If you talk with Kary Oberbrunner he’ll tell you, “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire,”
As a child, Kary was far from the optimist he is today. Back then he had a paralyzing speech disorder that damaged his self-confidence. He directed that frustration back at himself and fell into an addiction to self-injury. His dreams remained dormant, far beneath the surface. As years passed, because of his strong faith, he overcame his speech disorder and self-injury.
After serving 12 years as a pastor, Kary left his day job in 2012 to pursue his passion—igniting souls full-time. He is now an author, coach, and speaker helping people and organizations clarify who they are, why they’re here, and where they’re going so they can become souls on fire. He and his business partner, David Branderhorst, embarked on the journey of building a multimillion-dollar business. Today their reach spans across the entire globe.
Kary functions as the CEO of Redeem the Day, Igniting Souls, and Author Academy Elite—an international publisher of nearly 1000 authors. He has trained over 250,000 authors, coaches, speakers, and entrepreneurs and helped them use the power of their words to influence the world. Many clients have converted their hobbies and side hustles into successful businesses, transforming from unhappy employees to much more content and passionate individuals.
Married for almost 20 years, Oberbrunner lives with his wife, Kelly, and three children just outside Columbus, Ohio. Besides a Bachelor of Arts and master’s degree, he also has a doctorate in transformational leadership.
Out of a desire to gather influencers together, Oberbrunner and Branderhorst created an annual event called the Igniting Souls Conference. Each October, hundreds of people from several continents and over a dozen countries gather for several days in Columbus, Ohio, to grow personally and professionally.
At the event, experts share cutting-edge training, tools, and tactics on topics such as business building, podcasting, vlogging, social media, and writing. Many attendees have learned how to start and scale their own online businesses. Year after year, alumni return with success stories and best practices from the field.
In 2018, Kary wanted to create something that would bring writers from across the world under one roof where they would have a chance to recognize literary talent. He and Branderhorst co-founded the Author Academy Awards—an honor bestowed for literary merit and excellence in the writing and publishing industry. Authors of all kinds—indie (self-published), traditional, and collaborative—were invited to submit their books for this prestigious award. This award ceremony now takes place on an annual basis.
Oberbrunner has authored eight books on personal growth and success. He is also an international speaker who addresses topics like leadership, human performance, publishing, and business. Over the past two decades, he has ignited over a million people with his content. He believes everyone has been created to impact the world, and it’s his passion to equip people in this pursuit.