Rita Crompton is The Inventor Lady. Based in Denver, Colorado Crompton has a deep knowledge of how to help get inventors through the invention process. Her professional services through her business FLeCusa International help clients with a range of their needs as they get started: from helping them file patents with the USPTO, to helping with legal work surrounding licensing agreements and bringing their ideas to the marketplace. Crompton is a one stop shop for inventors looking for help getting started.
Crompton’s story, as told to The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project:
I found that many inventors just don’t know how to navigate the road to getting a product to market and that I could really help them. I have contacts in the legal field, the patent search field, with engineers that can assist with prototyping, and many other arenas so I can help inventors make less mistakes and spend more of their money the right way. I have learned so much over the past ten plus years and want to help inventors realize their American dream.
I think success is how our children view us. I have two adult daughters and I would consider myself a success if they are both proud of me as their mother and what I have accomplished. We aren’t able to leave much behind when we leave this Earth, but we do leave the story of our lives in the memories of our children and if we’re lucky, our grandchildren. I will consider myself a success if that story fills them with love and pride.
Raising my daughters without question. They are both successful in their own fields and have blessed me with three grandsons. Knowing I helped mold them into independent women who were able to go out in to the world and follow their own dreams will always be my greatest accomplishment.
My top challenge has been financial stability. When I divorced my husband after 23 years of marriage and had to go back to working full time to support myself, it was a harsh reality. Even though I had worked part time throughout my marriage, I still didn’t have the “experience” most professions were looking for. I had to find a job that I could do well and feel proud of. It has taken a long time and my journey has had a number of obstacles, but I really think I have found a niche for myself working with inventors. More than that, I enjoy the work and when I can help one of my inventors land a great licensing deal and find the success they are looking for, I feel like I’ve made a difference.
I had a cancer scare about two years ago. It was a very hard time for me because I was so tired all the time and ended up needing to have major surgery to fix the issue. My youngest daughter was pregnant at the time and I just couldn’t imagine not being around to see my grandson born. Anyone who owns their own business knows that if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. So I was dealing with the added stress of being worried about being able to make ends meet. I had to work less hours in order to give my body time to heal after surgery and it was so hard to feel like I was losing traction in growing my business because I just couldn’t work as many hours as I wanted to. Thankfully my surgery was successful and I was able to heal and come back stronger than ever, but it definitely reminded me that life is short and you need to take time for the important things.
My mother has been my most important role model. She has been there for me through every aspect of my life and is so strong. She struggled with her first marriage and chose to go through a divorce at a time in history when that was very frowned upon – but she did it to improve her life and the lives of her daughters. She met my father a few years later and the two of them became one of the strongest units I have ever known. She continues to attend the National Hardware Show with me every year to help any way she can as I continue to grow my business. She still exercises daily and stays involved in her church and community. She is such an inspiration to everyone in the family because of her strength of character and the love she shows her family in everything she does. I don’t know what I would do without her.
Website www.flecusa.com