Live Inspired Podcast With John O'leary

"Enough was never enough." Christine Hassler was an over achiever. Each time she'd reach a milestone - she'd hurry off to the next big goal... never taking time to pause, recoup or celebrate. Early in her career, she was a high level producer in Hollywood... and completely unhappy. Today, she realizes that she was keeping busy and "achieving" in order to not have to truly feel her feelings. To get this sense of clarity, Christine had to have a mighty fall... Embrace the lessons from that fall and then build her new, fulfilling life. You are going to love the concrete insights and how-to's from Christine Hassler, bestselling author, podcaster, life coach and counselor. SHOW NOTES Choose new thoughts and habits. Use discipline to transform education and awareness into integration in your life. Just having the information is psychological entertainment. Numbing out is easier. When you gossip and watch reality TV you can just be entertained. If you listen, engage with content that makes you feel: You have to pr

Don't miss my big, time-sensitive announcement in this episode!  "Time allows you to seek wisdom and understand what you've gone through so you can help other people with what you've learned." From homeless to bestselling author. From small-town Alabama to on-stage in front of thousands. From hating 6th grade football to working with the last nine college football national championship teams: My guest today has spent his lifetime gathering unbelievable observations and insights many of us would miss - and then - packaging them up to share with the world. Andy Andrews has written 20 books with more than 3 million copies in circulation. I am one of Andy's biggest fans and he is one of the most pure-hearted people I've met. Let me introduce to you our newest Live Inspired friend, Andy Andrews. SHOW NOTES His 8th grade teacher has been one of the most influential people in his life. THANK YOU to all of our teachers in the Live Inspired community. YOU make a huge difference! Andy's worked on mental toughness and

"I don't want you to be a been brother: a would-a-been, could-a-been or should-a-been. Focus, be well-rounded and give your effort at all times." Chris Hogan received this advice from his Mom. He was bless to grow up with seven or eight parental figures - from uncles and grandparents to teachers and coaches - in a small town in Kentucky. These role models helped him to dream big and never rest on his laurels. Today, Chris is a husband, father, bestselling author, radio and podcast host, expert on retirement and personal finance and part of the Dave Ramsey speaker team. Today, Chris shares simple, life-changing financial tips and nuggets of wisdom gleaned from mentors throughout his life. SHOW NOTES:  Information that gets applied in your life time and again becomes wisdom. Above all else I realize my time spent with my boys is to help them become productive young men in society. Time spent talking about what and how they are thinking so I can share my experiences and they can see that Dad is not perfect, but

Today's guest is going to give you 90s nostalgia in the best way. He sold 2 million records. Played the David Letterman and Tonight Show. Friends, today's guest is Brian Vander Ark, lead singer of the band Verve Pipe, who produced 90s hits Freshmen and Photograph. Brian is still playing today with the band and as a solo artist. From small town Michigan to opening for KISS in sold-out arenas: Brian shares simple yet profound lessons on life... and even a little live music, too! SHOW NOTES:  Having been in the army, Brian is "more patriotic. I'm one of the more patriotic artists. I can't help but get chills when I hear the national anthem at a stadium." Brian's big break: When Willy Nelson asked him to play at Farm Aid. He went from playing for 20 people at the Holiday Inn lounge to 20,000. 8 years ago he started writing kids music as well. Listen to I'm Not Sleeping in (Cuz It's Saturday) here. On his creative process: "I listen to what's going on in the world, my world and beyond. Something will jump out an

Your journey is limitless and your life is profound. The guests on our show are ordinary people doing extraordinary things on purpose. On this episode, we'll celebrate the best insights from each guest AND how it has impacted the inspired lives we're living.  After just two seasons, we've got 250,000 downloads. Which means more lives are  being touched and more people are living inspired with us. Thanks for being part of the this Live Inspired movement and for sharing it with your friends.   Make sure you're subscribed for Season 3 (starts next week)! We'll be announcing exciting news about the Live Inspired community that you won't want to miss. Also, get inspiration and updates from me via email: JohnOLearyInspires.com/email Show notes: Hear my full Jack Buck story here (at 32:30). See the MLB Hall of Fame crystal baseball Jack gave me here. Jinny Ditzler (author, Your Best Year Yet) "Live your best life by answering these 10 questions; begin by looking back at where you've been." Jon Gordon (author of

