Jon Capriola

Have you ever noticed how some days you wake up and from the moment you get out of bed nothing goes your way? No matter what actions you take, the day is on a downhill slant and you seem to have a set of roller blades strapped to your feet. I believe it was sometime in my early thirties I realized everything happens for a reason. The saying every action has a reaction…is such a true statement. The first thing you must continually remind yourself when inventing your idea into a mass-producible, sellable product is that
problems do not go away, they simply change . How you deal with the problems you are faced with makes
you who you become at the end of the day, week, month, year, or even decade. It's almost as if you have to remind yourself of this fact on an hourly basis…think of it as a sort of long, paused incantation.

The fact is when you take on the daunting task of inventing an idea, it's a roller coast ride of emotions…
just the patent process itself is enough to send someone jumping off a high bridge! The invention process
and the outcome of the process are directly related to your mindset on a daily basis. It's your daily belief structure that makes the end result successful. The old adage says that repetition is the mother of skill and
it is from my experience you need to repeatedly condition or train your mind to solve issues rapidly, effectively,
and with continued positive thoughts as to any of the outcomes. I have observed firsthand in the inventors I have coached or advised that how they deal with their issues has an almost 100% effect on the outcome of whether they will make it through each phase of the process. Like anything worth having, there has to be a process of how you attain it and throughout the process there must be a continued reminder of positive affirmation! I am typically helping inventors who are already in the process, but are so stuck they don't know which way to go. This happens a lot to first time inventors because they are not following a process and
do not understand what to do when certain roadblocks appear.

This is where having not only a positive mindset come into play, but also having a reinforcing mindset as well. For example, think of it as exercising three or four times a week. Instead of jogging or working with weights, you are constantly reminding yourself… problems do not go away, they simply change! By doing this,
it allows you to take anything thrown at you head on. What really discourages me the most about inventing first and foremost are the knock-offs. The second most degrading feature of being an inventor is watching someone looking at your final mass-producible product for the first time and acting like it's really nothing special, or as if the product is not worthy of anything. After all, the end result may take months, or even years, to make and in a couple of seconds the evaluation process is immediately focused on all the negatives of your product. It's like the entire course of action to making your product wasn't appreciated in the least.
That's the nature of this business and the proper mindset will control your emotions when this occurs.
I promise you this will occur! Whether you're showing your idea to a buyer or presenting it to a company to license, this will undoubtedly happen.

Sometimes the simplest pieces or parts that make up your product take the longest to design and cause the most havoc! I know my Laser Laces® power clasp took over three weeks of daily emails and another month
of Fed Ex samples to finally get the shape and the material of the power switch right! That's the little gray button that turns the unit on and off for those of you not familiar with the product. A situation like this is where mindset plays the most important part in the design and outcome of your invention. You need to realize and constantly remind yourself—train your brain—to deal with the circumstance at hand. One of the best sayings
I have ever received was from a tailor in San Francisco who said, “The mind always works on the situation it is in.” If you think about that statement for a minute, he is absolutely correct. But what is more intriguing is that you are in total control of your mind. After all, you decide what to think about and when to think about it.
Even on a subconscious level, whether you know it or not, you have 100% control on interpretation of anyone's statements or opinions and you have 100% control on every situation you are faced with. If, by chance, you do not have control of the situation, then you must revert back to the saying…don't worry about things you can't control…like the weather or the six o'clock news!

If you decide to make your idea a reality and resell it directly (which I strongly suggest you do if it makes DOLLAR sense), then understanding how your mind works is the main key to the entire experience.
You will be faced with so many decisions and issues that come up daily, the conditioning of your mind will control the end result.

Many of you are reading this and thinking I know this already. But knowing it and not doing it, is really not knowing. Condition your mind hourly, or at least daily, with positive reinforcements and no matter what kind of day you are having your outcomes will be more positive, energetic and you will amaze yourself.
Typically when money is involved, people lose control and stop thinking rationally. Fear takes over and the worst-case scenarios are all that they focus on. That is the biggest downfall I see with most inventors; it's not that their idea is not great, it's just that they fail to have at least ABC in place.

A. Have a process or phased approach in place before starting,
B. Continually reinforce your mindset that “problems change, they don't go away.”
C. Accept that you are extremely under funded for the task at hand.

I also believe from my experiences that B has a lot to do with C! Having the proper mindset for the invention process is absolutely the defining factor between success and failure. The definition of insanity is to do something again and again and expect different results. The proper mindset will speed up your invention process by enabling you to deal decisively with the day-to-day problems you inevitably will face.
Your mindset will allow you to realize when that special person is evaluating your idea and may dismiss it as having no value; it is not the end of the world. That one person doesn't determine the success of the idea, the masses do. If I had a peanut for every so-called expert's obtuse opinion regarding my products, I could feed
an entire nation of squirrels! It's true! Your mindset, if trained properly, is the first element of success when it comes to making your idea a reality! At the end of the day, experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. Understanding this and realizing that problems don't go away, they simply change, will take you to a new level on the playing field on your way to making your idea into a mass-producible, sellable product!

Happiness, much like success, is not pursued, it's ensued…a defining result of something.

Jon Capriola is the founder of the Capriola Corporation, whose trademarked motto and mission is Making Ideas A Reality. Jon has been an entrepreneur his entire career starting at 19 when he opened his first restaurant. He started a marketing company selling software-based security services. Blessed with a natural talent for design,  he then developed a LED-based prototype that he evolved into the best selling Laser Laces®. Jon's many inventions eventually led to the creation of the world's only illuminated construction toy set, Laser Pegs™. Based on his years of developing and selling many of his products directly to consumers, he has reflected on his experiences with inventing and has written his first book, Making Ideas A Reality ®. The proud father of identical twin boys, Jon spends his time helping other inventors around the world bring their products to market.

If you would like to contact Jon Capriola, he can be found at
Email: Jonc@makingideasareality.com || cell: 941-587-2111 || URL: www.MakingIdeasAReality.com

Take Mr. Capriola's PHASE I inventors course and reward yourself with many years of knowledge in six short hours!

This six-hour course will define the principles about taking an idea and making an actual product. There is no cutting corners with this course.
All questions will be answered and his phased approach will be tailored to fit your needs as an inventor. To learn more about the three phases go here: http://www.makingideasareality.com/contractjoncapriola.html