Virgil Klunder, a loveable guy with eclectic experiences and tastes, is an entrepreneur, mentor, and life coach whose journey is described by some as the ultimate “American Dream.” His impassioned life began with humble beginnings, curiosity and a vision of greater things, and his success quickly belied his age. As the first in his family to complete high school, he understands the tenacity and determination required to break barriers and pursue greatness. It is now his passion to help others do the same.
Necessity was certainly the mother of invention in Virgil’s life. One of his first businesses began out of the need to learn about his family’s medical history. As an adoptee during the time when records were sealed, Virgil wasn’t allowed access to any of his records–including family medical records. However, due to a shocking diagnosis of a high potential for early heart attack, he desperately needed to gather information about his birth family. In energetic Virgil Klunder fashion, he immediately turned his focus towards being able to obtain his records; within weeks, he had collected all the information he needed. His urgent search and swift success in securing his records coincidentally gave birth to his very first business–an agency that reconnected adopted children with their birth parents.
His agency quickly grew to become the largest private investigation firm in the entire world and enabled him to retire the first time at the age of 23.
A few years later he wrote the best seller “Lifeline: The Action Guide to Adoption Search,” a how-to book on adoption reunion searches. He has since written three additional books.
Despite having retired technically speaking, he continued to pursue various business ventures, travels, and unique life experiences. In fact, he was the original voice of “Larry the Cucumber” on the beloved Christian cartoon series “Veggie Tales.”
Additionally, he was featured countless times on television shows such as Opera and Montel Williams as the investigator who reunited adoptees with their birth families. Virgil is considered an expert in reuniting lost relatives with one another, and the list of testimonials from families who were happily reunited thanks to Virgil’s investigating skills is quite lengthy.
While continuing to reconnect families, he proceeded with his formal educational pursuits and obtained degrees in international finance and computer science. Despite his upper-level education, Virgil firmly believes the mentoring he received was a genuine catalyst to his success and that mentoring is just as important as a formal education.
Virgil most often uses the word “gratitude” when describing the mentorships he received during his career. For this reason, he now donates a majority of his time coaching others in business and teaching young adults and teens life skills they truly need to reach their potential. He knows people have full-size dreams and great potential, but don’t know what they don’t know, and they need someone else who can show them how to release that potential and realize their dreams.
Virgil spends most of his summers traveling and teaching young people about entrepreneurship, goal-setting, and career-planning at leadership conferences, seminars, and non-profits around the country.
His hobbies include flying, scuba diving, and most other outdoor activities, and he even recently completed his first marathon. Virgil has four children, two who have already obtained their education via homeschooling and two who are still pursuing their home studies. He lives happily on a re-invented former campground in Tennessee where he has let his imagination go wild by creating various architectural creations. Virgil recognizes that he lives a blessed life and is thrilled to be able to help others find the same happiness.
Connect with me:
Virgil Klunder - Youtube
