Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

Captain Jim Lovell was the Spacecraft Commander of Apollo 13. The mission was meant to be the third moon landing attempt, but  infamously was cut short when a tank exploded. Don't miss hearing this epic piece of history from the man who lived it. Jim Lovell also shares how he attained his dream of becoming an astronaut in spite of growing up poor and fatherless during the Great Depression. Jim's u...

The Miracle Season is a major motion picture based on the true story of Coach Kathy Bresnahan (played by Helen Hunt) leading her volleyball team, against all odds, to a state championship after their captain and all-star player, Caroline Found, passed away tragically before the season began. That time you wished you were seeing the movie in the PREVIEW instead of the one you were there to actually...

Today, I share a story I don't often get to tell. The story of my siblings and their heroic acts that saved my life 30 years ago. Even more relevant: the 3 things we do that allow us to remain close as we get older. My friend, in honor of my parents 50th wedding anniversary, I'm sharing an intimate look at my family, what we've been through, what we've learned + what it might mean for you. SHOW NO...

Mel Robbins is the author of The 5 Second Rule ,  the #1 audio book in the world. She is also the most booked female speaker in the world and hosts the Audible Original series Kick Ass With Mel Robbins . Today, Mel shares how she has helped millions of people transform their lives by simplifying their biggest challenges into a 5-second solution. Possibly even more impactful: She shares how her 5-s...

Let's talk about how to simplify life so you can live inspired.  If you've enjoyed the 80+ episodes of the podcast, you're in for a treat. Instead of interviewing a special guest, I'm focusing on YOU: Your story, successes, failures, life . Get ready for an exclusive peek into my private Live Inspired IN STUDIO membership community - like-minded friends who join me via live-webcast once a month. (...

Ben and Amy Wright own the wildly successful Bitty & Beau's Coffee shop, which proudly employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The shop is named after their children who have Down Syndrome. Ben and Amy Wright are combatting the staggering 80% unemployment rate for people with disabilities + using their shop as a platform to share this truth: "We all have different abilitie...

In 1972 there was a historic plane crash; the only one in which the plane was flying at both cruising speed + altitude and had  survivors . One of the survivors was Nando Parrado. In street clothes and without food, Nando survived the winter in the Andes. His story was told in the 1993 movie,  Alive . He was played by Ethan Hawke. Today, we're joined by Nando. He is one of my heroes and the most c...

R achel Cruze helps people learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. Her new book  Love Your Life, Not Theirs guides readers to live an inspired life, within their means and without the comparison game. Rachel shares that, "Money is a topic so many people have lost hope over. I give a clear path to help you win, gain control and lower stress around personal finances." My friends,...

Christine Caine's hurdles may seem insurmountable:  She is a survivor of both sexual abuse and cancer. At 32, she found out she was adopted.  Yet, she is living a profoundly inspired life. Christine leads a global anti human-trafficking movement and was honored with the 2017 Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice. Have you ever felt like your story was derailed by unexpected or unwanted n...

Mitch Albom, author of the bestselling memoir of all time, Tuesdays with Morrie , never meant to be a writer. Hear the unlikely way Mitch found himself writing his beloved professor's memoir; and what it means for your  unfulfilled dreams. (Hint, there just might be a silver lining!) Hear what it was like to learn Morrie's life lessons, from Morrie himself - first as a student in his classroom and...

"It was good until it wasn't." Erik Wahl valued hard work and success. Achievement + money were his measurement and, by his early 30s, he was  very successful in corporate America. Until he wasn't.  During the dot-com bust in 2000, Erik lost the "financial fortress" he'd built and his identity along with it. This led him to ask the life-changing question: "Who were you before the world told you wh...

"Don't think of your age." When asked how to actively age, 87-year-old Sister Madonna Buder, nicknamed "The Iron Nun" in her 2016 Nike Ad, shared the above. She continued with, "Just keep moving."  Sr. Buder began running at 48. She has since completed   45+ ironman races, 300+ triathlons and won her age group dozens of times. My friends, if you think you're too old, too late, too inexperienced, t...

