Soul on Fire w/ John O’Leary (Encore episode)

Soul on Fire w/ John O’Leary (Encore episode)

Author: Paul Ollinger October 8, 2025 Duration: 52:07
John O’Leary’s life story has just been made into a movie called Soul On Fire, starring William H. Macy and John Corbett. When John was 9 years old, he played with fire and got burned. Like really, really burned, over 100% of his body, 87% of which were third-degree burns. Doctors gave him less than 1% chance of living and told his parents he would not survive. Yet thanks to the amazing support of his family, the community, and medical care providers, he got through it. His journey back took years, required dozens of surgeries, and cost him all of his fingers. Today, John is a world-renowned inspirational speaker who addresses large audiences around the globe. John is also the author of the best-seller On Fire!: 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy. He hosts the Live Inspired podcast. John and I have a lot in common. We were both one of six kids in a big, Catholic family and raised by amazing parents who were married for over 50 years and whose humility and grace inspire us to this day. We’re both husbands and dads, and both want our audiences to be radically aware of the value of their lives and the opportunity to make every day count. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of:



Living in the moment




Gratitude




Family




Courage




Friends who will fight for you




Finding your Talents




“Saying Yes to being used for good.”




✍🏾Please leave us a rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/crazymoney. ✍🏾

👊Get Paul’s Substack newsletter: https://substack.com/@paulollinger 👊

Watch the trailer for Soul On Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CslVGLETWps

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Paul Ollinger has worn a few different hats-stand-up comedian, tech executive, and now, the curious host of Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger. This isn't a lecture series or a dry self-help guide. Instead, it feels more like pulling up a chair for a series of genuinely engaging talks that wander into the places where our daily lives, careers, and inner worlds collide. The conversations, which feature authors, thinkers, and various creatives, are refreshingly candid. They dig into the practical and philosophical questions about what it actually means to build a life that feels both successful and satisfying. You'll find that each episode of this podcast approaches big themes-money, purpose, and the pursuit of contentment-with a blend of wit and thoughtful depth. The underlying idea isn't about finding a perfect, Instagram-ready version of happiness, but something more grounded and attainable. It's for anyone who's ever wondered if there's a smarter, more meaningful way to navigate the pressures of business and culture without losing sight of what matters. Tuning in, you get the sense that Paul is figuring it out alongside his guests, making the insights feel earned and relatable. The result is a consistently interesting exploration of how we can all aim for a life that feels reasonably, and authentically, well-lived.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger
Podcast Episodes
The Richest Family You've Never Heard Of [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:14
Investment management firm Fidelity is a private company that administers over $18 trillion in assets—that’s greater than the GDPs of Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France combined. (Or, it’s18 Elon Musks.) Last…
W. Kamau Bell on Cosby, Comedy, and Father's Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:50
I was most pleased to speak this afternoon with W. Kamau Bell, a Peabody Award and 4-time Emmy-winning comedian, filmmaker, and television host who is also a Celebrity Jeopardy champion!He is best known as the creator an…
5 Questions with Bruce Feiler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:48
Thanks very much to Bruce Feiler for joining me on the 5 Questions livestream to discuss his new book A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World—and How it Can Save Us.In this upbeat and positive conversation, Bruce…
5 Questions with Andy Borowitz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:13
On this third episode of 5 Questions, I speak with Andy Borowitz, whose massively popular newsletter The Borowitz Report tops out around 200 words per post. So this intro is going to be brief!Even if you belong to Andy’s…
A Political Family Black Sheep Tells All (with Rosebud Baker) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:23
My guest today is Rosebud Baker. Rosebud is one of the sharpest and most honest voices in comedy today. She’s an Emmy-nominated and Writers Guild Award-winning writer whose credits include Saturday Night Live, Inside Amy…
5 Questions with A.J. Jacobs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:17
✍️ Follow Paul Ollinger on Substack by clicking here ✍️A.J. Jacobs is a journalist, bestselling author, self-described “human guinea pig,” and one of the most interesting people I know. He was a great choice to be my sec…
I Read My Essays to You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:59
✍️ Follow Paul Ollinger on Substack by clicking here ✍️Hello friends, this week's Reasonably Happy is me reading some of my favorite posts from my Substack over the past six months. They cover the Manosphere, schadenfreu…
5 Questions with Dave Barry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:52
✍️ Follow Paul Ollinger on Substack by clicking here ✍️Oh my goodness what a fun time I had chatting with Dave Barry on the first episode of 5 Questions, my bite-sized, live-streamed Substack interview show that I’ll be…
Gretchen Rubin Will Teach You to be Happy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:34
✍️ Follow Paul Ollinger on Substack by clicking here ✍️“Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.” -Aeschylus Whenever I go back and re-listen to one of my podcast interviews, I always discover elements of the…