If someone tells you to close your eyes and picture a red wagon, the first thing that pops into your mind is probably the classic Radio Flyer red wagon. In this week’s episode of Making It In The Toy Industry, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Robert Pasin, the Chief Wagon Officer of Radio Flyer.

We dove into the origin story and transformation of the iconic toy company. From nostalgic red wagons to innovative new products, Robert shares the challenges, lessons, and successes that have shaped Radio Flyer into the beloved brand it is today. Radio Flyer has humble beginnings as a family business. In our chat, Robert recounts the story of his grandfather, Antonio Pasin, who immigrated to America and started the company in 1917. Robert even reveals the true inspiration behind the name “Radio Flyer” and what the brand might have been called if it was born in another time. We discuss a pivotal period when Radio Flyer faced an existential crisis. Robert shares the challenges they encountered and how they navigated through a changing market.

If you are working on a brand that is in need of a customer-focused refresh, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. So grab your earbuds and listen in!

In this episode of "Making It in The Toy Industry" podcast, host Azhelle Wade aka The Toy Coach interviews Dr. Amanda Gummer, a research psychologist and founder of Good Play Guide, a service that provides independent product evaluations and accreditations for children's toys and games. Azhelle asks Dr. Gummer, about her work and the importance of evaluating toys for children's development. Dr. Gummer talks about her passion for helping people make good toys for kids and raising standards within the industry. She also shares details about Good Play Guide's accreditation program and how it helps prevent products that could damage a brand's reputation.

The conversation talks about the Toy Associations new STEAM accreditation, established in 2021 and details how it follows the same principles as the Good Play Guide. The Toy Coach and Dr. Gummer discuss the value of having an independent, research-based evaluation program for toys and games that involves children in the testing process. Dr. Gummer shares some of the most recent Good Play Guide award winners, as well as construction toys that are becoming more environmentally friendly.

Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into the importance of independent toy evaluations and how they can help the industry create better products for children's educational development.

Did you know that you can turn everyday experiences into great toy ideas? Today’s podcast guest noticed that her toddler loved to play with pretend food toys. However, she saw that the food toys on the market didn’t represent what was popular in Hawai’i, where she lives. So, she created a toy company that started with Hawai’ian food toy sets and has now branched out with toys that represent other cuisines found in Hawai’i like Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese.

April Hail has lived in Hawai’i for between 20 and 30 years of her life. There, she started Keiki KauKau, after being inspired by her kids’ play patterns and the popular foods in Hawai’i. April shares about the struggles of being a parent and being an entrepreneur who is running a small one-person company. Her kids inspired her to create the business, but she also seeks to have balance so she can spend plenty of time with them. You’ll also learn about the unique struggles of importing from China to Hawai’i while also selling to the mainland US, which shipping platform you may want to try to save money, and advice on how to market a niche toy.

Think of a time when you were shopping for a product but couldn’t find quite what you were looking for. You probably thought of a great way to improve that product at that moment. But, maybe you wondered if you could really do everything that goes into creating a successful toy. Keep listening to learn the inspiring story of someone who did just that. Josh White is an award-winning innovator who combines multiple facets of design, manufacturing, branding, and marketing at his creative agency, OffWhite Co. He created a line of kid-friendly measuring tapes called Handy Famm after a dissatisfying trip to the hardware store with his daughter. In today’s episode, you will learn how sticking with the “box” of what you know can actually help you to get started with your ideas. You’ll also learn how Josh’s product is toyetic, the importance of safety in toy design, and how Josh deals with challenges that come his way.

With AI-Powered Chat GPT, generating toy and game ideas has never been easier. If you are in the process of developing a toy or a game but are stuck in the concept phase, this week’s episode is one you cannot afford to miss. AI-Powered Chat GPT can generate “creative” toy & game ideas quickly and easily - and all you need to get started is a single sentence. Chat GPT was released in November of 2022, and is known for its ability to code, write stories, and even music. But today we’re giving this clever chatbot a new challenge…to come up with a concept for a toy or game. Curious to know how it did? I bet you’ll be shocked by the results.

I bet that YOU can generate a high resolution concept image of your toy idea for free, and in seconds. The use of AI art exploded in recent months, with the search term “AI art” spiking in the US this past December. The breakout AI tools have been Midjourney, Lensa, and DALL-E. Since then, there has been considerable and understandable backlash against AI art from real human artists across the globe. In this episode we explore three things, 1) how AI can help the development process of your toy or game, 2) why some artists are frustrated by the growing popularity of ai art, and 3) what legal ramifications using art generated by AI could pose.

In December of 2022, The Toy Coach Team ventured out to the windy city to set up a live podcast recording booth at Chicago Toy and Game Week, also known as CHITAG by Mary Couzin and People of Play. This annual, public toy and game fair is where toy and game brands connect with the consumers who love their products, debut new lines, and marketing activations. During this 2 day fair, I interviewed 10 toy and game creators during this fair to learn about their toy journeys and ask them to share any toy biz wisdom they’d gathered along the way. This is Part 3 of a 3 part interview release series featuring my interviews with the founder of Tragos Carolina Acosta, who created the games company that works to remove the stigma of not being Latino enough" through cards that almost any Latin@ can identify with regardless of how much Spanish they speak or where they were born. After that, we'll go right into an interview with Fungisaurs a true augmented reality collectible toy and IP. And finally, we'll wrap up today's episode with Mary Kay Morrison, the author of the grandparent guidebook, Legacy of Laughter.

