Igniting Souls Podcast with Kary Oberbrunner

What happens when everything you’ve built suddenly disappears? Chef Guy Vaknin shares the remarkable story behind his rise from a 280-square-foot restaurant with just $1,000 to building a thriving vegan restaurant brand. From Shark Tank and Beyond Sushi to the devastating impact of COVID, Guy reveals how adversity forced him to rethink everything—and ultimately became one of the greatest turning points of his entrepreneurial journey. Discover the power of creativity, resilience, reinvention, and his unforgettable philosophy: food is memory.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

Should entrepreneurs drop out of college—or is college actually one of the best places to develop an entrepreneurial mind?In this thought-provoking conversation, Kary Oberbrunner and Jim Stevenson explore what entrepreneurship really means, why creative problem identification may matter more than problem-solving, and how exposure to different disciplines, people, and ideas can spark breakthrough opportunities. They also unpack Cedarville University’s new Bachelor of Science in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and why learning to see unmet needs could be one of the most valuable skills an entrepreneur can develop.If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, student, or innovator, this conversation will challenge how you think about education, opportunity, and what it really takes to see what others miss. For more info, visit: https://www.cedarville.edu/academics/programs/innovation-entrepreneurship

Your website may contain some of your business’s most valuable intellectual property—and you may not even realize what you’re putting at risk.Hosted by Ella Maiuri, this episode features Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino in a timely conversation about protecting the ideas, frameworks, original content, and proprietary knowledge published online in the age of AI.Together, they explore what business owners may be overlooking on their websites, what public accessibility does—and does not—mean for ownership, and why creating something may not be enough if you cannot prove when it was created or that it belongs to you. They also discuss why documentation, credible evidence, and a clear chain of custody are increasingly important as AI can access and reproduce content within seconds.Most importantly, you’ll learn practical steps to identify the valuable IP on your website, protect it before a dispute occurs, and use AI strategically without unintentionally giving away the ideas that make your business valuable.Your website isn’t just marketing. It could be your IP vault. The question is: do you know what’s inside?PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

Trademarking your own name might sound like an act of ego. In reality, it can be an act of stewardship.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner and intellectual property attorney Katie Rubino unpack why your name may be one of the most valuable pieces of intellectual property you own. Whether you are an entrepreneur, author, speaker, athlete, actor, artist, employee, or emerging creator, you are already building a reputation that carries recognition, trust, and economic value.You may not think of yourself as a brand, but the world increasingly does. And in the age of artificial intelligence, protecting that identity matters more than ever. AI systems are consuming human-created books, images, voices, ideas, and names at an unprecedented scale. Recent reports of AI companies purchasing physical books, removing their bindings, scanning them, and destroying them afterward reveal just how hungry these systems have become for human intellectual property.Your name is not just what people call you. It is connected to everything you create, teach, sell, endorse, and represent.In this conversation, Kary and Katie explore the difference between protecting your name and worshiping your name, why ordinary people possess far more IP than they realize, and what can happen when someone else begins profiting from the reputation you spent years building.Because protecting your name is not about believing you are better than everyone else.It is about ensuring no one else gets to become you.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

Educators, coaches, and mentors are creating valuable intellectual property every day—but too often they don't recognize, name, or protect it. In this powerful conversation, Kary Oberbrunner and Tunji Adebayo explore why the frameworks, lessons, stories, and systems you create are part of your legacy—and how failing to protect them can mean losing ownership of your own brilliance. Discover the power of framing, naming, and stewarding your ideas so you can champion your work, create greater impact, and ensure your "magic" doesn't get lost, copied, or forgotten. Because if it's valuable enough to question, it's valuable enough to protect.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

In this eye-opening episode, Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino unpack the landmark copyright battle involving Anthropic, the growing risks of AI and intellectual property theft, and why creators must think differently about protecting what they create. They explore why you should protect before you promote, how AI can become both a powerful thinking partner and a potential liability, and why intellectual property may be the most overlooked asset in your business.From trademarks and patents to AI, business exits, licensing, and valuation, this conversation reveals how strategic IP protection can create a competitive advantage—and why the time to protect your ideas is before they become valuable to someone else.Protect your first idea free with Instant IP®.https://www.instantip.today/creator/ 

