College Student's Book Translation Launches Global Venture

Success begins with great ideas. Dr. Kary Oberbrunner, Berry Chair and assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Cedarville University, encourages his students to generate, pitch and pursue ideas. Gladys Cerrato, a senior marketing major, responded by proposing the translation of Oberbrunner’s book, “Day Job to Dream Job,” into Spanish to expand his international influence. 

Cerrato, from Juticalpa, Honduras, has dreamed of owning her own business since she was 12 years old. When she read Oberbrunner’s book, she realized her dream of becoming an entrepreneur could become a reality. 

“I realized I could succeed and become an owner, an entrepreneur, after reading Dr. Oberbrunner’s book,” said Cerrato. “I came away inspired and motivated to help others from my country discover their potential.” 

That’s when she shared the idea of translating the book into Spanish.  The e-book is scheduled for release on July 9 and Oberbrunner plans on partnering with Cerrato on the Spanish translations of his other 14 books. In the meantime, he’s mentoring her about business best practices, marketing strategies and pitfalls to avoid as a new future business owner.  

Cerrato completed the translation with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), a tool Oberbrunner encourages his students to utilize. He teaches his students that AI is an innovative technology that can and should be leveraged for success in many situations.  

Determined to equip others in Spanish-speaking countries, she pitched the idea to Oberbrunner, who immediately encouraged Cerrato to move forward with her book translation vision.   

“When Gladys approached me with her idea, it took less than five seconds to say yes,” said Oberbrunner. “I knew Gladys could have an impact on Spanish speaking entrepreneurs and that she could turn her talent for translation into a future business when she graduates.” 

Because of Oberbrunner’s ability to draw on his own success as an entrepreneur, he is always looking for ways to give his students a boost when they show real initiative. In Cerrato’s case, he was able to take what would have been a project and turned it into a future business opportunity.

Oberbrunner also shares his experience as a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen books with his students. Along with his role at Cedarville University, he serves as the CEO of Igniting Souls and Blockchain Life in which he promotes intellectual property and turns it into 18 streams of revenue. He's also a screenwriter and inventor, and he's been featured on CBS, Entrepreneur, FOX News and Yahoo.

“I want to give my students the gift of belief and self-confidence. Learning and using new tools helps to that end,” said Oberbrunner. 

Cerrato has big dreams and sees this as the first step toward building a business focused on making great resources available to more people through translation. Her plan is to officially launch her business after graduation.