How Being Inventive Changed This Man's Life

Mar 2
08:37

2017

Jordyn Whitman

Jordyn Whitman

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Rick Hopper is a man who likes to come up with ways that make life a little simpler. Frankly. he has been that way all of his life. Growing up in Anaheim, California, Rick was 13 when he first realized his talent for making everyday life more efficient.

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As a teenager,How Being Inventive Changed This Man's Life Articles he would drive his boss crazy from how often he switched things up. He was all about creating efficiency, and if placing the pizza toppings in a new spot did the job, you bet he would move them. This continued throughout his working career. Later on, he worked installing doors and windows for clients big and small at Home Depot. He became frustrated by the lack of proper tools to get the job done quickly and correctly. To change that, he just created his own! It worked so well that he decided to start his own business.

It was so successful that by 2010 he was able to leave that job and thrive at his own inventions. One day, it happened again. He put his glasses in his pocket, leant over for an object, and the glasses fell out. A real pain that any glasses-wearer has experienced. He would put them on his head and they’d fall off. He tried hanging them in the collar of his shirt, but certain materials would sag and any sudden movement would send the glasses without a holder flying across the room. Determined to fix it, he created his own eye glass holder.

It was a simple thing he had done: he took a nearby paper clip and bent it carefully into a slight curve. He made another, and hand-glued strong, yet lightweight magnets to another. Now, it was time to test out these special eyeglass holders. He placed the arm into his invention and they stayed put. This magnetic, thin, and strong glasses holder worked! By the next year, in 2011, he had successfully sold 65,000 magnetic eyeglass holders.

They were a big hit with glasses wearers of his community, but he couldn’t keep up with production as he made every single one by hand. Rick had another brilliant idea, so he took his last bit of products to the sharks at Shark Tank. It was called ReadeRest. He made a quick first impression as well. He dramatically entered the room and took an intentional tumble all the while his glasses were attached to his shirt. He stood back up and proudly pointed out his glasses safely attached and unharmed. Needless to say, the sharks were impressed. How could they not offer to work with him?

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