AI is changing the creator economy forever.Videos, posts, podcasts, courses, artwork, music, scripts, newsletters, frameworks, photos, captions, and original ideas can now be copied, scraped, trained on, and repurposed faster than ever before.For creators, this creates both a massive opportunity and a massive risk.That is why Instant IP® is launching Protect the Creatorᴵᴾ, a new campaign designed to help creators document, timestamp, and protect their original work before it becomes someone else’s training data.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner explains why intellectual property protection is no longer just for corporations, attorneys, inventors, or celebrities. In the age of AI, every creator needs to think differently about their ideas, their content, and their creative output.Instant IP® is offering creators a free IP credit so they can begin protecting valuable assets such as:VideosPodcastsCoursesPostsFrameworksArtworkMusicScriptsNewslettersBook conceptsPhotosCaptionsOriginal ideasAI did not just change how fast content can be created. AI changed how fast content can be copied.Protect the Creatorᴵᴾ helps creators document, timestamp, and protect their original work with blockchain-backed evidence before someone else profits from it.Your content is more than content.Your ideas are more than inspiration.Your creativity is intellectual property.Protect your first idea free with Instant IP®.https://www.instantip.today/creator/ 

AI is changing the music industry forever.Songs, melodies, lyrics, vocal performances, demos, recordings, beats, arrangements, hooks, and even an artist’s voice can now be copied, scraped, trained on, and repurposed faster than ever before.For singers, songwriters, musicians, producers, and composers, that creates both a huge opportunity and a serious threat.That is why Instant IP® is launching Protect the Songᴵᴾ, a new campaign designed to help creators protect their songs, performances, and voices before AI trains on them without permission or compensation.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner explains why music creators must begin thinking differently about ownership in the age of AI. Your songs are not just content. Your voice is not just data. Your performances, compositions, and recordings are valuable intellectual property.Instant IP® is offering a free IP credit to help singers and musicians begin protecting assets such as:Songs Lyrics Melodies Hooks Demos Recordings Vocal performances Voice identity Compositions Beats Arrangements Production concepts Live performance content Music brand assetsAI did not just change how fast music can be created. AI changed how fast music can be copied.Protect the Songᴵᴾ helps creators document, timestamp, and protect their original work with blockchain-backed evidence before someone else profits from it.Your song is more than a file. Your voice is more than data. Your music is intellectual property.Protect your first idea free with Instant IP®.https://www.instantip.today/singer/

Intellectual property may be one of the most misunderstood drivers of business value. Most entrepreneurs think IP only means patents, trademarks, or copyrights, but the truth is much bigger. Your frameworks, methods, content, client processes, proprietary systems, brand assets, data, and trade secrets can all influence how investors, buyers, partners, and acquirers perceive your company.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino unpack how IP impacts business valuation, seed rounds, investment conversations, and exit strategy. They also explore why a company’s most valuable assets often do not show up clearly on a traditional balance sheet, especially when that IP was created internally.Ahead of Kary’s upcoming appearance at Tom Wheelwright’s event, this conversation gives founders, authors, speakers, creators, and business owners a new lens for seeing their company: not merely as a service, product, or platform, but as an intellectual property engine.If you want to raise capital, attract strategic partners, increase enterprise value, or simply understand what your business is truly worth, this episode will help you begin finding, protecting, and leveraging the hidden IP already inside your company.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

AI is changing the art world forever.Paintings, illustrations, digital art, photography, designs, sketches, concepts, characters, styles, portfolios, and creative processes can now be scraped, copied, trained on, and repurposed at massive scale.For artists, this is not just a technology issue. It is an ownership issue.Many creators are discovering that their original work may be used to train AI models without permission, attribution, or compensation. The result is a world where artists create the value, but others can profit from it.That is why Instant IP® is launching Protect the Artᴵᴾ, a new campaign designed to help artists safeguard their creative work before AI trains on it, copies it, or repurposes it without permission.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner explains why artists must begin thinking like intellectual property owners in the age of AI. Your artwork is not just content. Your style, concepts, collections, characters, and creative direction are valuable assets.Instant IP® is offering a free IP credit to help artists begin protecting work such as:Original artworkDigital illustrationsPaintingsPhotographySketchesDesign conceptsCharacter artCollectionsCreative stylesPortfoliosVisual worldsArtist statementsCourse materialsBehind-the-scenes processesAI did not just change how fast art can be created. AI changed how fast art can be copied.Protect the Artᴵᴾ helps creators document, timestamp, and protect their original work with blockchain-backed evidence before someone else profits from it.Your art is more than an image.Your style is more than inspiration.Your creative work is intellectual property.Protect your first idea free with Instant IP®.https://www.instantip.today/artist/

