Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

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:

• "For nine years, my parents gave me the love to carry me to this day."
• In addition to having a large immediate + extended family, Jeanne felt closeness with many other families in her village. because of how welcoming her parents were.
• Power shift in the 1960s: While being colonized, Rwanda was divided into ethic groups with the largest being the Hutus (85%), frequently accompanied by Twa (1%) and the former ruling class of Tutsis (13-15%).
• April 7, 1994: The Rwandan government seals the border, preventing any Tutsis from escaping, and in the following 100 days, over one million people would be killed.
• Anticipating they'd only have to flee for a few days, Jeanne's dad divides the children into groups of three. Jeanne, first seeking refuge with her aunt before being kicked out into the wilderness, was responsible for her twin three-year-old sisters.
• In the midst of Rwanda's rainy season + hearing voices of those being slaughtered, Jeanne relied on prayer and faith to cope with the chaos.
• Filled with raging pain + defeat after watching her dad get murdered, Jeanne would pray, "let them be blind and not see me."
• "Life will continue to happen. It's not necessarily what happens to us, it's what we do with what happens."
• After giving her family a proper burial, Jeanne's pregnant mother was preparing the flee the country prior to April 7. Just weeks later, Jeanne's uncle shared that her mother and three-week-old brother was murdered.
• "I'll be with you." At a refuge camp lined up to be murdered, a woman claims Jeanne as her child, miraculously sparing her life.
• Unanswered questions: Propaganda fueled hatred towards Tutsis yet Jeanne chooses to leave a legacy of peace, honor those lost and express her feelings about her life experiences.
• “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” - Nelson Mandela
• Who do you have to forgive? Forgiving someone that harmed us isn't letting them off the hook but rather giving yourself the best gift.
• Learn more about Jeanne Celestine Lakin's non-profit One Million Orphans here.

JEANNE CELESTINE LAKIN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Gift by Dr. Edith Eva Eger.

2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Extreme mental flexibility.

3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? Photo albums of my husband as a child.

4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? The sweet woman that saved my life.

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? My dad would say, "envision what you want to be in the world."

6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Love yourself because when you love yourself you can go out and love others.

7. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? I survived and I'm leaving an impact on the world.

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About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking culture that empowers their people and fosters loyal partnerships. Keeley Companies are a proud sponsor, partner, and super fan of the Live Inspired Podcast. Learn more about Keeley Companies.

In my late twenties, I did not believe in myself.

Before I realized I had a story worth sharing – or in the truth that we all have a story worth sharing – my longtime friend, Rusty Keeley, believed enough to invest in having me speak to his company. He was my first client.

That inflection point launched my speaking career. He then directly and indirectly introduced me to more than 100 speaking clients. He wanted nothing out of these introductions other than to see a life-giving story spread into a marketplace.

Subsequently, he’s challenged me as a friend and board member to dramatically grow as a speaker and business owner, not for my own self interest, but to better the lives of others.

It’s no surprise, then, that Rusty, CEO of Keeley Companies which does $500 million in revenue, describes his job as: “I get to make sure there is food on the table for the families of 1,800 Keeley’ns. I take that very seriously.”

It’s his people-first mentality that has both grown his company’s bottom line 100x during his tenure + that has built the unmatchable culture that keep “Keeley’ns” thriving. It’s also why we chose to partner with Keeley Co. as our first ever sponsor of the Live Inspired Podcast.

Today, I'm grateful to share with you Rusty's generous heart, caring spirit + business intel that will inspire you to choose significance over success.

SHOW NOTES:

• What's a Keeley'n? Keeley Companies are dedicated to the safety, well-being, and career growth of every employee, called Keeley'n, and continuing to strengthen the culture his father Larry Keeley instilled when starting the construction arm of the business in 1976.
• At 27 years old, Rusty joined the Keeley team and today is blessed to work with both his father + father-in-law.
• Julie Keeley, Rusty's wife of 25 years, continually inspires him to pivot success into significance including their work with World Pediatric Project, an organization that heals critically ill children around the world.
• Heal a child, change the world. Through WPP, the Keeley family welcome a young Jamaican boy named Ryan into their family and provided him with life-saving medical treatment, love + education.
• Find the opportunity: During difficult times, Rusty seeks opportunities to make an impact including partnering with the Urban League to provide tens of thousands of St. Louis families with food throughout the summer.
• KeeleyCares, the philanthropic arm of the business, focuses on children, health, community and education while creating a close-knit culture within the organizations.
• Learn more about Keeley Companies.

RUSTY KEELEY'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read?

• Business: Growing Pains by Eric Flamholtz
• Relationally: The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman
• Stories of overcoming: Overwhelming Odds by Susan and Denny O'Leary, On Fire and In Awe by John O'Leary
• Others: One Last Strike by Tony La Russa and Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Fearlessness.

3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? My backpack and a few watches.

4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? My wife Julie, my mom Jacqueline and Jan Torrisi-Mokwa.

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? "Fail often, fail fast, fail forward," or "It's hard to beat someone that never gives up" by Babe Ruth.

6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Don't take yourself too seriously, enjoy the moments and lighten up.

7. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? Leave the world a better place. Make a difference in someone's life.

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About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselve...

At a time that many of us feel there is less to celebrate than usual, today’s guest reminds us that despite the challenges there is so much good! Even better, he shares tips so you can see it for yourself.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator behind the wildly popular Lunch Lady and Jedi Academy series, wrote the graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo that moved me profoundly. In it, he shares about the gift of his grandparents, who raised him because of his mother’s heroin addict. Today’s conversation will remind you that what you’ve weathered does not have to hinder your opportunity to live a better, bigger, bolder life now.

