Why Serendipity Might Be the Real Key to Success | Dennis Geelen | TEDxOshawa

Dennis suggests that happy accidents or serendipity plays a role in many of the success stories we hear. What if we could prepare to be ready for when serendipity strikes? References quoted in this talk: Title: How World War II led to the invention of super glue Date: July 30, 2021 Link: https://www.militarytimes.com/off-dut... Project Failure Percentage Title: Project Management Statistics: Trends and Common Mistakes in 2023 Date: Dec 1, 2023 Link: https://pm360consulting.ie/project-ma... Serendipity Definition “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” Source: Oxford Dictionary Link: https://www.oxfordreference.com/displ... The Microwave Invention Story Source: Popular Mechanics Title: Who Invented the Microwave, and How? Well, It Started With an Accident Date: March 24, 2023 Link: https://www.popularmechanics.com/tech... Post-it Notes Invention Story Source: CBC Radio Title: Inventor of Post-it Note adhesive made something people didn't know they needed, says wife Date: May 14, 2021 Link: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/... Superglue Invention Story Source: Military Times Title: How World War II led to the invention of super glue Date: July 30, 2021 Link: https://www.militarytimes.com/off-dut... The Slinky, The Popsicle, and Play-Doh, and Potato chips. Source: History.com Title: 7 Momentous Inventions Discovered by Accident Date: January 10, 2023 Link: https://www.history.com/news/accident... Penicillin Invention Story Source: Science Museum Title: How was penicillin developed? Date: Feb 23, 2021 Link: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/obje.... Sarah Blakely Backstory Source: Britannica Title: Sara Blakely: American inventor and entrepreneur Date: April 7, 2025 Link: https://www.britannica.com/money/Sara... Dennis is a bestselling author, speaker, and coach who helps solopreneurs turn ideas into impactful businesses. With a corporate background in leadership, strategy, and customer experience, Dennis transformed his own layoff into an opportunity to build a thriving consulting business and has written four books, including The Accidental Solopreneur. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx