However, it wasn't long before I faced competition. One of my good friends tried to reverse engineer my stars, but my early entry into the market and superior quality ensured his venture didn't last long. This was a fascinating life lesson at such a young age.

The next challenge came from the school administration. The principal caught wind of my business, and one day, I found myself in the principal's office alongside my parents. I was sternly informed that school was not a place for business and I could not operate during school hours. So, I shifted my operations to after-school hours, which unfortunately proved less profitable and the venture gradually faded.

Throughout my life, I have always been an inventor. I designed a rolling ladder to escape from my second-floor bedroom in emergencies. I devised subwoofer boxes to maximize bass while saving space in cars. I built the first strobe light club car, and engineered skate ramps and PVC grind rails that could withstand heavy use. The list goes on.

After college, I almost immediately entered the medical field. Driven by a passion for helping people and earning a decent living, I became a certified orthotic fitter, started my own distribution company, and received training from a leading orthopedic company.

However, I noticed that while a lot of focus was given to knees, shoulders, and extremities, the spine was often overlooked. This became particularly apparent when observing my grandfather, a WW2 veteran who suffered from back pain for much of his later life. This inspired me to shift my focus.

As I expanded my distribution company, I worked tirelessly on my first patent. After two and a half years of research and development, I finally had a product ready for the market. I applied for a patent and began testing my products through the distribution channels I had already established. It was an immediate success and we rapidly scaled up, despite the lack of seed money or financial support.

Since then, I've patented a new system that can aid more patients in various ways. My new patent incorporates seven different technologies working in tandem to support the spine while allowing for natural mobility.

My inventiveness continues unabated. I've re-engineered hovercraft motors for a prototype yacht, created a street-legal exotic track car, and even designed an indoor rope course and sensory gym for my children.

I founded The Serial I because I wanted to share the hard-won knowledge I've gained over the years about turning ideas into inventions and monetizing them. My 20 years of life lessons have been distilled into an easy-to-follow DIY course complete with support and a community to help bring your ideas to life.

With hundreds of inventions and multiple patents to my name, I, along with The Serial I team, am here to help guide your inventive journey.