John O'Leary

President of Rising Above LLC
John O'Leary
  • Sustained and survived burns on 100% of his body after childhood accident
  • Best-selling author of the book, On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life
  • Reminds audience of the significance of daily attitudes, the power of gratitude, and the impact of serving others with courage

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In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live.

This epic story of survival was first showcased in his parents’ book, Overwhelming Odds, in 2006. Originally printing 200 copies for friends and family, his parents have sold 60,000+ copies. It was this book that first invited John to embrace his miraculous recovery and share it with the world.

John inspires 50,000+ people at 100+ events each year. He speaks to companies and organizations across industries, such as: sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance.

Consistently described as “the best speaker we’ve ever had,” John receives nearly 100% of his engagements from referrals. His schedule is a testament to the power of his message and who he is as an individual. His emotional story-telling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each of his presentations truly transformational.

John’s first book ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was an instant #1 National Bestseller; 200,000+ copies have sold and it has been translated into 12 languages. John’s Live Inspired Podcast is top rated on Apple Podcast and has more than 2,000,000 downloads.

His second book IN AWE: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy will be published by Penguin Random House in May 2020.

John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.

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John O'Leary - Author and Keynote Speaker

John O'Leary: How To Truly Live

The Power Of One: How One Attitude, One Action, & One Person Can Change The World. Expected to die, John O’Leary now teaches others how to truly live. John was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, he created a massive explosion in his garage and was burned on 100% of his body. Given less than 1% chance of survival, John is proof of the power of the human spirit. His unlikely recovery meant a journey of pain and loss that could have easily been insurmountable. However, far from being an example of someone who simply endured tragedy, John is a luminous example of thriving through adversity.

Surprisingly, this “survivor” story isn’t focused on John, rather, it is a celebration of heroes who intimately served him and his family. From a dedicated Hall of Fame sports announcer to a visionary burn nurse (and countless others), every individual involved in this 1987 fire teaches us this truth: one person can make a profound difference in the lives of others.

With emotional storytelling and unexpected humor, John reminds audiences of the significance of daily attitudes, the power of gratitude, and the impact of serving others with courage. He reawakens audiences to realize the gift of today and the possibility of tomorrow.

John is consistently referenced as “the best speaker we’ve ever had”earning five star reviews and inspiring 50,000+ individuals at 100+ events each year. His book, On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, was an instant #1 national best-seller, has sold 100,000+ copies and has been translated into 12 languages.

Objectives:
John illustrates this truth: One attitude, one action and one person can absolutely change the world.

Employee Engagement: 70% of the workforce is not engaged.* John dramatically “wakes people up” to realize their role and responsibility is significant. *2012 Gallup poll

Culture: John helps organizations build a positive atmosphere to increase creativity and productivity. Audiences learn how to reignite an environment built on shared goals, values and focus.

Communication: John outlines unconventional communication methods to dramatically (and positively) impact relationships.


On Fire: The 7 Choices To Ignite Your Radically Inspired Life. We live in a world where “accidental living”mindlessly moving through routines, wasting countless hours on social media, or complaining about what’s wrong in our jobs, families and societyhas become the norm. But John O’Leary reminds us that just because we got out of bed this morning, does not mean that we are truly living. What would our day, impact and output look like if we lived a radically inspired life, every, single day?

Living radically inspired means you learn from past mistakes, rise above challenges and thrive no matter the circumstances. No one embodies this more than powerhouse inspirational speaker John O’Learywho was nearly killed in a devastating fire at age nine. Today, John inspires 50,000+ people each year around the world.

In his #1 national best-selling book, On Fire, The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, John has identified choices to transform your life and business.

John shares the critical truth that “inflection points”moments in time that change everything that followsoccur daily. John will help you realize it’s your choice how inflection points affect you. Your life has much less to do with what happens to you, and much more to do with how you react to it. Are you ready to live on fire?

Objectives:
Accountability: Own your wins and your failures to truly celebrate your outcomes. Discover the power of taking ownership of your life and the impact it will have on your bottom-line. Your team will replace blame-shifting with courageous living.

Victor-Mindset: Shift your perspective to leverage your strength and reclaim freedom. First, see how perspective is coloring each of your interactions. Strive for progress (not perfection) and learn from defeat. With a new common mindset, your organization will achieve unbridled success.
 

Be The Light: How To Follow Your Calling To “Be Light” In The Modern World. It is easy to feel like we are living in a period of darkness, with the current global tensions, political unrest, fragmented communities and intensifying violence. Be The Light reminds us that light pushes back darkness, love destroys evil, God still reigns and the best is yet to come. Most importantly, we’re reminded that as Christians, we are called to be the light. In his keynote, John shares eight keys to empower you to fulfill this calling.

No one understands the importance of having light in a dark world more than powerhouse inspirational speaker John O’Learywho was nearly killed in a devastating fire at age nine. Today, John inspires 50,000+ people each year around the world.

John’s poignant storytelling is a blend of emotion, humor and authenticity. His faith testimony beautifully illustrates the power of prayer and God’s presence during our times of greatest challenge.

Objectives:
Disciple Engagement: Each year, 2.7 million American church members fall into inactivity.* John “wakes people up” to realize their role and responsibility in “being the light” is significant. *ChurchLeadership.org

Fellowship: John helps organizations build a positive atmosphere to increase dialogue and connection. Audiences learn how to reignite an environment built on prayer, values and hope.

Communication: John outlines unconventional communication methods to dramatically (and positively) impact relationships.

 

In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy. We once raised our hand to answer every question, and jumped into new experiences boldly, excitedly, and without fear. Now, too many of us find ourselves caught in a life of dogged responsibility and mind-numbing repetition; we are disconnected and burned out. The years of test-taking, relentless striving toward someone else's goals, and the daily struggle to earn a living, have caused us to lose the sense of wonder that we once awoke with every day.

In his new talk, John O'Leary gives us the tools to help us rediscover the child-like qualities of wonder, expectancy, immersion, belonging and freedom that allow us to live life more fully, power past today’s perceived challenges and reignite our lives.

The damage is reversible. Strengthened by the past, and empowered for the future, In Awe shows us how to seek fresh insights, reach for new solutions, and live our best lives.

Objectives:

Innovation: John invites us to explore what might happen when we no longer see obstacles as impossibilities, or rely on what has always been done, but reengage our natural curiosity that asks questions, pushes boundaries, and liberates us to innovate with new ways of thinking, solving, leading, and living.

Collaboration: John invites us to stop building fences focusing on our differences, and instead show our vulnerability and need for others, which resuscitates the feeling of acceptance, belonging and community. Learn how to reignite an environment built on shared goals, values and focus.

Empowerment and Accountability: John invites to see what’s possible when we set aside the  protectionism that keeps us safe, begin to own our choices, claim our power, and live again as if anything is possible.

 

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