I knew early on that I didn’t have all of the skills necessary to license my ideas — that I needed someone to bring my product ideas to life for me. When I first started out, I was very fortunate to work with a very talented person named Russell Hicks. I met Russell...
Growing up as a child and experiencing the magic of Disney was impactful. I've been in love with everything Disney for years. When I had the chance to be part of that world, I jumped on it. It all began at a startup company called Worlds of Wonder (WOW). After working...
Once upon a time, I became a Disney licensee so I could sell my guitar picks with images of their brands on them. I met with the Disney team to discuss future plans for the product. Licensing Agreement Disney Characters Licensed Onto Hot Picks After our meeting, I...
Now the work begins. I know it has taken a long time for you to get the licensing deal, but now you need to help your licensee sell product. It's not hard to do. Being in front of the media can help you sell more product. It takes a little bit of practice, but even...
This is the ultimate dream for most inventors - licensing your idea to multiple companies to increase your revenue stream. Can it be done? Yes! Let me show you how. I was able to take something I did not even invent and license it in many different industries and...
I’ve never shared this story before. I told someone the other day that just because you can doesn’t mean you should. This was definitely the case when I tried launching a new beverage in the New York City school system. At the time it seemed like a good idea. I knew...
I get this question all the time. Inventors will tell me they've been working on their idea for a long time and nothing has happened. They're getting tired, frustrated, and wondering if they should give up. One of my most successful ideas I licensed received over 100...
Last week I took on a new inventRight student. As typically occurs during a first coaching session, this student and I got to know a bit about each other and he of course had many questions for me. We had a great conversation. He commented that the thought of...
This Sunday I will turn 63 years old, and I've never felt better. On that day, I will fly to New York City to join other inventors for a panel at the City College of New York in partnership with the AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador program that takes place on...
If you've been reading my series of articles for inventRight's blog for any length of time, you have likely realized that I write about the struggles and triumphs my students are facing in real time. My goal has always been to provide a fresh snap shot of what people...
As a faithful follower of inventRight's content, you should now understand what exactly licensing is. As a quick reminder, and in its most basic term, licensing is the renting of an idea. As stated in Stephen Key's (inventRight's co-founder) December 2017 article...
Fidget Spinners, a gadget that uses a ball bearing to rapidly spin on the tips of ones's fingers, took the world by storm in 2017. Marketed as everything from a toy, to a device that helped you focus and a reliever of anxiety and psychological stress, fidget spinners...