Well put Derrick.  I believe that you are definitely an asset to this community. I appreciate your posts and the enthusiasm you put into your contributions.

Thanks for the kind words Nicole.  I hope you meet with success along your journey with EN.

Mr. Ambassador.....

I salute you ! Thank you for all the support you offer to myself and others.  

- GO GREEN !

Happy Anniversary Derrick  !!!

It'll be ten years for me next March. Since the beginning (for me) you've always been, not just a major part of the foundation for this forum,  but a major part of its heart as well.

Thank you.

Thanks for the kind words Rodney and williamj.  I certainly love it here at EN, and love the opportunities they present to us that bring out the innovator in me.  I wish you both success in your product submissions.

Great post/ Thank You for the shot of enthusiasm!

This post is very inspiring. Thanks for sharing Derrick. Have you ever had any success in getting any of your ideas to the shelves in the ten years with EN?

Happy Anniversary Derrick!  I am rooting for you to get a G8 pronto!!

Thanks barry, Tanga, and Kim.  Glad I can offer some inspiration and a shot of enthusiam for you guys.  I am likewise rooting for you guys to get a G8.  Let's keep charging after it!!

@Tanga, I've been to presentation with a G7 several times, but to date no G8's.  If I didn't REALLY REALLY love inventing, I would have quit by now.  As I stated in my orginal post, what keeps me going is the opportunity that the next idea just might make it.  I think that the potential reward is worth the effort. That's why Edison Nation is named after Thomas Edison.  He kept trying after failing 10,000 times to create the light bulb, and he finally broke through. I heard this quote very early in my career, and it has stuck with me over the years:  "Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly, until you can learn to do it well."

Here's a few of great quotes from Mr. Edison:

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense."

Hello Mr. James, and happy anniversary to you. I hope you get that G8 too, and I love the inspiration and enthusiasm you have, it is encouraging to me to keep trying. Good luck!

Ditto...Very well spoken Derrick

Derrick, my friend, what a wonderful presence you are in this community!

Your post(s) bring to mind thoughts from one of my favorite authors, Malcomb Gladwell, who wrote The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers. All his books are incredible, but my favorite is probably Outliers because it is "the story of success". Besides introducing his "10,000 hour rule" (success in any field can be accomplished by practicing for 20 hours a week for 10 years), Gladwell gives examples of how success is achieved when talent meets chance opportunity. Well, you've got the talent, now you just need the right combination of variables (right idea, right company, right timing). Let me tell you - you just keep plugging away (because you love inventing no matter what) and then suddenly, whamo! - it just happens!

Hey folks!!!  Thanks Patrizia, KJ, and Robert for the kind works.

@ K J, and Robert, the success that you both have experienced always keeps me encouraged and motivated to keep charging hard after it.

@ Robert, although I can't claim 20 hours a week, I do have the 10 years covered.  If you include just thinking about inventing in addition to actually inventing, then I may come close to being able to claim 20 hours a week.

I've given some serious thought to it, and I've concluded that it is a goal of mine, within the next 5-7 years,  to become a patent agent.  I have no interest in litigating patents, so I don't need to be a patent attorney, but I do want to be able to prosecute patents, ie write and file patents.  I know that you don't have to be a patent agent or patent attorney to write, patents, but I want to be able to do it competantly, and with deep knowlege of the patenting process.  I think this is why most ideas get reject, because of prior art.  Let's see how I do with this goal.

Derrick, you've been here since I first remember joining EN. Such a positive voice in the forum, such a great human being to look up to.  You'll get that G8 one day, Mr. D!

Hey CK.  Thank you for the gracious words, and I hope you get that G8 as well.

Derrick, I also have great admiration and respect for you. You are a wonderful, enthusiastic, and common sense voice in our community.  I appreciate your active membership and dedication to our community. Congratulations 10 years!!!  

I have a great idea, after 10 years EN provides us withg a free EN membership or maybe half off?? 

Hi Mary.  Thanks for the gracious works Mary.  The admiration and respect is mutual.  Also your Everyday Edison banner inspires me to keep striving to achieve a G8 banner under my name.

