Starting off in the toy industry can be difficult, and doing so while observing #stayathome orders may make it seem impossible. Well for today's episode, The Toy Coach introduces you to a non-profit organization that works in favor of the advancement of women in the toy industry. This community has continued to keep its members connected via weekly webinars, email updates, and the launch of a virtual mentorship program. If you are looking for a network of strong, supportive women in this niche industry, then look no further than Women In Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment, also known as, WIT.

What if you launched your Kickstarter, and just a few days later the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic? Well, that's exactly what happened to my guest today Marjorie Spitalnik. Marjorie walks us through her Kickstarter experience as she learned to pivot in the most uncertain of times. Our guest today learned everything she knows about running a successful Kickstarter during her campaign and she is certain that if she could do it, you can too.

If you're considering launching a Kickstarter campaign, or if you're in the middle of prepping your KS launch, then this episode is here for you! Julie Underwood Richardson is the inventor of Shoe Bae and also the creator of the Women Inventors - Product Based Entrepreneurs on Facebook. Julie is a champion for helping women inventors succeed within her group, and her informative and honest posts about Kickstarter is why she joined us for today's episode.

This episode is part 2 of the 2 part series aimed at guiding inventors on how to nurture their creativity and develop their ideas while stuck at home. In this episode learn how to make a game of brainstorming and developing your idea with friends and family. You'll also learn how to playtest and vet your toy concepts from home. Learn the best ways to use video chats, online surveys, and snail-mail to keep your concept development moving while the rest of the world is on pause.

This episode is Part 1 of a 2 part series aimed at guiding inventors on how to nurture their creativity and develop their ideas while stuck at home. Learn by example how to analyze the current day to day struggles that parents, teachers and even kids are facing, and identify potential opportunities for new toy or game inventions. Learn what an Inventors Notebook is and HOW to keep one as a legal record. Additionally, learn how to use an Inventors Notebook to develop your small ideas into big inventions.

Let's be honest, the market is changing. We're in the midst of a serious shift in the way we live, and life and business as we know it is changing drastically each and every day. Having the ability and know-how to pivot and adjust your business to fit market needs is paramount in assuring long term success. So for in this episode, The Toy Coach dives into a detailed conversation exploring how the current coronavirus pandemic has and will continue to affect the toy industry.

There’s no avoiding the impact that social media has had on the marketing of toys and games. Before You-Tube stars and Instagram influencers, networks like Nickelodeon and Disney influenced toy buying trends. But today, toy buying trends are influenced by social media personalities, major television ad campaigns, and disruptive social ad campaigns.

There's nothing more important to the success of your product pitch than really knowing the company that you're pitching to! So for today's episode, The Toy Coach dives into a conversation about 6 top toy companies in the industry. We dive into the stories and toys of Hasbro, Mattel, MGA, Spinmaster, Goliath Games, and Funko. You'll get a mini-history lesson on each company, learn their most popular games, and most importantly learn about their history working with inventors.

Have you ever proceeded down the path of developing your toy or game idea, to only realize that you weren’t sure what step comes next? If you’ve rushed down the path of sample making or prototyping your toy concept or invention, only to find yourself stuck in the process, then this episode is for YOU!

Have you ever gone to a product pitch meeting with a less than perfect prototype? Did you ever have an excellent concept fall flat because a prototype failed to capture the hearts of your audience? You don't want to find yourself in a meeting with a poorly made prototype that does not speak to your audience.

After attending The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) as an exhibitor, you'll definitely need a few days to recover. Your back may ache, your feet may be swollen, and your ego may be bruised. While the wins at NYTF are easy to share with family and friends, and celebrate, the losses we tend to keep to ourselves and not confront. So in today's episode, we walk through how to handle 4 less than perfect scenarios you might have experienced at New York Toy Fair, and how to turn them positive.

The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) is the LARGEST toy show in North America. Over 1,000 exhibitors attend to showcase over a hundred thousand products at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. With the 2020 fair only days away, The Toy Coach pulls back the curtain to give a little insight on what to expect if you attend this industry event in the future. If you are currently developing or selling a toy or game product, and you have not exhibited at NYTF, then THIS is the perfect episode for you.

In this episode of Making It in The Toy Industry, we focus on Manufacturing in the USA. Learn how to use an indispensable resource for American manufacturers. We'll outline key differences in working with a factory in China versus a factory in the USA.

Finally an answer to one of the biggest industry questions out there. How do I start manufacturing my own toy or game ideas with a factory in China? This podcast episode breaks down the easiest way to find, analyze, and communicate with the ideal overseas factory for YOU.

The term toyetic is thrown around a lot in the industry. In this podcast episode, we break down the true toyetic definition and pull out 4 guiding Toyetic Principles and show you how to make your toy inventions or game ideas more toyetic and ultimately more marketable.

Are you trying to come up with your next great toy idea, but you're suffering creative block? If you find it difficult to come up with an amazing new toy idea time and time again, then this is the episode for you.