Episode 1: Innovation – How to turn your ideas into cash with Kaj Gyr
Innovation is at the very core of what it means to be an entrepreneur. Quite simply, the true entrepreneurs out there are people who can look at a product, service or experience and say, There has got to be a better way!
Have you ever been using a certain product, doing something, perhaps out having fun at your favourite sport and thought “This could be better?” Sure you have. We all have at some point. When you had that thought, what did you do with it? For most of us those seeds of innovation die right there. For one Nelson resident and former nurse come full time inventor Kaj Gyr, those little ah-hah moments have turned into a career and lifestyle many of us only dream of.
I first met Kaj Gyr when I stumbled upon an article about one of his many innovations, The ClipSkin, which we’ll talk about later on. I then realized he was from right here in the Kootenays and calling Nelson home. As I got to know Kaj, it seemed as if his mind is specifically built to see a better way to do things.
In 2011 Kaj officially incorporated his company Floworks Design. With eight or ten projects on the go at any one time he has licensed eight products to big name companies primarily in the action sports realm. Kaj’s story of innovation started long before that however in the early 90`s.
In this episode we’ll talk to Kaj about how he has managed to crush the odds of turning an idea and patent into a licensed product ( 1 in 1,000), and achieve a better than 50% conversion rate. How did a former nurse become a full time designer / inventor? Learn how he did it, and how you can do it to.
7 Quick Hits with Kaj Gyr
- One app I can’t live without is: I’m not so app related – the little educational apps my kids use, those are pretty cleve
- One book every entrepreneur should read is: Patent it yourself
- One website I go to everyday is: I go to US patent and trademark office a lot, not so exciting, do a lot of searches there and searching on sports product
- The best thing about being an entrepreneur is: Freedom of time spent, and excitement and the zeal you feel from a given realm of enquiry
- The hardest part about being an entrepreneur is: The marketing component , not a lot of appeal to me and feels ownerous to me, I like to be on the creative see what can happen here side which can happen in business, but it’s not my realm of expertise
- The best advice I’ve ever received was: Follow your bliss. Latch onto something that you believe in and see where it takes you.
- One quote that has inspired me is: I can’t think of any right now.