November 12, 2025 • 54 mins
we welcome John O’Leary, the inspirational speaker and extraordinary survivor whose life story ignited the anticipation behind the upcoming feature film Soul on Fire. Based on his bestselling memoir On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, the movie is a powerful biographical drama starring Joel Courtney, William H. Macy, and John Corbett, directed by Sean McNamara. Filmed in St. Louis and set for theatrical release on October 10, 2025, this moving story of community, faith, and resilience is one you won’t want to miss.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:32):
Welcome to In Your City Show.
I always have all my stuff readyto go, my notes, and then this
guy right here decides to dumphis on top of mine.
So I'm like sitting here justtrying to figure out what the
heck is going on now today.
(00:53):
Could you like stop doing thatto me?
You're killing me.
You're killing me, smalls.
Um, so I have no idea what isyours and what it is.
I think I want to say it'sMonday.
First of all, it's Monday, andwe're just getting our week
started after an unbelievableweekend to Silver Dollar City,
(01:15):
uh, which was so much fun, andI'm so completely exhausted that
I can hardly um keep my eyesopen here.
But I'm super excited and wakingup because John O'Leary is with
us the entire hour here for theIn Your City show.
So it's still not helping mebecause he still has my notes
(01:37):
going everywhere.
But we got John John O'Leary,he's an inspirational speaker.
Luckily, we have been able tohear him speak a couple times,
which has been fantastic.
Extraordinary survivor whoselife story ignited the
anticipation behind the upcomingfeatured film Soul on Fire.
So his amazing book that I wasso excited.
(01:57):
We've had it in on our shelvessince we brought it home.
I could not believe when Iopened it up and it says May 4th
of 2016.
This is when we got this book.
And it says, Can we stay on fireand God bless Anna Leary?
So this is so cool to have this.
Um, and we had it in thestation, and now we get to have
(02:18):
another look.
And now, uh, did you kindly likeput things in order for me so I
could find it?
I think so.
You think so?
Well, good.
All right, let's not, withoutfurther ado, let's go ahead and
just tilt that camera over,bring John onto the show and
join us.
Thank you so much.
We're so excited to have youtoday.
SPEAKER_10 (02:35):
This is the hottest happy hour in all happy hours,
so I'm just glad to be in the ininvited to the party.
SPEAKER_02 (02:40):
And we should be having like cocktails and
celebration, and don't kickyourself, there's a lot of times
that we do.
It's just Monday.
Oh my gosh.
So we just got back, which Isaid, Silver Dollar City.
Have you taken the kids toSilver Dollar City?
SPEAKER_10 (02:52):
I have.
We went as a family with mywife's family probably two
summers ago and had a blast.
I I had no expectations, nothigh or low, and it was
world-class.
It was a blast.
SPEAKER_02 (03:04):
Well, I was 12 years old the first the last first and
last time I'd been there.
Gordon had been there maybe 20something years ago, had been
there.
So you I literally couldn'tremember what I would be seeing,
right?
What there was to do, but wewent to so many museums.
Um, some of them we thought, arewe gonna like go to the Titanic?
SPEAKER_09 (03:24):
You did that one as well.
SPEAKER_02 (03:25):
Yes, Gordon did not survive.
SPEAKER_12 (03:28):
Our first stop was to, of course, you gotta stop
there on your way to France.
It's the fudge place.
Uranus.
Uranus.
SPEAKER_02 (03:36):
Yes, Uranus fudge.
So, but the funny thing is,Gordon is a person, if there's a
big ball of yarn or something.
He's stopping he's gotta seethree corporations.
So we had to go through thefreaky museum of three-headed
people and uh mermaids that arehalf human, and then of course
went to the aquarium, theTitanic.
We rode every roller coasterknown to mankind.
(03:59):
I think every organ and bone isin a different place in my body
right now.
SPEAKER_11 (04:03):
You probably still have your head rattled.
SPEAKER_02 (04:05):
But you know, we only have two grandboys, and it
was you know, it's amazing whateverything costs now.
I don't know, you have a familyof four, right?
Right.
Six with the two adults.
It's so I mean, every there'snothing inexpensive that you do,
and you think, how do familiesgo and really engage and
entertain their family?
Because you can just spend everyday hundreds and hundreds and
(04:26):
hundreds of dollars.
SPEAKER_10 (04:27):
Well, you and I were recording this on a Monday
during Happy Hour.
And yesterday my wife and Isnuck out of the house early,
went to the zoo, St.
Louis Zoo.
If you haven't been lately, go.
If you've never been, go now.
We had so much fun.
It is free, as you know.
And it it was like as fun a dateas I can remember having in a
long time.
Just walking around the zoo on aSunday morning watching all
(04:50):
these families trying to crowdtheir little chipmunks through
this massive, gorgeous zoo.
So there are free activities inparticular here in St.
Louis.
SPEAKER_13 (05:00):
I don't know if it still is today, but at one time
the St.
Louis Zoo was the number onefree attraction in the United
States.
SPEAKER_02 (05:06):
Yeah, it still is, and uh it it might be in the top
three.
I I I know it was number one andit may still be up there.
It's not even the top ten, it'sin the top five.
SPEAKER_14 (05:16):
But it's still, I hate to think about it.
SPEAKER_02 (05:20):
So we don't really know where they're at from
there.
So here you are today.
We're excited.
Your book we got back in 2016,and now you have this incredible
movie which you got to meet mydaughter.
Yes, she was on doing hair andthat, and oh my gosh, she
couldn't quit talking about youum after meeting you.
And then and then the man who orthe young man who played you,
(05:42):
and then of course, um uh oh mygosh, oh, what is his name?
Um uh William Macy.
SPEAKER_11 (05:47):
Oh yeah, William H.
Macy.
SPEAKER_02 (05:49):
Shameless.
SPEAKER_11 (05:50):
That's where most people know him from.
So he's different in real life,guys.
It's not Frank.
I need to.
SPEAKER_12 (06:02):
Let's see a little bit of that quick before we am
so home five.
SPEAKER_07 (06:17):
How bad is it?
He has burns to 100% of hisbody.
SPEAKER_08 (06:23):
Wanna send out a special hello tonight to a
certain young man who's laid upin the hospital.
His name is John O'Leary.
He's a tough little guy.
SPEAKER_00 (06:32):
Will you listen to me?
You will.
When I first came to see you,they said you had no chance.
But here you are.
You're gonna face challengeswhen you get out of here.
But you can still do almostanything.
SPEAKER_05 (07:06):
Welcome to the first project, double learning and
live in the project.
SPEAKER_04 (07:22):
I guess I like to just I have a scout group and I
heard about what happened topeople.
SPEAKER_07 (07:31):
I just thought that microphone would be inspired if
you can talk to them.
SPEAKER_04 (07:38):
I may have an idea for a way that we can work
together.
SPEAKER_03 (07:47):
I know what it feels like to think of how we've
thrown your life away.
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
Everything that you did.
SPEAKER_10 (08:32):
Well, it's funny, I've seen it so many times, and
yet as you two sat in the studiowatching, you saw me up to your
right watching too.
Like, I'm amazed at what abeautiful job the team did
putting together that film.
I'm amazed what an incrediblejob the actors did portraying
it.
Then they went to editing.
It took a year and a half topush this thing together just
(08:52):
right.
Then they had to make shots likethat come alive.
So in 90 seconds, you feel it,and you'll want to take your
family out to go visit it.
And October 10th.
And then to recognize it's allreal.
unknown (09:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_10 (09:04):
So Hollywood does a great job of telling stories of
heroes who fly, you know, orswim with mermaid fins and all
these other things that are justcompletely made up.
This story happened here in St.
Louis.
It was filmed here in St.
Louis, and it's about heroeshere in St.
Louis, and I'm not one of them.
unknown (09:22):
Yes, you are.
SPEAKER_10 (09:22):
I'm really not.
I mean, it's really acelebration of how great we are.
unknown (09:25):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (09:26):
Oh my gosh, it's fabulous.
And I I uh noticed the scene inthere of the woman asking you to
speak to the Girl Scout troop,which in your book, that is your
that's where your life literallytransitioned from being a
construction worker as your uhwife now, which is portrayed in
the movie Beth, correct?
SPEAKER_06 (09:45):
That is right.
SPEAKER_02 (09:46):
Um, and and seeing that, knowing that that one
little first speech that youalmost said no to totally took
your life into another path,thank goodness, because the
you've been able to inspire somany people with your words.
SPEAKER_10 (10:00):
Oh man, and again, I'm not trying to be humble,
it's just true.
This is all God's hand in mystory, it's just a reality.
I'm not academically thatstrong.
If you've interviewed me longenough, you'll find that out to
be true.
I'm not that articulate, even onstage or even in books.
And yet this story has comealive.
I've been blessed to speak for20 years, 50 states, millions of
(10:21):
people, dozens of countries.
Now there's a film out, we havea podcast.
The fact that this has all cometo pass is now look what you've
done.
It really is look what God isdoing in a very ordinary guy's
life, reminding all of us ourlives can be used for good.
SPEAKER_13 (10:36):
God can only do so much is He needs us to fulfill
it's true.
SPEAKER_10 (10:41):
You gotta say yes, Gordon.
You gotta step forward, man.
You gotta do your part.
And when you eventually show upon the Hollywood squares,
whatever that version of successlooks like for you, you've got
to recognize it's not all me whodid this.
And I'm just super aware of thatall day long.
Like it's just not me who didthis.
(11:02):
We had amazing characters.
In fact, the book, as you saw,it's not me on the front of it.
It's a mirrored image so thatpeople, when they hold the book,
can see themselves as the heroof even my book.
And then when you look at thefilm poster, uh the first one
Sony did was a picture of theguy who plays me.
His name is Joel Courtney fromthe kissing booth with his arms
on the air celebrating success.
(11:24):
But if you look at it now, hisback is turned toward the
camera.
And if you look more closely,it's a mosaic of all the folks
from the entire film who camealongside of him and made his
story a possibility.
It's it's their story, not nothis, not ours.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
Did you help to produce the movie?
SPEAKER_10 (11:42):
We d I did, yes.
SPEAKER_02 (11:43):
How did that feel?
What is that?
There's so many questions to myquestion right now.
First, you have shared yourstory, and I know the first time
you shared it, truly shared it,speaking to these little girls.
And then, of course, like yousaid, you've spoken to millions
of people.
We've watched you a coupletimes.
You're constantly reliving whathappened to you.
(12:03):
You have are doing it with suchgrace.
Um, and then now you're watchingon the big screen.
Is it completely healing foryou?
Does it bring back memories thatare hard to handle?
How do you react to all of this?
SPEAKER_10 (12:19):
Yeah, so when I first started speaking, whether
to the three Girl Scouts or inthe movie, they they gave me a
few extras.
I had like eight in the movie,so now I'm I'm famous with Girl
Scouts.
And then the 21 Rotarians andthen and then Quanis, and then
Into the Prison and Beyond.
Every single time I was nervousabout how they would feel about
me.
And now when I speak, we're2,700 plus speeches in.
(12:43):
I'm still very nervous about howthey will feel about this
message in their lives.
So I don't care, please takethis the right way.
I don't care how they feel aboutme anymore.
Not even remotely, but I caredeeply about how this message
moves them to do more in theirlives.
