The Big Idea : How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the Aha Moment to Your First Million

It's the moment when you say, "There's gotta be a better way." It's the moment when you ask, "How can I solve this problem?" Donny Deutsch's hit CNBC show The Big Idea has put the spotlight on that ordinary moment and the people who have the courage and stamina to make their dreams come true. Some people think a big idea is like a lightning bolt striking out of the blue that slams you in the head. But it's hardly ever like that. The big idea isn't an act of God. It's an act of daily life. Simply put, the idea that will make millions starts with an observation. A carpenter gets tired of almost losing a finger every time he slices a bagel. Bam! The Bagel Guillotine. A mother is frustrated that her pantry is full of stale food because the packages don't close. Bam! Quick Seals. Howard Schultz notices on a trip to Italy that there are coffee bars on almost every corner. Bam! Starbucks. None of them had a barrel of cash. None of them had a ton of experience. They had a big idea and the will to follow through. In The Big Idea, Deutsch draws not only on his own tremendous focus and expertise, but on that of dozens of the successful entrepreneurs whom he has interviewed, to help you create your own enterprise. From the "Gut Check Moment" to "Mom Power," The Big Idea takes aspiring entrepreneurs along every step of the way. The Big Idea is your road map to the American dream. THE BIG IDEA: HOW TO MAKE YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAMS COME TRUE, FROM THE AHA MOMENT TO YOUR FIRST MILLION (2009)......Page 1 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Part 1: What's The Big Idea?......Page 14 01: Calling All Dreamers......Page 15 Who Am I to Talk?......Page 17 Love Is the Answer......Page 21 Listen to the Little Voice......Page 24 An Act of Life......Page 26 My Promise to You......Page 28 02: No Experience Necessary......Page 30 What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You......Page 31 Big Idea Lesson......Page 32 Everybody Loves an Underdog......Page 33 Fake It Till You Make It......Page 34 From Battlefield to Boardroom......Page 35 Your Lucky Napkin......Page 36 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: BEGINNER'S ROAD MAP......Page 38 The World Is Your Classroom......Page 39 DONNY'S DO: YOUR SMART TEAM......Page 40 03: Why Make Someone Else Rich?......Page 41 The Soul of an Entrepreneur......Page 43 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: ENTREPRENEUR'S BOOKSHELF......Page 45 When to Say "I'm Outta Here!"......Page 46 Big Idea Lesson......Page 47 3. Nothing to Lose......Page 48 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: LEARN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ROPES......Page 49 DONNY'S DO: CONTROL, ALT, DELETE......Page 50 Hold Your Nose and Jump......Page 51 The Art of Bliss......Page 52 Big Idea Lesson......Page 54 Big Idea Lesson......Page 55 Big Idea Lesson......Page 56 The Power of Nostalgia......Page 57 DONNY'S DO: LOVER'S LEAP......Page 58 Part 2: There Are No Geniuses......Page 60 05: There's Gotta Be a Better Way......Page 61 Feel the Need......Page 62 TAKE ACTION ON YOUR DREAMS FROM START-UP NATION'S RICHAND JEFF SLOAN......Page 64 Five Steps to a Better Way......Page 65 Big Idea Lesson......Page 66 2. Own It.......Page 67 PROTECT YOUR BIG IDEA......Page 69 3. Make It.......Page 70 4. Wear It.......Page 71 Big Idea Lesson......Page 72 5. Sell It.......Page 74 DONNY'S DO: THE INSTANT GRAB......Page 75 A Moment of Clarity......Page 77 Big Idea Lesson......Page 78 A New Twist......Page 79 Big Idea Lesson......Page 80 Big Idea Lesson......Page 82 A Future Vision......Page 83 THE NAME......Page 84 NAMES THAT NAIL IT......Page 85 THE PACKAGE......Page 86 THE PRICE......Page 87 THE BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: GET-IT-RIGHT RESOURCES......Page 