It's a Good Life

In this episode of the “It’s a Good Life” podcast, John O’Leary shares with host Brian Buffini the story behind his new film, “Soul on Fire.” The movie recounts how when John was only 9 years old a devastating fire left him with burns on 100% of his body. With courage, faith and love — and the ongoing support of the legendary St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck — the family persevered in helping John through a grueling recovery. Today John is a loving husband and father, bestselling author and in-demand motivational speaker. This is an episode that will bring you to tears but also motivate you to ensure you are living your life to the fullest every day.    YOU WILL LEARN How acts of kindness can have ripple effects far beyond your own life leading to miracles.  Why you need to look beyond your personal pain as a way to let others share their part in your story.  Why love and forgiveness are always more powerful than shame and guilt.   NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “I look up, and then he adds, ‘I have never been so proud of anyone in my entire life and my little buddy, this morning, I'm just glad to be your dad.’ And then he follows it with, ‘Love you and there's nothing you can do about it.’” — John’s dad, Dennis O’Leary “Baby, do you want to die? It’s your choice. If you want to live, take the hand of God and fight like you’ve never fought before.” — John’s mom, Susan O’Leary “Jack Buck recognized the voice of God is not tomorrow, it's now. And the time to act isn't next week, it's right now.” — John O’Leary “Your life is a precious, priceless gift. You’ve got one job — say yes to being used for good.” — John O’Leary “Brian, you taught me years ago to hold on to relationships as if they're precious and not to use them to get the next speech or sell the next house or earn the next transaction, but to love the one in front of you sincerely for them.” — John O’Leary itsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeIf you want to be happy and healthy, you need to understand your past and then leave it behind you where it belongs. In this episode, Brian interviews bestselling author Dr. John Delony about his new book, “Own Your Past, Change Your Future,” and discovers how learning to unpack the weight of your past will help you to live the good life.  YOU WILL LEARN:·     The 5 steps to well-being.·     The importance of owning your story.·     The best advice to change your future. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Free Business Consultation“Own Your Past, Change Your Future,” by Dr. John Delony“What to Say When You Talk to Yourself,” Shad Helmstetter NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “You’ve got to go backwards so you can go forward.” – Dr. John Delony      “We think in pictures, but we speak in words.” – Dr. John Delony      “No life change of any sort that is sustainable can happen by yourself.” – Dr. John Delony      “The only two things on planet earth I can control are my thoughts and my actions, period.”– Dr. John Delony      “Once you change the thoughts, you can change the actions.” – Brian Buffini  

In this conversation, Brian and Kyle Draper unpack a practical, highly relational approach to video that fits hand-in-glove with the Buffini Work by Referral system. From 12-second birthday videos to quick “thinking of you” messages, Kyle explains how using videos the right way will help you show your authenticity and relatability, leading to deeper relationships.  YOU WILL LEARN Why one-to-one beats one-to-many—and how a 12-second birthday video can lead to meaningful conversations and referrals. How to use the power of AI to complement, not replace, your social media efforts.  How to always have the answer to “What should I share?” when it comes to content.    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann  NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “Any way that I can, I celebrate someone else with the power of a private video.” — Kyle Draper    “When people struggle with content, I give them two questions. ‘What do you get asked the most about your industry? And what are you surprised that people don't already know?’” — Kyle Draper “But as we see more of AI, it'll be just like a dollar bill. The more you touch it, the more you know what's real and what's not.” — Kyle Draper “I still think the REALTOR®, the small business owner that's willing to just look into the camera, be themselves, be authentic, they're going to win over the person that is using some form of AI video to help them automate what should have never been automated.” — Kyle Draper “The beauty of social media is your people are telling you what's going on in their life. We just have to leverage that data the right way and then communicate accordingly.” — Kyle Draper itsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeWhat are the common traits of people who live remarkable and fulfilling lives? In this episode, world-renown tech titan Guy Kawasaki reveals the three pillars that can help you to transform from average to exceptional, live the life you’re meant to and make a difference in the world. YOU WILL LEARN:·     Why a growth mindset is vital.·     How you can develop grit.·     How to embody graciousness. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Free Business Consultation“Think Remarkable,” by Guy Kawasaki“Mindset,” by Carol Dweck “If You Want to Write,” by Brenda UelandNOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “There's this distinction between people who have a growth mindset and people who have a fixed mindset.” – Guy Kawasaki    “Grit means that you are happily persevering and happily continuing something, even though it's difficult.” – Guy Kawasaki    “Anything that's worth doing, you’ve got to do it well, and you have to pay the price.” – Guy Kawasaki    “You’ve got to work hard and you’ve got to grind.” – Brian Buffini     “A great leader is outside of himself or herself and understands that he or she is not the center of the universe.” – Guy Kawasaki   itsasgoodlife.com