SPEAKER_13 (13:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
I had to ask you too, becauseyou relived your so many times,
like Kelly says.
During the process of doing thismovie, was there something that
jumped out at you from redoingdoing this movie that maybe
didn't hit you at the time thatthis incident took place in the
reactor?
(13:21):
Having to go through it piece bypiece by piece by piece
something that just uh I neverrealized that.
Or I just you know where it's agreat question.
SPEAKER_10 (13:32):
So the scenes that you see in the film are filmed
in the places where theyhappened.
So the bars where we had theconversation, whether it's
Saratoga Lane's or Humphreys,and are in the film.
The spot where my dad had aconversation with me about
living forward took place inKeener Plaza, to where it
happened.
The dorm room conversations withmy college roommate, and on and
(13:53):
on and on, it took place there.
The shrine of St.
Joseph, where I got married toBeth, is where they shot me
getting married.
All this to set us up for, andthe house where I was burned as
a kid is the house where my momand dad still live.
So to go back into this house,they moved out all of my
parents' furniture.
They moved in all the furniturewe would have had back in the
(14:14):
1980s, and we redid a scenewhere little John O'Leary gets
burned.
So to see a moment in time,capture it perfectly like it
actually happened with an actorportraying it, that was hard.
What made it far more difficultwas recognizing the girls who
were screaming.
Those are my sisters, andthey're portraying my actual
(14:34):
sisters, and I'd never seen itthrough their lens before.
The story had always been toldthrough mine, but now I'm seeing
it through two little girls.
My brother Jim coming up fromthe basement where he slept, had
always told it from myexperience, but now I'm
experiencing it from my brotherJim's experience.
So that was radical to feel thepain and the agony of that
morning again.
(14:55):
Then we take a lunch break.
And there's a there's about 500people part of making this film.
Your daughter is one of them.
There are 499 others around her,so it's a huge group.
We all take lunch, come back,and now it's time to film
homecoming because they don'twant to move 500 people to the
arch and then Bush Stadium.
So they keep them on set.
So we filmed the scene whereJohn comes back, and a cool
(15:16):
thing that happened was two ofthe firefighters in the film are
actual grade school friends ofmine.
So these are kids I went tograde school with.
They were at the homecoming whenI returned, the real homecoming.
And now they're at this fakehomecoming in Hollywood's lens,
portraying firefighters.
And I think that matters for tworeasons.
One is the people who are in thefront yard were all in the front
(15:39):
yard in real life.
So you're looking at a realstory again.
And yet the story that couldhave been so tragic, you know,
what's what could possibly goodcome out of a nine-year-old
being burned on 100% of hisbody?
Well, now there's twofirefighters in the front yard
saving lives, talking about firesafety, keeping kids from
getting burned, putting outfires when they actually
(15:59):
happened, pulling kids out ofcar accidents when that happens,
because they went through itwith their classmate.
So from our own struggles inlife, not only does it influence
our life, it influences the lifeof everybody around us.
And in our case, for good.
Everyone who was part of ourtragedy was redeemed for better
because of it.
(16:19):
So to be on the back end of acamera watching this unfold in
real time, Kelly, like it justit continues to blow me away.
SPEAKER_02 (16:26):
My chest is actually a little like tight because I'm
listening and I'm feeling it somuch.
The the empathy, the story.
Um, I I literally, it's liketakes my breath away listening
to it.
And someone who might belistening right now, um, it
could be, you know, from acrossthe world, wherever it might be,
might not know John O'Leary.
We were lucky enough if you ifyou recognize this, you're on
(16:49):
the cover of our men's issue.
Um where's my oh it's not on me,so I can't show it.
Sorry.
Um, but there's uh it was thecover of our men's issue, and we
were telling your story, you hada different book out at that
time.
SPEAKER_06 (17:02):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (17:03):
And then from there, it is I mean, you have just
taken the world by storm.
But let's somebody that is notum from somewhere else or
doesn't know yes, that was thebook that was actually in the
magazine and all.
Um, and now you've written thisbook on fire.
Let's give them a little bit ofstory, a little bit of
background of you, of kind ofjumping around talking about
(17:23):
things, but um, Jack Buck playedan incredible role in your life,
and that quote um uh that onelife can can and always does
change the world.
Right.
And Jack Buck changed yourworld.
And of course, I'm sure everyoneknows Jack Buck from the St.
Louis Cardinals, and I love thefact that your family you are
(17:44):
you, you at least have to listenby radio for sure.
SPEAKER_10 (17:47):
Which you know what's wild is I would imagine
half your listeners, whetherthey're they're local or not,
don't know the name Jack Buck.
And then you drop in the name.
Well, what about Joe Buck?
And then the other half jumpforward.
Jack Buck passed away in 2002.
So a lifetime ago, we lost thisheroic human being, a phenomenal
radio announcer, and a man whochanged my life.
(18:09):
And why he showed up is part ofthe story.
So you're interviewing a guyright now who was burned, we
didn't really tell the backstoryon 100% of my body.
So 87% of those burns were thirddegree.
That is an absolute deathsentence.
Jack hears about it the nightthat I was burned, and he was
told that same evening that thekid is going to die.
(18:31):
Keep him in your thoughts andprayers.
And rather than just saying, Allright, I'll keep him in my
thoughts and my prayers, he goesto the hospital, walks in, sees
a child laying there, mummified,and sits down next to Mikelli
and says, Kid, wake up.
You are going to live, keepfighting.
John O'Leary Day at the ballparkwill make it all worthwhile.
He hears that I'm going to dieas he walks out of that room
(18:54):
that night, and then Jack hasthe audacity to come back, sit
with me again, and say, Kid,wake up, I'm back.
You are going to live.
The wild thing is he did thisfor five months.
He kept showing up in my time ofgreat darkness into that space
with me, loving me forward.
He never told anybody about it.
(19:16):
It wasn't on the radio, itwasn't on the news outlets, it
wasn't on the podcast of theday.
Jack just kept serving quietly.
And on August 26, 1987, he livedinto the promise of John O'Leary
Day at the ballpark.
We went downtown, man, met allthe Cardinals, had the time of
our lives, broadcast the ballgame together.
This man, and we could talk moreand more about what Jack did,
(19:38):
but needless to say, I'm notseated with you today.
If Jack Buck wasn't seated withme the night I was burnt.
SPEAKER_02 (19:46):
A hard time getting my words to come up, you know,
listening to that.
And I love the fact that yousaid he wasn't doing it for any
kind of a media stunt.
He truly felt it in his heart toserve you and come to you and
make a difference to your life,which changed your life forever.
And then you had all these othertransitions throughout it, and
just seeing you when you're whenyou're talking to your uh the
(20:07):
person who is your wife uh now,um who you felt when you would
you want to date me and you showup your hands.
SPEAKER_15 (20:15):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (20:16):
You know, so take us past Jack Buck and then your
life at college and and meetingyour now wife with four children
later.
unknown (20:24):
Right.
SPEAKER_09 (20:25):
Well, there's a lot there.
We'll we'll go through it stepby step.
So grab a stiff drink.
You'll need it for this versionof the happy hour.
Wish I had one myself.
SPEAKER_10 (20:36):
Maybe, maybe some other time.
I went off to college completelyunsure of who I was.
And so in the movie, and somepeople have had an issue with
this during the testing, it'slike John drinks way too much.
But it's not to celebrate andglamorize drinking, it's because
it was my crutch.
It was to allow me to fit in.
And so the only person whoreally saw past that was this
(20:57):
gorgeous brunette named Beth.
So I'm I meet her at a party, wedance at that party, we become
friends after that party, but Inever had the belief that she
could actually love me in spiteof my brokenness.
So I I never fully got that.
And so when I finally in thereal life, it was years later,
asked her out, uh, we were toofar into it.
(21:20):
We we were friends at thatpoint.
So she says to me, Why didn'tyou ask me out when we first
met?
And uh she was offended that Iwould believe it would be
physical as to why she would notsay, you know, yes or no.
So my my wife has the ability tosee past people's brokenness.
She works today as anoccupational therapist, serves
in our special school systemswith kids who have special
(21:41):
needs, and where you and I mightsee amputations or brokenness or
whatever the thing is, that's soeasy.
Beth sees potential.
She does that professionallytoday.
She did that back when we met incollege.
And the turning point in ourstory for me was the
conversation.
I mean, it's the movie's real.
(22:01):
It's the strangest thing to seea movie about your life that's
real.
But I walked on Keener Plazawith my dad, and we started
talking about living the lifeyou've got.
And uh one of the quotes was,You can't always choose the path
you walk in life, but you canchoose the manner in which you
walk it.
And he started then talkingabout the he talked about the
car, but what he was reallytalking about was was Beth.
(22:24):
And it was this idea of stoptrying to get things from it,
start investing into it, let goof expectations.
And this little conversationthat I had with my dad in Keener
Plaza, it's the arch grounds forthose of you not from the St.
Louis area, about lovingunconditionally changed the way
I treated Beth.
And so finally, Kelly, here'sthe answer.
(22:45):
I stopped trying to get anythingfrom her.
Most relationships, inparticular in the early parts,
are all about like, what do Iget out of this thing?
And I'll invest to that degreeto get something in ROI on it.
And what I started to do waslove her for who she was,
expecting nothing in return.
(23:05):
And that little pivot with noexpectations changed the way she
began to perceive me.
I I wasn't needy anymore.
I was just loving her as afriend, and I think that's why
full circle moment, she camearound years later and and asked
me out.
So in the film, it does a greatjob of portraying that in real
life.
It was awesome.
(23:26):
But uh I asked my wife outfirst, and second, and third,
and fifth, and eleventh, but atsome point stopped pursuing,
started loving, and it changedher heart too.
SPEAKER_02 (23:38):
I love love.
I'm always in love story.
For sure.
Absolutely love it.
And and and so again, with yourstory, um, we talk about you
know, you as a child, Jack Buck,uh coming to you each day,
serving you later on.
Here you are.
Um, you even learn to play thepiano.
Right.
I think you even have a littleclip because what we're gonna
(24:01):
do, let's let's watch this, andthen we're gonna have to take it
to a break, um, of course, andthen we're gonna come back and
talk more about you, the movie,the rapid fire questions, and
have some fun.
Let's see that.
SPEAKER_14 (24:44):
Yeah, you didn't want to, did you?
SPEAKER_11 (24:46):
Are you are we talking about this right now?
Yeah.
Do we have to go to break or canI talk about my mom?
SPEAKER_02 (24:55):
Let's let everybody know that, of course, again,
John's mentioned that he wasburnt over 100% of his body.
Um, if you're watchingvirtually, of course, he has you
know held his hands to show umhis hands and that if you're
listening radio, um, you knowwhat that entails being burnt
like that.
And here, nothing, you haven'theld your back, held yourself
back from anything.
I and what I feel so bad aboutmyself when I have those boo-hoo
(25:21):
victim mournings whime me, andand it might be something as
stupid as I couldn't findsomething to wear, I'm having a
bad hair day.
I have no right to ever be upsetabout anything in my life again,
whatsoever.
SPEAKER_10 (25:32):
Well, Kellyanne, you you're giving me the credit, and
I appreciate it, and it'sunearned.
My my mom is why I play thepiano, not me.
My dad is why I choose to be avictor, not a victim, not me.
