Beanstorm

What grew into a personal brand described by my clients as Don The Idea Guy began as a way to simply connect with people and businesses I thought I could help using a method that differentiated me from others.

I never contacted prospects with a request for anything (an appointment, a sales pitch, a product to hawk, etc.) I contacted them because I had an idea to share. Not an idea that they should buy whatever I was selling, but an idea that was all about them and how they could achieve greater success or reach a specific goal.

Long before I reached out to them, I invested time thinking about the company; researching their business, their customers, and their objectives. I brainstormed ideas and concepts which I believed would benefit them -- and only then did I reach out to offer one or two or my best ideas. Free. Ad with no obligation. My sole goal was to start communication by bringing them value based on my greatest strength -- creativity.

Over time these contacts became clients. They told me that whenever they were faced with a challenge, they could "rely on their Idea Guy" to help them discover an innovation solution.
And a brand (and a philosophy and a business) was born.

The quick answer is no one. And everyone.

The longer answer is that you can't legally own an "idea". You can invest in varying degrees of legal protection for very specific instances of bringing a concept into reality, but it's pretty fruitless (and very expensive) to try and protect a general concept. For instance, remember when the series SURVIVOR was "the" reality show on television? The next season there was a flood of reality based programs that involved choosing a single winner from a field of contestants. The concept of a 'competitive reality program' can't really be protected. On the other hand, "SURVIVOR" the television series and unique (at least in name) elements like "Tribal Council" can be guarded by copyright and trademark protections. Here are a couple articles which might help.

The really short answer is "I ain't a lawyer". 
If you have an idea you wish to protect, seek professional help. 

Once we get going, the ideas really start to fly.
I know my personal note taking skills can't keep up, so I allow clients to record the session for personal use and future reference. However, you do not own the rights to re-post or resell any content, audio, or video without express permission.

I don't charge for ideas. I charge for the unique value I contribute through my creative perspective.
The byproduct of our interaction (the ideas) are free.

Creative Insight Comes From Outside
You know those little green sticks that Starbucks uses to plug the top of their coffee lids to prevent coffee from splashing out? That idea didn't come from inside Starbucks. That was an idea they collected from outside the company and took the initiative to implement.

The Most Obvious Ideas Are The Most Overlooked Ideas
Did you know they've discovered 4,000 year old carvings in Egypt depicting a hockey-like game? Did you also know that it wasn't until 1959 that they began using goalie masks? You'd think after getting hit in the face with a puck for the first thousand years someone would have come up with that idea, right?

Industries and Individuals alike need someone to help them uncover the obvious and/or unusual ideas which can help set them apart from their competitors and position their products and services to be as successful as possible.

As Liam Neeson's character says in the movie Taken:
"I have a very particular set of skills... Skills I have acquired over a very long career..."
And I'd like to put these skills to work for you.

In a world where anyone can start a business and anyone can find the best price for anything in the world in two seconds flat, creativity and innovation are the most powerful ways to stand out and be a leader in your category. And when someone copies you or undercuts you (because they will!) -- you simply implement another idea and pull back into the lead.
 
The value I bring to an individual conversation or a group strategy session can be difficult to explain if you haven't experienced a Beanstorm session with me first-hand, so my best advice is to check out some of the great things my awesome clients have said about my creative super powers and then schedule a basic Beanstorm for yourself.