Observe, Listen, Question & $olve

It's important to get a handle on the problems that you and your community are facing. What is keeping you up at night? What are your friends worried about? What's going on with the kids? What do you hear strangers discussing? What can you offer that will make a difference? What can you add that will help the situation?

If you see a problem, you don't necessarily need to know how to fix it. You can learn to do that or outsource a solution. The key is in observation and having the "aha moment" of how you can make the situation better.

Some people are great at this. Joy Mangano, for one, invented many products that solved organizational and space problems, especially her hangers. She started with an idea for a better mop. The campaign for Windows 7 tauts how users created the idea for it and you see them smiling with pride. Kim Kardashian has tapped into a few businesses, i.e., shoedazzle.com, exercise videos and a cleanse, that are providing services that people are buying. It also helps that she has the visibility of a TV show. Nonetheless, people are interested in what she is doing and they want it for themselves. That's what it's all about.

What do you notice in your life that isn't working? What would you like to see improvements in? Everything around us started with someone's idea, the chair, desk, light, phone, computer, pen, paperclip, calculator, stapler, post-it, scotch tape, mouse pad, water bottle, paper cup. What would make a difference in your life? It would probably make a difference in others too. Don't be discouraged or impatient. Listen to the kids since they have less fear and lots of imagination. We all have great ideas if we could listen to others and trust our own thoughts. Ask what would it be worth to others if you could provide this service and Go for it!