And so I've had incredibleleadership and guidance in my
life, and we could unpack bothof those stories when we come
back.
But listen, you're you're notinterviewing a hero, you're
(25:53):
interviewing a guy who's beenloved by heroes.
So much so that in in time, andthis is the beauty of the film,
in time, John begins to seebeauty in the reflection.
And our hope in other peoplewatching Soul on Fire is one day
they may be able to see beautyin their own brokenness.
That's the goal.
SPEAKER_02 (26:10):
Wow, what a great way to go to great.
All right.
Well, you are listening toInYourCity Show right here at
LouInfo.com and the beautifulnew K-L-I-S 590 a.m.
Go ahead.
You can turn on the audio fromthere at LouInfo.com.
You can also watch virtually 247 there at LouInfo.com.
We'll be right back with morewith John O'Leary.
(31:18):
Lifestyle magazines, of course,and show is presented by City
Lifestyle Magazine, ChesterfieldClayton, and St.
Charles County City LifestyleMagazine.
As you mentioned, John O'Learygreat star covers back 2020 on
our men's issue, and he's withus here today.
We are gonna go ahead and wewant to give a big shout out to
Jennifer Williams.
(31:38):
35 years almost, I think it'scoming up this September month.
It's 35 years for Jennifer inbusiness with the St.
Louis Closet Company.
She supports local, she's allabout local, she gives back to
local.
If you take a drive, go overthere to Big Bend and go into
the St.
Louis Closet Company building,which is absolutely beautiful.
(31:58):
You are gonna see where theymanufacture everything right on
site.
Her team is there to serve you.
It's not a one-size fits all.
Whatever your needs is, whetherit's small or large, um, whether
it's outside business need, it'sher mud room, maybe it's a small
pantry, or maybe it's Nellie whogot his entire studio um redone
(32:19):
by Jennifer Williams.
Her team is there for you everystep of the way.
You will love it.
Go in, say hello to her, sayhello to the team, have them
come out, give you an estimate.
It will change your world.
As she says, go from chaos tocalm, go from chaos to clarity,
and that is with St.
Louis Closet Company.
Thanks, Jennifer, for being partof the In Your City show.
(32:41):
Now, back to someone who hasdefinitely inspired our life.
I love the first time I got tohear you speak.
Do you remember what buildingthat was, Gordon?
It was over the PBS buildingnext to the CBS.
SPEAKER_13 (32:52):
I remember the, I can see the room, but I couldn't
remember which one.
Oh my gosh, back with Joe Cloakwas there a meeting.
Yes.
You were doing uh speakingengagement back um in Kansas
City.
We were in Kansas City doingone.
SPEAKER_11 (33:07):
Remember while Joe's a great guy.
SPEAKER_02 (33:09):
He is a great guy.
And then got to hear you again.
You came and spoke for theColdwell gun day.
Their new year, you know, how tomotivate them, and you were
incredible.
It's both you bring bothlaughter and tears, and you can
tell you have a great sense ofhumor.
SPEAKER_09 (33:25):
And you always No one's ever said that to me
before.
In particular, my wife and kids,they're like, Dad, you are not
funny, dude.
You know, hang it up.
SPEAKER_10 (33:33):
Oh, dude, yes.
And they are apparently notfunny.
But I've I've always played thekind of humor where the fun the
funnier they don't think it is,the funnier I think it actually
is.
So I play to an audience of one,you know, and it works.
SPEAKER_02 (33:46):
So you have your family of four, but we were
talking before we went to breakabout your mom and dad, who just
incredibly changed your life aswell.
And she is the one who made youtake piano lessons.
SPEAKER_10 (33:57):
That's right.
Well, right before we went tobreak, and you know, for the
folks on the radio, maybe theydon't know this, but that that
piano song was played in frontof 28,000 people.
So that's Las Vegas, it's theMGM Grand, it's a huge, huge
event.
And I you I before that I rarelyplay the piano live because I
hit the wrong keys all the time.
But the lady had said, John, Iread that your mother loves when
(34:19):
you play the piano.
Will you play for my family?
So I said, Well, what song wouldyou want to hear?
And she goes, What was yourmom's favorite?
So I said, My mom loves AmazingGrace.
Not what I would have playedthat day.
And I would have played Coldplayor Imagine Dragons or Garth
Brooks or something a little bitmore lively.
And she goes, Play your mom'sfavorite.
So in front of all these folks,I had the honor of playing my
(34:40):
mom and dad's favorite song,Amazing Grace.
And it was captured on thatvideo.
For those who check up the movieStill on Fire, you may see that
near the end of the film.
It's uh it's a callback to thatmoment when we played that song.
But how did it happen?
You know, so I was at home,unable to go to school, and the
doorbell rang, and the lady camein was our piano teacher.
(35:04):
And I said, Mom, why is shehere?
And my mother says, Um, becauseyou can do anything in your
life, like you can still domighty things.
And she rolls me down a hallway,locks the brakes.
I don't have fingers for thelisteners.
They have not yet grown back.
This lady puts her arm around meand she says, John, this is
going to be hard, but we can doit together.
(35:26):
And with that, she ties a littlepen onto my hand.
My left arm, Kelly, was off inan airplane splint.
I'm on a morphine drip.
I'm 10 years old now, and I'mplaying one key at a time with a
pen, sticking out of my righthand, the entire time thinking,
I hate my mom.
You know, like this woman'sevil, man.
Like, have I been throughenough?
(35:48):
I hate my mom.
Why would she do this?
And the the answer is because itwasn't about piano, it was about
possibility.
He was teaching a kid who wasmaking every excuse in the world
why he could not do things, thatthat was all a lie.
It's all a lie.
And so my mother insisted overthe next five years, this little
boy not just learned the piano,which is a fine little bar
(36:11):
trick, but really how to grabonto life and not let go.
And like, what a gift.
SPEAKER_02 (36:17):
Incredible, truly, truly incredible words.
Now, let's back up a little bit.
So your mom did that to you, butwhen Jack Buck, uh, the famous
announcer here uh in St.
Louis, came into your room, healso told you he would get come
back and bring you assignedbaseball, right?
Yeah, if you would write.
(36:41):
For the folks who if making youdo stuff, John.
SPEAKER_10 (36:44):
Tell me about it.
That's why when you made me sayuh, you know, talk about it, the
heroes.
What an honor it was tocelebrate these folks because
I'm the recipient of it.
Jack Buck was the greatbroadcaster for the St.
Louis Cardinals, shows up theday I was burned, comes back the
following day, even though he'stold repeatedly I'm going to
die.
Comes back for the five monthsI'm in hospital.
We have afterwards John O'LearyDay at the ballpark.
(37:07):
And that evening he learns Ican't use my hands.
So just like my mother, he'strying to put something in front
of me that was difficult butpossible.
And uh for me, it was a baseballsign by Ozzy Smith.
Below the ball was a note thatread, Kid, if you want a second
baseball, write a thank youletter to the man who sent the
first.
(37:27):
And I can't write, listeners andviewers, but I want a second
baseball, Gordon.
So with the help of twotherapists, they push my hands
together.
We write the note, we mail itoff, and two days later, I got a
second baseball.
And because I know you're gonnarun out of runway on this one,
I'll I'll shorten it.
He sent 60 baseballs.
(37:47):
So one radio announcer, busywith his own life, sends to a
little nobody named John O'Leary60 baseballs.
Again, not really teaching himhow to write, that's part of it,
but really teaching him how tolive, teaching him to stop
making excuses, teaching them toyour first question, to stop
playing victim.
SPEAKER_14 (38:08):
Yeah, I'm so emotional right now.
Every time I see John, I say, donot make me cry.
Oh my god.
Five times are watering and Ilike that.
SPEAKER_13 (38:17):
But I think the reason we get so emotional is
because we get to see it's it'salmost like you know, life has
gotta be one of your favoritemovies.
Yeah.
Because what that movie showsand what your movie's probably
gonna show as well, is like youjust said, the people in our
lives, we don't realize themajor part they play in our
lives until we really sit backand look at our look at our
(38:39):
lives as a movie.
Look at like, how did I gethere?
You know, because I mean, howdid I get to this point?
I got to this point, I learnedhow to write because of Jeff
Buck, you know, I learned how toplay the piano because of my
mom.
Yeah, you know, it's all theselittle pieces that just create
who you are.
But then your gift that you'regiving back to everybody is now
going to play a part in theirlife.
(39:00):
It's gonna change them forever.
SPEAKER_02 (39:03):
We were talking through break too to to bounce
off of that, that um you havethis podcast, if you'd uh please
mention, and I love listening toit because this podcast isn't
John getting on every day andreminding everybody of his
story.
You're using your platform tobring other stories to people
that that are out there beingheroes and motivating,
(39:26):
inspiring, and changing livesand telling their stories.
SPEAKER_10 (39:29):
So we started that back in 2017 before the podcast
movement was cool, you know?
So like we were doing this work,and one of our guests was Mitch
Album, who wrote a book calledFive Ordinary Five The Five
People You Meet in Heaven, whichis about five people that this
guy impacted without evenknowing it.
Back to your earlier point,Gordon.
You never know.
I interviewed a guy named JohnBurke a couple years ago who uh
(39:52):
was an atheist, and then his dadhad a near-death experience, and
he didn't believe that his dadwas right.
So he did the research, and itmoved him so deeply that John
Burke became a pastor and hewrote a book.
I think it's called ImagineHeaven.
And um, it's an incredible book,but it goes back to your
question earlier.
Everyone who has a near-deathexperience also has this quick
(40:13):
rewind in their lives.
And they see all the people thatthey had seen throughout the
course of their life, all theseexperiences.
Like it's part of everyone whodies journey to have a quick
review of your life.
Uh and what I've been blessedwith over the last 20 years of
doing this work is I get thatreview almost every day of my
life.
I get to remind people of thefolks who showed up for me, what
(40:36):
they did, what they said, how itinfluenced me, and what we can
do in our lives afterwards.
And right before we went tobreak, you talked about my dad
and this victim versus victormentality.
So I'm 10 years old and I don'twant to go back to school.
I never liked school in thefirst place, but in particular
after getting burned and having18 months at home, and I knew I
was going to be made fun ofbecause I'm different.
(40:58):
I'm in a wheelchair, I can'tmove like I used to.
So I'm like, dad, please don'tmake me go, and why me?
And all these questions.
Why me, dad?
Why me?
So finally my dad stands, heshuts the bedroom door, he comes
back in, he puts his hands on mylegs, looks me in the eyes and
says, John, darn it, why notyou?
(41:19):
This terrible thing has happenedin your life, and if you want to
be a victim to it for the restof your life, have at it.
No one's gonna blame you, man.
You've been through the worst.
Or you can be a victor.
And every room you roll into, ormaybe one day you walk into,
people will look up in awe atwhat you've overcome and how you
lead your life now.
And he said to me, John, victimor victor, your choice, not
(41:41):
mine.
And my dad, 36 years ago, leanedforward, kissed me on the
forehead, stood up and walkedout of that room.
And Kelly, like that, that issomething I wrestle with every
day.
It's not something you get over.
Uh, I mean, for the viewers,they see it.
Like, I have scars over myentire body, victim or victor.
I'm raising four kids, notalways easy.
(42:02):
Victim or victor.
You mentioned losing a brotherrecently.
I lost my dad two months ago.
