Making It in The Toy Industry

Remember Brexit? Well, back in late January when the UK left the EU, I reached out to a Toy Safety expert friend of mine and asked, “What is this going to do to our labeling requirements?” The answer was, "a little when it comes to testing, and "a lot when it comes to paperwork. " Today’s podcast episode is our Toy Safety 102 lesson, and we spend about 90% of this conversation focus...

If you’ve ever looked into attending a toy trade show and thought, “Nope. Toy trade shows are for the big toy companies with thousands and thousands of orders at least, they’re not for me.” Well, it’s time to declare that a myth right here and right now my friend. Today’s podcast episode we dive into a review of the ASTRA Marketplace and Academy that takes place every year to connect specialty toy...

You know that feeling when you submit a job application but you’re pretty sure no one is going to see it? The process of applying for jobs has become more and more impersonal in the digital age. The personalities of resumes today are defined by the template and type face that was chosen. Well today, the ever-growing social media platform, TikTok has stepped up to the plate to create a more persona...

How much do you know about how the toy products that you make and play with get to you? Most likely, they were shipped to the city you bought them from, on boats in containers. In January of 2021, shipping container prices started to climb. By early spring they were double the standard pricing and today shipping container prices have been reported to have increased 4x what importers are used to pa...

I absolutely love talking marketing. Both digital marketing, traditional PR, and earned media are the main ways you can create awareness for your business. Before you spend any money developing your toy idea, I want you to have a realistic plan to build awareness around your product before you launch it. And you’ll build that awareness throughout marketing. Without that awareness you can’t collect...

Getting publicity for your toy business can seem like a daunting task at first. Imposter syndrome is often the culprit preventing many toy entrepreneurs from getting their name and toy products a well-deserved spotlight. Having been featured on NBC’s Access Daily, interviewed by Marie Forleo, and Amy Porterfield, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to teach you about getting media coverage. By the en...

Amy Porterfield is an online marketing expert and the host of the top-ranked podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. Before building a multi-million-dollar digital course business, Amy worked with mega brands like Harley-Davidson and Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she oversaw the content team and collaborated on ground-breaking online marketing campaigns. And today, friend of the show Am...

Are you in the process of sourcing with a factory overseas? Or perhaps you’re in the middle of working with a factory to produce your toy product. Or maybe you’ve just been considering reaching out to a factory in China but you haven’t taken the leap just yet. If you answered yes to any of those questions, then today’s episode is a must listen. In today’s episode I walk you through three of the 3...

Today’s episode is for all of the aspiring professional toy designers out there who have reached out at one time or another for advice on how they can get a job in the toy industry. Perhaps you have a degree in industrial design, graphic design, or illustration, and you’ve recently discovered this podcast and realized—wait a minute. I want to be a toy designer. Well finally I have the perfect epis...

If the expense of returning to in-person toy trade shows has you a little worried, then there’s a year-round toy trade show platform that you need to know about. In today’s episode we take a behind the scenes look at Toy Fair Everywhere, a year-round, 24/7 virtual trade show that is changing the way the toy entrepreneurs and buyers connect and do business.   The platform functions as a product dis...

For today’s episode of the show, I invited three of my star students of Toy Creators Academy to be guests on the podcast to share their experiences pitching their ideas right to major toy companies. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear understanding of what it takes to pitch your toy ideas in a virtual event, you’ll learn some lessons, and be inspired to take action whether you’re a toy...

The first ever Toy Creators Academy virtual pitch event concluded at the end of May 2021. Over a dozen toy companies, reviewed dozens of product pitches in 2 weeks of speed-dating style toy and entertainment pitch meetings. The toy companies that attended this pitch event were connected with new toy entrepreneurs and toy inventors in the toy space, and the students and alumni of Toy Creators Acade...

If you’re wondering how to break into toys, just know this. There are MANY paths into the toy industry. Get ready to hear how a self-published author found herself as the VP at a major toy company leading Marketing and Emerging IP’s. Our guest today is Karen Kilpatrick, an author who has both self-published and traditionally published her work with major companies like Macmillan.   In this episode...

