Here are some of the highlights and lowlights:

1. I’ve written 10 books. No, not the… “I published it myself on the Internet variety that writers claim these days. I’m talking contracts, advances and royalties from international publishing – type books. My most recent book included a forward from Dr. Laura so I was swimming in some fairly significant ponds. I mention my books because some of you will have an idea for a book and you may wonder if this system will help you get published. I also share my publishing background with you because I know what it’s like to be a struggling author with an idea for a book. I know what it feels like to pitch that idea over and over to publishers and agents and to hear no until you find the one who says, “yes”.

2. I’ve been an unsuccessful inventor. Yup… unsuccessful. Back in my 20’s when my kids were small, I got tired of my daughter flushing toys and washcloths down the toilet so I had an idea. I got together with an engineer and invented a spring-loaded toilet handle, which required a pulling action prior to flushing. Basically, small children couldn’t do it. I built prototypes, patented it and developed marketing information prior to actually badgering the president of a large plumbing supply company into seeing me. He was very kind, but told me he had zero, zip, zilch interest in my idea. I was devastated. Instead of using rejection as a springboard to improve my product, I gave up. I regret that to this day, but I just couldn’t see how to get around the “no’s” to find the “yes” – which is another reason I created Ideas to Cash.

3. Some of you may want to be a game or toy inventor. I’ve done that too. I created the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Board Game™ for Hasbro™ and created the Left Behind Board Game™ for Talicor Games™. I also handled the toy licensing line for BattleBots™ and helped to create some of the toys, action figures and games for Hasbro™ and Jacks Pacific Toys™. Were they huge successes that made me independently wealthy? Nope. But I made good money and learned how to create and sell games, toys, robots and action figures to major companies.

4. For those of you who have ideas for educational products, I helped create and market The Phonics Game™ and later moved on to Hooked on Phonics™ where I served as the VP of Marketing.

5. If your idea is to get a radio or television program of your own, I successfully pitched and landed a highly coveted radio personality position at a significant Southern California radio station. That was a great job and it was there that I learned a ton about advertising and what it took to successfully market products and services.

6. If any of you want to be a radio and television commercial spokesperson, I served in that capacity for The Phonics Game™, Hooked on Phonics™ (briefly) and Cortislim™. I can also tell you that the latter was a nightmare of regulatory and legal issues, which consummated with me being sued and with my suing both the product creator and parent company. I learned a valuable, albeit very painful and expensive lesson as a spokesperson. Do your own homework and don’t take anybody’s word for anything. See the proof yourself.

7. Some of you may have ideas, products or services that you feel can best be presented through commercials. I estimate that I have written, recorded and/or appeared in over two thousand commercials. Today, I write commercials for some of the largest and best-known advertisers on radio and television.