"Most of us don't know how to have real honest conversation. Culturally today there's a lot of yelling and finger pointing. Radical candor creates a bridge to connect the two sides." Kim Scott, who literally wrote the book on radical candor (released this week!), will ROCK the way you communicate with colleagues, loved ones, neighbors and everyone in between. Whether working at her own start up or at Apple or Facebook, Kim has spent her career disproving the old saying "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Kim believes that - when coming from a place of love and humanity -honesty is the only policy. Stay-at-home moms, CEOs, educators, everyone: Radical candor is going to help you make a bigger impact. Here are my main takeaways: The most important thing is to stop looking up. There's nothing more damaging to intimacy than hierarchy. We often get so focused on what we have to accomplish we forget the person standing in front of us is a human being. (Don't look at your boss as a tyrant

What does improvisation bring to business and life? The idea that we are not competing. We are in agreement, working together, have each others' back and building a relationship.  Travis Thomas is an author, speaker, coach, improviser and expert at applying the cornerstone of improv - "YES AND!" - to succeed in life and business. Today, you'll learn how improvisation has shaped Travis's life and how it will shape yours. Don't miss this fun, intensly meaningful conversation. You will leave with a concrete tool that will  help you to live inspired like never before. My Main Takeaways: Being nervous means you care. As an improviser, we don't think "oh no" instead, we reframe it from nervous energy to excited energy. "You cannot progress until you say yes." The bedrock of improvisation, whether you are on a stage or the "stage of life" is Yes and... YES is acceptance (not trying to control because you can't change the facts). In improvisation, you have an understanding that no matter what the other person says,

"Just because you work through your stuff and you own it doesn't mean the evidence of it disappears." - William Paul Young William Paul Young's childhood broke him. As a husband and father, he hit rock bottom and began a journey to reconstruct the life he was meant to lead. Young shared this process in his book The Shack, written as a gift for his children to better understand his experience. He printed copies at his local printer to give them in 2005. To date, 22 million have sold... and The Shack Movie is premiering in theaters around the world today! Paul shares how to move past trauma, embrace consequence and stay within the grace of one day. This is one of the most epic interviews I’ve been a part of. Don’t miss it.   Key Takeaways: "Good creative works open up space for people to hear for themselves, what matters to them." How could this "little book" so deeply with so many around the world? Paul attributes it to "timing - where we are in human history. The Shack has given people a language to have

If you don't have motors in your life and you do have anchors, the anchors are going to pull you down and drown you. Be around positive people that pull you up and plant positivity, not fear. Jill Blashack Strahan shared this when reflecting on how she found significance and success as Founder & CEO of Tastefully Simple, despite experiencing tragic loss when her spouse and two brothers died much too early in life.  As a speaker, Jill often asks her audiences to "Think back to a time when you have been filled with fear. Did you get through it? Do you believe you are stronger because of it?" She continues by sharing her personal story as a mirror: "I tell them, I've been there. I made it through. You can make it through too." You are going to love hearing from my dear friend, client & author. From simple joys growing up on a dairy farm in Minnesota to the wisdom her grandmother continues to share today through books she recommended decades ago: Jill's story will remind you that you were put on this eart

When bad things happen, Dale Partridge no longer questions them. Instead, he thinks: "What will I learn from this moment?" After numerous pivots, failures and unmanageable businesses growth early in his career, Dale began "to hold less tight to things. I'm more open-handed because of these moments."   At one point his business was so successful, he couldn't grow fast enough to sustain it. On the outside he was successful and everyone was cheering him on. On the inside, he and his wife were experiencing panic attacks and a failing marriage. They knew they needed a change.  He was asked to step down - and he now sees it is the best thing that could have happened. He and his wife moved from city life in California to a farm in Oregon. They've healed their marriage, grown their family and Dale has re-established a thriving, sustainable business. You will get so much from the vulnerability with which Dales shares about his personal, professional and faith walk. My main take aways: Sometimes, a company can grow fa

