God: Either You Trust Him Or You Don’t.
Some of you will recall that I spoke with a licensing agent here in Lubbock, Matt Yubas, last Tuesday. Well, to be honest he was rather underwhelmed by my screwdriver idea, and felt there would be simply too much competition at this point to justify his representing it right now. I knew that it would be a numbers game, and that even if ONE person doesn’t go gah-gah over it, I should still shop it around to others in the meantime. Get a few second opinions and all. Still, it was saddening, and I was pretty depressed for a day or two.
Then on Thursday, he calls me back, out of the blue. Seems he’s writing a book on Patents & Inventing, and he wanted to enlist my services as a reader. Someone who would take a look at the naked copy, make sure it made sense, and give him immediate feedback. In exchange, he’d be willing to answer any questions I might have regarding the information I read. He’d like to fast-track this, and meet 3 times a week, for an hour at a time.
I’ll be honest. When I first heard his offer, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea. I’d much rather have him evaluate more of my ideas for licensing potential than get info on patents (which very few of my ideas would even warrant…). But then I realized the true value in his offer: a relationship.
Even if I don’t get much out of the book itself (and so far, I’m getting a lot), I’ll be establishing a relationship as a respected peer with a guy who’s been licensing ideas for over 20 years. In a very real way, I’ll be establishing a relationship with an inventing mentor. PLUS, instead of just reading a book about the in’s and out’s of inventing and hoping I pick up the info inside, I’m able to interact with and have a dialogue with the AUTHOR, getting clarification or insight into any areas that are unclear. This is HUGE.
This experience has underscored the fact that God truly IS the ONLY way I’m going to have success as an inventor and an author. I didn’t have anything to do with Matt‘s calling me back for the offer. That was totally God working in the background, and I recognize it and praise Him for it.
And you know what? This has also served to kill off any fears I might have had about the future. Do I need to worry about matching my ideas with the right manufacturer? Nope. God’s got it covered. Should I freak out about finding a literary agent and a publisher for my book? No reason – God’s got it all planned out for me.
Every fear and concern that I’ve had over the last year – “How am I going to do this?” “What if I make a mistake?” “How will I meet the right people?” – they’re all shrinking in the reality of His glory and ultimate control. I don’t have to worry about a THING. I can take my hands off wheel and let Him drive my life, and not worry whether we’re headed for a cliff or into an oncoming semi-trailer or what. He KNOWS what I need, and He’ll only give me what’s best for me. I can TRUST Him.
There’s something else, though. I’ve had two separate people (both spiritual mentors in my life) say that things are about to change for me, in a big way. They both say that I need to get ready to “hold on” and that things are going to move quickly. Two completely separate individuals, two separate occasions. I have no idea what they’re talking about, and whether they’re referring to Mills Creative Minds or the Baby book (or having a baby girl pop out of Kim in late June), but I’m trying to stay as centered and laid-back as I typically am. So there’s that to chew on.
Lastly, I went to talk to a CPA about the visions and goals I have for Mills Creative Minds, and about opening it up for investors. He completely related to what God’s put in my heart, and reassured me that I’m on the right path, hearing from God correctly.
Regarding investors, it was never my plan to have any. I HAVE a small amount of seed money to start Mills Creative Minds, and He’s shown me how to accomplish my goals without spending a fortune. But He’s really put it on my heart that I should open up the company to investors and allow those who want to support it financially – with a lifetime payout – to do so.
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