Episode #165: A Toy Inventor Story of Faith and Determination with Angie Cella
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Today’s podcast episode touches on a subject we haven’t covered yet: faith. Today’s guest shares how her faith not only inspired her to create what became a popular product but also kept her going during challenging moments. My guest today believes that everyone has a God-given purpose and that finding that will help each person find the most fulfillment in life.
Angie Cella is a mom of four children, a Christian author, and the inventor and chief dreamer of Blinger, an amazing tool for both kids and adults that you can use to add crystals to your hair. Her incredible and unique story starts with a prayer and a dream. However, it wasn’t a metaphorical dream that led Angie to create Blinger. It was a literal nighttime dream that gave her inspiration. Listen to today’s podcast episode to learn how she made her dream into reality over the next four years, how she made it work financially with four children, and how her faith kept her going through it all. You’ll also learn why she first licensed her toy but then decided to get her license back after a few years, and about the miracle that helped her write her book, Blinger: An Entrepreneur's Faith-Based Journey.
EPISODE CLIFF NOTES
Learn about Angie’s dream that led her to create Blinger. [00:05:44]
Find out how Angie handled the difficult moments in the development process using a technique she learned from her work with Arbonne. [00:13:49]
Learn how and why Angie’s strong faith has led her to where she is today. [00:15:57]
Find out about the miracle that helped Angie write her most recent book. [00:20:34]
Learn about the overall mission of Blinger. [00:30:10]
Find out why Angie says you really can’t actually “mess it up.” [00:31:54]
Learn how Angie’s faith kept her going during financially difficult moments and what she did to keep her dream going during those times. [00:34:10]
Find out how Angie’s toy, Blinger, seemed to explode overnight at the Toy Fair. [00:37:42]
Learn where you can find more information about the Women in Toys event that helped Angie’s product become more well-known. [00:42:50]
Find out why Angie decided to become the manufacturer of Blinger after working with a licensing company. [00:46:47]
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This episode is brought to you by www.thetoycoach.com
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Check out Blinger’s website
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Shop Angie’s favorite toy as a kid, by clicking here (paid link)
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Azhelle: You are listening to Making it in the Toy Industry, episode number 165.
Hey there, toy people. Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of the Toy Coach Podcast, making it in the Toy Industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by thetoycoach.com. Today I have an exciting guest. I'm so excited. Years ago when I saw Angie online, I saw her item, The Blinger, which I have in my hair.
I, I ran, I was so excited when I saw her at a Women in Toys event. I ran up to her and I was like, hi, I'm obsessed with you. Let's talk . And years and years later, now we're doing this interview. I'm so excited. Let me give you your proper intro first, Angie. Angie Ella, the inventor and chief dreamer of Binger.
Angie is a single mom of four beautiful children. She's an inventor, entrepreneur, Christian author, and a woman of profound faith. Throughout her career, she has exemplified hard work and persistence and dedicated herself to motivating and supporting others to achieve their dreams. Angie believes that everyone has a God-given purpose, and that discovering this for oneself will lead to personal growth and the utmost fulfillment in.
Beautiful. Angie, welcome to the.
Angie: Thank you. Thank you so much, Azhelle. It's so good to be here.
Azhelle: I'm excited to have you, and honestly, as I was reading your intro, we've never really talked about faith on this show, so I'm excited to dive into a toy inventor story that centers around faith and determination and focus and all of that, and I grew up. I'm going to like a Lutheran school, so I grew up with a whole lot of faith around me.
So I, I don't know. This is important. I, I wanna talk about this. Excited to dive in.
Angie: And I, yeah, I would've, I would've prepared my notes a little differently. That's okay. I can go there with you,
Azhelle: Yeah, no, we, let's let it flow. Let it flow. Okay.
Angie: And. Azhelle Azhelle did we, was this at the Women in Toys Award ceremony in New York? Where we, where this happened?
Azhelle: Yeah. Or I came up to you and I was like, Hey,
Angie: I didn't realize I was meeting with you today.
Like you're amazing. I remember that whole conversation. That is so funny.
Azhelle: because yeah, I was like, yeah, I dig Dunk through your LinkedIn
Angie: I remember the conversation, but the name, you know, I, I met a lot of people that night, so That's amazing. I remember, I think I remember what you were wearing. I feel like you were in a red dessert, something
Azhelle: No, it was really, it was really sparkly, but it was, the lighting was very like red, so it, it did reflect off of my champagne dress and a lot of the pictures looked very
Angie: Yes. Like gold. I was saying gold or
Azhelle: gold. Yeah, I remember that you, I remember you too, cuz you won an award that night and you were wearing like teal, right?
Angie: yes.
Azhelle: yeah, yeah,
Angie: at us with our good
Azhelle: I remember colors, colors.
Angie: Yeah, I know, right? Me too. Yeah.
Azhelle: I'm curious, Angie, did you always know that you were going to or wanted to be part of the toy industry?
Angie: No,
Azhelle: No.
Angie: not.
Azhelle: So tell me about what you thought you were gonna do.
Angie: Well, I, well I am a mom. I have four children, as you know, you mentioned, and I was, I had built a business with an ar, with AR Bond. It was a network marketing business and I loved it. It was able to sustain me through a pretty, you know, tough divorce. And so, Really thought, you know, that was what I was gonna do.
My whole life was just work and build that business. And I still love that business. And it's an amazing business. It's a lot less expensive to get started than a Lingard product business.
Azhelle: I couldn't imagine.
Angie: you know, more of an opportunity for everyone. But Then I had a dream in 2014 about Langer or, you know, I didn't know his goal about yet, but I had a dream about the product and the next day I remembered the dream, which, you know, you don't always do.
And I loved it. I loved the idea, and I was like, oh, I could do this. I could make this. And women would like it,
Azhelle: Wait, I. I have to, I got goosebumps when you said you had a dream. I o often have had dreams where I'm like, this is a thing, but tell me about this dream. Can, can I know more? I wanna know more
Angie: Yeah. I think it is maybe even more interesting to you because before, since you, you brought this up a second ago, before my dream, I had been praying to God to use me for his purposes
Azhelle: Really.
Angie: mm-hmm. and I had kind of forgotten that I had. You know, you, it's at night and then the next morning I have an idea.