Love of country was one of the most important tenants in Sergeant Rocky Sickmann's house the he was growing up. His father and brother were both in the army and Rocky joined the Marines. In October of 1979, Rocky was a guard at the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran. A few weeks later, he was taken hostage. He was held for the next 444 days. Rocky recounts the day he was taken hostage, gives unbelievable, historical context from his first-person experience and most importantly: Shares how faith, hope and simple, joy-filled memories are what got him through his darkest days. Key Takeaways:   Freedom is not free. Rocky is an epic reminder of the sacrifices made by men and women in the military. CHOOSING to be a victor, not a victim, is critical. When Rocky realized his health was deteriorating, he chose to not let the situation get the best of him. In doing so: He recommitted to eating despite having no appetite & doing push ups and pacing in his dark room. Everything you do has a consequence for someone else. A t

Discipline, toughness, enthusiasm and selflessness. If you combine these things, you have maximized what you can control in becoming a pro baseball player. Mike Matheny, manager and head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, husband and father, observed this truth after playing for 17 years and coaching for five. On today's show, he shares what it's like to win a World Series, fall in love and how having a "consistent and God-honoring" father shaped him into the man he is today.  The highlight of his career? "Making it there. That first day...and just thinking about the millions of kids playing youth sports and hoping to one day defy the odds. I was told as a teen to change my dream because making the big leagues was less likely than winning the lottery. But that encouraged me. I figured, somebody had to make it, why not me?" Injuries resulting from concussions throughout his career as a catcher abruptly ended his career, but Mike saw it as an opportunity to spend more time with his kids and make real estate inve

“Parents are so much more worried today then they were 35 years ago. They so desperately want to be ‘good parents’ that they’re exhausting important energy on stuff that doesn’t matter.” This is a quote from today’s guest, Meg Meeker, MD. Meg is a pediatrician, author, parent, wife, grandmother and business owner. Her goal is to diffuse fear-based parenting.  I shared the stage with Meg at the Dave Ramsey SMART Conference and fell in love with her message around her book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.  I selfishly invited her on the show to grow as a father myself and help you in your journey as a parent, too. Meg’s insights are great for parents, but relate to all of us as aunts, uncles, sons and daughters, too. Subscribe & listen on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or my website. MY MAIN TAKEAWAYS: 3 Ways to Shift from Fear-Based Parenting Shift your perspective of yourself in your kids eyes. If a child is with you, he doesn’t want anything other than knowing that you like being with him. Stop wo

Stay positive. Feed yourself so you can feed others. These are the key messages of Jon Gordon, author of bestselling book The Energy Bus and today's guest.  Jon and I met a few months back when we shared a stage at a client event. I've always loved the transformative fable he shares in The Energy Bus (about what happens when you change your mindset when entering "the bus of life" each day) and was excited to hear more about the man behind the story. Today, you're invited to hear this discussion!  Jon shares "stories even his closest friends haven't heard!" Many about the little known challenges leading up to his best-selling book career (the book was rejected 30 times before it was published; it had little reception for the first 5 years). Jon's story is about being positive and feeding yourself so you can feed others. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways:  "Sometimes you have to lose a goal to find your destiny." - Gordon "There is one song and we are part of the symphony." - Gordon "We are positive not

Almost a decade ago my life changed when I read Jinny Ditzler's book Your Best Year Yet. At the time I was struggling in my real estate development business and had not yet cracked into my speaking business. I read this book on the front side of a new year on the recommendation of a dear friend. Rather than quickly flip through, I read it like it was a workbook. Pen in hand, I took notes, answered her 10-Questions and in doing so created a one-page plan to attack that year.  I had great success and this year, I decided to walk through the same process with my team. We did so back in December and it was fantastic! So much so that we asked: How do we share this amazing, simple 10-Step process with the Live Inspired community? Friends, today, I am thrilled to have Jinny on the show, literally walking each of us through this life-changing plan step by step. Can you believe that? We are lucky! I am so touched that I get to share the gift of Jinny coaching us through how to make 2017 our best year yet. Jinny will r