AI is not just scraping businesses, brands, authors, artists, and filmmakers. It is scraping nonprofit ideas too.Nonprofits, NGOs, ministries, foundations, and mission-driven organizations create valuable intellectual property every day. Their programs, curriculum, strategies, donor campaigns, training materials, frameworks, videos, grant language, impact models, and original content often become the engine behind their mission.But in the age of AI, that work can be copied, scraped, summarized, repurposed, and reused faster than ever before.That is why Instant IP® is launching Protect the Orgᴵᴾ, a new campaign created to help nonprofits and NGOs protect the original ideas that underpin their mission.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner explains why nonprofit intellectual property matters, why mission-driven organizations are especially vulnerable, and how AI has changed the urgency around idea protection.Instant IP® is offering a free IP credit to NGOs and nonprofits so they can begin protecting valuable creative and strategic assets such as:ProgramsCurriculumTraining materialsFundraising campaignsDonor messagingGrant languageImpact modelsOriginal videosFrameworksProcessesBrand contentStrategic plansNonprofits give their blood, sweat, and tears to make people’s lives better. But generosity should not mean vulnerability.Your mission deserves protection.Your programs deserve protection.Your content deserves protection.Your ideas are intellectual property.Protect the Orgᴵᴾ helps nonprofits document, timestamp, and protect their ideas with blockchain-backed evidence before those ideas are copied, scraped, or misused.Protect your first idea free with Instant IP®.https://www.instantip.today/giver/

AI is changing the publishing world forever.Books, manuscripts, chapters, outlines, frameworks, titles, stories, characters, courses, articles, and author brands can now be copied, scraped, trained on, and repurposed faster than ever before.For authors, writers, publishers, speakers, coaches, and creators, this is no longer a future concern. It is happening now.Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Kary Oberbrunner knows this personally. After discovering that his books had been used without permission in AI training data, he launched Protect the Bookᴵᴾ, a worldwide movement designed to help authors protect their work before it is stolen, scraped, or used as training data.In this episode, Kary explains why authors must begin thinking like intellectual property owners in the age of AI. Your book is not just content. Your manuscript, message, framework, story, title, and methodology are valuable creative assets.Instant IP® is offering a free IP credit to help authors begin protecting work such as:BooksManuscriptsChaptersOutlinesBook titlesFrameworksCharactersStoriesCoursesArticlesTeaching modelsAuthor brandsMarketing copyPublishing strategiesAI did not just change how fast books can be written. AI changed how fast books can be copied.Protect the Bookᴵᴾ helps authors document, timestamp, and protect their original work with blockchain-backed evidence before someone else profits from it.Your book is more than words.Your message is more than content.Your ideas are intellectual property.Protect your first idea free with Instant IP®.https://www.instantip.today/writer/

Katie Rubino and Kary Oberbrunner unpack one of the biggest intellectual property stories of the year.A new investigation revealed that millions of songs were included in datasets used to develop AI music generators, allowing artists to search whether their own music appears in those collections. The discovery raises difficult questions about ownership, consent, attribution, licensing, and the future of creativity.In this episode, Kary and Katie explore:• What this discovery means for musicians, songwriters, and music publishers • Whether AI companies crossed the line or are protected by fair use arguments • Why attribution alone isn’t enough without creator permission and compensation • The legal battles that could reshape the future of music and AI • How creators can begin protecting their intellectual property before it’s too lateThis isn’t simply a conversation about music. It’s a conversation about the future of every creator whose work can be copied, learned from, and commercialized by artificial intelligence.If you create, this episode matters.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

