Ignite Your Purpose (ft. John O’Leary, 2x Bestselling Author + Global Thought Leader)

Ignite Your Purpose (ft. John O’Leary)

How John O’Leary went from out of the fire into the hearts of millions

OPENING QUOTE:

“Jack taught me four things, real quick: say yes, show up, come back, bring friends. And that's what I want to do. We want to change the world one life at a time, starting with yours.”

—John O’Leary

GUEST BIO:

John O’Leary is a two-time national bestselling author and world-renowned thought leader who, in 1987, was burned by a massive explosion in his home that left burns on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live. Today, John hosts the Live Inspired Podcast, which has more than 2.5 million downloads, and speaks to over 50,000 people every single year.

Links:

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[2:10] - Being Awake vs. Feeling Alive

The moment John came to life was long after the fire

For two decades after the fire, John felt lost and directionless. Then he began to consider his talents, and how they could be used to create a life of purpose regardless of what had come before. Today, John speaks powerfully on the difference between simply being awake and feeling alive. We should all seek a life that makes us feel alive every day.

[14:36] - A Ladder On the Wrong Wall

Why relentless drive is nothing without purpose

John describes a conversation he had with someone who obtained every material success, before succumbing to addiction and losing it all. The way he puts it, he had reached the top of the ladder— but the ladder was leaning up against the wrong wall. What are the ladders in our lives? Are we sure we’re climbing toward a destination that’s worth reaching?

[21:28] - The Heroes That Make Us

You don’t have to make yourself the protagonist in your story

In the speaking industry where both Paul and John have made a career, it’s easy for some speakers to slip into self-aggrandizing stories of their own achievements. But both our host and our guest prefer to focus on the impact of those who have touched their lives— after all, we are made by the people who shape us.

[38:09] - The Power of Empathy

Love and grace through pain and suffering

After the fire that burned 100% of John’s body and destroyed his parents home, John expected his father to be furious. Instead, he expressed how proud he was of John for getting through this tremendous trial. John never forgot the lesson in this experience— that a little empathy toward the people we love can transform their lives and our own.

RESOURCES:

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SHOW PARTNER:

The WHY Institute

Are you ready to find your ‘why’? Our partners at the WHY Institute have created the single most high-impact assessment for finding your personal why in life and work. In just five minutes, discover more about who you are, how you think, and why you do what you do than any other personal assessment available.  

The best part? It’s completely free for Playmakers listeners. Are you ready to find our WHY in just five minutes? Take your assessment now.

FREE ASSESSMENT

ABOUT THE HOST:

Paul Epstein may not be a hard charging running back on the actual football field, but his list of high-profile wins in the world of sports will have you thinking that he could be.

Paul has spent nearly 15 years as a pro sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office. He’s transformed numerous NBA teams from the absolute bottom in league revenue to top-two in financial performance. He’s broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history as the NFL’s sales leader. He opened a billion-dollar stadium, helped save the New Orleans NBA franchise, and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy.

He's since installed his leadership and high-performance playbook with Fortune 500 leaders, Founders and CEOs, MBAs, and professional athletes.

Now, as a global keynote speaker, #1 bestselling author, personal transformation expert, turned senior leader and advisor to PurposePoint and the Why Institute, and host of the Playmakers: On Purpose podcast, Paul explores how living and working with a focus on leadership, culture, and purpose can transform organizations and individuals anywhere to unleash their full potential.

Learn more about Paul at: PaulEpsteinSpeaks.com

ABOUT PLAYMAKERS: ON PURPOSE:

The Playmakers: On Purpose podcast is an all-access pass to a purpose-centered tribe of leaders in business, sports, and life who are on a mission of meaning and impact. The show takes purpose from an out of reach North Star to a practical and tactical exploration of how we can step into each day, ON PURPOSE, where life no longer happens “to us”, it begins to happen “for us”. 

From the Why Coach of the San Francisco 49ers to your coach, take a seat at the table with sports industry executive, #1 bestselling author, personal transformation expert, turned senior leader and advisor to PurposePoint and the Why Institute, Paul Epstein, in this inspiring, yet immediately actionable podcast. 

From formative stories pre-purpose to personal and professional transformation’s post-purpose, each show will share a high-energy, prescriptive blueprint to ignite impact and drive inner success, fulfillment, and purpose no matter your starting point. It’s time to meet Paul at the 50 and get ready to live and lead ON PURPOSE.

Learn more at: PlaymakersPod.com

ABOUT DETROIT PODCAST STUDIOS:

In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. 

With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits. Here’s to making (podcast) history together.

Learn more at: DetroitPodcastStudios.com

CREDITS: