“One thing that helps me is viewing everything in the world as a product. There are a lot of needs to be fulfilled and a lot of tasks to be done. Envisioning, then creating, a product that eases meeting those needs and doing those tasks is important. That is the work of entrepreneurs.” – Joy Mangano
Each week we are going to celebrate an amazing female entrepreneur! For our inaugural Entrepreneur of the Week, who else could we celebrate but Joy Mangano?
Growing up in Long Island, New York, Joy spent her days dreaming up inventions. As a teenager she dreamed up a reflective flea collar. And when Hartz Mountain would release a similar product just a year later, she knew her ideas could be worth something.
After graduating from Pace University, Joy’s life was made up of primarily taking care of her family. But in 1990, Joy came up with the idea for the Miracle Mop. After selling her invention at trade shows, she finally got a chance to sell her product herself on QVC. The Miracle Mop sold 18,000 units in just half an hour, and Joy’s invention became a household name. By 2000, Joy was selling $10 million worth of Miracle Mops a year.
In 1999, she sold her company, Ingenious Designs, to HSN’s parent company, USA Networks. Joy became a staple on HSN, where she introduced home shoppers to even more of her wonderful inventions, including Huggable Hangers, Shades Readers, and the record-breaking Forever Fragrant line. Her hourly sales on the network regularly topped one million dollars.
In 2015, a movie about Joy was released, starring Jennifer Lawerence. Lawrence was nominated for an Oscar and won the Golden Globe for her portrayal of Joy.
Courtesy of Joy
Joy has now partnered with Armando Christian Péreza, aka Pitbull, to create a new line of cleaning products called CleanBoss. CleanBoss specializes in non-toxic cleaning products that still provide germ-killing power!
Joy’s resilience, perseverance, and passion have led her to become the inspiring entrepreneur she is today. We cannot wait to tell her story at the Laura Pels Theatre this summer, starting June 21st!
