With his characteristic enthusiasm and sense for innovation, Loveland entrepreneur Joel Comm has three major projects coming up: a book from publisher John Wiley & Sons due out next summer, a new iPhone application launching this fall, and the imminent release of his new mobile messaging service, TextCastLive.com.

Comm has been creating successful websites and authoring books since 1995. Two years ago, in collaboration with Eric Holmlund, this mobile marketing innovator gave the world its first competitive Internet reality show. But it was his appropriately named iFart iPhone application that was all the buzz last December. The application, which makes grown men giggle, sold $40,000 in just two days -- and garnered national interest as the result of an unsuccessful lawsuit filed by a competitor in the field of virtual flatulence.

Regardless of their field of endeavor, Comm suggests budding entrepreneurs start watching trends and seeking the right niche. He admits this comes naturally to him. It starts by just being who he is, with his own passions and knowledge; Comm strives to be the person he believes God made him to be.

For example, his interest in Twitter organically led to writing a book about social media, not the other way around. "I didn't get into Twitter to write a book and have the next bestseller," he said.

Powerful tool for connecting

Always attracted to what is new and shiny, Comm jumped into social media early on and discovered it had the possibility of bringing back the basics of relationships, through communication.

"Social media can be a powerful tool for connecting people," he said.

Comm cautions, however, that social media is not a substitute for face-to-face communication. Rather, it can be an introduction, an avenue to get to know someone, and perhaps an in-person encounter will follow at some time after that initial electronic handshake.

His belief in communication and its role in business is at the core of his success. His idea in its purest sense is: "... know who you are, who you were made to be, and pour that out to others." When you know that, you really have to get in the way to fail. "You can't help but succeed. It's like a watch; it can't help but keep time," Comm added.

He is very clear about where he is going; this is a very deliberate pursuit. "My goal, when I speak and when I write, is to inspire, to help my audience get a focus."

 Comm mentions a book he read years ago, "Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow" by Marsha Sinetar. He has gained a lot of experience since then, and suggests he'd revise the title to "Do What You Love, The Reward Will Follow" because there are great rewards other than money. He talks about the fulfillment many nonprofit organizations find in doing what they know is needful and right. It can't be all about the money.

"I think that leaves you empty at the end of the day," Comm said. "I don't want to be that person. It's funny. We're taught to envy the nice car and a home in the tropics. But we've got to determine what our own dreams are, and not allow others to tell us what we want."

Success factors

Timing can be crucial to success. Comm's "The Next Internet Millionaire" blossomed while his favorite reality shows, "Survivor" and "The Apprentice," were extremely popular, and he's proud of the effort.

"First, I got to play in a new sandbox," he said. "We combined the best of reality TV with online video. Starting out, the production team sought to excel, to give it our best."

From an Internet marketing perspective, the show increased his brand, raised his stock and solidified his place on the online map. All 13 episodes are online at NextInternetMillionaire.com.

Another crucial component for success is having a cohesive team. "For every innovative thing we pull off, I can only take credit for so much," Comm said. "I am surrounded by people more talented than I am."

He remembers sitting in the conference room brainstorming with his team when he came up with the idea to create iFart. "It's really the programmers and designers who developed such a quality marketable product -- if it had been up to me alone, it never would have happened," Comm admits.

Comm maintains a fervor about what he and his team do. Whether he's in London speaking to an audience of 7,000 at the Millennium Conference Centre or in Loveland presenting a Cyber Chat session for the Chamber of Commerce, he is being true to himself, the person he was made to be.