July 1st Update: Waiting with great anticipation to hear ABC and the Shark Tank team's decision regarding my audition last Saturday in Dallas! As we head into the 4th of July holiday, I'm reminded of the American Dream that we are so fortunate to live and shape every day. Innovation, determination and leadership have played huge roles in our successes to date and we need to continue with tremendous vigor to get back on track, reduce our national debt, create a better tomorrow, put people to work, help families thrive, etc.
This has been a busy week -- not sitting idle waiting for the phone to ring. I decided to post a 30 slide presentation about creatorbase and the patented Desktop Media Solution to help engage prospective buyers and licensees of the DMS. I also posted my Shark Tank audition clip (private) on YouTube for the ABC/Shark Tank team's access.
Happy and healthy 4th and do what you can to create and live the dream! If you would like to follow and participate in my mission to appear on and succeed with ABC Shark Tank season 3, please "Like" this Facebook.com/creatorbase page.
June 28th Update: Went to the creatorbase PO Box to do a mail run... and soak up some downtown Palo Alto atmosphere and summer showers. Was pleased to finally receive the registered trademark paperwork and certificate for "creatorbase" after a little scare a few months ago. The original mark was mistakenly abandoned while I was heads down in my vice president of community role at Sitecore. The re-registered mark in the mail is perfect timing for Shark Tank pursuits and beyond.
Note to self and other creators. If you secure a patent or trademark, make sure you keep key dates in your primary calendar (i.e. iPhone, etc.) and consider using a third party management service for a few hundred dollars. I also have "Your space to create." registered and this is under management now. Intellectual property (IP) is very serious business and can be highly valuable in special circumstances. Do what you can to create, grow and protect IP.
June 26th Update: Blogging from 35,000 feet up with Virgin America, the only way to go big and back. Got up early this morning in Dallas for an 8:00 AM flight back to San Francisco. Enjoyed a Morton's steak last night around 10:00 PM but was falling asleep at the table with less than 4 hours sleep and Dallas heat. No worries -- yesterday was one of those memorable days you tell your children about and take with you to your final days on earth. I think Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson call that a Bucket List item part 1 :). And I even managed to appear in this WFAA Channel 8 coverage emerging from the audition tank.
Was reminded this morning by a friendly cab driver (Vernon Lewis from Cowboy Cab) that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well everywhere you look. Veron was really pleasant at 6:00 AM with a can-do attitude and service-with-a-smile approach. He shared some of his small business achievements and aspirations like starting his own limousine service that includes Dallas t-shirts and other perks for patrons.
We talked about how his new business needed to be on the Web with, minimum, a blog and Twitter so satisfied patrons like me can share positive experiences about his business; suggested he actually promote his Twitter handle in each vehicle. Vernon is motivated, committed, has a plan and is creating value for customers. Vernon is a creator and my gut says he will achieve his goals.
June 25th, 7:30 PM Update: Today was a good day. I was #4 in line out of roughly 400 participants. Met some very interesting and passionate people with their unique stories and ideas. There is no shortage of innovation in the world and we as a creative community need to believe in and act on our ideas. The world needs more creators to make it a better place.
A big round of applause to the Mark Burnett team, ABC and all the Sharks for believing in and supporting the entrepreneurial spirit. Yes, there are many dreamers in the mix that don't really have a plan or something real to offer -- but there are also many talented people who are committed to their ideas and seeing them come to fruition for all the right reasons. My one take away today is that we must support people with ideas who are willing to risk a lot to see those ideas turn into products, services, solutions, new businesses, employment opportunities, community development, taxable revenue, national deficit reduction, future generations -- you get the picture.
My audition with the Shark Tank producer was enjoyable and he provided some good advice. I had two options after our brief talk:
- Go backstage to record a video for the extended team to review for evaluation
- Do my own video and return when possible for review
I opted for #2 so I went back to my hotel and set-up a mini studio with my Kodak Zi8 HD camera, tripod and iMovie on the Mac. Shot, edited and delivered a 2:30 minute video within 2 hours. Must admit -- it was the fastest video I ever created and delivered. Why? Because I came to Dallas from San Francisco with a few objectives and one goal in mind. To tell my story and be accepted for season 3 of Shark Tank. If all goes well, I may be recording for the show in Los Angeles as soon as mid July.
Here's where I could have been stronger in my pitch this morning. Instead of putting out props and talking to the producer while doing so, I should have put out the props, gathered myself and then pitch for 2 minutes as if I were on the show. A Starbucks Americano may have helped -- you live and learn. But I'm very happy the producer asked for a video and I was able to turn it around before he left for the day. Focus, motivation and the right tools are a powerful combination!
Like many others who auditioned today, I have a compelling story and investment/ROI opportunities to share on ABC Shark Tank season 3 -- if accepted. Further, I believe I will be able to bring a minimum of 250,000 viewers to the show if ABC selects me to appear given my network, the story and since I'm based in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area.
More to come next week after I edit some video from the day. Life is short, you have to try when you believe in something, have a plan and something of value. You have to be in it to win it!
Original Post, June 25th: Last Saturday I was in London as a guest of the ATP to participate in the 125th Wimbledon Championships with some behind-the-scenes and ticket-holding fan action. This Saturday I’m in Dallas to audition for season 3 of ABC Shark Tank. Two extraordinary weeks of big ideas becoming reality and it all comes down to being in the right space at the right time. You have to be in it to win it!
Today in Dallas I plan to accomplish three things:
- Meet Shark Tank producers to audition and make connections that result in me being selected
- Help other contestants in line share their ideas and stories via creatorbase
- Give the Shark Tank fan community at large an opportunity to experience an audition from behind-the-scenes
Contestants started to arrive yesterday evening (Erik Thompson from Snap Fitness / Michigan was the first in line) and I put an anchor in the audition tank with this lowrider beach chair and key supplies from the local CVS. There will likely be hundreds of people in line today. Successful business people, entrepreneurs and dreamers for an open casting call at the WFAA Channel 8 studio next to the American Airlines Center; home of Mark Cuban’s World Champion Mavericks. It’s going to be a hot day in Dallas!
What’s my idea? Well first, it’s building on a workspace product that I created in 1987 and sold via stores like Office Depot, college and computer accessory stores, and even K-Mart with a successful test market. But in 2002 I redesigned the original product and secured a patent to address how the world had changed with three big drivers that every business, product designer and marketer should innovate around today:
- Internet/Web with now more than 2 billion active users and growing
- Personalized and tangible engagement to create and retain consumer trust
- “Green” design and initiatives to help minimize impact to our environment
In simple terms, the Desktop Media Solution (DMS) is a personalized media channel and reading stand that millions of consumers will use at home, work, school and on-the-go. It’s all about helping people be more comfortable, productive, and engaged with trusted brands when consumers are spending time on their computers and the Web.
The Desktop Media Solution involves a tangible product, printed media, a web application and web-based community fueled by sites like Facebook and Twitter. The DMS has a very similar value proposition as the Onesole product that was a big success on Shark Tank last season. Scalable platform, many choices for consumers, value and a large global market. And it doesn't hurt that the DMS is a disruptive product.
Good luck to all Shark Tank contestants. If you have a great idea, remember this… you have to be in it to win it! Want to connect on Facebook? Join us by liking this page.
