Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

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 Michaels Fitness app.

Today, Ji...

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 sharp.

Live with your eyes wide open.

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, speaker + philanthropis...

“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 what most stirs our he...

“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 it means for all of us in this ...

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 do you respond to those with differi...

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 and capture the real-time expe...

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 youth. 

Youth by Samuel Ullman

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 journey with unexpected chaos - her...

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 how to improve top-line...

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 spark unity + offer you...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our Live Inspired Podcast Monday Moments segment.

As we are facing uncertainty and adversity, I wanted to welcome back creativity strategist, speaker + author Natalie Nixon. Natalie shares her latest book The Creativity Leap and how the lessons outlined apply to today's chapter of life. 

This timely conversation will inspire you to start your week in awe and on fire! 

The career of Kurt Warner, Super Bowl and 2-time NFL MVPs, reads like a rags-to-riches fairytale. Yet his story off the field I've admired even more. Kurt's dignity and class are undeniable and his example of living faith boldly has changed my own faith walk.

Today, Kurt shares a behind-the-scenes look on the unlikely path to his countless accolades. His heartfelt words about his family and faith will absolutely take center...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our “Monday Moment” segments.

Today I share a story of one of my heroes, Amy Crawford. Amy is a 5th-grade teacher who has a profound way of elevating the kids in her classroom and inspiring others to recognize the meaning and power within their work.

Cleaning her classroom before leaving for the weekend, Amy found a remarkable poem that would soon change her life. This poem w...

"You can't always choose the path that you walk in life but you can always choose the manner in which you walk it." - John O'Leary

Rebekah Gregory is a shining example of not letting circumstances define our lives. Just feet away from 2013's Boston Marathon explosion, Rebekah was severely injured and spent the next 56 days in the hospital. Yet, she and her son Noah choose not to be left shattered and instead cho...

My friends, as tension builds, as lines get drawn, as rhetoric intensifies – I beg you to no longer view it as someone else’s problem or buy into the tired “you’re either with us or you are against us” dialogue spewed for far too long by political leaders, media pundits and social influencers. There is a more nuanced perspective required to make the change so desperately needed.

Several centuries after its inception, our nation con...

Seventeen years ago, my wife Beth + I were seeking to make a difference in the community and could think of no better organization to serve with than Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Soon after, we were connected with a little boy that would change our lives. In walked a 10-year-old boy, with a huge, goofy + joyful grin named Travion House.

By serving with BBBS, we thought we'd be making a difference in someone else's life...

Join me every Monday for a quick burst of inspiration on our “Monday Moment” segments.

“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.” - Martin Luther King, Jr

My friends, our very lives begin to end the moment we stay silent about things that matter.

The only way we begin to achieve true inclusio...

Does your life look different than you imagined it would?

In 2008, Katherine + Jay Wolf were newlyweds and parents to their six-month-old son when the unimaginable happened. Just 26 years old, Katherine suffered a massive brainstem stroke. After a rare, life-saving surgery, Katherine spent nearly two months in a coma-like state. With her faithful husband Jay by her side, Katherine had to relearn how to breathe, talk, eat... and...