Commitment is an act, not a word. - Jean-Paul Sartre Last week I saw first-hand the selflessness and commitment of caregiving from two shining examples. In addition to watching my mom prepare my dad for surgery, I interviewed Richard Lui, NBC News journalist who was prepared to put his 30-year career on hold to care for his father with Alzheimer's. Today, let's recognize that the work of a committed caregiver can be wildly isolating and absolutely exhausting. Let's let them know we are aware of ...
May 17, 2021•7 min
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 54 million Americans give care for an ill or disabled family member. Five years ago, NBC News journalist Richard Lui found himself in this group as his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Today, Richard shares about preparing to leave his 30-year career to care for his father and how the prolonged illness taught him the power of selflessness. While caring for others has profound difficulties, Richard shows us how it can also offer an abundanc...
May 13, 2021•57 min•Season 12Ep. 358
Did you hear last week's Live Inspired Podcast with Seth Godin? When I asked one of the greatest marketers, thought leaders and influencers of our time how he wants to be remembered he said: "Someone who made a ruckus. To shine a light; do generous, remarkable work; teach people to teach other people; and leave things better than they found them." Be a ruckus-maker: Do little things consistently well and use your talents in ways that amplify others. Listen to Seth Godin on Live Inspired Podcast ...
May 10, 2021•5 min•Season 12Ep. 357
Seth Godin is one of the world's most renowned marketing experts, 20-time bestselling author, distinguished speaker and writer of one of the most popular blogs on the Internet. Seth is also one of the most humble people I've ever spoken with + shared profound yet simple, thought-provoking life reflections I can't stop thinking about. Seth's brilliant insights on life, success, failure, and the "audacity to settle for anything less than remarkable" are a treasure you won't want to miss. SHOW NOTE...
May 06, 2021•57 min•Season 12Ep. 356
The approval ratings in which we view our photos, actions, thoughts and lives is a broken system. A week ago a friend sent me a hilariously negative review he found on Amazon regarding my book On Fire . We spend significant time rating others and ingesting their judgment of us. The goal of our lives is not status or ease, but leading, serving, elevating and inspiring in such a manner that other lives are better because we were part of it. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCA...
May 03, 2021•8 min•Season 12Ep. 355
Celebrating National Siblings Month, my sister Susan O'Leary Ciapciak joined me via livestream for this special episode. We discuss her life-saving role the day of my fire, the challenges of being a working mother of five during a global pandemic, and more! Watch a replay of the livestream on Facebook or YouTube ! If you enjoy this episode... You'll love hearing my episode about adult sibling relationships. I share three things we do to stay close as adults! Don't miss it, listen to ep. 88 here ...
Apr 29, 2021•39 min•Season 12Ep. 354
Studies show that Americans work longer hours and have more stress-related illnesses than their European and Japanese counterparts. Bucking this statistic Megan Hyatt Miller is chief executive officer at Michael Hyatt & Co., recently named a 2020 Best Workplace by Inc. Magazine, a ranking of American companies'employee engagement. Megan and her father New York Times bestselling author + leadership expert Michael Hyatt wrote Win at Work and Succeed at Life to coach leaders through the princip...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 352
Amy Wolff did everything wrong... and yet it worked. With more than 1,000,000 "tokens of encouragement" displayed across the United States and in over 26 countries, Amy's desire to make a difference is life-saving. Today, remember that you may get everything wrong. But the simple act of courageously taking the next right step may lead to significance and impact you can't yet imagine. Amy Wolff shared what ignited this global movement. Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 350 here . *** Join our L...
Apr 19, 2021•7 min•Season 12Ep. 351
Don't give up. You are worthy of love. Your mistakes don't define you. These simple phrases launched a global movement. Overwhelmed by the staggering suicide rates in her small Oregon town, Amy Wolff was determined to support those struggling. With her husband and two young daughters, Amy anonymously staked 20 yard signs with encouraging phrases across their community, never anticipating it would ignite a powerful + life-saving movement of hope, love and encouragement. Today, these phrases are d...
Apr 15, 2021•1 hr•Season 12Ep. 350
As winter surrenders to spring and the number of those vaccinated soar, our office has been receiving far more requests for both live and virtual presentations including several as their commencement speaker. With less than ten minutes to speak with graduates who are turning the page on an important chapter of their lives, stepping into a post-pandemic world, and likely dealing with significant anxiety around what their life will be like next... what do I say? Today, I share the one sentence tha...
