I bet you can guess where this article will lead you. With a title like "Invest in America," surely I'll be suggesting that you own a small but real chunk of our great nation by investing in some top-notch companies that have been around for much of its history, helping make this country as wonderful as it is. Think of PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP), for example, with its signature drink developed back in the 19th century. It joined forces with Frito-Lay (founded in 1932) in 1965 and has been a strong performer for a long time, increasing investors' nest eggs some 60-fold over the past 25 years. Other big blue chips inspire similar awe -- Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), for example, was started by two men who stopped in Cincinnati on their way west. When William Procter (a candlemaker) and James Gamble (a soapmaker) became business partners in 1837, an innovative American company was born. The same can be said for Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, General Electric ... you get the idea.

But believe it or not, that's not where I'm headed.

America innovates
Instead of dwelling on how great a nation we are, and how big, let's think instead about how we got here: by innovation. For instance:

  • In 1793, Samuel Slater built our first textile mill, in Pawtucket, R.I., pioneering our Industrial Revolution.

  • Henry Ford wasn't content to make cars for the wealthy people who could afford them. Instead he broke all the rules and made his car affordable for more people. His great-grandson, Bill Ford, recently rededicated the ailing Ford Motor (NYSE:F) to innovation, saying in a 2005 speech: "From this point forward, innovation is going to be the compass by which this company sets its direction. Today, I am renewing the promise of Ford Motor Company -- to again be first in delivering innovative products to our customers -- stylish in design, safer for our families, first in technology that uses new fuels and offers new service to customers."

  • Grace Hopper, who lived from 1906 to 1992, was not only the first female admiral in the U.S. Navy but also a key force in the development of modern computers. In 1952, she invented the first computer compiler, and later she introduced a widely adopted computer language, COBOL.

  • Unsung hero Chester Carlson developed the photocopy machine -- just try to imagine life without the ability to easily make lots of copies. It was a long road for him, but eventually his invention was commercialized by Haloid, which we now know as Xerox (NYSE:XRX).

You get the idea. These people, and countless others, saw new possibilities -- and chased them.

How innovators think
To understand how all this innovation came about, consider the words of George Bernard Shaw: "Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."

In an Inc. magazine article, John Case tackled the topic, too, saying:

Gary Hamel, chairman of innovation consulting firm Strategos, says that innovators typically view the world through four lenses. They look for deeply held conventions and challenge them; they look for change in the world and understand the revolutionary potential of the change; they empathize with customers and anticipate their needs; and they view their organizations less like businesses and more like skill sets, constantly asking, "How do I creatively recombine what I know to make new things?"

What's in it for us?
One of many great things about innovation in America is that we, the washed and unwashed masses, don't have to just stand on the sidelines and cheer. Instead, we can participate, and profit, from innovation -- by investing in companies that are breaking rules and turning the world on its head.

That's what Fool co-founder David Gardner and his Motley Fool Rule Breakers team do. It can prove quite profitable, as these are often small companies that will grow huge. Specifically, David looks for:

  • Top dogs and first-movers in important, emerging industries. (Think of Amazon.com, for example, and how it pioneered online bookselling, before expanding.)

  • Sustainable advantage gained through business momentum, patent protection, visionary leadership, or inept competitors. (Think about Dell on this count, and how it has achieved great economies of scale.)

  • Strong past price appreciation. (In other words, they're not looking to buy into a company before it has hit the ground running. In a recent issue of the newsletter, David profiled two alternative energy concerns. He noted that he steered clear of some higher-risk firms, not wanting to invest in them too early.)

  • Good management and smart backing.

  • Strong consumer appeal.

Are these companies that will prove to be either home runs or strikeouts? Not at all. Some will dazzle us over many years, and some will fizzle. But as David has explained, "We're picking excellent companies with great prospects. Not every stock will work out, but from our first selection of Blue Nile (NASDAQ:NILE), these are great companies. And we plan on holding them for ... the long term. The longer you hold, the more you reduce your risk by allowing rational pricing of superiority to take hold."

I can vouch for that, as my own investment in rule-breaking innovator America Online grew 70-fold -- and even though it's slumped a lot in recent years, I'm still up 20-fold, which is a whopper of an investment. Similarly, my investments in Amazon.com and eBay have also performed very well.

See for yourself
If you're interested in investing in the most innovative corners of America, I invite you to test-drive our Rule Breakers service for free for a whole month, during which you'll be able to access all past issues and read in detail about every recommendation. A year ago, for example, David recommended Harris & Harris (NASDAQ:TINY), a venture capital firm invested in privately held nanotechnology concerns. The stock hasn't taken off yet, which suggests that either (a) it's a dud, or (b) its train hasn't left the station yet, giving you and me a chance to get on board.

You'll have full access to special reports, exclusive CEO interviews, dedicated members-only discussion boards, and a watch list of more than 225 possible Rule Breaking companies.

So if you're interested in exploring the exciting (and fun) world of Rule Breakers, consider taking advantage of a 30-day free trial.

Remember -- whether you use our service or hunt for Rule Breakers on your own, you'll be investing in innovation -- and in what has made America great.

Selena Maranjian owns shares of PepsiCo, Amazon.com, Dell, and eBay. Amazon.com and eBay are Stock Advisor recommendations. Dell is an Inside Value and Stock Advisor recommendation. For more about Selena, viewher bio and her profile. The Motley Fool is Fools writing for Fools.