Let's move our focus from the cold winter to where the sun is shining: Spring! One of my favorite parts of spring is March Madness. I love sports, I love baseball and I love the race to the final game (especially when the underdog wins).  Most importantly, after the final game, I love when they play the Luther Vandross song, One Shining Moment, while showing the highlights of the best plays from the entire tournament. They tie it all together and today, I am going to do something similar for you.  On today's episode, I'll recap each of my guests from Season 1 and my main takeaway from each. So many great tips on living inspired. Here we go! Susan O'Leary [my mom, author, speaker, mother, Christian leader] Mom  helped me kick off the season talking about life, the fire that change everything and her insights on resilience, faith, family and redemption.   Brian Buffini [business owner, speaker & author] He shared the question his grandfather asked when reviewing work for the family painting business: "Can

"You can have everything in life you want, as long as you just help enough other people get what they want." This is one of the most popular quotes from legendary speaker, Zig Ziglar and it is absolutely modeled through his son Tom's life today.  Tom Ziglar has influenced 250 million lives through his work. On today's show, Tom will  share about growing up with Zig as his father and how his dad walked the talk he shared with the world.  Tom shares about falling in love with sales, defines what "sales" really means and early failures he endured as a young president of his father's company. These were my main takeaways from our time together:  "Did you do everything you could? If yes, then you can sleep good tonight."  Zig didn't begin speaking until his late 30s; it's never too late to start a new path. The best advice Zig gave Tom (after he felt he was unfairly treated): "The only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you." Tom defines sales as: Listening and helping people solve

Today’s guest will help you to stop managing life and start LIVING it. She is a bestselling author, blogger, mom, leader of the hands free revolution and my dear friend: Rachel Macy Stafford. Every conversation I’ve had with Rachel is one of the most authentic conversations I’ve ever had - and today’s episode is no different. You'll see yourself in Rachel’s struggles, triumphs and story and you’ll be inspired by her tools to live life to the fullest. We're nearing the end of Live Inspired Podcast Season 1 and I absolutely saved Rachel to be one of the last for a reason. Today’s conversation is going to be an inflection point for you! My favorite takeaways from our time together: Stop managing life and start LIVING it. Set "distraction free" time every day. "Only love today." Hands Free Living - [n.] leaving your phone and schedule to just be. Letting go of control and unrealistic standards. Redefine what success is for YOU. What do you want to measure success by TODAY? When we see each others' scars we love

Today we have on our show Pulitzer Nominated author of 25 books Don Yaeger. From Walter Payton - one of the most prolific running backs in the history of the NFL - who wanted his book to NOT be about football, but about leaving a legacy as an organ donor… To John Wooden, who many consider the greatest coach of all time as he led the UCLA Men’s basketball team to 10 national championships in 12 years. You are going to hear amazing examples of individuals living inspired through Don’s LIBRARY of books he’s written and subsequently, friends he’s made. He'll also share about the lessons he’s learned as a business owner, son of a preacher, husband and father. My Key Takeaways:  You'll never out perform your inner circle. Surround yourself with excellence and that's what you'll become. "Make it your goal to have every person be better for having spent time with you." Be present because tomorrow is promised to no one. Write your spouse a love letter often - because you can. In relationships we often look for things

Today's guest is a comedian, author, speaker, huge over-comer and a new, dear friend of mine. She has been through more challenges and misadventures than most, but exemplifies more grace, forgiveness, courage and perseverance than anyone I have ever met. You've likely never heard of her but after our time together, I am certain you will never forget her! Kathy Buckley will share her story in such a way that you will be ready to live more inspired than ever before! My favorite takeaways from our time together: Nobody is in this world with nothing to give. We all have something to give. You can learn more about someone by being fully present with them than by listening to the words they are speaking (she's learned this truth through her lifelong hearing loss). Appreciate who you are and forget about being defined by others. These truths were also shared in her book, If You Could See What I Hear. I loved this book and absolutely devoured it. Order Kathy's book If You Could See What I Hear here. Check out Kath