BLOGS FOR JOE & LISA BYLES
CASTING (Premiered September 14, 2005) - We traveled to LA a few days before the casting day in order to prepare our thoughts and materials. We were excited to be a part of this new show concept showcasing inventors and their products/ideas. Our reservation leading in was that the show would not be of quality or that we would be misrepresented, but once we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised. Meeting the other inventors was the highlight of the day. We connected well with several of the teams because we all shared a similar passion and determination to get our products to market. It was great for us to see the great diversity of concepts and products. Doing our pitch in front of the judges was quite a challenge, since we were actually bringing in a FULLY LANDSCAPED WATERFALL. The fact that we could even do it was a testament to the product's potential. It seemed like a dream sequence, not a real one. We couldn't stop laughing afterwards because it didn't exactly go at all as planned, but we made it to the second round! Thankfully, our banana selling skills pulled us through to get to the next round after that!! When they posted the list of finalists, Lisa couldn't look at it because she was too nervous. When we made the cut, she couldn't stop crying! We were so happy to make it to the next round, but felt bad for those who didn't. Everyone was so congratulatory.
DOES IT WORK? (Premiered September 21, 2005) - We were so impressed with The Lab because it looked so futuristic and cool. Each team had their own station, and the refrigerators were stocked with drinks for us - Diet Pepsi is Joe's addiction! Our first experience with the quality assurance experts, however, was not so cool. Our product was a prototype and was in no way ready for quality assurance testing. We were very disappointed that the competition started this way, and feared our time was limited from this point on. The aesthetic changes we made were probably not what we would have done outside the rush of the competition. The odds were certainly against us.
That said, we did have some fun during the egg drop competition, and we were glad to do something that required engineering and invention. We put our problems behind us, worked well as a team, and won the event. Joe knew that drag and cushion were the factors for success, so we added a parachute, lots of cushion, and cup reinforcement to hold the egg. Meeting Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the SuperSoaker, was a great opportunity and was quite encouraging for us.
When it came time for the elimination, we knew we were in for it. We saw the lovefest going on with the other contestants, so when it was our turn to face the panel, the criticism seemed even harsher. We were ready to depart from the competition knowing that we faced too many obstacles.
All in all, we had a unique experience that we shared together, met some awesome people, and have had lots of laughs and memories to look back on. We hope that those who watched us will be inspired, encouraged, and motivated to take a risk and make their dreams a reality. Every known inventor has faced criticism, negativity, and mockery. We are confident that the line of products developed around our core technology will be in stores around the world.
