Joy Mangano
| Joy Mangano | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 15, 1956 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse(s) | Anthony Miranne (m. 1978–89)[1] |
| Children | 3 |
| Website |
joymangano |
Joy Mangano /ˌmæŋˈɡænoʊ/ (born February 15, 1956)[2] is an American inventor, businesswoman, and entrepreneur known for inventions such as the self-wringing Miracle Mop.[3][4] She is the president of Ingenious Designs, LLC, and appears regularly on the US television shopping channel HSN.
In 2015, Joy, a film loosely based on her life, was released. Jennifer Lawrence was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Mangano.[5][6]
Early life
Mangano was born in 1956, in New York, to Italian-American parents.[7] Mangano began inventing at an early age when, as a teenager working at an animal hospital in Huntington, New York, on Long Island,[4] she dreamed up a fluorescent flea collar to keep pets safe. It was released the next year by Hartz Mountain. After graduating from Pace University with a degree in business administration in 1978, she held a variety of jobs,[4] including waitress[3] and airline reservations manager, all while raising her three children as a divorced mother.[4]
Inventions
Mangano holds more than 100 patents for her inventions.[8] "I think my products have been successful because they have mass appeal," she has said. "I'm just like everybody else out there. I'm a mom, I work, I have a house to clean, things to organize. We all have certain similar needs, and I address them."[4]
Miracle Mop
In 1990, she developed the prototype of her Miracle Mop. She sold the mops locally on Long Island before moving to facilities in her father's body shop in Deer Park in 1991 and incorporating her business as Arma Products, later renaming it Ingenious Designs. Mangano sold Ingenious Designs to USA Networks, the parent company of the Home Shopping Network, in 1999.[4]
After growing frustrated with ordinary mops, Mangano developed her first invention, the Miracle Mop, a plastic mop with a head made from a continuous loop of 300 feet (90 meters) of cotton that can be easily wrung out without getting the user's hands wet. With her own savings and investments from family and friends, she made a prototype and manufactured 100 units. After selling the mop at trade shows and in local stores on Long Island, she sold 1,000 units on consignment to QVC. It sold modestly at first, but once QVC allowed Mangano to go on-air to sell it herself, she sold 18,000 mops in less than a half hour.[2] Ten years later, her company was selling $10 million worth of Miracle Mops per year.[4]
Other products
Huggable Hangers – HSN's best-selling product as of 2010, with more than 300 million sold by that time,[9] Huggable Hangers are velvet-flocked, no-slip hangers whose thin profile conserves closet space. They were endorsed by Oprah Winfrey.[10]
Forever Fragrant – Forever Fragrant is a line of home odor neutralizers including sticks, wickless candles, scent stands, finials, spheres, drawer liners, and shoe shapers.[11] Mangano broke an HSN record on January 31, 2010 by selling 180,000 units in one day.[12] The Forever Fragrant line has won the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.[11]
Clothes It All Luggage System – This is a line of wheeled luggage developed with special organizational features like a padded laptop compartment, a toiletry organizer, a pocket for plane tickets, and removable dividers. They range from smaller duffel bags to a 22-inch (56-centimeter) portable dresser with removable drawers. The set has also included a briefcase and pet carrier.[11]
Performance Platforms – Produced in conjunction with the Grasshoppers division of the Stride Rite Corporation, these are shoes with a rubber platform heel that allows the wearer to have extra height.[11] In May 2010, Mangano sold 30,000 pairs in three hours on HSN.[8] Although they began as sneakers, new kinds of Performance Platforms have since been released, including Mary Janes, mules, and sandals.[11]
Comfort & Joy Textiles – Made from Supima cotton and down alternative, this bedding has a reversible, zippered duvet cover and sheets that are attached to the bed skirt for removal and cleaning.[11]
Shades Readers – This is a line of reading glasses sold in sets of three or more so that they can be kept around the home and office for easy access.[11] Mangano has sold more than a million pairs.[13]
Product partnerships
Mangano has partnered with several celebrities and other television personalities to bring their products to HSN. They include tennis star Serena Williams' line of jewelry, Frank Sepe fitness products, fashions from supermodel Iman,[11] products from Rosie O'Donnell,[14] Esteban guitars, and Who Knew? books by Bruce Lubin.[15] She also partnered with chef Todd English to create GreenPan cookware, which uses a ceramic-based non-stick coating that the press release describes as: "PTFE-free, and uses no PFOA in manufacturing, making GreenPan cookware 'green' in manufacturing".[16] Mangano and English debuted GreenPans on HSN on July 26, 2007, and sold 24,000 pieces in 4 hours.[16]
