Secrets of Safeguarding Intellectual Property | Kary Oberbrunner

I invited Kary Oberbrunner on my podcast to discuss about protecting ideas and intellectual property for entrepreneurs.

Kary Oberbrunner is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books.

He’s also the CEO of Igniting Souls and Blockchain Life.

Kary Oberbrunner’s Early Struggles and Finding Purpose

Kary shared a powerful story from his childhood that shaped his life. He spoke about facing depression, self-injury, and perfectionism at a young age.

“My goal today is to help people find their purpose,” he explained.

Kerry’s struggles began around age 10. His parents took him to a counselor because he seemed very unhappy. He remembered being asked if he had thoughts of suicide but didn’t fully understand what it meant. Although he said no, Kary admitted he secretly battled these thoughts.

His self-injury was private—no one knew. This was before the internet, so he couldn’t find help or information.

Writing became his way out. Kary found healing by being honest with himself in his journals. It helped him cope and turn his struggles into a mission to help others.

From Struggles to Sharing: Kerry’s Journey Through Healing

I asked Kary when he discovered the power of journaling.

Kary shared that it began in graduate school while he was studying to become a pastor, like his father. He hadn’t considered entrepreneurship—his focus was on helping others.

During a counseling class, despite perfect grades, his advisors told him, “We don’t think you’ll pass,” because he wasn’t connecting with others’ pain. This was due to him avoiding his own pain, though he wasn’t ready to face it yet.

Eventually, Kary admitted to his advisors that he struggled with self-injury. Instead of support, they declared him “not fit to be a counselor.” It was a harsh rejection after his first public confession.

Thankfully, the school’s vice president intervened, offering Kary a chance for counseling and healing, marking the start of his journaling journey.

The process was difficult, forcing Kary to confront his past. But he emerged more authentic and no longer bound by his secrets, crediting his strong faith and supportive people with his healing.

As he grew, Kary wrote books, and in his fourth, Your Secret Name, he finally shared his full story.

This public admission was scary but freeing. By letting go of his secrets, Kary found a new purpose, eventually leading him into entrepreneurship.

Turning Wounds into Contributions: Kerry’s Lessons on Writing

Kary shared a key insight he discovered:

“The area of your deepest wound is often the area of your greatest contribution.” 

This realization is central to the entrepreneurial journey. Entrepreneurs often solve their problems first, then find ways to help others and grow from it.

Kary’s struggle with hiding his true self and being inauthentic became a strength. Through his personal growth, he learned to spot when others are stuck in fear, hiding, or holding themselves back.

As a publisher and protector of intellectual property, Kary now uses his experiences to guide others. He can quickly recognize doubt in entrepreneurs and help replace it with belief, drawing from his own journey of overcoming fear.

Taking off the “mask” and being honest about his struggles was the key to truly serving others.
He pointed out that when public figures, like NBA players, share their struggles, they become more relatable and inspiring—not just for their talents but also for their courage.

How Kary Oberbrunner Turned His Passion Into Helping Others Publish Their Books

Kary shared that getting book deals was tough. He published his first three books through traditional publishers but received very little money upfront.

The process was frustrating because the publishers owned his work and made most of the profits, even when Kary sold books at speaking events. He did all the marketing but didn’t see fair rewards.

By his fourth book, Kary started questioning the model. In 2014, he explored self-publishing, which wasn’t as popular back then. He wanted to keep his intellectual property (IP), get the same distribution as traditional publishers, and access books at print cost.

As he grew a community and courses around his book Your Secret Name, Kary saw many ways to earn from one book. He counted 18 streams of income, like courses and speaking engagements.

Kary had no intention of starting a business, but when three people asked for help with their books, he realized there was demand. Eventually, he hosted a webinar, explaining he could guide people through self-publishing if enough were interested.

To his surprise, 25 people signed up immediately and paid upfront, which solidified his publishing company.

He explained that entrepreneurs like Walt Disney and Elon Musk often “market before manufacturing.”

Kary emphasized making decisive choices, comparing it to pruning a tree so that its energy focuses on a few strong branches. By focusing his energy, Kary grew his business and helped others on their publishing journeys.

His publishing company has published over 1,100 books, helping countless authors achieve their dreams.

I’m excited to work with him on Don’t Spread the Wealth, a book we helped refine together.

The Importance of Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) is often overlooked, but it’s crucial to your business.

IP includes everything that makes your business unique—your processes, branding, products, and services. It differentiates you from competitors, and if not protected, it can be copied, affecting your business.

Kary shared an example of a fellow entrepreneur in animation who didn’t recognize his business’s IP. He thought only big companies like Disney had valuable IP. However, after some probing, it became clear that his business had valuable IP, including a unique onboarding process, logo, and tagline. These are all assets that should be protected.

Regardless of your industry, whether a saw-sharpening business or a tech company, you have unique elements that qualify as IP. Protecting it is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge.

