There are some fun moments in business when you are an entrepreneur.
1. When you hold your product in your hand for the first time
2. Making more money than you actually spent to create your product
3. The first time someone buys your product
4. When someone else talks about your product, not because you paid them, but simply because they think it’s a great idea.

#4 happened for me today. Now I’ve had a number of great reviews and mentions from websites and and magazines (I love you www.woot.com guys and Geek Monthly magazine). This morning was another one of those ‘cool’ moments.

I get an email from Katie Linendoll that says “Just wanted to let you know I love the product! Check out my new post and video on theCRICKETtoy.”

Here’s the link to her YouTube video:

theCRICKETtoy™ from \”talknerdytome.net\”

Katie’s blog, www.talknerdytome.net is described as “all things nerd”. Katie is the technology host (aka ‘Technology Wizard’) for A&E’s Emmy-nominated reality show, ‘We Mean Business.’ You can also see Katie as a guest expert host on The Home Shopping Network (HSN) where she is better known as the ‘Gadget Girl’. She’s great on camera, a sweet girl and communicates very well.

The entrepreneur’s out there will understand, but there is no way to describe the feeling every time someone talks about your product when you didn’t pay them to do it. It’s a little bit of “The Tipping Point” sneaking in.

Check out the video and her blog. The video really shows the use of theCRICKETtoy™ perfectly.

Thanks Katie! Great job!

I have great friends. Do you?

The curse of an entrepreneur who is an artist.

It is hard for me to sell what I’ve created. I love creating. It’s in my blood. I can’t help it. When someone is genuinely excited about what I’ve created, I want to give it to them. It is in my nature.

This is an unfortunate problem with theCRICKETtoy™ that has FINALLY sunk in.

This past weekend I went to my 20 year high school reunion. It was a great time reconnecting with old friends and making new friends. I had an epiphany this weekend that has made me step back and take a look at my business plan and where I’m going with theCRICKETtoy™.

I’m talking with one of my oldest friends (since 3rd grade) on Saturday night. I had just had the opportunity to tell everyone at the reunion about theCRICKETtoy™. I told her “I’m not really good at selling.” She responds immediately with “Oh no. You’re horrible.” She said it so matter of factly.

I can’t describe how much I enjoyed hearing that from her. I love no holds barred honesty. I’m a huge Simon Cowell fan. In the music business here in Nashville, when you’re straight forward honest with people you save everyone time and money. I think one of the greatest strengths an entrepreneur can have is to let go of his ego and look objectively at his strengths and weaknesses. Work in your strengths; where you excel. Find others to work around you who are even more amazing at their strengths than you are with yours. If you are not good in a particular area of business, is it better for your business for you to work on it and improve it or is it better for you to focus on your strengths and surround yourself with people who excel where you are weak? I understand the answer may be different for different people depending on timing, cash flow and specific situations.

It is in my blood to create. I can sit all day and write songs, write film scores, create products and ideas and develop big picture scenarios. I don’t even think twice. The day flies by. I look at the clock and can’t believe it’s 3:30 and I didn’t eat lunch. But when I work on selling products, it is like pulling teeth. I can do it. It is just not natural for me. It sucks the life out of me. I am a creative. That is how I am wired. I have an assistant, really he is my right hand guy, that handles details for me. He makes sure everything gets shipped, billed etc. What I don’t have is someone to really handle sales and marketing for me. My problem, along with every other small business owner…I don’t have any money to pay someone right now. I’ve created the product, got the packaging where it looks amazing, created some silly videos, created a ‘brand’ for the company and my image, built a large twitter following and started to get some buzz. The bugs are starting to sell better. I was in a magazine with J.J. Abrams on the cover! We’ve been on the radio and in the newspaper. theCRICKETtoy™ even played with the Nashville Symphony during the Yo Yo Ma concert. Melinda Doolittle has ‘tweeted’ about us. Every month, more stores pick up the toy to sell. But I am just not doing a good enough job of getting the word out there to stores.

I’ve got to do something. I don’t really know what to do. I wouldn’t mind opinions on this. Most businesses don’t lay out there feelings like this, but I really believe as people are chasing their American Dream, they should see how others are doing in the race to chase theirs. Right now, I think I’m doing hurdles with one leg cut off. So as it’s time to get theCRICKETtoy™ out to the world in a much larger scale, I MUST work in my strengths and find someone that excels in my weaknesses. Can I afford to do that? Can I afford NOT to do that?

Thank you Dale SO MUCH for being a friend in the truest sense of the word and telling me that “You’re horrible”. That was probably the greatest thing you could have said to me. I am so grateful. And thank you for MAKING ME take your money for the bugs you bought!

Get ready world, we are about to see theCRICKETtoy™ invasion!

Dale-This bugs for you!

Chirp. Chirp.

Jeff Anderson
inventor/creator of theCRICKETtoy™