Victim or victor.
But but in every engagement, thebig ones and the little ones,
you get to decide what do I dowith this?
And if you want to be a victimto it, the world will back you
up.
They will retweet your victimstatements.
They will.
We love this stuff.
(42:22):
Or you can recognize that God isin the midst of the struggle
too, and you can use thatstruggle and the rest of your
life afterwards for good.
And it determines your choice onthis, not only how it affects
your day, but every daythereafter.
It's like a really big deal howwe decide to choose to lead our
lives.
And I don't get the credit forthat my dad does for putting
(42:44):
that choice in front of me.
SPEAKER_02 (42:45):
And he did get to see your movie, right?
SPEAKER_10 (42:47):
Man, what a gift.
So, in fact, that's the quote.
So I had a client of ours whowanted to buy 3,000 tickets for
their people, but they wanted towatch the movie ahead of time to
see if it's worthy.
So in early May, we showed thisat a local theater, and the
executive team came in, and Irealized we have open seats.
Should I take my mom and dad?
(43:08):
Like, uh, that's kind of weirdbecause it's corporate.
But on at the last minute, Itexted my mom and I'm like, hey,
mom, uh, there's this client whothey're gonna be watching the
movie.
Would you like to see it?
And she's like, Dad and I willbe right there.
So they got him into the car,man.
He's got Parkinson's disease,could not speak, could not move,
(43:28):
in constant pain.
But he sat down next to me inthis film, he held my hand the
entire time.
And at the very end of it, youknow, the the audience is
clapping, which is surreal whenyou see people you don't know
clapping your life.
SPEAKER_02 (43:43):
Definitely clapping.
SPEAKER_10 (43:44):
Right.
Like I think they're clappingfor them.
But they're they're clapping.
And I lean over and I say, Dad,what do you think about our
film?
What do you think about ourfilm, man?
And these are like the lastwords he ever spoke to me.
He says, John, what a gift.
What a gift.
And I I don't think Kelly, hewas reviewing Soul on Fire.
I think for him, Gordon, it goesback to this life review, man,
(44:07):
where he he probably knew beforethe rest of us he was near the
end of his life.
I didn't know that then.
I would have done thingsdifferently.
Had you had, if you know you'rein the last days with your
family, you just do thingsdifferently.
And I didn't know that at thetime, I would have it would have
been different.
But um, my dad reviewed thefilm, he reviewed his life and
he recognized Parkinson'sdisease, a house fire, a burned
(44:30):
child, a second house fire,losing his job, financial
hardship, constant pain.
What a gift.
What a gift.
What what a cool way to gothrough life.
SPEAKER_02 (44:40):
Absolutely.
Well, 100%.
You talk about seven choices,and it really, gosh, I wish we
had like two more hours.
And I know we don't have um alot of time, but I I just want
to talk about, because you justtalked about you have the
choice, you know, victor orvictim, which I think I'm gonna
ask myself that nothing.
I always ask myself everymorning when I wake up, all
(45:01):
right, Kelly, you gonna be avictim or are you gonna be
victor today?
Let's do this.
I think I'm gonna constantlyhear those words in in my mind.
Um you talk about seven choices,and I read those, and they're
very um impactful, I guess Ishould say.
You to you talk about chooseaccountability, take ownership.
Uh, can you talk a little bitabout the seven choices?
SPEAKER_10 (45:23):
Sure.
Do you have them all listed infront of you or no?
Just pick one and say, John,tell us more about um well, of
course.
SPEAKER_02 (45:30):
You talk about honesty, you talk about
surrounding yourself with youknow the people who you're with,
but I think the one that got methe most was actually your first
one about choose accountability,take ownership of your life.
Um, something that I don't wantto do and I don't uh value in
someone else is the blaming uhcircumstances, the you know, on
(45:52):
others or using excuses forwhere you're at.
But taking ownership, I thinkthat is just hugely important
before you can do anything else.
SPEAKER_10 (46:00):
So the the and by the way, I wrote that book eight
years ago.
So I'm going to put don't besorry.
No, it's good.
But I I each chapter begins withlittle nine-year-old John
O'Leary not understanding what'shappening.
SPEAKER_15 (46:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_10 (46:14):
And so chapter one begins with me saying, It's not
my fault.
And it's not none of this is myfault.
I didn't mean for this tohappen.
It's not my fault.
And our first negative review onAmazon, we had 200 plus
five-star reviews, which is likecrazy.
Um, but the first negative onestar was I can't believe this
guy can't take responsibilityfor his life.
And what that taught me was acouple things.
(46:35):
One is stop reading reviews.
And secondly, that guy did notget to page two of the book.
Because on page two, it goesfrom the nine-year-old to what
happened?
What happened?
And then the people who stepforward and reminded John to
become accountable.
Because that guy who wrote ratedthat, get to page two, man.
Keep walking with me becauseyou're gonna see a very
different side of accountabilityhere.
(46:56):
So, where did I learn that?
And there's two cool bookends ofthis chapter one.
It begins, yeah, with theexplosion, but it begins really
with mom coming into this room.
She takes my right hand.
I look up and I say, Mom, am Igonna die?
And this beautiful young motherwho'd never been through
anything like this at all.
She's not equipped for this.
SPEAKER_15 (47:17):
Who is?
SPEAKER_10 (47:18):
Right?
I mean, really, you can't trainup.
She looks back, she looks backat this dying child and she
says, John, do you want to die?
It's your choice.
So 100% your choice, not mine.
And I looked up and I said, Mom,I don't want to die.
I want to live.
And her response was, Good.
Then look at me, baby.
You take the hand of God, youwalk the journey with him, and
(47:40):
you fight like you never foughtbefore.
You're not alone, but do yourpart and fight.
So that's where chapter onebegins.
I wish the reviewer had got tothat part.
Do your part, man.
Do your part.
Chapter one ends, though, not inthe hospital, but at home.
And it ends with me strugglingwith the homecoming night
because I can't eat.
(48:00):
I can't pick up a fork.
And my sister Amy, who realizesI'm wrestling with this fork,
grabs it, picks it up, scoops upthe potatoes, and says, and then
she hears from her right, Amy,drop the fork.
If little John's hungry, he'llfeed himself tonight.
And it's the voice of my mother,this stalwart, who insisted
(48:20):
people recognize they can dohard things in their life.
She didn't tell me that thatevening.
But I look at my mother indisbelief, look back at Amy, who
then drops the fork, and Irealize there's this plate of
food in front of me, and I can'tdo anything with it.
So I start trying to scoop upthe potatoes and the chicken and
whatever else is in front of me,can't flip the plate a couple
times.
(48:41):
Our overweight dog gets fed acouple times and it gets worse.
The point is, my mother ruineddinner.
But by the end of the night, twohours in, a nine-year-old boy
with no fingers had figured outa way to wedge a fork between
his two hands, use the splint tokind of back up against the
plate, scoop those potatoestoward my mouth, and eat.
(49:02):
And there's a really cool scenein the film where John is
wedging the same thing as I justdescribed.
And the viewers left thinking,his mom is evil, which is
exactly what I thought.
But then in the film, it jumpsforward to when John is now a
motivational speaker.
There's seven employees in thischaotic room.
He's eating spaghetti with onehand now.
(49:23):
Life is awesome.
It wasn't, it wasn't easy atall.
He couldn't take accountabilityat all.
Read the first review on Amazon,that's a one star, you'll see it
again.
Hey man, take someresponsibility.
Well, guess what?
I did.
I did.
And what a gift it is in ourlife when we do.
SPEAKER_13 (49:38):
Because if we don't, life will always be hard.
Life would have always been hardfor you if you wouldn't have had
to you know have thataccountability.
Right.
SPEAKER_06 (49:50):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_13 (49:50):
It's not because of that.
I like, I know real quicklyhere, I love choose love because
one reason I love choose love isbecause your wife and you both
now have that love like Christhas where he sees the person,
the soul, not anything else.
SPEAKER_09 (50:06):
How about that?
SPEAKER_13 (50:06):
Yeah.
And the other thing I like whenwe heard you last time, you were
talking about being full.
What I love about choose love isbeing fully involved in a
relationship and in the moment.
I remember you talking aboutbeing in the moment when you're
with people.
SPEAKER_10 (50:21):
Well, gosh, you said a lot, but I think it's really
the same thing.
One is I've always wondered whatit would be like to seriously
see Jesus.
You know, I can you imagine theway he looked into people's eyes
and he knew your past and heloved you anyway.
So I've always strived to be alittle bit more Christ-like in
the way I walked.
And then I recognize Jesuswasn't looking at the phone.
(50:43):
Jesus wasn't looking at where hesaid he was going.
They're going off to one place,they get called to the left,
they go.
Jesus took the interruption atall at every moment.
And you can't do that if you'retethered to your obligations in
life, to the ringing in thebells and the emails and
everything else.
And so, to your second point,Gordon, the way I try to be
(51:03):
present is there's a quote fromAgmondino who says, How do I
greet every person I meet?
And he says, In silence intomyself, I say, I love you.
Those spoken in silence, thesewords unwrinkle my brow, they
shine through my eyes, theybring a smile to my face and
they echo in my voice.
I love you.
I love you.
And so I am so far from beingable to love the way Jesus did
(51:26):
and does, but I recognize when Ican step forward as love, when I
can put away all my old bowl,all that stuff, man, and just be
present with the people in frontof me for them.
All that stuff fades, the clockdisappears, and I can love the
one in front of me like Jesusdid.
And it led to Agmondino beingthe world's greatest
salesperson, but it will lead toyou being the best grandpa, the
(51:49):
best leader, the best servant.
That's the call.
SPEAKER_02 (51:52):
We are sitting here with John O'Leary.
You are going to have to getyour tickets and be ready for.
So his book is on fire.
The movie is soul on fire.
It is going to be released onOctober 10th, where we all get
to sit inside the theater andwatch this beautiful movie that
tells such an incredible storyright here, locally here in St.
Louis, where it all takes place.
(52:12):
And of course, it's going to beplayed around the world for
everybody to be able to see,which has just got to be
incredible.
What is, can you give us beforewe have to go now?
But leave us with a word of whatyou hope this movie does for
others and inspires.
SPEAKER_10 (52:26):
So two things.
One is I hope you go get yourtickets right now.
They're already for sale, man.
Ronnie's is packing up.
So get your tickets.
Whether you run out a wholetheater for your church and
school, your business, or you goby yourself and meet some new
friends.
So go to soul on firemovie.com,please.
Go to soul on firemovie.com.
Hollywood is a democracy.
(52:47):
If you vote by watchingsquirrels who shoot laser guns
and curse, they'll give you moreof those.
And if you vote by saying, Ichoose these types of films
about real heroes, they willgive us more of those.
So let's choose SoulonFiremovie.com.
What I hope your listeners andviewers walk away with is
recognizing John O'Leary is notthe hero.
And Jack Buck, as great andmighty as his voice was, is not
(53:09):
the hero.
It is ordinary people who stepforward, who love the one in
front of them, and anybody cando that.
So don't wait for the next film.
Don't wait for Soul on Fire parttwo to come out to be a change
agent for someone else.
Do it now.
SPEAKER_02 (53:22):
Fantastic.
Well, John O'Leary, you heard itfrom his mouth.
And we thank you so much.
You've inspired us.