TV sales
Soon after she began appearing on QVC in 1992, Mangano began spending 120 hours a year on air. She now appears regularly on HSN, and is considered to be HSN's most successful purveyor, with annual sales of more than $150 million.[8] Her hourly sales regularly top $1 million.[17][18] Mangano has also appeared in shorter commercials and infomercials for her company's products.[17] Of selling on TV, she has said, "You have the unique opportunity to stand in front of millions of people to talk about your product, but it requires a certain kind of sales pitch. It's one thing to sell something in person, but when you're trying to motivate people to get out their credit cards and buy something they can't even touch or try, you really have to move them….People saw how enthusiastic I was about [the Miracle Mop] and that my enthusiasm was real. When I got the chance to demonstrate the product myself, they wanted it."[4] Mangano considers HSN to be an ideal platform for selling her inventions because it allows her to walk customers through the features and benefits.[11] An executive at HSN has written, "HSN fans, the media, and viewers alike can't get enough of Joy. [She] shares the passion, excitement and pride of every detail with her viewers."[8]
Other TV appearances
In 2005, Mangano was a judge on the cable reality show Made in the USA.[17][18] She also appeared on the ABC show The View on February 2, 2007. [19]
Awards and distinctions
In 1997, Mangano was named Long Island Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.[4] In 2009, she was ranked number 77 on Fast Company's list of The 100 Most Creative People in Business; and in 2010, she was listed in their list of The 10 Most Creative Women in Business.[20]
In popular culture
A character based on Mangano is portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the 2015 film Joy, directed by David O. Russell, with Mangano credited as executive producer. It was released on Christmas Day 2015.[5][6]
Personal life
Mangano married Tony Miranne in 1978 shortly after both graduated from Pace University.[1] They divorced in 1989.[1] Together, they have three children: Christie, Robert, and Jacqueline Miranne.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Calautti, Katie (December 17, 2015). "Why Is the True Story of David O. Russell’s Joy Such a Mystery?". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- 1 2 "Joy Mangano". Biography. FYI. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- 1 2 "Making Millions off a Super Mop". ABC News. ABC. March 31, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Konig, Susan (February 11, 2001). "Cleaning Up in Business, With a Mop". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
- 1 2 McNearney, Allison (December 14, 2015). "“Cinderella without a prince”: Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell on their new film “Joy”". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- 1 2 Davis, Edward (June 6, 2014). "David O. Russell’s ‘Joy’ Starring Jennifer Lawrence Set For A December 2016 Release Date". Indiewire. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ↑ Noveck, Jocelyn (December 24, 2015). "Joy Mangano interview". Yahoo. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 Ho, Trang (July 19, 2010). "Joy Mangano Cleans Up In Sales". Investors. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ↑ Holmes, Elizabeth (November 11, 2010). "The Golden Age of TV Shopping]". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp (via Dow Jones & Company). Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ↑ "The Oprah Show Gift Finder: Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers". March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Joy Mangano Products at HSN.com". HSN. HSN, Inc. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ↑ "HSN's Joy Mangano Makes Electronic Retail History with Record-Breaking Orders of Forever Fragrant". PR Newswire. February 16, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ↑ "Joy Mangano". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ↑ "The Rosie O'Donnell Show - Season 1 DVDs". Sep 15, 2008.
- ↑ "Porto Vivo". Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- 1 2 "Environmentally-Friendly GreenPan Cookware Sells Out in Four Hours During the World Launch Exclusively on HSN]". PR Newswire. August 6, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- 1 2 3 "USA Network and TV Shopping Network HSN Join Forces for Groundbreaking Reality Show 'Made in the U.S.A.'". PR Newswire. January 4, 2005. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- 1 2 "Made in the USA". The Futon Critic. Futon Media. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- ↑ "TV Guide, The View". February 2, 2007.
- ↑ Evans, Suzy (May 20, 2010). "The 10 Most Creative Women in Business". Fast Company. Retrieved January 25, 2011.