 "Educate - Innovate - Motivate" |
INVENTOR'S UPDATE
JULY 2012
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| Greetings! | 
I hope this week finds you somewhere cool and beating the heat outside.
Whether you're trying to find a cool spot or gearing up for the 4th of July holiday, you'll want to take a moment and check out this month's Inventor's Update, below.
This is the month where we take a break from our normal speakers and have a little fun. July is typically Movie Night for the CKIC, and this year we have a something really special: a grouping of "featurettes" from TED Talks. Don't know about TED Talks? Check out the info below in our Free Open Meeting announcement for this Tuesday, July 3rd.
Also check out info on Summer Camps at Newton's Attic, our Inventors Workshop, and more!
What's one of the hardest parts of the invention process, but also one of the most essential? Find out in this month's inventor blog: http://www.ckic.org/inventorblog.html.
Hope you have a great 4th; and I'll be looking for you at our next Free Open Meeting at the CKIC on Tuesday July 3rd!
Best Regards,
Don Skaggs
President
Central Kentucky Inventors Council |
Inventors Blog: What's the Real Hard Work for an Inventor?
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July 3rd: Movie Night! - with TED Talks
| It's July! And time for another of our special Movie Night's at the CKIC!
- with discussion time afterwards!
This year we have a special variety of "speaker featurettes" from:
TED Talks Ideas Worth Spreading TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. TED is a conference that brings together 3 worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Touted as the best talks and performances available to the world, it represents a belief in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. A clearinghouse that offers knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. 
Our TED Talks featurettes will include master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell (Author of The Tipping Point and Blink), as the detector of fads and emerging subcultures tells of the food industry's pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce -- and makes a larger argument about the nature of choice.
We'll also feature entrepreneur, author and marketing guru Seth Godin, who tells us that in today's overstimulated world, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff. He spells out why, when it comes to getting you customer's attention, ideas that stand out are more successful than boring ones.
We'll also hear from Adam Savage (host of Mythbusters and long-time special-effects artist) as he walks us through spectacular examples of profound scientific discoveries that came from simple, creative methods anyone could have followed.
Don't miss the opportunity to not only hear the wisdom from these varied topics, but also get involved in a short discussion following each. We hope to see you on Tuesday July 3rd!
When: Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Where: Bluegrass Area Development Center
699 Perimeter Drive Lexington KY
Time: Doors open for networking at 6:30pm,
Meeting begins at 7:00pm
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July 10th: Inventor's Workshop (for CKIC Members Only)
|  Join Us For Our Monthly, Members-Only Inventors Workshop
Hosted by CKIC Founder Don West - This workshop is designed to help the inventor move from the idea stage through the invention process, by allowing for inventors to discuss and learn from constructive information concerning their ideas in a free and unencumbered, legally binding format.
This Meeting is for CKIC Members Only Not a member? Come and join us: Membership is only $40/yr
Where: Bluegrass Development Center
699 Perimeter Dr, Lexington KY
Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2012 Time: Doors open at 6:30,
Workshop begins at 7:00pm Do you have a great idea for an invention?
Find out what you can do!
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| Summer Camps Now at Newton's Attic! |
Summer Camps - are going on now
At Newton's Attic !
Don't forget to tell everyone you know about the amazing opportunities for students to learn science and engineering in unforgettable ways!
  For details and registration visit NewtonsAttic.com
or contact bill@newtonsattic.com or call 859-233-3337
See more about this and other Great Opportunities
at this month's Free Open CKIC Meeting
on Tuesday July 3rd!
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Exhibiting Grace Under Pressure
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Whether you're making a presentation about your invention to a prospective manufacturing partner, venture capitalists, or a potential licensee, everyone wants to ace it. But then why do some choke while others stay cool and calm? According to a recent article in Inc. magazine, it's all about how you prepare. "Pressure raises  self-consciousness and anxiety about performing correctly, which increases the attention paid to skill processes and this attention to execution is thought to disrupt well-learned or proceduralized performances." Or in other words, you choke. Here's some tips on how to stay cool - no matter what happens:
Next, Rework the Basics - All of your initial practice will result in logical steps: 1,2,3.. To really know your stuff, change it up. Start with step 5. Start at the end and work backwards. Skip a couple of steps.
Practice "What if?" - Prepare for things that could cause you to freeze. What if your software locks up, you get only 10 minutes instead of 30, get thrown a question you can't answer? Decide how you will respond.
Visualize - This works for athletes, it will work for you too. Imagine yourself performing in action. No need to make your product fail, or get a few friends to role play hijacking your meeting so you can rehearse how to respond. Just picture it happening, and picture what you'll do.
Create Solution Shelves - Responding quickly is a skill that can be developed, and is why military, police and EMTs train relentlessly. No need to think on your feet if you've already done the thinking. Stick your solutions on mental shelves, and when faced with a tough situation, reach for the solution.
Learn From the Close Calls - If something nearly goes wrong, don't just walk away relieved. Think through what you could have done, than add that solution to your mental shelf.
Not Just for Presentations - You can apply this approach to almost any situation, whether business or personal: Giving feedback, meeting with employees, business partners, dealing with confrontations, starting and building relationships - it can be helpful throughout your life.
You don't need to be brave. Just a systematic approach to developing skills and gaining confidence. Do the work and it's automatic. |
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Experience the Valuable Instruction, Motivation and Power of Connections at the CKIC!
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CKIC Officers:
President - Don Skaggs
Vice-President - Mark Miller
Treasurer - Jim Hill
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