Every workplace—and every relationship—includes complicated people. But as Ryan Leak explains, complicated isn’t about “them”; it’s about all of us and primarily yourself. In this episode, Brian Buffini interviews Ryan, one of today’s most in-demand speakers and bestselling author of How to Work with Complicated People. Ryan reveals how admitting our own complexity creates humility, empathy, and stronger connections. Whether you’re leading a team, collaborating with colleagues, or navigating family dynamics, Ryan’s insights will help you communicate with wisdom, extend more grace, and lead with strength. YOU WILL LEARN: • Why admitting “I’m complicated” is the key to building influence and empathy. • How clarity leads to healthier relationships in your family and in the workplace. • How leaders can use open communication, trust and feedback to build stronger, collaborative teams.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Free Business ConsultationHow to Work with Complicated People by Ryan Leak  Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, by Andy Stanley   NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Complicated people are essentially people with layers, experiences, blind spots, strengths, weaknesses, and spoiler alert, at the end of the day, well, that's all of us.” — Ryan Leak “The moment that I admit that I'm complicated it changes the game because now instead of approaching relationships with a fix them mindset I'm starting from a place of humility.” —  Ryan Leak  “I think kindness can take you further than you know, trying to just push someone else off of the ladder as you try to climb the ladder of success.” — Ryan Leak “In my travels, I learned that a lot of people's challenges weren't product problems. They weren't process problems; they were people problems.” — Ryan Leak  “Clarity really creates healthy relationships. Ambiguity is what makes things complicated.” — Ryan Leak itsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeWhat do the most successful investors in the world have in common? In this episode, legendary cofounder of The Carlyle Group David Rubenstein shares the secrets of his own phenomenal success as well as some of the time-tested principles, wisdom and tools of the biggest names in finance.  YOU WILL LEARN:·     How entrepreneurs should invest right now. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:“How to Invest,” By David Rubenstein NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Nobody ever won a Nobel Prize hating what they do. You have to love what you're doing.” – David Rubenstein  “The people that do well are people that go against conventional wisdom.” – David Rubenstein  “You don't need to be at the bottom or the top of the market. You're making investments. You need to basically believe in what you're doing.” – David Rubenstein  “Right now, I think is a good time to be buying, because I think the economy will come back.” – David Rubenstein  “Give your money to people that know what they're doing, and let them do it.” – David Rubenstein “I try not to confuse my net worth with my self-worth.” – David Rubenstein itsagoodlife.com

In today’s fast-paced culture, many of us push ourselves to the limit in pursuit of success—only to end up exhausted and burned out. Dr. James Hewitt knows this firsthand. A former elite cyclist, coach, and now renowned human-performance scientist, he has advised everyone from Formula 1 teams to Fortune 500 executives. His new book, Regenerative Performance: How to Thrive in an Always-On World Without Sacrificing Your Well-Being, offers a practical framework for sustaining high performance without sacrificing well-being. In this inspiring conversation, Brian Buffini and Dr. Hewitt explore the power of recovery, the pitfalls of “high-performance theater,” and the freedom that comes from pursuing purpose over perfection. YOU WILL LEARN:  Why you should strive for healthy flexibility that incorporates hard work and recovery time over trying to achieve balance.  The importance of lifelong learning to your overall cognitive health. Practical strategies to recognize and move past burn out.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:  Free Business ConsultationRegenerative Performance: How to Thrive in an Always-On World Without Sacrificing Your Well-Being by Dr. James Hewitt The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:  “Hard work is required to achieve big results. But you need to balance that with really effective, proactive recovery.” — Dr. James Hewitt “It’s not actually possible to overtrain, but you can under-recover.” — Dr. James Hewitt “One of the number one signs of early burnout, to be honest, in myself and others, is I stop experiencing as much joy in the things that usually bring me joy.” — Dr. James Hewitt “People who commit to being a ‘learn it all’ rather than a ‘know it all’ have better cognitive and brain health long-term” — Dr. James Hewitt “We know that we can endure a huge amount if we feel it's purposeful and meaningful, sometimes to a fault, but continuing to reconnect with that sense of purpose is going to be absolutely key.” — Dr. James Hewitt itsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeCelebrated athlete Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind person in history to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. In this episode, he tells Brian how he lives a life of meaning and purpose by consistently breaking through barriers and helping others with special challenges to lead active and fulfilling lives.  YOU WILL LEARN:·     Why he never lives on the sidelines.·     How climbing Mount Everest changed him.·     Why he started a nonprofit.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: erikweihenmayer.com No Barriers nonprofit National Federation of the Blind MasterMind Summit S1E043, What’s Your Everest? NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “When I went totally blind … it was like the gloves were off. I could do anything I wanted now. I was free.” – Erik Weihenmayer  “Wisdom gets beat into most of us, sadly.” – Erik Weihenmayer  “We're always sort of straddling this knife edge between limitation and possibility.” – Erik Weihenmayer  “When you have a really bad day there's nothing better than sleeping and waking up the next morning to say, ‘Today's a new day with new possibilities – I can do better than I did yesterday.’” – Erik Weihenmayer  “It's an ongoing, never-ending commitment to reaching and failing; falling short and bleeding a little bit; and reaching again and getting a little higher each day up the mountain. To me, that's what constitutes a good life.” – Erik Weihenmayer itsagoodlife.com

So much of modern life rewards busyness, but busyness often crowds out what matters most. In this conversation, Elizabeth explains how a well-defined purpose moves you “from confusion to clarity” by serving as a daily filter for the 40,000 decisions we each make. She and Brian explore common roadblocks, practical building blocks, and how seasons of life shape the way we live our purpose. You’ll hear how Chick-fil-A’s corporate purpose anchored the company through crisis, how the Trillith Foundation serves “story makers” who shape culture, and why your purpose—written down and lived out—ultimately becomes your legacy.YOU WILL LEARN: The clearest way to define purpose, mission, strategy, and vision—and why confusing them derails teams and leaders.How purpose becomes your daily decision filter, moving you from “rudderless” to resolute in business and life.How to overcome the three roadblocks to purpose (discomfort, distraction, defeat) and build a purpose that lasts through every season.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEFree Business ConsultationThe Strength of Purpose by Elizabeth DixonTrillith FoundationMan’s Search for Meaning by Viktor FranklThe Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie WareBuffini & Company Leadership ConferenceNOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE“Purpose is why you exist. Mission is what you do. Strategy is how you win. Vision is where you’re going.” — Elizabeth Dixon“Purpose moves us from confusion to clarity.” — Elizabeth Dixon“The life we live is the legacy we leave.” — Elizabeth Dixon“Say ‘no’ more often so your ‘yes’ is intentional.” — Elizabeth Dixon