Milton Levine Died Last Month.

Flash of inspiration . . .

Milton Levine’s eureka moment came in 1956, when he spotted a mound of ants during a Fourth of July picnic at his sister’s poolside in Southern California.

Coalescence into an idea . . .

Recalling how as a boy he had collected ants in jars at his uncle’s farm, thought “We should make an antarium.”

Milton takes action . . .

The resulting product —  Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm — selling for $1.98, the original 6-by-9-inch ant farm was an immediate hit, soon selling thousands a week by mail order to children persuaded by commercials on after-school television shows.

The result . . .

It has been a staple in children’s bedrooms ever since. More than 20 million have been sold. Mr. Levine once said of his company’s success: “Most novelties, if they last one season, it’s a lot. If they last two seasons, it’s a phenomenon. To last 35 years is unheard of.” That was in 1991.

From a dream into a reality . . .

Last year, Uncle Milton Industries, based in Westlake Village, Calif., was sold to the Transom Capital Group for more than $20 million. Mr. Levine died Jan. 16 in Thousand Oaks, CA. He was 97.

Do you have a flash of inspiration? Do you have an idea or dream? Do you take action? Do you follow through?

Take a moment today to assess where you accelerate, where you sputter, and where you eventually stop.

Milton took a simple idea, made it into a novelty, and grossed $20M.

You can too.

Quotes taken and modified from the New York Times.