Lonnie Johnson and Super Soaker Rocket

When Lonnie Johnson was born on October 6, 1949, little did his parents know about his success in life. Lonnie Johnson grows up to become an aerospace engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur.

Among his credentials is service with the U.S. Air Force and a stint at NASA that included the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, an experience that will change his life forever.

One day while working in the Air Force, Mr. Johnson was working on a heat pump system. Heat pump systems use unique valve mechanisms to propel fluids through their system. They can produce large amounts of pressure.

On the day in question, Mr. Johnson worked on a heat pump system component with a leak. He saw it shoot a stream of fluid with impressive force.

His immediate thought was, wouldn’t it be cool if a water gun could squirt like that? From that point on, Johnson spends his free time designing a new type of water gun toy.

His gun has a reservoir and pump and a trigger-operated valve that allows the water to jet out at high speeds. First called the Power Drencher, Lonnie Johnson will soon be the millionaire owner of the Super Soaker water gun.

Now, 30 years after the toy first launched, the Super Soaker water gun is one of the best selling toys of all time. And it’s because Lonnie Johnson had an idea that sparked a dream, and he wasn’t afraid to chase it.

The takeaway:

Over your career, you will have the opportunity to invest in many ideas and dreams. The key to success is recognizing which dreams will stand the test of time and have the leadership to bring those dreams to fruition.

Image: Google