Regarding the free Insider Membership after 10 years, I actually prefer the existing system of getting free lifetime Insider Membership after accumulating 1,000,000 Insider Points.  You can get to 10 years of membership by just signing up without doing or contributing much of anything other than paying $9.25 per month or $99 per year.  However, getting to 1,000,000 Insider Points takes a lot of hard work.  Just my opinion though.

So, Derrick, You're a little closer then I am to reaching a free Lifetime membership. Does our community have some free insider members? 

Hi Mary,

Yep, I think there are 3. Marvin Blaine is one, who still has an active account, but is not really an active participant as far as I can tell.  Marvin reached 1,000,000 Insider Points 6 years ago.  The other two are Robert Pontius, who is quite active, and Rob F., who is somewhat active.  Probably would have at least two more from people who have come and gone.

Derrick, it has been a fun ride.  I look forward to plenty more opportunities and riding the inventive wave (or should I say roller coaster) with our EN members.  We're a tight-knit group of people, all with a collective, yet singular focus and that is to succeed!  All the best Derrick.  Here's to 10 more years!

Hi Saletta.  Yes indeed it has been a fun ride.  Still chasing the long sought-after licensing deal, but there is joy in the chase as well as in the prize.  EN is a great community of innovators, and it's great to be a part of it, and hope to continue for years to come.

Congrats Derrick! Where do you actually find that info on when you joined EN.  I too have been here awhile, but I could not find that info. I agree with you on using the point system to gain lifetime free insider membership. Thats is when you know you’ have skin in the game.  Mary Kisko I know you have been along time as well. It just dawned on me that you got your Everyday Edison status for being on the first series of the television series.  What product did you have on the show and is it still available?

Erick, never mind I just found it. Dooh! I have been a member since 6/25/2008.  WooHoo, ok hold the applause! 

Amen Derrick, AMEN!  Let's bring in those G8's!

Hi Kenneth,  Yes like you, I've been here for a long time. I joined 1/11 2008. We have had some GOOD TIMES !!! One correction, I was on Season two Every Day Edisons with my dog leash product AeroLeash. The leash was an armband with a bungee cord, which attached to the dog leash. The bungee cord separated the pulling tension from the user and the dog so the user could swing his arms and power walk or jog with the dog.  My big reveal was with Pet Smart. In the end, unfortunately, Petsmart changed their minds due to a safety issue.    

Everyday Edison also paid for an expensive AeroLeash ASOTV commercial,  but the product didn't meet the sales requirement. Being on the show and having your product almost on the store shelf was a very cherishable experience for me. Maybe Everyday Edison had some regrets, (LOL) but I can assure you that my invention journey was absolutely unforgettable and I am eternally grateful for this experience. Time heals all wounds! LOL 

Thank you, Kenneth, I loved that you mentioned my Season Two Episode. I am still keeping my faith. I know God has a plan for me and I believe that I will one day see a product idea of mine on the store shelf. I agree with Saletta Lets all bring in G8"s!!

Sorry to hear that. Have you or Edison Nation come up with a resolve to the safety issue? Maybe you can get a second chance and maybe hit up John Valardi’s licensee Walkwiz.

Congrats Derrick 

Has it been 10 years?  How time flies. I started with EN about the same time you did. You have always been a strong and consistent voice on the forums giving encouragement, instruction and support.  

Believing your mind is a computer genius is a real battle not to let your personality or negative feelings get in the way of interference. Inventing ideas can be very basic and it is up to the Edison team to improve the design if they see any kind of improvement rather than not think of any improvements at all over time as it definitely takes time to improve the design to make it fool-proof.

@Kenneth, thanks man.  You've pre-date me by over 1-1/2 years.  Great longevity.  I'd say you are one of the pillars of this community.

@Fred, yes, our EN start dates are only separated by about 6 months.  Thanks for being an active and positive influence on the forums.

@Arthur, you are right, it definitely takes time to perfect a product.  However, I try not to lean too heavily on EN to improve the ideas I submit.  Either EN or the sponser will invariably make improvements to any product that they choose to develop based on the needs of their customers, or to improve manufacturability to reduce cost.  I just try to anticipate possible issues with my products as much as I can while designing them.  This helps a bit to streamline the typically long and arduous product development cycle.

Kenneth, I am afraid that ship has sailed, but eventually, my ship will come in. Keeping the faith! 

@Mary.  I do remember that episode.  How wonderful for you!

Thank you, Saletta Wishing you success!!!