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Get To Know Inventor Coach Brian Fried: 8 Ways Brian Stays Involved In The Inventor Community

Brian Fried Idea Inventions inventor

By now, you may have heard of Inventor Smart’s expert inventor coach Brian Fried, but you might be wondering about Brian’s background and how he became such a successful inventor.  

As we mentioned in our last post, Brian is an inventor himself, and he currently has various products on the market.  In addition to being a successful inventor, Brian is also an expert in creating licensing deals for inventions and he’s helped many of his clients with licensing their products to earn royalty checks.  Brian has also helped numerous clients understand when the potential from their ideas may be limited, and, in those cases, he has helped clients to move on to their next ideas.

Aside from running Inventor Smart and offering his professional guidance to other inventors, Brian is also an active member of the inventor community, and volunteers much of his free time to help educate inventors of all ages throughout the country

1. Appearing On TV Shows And Pilots To Offer Expert Advice As An Inventor

Brian is no stranger to television!  In fact, he was an on air guest on QVC for 3 years, and has also been featured on Food Network, CBS News, VH1, and other local news stations.  

More recently, Brian was on PIX11 NY morning show for 5 weeks, presenting tips for aspiring inventors with ideas for new products.  During this time, Brian discussed what to do after coming up with an idea, and he also showed up and coming products by inventors who sent Brian their products to review.

In addition to selling products on QVC, Brian has been invited to guest star in a handful of inventor-themed TV shows.

He’s also guest starred on an episode of Nicole Richie’s VH1 show, Candidly Nicole, where Brian offered advice to Nicole for her own invention ideas.

2. Publishing Books To Help Aspiring Inventors

In addition to his professional coaching services, Brian has also written two books to help guide aspiring inventors who are interested in making a product.  Both of Brian’s books are currently available at major bookstores.

Brian’s first book, You And Your Big Ideas, was published in 2008, and offers an overview of how an inventor can turn their idea into a finished product to license.

His second book, Inventing Secrets Revealed, offers a more in-depth look at the full inventing process, and was published in 2016.

Brian is also currently writing a third book with additional information for aspiring inventors.

3. Volunteering With SBA and SBDC

The SBA and SBDC (Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Center) provide a multitude of resources to local small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.  Brian stays involved with both the SBA and the SBDC by acting as a guest speaker at nearby events.  In his speeches and lectures, Brian explains to fellow entrepreneurs how to get started with their ideas for inventions, and offers detailed explanations of the steps an inventor must take to create a new product.

4. Speaking At Trade Shows

Brian also volunteers his time to speak at trade shows such as The Housewares Show, where he’s had the opportunity to meet with more inventors and share his expert guidance.  He’s even been a moderator for invention panels at these events, which serve as a great networking opportunity for aspiring inventors looking to create products for the home.

5. Hosting Got Invention Radio

Not only has Brian been a guest speaker for the USPTO, but his radio show, Got Invention Radio, has also served as a platform for the USPTO.  Because Got Invention Radio reaches such a wide audience of serious inventors, the USPTO has used Brian’s show to spread the word about the latest updates in patent and trademark policies, so inventors are kept up-to-date on how to protect their products.

Brian first launched Got Invention Radio in 2009, and has since interviewed over 150 high profile guests.  Some of Brian’s most well-known interview guests include  Shark Tank star Lori Greiner, Leslie Scott (the inventor of Jenga), Martin Cooper (the inventor of the cell phone), and Michael Lee (the director of global marketing at Ali Baba), to name a few.

6. Visiting Public Schools And Colleges

One of Brian’s favorite ways to share his knowledge and expertise is speaking in public schools.  Brian has spoken in countless schools to students as young as second graders, sharing advice and guidance for aspiring inventors.

Brian explains that when speaking in schools, he starts his lectures by reading books about inventions with students to spark a discussion.  To get the students involved, Brian calls on students to read aloud from his books, and then he explains to the students the history of specific inventions, focusing on who created each product and why.

Teaching Elementary School Students About Successful Inventions

But Brian’s public school visits are more than just a typical reading lesson.  During his visits, Brian pulls out examples of successful inventions, such as Nerf balls and automatic yo-yos.  These products both serve as excellent examples of how an inventor can come up with an idea to solve a problem.

When discussing these products with students, Brian will first take out a standard football and toss it to a student, to show how heavy a football feels.  Next, Brian will explain how this inspired the invention of the Nerf ball, a softer alternative to traditional footballs.  Next, Brian takes out a standard yo-yo to show the students how difficult, frustrating traditional yo-yos inspired the invention of automatic yo-yos.  

By making his lessons hands-on and engaging, Brian encourages students and inspires them to think of their own invention ideas.  In the final portion of his lesson, Brian takes out more products and asks the students to brainstorm different ways to improve upon them.  By asking each student to think of a unique modification, Brian is able to show the kids that they all have the potential to invent their own new products.

As more public schools focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) initiatives, Brian finds that there are increasing opportunities for him to volunteer his time with students and provide kids with a memorable experience as a real, successful inventor.

Visiting Middle Schools And High Schools

In addition to guest speaking at elementary schools, Brian volunteers his time at local middle schools and high schools.  Recently, many schools have begun hosting Shark Tank inspired events for students to showcase their own invention ideas.  Brian helps out at these events by volunteering his time to serve as a judge, where he can offer his expert advice to students, and teach them how they can take their invention ideas and turn them into finished products.

Speaking At Local Colleges

Brian also loves to visit local college campuses, including Stony Brook University, where he speaks as a guest lecturer.  Throughout Long Island, Brian’s visited plenty of business classes to talk about product development and innovation within companies.

7. Speaking On USPTO Panels

Brian has become such an expert in protecting intellectual property (IP), that even the USPTO (AKA the United States Patent and Trademark Office) has invited him to act as a guest speaker on various panels.  There, Brian has offered his expert advice regarding IP protection to other inventors.

8. Running Local Inventors Clubs On Long Island

Brian’s also the founder of inventors clubs in Nassau and Suffolk County.

In 2007, Brian approached the County Executive’s office and founded the Suffolk County inventors group, Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club, to provide a local resource for inventors and entrepreneurs to network and learn from one another.  

After seeing success with the group in Suffolk County, Brian then created a similar group for Nassau County, in 2012.  

Through these local clubs for inventors, Brian has had the pleasure of meeting with other inventors like himself, while simultaneously offering guidance to aspiring inventors seeking information about how to get started with their own business endeavors.

As a result of Brian’s hard work and the success he’s had with his own inventions, Brian has received several Proclamations from the Suffolk County Executives for volunteering and supporting inventors and startup businesses.

Recently, Brian also received a Citation Award for his public service to Nassau County, which includes volunteering and supporting local inventors and startup businesses.  Yes, Brian has helped thousands of people over the past 11 years!  

Brian also arranges showcases several times a year for inventors with prototypes to present to the audience of investors, licensees, service providers and other aspiring inventors looking to bring their idea to the next showcase.

If you’d like to discuss your invention with Brian, click here for a free 10-minute consultation call, or you can contact Brian through his website for speaking engagements and TV appearances.