Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

Composer and pianist Eric Genuis began his music career with a simple philosophy: never say no to an opportunity to perform. Today, he has played for millions of captivated audiences around the world and reaches even more hearts and ears through the music he writes for film and television. What do I admire most about Eric? ...That he chooses to share his amazing talent to bri ng joy, grace and dig...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. Twenty years ago Bill Clinton was in office, Mark Zuckerberg was in high school, Amazon was a forest in South America and John O'Leary was a single man having dinner with an old friend. An old friend that would someday become my beautiful wife, Beth. *** My new book  IN AWE  is now available....

Mary Marantz would have been her family's third generation of loggers in rural West Virginia; an impoverished life filled with days of hard, dangerous work. But, one choice Mary's father made sparked a much different path for her: He used what little money he had to buy learning materials to prepare her for school as he saw education as her opportunity to lead a big, beautiful life of her choosing...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. "Only through our connectedness to others can we really know and enhance ourselves. And only through working on ourselves can we begin to enhance our connectedness to others."  – HG Lerner Have you ever visited with someone you expected to be completely different from you, but soon discovered...

Are you facing obstacles that seem impossible? Have you made so many mistakes that forgiveness seems unreasonable? Have you lost hope that you can pull yourself back up? Today's episode is for you. Just three months after her first sip of alcohol, Tiffany Jenkins was on her way to a decade long opioid addiction. From varsity cheerleader to high school dropout; dating a sheriff to committing two do...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment Today, every topic broached is immediately polarizing and leads to rigidly drawn lines between two opposing sides. Join me as I share how to veer away from this hostile, divisive path and instead draw a new inclusive one. *** My new book  IN AWE  is now available... and became an instant bests...

We've all heard laughter is the best medicine, and according to Forbes , laughing has science-based benefits that stimulate healing, strengthen relationships and promote brain activity. As we're facing headwinds of divisiveness, negative headlines and mounting stress, comedian Trey Kennedy brings some much-needed reprieve. You may be familiar with his tasteful humor + poignant parodies like "coupl...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment.   We see things not as they are, but as we are."  - Immanuel Kant The above is one of my favorite quotes and comes from a poet who wrote eloquently and extensively on living a more meaningful, impactful and worthwhile life regardless of the challenges around us. With all the challenges we fac...

Patricia Heaton is one of TV's most recognizable and beloved female leads from her role as Debra Barone on the long-standing comedy  Everybody Loves Raymond. Today, the three-time Emmy winner shares about the unexpected + sudden loss of her mother as a child, the pockets of hope that kept her acting dream alive + how she's thriving in her "second act" of life as an ambassador for World Vision. Thi...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others. - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Today I share an open letter of gratitude to teachers, who have historically been selfless in serving youth, and today more than ever. My friends, our educators have demonstrated repeated...

Dr. Gary Chapman is just the man to turn to for help on strengthening our most important relationships. Two decades after publishing his continuous  New York Times  bestseller  The 5 Love Languages , millions of readers credit him with saving their relationships by providing simple and practical ways to communicate their love. As we face great uncertainty, there is a profound need for love in our...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. Today I share about the difficult times we're experiencing and how it's easy to get stuck in the negativity. You'll hear what it means to actually live and learn one simple thing to reestablish meaning in your life. *** My new book  IN AWE  is now available... and became an instant bestseller...

Lori Allen is one of the world's foremost experts on bridal couture and the central figure of TLC's longstanding reality show  Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta . Today, Lori shares about owning Bridals by Lori for four decades, overcoming breast cancer and why she thinks marriages during the COVID-19 pandemic are among the strongest she's ever seen. SHOW NOTES: Growing up, Lori parents instilled stre...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Viktor E. Frankl   My friend, as you step into your Monday and begin your week, determine to control what you can and let...

Jillian Michaels is a world-renowned fitness expert, distinguished nutritionist and wellness entrepreneur. As one of the original trainers on the hit reality TV series The Biggest Loser , Jillian Michaels has built an empire in the health + wellness arena including being an 8-time New York Times bestselling author, publishing numerous successful fitness DVDs and launching the award-winning Jillian...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment as I share this timely poem. May you know love. The kind that makes you better, that challenges you to grow. Walk in loving kindness and you will feel the invisible tether that connects us all. May you live a life of purpose. Seek knowledge from young and old. Different and same, gentle and sh...

In honor of the return of MLB baseball this week, we're thrilled to have Major League Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. as our guest.  Cal is the epitome of dedication + perseverance. In his 21-year career, he earned his way into the record books numerous times, most notably when he broke Lou Gehrig's longstanding record of consecutive games played – with 2,130 games. Today, Cal is an author,...

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "It's not about you." These are the first four words of one of the bestselling books of all time. Through the principles put forward by Rick Warren in  The Purpose Driven Life , we are reminded that to discover...

"We have tremendous opportunity ahead to heal." At seventeen years old, Brian Walsh found himself clinging to life after being caught in a burning building as a volunteer firefighter. Managing excruciating physical and mental pain for decades, today Brian is leading an inspired life as a financial planner, philanthropist, father and friend. In our conversation, Brian shares the quote above + what...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. "Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don't listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don't listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what's behind the words."  ― Roy T. Bennett How...

Recently, a dear friend shared the work of journalist Mike Max and his coverage of George Floyd's murder and the protests, destruction and marches in Minneapolis in the following days. Mike had covered the sports beat for 34 years at the CBS Minneapolis station and chose to use his longstanding relationship with the community to work to calm the hostile environment, spark meaningful conversations...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. During this season of full of challenges, change and the unknown it's more important than ever to recognize that some of these difficulties can be used for new birth, reconciliation and hope for the future. Today, I share a poem written by Samuel Ullman that emphasizes the optimistic power of...

When you flipped the calendar from December to January, what were you certain was going to happen this year? Maybe a family vacation, wedding, simply going to the store as often as you needed! And then...  Borders closed. Events were canceled. Online learning became the norm. Dining room tables, pets and children replaced offices and coworkers. Today, Janine Urbaniak Reid shares her own reluctant...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment. How do I greet every person I meet? In silence to myself, I say, "I love you." Though spoken in silence, these words will shine in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile my face and they echo in my voice. - Og Mandino After partnering with a couple of thousand organizations, we've learned...

As we're in the midst of the storm! COVID-19, economic recession, social unrest and injustices  and yet... Today's guest is a welcomed reminder of the special people continuing to do extraordinary things every day. Dr. Art McCoy's radical yet practical intervention as Superintendent has transformed his district from a "dropout factory" to a 100% graduation rate This inspiring conversation will spa...