It's been an emotional hour.
I've laughed and I almost crieda few times, but why don't you
end with us by saying cheers?
Because that's how we end inyour city show here at Lou
Information Station.
Are you ready?
SPEAKER_06 (53:37):
Cheers.
Welcome to In Your City Show.
I always have all my stuff readyto go, my notes, and then this
guy right here decides to dumphis on top of mine.
So I'm like sitting here justtrying to figure out what the
heck is going on now today.
(00:53):
Could you like stop doing thatto me?
You're killing me.
You're killing me, smalls.
Um, so I have no idea what isyours and what it is.
I think I want to say it'sMonday.
First of all, it's Monday, andwe're just getting our week
started after an unbelievableweekend to Silver Dollar City,
(01:15):
uh, which was so much fun, andI'm so completely exhausted that
I can hardly um keep my eyesopen here.
But I'm super excited and wakingup because John O'Leary is with
us the entire hour here for theIn Your City show.
So it's still not helping mebecause he still has my notes
(01:37):
going everywhere.
But we got John John O'Leary,he's an inspirational speaker.
Luckily, we have been able tohear him speak a couple times,
which has been fantastic.
Extraordinary survivor whoselife story ignited the
anticipation behind the upcomingfeatured film Soul on Fire.
So his amazing book that I wasso excited.
(01:57):
We've had it in on our shelvessince we brought it home.
I could not believe when Iopened it up and it says May 4th
of 2016.
This is when we got this book.
And it says, Can we stay on fireand God bless Anna Leary?
So this is so cool to have this.
Um, and we had it in thestation, and now we get to have
(02:18):
another look.
And now, uh, did you kindly likeput things in order for me so I
could find it?
I think so.
You think so?
Well, good.
All right, let's not, withoutfurther ado, let's go ahead and
just tilt that camera over,bring John onto the show and
join us.
Thank you so much.
We're so excited to have youtoday.
SPEAKER_10 (02:35):
This is the hottest happy hour in all happy hours,
so I'm just glad to be in the ininvited to the party.
SPEAKER_02 (02:40):
And we should be having like cocktails and
celebration, and don't kickyourself, there's a lot of times
that we do.
It's just Monday.
Oh my gosh.
So we just got back, which Isaid, Silver Dollar City.
Have you taken the kids toSilver Dollar City?
SPEAKER_10 (02:52):
I have.
We went as a family with mywife's family probably two
summers ago and had a blast.
I I had no expectations, nothigh or low, and it was
world-class.
It was a blast.
SPEAKER_02 (03:04):
Well, I was 12 years old the first the last first and
last time I'd been there.
Gordon had been there maybe 20something years ago, had been
there.
So you I literally couldn'tremember what I would be seeing,
right?
What there was to do, but wewent to so many museums.
Um, some of them we thought, arewe gonna like go to the Titanic?
SPEAKER_09 (03:24):
You did that one as well.
SPEAKER_02 (03:25):
Yes, Gordon did not survive.
SPEAKER_12 (03:28):
Our first stop was to, of course, you gotta stop
there on your way to France.
It's the fudge place.
Uranus.
Uranus.
SPEAKER_02 (03:36):
Yes, Uranus fudge.
So, but the funny thing is,Gordon is a person, if there's a
big ball of yarn or something.
He's stopping he's gotta seethree corporations.
So we had to go through thefreaky museum of three-headed
people and uh mermaids that arehalf human, and then of course
went to the aquarium, theTitanic.
We rode every roller coasterknown to mankind.
(03:59):
I think every organ and bone isin a different place in my body
right now.
SPEAKER_11 (04:03):
You probably still have your head rattled.
SPEAKER_02 (04:05):
But you know, we only have two grandboys, and it
was you know, it's amazing whateverything costs now.
I don't know, you have a familyof four, right?
Right.
Six with the two adults.
It's so I mean, every there'snothing inexpensive that you do,
and you think, how do familiesgo and really engage and
entertain their family?
Because you can just spend everyday hundreds and hundreds and
(04:26):
hundreds of dollars.
SPEAKER_10 (04:27):
Well, you and I were recording this on a Monday
during Happy Hour.
And yesterday my wife and Isnuck out of the house early,
went to the zoo, St.
Louis Zoo.
If you haven't been lately, go.
If you've never been, go now.
We had so much fun.
It is free, as you know.
And it it was like as fun a dateas I can remember having in a
long time.
Just walking around the zoo on aSunday morning watching all
(04:50):
these families trying to crowdtheir little chipmunks through
this massive, gorgeous zoo.
So there are free activities inparticular here in St.
Louis.
SPEAKER_13 (05:00):
I don't know if it still is today, but at one time
the St.
Louis Zoo was the number onefree attraction in the United
States.
SPEAKER_02 (05:06):
Yeah, it still is, and uh it it might be in the top
three.
I I I know it was number one andit may still be up there.
It's not even the top ten, it'sin the top five.
SPEAKER_14 (05:16):
But it's still, I hate to think about it.
SPEAKER_02 (05:20):
So we don't really know where they're at from
there.
So here you are today.
We're excited.
Your book we got back in 2016,and now you have this incredible
movie which you got to meet mydaughter.
Yes, she was on doing hair andthat, and oh my gosh, she
couldn't quit talking about youum after meeting you.
And then and then the man who orthe young man who played you,
(05:42):
and then of course, um uh oh mygosh, oh, what is his name?
Um uh William Macy.
SPEAKER_11 (05:47):
Oh yeah, William H.
Macy.
SPEAKER_02 (05:49):
Shameless.
SPEAKER_11 (05:50):
That's where most people know him from.
So he's different in real life,guys.
It's not Frank.
I need to.
SPEAKER_12 (06:02):
Let's see a little bit of that quick before we am
so home five.
SPEAKER_07 (06:17):
How bad is it?
He has burns to 100% of hisbody.
SPEAKER_08 (06:23):
Wanna send out a special hello tonight to a
certain young man who's laid upin the hospital.
His name is John O'Leary.
He's a tough little guy.
SPEAKER_00 (06:32):
Will you listen to me?
You will.
When I first came to see you,they said you had no chance.
But here you are.
You're gonna face challengeswhen you get out of here.
But you can still do almostanything.
SPEAKER_05 (07:06):
Welcome to the first project, double learning and
live in the project.
SPEAKER_04 (07:22):
I guess I like to just I have a scout group and I
heard about what happened topeople.
SPEAKER_07 (07:31):
I just thought that microphone would be inspired if
you can talk to them.
SPEAKER_04 (07:38):
I may have an idea for a way that we can work
together.
SPEAKER_03 (07:47):
I know what it feels like to think of how we've
thrown your life away.
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
Everything that you did.
SPEAKER_10 (08:32):
Well, it's funny, I've seen it so many times, and
yet as you two sat in the studiowatching, you saw me up to your
right watching too.
Like, I'm amazed at what abeautiful job the team did
putting together that film.
I'm amazed what an incrediblejob the actors did portraying
it.
Then they went to editing.
It took a year and a half topush this thing together just
(08:52):
right.
Then they had to make shots likethat come alive.
So in 90 seconds, you feel it,and you'll want to take your
family out to go visit it.
And October 10th.
And then to recognize it's allreal.
unknown (09:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_10 (09:04):
So Hollywood does a great job of telling stories of
heroes who fly, you know, orswim with mermaid fins and all
these other things that are justcompletely made up.
This story happened here in St.
Louis.
It was filmed here in St.
Louis, and it's about heroeshere in St.
Louis, and I'm not one of them.
unknown (09:22):
Yes, you are.
SPEAKER_10 (09:22):
I'm really not.
I mean, it's really acelebration of how great we are.
unknown (09:25):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (09:26):
Oh my gosh, it's fabulous.
And I I uh noticed the scene inthere of the woman asking you to
speak to the Girl Scout troop,which in your book, that is your
that's where your life literallytransitioned from being a
construction worker as your uhwife now, which is portrayed in
the movie Beth, correct?
SPEAKER_06 (09:45):
That is right.
SPEAKER_02 (09:46):
Um, and and seeing that, knowing that that one
little first speech that youalmost said no to totally took
your life into another path,thank goodness, because the
you've been able to inspire somany people with your words.
SPEAKER_10 (10:00):
Oh man, and again, I'm not trying to be humble,
it's just true.
This is all God's hand in mystory, it's just a reality.
I'm not academically thatstrong.
If you've interviewed me longenough, you'll find that out to
be true.
I'm not that articulate, even onstage or even in books.
And yet this story has comealive.
I've been blessed to speak for20 years, 50 states, millions of
(10:21):
people, dozens of countries.
Now there's a film out, we havea podcast.
The fact that this has all cometo pass is now look what you've
done.
It really is look what God isdoing in a very ordinary guy's
life, reminding all of us ourlives can be used for good.
SPEAKER_13 (10:36):
God can only do so much is He needs us to fulfill
it's true.
SPEAKER_10 (10:41):
You gotta say yes, Gordon.
You gotta step forward, man.
You gotta do your part.
And when you eventually show upon the Hollywood squares,
whatever that version of successlooks like for you, you've got
to recognize it's not all me whodid this.
And I'm just super aware of thatall day long.
Like it's just not me who didthis.
(11:02):
We had amazing characters.
In fact, the book, as you saw,it's not me on the front of it.
It's a mirrored image so thatpeople, when they hold the book,
can see themselves as the heroof even my book.
And then when you look at thefilm poster, uh the first one
Sony did was a picture of theguy who plays me.
His name is Joel Courtney fromthe kissing booth with his arms
on the air celebrating success.
(11:24):
But if you look at it now, hisback is turned toward the
camera.
And if you look more closely,it's a mosaic of all the folks
from the entire film who camealongside of him and made his
story a possibility.
It's it's their story, not nothis, not ours.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
Did you help to produce the movie?
SPEAKER_10 (11:42):
We d I did, yes.
SPEAKER_02 (11:43):
How did that feel?
What is that?
There's so many questions to myquestion right now.
First, you have shared yourstory, and I know the first time
you shared it, truly shared it,speaking to these little girls.
And then, of course, like yousaid, you've spoken to millions
of people.
We've watched you a coupletimes.
You're constantly reliving whathappened to you.
(12:03):
You have are doing it with suchgrace.
Um, and then now you're watchingon the big screen.
Is it completely healing foryou?
Does it bring back memories thatare hard to handle?
How do you react to all of this?
SPEAKER_10 (12:19):
Yeah, so when I first started speaking, whether
to the three Girl Scouts or inthe movie, they they gave me a
few extras.
I had like eight in the movie,so now I'm I'm famous with Girl
Scouts.
And then the 21 Rotarians andthen and then Quanis, and then
Into the Prison and Beyond.
Every single time I was nervousabout how they would feel about
me.
And now when I speak, we're2,700 plus speeches in.
(12:43):
I'm still very nervous about howthey will feel about this
message in their lives.
So I don't care, please takethis the right way.
I don't care how they feel aboutme anymore.
Not even remotely, but I caredeeply about how this message
moves them to do more in theirlives.
SPEAKER_13 (13:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
I had to ask you too, becauseyou relived your so many times,
like Kelly says.
During the process of doing thismovie, was there something that
jumped out at you from redoingdoing this movie that maybe
didn't hit you at the time thatthis incident took place in the
reactor?