I'm not thinking that has anything to do with my faith or what God wants me to do with my life. I'm just thinking it's a great idea. And I'm, you know, clicking into that. And then a few weeks later I had a second shaman and that one, it was with God, and he said, I want you to make this product. Like
Azhelle: up.
Angie: I think he had to literally dumb it down for me
Azhelle: It was like, you're not getting it.
Angie: Just in case you're not, yeah.
Clicking and that's when, you know, then I was remembering my prayer and you know, just then from not second forward, it became a very spiritual journey for me. Of course. And that was wonderful. I know, I, yeah,
Azhelle: I, I, but I literally wanna hear like details, like what was happening in this dream. Can you share if it's too personal, you don't have to tell me, but like, I'm curious, like, what were you seeing in the first one? I'm curious like what you were seeing. Yeah.
Angie: I won't keep it a secret. So I was in a sorority house, which is very weird because I never was a sorority girl. I went to college on a athletic scholarship for soccer and, but I was in a sorority house and my dream, I guess that was a secret admission of mine, , and this.
Cute girl with wavy hair, which is, you'll see is ironic. Walked by me and I said, do you have a flat iron? I can borrow . So, she led me into this room and, you know, it was a sorority house. There were clothes and beds and stuff everywhere. And she took me up to this like big dresser with a mirror and handed me a flatiron.
And every time I squeezed it together, there were crystals in my.
Azhelle: Shut.
Angie: cool, I'm getting my hair straightened. And I loved it. In my dream, I was like, oh, this is cool. Like I'm gonna get one of these , and the next morning I remembered it. So that was just, I think that's probably the most amazing part because.
You know, I'm always trying to remember what I was just dreaming about and it's just like this fleeting thing, you know, and you can't quite place. But that one, I, and I've, you know, I think in repeating the story over and over is why I can still recall it so clear today, cuz that was nine years ago. But the, yeah, that was it.
And I woke my, I think Cambria, my oldest daughter, so it was nine years ago. She's 18 now, so, Nine. And I woke her up and I I said, get up. I wanna, I wanna put rhinestones in your hair. And I, I woke her up and then I ran down the basement and got the rhinestones, like just crafting rhinestones. And I just stuck 'em in her hair with my hand.
And I thought, let's see if they stay in. And, and, and it happened to be that was a safe adhesive, that that adhesive didn't hurt her hair. You know, there were some, we, we had in, through all the years of testing and stuff with rhinestones, there's some, he said, you do not wanna put in your hair , just so you know.
Don't, don't do that because I said that. And but she went on and played and then we, we went back upstairs to take them out and I was picking him out and I was like her, hoping I wasn't gonna hurt her, and she just picked up a brush and brushed them out and, you know, I was like, oh, you're so brilliant.
And. And then e eventually, just so you know, cause I, I, I worry about the adhesive and sticking rice hair. Our adhesive is a, is an actual medical tape. It's safe for hair and skin. So that's the adhesive we use today. So it's that's important , so
Azhelle: oh, that's re I was wondering when I was putting in and I was like, what am I putting in my hair?
Angie: Yeah, what is this?
Yeah, and that's, and it's a pressure sensitive adhesive, so if it's dangling or if it's not, you know it holding just right. Oh, and I didn't do my hair cuz I have it here. I was
Azhelle: Oh, you gonna do it live? Okay, we can do that later. Let's do it live. Yeah. Or now, whatever you
Angie: we'll do a live shot of that. Yeah.
Azhelle: Yeah.
Angie: yeah, it's a safe adhesive. And that was the beginning.
That fir, by the end of that day, I was so obsessed with the idea. I had actually taken apart a tagging gun like you would use to put,
Azhelle: I know
Angie: know, a TA for cloth. Yeah. Okay. And I took it. And I like fed, like they you know, the, the strip for white out, the little white out strip that you can get those where you, you know, white out the white out strip for like to white
Azhelle: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Angie: And I put it. Couple gyms on it, and then I fed it through this, you know, the thing. And then I pushed, I pulled the the trigger on the tagging gun and it put one on my couch and I was like, oh, done. It's done. We're doing
Azhelle: Wow.
Angie: It was a day one, and then it was then in, then the journey really got crazy after, you know, God coming to me and then , we'll, I'll wait for your questions, but there was a lot it wasn't done.
let's just
Azhelle: I, I wanna go into that. So like, there's so many directions. I wanna take this because you, so that was, you said nine years ago when I met you, and B Blinker was just like the thing That was three years ago, right? About three,
Angie: We met in, oh, you, yeah, you're right. 20.
Azhelle: Three. It was 20. 20. So three years ago. And that was like the, the B blinker year.
That was the year. my
Angie: 19, and 20
Azhelle: It was like no other toy existed. It was the , like the blank. I know the toy existed. It was wild. Wild. Like I, so at the time, I worked in arts and crafts, so then my boss was looking at me like a shell. Why aren't you coming up with the next B blinker? And I'm like, I don't
Angie: Yeah.
Azhelle: I don't know.
I was like, I'm sorry. I didn't pray to God for guidance. I should. I should have asked. I should have been like, God, I need a B blinker right now. Like, can you give me something? But like, I wanna like tell people that like establish the understanding that this is a long journey. Like creating a toy isn't something you do overnight as much as B blinker exploded and has these like, moments of explosion.
Cuz now like, you know, you'll have your big moments and every business you have your peaks and your valleys and it, and those peaks, it can look to outsiders like, wow, they did that so fast. It was so easy. But this was a. Journey. So talk to me about that journey. Like what was the biggest hurdle you overcame?
What was the first time where you went from being so excited about this idea to being like, whoa, what am I doing , you know, what have I got
Angie: Ah, well, so by 2016. So let's see. So 2015 was just kind of a. You know, I am a single parent with four children, you
Azhelle: Wow. It's a lot.
Angie: all very nine and under at the time. So I, I was busy. But I was on it. I was moving as fast as I could. Let's, let's just say it that way. And by 2016, I was on my second engineer to, Help me develop a prototype and that there's a lot of little, like I just, things you're researching people that are just not interested in working with you or helping you, just finding pe, the, you know, finding an engineer.
