Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

Remember being little, and how natural it was to dive fully into life?

We raised our hands when questions were asked, made best friends with everyone on the playground and were the first ones in and last ones out of the pool.

Then we got a bit older.

We stopped raising our hands quite as much. We stopped opening up to others. Heck, not only did we stop being the first one in the pool, we stopped even wearing our swimsuits to pool p...

Israa Nasir is a psychotherapist, speaker, writer, and the founder of WellGuide, a digital platform dedicated to making mental health tools accessible to all. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Time, and Harvard Business Review, and her new book, Toxic...

During five agonizing months in the hospital, physical pain, emotional anguish and unceasing monotony were constant companions. And yet, one thing I treasured was the sound of the door opening each afternoon with the hospital volunteer delivering mail.

Over those months, I was blessed to receive hundreds of get-well cards, love notes and care packages. Sometimes I’d recogniz...

Kyle Scheele is a speaker, author, content creator, and self-described “maker of weird stuff for the internet.” He’s built a Viking ship out of cardboard, faked a marathon that went viral, and inspired thousands to let go of regret. And yet it’s the heart behind it all that will move you most.

Today, Kyle shares what it was like to grow up feeling like the “dang...

I don’t enjoy convertibles in August. Especially not in the southern Florida heat.

I don’t typically eat at the Olive Garden. In particular, two nights in a row.

It’s not the norm on a business trip for me to stay up late eating popcorn in bed while watching the Disney Channel.

And I don’t often play mini golf, float ...

As a high-profile model and bestselling author, Christine Handy built a life that seemed picture-perfect as she graced campaigns for iconic brands like Pepsi, Victoria's Secret, and Budweiser. And yet behind the glamour was a woman facing unimaginable trials. A breast cancer diagnosis, along with a series of painful setbacks, would strip away her identity and force her to rebuild from the inside out.

Today, Christine shares about t...

This weekend marked the first Father’s Day I’ve ever celebrated without my dad. It was a bittersweet milestone- filled with both gratitude for the way he shaped my life yet also an ache for his absence.

As I reflected on his legacy yesterday, it’s not just his laughter, strength or faith that I carry with me most vividly- it’s the quiet, consistent way he loved. Let me expla...

Damon Dunn is a former NFL wide receiver, Stanford scholar, powerhouse entrepreneur, and a man who never forgot where he came from. Raised by his grandparents in a trailer with ten people, Damon grew up boiling bathwater on the stove, eating mayonnaise sandwiches, and sleeping three to a bed. Today, he’s a successful CEO, real estate developer, founder of multiple businesses, and a leader committed to serving those facing the same ...

Sister Monica Clare is a nun, author, and the Superior at the Community of St. John Baptist, an Episcopal convent in New Jersey. And yet, she didn’t answer the call to religious life until age 46, after a failed marriage, a successful career and years spent searching for where she truly belonged.

Today, Sister Monica shares what it was like to grow up in chaos, endure a painful marriage to an atheist, and journey from comedy clubs ...

Robert Irvine is a world-renowned chef, successful entrepreneur, and champion for our military and first responders. Perhaps most recognized from Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible, Robert has helped transform over 300 failing restaurants, and more importantly, the lives of those behind them.

Today, Robert shares how a childhood marked by poverty and homelessness shaped his view of leadership and service. ...

Dr. Henry Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, clinical psychologist, and New York Times bestselling author of Boundaries, Necessary Endings, and more than 40 other life-changing books that have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. For the past four decades, Henry has coached CEOs, guided families, and walked alongside everyday people in their most v...

Jessica Cox was born without arms, but she’s never let that stop her from soaring. A certified pilot, fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, author, global speaker, and advocate for people with disabilities, Jessica is also the visionary behind The Impossible Airplane, a first-of-its-kind aircraft designed to be flown entirely by foot. Her life is a powerful reminder that our greatest limitations are often the ones we place on ours...

A tent in Colorado

A canoe in Georgia

Friend’s couch

Church pew

Airplane seat

ER waiting room

Classroom desk

This is a truncated list of places I dozed off as a child. Regardless of where I fell asleep, though, I always had the certainty of ultimately going back to my house, my room, my bed.

But many children do not sleep with that same certainty.  When Luke Mickelson learned this reality, he began to do something about it. And wha...

Luke Mickelson is the founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that has built and delivered more than 300,000 beds to children in need across the world. With nothing but hope, hammers, and heart, Luke traded his corporate success for a movement rooted in dignity, compassion, and community.

Today, Luke shares how one “tiny moment” changed everything. From witnessing a little girl named Hal...

A couple of years ago, I had the immense honor of delivering the commencement address for the Class of 2023 at my alma mater, Saint Louis University. (Believe me, the only people more surprised than I that O’Leary was the commencement speaker…. were the professors who taught me back in the late 1990s!)

As I watched the graduates cross the stage full of excitement, trepidation, nerves and ultimately hope, I couldn’t help but think b...

Kim Becking is a New York Times bestselling author, founder of the Unstoppable Momentum Movement, cancer survivor and mom of three. A leading voice on navigating change, she’s on a mission to help people lead with purpose, build real resilience, and face life’s challenges with courage.

Today, Kim shares how she went from growing up in a trailer in small-town Missouri to becoming a lawyer and public servant. Plus, she shares the bo...