The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media & Events

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Chris Cofoni, founder of TriAction Toys, and one of the driving forces behind the epic relaunch of the famed Boglins line. Last month, TriAction's Boglins World Domination campaign entered its formal Kickstarter run with backers having already pledged $60,000 against a $25,000 goal followi...

In the second of two special episodes of the "Power Kid Podcast" this week, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Mary Couzin, founder of People of Play (POP), formerly known as the Chicago Toy & Game Group. Next week, POP will launch its annual weeklong toy industry event starting with the 2020 Toy and Game International Innovation Summit and culminating with a virtual edition o...

In the first of two special episodes of the " Power Kid Podcast " this week, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with IAMEARHERO founder Jazmine Darden, newly minted program director for People of Play's (POP) 15th annual Young Inventor Challenge . POP, formerly known as the Chicago Toy & Game Group, will launch its annual Toy and Game International Innovation Summit and a virtual e...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Chalk of the Town 's Chief Chalking Officer Sondra Mansfield. In recent years, Chalk of the Town has taken social media by storm with a line of products that kids and families use to design and style their own t-shirts, totes, and patches with water-based chalk markers. On the show, Mansfield s...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Shannon Gale, director and brand manager of JumpStart Games (formerly JumpStart Academy) for a discussion about remote learning for kids in elementary school in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gale has been on the front lines of the changing educational system as JumpStart creates products f...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with game inventor Peggy Brown. Brown has written books, taught classes, and worked with the world’s best toy, game, and entertainment companies creating products that have been sold around the world. She was named Game Innovator of the Year at the 2009 TAGIE Awards, and this year she's nominated ag...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Anna Yudina, senior director of marketing initiatives at The Toy Association. On the show, Yudina discusses the backstory of The Toy Association and her work leading the consumer-facing Genius of Play program. Additionally, Albritton and Yudina discuss the ways that the Association has pivoted...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Ryan Hamilton, head of product development at Plus-Plus A/S and head of operations at Plus-Plus USA , makers of open-ended construction toys loved by kids and grownups alike. On the show, Albritton delves into Hamilton's backstory from his early experiences at Dan Buckey & Associates to his...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with David Snow, founder of The Fantastic Factory . Snow began his career at Hasbro where he ultimately spent a decade focusing on the toymaker's presence in grocery stores. Following a successful run at an Australian game company, Snow used his marketing and product development skills to launch his...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Scott Houdashell and Curtis McGill, the duo behind the popular EggMazing. Intended to be "a better way to decorate eggs," what started off as a hot glue stick, a cordless drill, and a spoon became a Shark Tank hit that landed a deal with Lori Greiner and put the invention in front of a national...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Bruce Canner, president of sales — North America at Nikko Toys . Canner's long career path includes stops at Remco, Tyco, Fisher-Price, Shelcore, Hit Toy, and Toy State before joining the relaunched Nikko last year. On the show, Canner and Albritton finally put to rest the debate on how to pron...

Nancy Zwiers gained wide experience managing brands at Procter & Gamble before becoming the SVP of Worldwide Marketing at Mattel for Barbie. She then founded and ran the brand-building firm Funosophy before becoming the EVP and CMO at Spin Master. Now retired, Zwiers spends her time as an executive coach and mentor. In this week's show, host Phil Albritton chats with Zwiers about everything fr...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks Tim Kilpin and Catherine Winder about PlayMonster's new brand, Snap Ships . Kilpin recently took the helm as president at PlayMonster following a run as president and CEO at Activision Blizzard Consumer Products. Prior to that, he worked to craft brand strategies and creative direction at Mattel and...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks Brian McDonald, vice president of sales and marketing at The Simplay3 Co. An expert in building profitable strategies for young and transitioning companies, McDonald previously served as vice president at Hedstrom, prior to which he spent 20 years at The Step2 Co., most recently as vice president, b...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks Kate Clark, founder of Yottoy . For the past 25 years, Yottoy has been creating high-quality plush toys based on top licenses, including Paddington, Eloise, Madeline, The Velveteen Rabbit, Babar, Corduroy, and more. On the show, Clark explains how plush design has changed and evolved and how the plu...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with toy industry veteran, Gene Murtha of the Score Association . Murtha's lengthy career in has included executive roles at Fisher-Price, Tyco, Mattel, Main Street Toys, Coleco, General Mills, and GUND. He now serves as vice president and director at the Score Association, working on a mission to f...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Trina McFarland, owner and managing director of TinkerTini . McFarland has reviewed thousands of toy and game concepts during the course of her career. She previously served as senior manager, inventor relations at Mattel, prior to which she managed inventor relationships for Jakks Pacific and...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Tom Hudson, managing director of Marvin's Magic . Marvin’s Magic launched in 1987 as a pioneer in the retail entertainment and product demonstration space. For more than three decades, Marvin's Magic products have entertained budding magicians, pop stars, sports heroes, and royalty. On the show...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Maia Baram, public relations manager at smarTrike . Over a decade ago, smarTrike had the idea to create an all-in-one tricycle that grows with kids. This product revolutionized the ride-on market, and their bikes, scooters, and activity centers are now available in 80 countries. On the show, Ba...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Robert Cook, sales manager at Verisk Financial G2 . Cook and his team help manufacturers protect themselves from the ever-present risk of knockoffs, counterfeit, and copycat products. They also provide guidance to assist companies in their efforts to avoid copycat situations in the first place....

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Josh Loerzel, vice president of sales and marketing at Hog Wild Toys. Loerzel, who recently took part in the Toy Book's Talkin' Toys series, delves into his backstory which includes stints at Monkey Business, Zing, and Yulu before landing at Hog Wild. Albritton and Loerzel discuss the importance...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Thuan Tran, national sales director of Pai Technology . On the show, Tran discusses living at the crossroads of technology and toys, including Botzees — Pai Technology's award-winning STEM robots that kids can program to move, dance, make sounds, and light up using the free companion app. Part...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Mike Bowling, creator of the Pound Puppies and Splashlings. On the show, Bowling shares the incredible origin story of Pound Puppies and what he learned along the way. He tells the stories of his serendipitous meetings and rejections before finally licensing his idea, and why now is the right t...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design  speaks with Dr. Mary Mason, founder of Little Medical School. Little Medical School is dedicated to the mission of inspiring and shaping tomorrow’s health care professionals through after-school programs, summer camps, birthday parties, and an award-winning line of educational toys. Forbes has c...

In this week's episode of the " Power Kid Podcast ," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design  speaks with Harold Chizick, CEO of ChizComm and Beacon Media. On the show, Chizick discusses AtGames , a digital media and tech innovation company that creates a host of gaming products for physical retail, digital distribution, and streaming. Most recently, AtGames has been focused on retro interact...