How do you find an engineer, where do you go to do that? You know, those, all those things. And I'm was then, it was 2017 and I was on, I think 2017 was my bad year. 2017 was the worst year I went through engineering firm three and four and still didn't have a prototype. And it, I learned over those years a lot about the manufacturing and how to keep it in a, a price point that would work even for women even for beauty, because I saw this product from the beginning as something that women and children would use, not just as a toy product.
It had to be less than 10 plastic parts. That was something that was important, especially for toy. And you know, you know, everything was being over-engineered and complicated and there's all these little nuances with it need to be simple to load, simple to apply to the hair. And you would think it would, I, I would look at.
I don't know, just something on the news. And I would be like, how, how? Like, we're putting people on the moon, we're we're doing all this incre. What, how can I make this prototype? And I, by the end of 2017, it was after four failures basically, of just creating a, a, a. Viable prototype. I was like, what am I doing?
And why did God choose me? Cause I think this is his first mistake, in that decision. You know, like I'm really, I don't know why he chose me. I was definitely feeling that. And but you know, when I did hit those kind, those moments, I have always remembered something from Arban that I, you know, I gave myself a break.
I gave myself 24 hours to curl up in a ball and cry and, but it was just limited. I was like, okay, you can feel sorry for yourself and have your pity party and you got 24 hours. Just go there, but then that's it. Move on. And that was helpful. And the other thing that was really helpful to keep me going was my relationship with the Lord because I, you know, he gave it to me that I'm sure of.
You know what? I've hit this wall. You're my partner, , you're my partner with this. I'm gonna give it right back to you, and I'm going to go do my other responsibility, which
Azhelle: Right.
Angie: and we'll talk next week. And I did that a couple times. I give it back to him,
Azhelle: Oh, interesting. And then what would you get? Would you get back ideas or, or dreams, or how did it work out?
Angie: I wish I had something really profound to say, but it would always tend to work out.
I have a stronger relationship with him now where I, I really can like kind of tune in and I am pick up on when I feel I hear him versus me and that takes time and maybe a maturity. And so, but then, you know, maybe I was hearing him and thinking it was me, but something would change and it was just kind of just, okay, I'm I'm, I'm letting go and letting God, that was my ma motto during those times, because, You know, I, I don't know what I'm doing.
I still don't exactly know what I'm doing. I don't even have to say exactly, I dunno what I'm doing. So I am just trying, figuring it out. And when I hit the, I just keep doing the same thing. I just keep going back to him. And, you know, I, I wanted, if I had prayed more on this, where this was going today, and I did actually, so it's interesting where this is going.
. I, I, I, there's something, I really, you know, it's like, why do these things happen for you and where, how is this, because I, I myself am like, wow. You know, it's humbling to feel like God is really putting me in some positions that I'm not sure that I'm ready for or wanna wannabe in. And, But it, I also noticed, because I believe in his, my faith in, in him.
And, and I had one of my employees one of my partners, business partners I'll say, or I, she's one of my employees, but she, she was like, wow, these things always seem to happen to you. And the other, my other, the C E O O Liz was like, it's cause she believes, you know,
Azhelle: Oh, that's so
Angie: I love that because that's kind of what it has been for me.
I know he loves me and he wants what's best for me and wherever I am, whatever the outcome is, it's really not about me. It's about what? Hi. Hi. His what he, how he's using me for his purposes, and so I. You know, if it, if the outcome is different, it helps me to get through those rough spots by having some, knowing that this is part of the plan potentially, and I need to embrace it or take a step back and stop trying to control everything , which I tend to do.
Azhelle: Oh, me too. I don't even know how you maintain that level of faith in, I mean, in anything. Like even if somebody say
Angie: don't know how people don't maintain that level of
Azhelle: why do you say that?
Angie: I, I just can't imagine that I would be sitting here talking to you if I didn't have that faith,
Azhelle: And where does it come from? Where do you think?
Angie: hit the struggles and stuff. I just dunno how they hit by, you know? Cuz you can feel really alone in those moments, you
Azhelle: Yeah. How do you not feel alone when there isn't a physical proof of you? Not being alone is, I guess, where, you know what I mean?
Angie: Oh, I've already, I've already had proof
Azhelle: Oh, oh, okay. I see. I see.
Angie: a lot of it is faith. You know, we, we can't be always have it spelled out for us, but if we look for it, I think you'll find it a lot more. I think looking for it being open to the possibility that, you know, there is someone that's in charge and it's not us
Azhelle: Yeah, there's a
Angie: you'll find it more often. You'll get more, you'll get more and more confirmation. But I literally had a miracle happen to me at one point in my journey. And
Azhelle: in the B blinker journey.
Angie: to be baffled. Yeah. And, and
Azhelle: us about that. I wanna know. I
Angie: I know I'll share it with you, but I, I, no one seems to be impressed by it. And I'm like, how can you not be impressed by this?
I dunno. Maybe cuz it was a technical thing and they think, oh, technical glitch. But it happened twice on two different days. It just doesn't make sense. And, okay, so I wrote my story here you can't see it. Langer.
Azhelle: Okay. Oh yeah, you
Angie: I wrote The Journey. Yeah. And I have another book because that was a lot about licensing and it took me through February into that book in February, 2020.
And so much has happened that is just profound and important. I, I wrote the book for entrepreneurs. I wrote the book for other entrepreneurs. To maybe have a roadmap, but I ended up licensing the product right to Wick Cool toys in 2019. And, and that was the right decision at the time. But now I'm jumping ahead.
I'm sorry. Now I have the toy back. We just got it back last month.
Azhelle: Oh really?
Angie: and we're, and I have a team, which that was probably the most terrifying thing I ever did, was hiring someone to actually work for me. , like that was, that was the biggest fear actually I faced in my whole journey, was actually being like in charge of other people and I'm not, you know what I mean?
But it was just the idea of that, that I was gonna, someone was gonna trust me and I was gonna pay them, and they were. Follow me. I don't know,
Azhelle: I know, I, I get
Angie: a lot of responsibility.
Azhelle: get it. I get it.
Angie: you do. Yeah.
Azhelle: Cuz I do that. I I do the same thing. Yeah. Go ahead.
