Long form episode description goes here.Your own life is the best inspiration for your game and toy ideas. Just think of the best times with your friends and family and you might come up with an idea. Today’s podcast guest did just that. Today’s guest is Greg Watson. In episode 72 of MITTI you heard him talking about working with a distributor to get your toy or game into retail. Now he has a new card game that he created with his husband. The game, Poof, is available on Amazon. In this episode, you’ll learn all about Greg’s personal inspiration for the game. You’ll also learn what game mechanics are, how Greg tested his game in the middle of a pandemic, and what to consider for packaging differences between online sales versus retail shelf space. You’ll also learn about Greg’s pricing strategy for this game as well as some future predictions for the toy industry.

Is your toy idea begging to see the spotlight? Do you have a game idea swimming around in your imagination? You may be a burgeoning toy inventor! However, if you are ready to fully flesh out your toy idea, brand, and marketing, you may be a toy entrepreneur. What is the difference between these two toy industry tracks?

Today’s guest is Chrissy Fagerholt. She is a graduate of the Toy Creators Academy and already has a successful game out with Goliath and has two more games coming out soon. In today’s episode, Chrissy tells us about making the jump from toy inventor to toy entrepreneur. She explains a bit of her inventing process, how the shift to toy industry entrepreneur happened, and where in the process of inventing a toy she starts to come up with marketing and branding ideas. You will also find out how the Toy Creators Academy helped Chrissy to make the toy industry connections that led her to figure out how to make toy industry entrepreneurship work for her.

Have you ever struggled with the idea of promoting your brand on social media? Well lucky for you, today’s podcast episode focuses on how to make social media marketing fun! Our guest is a graphic designer, and all around creative gal who knows the power of creativity and playfulness in marketing. Deanna uses humor and empathy to help her clients feel more comfortable being themselves while marketing their business and connecting with their ideal clients.

In today’s podcast episode we talk about the wonderful world of GIF’s and why they may be your next marketing tool for your toy business! During this episode we ideate on ways to get creative with the use of GIFs so you can potentially rack up a million views on your GIF’s like Deanna. By the time you finish listening to today’s episode you’ll know that it’s not about how fancy your design tools are, but it’s all about how you use them. Tap play to listen and learn with the latest podcast episode featuring The Toy Coach and Deanna Seymour!

If you have a brand or product you should consider adding licensing to your business model. Licensing is a great way for toy manufacturers to borrow the authority of powerful brands and grow their own revenue. A great licensing deal can help growing brands expand to various consumer goods categories while avoiding the added cost of manufacturing. If you’re ready to learn more about how licensing can benefit your toy business, you should consider attending the Las Vegas Licensing Expo next year. But before you sign up, listen to this podcast for 9 tricks and tips for first time visitors to the Licensing Expo.

The Licensing Expo has over 200 exhibitors each year, including notable brands like Netflix, Lego, Paramount, Mattel, and more. In past years, over 16,000 people have attended, coming from more than 60 countries. Attendees include licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, licensing agents, and more. Each show has more than 5,000 products or brands on display, allowing you to catch trends and get innovative ideas. Of course, there are many representatives from the toy industry, but there are also people in attendance from the fashion world, gaming, animation, and more.