Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty
How many of you remember Silly Putty? I’m sure you know what I’m talking about…the tan putty that came in the red egg. Everyone in school had it. When I was a kid, I loved playing with that stuff. Back in the day, Silly Putty was the only one of its kind. You can still buy Silly Putty today; however, there are so many more options of “putty”. One of those options is: Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty.
Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty was created by Aaron Muderick, also known as Crazy Aaron, in 1998. Crazy Aaron thought the original “putty” that we all played with could be improved so he began learning, researching, teaching himself about chemistry and physics, and experimenting. As a result of his endeavor, Thinking Putty was created and a factory was built to manufacture it. The business grew and a headquarters was established in Norristown, PA.
You might be wondering, what does Thinking Putty have to do with disabilities? Well, in 2002, as Crazy Aaron’s business was growing, he realized he needed to hire additional help. He remembered that the company he worked for in high school employed many people with special needs. As he says, “I noticed that they were the happiest employees at the company; they came in to work every day with a smile and a bounce in their step.”
His neighbor, who had a special needs sister, suggested he contact a vocational workshop. After some negotiating and configuring how it would all work, he established a good relationship with the vocational workshop. Fast forward to today and Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty now partners with seven Philadelphia-area vocational workshops and employs over 800 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
During an interview with the Senior Vice-President of External Affairs at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, Crazy Aaron was asked, “It’s clear these individuals are essential to your business, yet not all companies embrace the same model. Why is employing individuals with special needs important to you?”
His answer, “I am going to get a little philosophical but, as adults without disabilities, we often think work is simply about making money. We work because our boss says we have to, and if we won the lottery, we believe we would quit our jobs. But that’s not what work is about at all. Work is about finding purpose in your life. Work helps you make connections with your community.
“I feel individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities often have a clearer and truer sense of the meaning of work, because the world isn’t offering them as many opportunities. Work is more meaningful to them, and that’s important to me. The key to any successful organization is to have a dedicated, committed team who gives it their all – every day. This defines our employee population with special needs.”
Wow, what a powerful answer! If interested, you can click here to read the full interview.
If more businesses would adapt Crazy Aaron’s philosophy, they would be giving people with special needs a chance to live a more meaningful, fulfilled life. They would be providing them the same opportunities that people without a disability take for granted everyday. As with any business, regardless if the employees have disabilities or not, there are challenges to face. If we take those challenges and learn from them, the outcomes can be rewarding.
To learn more about Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, you can visit their website. You can also view a short video clip The TODAY Show put together about the brand.