Angie: It's a little like, we just had three new people come on yesterday and I think I almost had like an anxiety attack, attacked my office
I like closed the door and I was like, oh my God, God, what am I doing? And
Azhelle: you're doing amazing. Okay, go tell me. I wouldn't know about this miracle. I'm
Angie: Okay. The miracle. So I, so I was working on my book because I felt like that, my stepmom actually said to me one time, I think, I think the world needs this book to hear this story, to hear about my faith and what kept me blah, blah, blah.
So, I wanted to write the book. I had a, I got a publisher. That was a total amazing thing cuz who gets a publisher before they've written anything. And I, and he was part, he was with Rosetta Books and they were, which was connected to the big publishing house, Simon and Schuster. So, That was pretty incredible.
And he was waiting on me to get him a manuscript. And I remember I had a weekend where I didn't have my kid, my four kids, they were all at different places for whatever reason. And I was like, I'm gonna write my book this weekend. Which is funny if you've never written a book, , it's not
Azhelle: And one weekend, oh my gosh.
Angie: you know, I'm like, I, you know, I have no concept of the time at this point.
The. Necessary to do a book. And so I'm like, I'm gonna get it all out, but I, it was all in my head. I had notes. It wasn't like I was gonna do everything, but I was gonna get it all laid out and everything. And I'm on my second Netflix movie, , staring at my,
Azhelle: The book is not going
Angie: Bible and my laptop
Azhelle: oh my gosh.
Angie: So, and my phone all of a sudden. Just, just, well, it was playing a podcast, but I didn't know that it was basically just started talking. My phone's talking. Some guy on my phone is talking, but it turned out to be a podcast and I was like, great. Just when I was gonna start writing my book, I have to go to the Apple store now and get a new phone.
You know, I'm, of course that was supposed to be a
Azhelle: That's what you're.
Angie: Yeah, of course. I'm like, no, I'm getting an
Azhelle: Oh
Angie: why I didn't get my book
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: my phone broke. So it's playing. I'm tur the sound I don't even think was on, I can't remember. It's in my, it's in my book. But so I'm turning off the sound.
I'm, I'm closing all the windows. I, I'm turning it upside down, like, what's wrong with this thing? Nothing is open and it is playing a full-blown 30 minute podcast on my phone. And so after like, I don't know, five, 10 minutes, I actually start listening to what's being said.
Azhelle: Oh my gosh. I have chills all over my body. I have chills all over my body. I don't even know what's happening, and I'm like already,
Angie: Like you're, I'm, it's actually responded this way. I'm like, this is like, what is going on? So I'm listening and it's this pastor. , and I'm gonna get the two pastors mixed up, but it was this pastor and he's talking and he's talking about something that I was gonna write in my book about how we're all God's children.
But he is saying we're not all God's children until we accept his son.
Azhelle: Oh.
Angie: And I didn't, I thought he created us all, but he, we are not all God. He didn't say that part. Actually, that came later in this Miracle weekend. But I was like, oh my gosh. Well, so to me that if that's not a sign that God's not gonna let me down.
Azhelle: Mm-hmm.
Angie: literally written it wrong in my notes
Azhelle: interesting.
Angie: Uhuh, that's not right. And he corrected it. So I'm like blown away. Right. And then ne I'd been looking for a new church to go to cuz we'd moved.
Azhelle: Yeah.
Yeah.
Angie: Like the year before, and I've gone to a couple places. So the next day I rush out the door.
I go to church and I'm talking to this gentleman who opened the door for me, and I said, and I, I don't know that this hasn't happened to everyone in America, right? Like everyone's had a podcast play on their phone. So I was like yeah. He was asking me, Hey, you've been here before? And I said, yeah, a couple times.
I just wanted to come in today. I had something really interesting happen to me yesterday and He was like, oh, that's great. And then I said, did anything interesting happen to you, ? He's like, no, like, and I was like, your phone didn't play anything yesterday or anything. Like, he's like stepping away from me and I'm like, moving closer, like some crazy loon.
And he's like, no. And then I said, oh, okay. I said, well, do you wanna hear what the message was that played on my phone? And I was like, Angie shot off this guy. He's like, thinking you're nuts. Like stop talking to him. And he said, sure,
Azhelle: He's like, I guess,
Angie: And then he, I told him and he said, oh, well that's what today's sermon is about.
Azhelle: oh, really?
Angie: Yeah.
Azhelle: Stop. That's so weird.
Angie: I almost knocked him over. I was like, yeah, who's the crazy one now?
Azhelle: That's so weird that you were even compelled to say that to him too,
Angie: Right,
Azhelle: to talk about it. That is weird.
Angie: Yeah. And so go in, hear it. And what I learned in that is that he, he created a saw, but until we accept his son, we're. It's kind of like the lines of communication aren't fully there for us. And that's how it was also portrayed in during that. It was like, if, if you're running towards the president of the United States, you know you're gonna get tackled or shot or something, you know?
But if you're, if you're the president's child, you're gonna be let through. So, and I thought that was a, a very interesting analogy. And then I went home that afternoon and I am literally ready to like just, you know, I don't know, just, just go out there and be a light for everyone and others and, and then my phone played again and outta nowhere.
I was in the kitchen, it was on the coffee table and it played another podcast. And, and it was interesting. It was about end of times
Azhelle: A different
Angie: It was a different pastor, a different podcast. None of these guys had ever been downloaded. I didn't even listen to podcasts that much back then,
Azhelle: gosh. I'm creeped
Angie: more now.
Yeah, right. So, and I think that, I liked, I don't wanna freak anybody out with the end of times thing, but I think for me, for
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: was, it's important. This is important. It's, it's significant. That was, Okay. Wait, don't fool around with this one.
Azhelle: And what, like what made you feel like the, and I'm guessing this one, was this bling, this B blinker concept that you were working on. Is that what you were referring it to?
Angie: well,
Azhelle: Like what
Angie: no, I mean it was how, like, how did that It was just mainly something that I, I was writing the book about Blingier
Azhelle: Oh, the book.
Angie: and that that was something I was gonna share in the book. Like just a
Azhelle: This is an important message.
Angie: Right. This was something in my notes. I had read it because I thought it was, I, I was proud of what I had written and I had shared it with my daughter and a friend of mine, and because I thought it was well written, you know, because I've never written a book before.
I don't even know if I'm got that right. So it was something I had just shared too, like, I don't know, a week or two before. So it was us. It was gonna be something I was gonna write about in my book. That was the weekend I was writing my book and then I got the message,
Azhelle: Got you.
Angie: is wrong. And I think for me it's more about that he's not gonna let you down, make him your business partner you know, tap into that.
That, you know, when you accept Jesus into your life, you, he becomes a part of who you are. And you know, that's throughout the Bible it says that. So, you know, he, you know, he who is in you is greater than He who is in the world. And that's powerful because you know, nothing's impossible for God and. You know, when you've got that going on in your head and in your heart and you're connected, connecting with that, you know as much as you can with our busy lives, you will see, I, you can't help but see a, a real, like interesting, interesting, you know, things happening around you and just paying attention to those things and listening and start, you know, really trying to grow in.
In those spaces and
Azhelle: Hm.
Angie: and, and being okay with slowing down, which is a hard one for me cuz I'm just like ready to do everything yesterday and I, if it's not done, you know, so being able to take he slows me down. Like to, to like, okay, what, and, and also keeping priorities when you're trying to build something like lingerer.
You can get all of your priorities way out of whack. You know, and, you know, that's, and that, you know, that is another thing that I'd like to share with entrepreneurs. You know, it's, it's not the end of the world. We're gonna be outta whack. That is gonna happen as long as it's not, again, going back to you're letting it go on for years.
That way, you know, you, you, you, temporary times of. Is fine. And that I just wanna reassure people. Yes, that's fine. I mean, six months max, you know, to me. And then it needs to, the priorities need to be realigned the way they should be in your life because you can, that, you know, that's just a, a form of obsession and it can, you know, be more damaging if that's all your focus is on what your.
Trying to accomplish with, you know, your product or your service or whatever your invention or idea is. You wanna keep balance
Azhelle: what is your like overall mission and focus for B Blinker? As an example, if, if people are listening, they're like, I don't really know what the focus of my product is, or the purpose of my business is.
Angie: Well, our motto is to brighten lives and.
Azhelle: Oh, I love that.
Angie: You know, and if that's through sharing my story or if it's through the product itself, that's fine. You know, either one. And you know, I was talking to this amazing friend of mine, Beth Copeland, she's in Georgia, and I. . I said, you know, I'm writing my next book because I need to, because now I'm actually fulfilling product.
It's not being fulfilled for me by some toy company. I'm the
Azhelle: Yeah, right.
Angie: and, and we did it. We've already done two packages here
Azhelle: Love it.
Angie: there. There's so many issues with both of them, not the product, just how we package them and the shipping costs, and we've already messed up, but it's good, right? This is how we learn.
It's fine, you know, and then this is our women's product, by the way. We launched a women's,
Azhelle: Oh, cool.
Angie: that comes with crystals. Anyhow but I was talking to my friend Beth, and I told, I was telling her about the first couple lines of my next book and about oh, I can, I can't really share them on here, but it was basically about I want people to see this story and this journey.
You know, generations from now, if that's something has nothing because
Azhelle: do you.
Angie: It's happening all around us with everyone that everyone can have. The seemingly impossible, you know how many times I heard impossible , you know that it can happen. Like if they have an idea, like I just want them to be confident and go for it.
Like you can't mess it up really. I mean, I guess you could, but just keep going. You know? You're gonna mess it up and that's not the point. The point is that, Going for something that you believe in, and especially if you align it with what you, what you believe is his purposes for your life. You can't, it's not gonna, it's gonna go where it needs to go and it's gonna do everything it needs to do and it's gonna be really powerful.
So I really want this, my story to be nothing. It's just like, oh yeah,
Azhelle: Like of course. Like that's like the normal, yeah.
Angie: that now
Azhelle: Oh,
Angie: know, that's, that would be something I was sharing with her. That's
Azhelle: That's a very humble take. That's like a really humble take. Like I don't think most people build their businesses thinking, I can't wait for somebody for this to be not a big deal in the future. Right. That's cra like nobody does that. Nobody does that. That's interesting. Like people are always building their businesses or even working in their careers thinking, I wanna be the best, I wanna be remembered, I wanna be renowned.
And of course we all want those things, but to
Angie: I wanna be remembered as nothing
Azhelle: Or remembered as the beginning of something that is now so much bigger, you know, that's like, now I don't know. That's really honorable, I think.
Angie: like, thank you. Wow. I, I, I, I think if there is something to that, I get that and, but I, for me it's just like, how cool would that be? That would be great.
Azhelle: So
Angie: lot of, we're all walking around with broken lives and.
Azhelle: yeah.
Angie: Just struggles. And I want people, I really do want this to be a light for others.
That this is true, this is real, this can happen for them. That, and, and it doesn't have to be invent a toy. You know, like that, that part of my journey doesn't make sense at all.
Azhelle: yeah. Well, I, I, I wanna highlight.
Angie: sense to me.
Azhelle: I wanna highlight a couple things. So we know about when you came up with the idea and how you were faith led into doing that. But then I know some of your struggles, but I want you to share at least one of the biggest ones where you were maybe financially at a point where you're like, I can't do this anymore.
And then I wanna highlight when you got your amazing deal and what that year felt like and today. So, so what was that moment where you. financially. Like I don't know if I can keep doing this, even though I know it's gonna be an amazing thing. I believe God wants me to do this and that He knows it will be an amazing thing, but financially, how am I gonna make that happen?
Like, what was that time for
Angie: Yeah. Yeah. Well I think an obvious one for me cuz there were many times where I felt that way. The biggest one?
Okay. The biggest one was I had just finally made a, a, a, a prototype that was similar to what BLING is today,
Azhelle: Okay.
Angie: it, it was my fifth engineering firm in
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: since my dream. And yeah, and that's the other thing, you just gotta keep going.
And that's what God did for me. I never thought about quitting, not once after failure, failure, failure, failure, like keep going. I just kept going. So we finally had the prototype and. I was maxed out in debt. No one wanted to invest . That's a funny whole thing. And of course my savings was gone with the first engineering firm and, but I had equity in my home.
I had bought it in a foreclosure situation after my divorce. So I got all four of my kids together and they had been on, on this journey with me four years, hearing me talk about this product for four years and
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: most, you know, nine and 11 year olds don't hear. And and I got them all in the kitchen.