(13:21):
Having to go through it piece bypiece by piece by piece
something that just uh I neverrealized that.
Or I just you know where it's agreat question.
SPEAKER_10 (13:32):
So the scenes that you see in the film are filmed
in the places where theyhappened.
So the bars where we had theconversation, whether it's
Saratoga Lane's or Humphreys,and are in the film.
The spot where my dad had aconversation with me about
living forward took place inKeener Plaza, to where it
happened.
The dorm room conversations withmy college roommate, and on and
(13:53):
on and on, it took place there.
The shrine of St.
Joseph, where I got married toBeth, is where they shot me
getting married.
All this to set us up for, andthe house where I was burned as
a kid is the house where my momand dad still live.
So to go back into this house,they moved out all of my
parents' furniture.
They moved in all the furniturewe would have had back in the
(14:14):
1980s, and we redid a scenewhere little John O'Leary gets
burned.
So to see a moment in time,capture it perfectly like it
actually happened with an actorportraying it, that was hard.
What made it far more difficultwas recognizing the girls who
were screaming.
Those are my sisters, andthey're portraying my actual
(14:34):
sisters, and I'd never seen itthrough their lens before.
The story had always been toldthrough mine, but now I'm seeing
it through two little girls.
My brother Jim coming up fromthe basement where he slept, had
always told it from myexperience, but now I'm
experiencing it from my brotherJim's experience.
So that was radical to feel thepain and the agony of that
morning again.
(14:55):
Then we take a lunch break.
And there's a there's about 500people part of making this film.
Your daughter is one of them.
There are 499 others around her,so it's a huge group.
We all take lunch, come back,and now it's time to film
homecoming because they don'twant to move 500 people to the
arch and then Bush Stadium.
So they keep them on set.
So we filmed the scene whereJohn comes back, and a cool
(15:16):
thing that happened was two ofthe firefighters in the film are
actual grade school friends ofmine.
So these are kids I went tograde school with.
They were at the homecoming whenI returned, the real homecoming.
And now they're at this fakehomecoming in Hollywood's lens,
portraying firefighters.
And I think that matters for tworeasons.
One is the people who are in thefront yard were all in the front
(15:39):
yard in real life.
So you're looking at a realstory again.
And yet the story that couldhave been so tragic, you know,
what's what could possibly goodcome out of a nine-year-old
being burned on 100% of hisbody?
Well, now there's twofirefighters in the front yard
saving lives, talking about firesafety, keeping kids from
getting burned, putting outfires when they actually
(15:59):
happened, pulling kids out ofcar accidents when that happens,
because they went through itwith their classmate.
So from our own struggles inlife, not only does it influence
our life, it influences the lifeof everybody around us.
And in our case, for good.
Everyone who was part of ourtragedy was redeemed for better
because of it.
(16:19):
So to be on the back end of acamera watching this unfold in
real time, Kelly, like it justit continues to blow me away.
SPEAKER_02 (16:26):
My chest is actually a little like tight because I'm
listening and I'm feeling it somuch.
The the empathy, the story.
Um, I I literally, it's liketakes my breath away listening
to it.
And someone who might belistening right now, um, it
could be, you know, from acrossthe world, wherever it might be,
might not know John O'Leary.
We were lucky enough if you ifyou recognize this, you're on
(16:49):
the cover of our men's issue.
Um where's my oh it's not on me,so I can't show it.
Sorry.
Um, but there's uh it was thecover of our men's issue, and we
were telling your story, you hada different book out at that
time.
SPEAKER_06 (17:02):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (17:03):
And then from there, it is I mean, you have just
taken the world by storm.
But let's somebody that is notum from somewhere else or
doesn't know yes, that was thebook that was actually in the
magazine and all.
Um, and now you've written thisbook on fire.
Let's give them a little bit ofstory, a little bit of
background of you, of kind ofjumping around talking about
(17:23):
things, but um, Jack Buck playedan incredible role in your life,
and that quote um uh that onelife can can and always does
change the world.
Right.
And Jack Buck changed yourworld.
And of course, I'm sure everyoneknows Jack Buck from the St.
Louis Cardinals, and I love thefact that your family you are
(17:44):
you, you at least have to listenby radio for sure.
SPEAKER_10 (17:47):
Which you know what's wild is I would imagine
half your listeners, whetherthey're they're local or not,
don't know the name Jack Buck.
And then you drop in the name.
Well, what about Joe Buck?
And then the other half jumpforward.
Jack Buck passed away in 2002.
So a lifetime ago, we lost thisheroic human being, a phenomenal
radio announcer, and a man whochanged my life.
(18:09):
And why he showed up is part ofthe story.
So you're interviewing a guyright now who was burned, we
didn't really tell the backstoryon 100% of my body.
So 87% of those burns were thirddegree.
That is an absolute deathsentence.
Jack hears about it the nightthat I was burned, and he was
told that same evening that thekid is going to die.
(18:31):
Keep him in your thoughts andprayers.
And rather than just saying, Allright, I'll keep him in my
thoughts and my prayers, he goesto the hospital, walks in, sees
a child laying there, mummified,and sits down next to Mikelli
and says, Kid, wake up.
You are going to live, keepfighting.
John O'Leary Day at the ballparkwill make it all worthwhile.
He hears that I'm going to dieas he walks out of that room
(18:54):
that night, and then Jack hasthe audacity to come back, sit
with me again, and say, Kid,wake up, I'm back.
You are going to live.
The wild thing is he did thisfor five months.
He kept showing up in my time ofgreat darkness into that space
with me, loving me forward.
He never told anybody about it.
(19:16):
It wasn't on the radio, itwasn't on the news outlets, it
wasn't on the podcast of theday.
Jack just kept serving quietly.
And on August 26, 1987, he livedinto the promise of John O'Leary
Day at the ballpark.
We went downtown, man, met allthe Cardinals, had the time of
our lives, broadcast the ballgame together.
This man, and we could talk moreand more about what Jack did,
(19:38):
but needless to say, I'm notseated with you today.
If Jack Buck wasn't seated withme the night I was burnt.
SPEAKER_02 (19:46):
A hard time getting my words to come up, you know,
listening to that.
And I love the fact that yousaid he wasn't doing it for any
kind of a media stunt.
He truly felt it in his heart toserve you and come to you and
make a difference to your life,which changed your life forever.
And then you had all these othertransitions throughout it, and
just seeing you when you're whenyou're talking to your uh the
(20:07):
person who is your wife uh now,um who you felt when you would
you want to date me and you showup your hands.
SPEAKER_15 (20:15):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (20:16):
You know, so take us past Jack Buck and then your
life at college and and meetingyour now wife with four children
later.
unknown (20:24):
Right.
SPEAKER_09 (20:25):
Well, there's a lot there.
We'll we'll go through it stepby step.
So grab a stiff drink.
You'll need it for this versionof the happy hour.
Wish I had one myself.
SPEAKER_10 (20:36):
Maybe, maybe some other time.
I went off to college completelyunsure of who I was.
And so in the movie, and somepeople have had an issue with
this during the testing, it'slike John drinks way too much.
But it's not to celebrate andglamorize drinking, it's because
it was my crutch.
It was to allow me to fit in.
And so the only person whoreally saw past that was this
(20:57):
gorgeous brunette named Beth.
So I'm I meet her at a party, wedance at that party, we become
friends after that party, but Inever had the belief that she
could actually love me in spiteof my brokenness.
So I I never fully got that.
And so when I finally in thereal life, it was years later,
asked her out, uh, we were toofar into it.
(21:20):
We we were friends at thatpoint.
So she says to me, Why didn'tyou ask me out when we first
met?
And uh she was offended that Iwould believe it would be
physical as to why she would notsay, you know, yes or no.
So my my wife has the ability tosee past people's brokenness.
She works today as anoccupational therapist, serves
in our special school systemswith kids who have special
(21:41):
needs, and where you and I mightsee amputations or brokenness or
whatever the thing is, that's soeasy.
Beth sees potential.
She does that professionallytoday.
She did that back when we met incollege.
And the turning point in ourstory for me was the
conversation.
I mean, it's the movie's real.
(22:01):
It's the strangest thing to seea movie about your life that's
real.
But I walked on Keener Plazawith my dad, and we started
talking about living the lifeyou've got.
And uh one of the quotes was,You can't always choose the path
you walk in life, but you canchoose the manner in which you
walk it.
And he started then talkingabout the he talked about the
car, but what he was reallytalking about was was Beth.
(22:24):
And it was this idea of stoptrying to get things from it,
start investing into it, let goof expectations.
And this little conversationthat I had with my dad in Keener
Plaza, it's the arch grounds forthose of you not from the St.
Louis area, about lovingunconditionally changed the way
I treated Beth.
And so finally, Kelly, here'sthe answer.
(22:45):
I stopped trying to get anythingfrom her.
Most relationships, inparticular in the early parts,
are all about like, what do Iget out of this thing?
And I'll invest to that degreeto get something in ROI on it.
And what I started to do waslove her for who she was,
expecting nothing in return.
(23:05):
And that little pivot with noexpectations changed the way she
began to perceive me.
I I wasn't needy anymore.
I was just loving her as afriend, and I think that's why
full circle moment, she camearound years later and and asked
me out.
So in the film, it does a greatjob of portraying that in real
life.
It was awesome.
(23:26):
But uh I asked my wife outfirst, and second, and third,
and fifth, and eleventh, but atsome point stopped pursuing,
started loving, and it changedher heart too.
SPEAKER_02 (23:38):
I love love.
I'm always in love story.
For sure.
Absolutely love it.
And and and so again, with yourstory, um, we talk about you
know, you as a child, Jack Buck,uh coming to you each day,
serving you later on.
Here you are.
Um, you even learn to play thepiano.
Right.
I think you even have a littleclip because what we're gonna
(24:01):
do, let's let's watch this, andthen we're gonna have to take it
to a break, um, of course, andthen we're gonna come back and
talk more about you, the movie,the rapid fire questions, and
have some fun.
Let's see that.
SPEAKER_14 (24:44):
Yeah, you didn't want to, did you?
SPEAKER_11 (24:46):
Are you are we talking about this right now?
Yeah.
Do we have to go to break or canI talk about my mom?
SPEAKER_02 (24:55):
Let's let everybody know that, of course, again,
John's mentioned that he wasburnt over 100% of his body.
Um, if you're watchingvirtually, of course, he has you
know held his hands to show umhis hands and that if you're
listening radio, um, you knowwhat that entails being burnt
like that.
And here, nothing, you haven'theld your back, held yourself
back from anything.
I and what I feel so bad aboutmyself when I have those boo-hoo
(25:21):
victim mournings whime me, andand it might be something as
stupid as I couldn't findsomething to wear, I'm having a
bad hair day.
I have no right to ever be upsetabout anything in my life again,
whatsoever.
SPEAKER_10 (25:32):
Well, Kellyanne, you you're giving me the credit, and
I appreciate it, and it'sunearned.
My my mom is why I play thepiano, not me.
My dad is why I choose to be avictor, not a victim, not me.
And so I've had incredibleleadership and guidance in my
life, and we could unpack bothof those stories when we come
back.
But listen, you're you're notinterviewing a hero, you're
(25:53):
interviewing a guy who's beenloved by heroes.
So much so that in in time, andthis is the beauty of the film,
in time, John begins to seebeauty in the reflection.
