Blog
Fads – Group Think Gone Wild
Fads tend to get a bad rap because their popularity may not have anything to do with the value of the item or the craze. Good examples are Hula Hoops, Pet Rocks, Lava Lamps, the Slinky and Beanie Babies. Pet Rocks and Beanie Babies don't solve problems. They are just...
Why the Manufacturing Industry Needs Diversity
I've worked in many male dominated industries, from being an innovation keynote speaker to being an inventor to being a manufacturer. Quite often I'm the only woman in the room, but I've never felt left out of the conversation. Most men I've worked with welcome a...
Why You Should Hire an Inventor as Your Innovation Keynote Speaker
Where would we be without inventors? Practically everything we touch in the course of a day is thanks to an inventor who saw an opportunity most people overlooked. Inventors are problem solvers who are never satisfied with the status quo and believe there is always a...
Trade Secrets as Competitive Advantage
Trade secrets are information that your business would want to keep secret from competitors, and whose value comes from the fact that it isn't widely known. Examples might include customer lists, or unique ways (that only your business knows about) of delivering...
Trademarks and Copyrights as Competitive Advantage
As an inventor and patent holder, some of my strongest intellectual property has been my trademarks and copyrights. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office: A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes...
Patents – Intellectual Property as Competitive Advantage
As a patent and trade dress owner, my favorite competitive advantage is intellectual property. There's no better way to keep your competition at bay than with intellectual property that literally keeps them off the market, at least for a set period of time. It allows...
Innovation in Meetings and Events – Festivalization
I just got back from Charlotte, North Carolina where I was the innovation keynote speaker for the NC Festival and Event Association's Showfest 2019. The conference was packed and it was great to see such a fun and receptive crowd. These were people who took copious...
Innovation in Education
Years ago I was invited to a private screening of "Waiting for Superman" where teachers in the audience were free to express their true feelings. This was before I started speaking on innovation in education. What I learned from the teachers in the audience is still a...
The Value of Prototyping in Research and Development
Last week I was the innovation keynote speaker for the James Hardie Research and Development Conference for their scientists and engineers. I normally don't show anyone my first prototype, but I wanted to show how simple prototyping can be, and the value of...