224: Taking Courageous Action, with Michael O’Neal

Hey hey! Welcome to episode 224 of Life on Fire. We all know the importance of taking action, but what happens when you’ve been put through the ringer? Are you still able to take those bold actions and say yes to your dreams?

Our guest for today did and it’s made all the difference in his life. Michael O’Neal of The Solopreneur Hour joins us for this episode of Life on Fire. In this interview from our Life on Fire event, Michael shares his journey from losing both his parents in the same year to launching one of the top business podcasts on the market today.

Listen to episode 224 of Life on Fire to hear the courageous action he took along the way and how his life is excelling as a result today.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How not to get discouraged if you don't have success right out of the gate. (9:20)
• What platforms should you use to connect with your audience? (10:45)
• Tenacity breeds what? (20:00)
• Why the how is none of your business. (23:55)
• Who should you not take advice from? (25:00)
• And so much more!

More About This Show

In 2007, Michael’s life changed drastically when both of his parents died. His dad’s death wasn’t a surprise, but his mom’s was a shock. The loss of both of them in the same year was devastating; he lost his home, his cars, his retirement and savings, all of it.  He describes that time in his life like the opening scene from Private Ryan - chaos reigned everywhere.

The next year he met a guy who he had hoped would become his mentor, Michael was looking for a way to make money and get out of survival mode. This guy, who was a billionaire, said he want to help Michael but he had so much chaos in his life that he never had a chance to properly mourn his losses.

Michael broke down and cried for the first time since his parents’ deaths, and then made the decision to take his parents' ashes to Europe, something he had always wanted to do for them while they were alive but he never got the chance.

So he put his parents in a parmesan cheese shaker (yes you read that right) and for four months he spread their ashes around Europe. He took them to The Vatican, the beaches of Normandy, etc.

On the way back from Europe, he had $14 in his bank account and nothing else. He was 37, and began to think about what was next for me. It was then that he had the realization he never wanted to work for a dollar again in his life.

He didn't know what he wanted to do next, but he knew what he didn’t want to do. So he began saying yes to whatever came along! He said yes and found a lot of great opportunities. He joined a network marketing company and started doing social media for them, one day finding himself on stage with them.

That experience led him to launching The Kick Ass Life with David Wood, a podcast that quickly became one of the top 10 podcasts in the self-help arena.

Michael was behind the scenes doing all the production, while David was the host. One fateful episode David was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and wasn't available, Michael jumped in and recorded a show.

He liked it, and thought it was something he should do. His hunch was confirmed when other people wrote in telling him the same thing.

Not long after, in August of 2013, Michael launched his own show, The Solopreneur Hour. It was a hit almost immediately and he says there are multiple reasons for its success, one of which was being the right show at the right time.

During this interview, he encourages everyone to not give up if they don’t have the same kind of success right away. He frames it this way: if you are blogging, tweeting, vlogging, or podcasting then you are part of media. You are a broadcaster of some sort, and that means you are in a vast marketplace. Not everyone will resonate with what you offer so you may have to try a few avenues before you find your groove.

On this show, he also explains why you have to meet your audience where they are at and he gives an example of how they have started doing this with a podcast he co-hosts with Hines Ward (Hines is a former football player and Super Bowl MVP with the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Michael also shares the power of permission with your audience and why monetizing should not be the first thing on your mind when starting a new venture. You’ll hear all of that and more on the 224th episode of Life on Fire!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Michael O’Neal’s web site
• The Solopreneur Hour podcast
• The Hines Ward Show
• Life on Fire
• Subscribe to Life on Fire TV Podcast
• Write a Review on iTunes