And our hope in other peoplewatching Soul on Fire is one day
they may be able to see beautyin their own brokenness.
That's the goal.
SPEAKER_02 (26:10):
Wow, what a great way to go to great.
All right.
Well, you are listening toInYourCity Show right here at
LouInfo.com and the beautifulnew K-L-I-S 590 a.m.
Go ahead.
You can turn on the audio fromthere at LouInfo.com.
You can also watch virtually 247 there at LouInfo.com.
We'll be right back with morewith John O'Leary.
(31:18):
Lifestyle magazines, of course,and show is presented by City
Lifestyle Magazine, ChesterfieldClayton, and St.
Charles County City LifestyleMagazine.
As you mentioned, John O'Learygreat star covers back 2020 on
our men's issue, and he's withus here today.
We are gonna go ahead and wewant to give a big shout out to
Jennifer Williams.
(31:38):
35 years almost, I think it'scoming up this September month.
It's 35 years for Jennifer inbusiness with the St.
Louis Closet Company.
She supports local, she's allabout local, she gives back to
local.
If you take a drive, go overthere to Big Bend and go into
the St.
Louis Closet Company building,which is absolutely beautiful.
(31:58):
You are gonna see where theymanufacture everything right on
site.
Her team is there to serve you.
It's not a one-size fits all.
Whatever your needs is, whetherit's small or large, um, whether
it's outside business need, it'sher mud room, maybe it's a small
pantry, or maybe it's Nellie whogot his entire studio um redone
(32:19):
by Jennifer Williams.
Her team is there for you everystep of the way.
You will love it.
Go in, say hello to her, sayhello to the team, have them
come out, give you an estimate.
It will change your world.
As she says, go from chaos tocalm, go from chaos to clarity,
and that is with St.
Louis Closet Company.
Thanks, Jennifer, for being partof the In Your City show.
(32:41):
Now, back to someone who hasdefinitely inspired our life.
I love the first time I got tohear you speak.
Do you remember what buildingthat was, Gordon?
It was over the PBS buildingnext to the CBS.
SPEAKER_13 (32:52):
I remember the, I can see the room, but I couldn't
remember which one.
Oh my gosh, back with Joe Cloakwas there a meeting.
Yes.
You were doing uh speakingengagement back um in Kansas
City.
We were in Kansas City doingone.
SPEAKER_11 (33:07):
Remember while Joe's a great guy.
SPEAKER_02 (33:09):
He is a great guy.
And then got to hear you again.
You came and spoke for theColdwell gun day.
Their new year, you know, how tomotivate them, and you were
incredible.
It's both you bring bothlaughter and tears, and you can
tell you have a great sense ofhumor.
SPEAKER_09 (33:25):
And you always No one's ever said that to me
before.
In particular, my wife and kids,they're like, Dad, you are not
funny, dude.
You know, hang it up.
SPEAKER_10 (33:33):
Oh, dude, yes.
And they are apparently notfunny.
But I've I've always played thekind of humor where the fun the
funnier they don't think it is,the funnier I think it actually
is.
So I play to an audience of one,you know, and it works.
SPEAKER_02 (33:46):
So you have your family of four, but we were
talking before we went to breakabout your mom and dad, who just
incredibly changed your life aswell.
And she is the one who made youtake piano lessons.
SPEAKER_10 (33:57):
That's right.
Well, right before we went tobreak, and you know, for the
folks on the radio, maybe theydon't know this, but that that
piano song was played in frontof 28,000 people.
So that's Las Vegas, it's theMGM Grand, it's a huge, huge
event.
And I you I before that I rarelyplay the piano live because I
hit the wrong keys all the time.
But the lady had said, John, Iread that your mother loves when
(34:19):
you play the piano.
Will you play for my family?
So I said, Well, what song wouldyou want to hear?
And she goes, What was yourmom's favorite?
So I said, My mom loves AmazingGrace.
Not what I would have playedthat day.
And I would have played Coldplayor Imagine Dragons or Garth
Brooks or something a little bitmore lively.
And she goes, Play your mom'sfavorite.
So in front of all these folks,I had the honor of playing my
(34:40):
mom and dad's favorite song,Amazing Grace.
And it was captured on thatvideo.
For those who check up the movieStill on Fire, you may see that
near the end of the film.
It's uh it's a callback to thatmoment when we played that song.
But how did it happen?
You know, so I was at home,unable to go to school, and the
doorbell rang, and the lady camein was our piano teacher.
(35:04):
And I said, Mom, why is shehere?
And my mother says, Um, becauseyou can do anything in your
life, like you can still domighty things.
And she rolls me down a hallway,locks the brakes.
I don't have fingers for thelisteners.
They have not yet grown back.
This lady puts her arm around meand she says, John, this is
going to be hard, but we can doit together.
(35:26):
And with that, she ties a littlepen onto my hand.
My left arm, Kelly, was off inan airplane splint.
I'm on a morphine drip.
I'm 10 years old now, and I'mplaying one key at a time with a
pen, sticking out of my righthand, the entire time thinking,
I hate my mom.
You know, like this woman'sevil, man.
Like, have I been throughenough?
(35:48):
I hate my mom.
Why would she do this?
And the the answer is because itwasn't about piano, it was about
possibility.
He was teaching a kid who wasmaking every excuse in the world
why he could not do things, thatthat was all a lie.
It's all a lie.
And so my mother insisted overthe next five years, this little
boy not just learned the piano,which is a fine little bar
(36:11):
trick, but really how to grabonto life and not let go.
And like, what a gift.
SPEAKER_02 (36:17):
Incredible, truly, truly incredible words.
Now, let's back up a little bit.
So your mom did that to you, butwhen Jack Buck, uh, the famous
announcer here uh in St.
Louis, came into your room, healso told you he would get come
back and bring you assignedbaseball, right?
Yeah, if you would write.
(36:41):
For the folks who if making youdo stuff, John.
SPEAKER_10 (36:44):
Tell me about it.
That's why when you made me sayuh, you know, talk about it, the
heroes.
What an honor it was tocelebrate these folks because
I'm the recipient of it.
Jack Buck was the greatbroadcaster for the St.
Louis Cardinals, shows up theday I was burned, comes back the
following day, even though he'stold repeatedly I'm going to
die.
Comes back for the five monthsI'm in hospital.
We have afterwards John O'LearyDay at the ballpark.
(37:07):
And that evening he learns Ican't use my hands.
So just like my mother, he'strying to put something in front
of me that was difficult butpossible.
And uh for me, it was a baseballsign by Ozzy Smith.
Below the ball was a note thatread, Kid, if you want a second
baseball, write a thank youletter to the man who sent the
first.
(37:27):
And I can't write, listeners andviewers, but I want a second
baseball, Gordon.
So with the help of twotherapists, they push my hands
together.
We write the note, we mail itoff, and two days later, I got a
second baseball.
And because I know you're gonnarun out of runway on this one,
I'll I'll shorten it.
He sent 60 baseballs.
(37:47):
So one radio announcer, busywith his own life, sends to a
little nobody named John O'Leary60 baseballs.
Again, not really teaching himhow to write, that's part of it,
but really teaching him how tolive, teaching him to stop
making excuses, teaching them toyour first question, to stop
playing victim.
SPEAKER_14 (38:08):
Yeah, I'm so emotional right now.
Every time I see John, I say, donot make me cry.
Oh my god.
Five times are watering and Ilike that.
SPEAKER_13 (38:17):
But I think the reason we get so emotional is
because we get to see it's it'salmost like you know, life has
gotta be one of your favoritemovies.
Yeah.
Because what that movie showsand what your movie's probably
gonna show as well, is like youjust said, the people in our
lives, we don't realize themajor part they play in our
lives until we really sit backand look at our look at our
(38:39):
lives as a movie.
Look at like, how did I gethere?
You know, because I mean, howdid I get to this point?
I got to this point, I learnedhow to write because of Jeff
Buck, you know, I learned how toplay the piano because of my
mom.
Yeah, you know, it's all theselittle pieces that just create
who you are.
But then your gift that you'regiving back to everybody is now
going to play a part in theirlife.
(39:00):
It's gonna change them forever.
SPEAKER_02 (39:03):
We were talking through break too to to bounce
off of that, that um you havethis podcast, if you'd uh please
mention, and I love listening toit because this podcast isn't
John getting on every day andreminding everybody of his
story.
You're using your platform tobring other stories to people
that that are out there beingheroes and motivating,
(39:26):
inspiring, and changing livesand telling their stories.
SPEAKER_10 (39:29):
So we started that back in 2017 before the podcast
movement was cool, you know?
So like we were doing this work,and one of our guests was Mitch
Album, who wrote a book calledFive Ordinary Five The Five
People You Meet in Heaven, whichis about five people that this
guy impacted without evenknowing it.
Back to your earlier point,Gordon.
You never know.
I interviewed a guy named JohnBurke a couple years ago who uh
(39:52):
was an atheist, and then his dadhad a near-death experience, and
he didn't believe that his dadwas right.
So he did the research, and itmoved him so deeply that John
Burke became a pastor and hewrote a book.
I think it's called ImagineHeaven.
And um, it's an incredible book,but it goes back to your
question earlier.
Everyone who has a near-deathexperience also has this quick
(40:13):
rewind in their lives.
And they see all the people thatthey had seen throughout the
course of their life, all theseexperiences.
Like it's part of everyone whodies journey to have a quick
review of your life.
Uh and what I've been blessedwith over the last 20 years of
doing this work is I get thatreview almost every day of my
life.
I get to remind people of thefolks who showed up for me, what
(40:36):
they did, what they said, how itinfluenced me, and what we can
do in our lives afterwards.
And right before we went tobreak, you talked about my dad
and this victim versus victormentality.
So I'm 10 years old and I don'twant to go back to school.
I never liked school in thefirst place, but in particular
after getting burned and having18 months at home, and I knew I
was going to be made fun ofbecause I'm different.
(40:58):
I'm in a wheelchair, I can'tmove like I used to.
So I'm like, dad, please don'tmake me go, and why me?
And all these questions.
Why me, dad?
Why me?
So finally my dad stands, heshuts the bedroom door, he comes
back in, he puts his hands on mylegs, looks me in the eyes and
says, John, darn it, why notyou?
(41:19):
This terrible thing has happenedin your life, and if you want to
be a victim to it for the restof your life, have at it.
No one's gonna blame you, man.
You've been through the worst.
Or you can be a victor.
And every room you roll into, ormaybe one day you walk into,
people will look up in awe atwhat you've overcome and how you
lead your life now.
And he said to me, John, victimor victor, your choice, not
(41:41):
mine.
And my dad, 36 years ago, leanedforward, kissed me on the
forehead, stood up and walkedout of that room.
And Kelly, like that, that issomething I wrestle with every
day.
It's not something you get over.
Uh, I mean, for the viewers,they see it.
Like, I have scars over myentire body, victim or victor.
I'm raising four kids, notalways easy.
(42:02):
Victim or victor.
You mentioned losing a brotherrecently.
I lost my dad two months ago.
Victim or victor.
But but in every engagement, thebig ones and the little ones,
you get to decide what do I dowith this?
And if you want to be a victimto it, the world will back you
up.
They will retweet your victimstatements.
They will.
We love this stuff.
