Every company has a story waiting to be shared

Here’s some inspiration to find it and tell it.

In business, we often focus on the “what”—the specs, the features, the data. But the most impactful brands know that what truly resonates is not the product itself but the story behind it. Some of the world’s most iconic inventions started as mere accidents, born from failures, frustrations, and, occasionally, sheer desperation, resulting in surprise and delight that became household names once the word got out. The common thread? Storytelling. It’s the difference between a product that sits on the shelf and one that becomes a household name.

Take the Slinky. In 1943, a naval engineer named Richard Jones was trying to stabilize ship equipment during storms, but his spring design didn’t quite work. It slipped off the shelf and… walked. The mistake was a small one. The potential was a lot bigger. After a bit of branding, some guerrilla marketing, and a Christmas demo that made it the Tickle-Me-Elmo of 1945, the Slinky became a phenomenon. It wasn’t just a spring. It was a story, and it captured imaginations worldwide.

The same can be said for the potato chip. In 1853, a chef named George Crum, frustrated by a customer’s complaints about thick-cut potatoes, sliced them paper-thin, fried them to a crisp, and salted them heavily. What started as a culinary protest turned into a culinary revolution. But Crum never fully leveraged the story behind his creation—content to sell it rather than tell it. It wasn’t until Herman Lay (yes, I said Lay…as in you can’t eat just one) picked up the tale decades later that the potato chip took its rightful place as a snack food staple.

Or consider Play-Doh. Originally, Kutol Products manufactured wallpaper cleaner—a necessary product for a world heated by coal furnaces. But as the industry evolved, Kutol faced an uncertain future. That’s when the owner’s sister-in-law suggested rebranding the non-toxic putty as a modeling clay. Play-Doh was born. A reinvention that saved a company and became a go-to toy as well as the occasional playroom snack. (So salty…so good!)

These stories remind us that innovation isn’t always intentional. Sometimes, it’s the “failures” and “flukes” that contain the seeds of success. Storytelling is the bridge between product and connection, the path from what you make to how it makes people feel. No, you don’t have to make a once-in-a-lifetime snack or game-changing toy before you can tell your story. But you do have to build your story on a human level.

So, what’s your “Slinky” or “potato chip” moment? Let’s find it, together. We’re the people who care about a product’s cool factor that may have been hiding within your business, waiting to be discovered.

I know you have a great story waiting to get out. I can’t wait to hear it.