And we loved our house cuz it was like, it was such a great house and it was just, I could afford it, you know, with my Irvine income. And we were just like happy to be in that house. And I mean, at time it was our dream house, so I knew what I was asking them, but I got 'em all in the kitchen and I said, guys, what if we sell the house?
And we'll just, you know, I'll build the tool myself in China, you know, and or manufacture it myself in China and we'll just rent an apartment for a year or two. What do you think? ? And my oldest, she just, she, they all just stared at me. I don't think they really knew what I was asking. . And then my oldest said, you.
You gotta do it mom. And I
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: And that was all I needed was for, you know, someone to say yes, Oh, said yes. Too late. We're doing it.
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: the house and half of our belongings and we rented a town home and I built a tool with a manufacturer in China over the summer and I took it to Toy Fair.
October, I went to the Jumping Ahead and I went to the Toy Fair and the Women in Toys event in October that year. And every, we, that's a whole great story of what happened that day, especially with Mary Kay and women in toys. Cuz that was there, that's an amazing group that I can't say enough good things about.
And everybody, it looked like overnight success,
Azhelle: this was
Angie: and. 18. This was, this was the year before we actually like exploded. We, because we
Azhelle: what happened in that? Yeah, what happened in that 2019? The Women in Toys Empowerment event.
Angie: well, so I went in 2018, I went to that event. I, I got a booth. I got a booth at Toy Fair, and I went to their Women in Toys event that they have the day before the show Every. I think they're doing that. And I pitched, I went to pitch Walmart. That was my, I thought I wanna, this toy and my product had arrived to my hotel room from China by FedEx two days before the show.
Azhelle: Wow.
Angie: I was really jumping down that FedEx guy and so I. Had like my first hundred in packaging, manuf really manufactured product. And, and you don't have to do that for women in toys. You don't have to take a fi fi finished product. But I didn't know. And I went there and I ended up pitching two toy companies before my Walmart pitch because I wanted to practice
My pitch, I, I wasn't interested in licensing yet because I was gonna be the manufacturer, right.
Azhelle: Right
Angie: But both of those companies offered me, it was confusing. I was like, I, I, I, I, I, I'm really not. That's what , I'm just like, I'm just gonna clear this up right now. I was like, what are they talking about? Why are they offering me this and this?
I was like, I don't even know why I'm, I'm just practicing, you know, in my mind I'm
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: second one I was kind of picking up on, okay, you've got something they want and I'm getting that. But, you know, I didn't wanna hurt their feelings and say, I'm, I'm, I'm not gonna license it. You know, because like, why would I have scheduled the appointment?
So I kind of felt like deceitful
Azhelle: Yeah,
Angie: and you know, so, But I listened to them and of course I fell in love with Michael Rensler and Jeremy Pater. They're just, just great guys that I actually ended up licensing it too. But then I pitched Walmart and they, they, they, like, they liked it and they were gonna come by my booth.
So I considered that a win, you know, cuz Walmart's gonna keep it kind of close to the vest. And I, so I didn't expect them to give me a purchase order or anything, you know, but it was just that they would come by my booth later to see more about it, I thought. A win right there. And then that night, Mary Kay came up to me, and this is what Ashley put me in my opinion, on the map of if the map of the toy floor was what, what she did.
She came up to me and she said, would you bling my hair?
Azhelle: Are you serious? Oh.
Angie: my hair and then I had packages of bling that were in packaging. But I was. Sure. And so, I was blinging her hair and I saw these two women watching me bling her hair. And, you know, I didn't wanna be rude, but I didn't wanna be like full of myself or something.
And that so, I was like, I'll just ask 'em if they want it. And so I said, would you like your hair blinged? And two words, this is when the moment that I knew it, I had something people wanted or at least women would like. The two, the response was, would you
For me, would you Was like, okay.
This is, this is big
Azhelle: wow.
Angie: you know, we're, we're so like, no, it's ok. No thank you. It's ok. Thank you. Anyway, even when we went something, you know, and maybe not so much anymore, but that's kind of the
Azhelle: No, I agree.
Angie: Yeah. Or like we're carrying in all the groceries. No, I don't need any
Azhelle: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I got it. Yeah.
Angie: yeah. And so when they said, would you, I was like yes, I
would.
Azhelle: Yeah. I'll come. Bring your hair right now.
Angie: yes. Yes. And I'm like tearing open my packages that are supposed to be my booth and day, and I'm like, flinging. And I ended up flinging like 30 women's hair
Azhelle: Are you serious? So then everybody was just walking advertisements for your product.
Angie: Yeah. Yeah. They were just all, they all, and then every, you know, other people be like, what's that in your hair? Where did that come from? And how'd you do that? And they were like, that
Azhelle: Wow.
Angie: Alinger lady, you know? So when we came, when I came downstairs for their cocktail reception, That night, all, all these people were like pointing at me.
When I came around the corner.
Azhelle: Wow.
Angie: I'm like, who came in? Who was I pointing at? And, and then it was like, I need to talk to you and excuse me, I need to talk to you. And I was like, oh
Azhelle: Are you serious?
Angie: it was. Crazy. It was like exciting, but it was also a little scary, like whoa. And no, it was
Azhelle: Wow.
Angie: But it did look like overnight success then, because then the next day it was kind of that same kind of like frenzy or something and energy. It was really cool.
Azhelle: So anyone that wants to learn about this,
Angie: ending to all the, you know,
Azhelle: Anyone that wants to learn about this event, women In Toys, episode 99 of this podcast, the toy coach.com/one/ 99 is where I I talk about that event. Yeah, it's a great event, but I, you know, I hadn't heard your wit Empowerment Day story, so I love hearing it and the importance of having merch people actually wanna wear, or a product that can change people visually, like, ah, that made everything.
Angie: Yeah. Yeah, it was incredible and it was just like, it was just amazing. There's so many cool things that
Azhelle: You disrupted like a corporate event that's like, everyone's like, all right, like blah, a corporate event and you just made it
Angie: thing that I, and they couldn't believe I manufactured it. You know, that
Azhelle: Yeah.
