Joy Mangano

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Joy Mangano
Born Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.
Occupation inventor/entrepreneur

Joy Mangano is an American inventor and entrepreneur known for inventions such as the self-wringing Miracle Mop and Huggable Hangers.[1][2] She is the President of Ingenious Designs, LLC, and appears regularly on HSN.

Early Life and Career

Raised in Huntington, New York, Mangano began inventing at an early age when, as a teenager working at an animal hospital, she dreamed up a fluorescent flea collar to keep pets safe. When it was released the next year by Hartz Mountain, she vowed that the next time she had a great idea, she would bring it to market.[1] After graduating from Pace University with a degree in business administration in 1978 she held a variety of jobs,[2] including waitress[1] and airline reservation manager, all while raising her three children as a single mother.[2]

In 1990, she developed the prototype of her Miracle Mop. She sold the mops locally in 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 to Ingenious Designs. Mangano sold Ingenious Designs to USA Networks, the parent company of the HSN, in 1999.[2]

Products

Mangano holds more than 100 patents for her inventions.[3] "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."[2]

Miracle Mop

After growing frustrated with ordinary mops, Mangano developed her first invention, the Miracle Mop, a robust plastic mop with head made from a continuous loop of 300 feet of cotton that can be easily wrung out without getting your 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 20 minutes. Ten years later, her company was selling $10 million worth of Miracle Mops per year.[2]

Huggable Hangers

The all-time best-selling product in HSN history with more than 300 million sold [4] Huggable Hangers are velvety-flocked no-slip hangers whose thin profile conserve closet space. Endorsed by Oprah Winfrey,[5] they have spawned many imitations, though reviewers have found they don't live up to the original.[6][7]

Forever Fragrant

Forever Fragrant is a line of home odor neutralizers including sticks, wickless candles, scent stands, finials, spheres, drawer liners, and shoe shapers.[8] Mangano broke an HSN record on January 31, 2010 by selling 180,000 units in one day.[9] The Forever Fragrant line has won the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.[8]

Clothes It All Luggage System

Mangano's Clothes It All Luggage System 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 portable dresser with removable drawers. The set has also included a briefcase and pet carrier.[8]

Performance Platforms

Produced in conjunction with the Grasshoppers division of the Stride Rite Corporation, Performance Platforms are shoes manufactured with a rubber platform heel that allows the wearer to have extra height while still being able to walk and stand for long periods of time.[8] In May 2010, Mangano sold 30,000 pairs in three hours on HSN.[3] Although they began as sneakers, new kinds of Performance Platforms have since been released, including Mary Janes, mules, and sandals.[8]

Comfort & Joy Textiles

Made from Supima cotton and down alternative, Mangano's Comfort & Joy bedding has several innovative features, including a reversible, zippered duvet cover and sheets that are attached to the bed skirt for easy removal and cleaning. Also part of the Comfort & Joy line, Mangano's True Perfection towels are made from a combination of cotton and bamboo, and are resistant to staining.[8]

Shades Readers

Mangano's Shades Readers are a line of fashionable reading glasses sold in sets of three or more so that they can be kept around the home and office for easy access.[8] Mangano has sold more than a million pairs.[10]

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,[8] products from Rosie O'Donnell [citation needed], Esteban guitars, and Who Knew? books by Bruce Lubin.[11] She also partnered with chef Todd English to create GreenPans, environmentally friendly, PTFE-free non-stick cookware. GreenPans use a ceramic-based non-stick coating. Mangano and English debuted GreenPans on HSN on July 26, 2007, and sold 24,000 pieces in 4 hours.[12]

TV Sales

Soon after she began appearing on QVC in 1992, Mangano began spending 120 hours a year on air. [citation needed] She now appears regularly on HSN, and is considered to be HSN's most successful purveyor, with annual sales of more than $150 million.[3] Her hourly sales regularly top $1 million.[13] Mangano has also appeared in shorter commercials and infomercials for her company's products.[13] 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."[2] Mangano considers HSN to be an ideal platform for selling her inventions because it allows her to walk customers through the features and benefits.[8] 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."[3]

Porto Vivo Restaurant

In 2009, Mangano opened up a restaurant in Huntington, New York called Porto Vivo. It features two levels of dining including an outdoor eating area and is host to numerous benefits and other events throughout the year. In addition to having an extensive wine list and signature cocktails, Porto Vivo prides itself on having "memorable, creative, and fresh food, at reasonable prices." Its executive chef is Joseph Balbo, and its pastry chef is Elizabeth Pititto.[11] Shortly after its opening, New York Newsday declared Porto Vivo "Huntington's buzz central."[14]

Awards and Other Appearances

In 1997, Mangano was named Long Island Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.[2] 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.[15] In 2005, she was a judge on the cable reality show Made in the USA.[13] She also appeared on the ABC show "The View" on February 2, 2007. [citation needed]

Personal life

Mangano is the single mother of three children: Christie, Bobby, and Jackie Miranne. Christine Miranne graduated with honors from Providence College and is an executive at Mangano's company, Ingenious Designs. Bobby Miranne graduated from Columbia Law School and works at a law firm in New York. Jackie Miranne attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and now models and runs the site JackieAtHome.com.[11] She was a regular model on season 4 of Project Runway, and has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Allure, and Elle as well as modeled for Patricia Field, Valentino, Missoni, Vivienne Tam, and Moschino. She has been featured in ad campaigns for TRESemmé, Levi’s, and L’Oréal.[16]

About her family, Mangano has said, "Being a mom has influenced every single moment of my life. There isn't anything I'm prouder of."[8] She credits her children for her achievements, saying, "Nothing could be possible without my three children, and the support they gave me, and the grounding that they gave me as I grew and achieved more success."[17]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Making Millions off a Super Mop, abc News, March 31, 2006. Accessed on line December 18, 2007.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Cleaning Up in Business, With a Mop, Susan Konig, New York Times, February 11, 2001. Accessed on line December 10, 2007.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Joy Mangano Cleans Up In Sales, Trang Ho, "Investors Business Daily," July 19, 2010. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  4. ↑ The Golden Age of TV Shopping, Elizabeth Holmes, "Wall Street Journal," November 11, 2010. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  5. ↑ Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers, "O: The Oprah Magazine," May 2008. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  6. ↑ Huggable Hangers in the Test Lab, ApartmentTherapy.com. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  7. ↑ We Guess Imitation Equals Flattery, with ShopNBC Doing Its Take On HSN's Huggable Hangers, HomeShoppingista.com, January 27, 2010. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 Joy Mangano Products at HSN.com. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  9. ↑ HSN's Joy Mangano Makes Electronic Retail History with Record-Breaking Orders of Forever Fragrant, PR Newswire. February 16, 2010. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  10. ↑ Joy Mangano: Executive Profile and Biography, Bloomberg Businessweek. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Porto Vivo: About Us. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  12. ↑ Environmentally-Friendly GreenPan Cookware Sells Out in Four Hours During the World Launch Exclusively on HSN, PR Newswire, August 6, 2007. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Made in the USA - Joy Mangano. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  14. ↑ An Ace in Huntington, Peter M. Gianotti, "New York Newsday," September 3, 2009. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  15. ↑ The 10 Most Creative Women in Business, Suzy Evans, "Fast Company," May 20, 2010. Accessed online January 25, 2011.
  16. ↑ JackieAtHome.com. Accessed online October 10, 2011.
  17. ↑ Joy Mangano's New Business Venture, Carrie Lee, Fios1 Long Island. Accessed online January 25, 2011.

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