"When God takes something away, He gives a double dose of something else." Tommy Spaulding jokes that he had a 4.0 - if you add his high school and college GPAs together...  His dream was to become a lawyer; but he was rejected by the 30 law schools to which he applied. Fast forward: This once, less-than-stellar student is now a bestselling author and his "failed dream" led him directly to the suc...

"When you accept the worst case scenario, it has no power over you." Hal Elrod, international bestselling author of The Miracle Morning , established a miracle equation that helped him overcome two near-death experiences + build a highly successful business.   Hear Hal's amazing story and how to apply his equation so you can "divide odds and create miracles in your marriage, business and life." No...

"He wasn't trapped, he chose to stay and help others." Matthew Weiss, Esq. was a lawyer. He didn't seek an opportunity to become a filmmaker; but a story that needed to be told found him . The story of Welles Crowther was shared with him over lunch one day:  On September 11, 2001, Welles was 24 and worked in the World Trade Center. The acts of heroism he displayed that day have inspired song lyric...

"Don't stand by, stand UP." Sue McCollum is the Chairman and CEO of Major Brands, Inc., an 80-year-old, family-run operation and the only liquor distributor in the U.S. run by a woman.  But it wasn't Sue's dream to run a large operation. Her husband, Todd, was planning to run the company his grandfather founded and one day - pass it on to his children. Needless to say, plans changed after Todd was...

"We see the world as we think it is. Not as it really is. Wear glasses that work. " Todd Davis has spent 20+ years "looking for the right people." As Chief People Officer at FranklinCovey, a training company, he is an expert at identifying how human behaviors impact our life, our work and our output. His new book, Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work  shares tha...

"This process of accepting that your loved one has hurt other people. And accepting who that is and what it means to be a mother of someone like that, it takes not only months but years." Sue Klebold is forever tied to a tragic day marked down in American history, April 20, 1999. It was on that day two gunmen entered Columbine High School and killed 12 students, a teacher and wounded two dozen oth...

"Leverage faith over doubt. Those praying over me had an inch more faith than they did doubt." Joel Boggess is the bestselling author of Finding Your Voice ,  host of the incredibly popular podcast the  ReLaunch Show,  and a motivational speaker bringing his message of never giving up and using action in the face of fear to his audience. At the age of 5, Joel suffered a devastating accident; falli...

"I feel like a lot of us are going through a dark time. That we are living under clouds and need the sun to come out. I hope I'm the person holding the umbrella. I hope I am the person who can tell you to come under the umbrella 'til the sun comes out." Lizzie Velasquez is a globally recognized motivational speaker, a presenter at TEDx, champion of anti-bullying, author, producer and all around am...

"It turns out, sometimes you have to start by asking a really stupid question." Marcus Adrian has spent nearly 20 years at Mackey Mitchell Architects in St. Louis, MO; however, Marcus isn't your typical architect. He aims to design buildings to "speak to the human experience." He is nationally recognized for designing spaces for people with special needs and an expert in classroom acoustics.  His...

"We are too busy to become less busy" Juliet Funt is the CEO of WhiteSpace at Work, a global speaker, influencer and consultant to Fortune 100 companies, and "a warrior in the battle against busyness."  She is a self-described perfectionist who admits baking as her zen moment. He natural intuitiveness, authentic message, and insight allow her the uncanny ability to connect with people at all level...

"Understand that failure is part of the process and when it's over, it's over." Scott Hamilton is a four-time World Champion, Gold Medal Winner at the 1984 Olympics in Saravejo, co-creator of Stars on Ice,  commentator, performer, author and philanthropist.   Scott has had his fair share of setbacks. He suffered a misdiagnosed condition as a young boy, lost his mother to cancer, and had his battle...

"You are always only just beginning." Marc and Angel Chernoff didn't set out to create one of the most read blog sites online; it came to them over time. After losing a mutual friend with no warning and Angel's brother to suicide soon after, they began a blog to hold each other accountable. They had no idea the blog would resonate with others; it was simply a form of therapy, a coping mechanism, a...

"I go to bed feeling grateful and I wake up grateful."  Mike Mattingly is living life in reverse, and he couldn't be happier about it. Though he has always had a passion for music, it's never been his full-time gig. He plans to change that, though. Like the message in his song Growth, Peace & Gratitude , Mike continues to develop and change, experience life's ups and downs and with acceptance, fin...