How can you weave your own personal story into your product and make a powerful connection? Today’s guest, Cher Hale, founder of Gingko PR, shares her experience in helping diverse clients do exactly this. She also shares how she started working with the types of clients that she wanted to help to get their stories out there. Cher shares her moving story about why she wanted to help people facing systematic barriers tell their own stories. She also shares how adding diverse voices to the mix through PR helps to create social change and why many people from a minority background feel uneasy about telling their stories.

With the Great Resignation of 2021, some companies recognized their inability to retain diverse talent. Since diversity is a major factor in innovation, many companies are in search of a way to attract and retain diverse talent on their teams. The guest on today’s podcast, Minda Harts, shares how her personal experiences with racial microaggressions in the workplace led her to become a thought leader in diversity and become a workplace and equity consultant. Minda explains the important difference between equity and equality, how mentorship adds value for both the mentor and the mentee, and how companies can create a more supportive environment for people of color. If you are ready to increase your awareness and understanding of issues that prevent equitable work environments, listen to this episode.

Want to know how to protect your products and intellectual property when dealing with Chinese manufacturers? Dan Harris, a lawyer who specializes in International law, with a focus on China, gives you extremely detailed insider tips in today’s episode. I learned a lot and I know you will too. Dan tells you why you should go with an NNN agreement versus a typical NDA when dealing with Chinese firms, among other useful tips. This is a truly informative episode with extremely valuable information so make sure you take notes if you’re planning on working with overseas factories.

Are you sure that toy you got is the real deal? Counterfeit toys are on the rise, and they could be dangerous not only for kids but also your brand. Some people who purchase counterfeit toys do so purposely to save money, but others just see a good deal and assume it is the real thing. Listen to today’s podcast episode to find out how you can spot a counterfeit and how you can protect your toy ideas from counterfeiting. With online shopping growing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an issue that is not going away any time soon!

Once you make your toy idea a real product, how do you sell it? In today’s podcast episode we sit down and chat with Chloe Kershaw, the National Sales Manager at Hape Toys. Chloe shares the steps she took to eventually cross over into the sales side of the toy industry including her joyfully offering to do the grunt work that her coworkers didn’t want to do. Learn what she thinks the heart of a physical product-based company is and why, and walk away with insights on why you might want to start working with a sales rep for your company.

Before you can build the toy business of your dreams, you’ve got to know the history of the toy businesses that came before you. In today’s episode I’ll be sharing insider information directly from the producers of the new History Channel series, The Toys that Built America! This upcoming series dives into the history of toy titans like Hasbro and Mattel, with expert interviews and dramatic reenactments. Plus! If you tune into the series you might catch The Toy Coach teaching you some important toy history.

Every week for the past 100 weeks I have shown up with a new episode designed to help you take another confident step forward in your toy journey. Today I’m sitting down to answer a list of personal and professional questions submitted through my website, instagram, and Facebook. These questions cover everything from my experience as a child actress on Sesame Street, to how I handled a shocking cancer diagnosis at a young age, and even how I go about raising capital for my growing business. After listening you’ll feel more connected and aware of the community that loves this podcast, you’ll know more about the vision behind The Toy Coach, why I do the work I do, and what qualifies me to be your guide.

Finding the courage to pitch your toy or game idea can be challenging, so that’s where important industry events like the one covered in today’s episode come in. Today on The Toy Coach podcast you’ll discover yet another in-person pitch event turned virtual for 2021 because of the pandemic. What we’ll learn in this week’s episode is that there is a huge benefit to going virtual for toy industry pitch events. The Women in Toys Empowerment Day helped connect over 80 women inventors and entrepreneurs to decision makers and professionals in the toy industry. In this episode you’ll learn what this event is, who it’s for, and how you can make the most of the incredible opportunities It creates.

If you’ve ever had a toy idea or a game idea, it’s likely that you’ve wondered where you should go to get that incredibly groundbreaking idea in front of toy companies. Well, this week on The Toy Coach Podcast, we are going to learn about one of the biggest toy industry events for toy inventors and game inventors that you need to know about. The event, formerly Chitag, is currently called the People of Play Innovation Conference. The event is entirely virtual for the second year in the row which makes it extremely accessible no matter where you are in the world.

Business people receive 16 promotional emails per hour (or more!) How can you cut through the noise? With a great headline! In this episode I share my best practices for an amazing e-mail headline that will grab attention. I’ll tell you all about the “four U’s” to make your headline really pop, and give you real life examples of my most popular and successful e-mail headlines. Each headline example that I share in this episode has an open rate of 30% or more. These tips can help you to get people to open your e-mails, and get your ideas in front of the right person!

On October 11th, toy social channels exploded with the news that California Law would force toy retailers to fill their shelves with gender neutral toys by 2024. While partially true, the law is much more nuanced than the poppy articles make it seem. If you’ve been wondering about the details of this California Law and want to sit in on a though piece around what it could mean for the future of toy design at retail, then pop your earbuds in, and tap play my friend. You’re in for a treat.

Do you have an idea for a game? Well, you’re in luck because to close out Hispanic Heritage Month, The Toy Coach sits down with Christian Castro, the Design Director of What To You Meme? to talk about what makes a great game idea…GREAT! If you absolutely love the insights into the toy industry you get from this podcast, but you never thought that YOU could come up with a toy or game idea, then you need to press play right now. We touch on how classic games like Candyland and brands like Spongebob weren’t invented by toy industry pro’s, they were created by everyday people outside of our incredible industry.

Learn about outside-of-the-box thinking with the 2nd part of my interview with Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, the creator of the hit comic La Borinqueña. In today’s episode, Edgardo tell us how he got unique contract opportunities and came up with creative licensing deals. Edgardo also shares how he was able to create opportunities that worked for him. This allowed him to create this amazing comic that is so much more than just a superhero story. It’s become a symbol of social change and hope for Puerto Ricans. By the end of this episode I hope you will feel inspired to work on a project that has a piece of your identity or story in it, or just something that is close to your heart.

If you’re wondering just how much of yourself you should put into your intellectual property, you need to listen to Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez’ amazing story. Today’s episode features Edgardo’s story of how he infused his identity as a Nuyorican into the hit comic series La Borinqueña. It started as a costume idea for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC, and is now a comic series and a symbol of social justice for Puerto Ricans. This inspirational story shows that authenticity, when combined with strong values can work! It also shows how much representation matters. This is just part 1 of my interview with Edgardo. Stay tuned for part 2!

Today’s episode is a treat for the senses toy people. My guest today is a published book author and illustrator with books released by Sky Pony Press, Abrams Books, and Harper Collins. Charles George Esperanza grew up in the south Bronx and found the mentor and structure he needed, while studying Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. During our chat today Charles shares his come-up story, premiers a banger of song, and of course provides advice to all you aspiring book authors and illustrators out there. If you’ve ever considered illustrating a children’s book, or writing one, then today’s episode is for you.

Have you been looking for an overview on all the possible career paths in the toy industry? Wondering what it takes to make it as an inventor or corporate toy person? Well during my chat with the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures I covered just that. And lucky for you, that incredibly valuable talk is now available right here on your favorite podcast.

This conversation, called Meet the experts, was the result of an invitation extended to The Toy Coach to teach what it’s like to have a career in the wonderful world of the toy industry. If you’re curious what it takes to Make It In the Toy Industry, then pop your earbuds in and listen.