popular podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking and author of bestselling books No Happy Endings and The Young Hot Widows Club reminds us that we get to assemble something new from what is left behind. Today, Nora shares about the painful experiences we inevitably face, how to cope with the emotional aftermath and the important balance between finding happiness and holding space for the unhappy experiences that have shaped us. In a year riddled with painful losses, political divisiveness, social isolation, and so much more... This conversation is a reminder that life will have incomprehensible tragedy... And yet, the foundation is firm and the best of our days remain ahead.  SHOW NOTES: Fall 2014: October 3: Nora loses her pregnancy. October 8: Nora's father loses his battle with cancer. November 25: Aaron loses his ba

“During a period of personal heartache, professional adversity and societal upheaval, I’ve been encouraged by the words you speak, stories you share and impact your organization is part of. Thank you.” - Mark W., Live Inspired Together Community Member Years ago our Live Inspired team went through the process of clarifying why we do the work we do, what we stand for, and what we hope to achieve through our efforts. In understanding the True North of our business and creating our manifesto, we became clear on what to say yes to, and what to say no to. I hope our manifesto empowers you, enlightens your spirit, refocuses you on what is important and helps you take your next right step. Hope is not a plan; use this manifesto to live your best life. But hope is not a plan, is it? That is why we are going to start gathering once a month, so we can support each other in living this manifesto. So beginning this Saturday, March 27th from 9 – 9:30 AM CT, join me and our community for a webcast! Click here to add it to

Can you imagine losing your ability to see? At 20 years old, this became Christine Ha’s reality. Instead of losing faith or focusing on what she had lost, she used it as her inspiration to pursue her life’s passion: cooking. Christine joined the competitive cooking reality TV show Masterchef, hosted by notoriously hard-to-please celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Christine won MasterChef Season 3, has hosted her own show, opened her own restaurant, written a New York Times bestseller Recipes from my Home Kitchen and so much more. In a season of great uncertainty for many of us, Christine's story of resilience, courage and passion will speak to your soul. SHOW NOTES: As an only Christine struggled to balance embracing her American roots and her family’s heritage. Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese-American, Christine struggled yet is now grateful for an enriched childhood. While losing her mom at 14, Christine maintained a strong connection to her mom’s culture by living with her grandparents + extended

“We get so wrapped up in numbers in our society. The most important thing is that we are able to be one-to-one, you and I with each other at the moment. If we can be present to the moment with the person that we happen to be with, that’s what’s important.” ― Fred Rogers It’s easy to simply race through the day, check off the to-do-list, go to bed exhausted, wake up tired, wash and repeat. We seldom pause and ask the question, “What truly matters most right now?” The global pandemic over the past year has taught us much. One vital lesson we would be wise to remember is the fragility and preciousness of life. Sometimes we can only recognize the grandeur of that miracle by slowing down long enough to take inventory of our blessings, the gift of relationships and the power of love. And one of the best ways to celebrate those blessings is to choose to be fully present with the individuals who matter most. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010. *** Did you enjoy this episod

Paula Faris spent two decades ascending to two of the most coveted jobs in broadcast journalism: co-anchor on Good Morning America + co-host on The View. Yet burnt out + frustrated, Paula walked away... and was left unsure of her identity outside of her career. Today, Paula shares the success she achieved professionally, the chaos that came with it + how embracing her fear of failure brought her peace. This conversation is a reminder that we're worth so much more than our work. Join us in this episode to find more peace, purpose, and balance in your day-to-day life. SHOW NOTES: After leaving Good Morning America + The View at the height of her career, Paula went through a season of introspection, solidifying her identity + worth beyond what she does for a living. Dedicated to her father, her book Called Out explores finding the immoveable, unrouteable parts of ourselves that we can cling to. “I want to leave the legacy of being. Investing in what’s important, living a life of impact and a life of purpose.”

We live in a marketplace that feels so isolated, stressed and divided. At age 10 a painful experience revealed how broken, disabled, and imperfect I was, and it's a lesson we can all benefit from today. Today, I invite you to view your painful experiences as a gift preparing you for something bigger. You will not find peace, acceptance or joy in someone else’s opinion of you, but by choosing to love yourself. Approach friends, acquaintances and strangers with confidence, love and an open embrace. Accepting this challenge is certain to elevate the way we feel about our own lives. It will also liberate us to extend our hands and hearts to those still desperately seeking acceptance in theirs. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010. *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.