In December of 2022, The Toy Coach Team ventured out to the windy city to set up a live podcast recording booth at Chicago Toy and Game Week, also known as CHITAG by Mary Couzin and People of Play. This annual, public toy and game fair is where toy and game brands connect with the consumers who love their products, debut new lines, and marketing activations. During this 2 day fair, I interviewed 10 toy and game creators during this fair to learn about their toy journeys and ask them to share any toy biz wisdom they’d gathered along the way. This is Part 2 of a 3 part interview release series featuring my interviews with Kate Hunt, a current student in toy creators academy and the creator of the Ultimate Treehouse game. After that, we'll go right into an interview with Joe Barron Gray Matters games,  the games company with a devotion to supporting brain health. In short, they believe that exercising the gray matter in your head…matters! And finally, we'll wrap up today's episode with Rebecca Jatton of Goliath Toys and Games.

In December of 2022, The Toy Coach Team ventured out to the windy city to set up a live podcast recording booth at Chicago Toy and Game Week, also known as CHITAG by Mary Couzin and People of Play. This annual, public toy and game fair is where toy and game brands connect with the consumers who love their products, debut new lines, and marketing activations. During this 2 day fair, I interviewed 10 toy and game creators during this fair to learn about their toy journeys and ask them to share any toy biz wisdom they’d gathered along the way. This is Part 1 of a 3 part interview release series featuring my interviews with Dolphin Hat Games, Eblox, Pockimals, and Project Genius.

Have you ever had an idea for a character that you could envision becoming a globally recognized brand? Today, one of the important ingredients to building a licensable brand is authenticity. Building an authentic toy and entertainment brand means that you’ve got to be crystal clear about the reason WHY you created that brand in the first place. You’ve got to dedicate your time and energy to growing AND supporting your community, and meanwhile you’ve got to make sure the whole world knows it’s happening. That’s the topic that we dive into during today’s podcast episode. Our guest today is April Showers, the founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn. This uplifting brand includes unicorn themed clothing, accessories, toys, and more, that feature a diverse array of unicorns with afros and different skin tones. Afro Unicorn products are available at Walmart and Target, this brand has been shared and supported by Gayle King, Viola Davis, and Tiffany Haddish. April supports fellow entrepreneurs to “live the dream!” providing free promotional and educational opportunities through her social platforms, called Small Business Saturday.

It is a myth that toys are shallow or don’t make an impact on kids. Today’s guest was inspired to leave a tenured position as the top professor in her field to create a meaningful line of dolls. Dr. Lisa Williams started off her career as the first black person to receive a doctorate in logistics from The Ohio State University. While working as a professor, she saw a little girl interviewed in a study about dolls and race that changed her life forever. After seeing the interview, Dr. Lisa Williams was inspired to create a line of racially diverse dolls with custom-blended skin tones. Today, her brands The Fresh Dolls, The Fresh Squad, Positively Perfect, and the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dolls, are featured in Wal-Mart, Target, Macy’s and more. In today’s episode, you will learn which role models inspired Dr. Lisa Williams, the unique way she created the custom skin tones for her dolls, how she found her way in the toy industry with a background in academia, and more.

Kids play with a lot of toys so it only makes sense that they would come up with some incredible toy ideas. Mia Monzideliz came up with the idea for the Power Pony at only 5 years old. Now, at 11 years old, she is bringing her insights as a seasoned kid-preneur to today’s episode. The idea was born when she got the idea to put a large stuffed pony on a hoverboard. Now the Power Pony is a successful product that is only available on the company’s website. With the help of her parents, Mia created the business from the ground up, helping with every aspect of toy development. In today’s episode you will learn all about her perspective as a young entrepreneur, and her wise advice for anyone in the toy industry.

Have you been considering joining Toy Creators Academy to develop your toy or game idea? Do you still have a few questions about how the program works, when it starts, or what it covers? This episode is perfect for you! In today’s podcast episode, The Toy Coach addresses the most frequently asked questions about this 12 week group coaching program. Toy Creators Academy is the only toy education and implementation program of its kind that not only shows you how to fully develop your toy or game idea like a pro — but also how to properly pitch that idea to buyers and toy companies. Are you ready to bring your toy and game ideas to life? Make it happen with the guidance and support provided by Toy Creators Academy.

Today’s podcast episode was inspired by several conversations I’ve had with my biz besties around health and mindfulness, as well as conversations with my colleagues in the toy industry. This is the exploration of a growing category in the toy industry called Comfort & Wellness. These toys are marketed to make us feel better, sleep better, and even think better…but overall the consistent theme of Comfort & Wellness toys is to reduce our anxiety.

Toyspiration can come from anywhere. It can come from a song, a play, a theatrical release or even the world of fashion. In this podcast episode, The Toy Coach dives deep to share a creative process with an unusual source of inspiration. If you’re currently struggling with designing a package for your toy or game idea, this is the episode for you. Or, if you have a toy or game brand with the packaging you’ve been meaning to refresh, make sure you give this episode a listen!

In this episode, you’ll learn how to look at sources of inspiration in a way that helps you add your own creative twist instead of copying what’s already been done before. Discover why it’s better to come up with ideas without focusing too much on what already exists in your toy category. By the end of this episode, you’ll have all the tools you need to spark unique inspiration in a matter of minutes!

Being a toy inventor or entrepreneur doesn’t have to be a solo project. Working with a partner can help you to think outside of the box. Today’s guests met in a Facebook group and even though they haven’t met in person yet, they have created quite the toy industry “bromance.” Jeff Lawber is a toy inventor and the founder and creator of Marmals, a line of beautifully designed magnetic toys. Alan Henry is a 2021 product design graduate and a freelance toy designer. He is also a volunteer toy designer at Marmals. They started collaborating and developed an organic mentorship that benefited both of them. In today’s episode you’ll learn how social media can lead to real friendships and mentorships. You’ll also find out why you might want to hire a fresh face or two if you’ve been in the toy industry for a while.