Angie: but that it's literally not necessary. I really wanna stress that point because,
Azhelle: I mean,
Angie: be, you gotta be a little careful with manufacturing with China. I love China. I've had great
Azhelle: Yeah.
Angie: relationships there. But, you know, just, you gotta make, make that timing right for your company, but, you know, so you, it's not necessary. I could have gone there with my prototype and I could have not sold the house
Azhelle: I mean, but let's talk about that. You signed this deal with Wicked Cool Toys and like how quickly were you back? Positive
Angie: Oh, well it was interesting because
Azhelle: You're like, I'm still not. No. Okay.
Angie: back positive pretty quick
Azhelle: Oh my gosh.
Angie: And that was because of just the love and the push of wicked cool toys. They were all about it. They went all in on the product and they liked me. I liked them. I mean, we, we were just running with it and it was really fun and, and you know, they were doing all the work.
I was just, Really that happened and oh my gosh, that happened. That's so cool. You know, it was like Germany wants to make your product Toy of the year and they only usually like wooden trains and stuff, you know? It was like, oh my God, it's incredible. You know, stuff like that was happening and Costco did like this huge order that they never do that they nor that, and especially with a brand new product that no one's heard of.
And
Azhelle: because it's so de demonstrable. Is that the right, you can demonstrate it
Angie: That's exact. Yeah, that's what we say all the time. Exactly. Like I, I'll tell people even today about my product and they, you know, most likely possibly have never even heard of it. And they're like, oh, that's neat. And then I'll get it out and I'll be like, I'll be like, okay, let me just show you and I'll,
Azhelle: oh. It's amazing.
Angie: and I'll do this.
And they're like, you know, then they get it, you know, so it's like, ok. Yeah, it's totally
Azhelle: my gosh. And like, look at the transformation right there on the right, on the, oh, your left side. It looks.
Angie: Oh,
Azhelle: It's
Angie: get, I'm confused with
Azhelle: Oh yeah. I don't know. We're flipped, but whatever. Yeah. Yeah. It's like instantly she's ready for the red carpet. She's ready for, for prom, whatever. She's going.
Angie: Whichever way I turned my
Azhelle: Oh my gosh, it's amazing.
So, so yeah. So you're, you're now, you're, you're licensed after you thought you were gonna go the entrepreneur route, but now today you have the product back. Why, why did you decide to be the manufacturer? Why didn't you keep licensing? Is it? Yeah. wanna lead the witness,
Angie: lead me. Lead me wherever,
Azhelle: Well cause like I'm thinking it might be because in the toy industry we're very like trend. So it's like hot toy for a year or two, and then we're like, we want the next thing. So if you license something and somebody's holding onto it for three years, likely what's happening is it's just becoming like an everyday item for them.
Yeah. And they're not gonna push it like it's a brand new item every year cuz they're like, they're going to the next thing. So that might be why, but I don't know.
Angie: I, I would say that's not it this time, but it could be like, what do I know, , but cause I'm not, I wasn't involved but WICO Cool Toys was acquired by literally a year to the day that I met Michael and Jeremy. They were acquired by another toy
Azhelle: Jazz Wears, right? Yeah.
Angie: Yeah. And I just don't, you know, I, funny enough, after I'd been successful at the Women in Toy Event with the first two pitches and then Walmart, I mean, I was becoming like a little buzz, right?
So one of the ladies, I think it was Pat with women toys, came over and said, do you wanna pitch some other companies? And so I ended up pitching Jazz Wears and
Azhelle: Oh.
Angie: that lady said to me, this is not a fit for us. But it may be for, you know,
Azhelle: Oh
Angie: was really dice, but, so this is probably not a fit for us.
And that was the company that acquired iCal toys.
Azhelle: yes. And now I think they got acquired by like a, or not acquired, but something, or owned by an investment group or something. Yeah, there's something.
Angie: really?
Azhelle: Yeah. Some.
Angie: Yeah. And it's just they, you know, so, but I so there was, and then, you know, 20, with 2020 with Covid and stuff, I did see some things, you know, not many people wanna bling their hair and sit on
Um,
Azhelle: Right.
Right. No one's going out, right?
Angie: Yeah, so that kind of made sense. But 2021
Azhelle: oh
Angie: I, I kind of expected more of a revival in 2021, but it was really this last year that. I saw some things happening, but I also saw less interest from, you know, the toy company for whatever reason, you know, and so I started pushing like, and, and they had I, they had mentioned to me that they were probably gonna give me back the license because it wasn't Jazz's thing.
And, you know, I hope this is okay to share some of this. And, and, but this summer we had, it was just the craziest summer. I had like, it was every other weekend. It was every weekend for like four weeks in a row. These amazing things were happening with the product and there was no product available on Amazon Ex.
The only product available was our infr. Or
Azhelle: Oh, no.
Angie: It was like literally I was crying.
Azhelle: So now you're like, I, that's what I get it. So you're like, people are still
Angie: I started pushing like, Hey, let's, let's do this sooner than later. And I was really pushing and. I I really appreciate that they did give it back, because if they're not, you know, they could have held onto it technically.
They could have held onto it and just thrown me a bone
Azhelle: yeah, yeah, yeah.
Angie: and and they, so they did the right thing and I appreciate that. And I, you know, that shows a lot of integrity on their part and. because they didn't have to. And so we got it back and we were more than excited to have it back. And in the meantime, I had launched the women's line because I, I felt like I wasn't done, if you will.
And that was, you know, necessarily. It was God, but I knew I wasn't done with the plan. And thankfully I did that because then when it was really looking like I was getting it
Azhelle: Oh, you actually had the system set up and the team and you were ready?
Angie: point of, yeah, point you know, SOPs and the, the people and, and getting the right people was kind of like the whole, getting the right engineering firm, you know, you kind of gotta
Azhelle: Oh.
Angie: right people.
And that's hard, you know, like I said, that was my biggest challenge was the end of 2020. Yeah, no, end of 2021. I, I, there was a pivotal moment where it was like, are you going to do this? Or are you gonna just literally let it fall apart? Be,
Azhelle: Don't. Yeah, I'm glad
Angie: that way I could keep doing it myself, all by myself. I had to step out and bring, you know, bring people into my home basically.
