Happy Accidents #005 - Joy Mangano

Welcome to the HAPPY ACCIDENTS newsletter!

Ever spilled red wine on your floor? Oh no! What a messy accident!

But for one creative woman, that spill sparked an idea that would change her life forever.

This week we're looking at the incredible story of how Joy Mangano took that accident and built a Miracle Mop Empire!

Prior to the red wine incident, her story was pretty mundane. She was just an ordinary working mom in the 1990s, struggling to balance her job as an airline reservationist while taking care of her three children.

Little did she know a fateful experience would soon turn her into the accidental inventor of the Miracle Mop.

It all started one night when Joy was hosting a dinner party and, you guessed it, a guest spilled red wine all over her pristine floors. Frustrated with traditional mops that were difficult to wring out and left streaks, Joy knew there had to be a better way.

After some trial and error, Joy developed the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing mop that made cleaning floors a breeze. But her journey to success wasn't without its challenges.

Joy faced rejection after rejection from potential investors and manufacturers, but she refused to give up.

Without any background in business or product development, Mangano decided to take a chance on her idea. She invested $100,000 of her own money to produce her first 1000 mops and started selling them door-to-door and at trade shows.

At first, the response was slow, but Mangano persevered.

Finally, she got her big break when she was invited to appear on QVC, a home shopping channel.

Her first appearance sold out of all 18,000 mops in just 20 minutes! Mangano soon became a regular guest.

But Mangano didn't stop at the mop. She went on to create other household products like hangers, steamers, and even a self-wringing bucket. In 1999, she sold her company, Ingenious Designs, to the Home Shopping Network for $10 million.

Joy has since gone on to become one of the most successful female inventors of all time, with a net worth of over $50 million.

So the next time you spill a glass of red wine, remember: accidents can lead to incredible inventions. And who knows, maybe you'll be the next Joy Mangano!

Some fun facts:

• The invention of the Miracle Mop was the inspiration for the 2015 film, "Joy," which starred Jennifer Lawrence as Mangano.

• Mangano holds more than 100 patents for her inventions, which include the Huggable Hangers, My Little Steamer, and Forever Fragrant.

• Joy is a self-made millionaire and was named one of Forbes' "America's Richest Self-Made Women" in 2016.

The lessons here:

• Be open to new opportunities: Joy was willing to take risks and try something new. She didn't have experience in the product invention or home shopping industry, but she was willing to learn and take a chance.

• Don't give up: Joy faced many obstacles and rejections before her product became a success. She believed in herself and her product and kept pushing forward.

• Listen to your customers: Joy paid attention to what her customers wanted and used their feedback to improve her products. This helped her create products that people loved and kept coming back for.

• Keep innovating: Even after her success with the Miracle Mop, Joy continued to invent and innovate new products. She didn't rest on her laurels and continued to grow her business.

YOUR Happy Accidents

Do you have your own Happy Accident story? Some fortunate coincidence that led to a lucky break or cool discovery? I'd love to hear it? Send it to me here. It might just get featured in a future Happy Accidents edition!

Happy Accidents is brought to you by Dennis Geelen

Author of the best selling book, The Accidental Solopreneur