Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

As a former elementary school teacher and founding member of Humans of San Quentin, Diane Kahn is a fierce advocate for second chances and shared humanity. By spending the past seven years working inside the walls of California’s most notorious prison, Diane empowers those incarcerated to earn their high school diplomas, tell their stories, and be seen not for what they’ve done, but for who they are.

Today, Diane shares what inspir...

It can be rare to receive – or maybe more importantly to give – meaningful recognition for the important work being done all around us.

In our race to the next activity, next location, next appointment, we often hurry right past the individuals providing worthy service directly in front of us. Rarely do we pause and thank the janitor for the clean bathroom, the cashier for taking the order, the driver for safe transport, or the hot...

Jeff Glasbrenner is a three-time Paralympian, two-time wheelchair basketball world champion, 25-time Ironman finisher, and the first American amputee to summit Mount Everest. And yet, beyond the titles and the records, Jeff is a man who’s said yes to life again and again, even when the odds were stacked against him.

Today, Jeff shares what it really means to overcome adversity, achieve the impossible, and say yes to big, mighty goa...

I only cried once during high school.

No, it wasn't the first day when Mom dropped me off.

And it wasn't when I saw my first report card, received my first demerit, or experienced my first detention.

It wasn't even when a friend accidentally ran over my foot in the parking lot or when none of my friends stood up to a ...

Dr. Jessica Peck has spent more than two decades as a pediatric nurse practitioner, a professor, and a nationally recognized advocate for children and families. She’s treated teens battling anxiety, depression, and self-harm, helped parents navigate the challenges of raising children in a rapidly changing world, and fought to protect young people from modern-day dangers like cyberbullying and trafficking. But her most important rol...

Carlos Whittaker, renowned thought leader and bestselling author of Reconnected, is on a mission to help us rediscover the art of real connection.

In a world dominated by screens and constant noise, Carlos did something radical. For seven weeks, he lived among Benedictine monks and Amish farmers, immersing himself in silence, simplicity and the rhythms of deep, intentional connection.

Today, Carlos shares what happened when he ste...

By 28, David Vincent had been arrested over 30 times, faced 18 felonies, and was staring down a 15-year sentence. Raised in the streets of Memphis by a mother who taught him to steal and a violent stepfather, his future seemed set—until he cried out for another chance. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of the Warrior Center, a faith-based rehabilitation program that helps men, women, and veterans battling homelessness and addiction f...

Why me?

This was the question I wrestled with frequently after getting burned.

When I was finally able to communicate with my parents after more than a month, the first question I asked wasn’t “When will I get out of here?” or “What’s next?” or “Who is watching my siblings while you sit at my bedside around the clock?”  No, it was simply, “Why me...

Orphaned at eight years old, Orv Kimbrough spent his childhood navigating the foster care system, facing setbacks that could have defined his future. And yet, he instead chose a different path. Today, he’s the chairman and CEO of Midwest BankCentre, leading with purpose and creating opportunities for others to thrive.

Join me as Orv shares how he refused to let his circumstances determine his future, the mindset shifts that helped ...

Each summer I have the honor of speaking at a camp for children who have one thing in common. No, it isn’t a political party or a shared ethnicity. It’s not a singular sex nor a similar economic background.

What galvanizes the children at Midwest Children’s Burn Camp is the shared experience of being burned.

One of the most difficult aspects of e...

Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to more than 25 million individuals around the world.

Gina Jernukian is the founder of Soul Survivor Ink, a nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors of human trafficking and former gang affiliation heal from the pain of their past by assisting them in the removal of “branding” tattoos and scars. Through this w...

Scott LeRette is a husband, father, and author of The Unbreakable Boy, the book that inspired the feature-length film of the same name. At its heart, his story is about one family's journey through brokenness, healing, and embracing life's messy, beautiful moments.

Today, Scott shares what it was like raising a son with brittle bone disease and autism, how his own battle with alcoholism nearly tore his family apart, and the moments...

Briana Morales was ready to give up. Although it was the Christmas season, she felt defeated, hopeless and absent of joy. The high school teacher was sitting at the bedside of a former student who had been shot. Having already lost more than a dozen current and former students to gun violence in the past few years, this was not an unfamiliar scenario for her. As she held vigil at that former student’s bedside, she received a phone ...

Jason Wahler is an addiction and mental health advocate whose personal battle with addiction has shaped his mission to educate, inspire, and support others in recovery. Once living a life of reality TV fame and endless opportunities, he was also struggling with substance abuse, on the brink of losing it all.

After years of public struggle, Jason turned his life around and is now committed to helping others break free from addiction...

Long before Steve Jobs put a device in our hands that lets us mindlessly tap away - giving the illusion of purpose while we wait and a tool to avoid any interaction whatsoever with strangers – I found myself seated alone at a lunch counter awkwardly waiting for my burger, fries and root beer.

While watching the cook throw burgers on the grill, I heard behind me the unmistaka...