John O'Leary

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.

Programs

In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Sense of Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy
There was a time when we once joyfully raised our hand high to answer every question, connected more easily with others around us, believed that anything was possible and fearlessly jumped into new experiences; when we experienced our days, not as something to endure, but as a marvelous gift to absorb and savor; when we danced through our days In Awe of the ordinary moments of the day and eager for the promise of tomorrow. Unfortunately, many of us experience life very differently today. The pace of change has never been so stunningly rapid, and it will never be this slow again. With engagement within our professional organizations waning and burnout rising, many of us find ourselves caught in a life of dogged responsibility and mind-numbing repetition, we feel disconnected and burned out.

Social media reminds us we don't measure up and mainstream media barrages us with constant negativity. 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 presentation, In Awe, John O'Leary invites you to return to the joy of navigating life like a child. He identifies the five senses children innately possess, explains why those senses fade, and shares emotional, humorous and inspirational stories of how we can return to them. 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.

The Power of One: How One Attitude, One action, And 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.

But his experience wasn't his alone. What makes John's life story and this keynote so engaging is the intimate involvement of many others. From a dedicated Hall of Fame sports announcer to a visionary burn nurse (and countless others), every individual involved in this 1987 fire and its aftermath teaches us this truth - one person can make a profound difference in the lives of others.

John uses his fire story as a backdrop to inspire you to see the abundant possibility within your professional and personal challenges. With emotional storytelling and unexpected humor, John reminds audiences of the significance of daily attitudes, the power of personal choices, and the profound impact of actions. He reawakens each audience member to realize the gift of today and the possibility of tomorrow.

On Fire: How to Ignite Your Radically Inspired Life
Why do some people attract success and joy, but others languish through failure and struggle? How are some companies surpassing sales goals, but others are unable to meet minimum expectations? Why are some teams able to embrace change and thrive in spite of it, but others fight against it and suffer because of it?

As a heavily-sought after speaker across multiple industries, John O'Leary masterfully teaches organizations why some fail and others succeed. Most importantly, he outlines specific techniques so individuals can utilize their current inflection points (every day moments which impact everything that comes after them) and transform challenges.

Whether your organization is striving to improve team engagement, employee accountability or change management: John has a solution for you. John is a man who defied death. At nine years of age, John was burned on 100% of his body in a house fire. After five months in the hospital, dozens of surgeries and years in therapy, John survived. Far from being an example of someone who simply endured something horrific, John is a luminous example on thriving through adversity. He now teaches others how live intentionally, lead effectively and impact profoundly.

His authentic message empowers audiences to shift their perspective, quit making excuses and start living a radically inspired life. This keynote is based on John's book, On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite Your Radically Inspired Life (Simon & Schuster). Experience this keynote and understand why John receives roaring standing ovations and stacks of heartfelt thank you letters. Every time.

Beyond the Fire (Partnership Program)
The power of John O'Leary's message has a universal application and can be uniquely personalized for your organization. John regularly partners with leaders to customize presentations to complement their annual conferences, meetings and events. John successfully highlights the organization's mission, values, or specific meeting objectives and uses his experiences (professionally, personally, and from his global travels) as a backdrop to offer action steps and applicable take-aways. Because of this, John is a heavily sought-after keynote speaker in healthcare, sales, executive leadership, safety, and education.

Effective Teamwork. Improving Engagement. Furthering Accountability. Increasing Vision. Deepening Purpose. Discovering Balance. Stretching through Change. These are a few of the topics John has tailored his message to for other organizations.

Be the Light (Christian, Faith-Based Program)
We live in a period of darkness. Global tensions, political unrest, economic crisis, fragmented communities, and intensifying violence. These issues impact all of us. In our personal lives, we each battle challenges in our families, relationships, health, and finances.

Be the Light reminds us that light pushes back darkness, love destroys evil, The Author of Life still reigns, and the best is yet to come. This program inspires audiences to shine possibility, hope and faith into a community starved for it. You and your community will be reminded that God still works miracles, He orchestrates amazing interactions through individuals here on earth, and He has called you to Be the Light! Prepare to let your light shine!