SHOW NOTES:

• At 3 years old, Jarrett began being raised by his maternal grandparents while his mother was battling a heroin addiction.
• As the son of immigrants, Jarrett’s grandfather taught his children their lineage and the importance of hard work.
• Pandora’s Box: As a child, Jarrett used sketching as a way to process his unique situation yet it was when his wife was pregnant with their first child that talk therapy helped him better understand his past.
• “My grandfather once said I was sickeningly well-behaved as a kid. Part of that was fear losing stability.”
• Hey, Kiddo: In Jarrett’s award-winning young adult memoir, he candidly shares his unconventional childhood, the nightmares that haunted him and how drawing became his outlet to express himself.
• In 2012, Jarrett openly shared about his childhood for the first time publicly during a TED Talk. This allowed him to find the balance of sharing his story, hearing other’s stories and self-care to prepare him to write Hey, Kiddo. Watch his TED Talk here.
• In the audio-version of Hey, Kiddo, the influential teachers in Jarrett’s life voiced their parts of the story.
• While working at Camp Sunshine, a family camp for critically and terminally ill children, Jarrett was inspired to create more tender stories for a younger audience.
• Jarrett’s second graphic novel Sunshine will be published in 2021 and details the life-changing story of a Camp Sunshine camper + the profound impact it had on his life.
• Raising compassionate kids: “As parents, we lead by example. We suspect our kids aren’t paying attention but they will remember the way we behaved more so than the way we talked.”
• Two-year process: Receiving dozens of rejection letters from publishers, Jarrett figured they favored his illustrations over his writing. Every week, he’d send new artwork to publishers which led to a publishing deal for his first book Good Night, Monkey Boy.
• In his wildly successful Lunch Lady series, Jarrett highlights the often-overlooked and underappreciated workforce of those serving children.
• Get Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s book Hey, Kiddo here.
• Pre-order Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s second graphic novel Sunshine here.
• Learn more about Jarrett J. Krosoczka here.

JARRETT J. KROSOCZKA'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.

2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? I wish I still had that level of imagination.

3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? My flat files that have the artwork from all of my books.

4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? My grandfather and we’d feed Stanley and Leroy the seagulls.

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Whenever someone wronged me, my grandmother would say, “tell them to $h!t in their hat,” and my grandfather would say, “sometimes when you talk to a-holes, you get $h!t on.”

6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? I wouldn’t tell my younger self anything because that younger self needed to not know that things were going to be okay.

7. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? Are you sure I could only have one sentence? Just read the books.

About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. T...

"I. YOU. WE. MATTER."

To the outside world, Matt Emerzian was living the “American Dream”. He was a gifted athlete, successful in the entertainment industry, hung out with famous people, and was living the “Hollywood lifestyle”. Until one Monday morning when it fell apart and his life changed forever.

The author of Every Monday Matters, Matt tells his story of brokenness and the long process of rebuilding his spirit. He now shares his story and experiences around the country, speaking to people about depression, anxiety, and feeling unworthy, unappreciated, and unloved.

Join me and Matt as we talk about his journey back from the dark years to finding a calming and grounded existence.

• Matt realized his “ladder was leaning against the wrong wall” and thought about taking his life because he felt he didn’t really matter.
• Get Matt's book, Every Monday Matters which offers 52 ideas for doing something positive.
• One of his father's favorite sayings is, “good for goodness’s sake” and it is now the motto Matt lives by.
• He grew up playing competitive soccer and even got to play in Germany until he blew out his knee. After that, he picked up water polo and was eventually recruited by UCLA.
• After graduation, he became a band manager in LA. He was having the time of his life. He met and ended up getting hired on the spot by Robert Kardashian. Robert owned one of the largest music marketing companies in LA.
• His definition of success was cliché: be rich, hang out with famous people, be single, etc. Matt "had it all"
• One Monday morning, getting ready for work, his chest started hurting and thought he was going to have a heart attack. A doctor visit confirmed he was having a very severe panic attack.
• “It’s not about you!” His therapist shared this with him and he credits this saying with saving his life.
• Matt’s therapist helped him overcome his panic attacks and unhappiness – and self-acknowledge selfish lifestyle – by spending time each week volunteering. It changed his life and became his favorite part of the week.
• He created a youth curriculum for educators focused on the principles of: “I matter. You matter. We matter.”

MATTHEW EMERZIAN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? Man's Search for Meaning, that book just speaks to me. A Purpose Driven Life, the first line of the book was profound to me. Where the Red Fern Grows, it is a story of love, compassion, and heartbreak. It made me feel deeper than I ever imagined before.

2. Tomorrow you discover your wealthy uncle shockingly dies at the age of 103; leaving you millions. What would you do with it? My wife and I would love to own our first home together. Then it would be how can I put those dollars to use to have an impact on communities and people. Along the line of the work I currently do. It would be invested in social good.

3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? My wife’s childhood blanket. It was a gift from her father.

4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? Jesus and Bono. I see us talking about where it all went wrong and how we can change it. By "it" I mean humanity & our culture. I think Jesus would say, it is time for us to love our neighbors more.

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Listen first. I really try to be a good listener and be super present. To learn, yet also to honor whoever I’m talking to.

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? The road might get bumpy, but have faith. It is OK if your story doesn’t turn out exactly like you thought it would.

7. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read?Matt Emerzian lived a life that mattered.

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I can’t wait to see you here next Thursday! Today is your day. Live Inspired.

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