88 DONNY'S DO: FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS......Page 89 07: Break Out of the Box......Page 90 The Five Qualities of an Innovator......Page 91 Quality 2: Innovators don't care that it's never been done. In fact, they love it. "It's never been done" has got to rank up......Page 92 Big Idea Lesson......Page 93 Quality 4: Innovators are champions of individuality.......Page 94 Quality 5: Innovators are disruptive. Innovators will challengee veryday assumptions.......Page 95 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: RESOURCES FOR INVENTORS......Page 96 DONNY'S DO: HOME-GROWN INNOVATION......Page 97 08: Change the World with a Simple Idea......Page 98 Do-Gooder Nation......Page 100 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: RESOURCES FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS......Page 101 DONNY'S DO: TAKE ON THE WORLD......Page 102 Part 3: No Is Not an Option......Page 104 09: Why NOT Me?......Page 105 The Entitlement Exercise......Page 107 Success Is a Democracy......Page 109 THE AMERICAN DREAM SELF-SABOTAGE TEST......Page 111 Bypass the Pecking Order......Page 112 WHO ... ME?......Page 113 10: The Gut Check Moment......Page 115 The Comeback Kids......Page 117 Big Idea Lesson:......Page 120 A Life-and-Death Gut Check......Page 121 Be Fearless......Page 122 Big Idea Lesson......Page 123 DONNY'S DO: EMBRACE YOUR BUTTERFLIES......Page 124 11: They Told Me I'd Never Make It......Page 125 Hold the Obituary......Page 126 Big Idea Lesson......Page 127 The Best Revenge Is Making Millions......Page 128 DO YOU HAVE MILLIONAIRE POTENTIAL? TAKE CYNTHIA GOOD'S QUIZ......Page 129 2. Dig Beneath the NO.......Page 130 DONNY'S DO: THE COLD CALL......Page 131 Launching from the Bottom......Page 132 Start with What You Know......Page 133 Take the Down Staircase Up......Page 134 Dani success strategies......Page 135 DONNY'S DO: THE BOTTOMLESS PIT OF POSSIBILITY......Page 136 13: Who Said It Was Too Late?......Page 137 Midlife Crisis = Opportunity......Page 138 Riches to Rags and Back Again......Page 140 What's Your Second Life Story?......Page 141 3. You're Free to Invent.......Page 142 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: RESOURCES FOR SECOND LIFERS......Page 143 DONNY'S DO: TEAR OFF THE REARVIEW MIRROR......Page 144 Part 4: Getting to Your First Million......Page 145 The $200 Windfall......Page 146 Start a Business with $500......Page 148 Big Idea Lesson......Page 149 Don't Go for the Gold......Page 150 1. Claim the Spotlight.......Page 152 2. Put a Stake in the Ground.......Page 153 3. Use Technology to Leap Ahead.......Page 154 4. Team Up, Not Down.......Page 155 DONNY'S DO: BE MARKET SAVVY, NOT MARKET SHY......Page 156 Mothers of Invention......Page 157 Big Idea Lesson......Page 159 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: RESOURCES FOR MOMPRENEURS......Page 160 Moms Together......Page 161 The Mommy Millionaire......Page 162 DONNY'S DO: KITCHEN TABLE WISDOM......Page 163 16: All in the Family......Page 165 Big Idea Lesson......Page 166 Big Idea Lesson......Page 167 Ancestral Secrets......Page 168 Big Idea Lesson......Page 169 Boss, Mentor, Mom......Page 170 Family First, Then the World......Page 171 The New Family Business Model......Page 172 FIVE KEYS TO A HAPPY FAMILY BUSINESS......Page 173 DONNY'S DO: EXPRESS YOUR PRIDE......Page 174 17: People to People......Page 175 Big Idea Lesson......Page 176 What's Your Story?......Page 177 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: FREE PUBLICITY RESOURCES......Page 178 It's Not About the Clothes......Page 179 Become a Household Name......Page 180 Build Your Network......Page 181 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: NETWORKING RESOURCES......Page 182 When in Doubt, Throw a Party......Page 183 DONNY'S DO: IT'S THE PEOPLE, STUPID......Page 184 Part 5: Breaking Down the Roadblocks......Page 186 18: Dollars and