As 2024 Summit emcee, ‘Liv’ will keep it lively

Olivia “Liv” Harrison, a Catholic podcaster, show host, and speaker, will emcee Legatus’ Summit 2024 to be held January 25-27 at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA.

Harrison was born into a Catholic family in Louisiana that relocated to Houston when she was 10. As a teen, she developed an interest in public speaking and emceeing events. In 2019 and 2020 she presented the Genius Catholic Women’s Conference in Texas, and, in 2020, launched her first podcast, Talk to Me. She has been both a guest and co-host on Sirius XM programs and other podcasts. 

In 2021, she produced It’s Not That Late with Liv Harrison, the first program produced from her own studio in Houston. She regularly accepts invitations to speak and emcee at Catholic events and has twice spoken at Legatus chapter events. She and her husband are members of Legatus’ Houston Chapter.

How did you get involved in Catholic media?

Jennifer Fulwiler, a former atheist who became a prominent Catholic personality, presented some conferences in Texas which I attended with friends. Jen was interviewing people who attended the conference. I was invited to be interviewed as I had worked with youth, and my husband and I presented a marriage retreat.

When I arrived at the conference, I saw Jen doing her podcast with 150 women in the audience. I was introduced to Jen, and she simply said — as I discovered is her nature — “Are you the marriage one?” When I said yes, she said, “Put on the headphones, we go live in 30 seconds.”

We had a hilarious exchange, going back and forth for 13 minutes. When we finished and were off the air, she said, “You’re fantastic on live radio.” Sirius XM called me the next morning, and I was a regular guest after that.

In the years after, my husband built me a full-blown studio, with a set, room for a live audience and producer, four cameras, and four microphones. We launched Talk to Me in 2020, and in our first season were in the top 1 percent of such podcasts in the nation.

We used the studio to film 40 episodes of It’s Not that Late before a live audience. I interviewed Olympic gold medalists, NFL players, and Grammy winners. It was not my goal to talk to them about these accomplishments, but who they are as human beings. It was while I was creating this program that I met Laura Sacha, Legatus’ COO, and would soon after begin doing Legatus events.

What will you do as emcee?

A big part of my job is to keep people interested and excited — not by putting the spotlight on me, but on others. I love going onto a cold stage, perhaps in front of many in the audience who may not be interested in being there, and making them feel comfortable and welcome. I get the stage ready for the speaker; it’s almost like being a warm-up comedian, getting an audience to move from cold to hot. I got my start doing youth ministry, and if I can get 90 teens to buy into what I’d say about Jesus, I can connect with any audience. You have to be fast on your feet and witty. It is a fun challenge, one I love. 

You overcame a significant weight problem.

Yes, I was morbidly obese my entire life; I once weighed 500 lbs. I first went to Weight Watchers at age 8. I was bedridden for a long time, and I couldn’t fly. 

Obesity is a misunderstood disease; I did not reach 500 lbs. because I liked eating Cheetos. I had severe anxiety. When I started getting treatment for it, the weight started coming off. It took me 15 years, but I have been able to return to a normal weight for my size. It’s changed my life.