Meeting the Challenges
As the Roman poet Virgil said, "Fortune sides with him who dares." As a novice entrepreneur, Mark has energetically leaped from undertaking one area new to his experience, to the next--loving to meet those challenges head on.
In a way, the inventor who is determined to market his invention has something in common with a firewalker. Each must have unswerving faith in his ability to reach the goal successfully.
Sometimes, if attorneys, bankers, or even friends and relatives cast doubt on your ability to produce and sell your product profitably, your ego may become bruised. Don't let the doubters kill your dream just because they "wouldn't pursue it." They aren't you. Perhaps they lack your gift of creativity. They may have less ability to produce great results from difficult tasks. Choosing "the road less traveled" demands courage in quantities many people lack.
Remember this! Two patent attorneys had completely opposite reactions to Mark's idea. What if, because of the first patent attorney's negative opinion, Mark had stopped pursuing his dream? Millions of dollars worth of Eggsercizers would not have been sold. He would have missed the joys of running Eggstra Enterprises, Inc.. He might never have had the experiences that can help other inventors to achieve their desire to bring their product to market.
Try not to become discouraged by doubters. Analyze for yourself what motivates their pessimism about your project. Is it genuine concern for you? Do their comments contain some degree of validity, or are these merely projections of the speakers' fears about their own personal shortcomings?
Have a focus group of family members and friends analyze your idea or invention. Sift through these gloom and doom comments for information that might be useful to you. To do this, you might try dividing a piece of paper into two columns. On the left write down everything against achievement of your objectives. On the right enter facts that are in your favor. If one side of the list is much longer than on the other, don't automatically select that side without a little bit of further analysis. First, evaluate the strength of individual points on the short side, too. If these negative factors were encountered by your business, how could you minimize their impact? If after this honest analysis of what you are facing, you still want to proceed, do so with renewed conviction.
Determination, the Great Strengthener
Like many inventors, Mark had no mentor to whom he could turn to for guidance as he moved his invention from mind to market. No one person was there to show him how to raise capital, get free publicity, the difference between a Sales Rep and a Distributor, or how to avoid the many potential pitfalls. Yet, somehow, in spite of his inexperience in handling some of the fine points, he managed to do most things not only right but also well.
At the end of 1997, sales of Eggsercizer and Eggsportz topped 1,000,000 units! Such success could not have been attained without God's guidance. God gave Mark a gift. Miraculously, all along the way Mark seemed to meet the right people, with the right knowledge, at the right time. The results speak for themselves.
Celebrities enjoy using Mark's Eggsercizers. Characters on such popular TV series as Days of Our Lives, Chicago Hope, and Northern Exposure have been shown pumping their Eggsercizers. Features on his invention have been done on NBC Today Show, Regis and Kathy Lee, and ABC's 20-20, CNN, ABC 20/20 and Inventor's Digest. In early 1997, a photograph showing President Bill Clinton squeezing his Eggsercizer appeared on the front page of a Chinese newspaper and later in USA Today.
Patients in physical rehabilitation for arthritis and strokes are restoring strength in their hands by squeezing Eggsercizers. Eggsercizer is endorsed by Orthopedic Surgeons, Therapist and Athletic Trainers. People in Smoke Cessation classes battle "fidgety fingers" by grabbing onto those eggs.
Many companies that recommend Eggsercizer to their employees for combating repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome include USA Today, Dow Jones, Arthur Anderson, Ernst and Young, UNISYS, Tyson Foods, and Intel, to name a few. Among chain stores throughout the country stocking Eggsercizers are Wal-Mart, Brookstone, many national sporting goods stores and other gift stores. Worldwide distribution is off and running.
The public's response to Mark's expansion of special niche marketing versions has been affirming. This indicates that Eggstra Enterprises, Inc. has scarcely begun to realize the benefits of his late night idea. After all, continual growth must be stimulated for an infant venture to become a giant one.
Irving Berlin said, "The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success." Mark continues to market, market, market.
To date, Eggsercizer has passed through the survival and growth phases and now is in the stabilization phase. The expansion phase is currently in process with a major distributor. From Mind to Market is truly the handbook for inventors.
Publisher
Key 2 Ideas
Birmingham, Alabama