And trust people and trust that I could be a leader to others. And then I could be myself as a leader, you know? And I'll have to be some hard-nosed, something that we think
Azhelle: Or is a leader? Yes. Well, okay.
Angie: you know what I mean by that? Yeah.
Azhelle: We do have to wrap up today, but I want.
Angie: yes. Okay.
Azhelle: ask you the final three questions, and I'm gonna tweak one of the last questions specifically for you. So what would be some advice that you would give to somebody who is trying to become a leader or is like where you are, like where you were, I guess a few months ago, trying to step into that leader role?
Feel confident about it, hiring the right team, like advice around being a leader in your own, in your own business.
Angie: Hmm. Okay. Well, I just, basically what I said, you've got, you kind, you have to be yourself. And you are gonna have to let things go because no one's perfect. You're not perfect. And I think communicating that communication is king here. Me communicate and communicate and communicate. And we still have miscommunication.
So communication is like, we just keep communicating. It's like, okay, well I told you that six times. And they're like, are you sure? You told me, you know. Maybe not, maybe not , you know, and, and you gotta have a sense of humor because no, like I said, no one's perfect. You can't expect perfection from anyone. I mean, unless you expect it from yourself, which I kinda do, but
Azhelle: I Me too.
Angie: right?
It's like, okay, but I can't expect that from other people because it's just not realistic. And when you get the right people, you'll know because, You don't really have to tell them much what to do. They know what to do, and they're working and, and you, and you see the, the momentum and the change in that when you've.
When you've got the wrong people, I'd say you, you'll, you'll feel that, you'll see that. You'll be like, it's just not clicking. And that's okay. Just keep, just keep going. You'll, you, the right people will come if you just keep doing the next right thing. You know, we've heard that before. Just keep, do the next right thing, the next right thing for your business, and maybe you are gonna still be kind of the only one moving it forward.
That's my advice for that. And just be yourself and communicate
Azhelle: For entrepreneurs listening, how did you know when it was time to go from like contractors to hiring full-time employees?
Angie: When you're drowning and you've already been working 24 7 and your kids are like starving.
Azhelle: Oh my God. That's hilarious. All right. Oh, I, I got some . I got some students and clients who don't
Angie: When was the last time you bathed? You know, those kinds of questions start happening. You're in, hire something. You need help
Azhelle: Okay. I've got some people they don't need to hire yet. I've some students and clients, they're not, they don't need it yet. They're, they're still bathing, so not yet . Okay. Maybe just contractors for, no. Oh my gosh, that's, that's great advice. Okay. My final.
Angie: 20 people and we only need like three. You know, that was
Azhelle: Yeah, like three really good people, right? Like you might think 20 people to do individual tasks when actually I just need like three really good people that
Angie: Two or three really good people and yeah, so.
Azhelle: So my final and favorite question is this. What toy blew your mind as a kid?
Angie: Aw. It, I thought, I was like, oh, I don't know that. Well, I loved, I played with Barbie. My whole childhood, like I love Barbie and acting that out. But I think the toy that I just love the most, and it didn't necessarily blow my mind, was this little stuffed gorilla. I was like this big, and he was cream colored and he was my buddy.
I slept with him every night and that was my favorite toy. So
Azhelle: Oh, what does the stuff gorilla?
Angie: Yeah.
Azhelle: sweet. Angie. It was a pleasure talking to you and getting to know your story. You've inspired me. I had chills several times. got a like, so
Angie: by the way. I
Azhelle: You did. I was like, wow. This is a real story. This is beautiful. Thank you for the blingier that you sent, the bling that your team sent over.
I feel beautiful. So
Angie: I can't believe it's you. I can't
Azhelle: I know.
Angie: trying to arrange this. It was you,
Azhelle: Oh yeah. I didn't re my husband.
Angie: remember you were like, we'll talk again. And I was like, okay, let's do it.
Azhelle: I'm such a weird,
Angie: you, no.
You were just, you were, you were just
Azhelle: passionate
Angie: and inter passionate. Yes.
Azhelle: Yeah. I thought I sc I remember thinking like I told my then boyfriend, now husband. I was like, I think she's afraid of me. I think I scared her away. . I was like, I was really
Angie: a lot. Yeah. That's
Azhelle: I was so hyped.
Angie: lot to scare me. You can't scare me,
Azhelle: And he, when I told him I was interviewing you, he was like, oh my gosh, this is years in the making.
I was like, yes, yes. Yeah. He was so excited.
Angie: know. It's
Azhelle: yeah, this was great. Thank you so
Angie: by the
Azhelle: Yes, we will. I will reach out. Thank you.
Angie: too,
Azhelle: We will. We will. I hope you have a great rest of your day, Angie. Good luck with your team. Wishing you all the best. Thanks for the B. The bling in the blingier. Okay,
Angie: Azhelle. Yes, you're
Azhelle: Bye
Angie: We love you. Bye. Thank.
Azhelle: Well, there you have it, toy people. My interview with Angie sell the founder and creator of Blingier. I hope that this interview inspired you to keep going on your dreams. Angie started her journey with bling nine years ago, and it took about three to four years for it to really kick off when she attended the Women and Toys Empowerment Day.
Now that. In-person event, and Angie was able to make a splash with her product because of the visual change it did to people's hair. And luckily the people at the event were welcome to a playful product decorating their hair at the show. So if you want to learn more about bling, I want you to head over to.
Instagram, go to Binger Kids, and on Facebook you can check out Binger Kids as well. You can also head over to bling.com to learn more about blinging, what's available for kids, what's available for adults. They've got the official gemstones version for women as well. And again, Angie, if you're listening to the recording version of this episode, I just wanna give you a huge thanks for being my guest today.
It was a great conversation. I loved that we got to dive into faith, which is something that we have not touched on upon this podcast. And I have to say during the hard times of being an entrepreneur, having a strong faith is definitely something that can keep you going. So thank you for bringing up that topic today.
Now if you love this podcast and you haven't already left a review, what are you waiting for? Your reviews mean so much to me. I get a notification on my phone every time a new one comes up, and it keeps me coming back week after week to provide toy industry tips through solo episodes and interview episodes like this one.
As always, thank you so much for being with me here today. I know there are a ton of podcasts out there, so it truly means the world to me. The J. Tune into this one. Until next week, I'll see you later. Toy people.
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