Apr 12, 2021•8 min•Season 12Ep. 249
Research suggests that our experiences in childhood will have a profound impact on the overall wellbeing + trajectory of our life. Never acknowledged by his father and abandoned by his mother at three years old, Steve Pemberton spent his childhood being shuffled through the foster care system where he was abused, neglected and forgotten. Yet small gestures of kindness from ordinary people helped Steve forge a new path that that led to personal and professional success. Today, Steve is a husband,...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 12Ep. 348
It's easy to not respond... to remain passive, indifferent, busy. But as I was reminded last week, the most effective, transformational and life-giving leaders are the ones who respond and pay attention. They are the ones who step up and step forward. And, they aren't always the individuals you thought they'd be.
Apr 05, 2021•8 min•Season 12Ep. 347
In April 1994, nine-year-old Jeanne Celestine Lakin's parents and nearly all of her adult relatives were some of the one million people killed during the Rwandan government's ethnic massacre. For 100 days, Jeanne and her three-year-old twin sisters hid in bushes to stay safe. Heartbreaking and unimaginable, Jeanne shares her harrowing story of survival, courage and strength. Jeanne reminds us that we all have the power to choose forgiveness, leave a legacy of peace and move forward. SHOW NOTES: ...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 12Ep. 346
As a child, I never understood why Jack Buck was so generous. Even after his death, I couldn't comprehend why he did so much, so selflessly for some random little boy. Years later, his son Joe shared the reason... In a world where many look for evidence of things that divide, diminish, cause pain or excuse poor behavior, let's seek to be the ones who unify, elevate, reflect hope and take positive action. The very act of showing up, sharing love, being kindness and offering encouragement will in ...
Mar 29, 2021•7 min•Season 12Ep. 345
In the span of a few weeks, Nora McInerny experienced three unimaginable losses: a miscarriage, the death of her father and the death of her husband. Yet in the wake of loss, Nora, host of the popular podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking and author of bestselling books No Happy Endings and The Young Hot Widows Club reminds us that we get to assemble something new from what is left behind. Today, Nora shares about the painful experiences we inevitably face, how to cope with the emotional aftermath...
Mar 25, 2021•57 min•Season 12Ep. 344
"During a period of personal heartache, professional adversity and societal upheaval, I've been encouraged by the words you speak, stories you share and impact your organization is part of. Thank you." - Mark W., Live Inspired Together Community Member Years ago our Live Inspired team went through the process of clarifying why we do the work we do, what we stand for, and what we hope to achieve through our efforts. In understanding the True North of our business and creating our manifesto, we be...
Mar 22, 2021•8 min•Season 12Ep. 343
Can you imagine losing your ability to see? At 20 years old, this became Christine Ha's reality. Instead of losing faith or focusing on what she had lost, she used it as her inspiration to pursue her life's passion: cooking. Christine joined the competitive cooking reality TV show Masterchef , hosted by notoriously hard-to-please celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Christine won MasterChef Season 3, has hosted her own show, opened her own restaurant, written a New York Times bestseller Recipes from my...
Mar 18, 2021•53 min•Season 12Ep. 342
"We get so wrapped up in numbers in our society. The most important thing is that we are able to be one-to-one, you and I with each other at the moment. If we can be present to the moment with the person that we happen to be with, that's what's important." ― Fred Rogers It's easy to simply race through the day, check off the to-do-list, go to bed exhausted, wake up tired, wash and repeat. We seldom pause and ask the question, "What truly matters most right now?" The global pandemic over the past...
Mar 15, 2021•6 min•Season 12Ep. 341
Paula Faris spent two decades ascending to two of the most coveted jobs in broadcast journalism: co-anchor on Good Morning America + co-host on The View . Yet burnt out + frustrated, Paula walked away... and was left unsure of her identity outside of her career. Today, Paula shares the success she achieved professionally, the chaos that came with it + how embracing her fear of failure brought her peace. This conversation is a reminder that we're worth so much more than our work. Join us in this ...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 12Ep. 340
We live in a marketplace that feels so isolated, stressed and divided. At age 10 a painful experience revealed how broken, disabled, and imperfect I was, and it's a lesson we can all benefit from today. Today, I invite you to view your painful experiences as a gift preparing you for something bigger. You will not find peace, acceptance or joy in someone else's opinion of you, but by choosing to love yourself. Approach friends, acquaintances and strangers with confidence, love and an open embrace...
