Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast, Monday morning moments with John O'Leary.

Today I'm going to pay tribute to a dear friend of mine who passed

away just one week ago. John Rulin was his name and he grew up poor. When you grew up

that much, you notice when people are generous. Maybe that's what explains why anytime

anyone needed anything, John Ruland's answer was always,

yes, I'm in. I met John 15 years ago and was immediately taken aback by his obvious love of life,

his passion for others, and how he radiated childlike joy. After learning that I was a speaker,

John Ruland asked how he could help me.

I shared that, you know, we're always looking for opportunities to impact more lives through speaking events.

So he made an introduction to an organization called Entrepreneur's Organization.

That evening, he was the very first person to greet me when I walked into the room,

and he was the very last one to hug me goodbye at the end of the event that night.

The following morning, he texted friends around the country telling them that they should

have me speak at their next events. John promised these business leaders from all around the United States that if I wasn't the

very best speaker that ever heard, he would pay my entire fee.

That's how confident he was in me.

It sparked more than a dozen speaking engagements.

John and I had only known each other for a short period of time, and yet he did not hesitate

to do what he could to help me achieve my goals.

And the more I got to know this man, the more I witnessed him perpetually wielding his influence

to benefit others, not just me, anyone he encountered.

John Ruland built a wildly successful business and life, practicing

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