John O’Leary welcomes Neil Taylor, founder of Me and My Old Man, to the Live Inspired Podcast to share how preserving family stories can deepen connection and carry a legacy forward.
Neil Taylor is the founder of Me and My Old Man, a project that helps families preserve the voices and life stories of their aging parents. After losing his dad, Patrick, to dementia just six days before welcoming his son, Neil began recording guided conversations and transforming them into keepsake audiobooks. He has now captured more than 350 hours of stories for 32 families across six countries.
Today, Neil shares the loss that inspired his mission, what hundreds of hours of listening have taught him about the extraordinary stories hidden within ordinary lives, and why preserving a loved one’s voice can be even more meaningful than preserving memories. He also reveals how thoughtful questions and genuine listening can deepen our understanding of the people closest to us, bridge generations and even bring comfort amid grief.
My friends, if there is someone you love whose stories you have always meant to ask about, this conversation is for you. You’ll leave inspired to slow down, listen more closely and begin asking the questions that can transform everyday conversations into a legacy your family will treasure for generations.
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- Neil lost his father, Patrick, after a long struggle with dementia. Six days later, his son was born and given Patrick as his middle name.
- Realizing how little he knew about his father’s life inspired Neil to create Me and My Old Man, helping families preserve their parents’ stories and voices.
- “Familiarity can masquerade as intimacy.” Feeling close to someone can cause us to stop asking questions and discovering who they are becoming.
- “Memory preserves events. Story preserves meaning.” Sharing family stories can strengthen identity, belonging and our understanding of where we come from.
- Neil has discovered that siblings raised in the same home can remember it very differently. Listening to each perspective can create curiosity, understanding and connection.
- “Legacy is not what you leave behind. It is what you intentionally pass forward.” The stories, values and traits passed through generations become living threads within a family.
- “Nobody stopped loving one another. Life just got in the way.” Neil’s conversations give families space to slow down, reconnect and focus on one another.
- “Someday is one of the most dangerous words in a family.” If Neil could speak with his father again, he would ask, “What do you believe are the ingredients to a good life?”
- Get a copy of the 107 questions to begin preserving your family history here.
Did you enjoy today’s episode?
You’ll love my conversations with Susan O’Leary. In episode 000, I interview Mom about her life and the experiences that shaped her. Then, in episode 500, we turn the tables and she interviews me. They’re two very personal conversations told from opposite sides of the same family story. I hope they encourage you to slow down, get curious and ask someone you love a question you’ve never asked before.
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NEIL TAYLOR'S LIVE INSPIRED 7
- Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read?
A. The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz. [Listen to my conversation with Marc Schulz on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 570.] - Q. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today?
A. Playfulness. - Q. 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?
A. A family photo from when I was 6 or 7. - Q. 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?
A. My dad. - Q. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A. My dad would say, "Do what you love and money will follow." - Q. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
A. Really live in the moment. - Q. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read?
A. He took chances. He lived in the moment. He loved. He cared. He lived.
