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.

Are you curious about how AI can revolutionize the toy industry? Do you want to know how AI can help in designing and marketing a toy product? If so, then this podcast episode is for you. Join The Toy Coach in this insightful episode as she explores the potential of AI in toy design and marketing.

In this episode of the Making It In The Toy Industry Podcast, The Toy Coach shares her experience in using an AI language model called Agent GPT to generate ideas for a toy product. From creating a unique toy name to identifying edgy influencers for marketing, Agent GPT proved to be a valuable tool in the toy industry. One interesting thing that was learned is how AI can save time and resources in conducting research and analysis, ultimately leading to faster and more responsive product development. Teased in this episode are insights on using mid-journey, an AI tool for generating high-quality images, and a mind map on the future of AI in the toy industry.

Overall, this episode provides a fascinating look into how AI can help with various aspects of toy design, from generating new ideas to finding social media influencers to work with. Listeners will gain a better understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of AI in the toy industry and how it may shape the future of toy design. Don't miss this episode if you're interested in the intersection of AI and toy design.

Are you curious about how AI can revolutionize the toy industry? Do you want to know how AI can help in designing and marketing a toy product? If so, then this podcast episode is for you. Join The Toy Coach in this insightful episode as she explores the potential of AI in toy design and marketing.

In this episode of the Making It In The Toy Industry Podcast, The Toy Coach shares her experience in using an AI language model called Agent GPT to generate ideas for a toy product. From creating a unique toy name to identifying edgy influencers for marketing, Agent GPT proved to be a valuable tool in the toy industry. One interesting thing that was learned is how AI can save time and resources in conducting research and analysis, ultimately leading to faster and more responsive product development. Teased in this episode are insights on using mid-journey, an AI tool for generating high-quality images, and a mind map on the future of AI in the toy industry.

Overall, this episode provides a fascinating look into how AI can help with various aspects of toy design, from generating new ideas to finding social media influencers to work with. Listeners will gain a better understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of AI in the toy industry and how it may shape the future of toy design. Don't miss this episode if you're interested in the intersection of AI and toy design.

There are many paths you can take in the toy industry, but the 3 most common paths that most new creators fall into are Inventor, Entrepreneur, and Executive! In today's episode, The Toy Coach is back to explain the differences between the two and point out why you might be both. Azhelle walks you through the meaning of each toy path, what you can expect, and how you could benefit from even switching your toy path.

In today’s toy podcast, you will learn what aspects of being a Toy Entrepreneur, Toy Inventor, and Toy Executive are the same, which are very different, and the strengths and weaknesses of each path. Once you’re done listening, Azhelle invites you to take a toy path quiz, to help you figure out what your toy path is and what your best next steps are to be successful on that path.

Data is a precious thing. Data allows companies to make growth projections, develop products based on consumer needs, and write messages based on consumer desires. But where do you go to find precious data? Well, in the toy industry, there are several research and analytics companies that will gather that data all year long, offering trend reports and future cast predictions much like the one we’ll be reviewing in today’s podcast episode. In today’s podcast episode I will review a 2023 future forecast provided by The Insights Family. This report has 12 recommendations for the year based on the agency’s research.

During today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn about how you can use Connection Campaigns, Promotional Campaigns, Abandoned Cart Campaigns, and ReEngagement Campaigns to sell your toy or game product. The key to using email is great subject lines and even better storytelling. If you don’t enjoy writing emails to your customer list…your customer probably doesn’t enjoy reading them! Let’s fix that in 40 minutes with my latest audio masterclass, The Art & Science of Successful Toy Biz Email Campaigns.

Today’s podcast episode is something completely new and different. It’s the first time we’ve done an interview at the manufacturer's office and warehouse to see how the toys are really being made! You will get to see how bubble magic is made at South Beach Bubbles and Toys. Plus, you’ll get to hear some amazing advice and tips from the company’s “bubble dads,” the two friends who founded the business. 

In today’s episode, Ron Weizman and Shooki Grasiani, the founders of South Beach Bubbles, give you an insider tour of their new office and warehouse space. They just moved into a space that is double the size of their old one and are still decorating, so don’t judge the lack of art on the walls. However, they have all their manufacturing and business operations up and running in their new space and you get to see it! You will see how the bubbles are mixed and packaged. Plus, you’ll learn some tips about how to find a great business partner, why the company uses their own warehouse, and why they decided to work with Amazon. Plus you’ll get to see how much fun it is to play with their amazing bubbles!

To watch the full video of today’s episode, head over to youtube.com/thetoycoach and subscribe to our channel.

Visualize, Validate, and Vow to make your toy or game idea real this year with accountability and guidance from The Toy Coach team! Inside this Bootcamp, you’ll get step by step training and accountability to visualize and validate your toy or game idea FAST.  We’ll spend 5-days in a private Facebook community, where I’ll teach you my streamlined 6-step concept development process over 3 LIVE trainings. In just 3 hours and 5 days you can completely change the way you approach toy development from scratch.

If you have an idea that you aren’t sure is a “toy”, stick around for the second half of this week’s episode. I share an extended version of an episode that will help you answer the question, is this really a toy product? Learn 3 exercises to help you identify if your idea falls into the category of toy, game, or general kids products. 

Once you figure out where your idea falls, I’d love to welcome you into The GREAT Toy & Game Idea Bootcamp. It starts March 27th, it’s only 5 days long with 3 training sessions and a private Facebook group for all members.

To join visit: https://learn.thetoycoach.com/bootcamp

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.

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.

MESH is NOT the new STEAM. MESH is a solution that utilizes toys as an answer to the mental health crisis among children and teens today.  The development of MESH skills is important to help kids learn how to navigate strong emotions and difficult experiences. So what is MESH?  MESH is an acronym for Mental, Emotional and Social Health. Developing MESH skills can help protect kids from the risky behaviors and self-harm that are too often the result of their mental distress.

Today’s podcast episode is a Masterclass on MESH with Rachel Harmuth, the Head of ThinkFun. MESH products are products that build skills like problem solving, perseverance, adaptation, conflict resolution, self-regulation, self-advocacy, cognitive skills, and communication strategies.

If you have a toy or game product that could potentially fit into the MESH category, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. In this episode you’ll learn all about the MESH movement, who is behind it, and you’ll uncover how you can get involved.

This episode is packed with valuable, actionable advice featuring Marie Nastasi’s 5 Keys to a Successful Buyer Presentation. She brings a wealth of experience to you from her roles as both a buyer and a manufacturers’ representative. 

How do you go from a dreamer with comic book aspirations to a toy industry legend and award-winning toy designer? Today’s guest, David Vonner, shares his incredible journey as an artist, parent, and toy designer from the 1990s until now. His original dream was to be an illustrator for Marvel Comics. However, his family and those surrounding him encouraged him to go down a path that would ensure a career. David worked at Marvel as a toy designer for 5-6 years, before moving on to Hasbro to work on their Marvel-licensed products. Finally, David started his own design studio, Vonner Studios. In today’s episode, you will learn how connections helped David to advance in the toy industry, how he went from traditional employment to starting his own company, and his best piece of advice for people in the toy industry today. His story is captivating, informative, and inspirational!

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.

Today’s guest, Theresa Duncan, started a toy store, Villa Villekulla Toys, in her local community with her dad. Together they turned it into a successful family business over the eight years it has been open. Listen to the episode to find out the differences between starting a digital business and a brick-and-mortar business and the importance of a business plan. She also tells how she got the idea to quit her job and start a neighborhood toy store, how focusing on the community can help your small business, and tips for getting your product into a neighborhood toy store.

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.