Do top toy companies really want to work with inventors? Today’s episode answers that question with a resounding YES! Our guest today is Zack Pentecost of ZURU Toys. If you don’t know the name ZURU, you most definitely know some of their smash hit toy brands. Like Bunch O Balloons, Fifi The Flossin Sloth, or the Funky Flamingo, many of these toys have been featured on major media outlet like Good...

If you’ve ever wondered if or why you should use a distributor to help push your toy or game, well I’ve got an episode for you. PSi aka Publisher Services, Inc is the world’s largest toy, game, and collectible distributor. And in today’s episode we have an illuminating conversation with PSi’s National Accounts Manager, Greg Watson. Greg shares what he believes is most important in game play, as we...

Do you know the definition of toy photography? Well in this episode, Mitchel and The Toy Coach define toy photography as the creation of art using toys as a vehicle for storytelling. Mitchel Wu is known in the toy industry as an expert in creating impactful imagery that drives engagement and conversation. Mitchel comes on the show today and shares his personal journey leaving behind a job he didn’...

It’s important to stay relevant and change with the times as a toy person and the latest skill you’ll need to add to your repertoire is a doozy. What skill is that? Well, it’s video editing. But don’t stress out too much, video editing is much simpler today. There are apps that have simplified the process to it’s almost as simple as drag and drop! In today’s podcast episode we’re going to go over...

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about The Toy Coach, and why Azhelle built this podcast then this episode is for you. Today Azhelle shares her story from corporate dream job, to entrepreneurial dream life, with advice on how you can do the same. It all comes down to figuring out the “Puzzle of You” which Azhelle explains with great detail in today’s episode. Get ready to also celebrate Toy Cre...

After being laid off during the pandemic in 2020, Conor Lewis was bit by the entrepreneurial bug and decided to go for it with his toy product, FORT. Conor put his marketing expertise to use and built an email list of over 80,000 people before launching his Kickstarter campaign. His share focused and gamified marketing campaign helped him build his email list organically. Conor comes on the show t...

Coming up with toy ideas is fun, and over time it gets easier and easier. And vetting ideas that you’ve come up with is the trickiest step of all, because of our own ego. Ego can get in the way of you recognizing if your latest toy or game idea is really GREAT or just OK. So, in today’s episode The Toy Coach breaks down 3 methods and exercises that you can utilize to vet your latest Amazing toy id...

Considering over 70% of toys are manufactured in China, we would be remiss to not acknowledge and discuss the increase in Asian hate crimes that are making headlines in the US and Canada. According to NYPD data reported in the Queens Chronicle in September, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased 1900% from 2019 to 2020. For today’s episode, The Toy Coach engages in a hard and honest conversation wi...

What does it take to create a hit kids’ TV show? Well in today’s episode, Farnaz Esnaashari, Creator of the hit kids’ tv show Shimmer and Shine joins us to answer that question and so many more. Farnaz shares her journey in the world of production and media, starting from her first internship and taking us to her first few pitches. What you’ll learn from this episode is that it takes persistence,...

Have you ever heard of Amazon Live? Amazon Live is Amazon’s live streaming platform that allows Amazon sellers, vendors, and Amazon influencers to sell their products live in a QVC-style experience. The show’s host, whether it’s an Amazon influencer or the product’s manufacturer, can interact with the live attendees of their show via chat. It’s a unique opportunity to answer product questions in r...

The Toy Development process can seem big, scary, and overwhelming if you’ve never taken it on before, but today’s episode is going to eliminate any uncertainties you may have about what that process looks like. There are 5 key steps of the toy development process that we cover in today’s episode, while touching on the differences between working as a toy designer in the corporate toy world, versus...

This episode is packed with valuable information for developing a successful buyer presentation. We’ll share the 5 Keys to a Successful Buyer Presentation as developed by today’s guest Marie Nastasi. She brings a wealth of experience and advice from her roles as both a buyer and a manufacturers’ representative for companies large and small.  Marie is on the show today to serve up a mini toy sales...