Annie F. Downs and Eddie Kaufholz are podcast pals turned real-life friends. During 2020, they started a daily podcast to try to preserve some sanity in a weird time, and that was the start of Annie and Eddie Keep Talking. Well, in 2026 they are taking the ethos of the podcast on the road in The Buddies Tour! Hitting some of their favorite cities with an evening of hearty laughs, good questions, perhaps 7 minutes of serious, and of course…talking. It’s what Annie and Eddie do. And no better place to do it than in rooms filled with buddies. Can’t wait to see you at The Buddies Tour!
Annie F. Downs
With over one million books sold, Annie is the author of multiple bestsellers, including That Sounds Fun, Remember God and 100 Days To Brave. By weaving together personal stories, humor, and Scripture, she invites readers to experience fulfilled lives with a God who made them on purpose and loves them deeply. You can learn more about her books here.
While she loves writing — books, blogs, articles, thank you notes — Annie also enjoys traveling around the world speaking at events, conferences, and churches. Find out where Annie will be or how to invite her to speak at your next event here.
Annie’s podcast — That Sounds Fun — releases new episodes every week. With over 100 million downloads, it features engaging conversations with authors, pastors, musicians, comedians, chefs and athletes—all friends she wants to introduce you to. You can learn more about her podcast here.
You can also join Annie over on the Let’s Read the Gospels Podcast, Annie’s MiniBFF Podcast, and Single Purpose League (available through Patreon).
Eddie Kaufholz
Eddie Kaufholz has spent over 20 years helping organizations figure out who they are and say it well. A former counselor and pastor, he still brings that same instinct to every project: listen first, then help people find the right words.
He spent seven years at International Justice Mission, where he told stories of modern-day slavery in ways that made people act, not just feel. He created and hosted The New Activist podcast, including the Esther series, which followed a survivor's journey through the justice system in real time. He then moved to Bread for the World, where he led strategic communications and helped reshape how the organization showed up in the world.
In 2024, Eddie founded PILLAR, a strategic communications and marketing agency built on the idea that world-class creative and storytelling should be available to any organization doing work that matters.
Eddie also created and hosted a podcast called Doing the Best We Can. He canceled it. It revealed too much, freaked him out, and that was that. Now he gets to pop in every once in a while on Annie F. Downs' podcast That Sounds Fun, which is why you're reading this bio.
Eddie lives in Arlington, Virginia with Brianne, his wife, and their two wonderful and kind daughters. He is a die-hard Florida Gator and Washington Nationals fan who, like most 12-year-olds, enjoys LEGO and video games. He is allergic to a lot of stuff, is best friends with two cats named Waffles and Mrs. Landingham, and will quote The West Wing liberally and expect you to know it.
