Wasn't it on Seinfeld that either George or Kramer had big ideas, only to not act on them then later see someone else make it huge with something similar?
I've had a couple of big ideas myself that later made it huge. Really.
Chris gets tired of me telling this one. Maybe because he didn't have imaginary friends like I (& lots of others!) did growing up. Maybe he thinks I should be more embarrassed of this, but I think it's funny. See, when I was little, I used to pretend I led a double life. I'd go to school as Stacey during the week, then change my appearance a bit and travel to California on the weekends to perform and live as the star that I was. My alter ego name was Helena Montgomery - a reference to my grandma's name (Helen), the state of Montana (I liked the way the capital sounded like my grandmother's full name, Helen Montagner) and the lead character of Bewitched (Elizabeth Montgomery), a show I quite liked.
You know where this is going.
What a shocker a couple years ago when Luke started watching the Disney Channel to see a show about Hannah Montana that had like the same exact story line. Imagine me cashing in on this idea rather than Billy Ray! Move over Hannah Montana. Hello Helena Montgomery.
I predicted the future again in a college marketing class. I came up with the idea to extend cereal consumption for Post by creating cereal vending machines. I made a large prototype out of a refrigerator box. You'd select which cereal you wanted then the milk poured into the bowl. The prof was less impressed than I expected, but I still got a decent grade. I'd like find out what that instructor thinks now as I've seen actual vending machines like this from time to time. (I do think the milk comes out in a separate container. Oh well, I would have worked the kinks out.)
So what's on my mind now? There's been a lot in the news lately on airline safety. That along with fuller planes and more luggage stuffed into the cabin has made flying a lot less enjoyable. I used to like it, now I hate it. Most of us can't afford to pay for chartered flights, but I would be willing to pay a bit more to allow an airline to regularly check me out - my background information, my credit info...whatever. IF then it was guaranteed my regular commercial flight was full of law-abiding, clean record passengers like me. Well if not that, something will wind up changing. Airline travel will evolve.
If you are interested in more future trend spotting, check out someone's forecast I've watched for years, Faith Popcorn. She predicted everything from gated communities and virtual socialization to mechanized hugging booths - hmmm, that one hasn't panned out yet has it?
http://www.faithpopcorn.com/ContentFiles/PDF/FPBR%202010%20Predictions.pdf
More big ideas can be found at this site that I like to check out occasionally. It touts "ideas worth spreading." http://www.ted.com/
From here on out, if I come up with anything else really big...you'll be the last to know.
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