Kary also shared the story of Chris Maxson from AccuCraft Fires, who developed a unique “baby touch” glass for fireplaces. Chris initially didn’t want to protect this innovation, but Kary pointed out that a competitor could patent it, shutting down AccuCraft. This illustrates the risk of not protecting your IP.

Protecting your IP is expensive, with patents averaging $20,000 and taking 1-3 years. But it’s a necessary investment to safeguard your business.

Understanding the Power of Protecting Intellectual Property

One thing Kary mentioned that struck me deeply is how a simple Google alert transformed his journey with intellectual property (IP). It revealed just how vulnerable creative work can be.

When Kary saw his book, Your Secret Name, being used without permission by a pastor, it drove home the reality that even when it seems obvious that something is uniquely yours, it can still be taken.

His polite approach—reaching out and notifying the pastor—resulted in the unauthorized content being removed. But the larger lesson was clear: if you don’t protect your story and ideas, someone else may take them.

Kary’s experience in Dan Sullivan’s Strategic Coach program further shaped his understanding. Dan views everything as IP.

Through that lens, Kary realized that books, for example, are not just pages of content—they are intellectual property platforms.

Our mutual friend Justin Donald turned his book into a major business, generating millions annually by building around his IP. Jason and I have similarly used our books as a foundation for expanding our reach and influence.

The message is simple but crucial: if you don’t take your own IP seriously, no one else will.

Kary shared a thought-provoking story about two playgrounds in a city to illustrate better why protecting IP matters.

One was fenced; the other wasn’t. Children in the playground without a fence huddled close to their teacher, hesitant and afraid of the busy streets nearby. But the kids with a fence played confidently, exploring every corner. The fence symbolizes IP protection—it offers security, boundaries, and freedom to create and share without fear.

Without proper IP protection, you risk stifling your creativity out of fear that others might steal what you’ve worked hard to build. But with it, you gain confidence to innovate, be bold, and expand your influence.

Through my work with the Nelson Nash Institute as an Authorized Infinite Banking Practitioner, the importance of intellectual property (IP) is clear to me.

My mentor, R. Nelson Nash, created the Infinite Banking Concept®, and it’s vital to ensure that aspect of his legacy continues, even after his passing.

While the institute has trademarks and registrations, I’ve learned more about effectively protecting this legacy over the past few years.

Protecting Your Ideas: How to Use Easy IP Protection with Blockchain

While patents are one way to protect ideas, Kary explained that patents are often slow and expensive. Getting a patent can take years and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

So, Kary looked for a better, faster, and cheaper way to protect ideas—and that’s when he found blockchain technology. At first, he didn’t know much about it, but he took the time to learn and even wrote a book called Blockchain Life to explain it in simple terms.

Here is how it works: Blockchain is like a digital record that everyone in the world can see. When you put information on the blockchain, it cannot be changed or deleted, making it very secure.
Using this system, Kary created something called Easy IP (Now Instant IP).

With Easy IP, creators can protect their ideas instantly and cheaply by creating a digital record, known as a smart contract, that proves they came up with the idea first.

This record, or “timestamp,” shows exactly when an idea was created. No one else can claim they thought of it first because the blockchain record cannot be changed.

With Easy IP, creators can even choose to hide their records until they need to show proof in court. This protection costs much less than a patent and takes very little time to set up.

Kary also mentioned how this type of protection is helpful in business partnerships. For example, if someone wants to copy your idea or compete with you, you can show proof that you owned it first.

You can even work with partners to combine strengths and create new products that no one else can match.

Real-Life Examples of Protecting Ideas with Easy IP

Kary shared a few stories with me that show just how powerful this can be.

One example is a woman he met at a business event called Abundance 360. She’s in the healthcare field and developed a special formula she hopes to patent one day.

Before pitching this idea to investors, she needs to prove that it’s hers. Sharing an idea can be risky, even if investors sign a confidentiality agreement. However, with Easy IP, she can create a digital record that shows exactly when she came up with the formula, giving her peace of mind and protection.

Another story is about a young college student and cross-country runner. He noticed that many gloves leave fingers exposed, causing runners to lose heat in cold weather. 

So, he invented a new type of glove called “Glubz.” But, as a student, he couldn’t afford the high costs of getting a patent. Instead, he used Easy IP to protect his idea.

He even placed a QR code on the gloves, which links to the blockchain and proves his invention is protected. Unlike a simple symbol anyone can fake, this QR code shows real legal backing, making it much harder for anyone to copy his idea.

Kary also shared about a songwriter named Emily. She works on songs and often needs to practice with other musicians. But there’s always the risk someone might steal her lyrics.

Now, when she uploads her lyrics to Easy IP, they are immediately protected. When she hands out her lyric sheets, they carry a clear mark showing her work is legally secured. It’s a simple but powerful way to ensure her creativity is safe.

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