Intellectual property is no longer just a legal issue. It is becoming one of the most overlooked asset classes in business.At WealthAbility’s 2026 Annual Tax Conference, Kary Oberbrunner, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author and founder of Instant IP®, will join WealthAbility founder Tom Wheelwright, CPA, for a live interview on how entrepreneurs, investors, business owners, and advisors can leverage intellectual property to create enterprise value.Tom Wheelwright is widely known as a leading tax strategist and longtime tax advisor to Robert Kiyosaki, bestselling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad. At this event, he and Kary will explore why IP is quickly becoming a critical wealth strategy in the age of artificial intelligence, business exits, and digital transformation.In this episode, Kary explains why many companies are sitting on hidden intellectual property they have never identified, protected, or monetized. These assets may include frameworks, books, brands, methods, software, training systems, processes, content, data, inventions, trade secrets, and proprietary knowledge.The problem is simple. Most entrepreneurs are creating IP every day, but they are not treating it like an asset.Topics covered include:• How intellectual property drives enterprise value• Why IP is often missing from business strategy• How AI has increased the urgency of IP protection• Why entrepreneurs need to identify hidden assets before an exit• How books, frameworks, courses, software, and systems can become protectable IP• Why tax, legal, and business advisors need to understand IP strategy• How Instant IP® helps creators and companies document and protect ideas• The future belongs to entrepreneurs who know how to find, protect, and leverage their intellectual property.• Your ideas are not just inspiration.• Your systems are not just operations.• Your content is not just marketing.• Your intellectual property may be your next asset class.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

AI is changing the film industry forever.Scripts, story concepts, performances, footage, voices, likenesses, characters, and entire creative worlds can now be copied, scraped, trained on, and repurposed faster than ever before. For actors, producers, directors, screenwriters, editors, cinematographers, and independent filmmakers, this creates a massive opportunity, but also a serious risk.That is why Instant IP® is launching Protect the Filmᴵᴾ, a new campaign designed to help filmmakers protect their creative assets before they are copied, stolen, or used without permission.In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner breaks down why intellectual property is becoming one of the most important issues in film, entertainment, and AI. The question is no longer whether creators are talented. The question is whether their work is protected.Instant IP® is offering a free IP credit to help actors, producers, directors, writers, and filmmakers protect valuable creative assets such as:ScriptsStory conceptsCharacter ideasPerformancesFilm treatmentsPitch decksRaw footageCreative directionOriginal worlds and franchisesBehind-the-scenes materialsAI did not just change how fast content can be created. AI changed how fast content can be copied.Protect the Filmᴵᴾ exists to help creators document, timestamp, and protect their ideas with blockchain-backed evidence before someone else profits from them.Your film is more than content.Your script is more than words.Your performance is more than data.Your idea is intellectual property.Protect your first idea free at Instant IP®https://www.instantip.today/film 

Teachers are some of the most important people on the planet. They shape the next generation with lesson plans, curriculum, creativity, care, and original ideas.But in the age of AI, those ideas are at risk.AI tools can scrape, train on, and repurpose teacher-created content, including lesson plans, worksheets, curriculum, classroom frameworks, assessments, presentations, and educational materials. The result? Teachers may lose control of their own intellectual property while others benefit from their work.In this video, Kary Oberbrunner, founder of Instant IP and a university professor, explains why teachers must begin treating their ideas as valuable intellectual property.This is not about fighting AI. It is about using AI wisely while protecting the original work teachers create every day.That is why Instant IP launched Protect the Teacherᴵᴾ, a campaign to help educators identify, protect, and leverage their IP.Teachers can protect their first idea free and access special educator discounts at InstantIP.today.You don’t protect your IP when you’re big. You become big by protecting your IP.Learn more and claim your free first credit: InstantIP.todayhttps://www.instantip.today/teacher/