(42:22):
Or you can recognize that God isin the midst of the struggle
too, and you can use thatstruggle and the rest of your
life afterwards for good.
And it determines your choice onthis, not only how it affects
your day, but every daythereafter.
It's like a really big deal howwe decide to choose to lead our
lives.
And I don't get the credit forthat my dad does for putting
(42:44):
that choice in front of me.
SPEAKER_02 (42:45):
And he did get to see your movie, right?
SPEAKER_10 (42:47):
Man, what a gift.
So, in fact, that's the quote.
So I had a client of ours whowanted to buy 3,000 tickets for
their people, but they wanted towatch the movie ahead of time to
see if it's worthy.
So in early May, we showed thisat a local theater, and the
executive team came in, and Irealized we have open seats.
Should I take my mom and dad?
(43:08):
Like, uh, that's kind of weirdbecause it's corporate.
But on at the last minute, Itexted my mom and I'm like, hey,
mom, uh, there's this client whothey're gonna be watching the
movie.
Would you like to see it?
And she's like, Dad and I willbe right there.
So they got him into the car,man.
He's got Parkinson's disease,could not speak, could not move,
(43:28):
in constant pain.
But he sat down next to me inthis film, he held my hand the
entire time.
And at the very end of it, youknow, the the audience is
clapping, which is surreal whenyou see people you don't know
clapping your life.
SPEAKER_02 (43:43):
Definitely clapping.
SPEAKER_10 (43:44):
Right.
Like I think they're clappingfor them.
But they're they're clapping.
And I lean over and I say, Dad,what do you think about our
film?
What do you think about ourfilm, man?
And these are like the lastwords he ever spoke to me.
He says, John, what a gift.
What a gift.
And I I don't think Kelly, hewas reviewing Soul on Fire.
I think for him, Gordon, it goesback to this life review, man,
(44:07):
where he he probably knew beforethe rest of us he was near the
end of his life.
I didn't know that then.
I would have done thingsdifferently.
Had you had, if you know you'rein the last days with your
family, you just do thingsdifferently.
And I didn't know that at thetime, I would have it would have
been different.
But um, my dad reviewed thefilm, he reviewed his life and
he recognized Parkinson'sdisease, a house fire, a burned
(44:30):
child, a second house fire,losing his job, financial
hardship, constant pain.
What a gift.
What a gift.
What what a cool way to gothrough life.
SPEAKER_02 (44:40):
Absolutely.
Well, 100%.
You talk about seven choices,and it really, gosh, I wish we
had like two more hours.
And I know we don't have um alot of time, but I I just want
to talk about, because you justtalked about you have the
choice, you know, victor orvictim, which I think I'm gonna
ask myself that nothing.
I always ask myself everymorning when I wake up, all
(45:01):
right, Kelly, you gonna be avictim or are you gonna be
victor today?
Let's do this.
I think I'm gonna constantlyhear those words in in my mind.
Um you talk about seven choices,and I read those, and they're
very um impactful, I guess Ishould say.
You to you talk about chooseaccountability, take ownership.
Uh, can you talk a little bitabout the seven choices?
SPEAKER_10 (45:23):
Sure.
Do you have them all listed infront of you or no?
Just pick one and say, John,tell us more about um well, of
course.
SPEAKER_02 (45:30):
You talk about honesty, you talk about
surrounding yourself with youknow the people who you're with,
but I think the one that got methe most was actually your first
one about choose accountability,take ownership of your life.
Um, something that I don't wantto do and I don't uh value in
someone else is the blaming uhcircumstances, the you know, on
(45:52):
others or using excuses forwhere you're at.
But taking ownership, I thinkthat is just hugely important
before you can do anything else.
SPEAKER_10 (46:00):
So the the and by the way, I wrote that book eight
years ago.
So I'm going to put don't besorry.
No, it's good.
But I I each chapter begins withlittle nine-year-old John
O'Leary not understanding what'shappening.
SPEAKER_15 (46:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_10 (46:14):
And so chapter one begins with me saying, It's not
my fault.
And it's not none of this is myfault.
I didn't mean for this tohappen.
It's not my fault.
And our first negative review onAmazon, we had 200 plus
five-star reviews, which is likecrazy.
Um, but the first negative onestar was I can't believe this
guy can't take responsibilityfor his life.
And what that taught me was acouple things.
(46:35):
One is stop reading reviews.
And secondly, that guy did notget to page two of the book.
Because on page two, it goesfrom the nine-year-old to what
happened?
What happened?
And then the people who stepforward and reminded John to
become accountable.
Because that guy who wrote ratedthat, get to page two, man.
Keep walking with me becauseyou're gonna see a very
different side of accountabilityhere.
(46:56):
So, where did I learn that?
And there's two cool bookends ofthis chapter one.
It begins, yeah, with theexplosion, but it begins really
with mom coming into this room.
She takes my right hand.
I look up and I say, Mom, am Igonna die?
And this beautiful young motherwho'd never been through
anything like this at all.
She's not equipped for this.
SPEAKER_15 (47:17):
Who is?
SPEAKER_10 (47:18):
Right?
I mean, really, you can't trainup.
She looks back, she looks backat this dying child and she
says, John, do you want to die?
It's your choice.
So 100% your choice, not mine.
And I looked up and I said, Mom,I don't want to die.
I want to live.
And her response was, Good.
Then look at me, baby.
You take the hand of God, youwalk the journey with him, and
(47:40):
you fight like you never foughtbefore.
You're not alone, but do yourpart and fight.
So that's where chapter onebegins.
I wish the reviewer had got tothat part.
Do your part, man.
Do your part.
Chapter one ends, though, not inthe hospital, but at home.
And it ends with me strugglingwith the homecoming night
because I can't eat.
(48:00):
I can't pick up a fork.
And my sister Amy, who realizesI'm wrestling with this fork,
grabs it, picks it up, scoops upthe potatoes, and says, and then
she hears from her right, Amy,drop the fork.
If little John's hungry, he'llfeed himself tonight.
And it's the voice of my mother,this stalwart, who insisted
(48:20):
people recognize they can dohard things in their life.
She didn't tell me that thatevening.
But I look at my mother indisbelief, look back at Amy, who
then drops the fork, and Irealize there's this plate of
food in front of me, and I can'tdo anything with it.
So I start trying to scoop upthe potatoes and the chicken and
whatever else is in front of me,can't flip the plate a couple
times.
(48:41):
Our overweight dog gets fed acouple times and it gets worse.
The point is, my mother ruineddinner.
But by the end of the night, twohours in, a nine-year-old boy
with no fingers had figured outa way to wedge a fork between
his two hands, use the splint tokind of back up against the
plate, scoop those potatoestoward my mouth, and eat.
(49:02):
And there's a really cool scenein the film where John is
wedging the same thing as I justdescribed.
And the viewers left thinking,his mom is evil, which is
exactly what I thought.
But then in the film, it jumpsforward to when John is now a
motivational speaker.
There's seven employees in thischaotic room.
He's eating spaghetti with onehand now.
(49:23):
Life is awesome.
It wasn't, it wasn't easy atall.
He couldn't take accountabilityat all.
Read the first review on Amazon,that's a one star, you'll see it
again.
Hey man, take someresponsibility.
Well, guess what?
I did.
I did.
And what a gift it is in ourlife when we do.
SPEAKER_13 (49:38):
Because if we don't, life will always be hard.
Life would have always been hardfor you if you wouldn't have had
to you know have thataccountability.
Right.
SPEAKER_06 (49:50):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_13 (49:50):
It's not because of that.
I like, I know real quicklyhere, I love choose love because
one reason I love choose love isbecause your wife and you both
now have that love like Christhas where he sees the person,
the soul, not anything else.
SPEAKER_09 (50:06):
How about that?
SPEAKER_13 (50:06):
Yeah.
And the other thing I like whenwe heard you last time, you were
talking about being full.
What I love about choose love isbeing fully involved in a
relationship and in the moment.
I remember you talking aboutbeing in the moment when you're
with people.
SPEAKER_10 (50:21):
Well, gosh, you said a lot, but I think it's really
the same thing.
One is I've always wondered whatit would be like to seriously
see Jesus.
You know, I can you imagine theway he looked into people's eyes
and he knew your past and heloved you anyway.
So I've always strived to be alittle bit more Christ-like in
the way I walked.
And then I recognize Jesuswasn't looking at the phone.
(50:43):
Jesus wasn't looking at where hesaid he was going.
They're going off to one place,they get called to the left,
they go.
Jesus took the interruption atall at every moment.
And you can't do that if you'retethered to your obligations in
life, to the ringing in thebells and the emails and
everything else.
And so, to your second point,Gordon, the way I try to be
(51:03):
present is there's a quote fromAgmondino who says, How do I
greet every person I meet?
And he says, In silence intomyself, I say, I love you.
Those spoken in silence, thesewords unwrinkle my brow, they
shine through my eyes, theybring a smile to my face and
they echo in my voice.
I love you.
I love you.
And so I am so far from beingable to love the way Jesus did
(51:26):
and does, but I recognize when Ican step forward as love, when I
can put away all my old bowl,all that stuff, man, and just be
present with the people in frontof me for them.
All that stuff fades, the clockdisappears, and I can love the
one in front of me like Jesusdid.
And it led to Agmondino beingthe world's greatest
salesperson, but it will lead toyou being the best grandpa, the
(51:49):
best leader, the best servant.
That's the call.
SPEAKER_02 (51:52):
We are sitting here with John O'Leary.
You are going to have to getyour tickets and be ready for.
So his book is on fire.
The movie is soul on fire.
It is going to be released onOctober 10th, where we all get
to sit inside the theater andwatch this beautiful movie that
tells such an incredible storyright here, locally here in St.
Louis, where it all takes place.
(52:12):
And of course, it's going to beplayed around the world for
everybody to be able to see,which has just got to be
incredible.
What is, can you give us beforewe have to go now?
But leave us with a word of whatyou hope this movie does for
others and inspires.
SPEAKER_10 (52:26):
So two things.
One is I hope you go get yourtickets right now.
They're already for sale, man.
Ronnie's is packing up.
So get your tickets.
Whether you run out a wholetheater for your church and
school, your business, or you goby yourself and meet some new
friends.
So go to soul on firemovie.com,please.
Go to soul on firemovie.com.
Hollywood is a democracy.
(52:47):
If you vote by watchingsquirrels who shoot laser guns
and curse, they'll give you moreof those.
And if you vote by saying, Ichoose these types of films
about real heroes, they willgive us more of those.
So let's choose SoulonFiremovie.com.
What I hope your listeners andviewers walk away with is
recognizing John O'Leary is notthe hero.
And Jack Buck, as great andmighty as his voice was, is not
(53:09):
the hero.
It is ordinary people who stepforward, who love the one in
front of them, and anybody cando that.
So don't wait for the next film.
Don't wait for Soul on Fire parttwo to come out to be a change
agent for someone else.
Do it now.
SPEAKER_02 (53:22):
Fantastic.
Well, John O'Leary, you heard itfrom his mouth.
And we thank you so much.
You've inspired us.
It's been an emotional hour.
I've laughed and I almost crieda few times, but why don't you
end with us by saying cheers?
Because that's how we end inyour city show here at Lou
Information Station.
Are you ready?
SPEAKER_06 (53:37):
Cheers.
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