<p>John O’Leary shares his breathtaking story of resilience and hope—soon to be seen in a major motion picture starring William H. Macy—leaving audiences inspired to lead boldly, live intentionally, and rise above any challenge.</p><p>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.</p><p>This epic story of survival was first showcased in his parents’ book,<em> Overwhelming Odds</em>, 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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 storytelling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each of his presentations truly transformational.</p><p>John’s first book <em>On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life </em>was an instant #1 National Bestseller; 200,000+ copies have sold, and it has been translated into 12 languages. His remarkable life story is being brought to the big screen in the upcoming feature film <em>Soul on Fire </em>starring William H. Macy and John Corbett (October 2025). John’s Live Inspired Podcast is top rated on Apple Podcast and has more than 2,000,000 downloads.</p><p>His second book In <em>Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy</em> was published by Penguin Random House (2020).</p><p>John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.</p>
Burn Victim Survivor, Life Coach, and Healthcare Advocate
<ul><li><strong>Ignite Your Life!</strong></li><li>In this presentation, O'Leary inspires audiences to look deeply within themselves, discover who they are, the talents they possess, the challenges they’ve endured, and their ability to grow through adversity. Through this program, audiences are ignited with a life full of possibility not yet even imagined!</li><li><strong>The Power of One</strong></li><li>Journey with John O'Leary as he powerfully celebrates the possibility of how you can serve, love and impact more profoundly in your own life. He reveals how pride in one’s own life wildly impacts others personally and professionally.</li><li><strong>Be the Light: Shining with Faith</strong></li><li>Today's world can seem so dark. We are too often reminded of the pain and disappointment in our everyday lives. Health, financial, and relational challenges impact all who live in this imperfect, fallen world. Our faith doesn't offer the guarantee of avoiding adversity, but instead the promise of a loving God who suffers with us in our pain, celebrates with us in our joy, and invites us into an eternal relationship with him.</li><li><strong>Healthcare</strong></li><li>As a former trauma patient and hospital chaplain, John O'Leary is a popular speaker choice for hospital systems, healthcare associations and medical/EMS conferences around the world. He understands that the healthcare profession demands quality individuals dedicated to the service of patients and families – in an environment often filled with limited resources and exhaustive schedules. Sharing from his personal experience as a burn victim, O’Leary reveals the difference between curing and healing patients.</li></ul>