One small adjustment
Joe McVicker of Kutol Chemicals invented putty-like wallpaper cleaner that sold well until vinyl wallpaper was introduced after World War II. Vinyl wallpaper was easy to clean with soap and water, and Joe’s putty cleaner was fast becoming obsolete. The company’s future looked dire. Then his sister-in-law, Kay Zufall, a kindergarten teacher, gave her class some of Joe’s wallpaper cleaner to play with because it was easier for them to shape than the standard classroom modeling clay. It was also non-toxic and less messy. They both saw potential for repurposing Joe’s wallpaper cleaner, but it was still missing a magical element.
“What if you make it bright yellow?” Kay asked. And that’s what they did. One small adjustment and Play-Doh was born. It was 1955. Joe became a millionaire before his 27th birthday and more than two billion cans of Play-Doh were sold over the next fifty years.
What if you were just one small adjustment away from having the life you want?
