How inventRight helped Tara successfully navigate the licensing process

“I’ve been living in the Netherlands for over thirty years, and for those unfamiliar with European kitchen (and sink) sizes, well, it’s all pretty small compared to what we have in the U.S.! After years of scooping sink scraps out of my single sink by hand (no dishwasher or garbage disposal here!), I finally asked my son to make a prototype on his 3D printer—something that could take the “yuck out of sink guck” for me.

It worked like a charm! So much so, in fact, that I thought, “Hey, I bet a lot of people would like something like this!” Then the thought drifted off into the air… until one day, my son casually mentioned that I should sell it on Etsy or somewhere (he’s very entrepreneurial).

“I’m just a happy linguist and illustrator,” I said. Not exactly my thing — producing, selling, marketing, shipping. But the seed was planted. And it started to sprout. And niggle…

Eventually, like many inventRight folks, I looked online to see what options might be out there and came across a couple of inventRight videos on YouTube that grabbed my attention. The idea of licensing started to take shape, but I still felt a lot of trepidation and self-doubt.

Then one day, while stationed at my sink after doing the dishes, scooping out food scraps with my prototype, I couldn’t shake the thought: Maybe I should take the step, sign up with inventRight, and see if I could actually bring my idea to market.

Just as the self-doubt crept back, I looked down, and there on my rubber glove was a tea bag paper that had stuck to it. It read: “Wat zou je doen als je wist dat je niet kon falen?” Translation: “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”

There was no denying it was a sign 😊

I signed up that day (before I could change my mind) and now, eight months later, I’ve just happily signed with a wonderful company specializing in kitchen and household products. But was it always easy and straightforward? No, it wasn’t! Despite that nudge from the universe, I kept getting bogged down by self-doubt.

That’s where my Coach, Scott Putnam, came in! He held my hand, lifted me up, gave me encouragement, made me laugh, shared insights and experience, and kept me on track! I’m so grateful for the chance to work with him during his time at inventRight.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I was introduced to my second Coach, Terry O’Mara, and DITTO! He seamlessly picked up where Scott and I left off. What an asset he is to the inventRight community!

Now, the creative part came easily for me, and I enjoyed every bit of it. But the actual licensing—the contracts, terms, and all the legalities—was another story. Thank you, Paul Sorenson, for coming in at just the right moment to ease my fears, answer my questions, and expertly guide me through the licensing process.

And inventRight, with your incredible treasure trove of information, tools, and support, you’ve been the bridge for so many of us with ideas but no clear path to bring our products to market. I’m a huge fan—you’re doing everything right, inventRight!”