Mar 08, 2021•10 min•Season 12Ep. 339
As co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph laid much of the groundwork for the streaming service that's grown to 150 million subscribers, and fundamentally altered how the world experiences media. With over 40 years of entrepreneurial experience, Marc has built six other successful companies, mentored hundreds of early stage entrepreneurs, and invested in dozens of successful tech ventures. Today, Marc reveals seldom-shared anecdotes about Netflix including how the iconic brand got...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr•Season 12Ep. 338
After delivering more than 2,000 speeches and speaking live to several million people, I have been honored to not only hear amazing stories from audience members, but on occasion to receive gifts from them. Today, I share a few of the most memorable gifts received and why the audacity of giving is more important than the gift itself. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5010. *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or w...
Mar 01, 2021•7 min•Season 12Ep. 337
In 2006, Ben Nemtin and three childhood friends started The Buried Life: a list of 100 things to do before you die. For every item on the list they accomplished, they helped a stranger cross something off their bucket list. Ben has crossed off 93 including write a New York Times bestselling book What Do You Want to Do BeforeYou Die? , make a TV show, be interviewed by Oprah (who called their mission "truly inspiring") and play basketball with President Obama (who said Ben is an "inspiration for ...
Feb 25, 2021•57 min•Season 12Ep. 336
"The dreams we chase, the goals we set, and the prayers we request say much about the lives we lead." Today I share the story of two incredible parents who when faced with the unimaginable, chose to offer up their pain for a cause even greater than themselves. I hope this serves as a reminder of the importance of the dreams and goals we choose to chase in life and legacy... and how one life indeed can make a difference. *** Join our Live Inspired Together community, text PODCAST2021 to 314-207-5...
Feb 22, 2021•8 min•Season 12Ep. 335
New York Times calls Sebastian Maniscalco "the hottest comic in America". With sold-out comedy shows, hit television specials and interviews on all the major late-night talk shows, Sebastian's distinct style of stand-up comedy has struck a chord, bringing joy to millions during the pandemic. Today, Sebastian shares how perseverance and hustle have been the key ingredients to attaining the success he once only dreamed of, the challenges that come with it and where he finds inspiration. If you're ...
Feb 18, 2021•56 min•Season 12Ep. 334
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller Jimmy Choi is an accomplished marathon runner, triathlete and participant on American Ninja Warrior. Remarkably, he's done all of this after his diagnose of early onset Parkinson's disease. During an emotional inflection point a decade ago, Jimmy Choi made a a promise to his family that he'd no longer simply surrender his life to a disease. What he's learned since is that the daily decisions we make profoundly influence the ...
Feb 15, 2021•10 min•Season 12Ep. 333
Recently a video of Jimmy Choi went viral on video-sharing social network TikTok in which he was having a hard time opening his pill bottle because of his early-onset Parkinson's. The TikTok community rallied around Jimmy. The result? So inspiring: An "accessible" bottle was created that Jimmy can now open with ease. So honored to have Jimmy on the show to share the story behind the video, what it was like to be diagnosed with the disease at 27, the eight years of denial after the diagnosis + AL...
Feb 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 322
Last week I was invited to speak for the United States Men's National Soccer team and answer the question: How do you achieve something as a team far greater than what could be accomplished as a disjoined collection of individuals? Tune in to hear my response and my take on their three core values: Relentless, Brave and Unity. *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Feb 08, 2021•7 min•Season 12Ep. 331
Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues have skyrocketed among kids, teens and young adults; and this is long before pandemic-related isolation. Dr. Tim Jordan is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, helping children and their families navigate development and maintain strength, happiness and fulfillment. Dr. Jordan shares his common-sense approach that enables parents to: be more confident and effective reduce conflict and drama remain a strong influence throughout their chil...
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 12Ep. 330
Life, like the weather, is hard to predict. In a marketplace addicted to the 24/7 connectivity through cable news or social media feeds, consider taking a break that will free you to control the things you can, let go of what you can't and celebrate the unexpected along the way. We too often confuse knowledge with wisdom and conflate someone else telling us what matters with embracing the things that actually do. *** Learn how to rediscover your childlike sense of wonder to unleash inspiration, ...
Feb 01, 2021•5 min•Season 12Ep. 329