What if the most powerful innovation in intellectual property isn’t a new law, platform, or technology, but a tiny symbol?In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino unpack the rise of ᴵᴾ and why they believe it represents a fundamental shift in how creators, entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and businesses protect their ideas in the age of artificial intelligence.For decades, people have relied on ™ to signal ownership. But does a trademark symbol actually protect an idea, process, framework, keynote, manuscript, or business concept before formal registration? And what happens when AI can copy, learn from, and distribute intellectual property at unprecedented speed?Kary and Katie explore: The origins of the ᴵᴾ movement Why creators are rethinking traditional intellectual property strategies The limitations of relying solely on ™ How AI is accelerating the need for faster protection methods The difference between claiming ownership and documenting ownership Why proof, provenance, and chain of custody are becoming essential in the digital economy How ᴵᴾ is challenging long-held assumptions about intellectual property protection Whether you’re an entrepreneur, author, inventor, speaker, artist, startup founder, attorney, or business owner, this conversation will challenge how you think about protecting what you create.The future belongs to creators. The question is whether their ideas will be protected or become someone else’s competitive advantage.™ claims it. ᴵᴾ proves it.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

What if the best leadership lessons came from leaders admitting where they got it wrong?In this episode of You Are an IP Company, Kary Oberbrunner sits down with Beth Fahey, host of the Bad Boss Confessional podcast and co-author of Rollout. Beth shares how a simple idea became a powerful platform where respected leaders reveal their biggest management mistakes and the lessons they learned from them. The conversation explores leadership, intellectual property, EOS, podcasting, and why vulnerability may be one of the most valuable assets a leader can possess.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

AI has consumed nearly every book, article, and online conversation it can find. So what's next? In this thought-provoking episode, Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino explore the growing demand for authentic human-created content, the rising value of intellectual property in the AI era, and why creators must take ownership of their ideas before someone else does. Discover how AI, blockchain, and IP protection are reshaping the future of innovation—and why your original thoughts may be the world's most valuable asset.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

What happens when AI records, scrapes, and republishes your ideas before you can protect them? In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner and IP attorney Katie Rubino unpack the new reality creators face in the AI era, from TEDx talks being copied word-for-word by AI tools to the growing risks around patents, trade secrets, public disclosure, and content ownership. Learn why speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs need a modern IP strategy before they hit publish, post online, or step on stage, and how to protect your ideas without becoming anti-AI.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

In this eye-opening episode, the conversation explores the high-stakes world of intellectual property through the lens of Taylor Swift and the growing battle over trademarks, branding, and AI-generated identity theft. From trademark disputes and costly rebrands to deepfakes, voice cloning, and digital impersonation, the episode reveals why protecting your IP is no longer optional for creators, entrepreneurs, and startups. IP lawyer Katie Rubino also shares insider legal insight on trademark strategy, settlements, and how businesses can safeguard their brands in the AI era.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

In this inspiring episode, Austin Collins shares how reading Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino’s book helped him uncover hidden intellectual property inside an ordinary financial tool and transform it into a groundbreaking ETF launching on the New York Stock Exchange on August 26, 2026. Discover how recognizing the unique way you apply existing tools can unlock massive value, create differentiation, and turn overlooked ideas into game-changing opportunities. This conversation is a masterclass in spotting hidden IP, taking action, and leveraging innovation to create real-world impact.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

In this thought-provoking episode, filmmaker and producer Luke Siebert shares his journey from making films in Wisconsin to producing impactful short films in Hollywood. Luke dives into the inspiration behind his projects Marked and Father Figure, exploring themes of faith, family, artificial intelligence, and what it means to create meaningful stories in a rapidly changing world.The conversation unpacks the evolving role of AI in film, the ethics of creative technology, intellectual property in entertainment, and how filmmakers can balance innovation with authentic human storytelling. It’s an inspiring discussion for creators, entrepreneurs, and anyone curious about where faith, film, and the future intersect.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/

If you’re a speaker, coach, educator, or creator, your content may already be getting recorded, copied, and fed into AI systems—often without your knowledge. In this eye-opening episode, Kary Oberbrunner and Katie Rubino reveal the growing risks facing presenters in the age of smart glasses, hidden devices, livestreams, and AI-generated plagiarism. Learn how to protect your talks, slides, ideas, and intellectual property before you share them publicly. A must-listen for anyone whose ideas are their business.PROTECT your first idea FREE ► https://instantip.app/