Sense......Page 187 How Much Do You Want It?......Page 188 The Best Money a Big Idea Can Buy......Page 189 2. Borrow from Family and Friends.......Page 190 4. Apply for a Small Business Loan.......Page 191 6. Find an Angel.......Page 192 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: RESOURCES FOR FUNDING......Page 193 DONNY'S DO: GET IT FOR NOTHING......Page 195 19: Perfect Pitch......Page 196 Big Idea Lesson......Page 197 The Art of Self-Branding......Page 198 Winning Hearts and Minds......Page 199 Take It Away!......Page 200 KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR: AMILYA ANTONETTI ON GETTING PAST THE SWITCHBOARD......Page 201 The Elevator Pitch......Page 202 Qve: The Big Pitch......Page 204 Big Idea Lesson......Page 205 DONNY'S DO: NOTHING IS SACRED......Page 206 BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: TACKLING THE TRADE SHOW......Page 207 The Road to CES......Page 208 BUG LABS......Page 210 Big Idea Lesson......Page 211 STAND UP AND STAND OUT......Page 212 GOING IN . ........Page 213 THE AFTER-PARTY .........Page 214 DONNY'S DO: COMPETITION, WHAT COMPETITION?......Page 215 21: The Hungry Millionaire......Page 216 The Competitive Edge......Page 217 Growing, Growing, Gone!......Page 218 RAMON RAY'S TECHNOLOGY RULES TO GROW BY......Page 220 The Hoopla Factor......Page 222 DONNY'S DO: DON'T FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE......Page 224 Conclusion: This Is the Big Idea......Page 225 Appendix A: YOUR BIG IDEA BLUEPRINT: A TWELVE-STEP ROAD MAP TO LAUNCHING YOUR BUSINESS......Page 227 Appendix B: THE BIG IDEA TOOLBOX: A RESOURCE GUIDE FROM MIND TO MARKET......Page 232 Appendix C: THE BIG IDEA COMMUNITY......Page 241 Index......Page 247 From the billionaire adman and television host who brings the fascinating stories of America’s most creative and successful entrepreneurs into our homes every night on CNBC, come step-by-step strategies for anyone who has ever dreamt of following through on creating their own business. From “the Aha! moment” to taking the leap (“Why Make Someone Else Rich?”), Deutsch cheers aspiring entrepreneurs along every step of the way. Starting out with how to look for opportunities (“There’s Gotta Be a Better Way!”) all the way through to keeping what you’ve created going and growing, each stage of the journey will be illustrated by an invaluable lesson learned by one of the hundreds of entrepreneurs who have appeared on The Big Idea. With Donny’s irrepressible energy and enthusiasm providing the engine, Donny Deutsch’s Big Idea will be the long-awaited, high-profile how-to for entrepreneurs from inventors to artists, marketers to producers, teenagers to retirees, as Americans look to pursue their dreams and control their destinies. Part 1. What's the big idea? Calling all dreamers ; No experience necessary ; Why make someone else rich? ; Make love, not work Part 2. There are no geniuses. There's gotta be a better way ; Why didn't I think of that? ; Break out of the box ; Change the world with a simple idea Part 3. No is not an option. Why NOT me? ; The gut check moment ; They told me I'd never make it ; Saved by a big idea ; Who said it was too late? Part 4. Getting to your first million. From zero to millions ; Fueled by Mom power ; All in the family ; People to people Part 5. Breaking down the roadblocks. Dollars and sense ; Perfect pitch ; Make trade show magic ; The hungry millionaire Conclusion. This IS the big idea. Donny Deutsch's hit CNBC show The Big Idea has put the spotlight on those ordinary moments when people have the courage and stamina to make their dreams come true. In his book, Deutsch draws not only on his own tremendous focus and expertise, but on that of dozens of the successful entrepreneurs whom he has interviewed, to help you create your own enterprise. From the "Gut Check Moment" to "Mom Power," The Big Idea takes aspiring entrepreneurs along every step of the way.