Making It in The Toy Industry with The Toy Coach

By Azhelle Wade

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Category: Entrepreneurship

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Subscribers: 5
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 219

Description

How do I bring my great toy ideas to life? How do I get my concepts in front of BIG toy companies like Hasbro, Mattel, and Goliath Games? Where should I go to create my own prototypes and how much should they cost? Is my only manufacturing option in China? These are just a few of the questions that will be answered on this weekly podcast, Making It In The Toy Industry. In addition to mini toy masterclasses, and step-by-step guides, each episode is designed to help you take immediate action toward developing, presenting, licensing, and producing your next big toy idea. Learn the invaluable how-to’s like, finding a factory for production, negotiating costs, and industry-proven sales techniques so that you can turn your toy dreams into a reality. | Brought to you by thetoycoach.com |


Episode Date
#218: Safe Social Media? The World's Largest Social Network For Kids with Ashley Mady
May 02, 2024
#217: How To Make Your Toy Brand Climate Friendly with Helen Townsend
Apr 24, 2024
#216: The Hidden Challenges and Opportunities in Toy Licensing with Anita Castellar
Apr 17, 2024
#215: How He Launched an Action Figure Line from Ideation, Marketing, to Retail Placement
Apr 10, 2024
#214: Everything You Need To Know About MESH Accreditation For Your Toy
Apr 03, 2024
#213: From Empath to Entrepreneur with Jana Hallam of Wonderwell Toy Company
Mar 27, 2024
#212: Why Your Toy Package Deserves More Than Matte with Anchor Creative
Mar 20, 2024
#211: How To Efficiently Communicate Your Toy's Value Through Packaging with Anchor Creative
Mar 13, 2024
#210: An Insider Look at A National Toy Trade Show in Las Vegas
Mar 06, 2024
#209: How Women in the Toy Industry Are Building Dreams and Connections with Ehi Oviasu-Kahn
Feb 28, 2024
#208: When Motherhood Inspires Toy Invention with Ehi Oviasu-Kahn
Feb 21, 2024
#207: The Secrets To Networking in The Toy Industry
Feb 15, 2024
#206: How “No” Led This Game Creator To Unexpected Opportunity
Feb 07, 2024
#205: Turning Ideas into Top Sellers with Robert Yusim
Jan 31, 2024
#204: Exploring the Secrets, Surprises, and History of Polly Pocket with Maude Campbell
Jan 24, 2024
#203: How CJ Charles Turned Her Children's Book into a Plush Doll
Jan 17, 2024
#202: Gender Neutral Toy Sections Are Now Law In California
Jan 10, 2024
#201: 12 SMART Goals To Launch Your Toy Idea in 2024
Jan 03, 2024
#200: Virginia Lette Interviews Azhelle Wade The Toy Coach
Dec 20, 2023
#199: Speed Up Your Toy or Game Promotion Process With AI
Dec 13, 2023
#198: Speed Up Your Toy or Game Invention Process With AI
Dec 06, 2023
#197: How Get Your Products In Stores With A Pitch That Stands Out with Rick Derr
Nov 29, 2023
#196: Instant Insights Into The Toy Industry Uncovered at ChiTag Part 2 of 2
Nov 22, 2023
#195: Instant Insights Into The Toy Industry Uncovered at ChiTag Part 1 of 2
Nov 16, 2023
#194: How To Pick A Toy Brand Name That Doesn't Suck with Alexandra C Watkins
Nov 08, 2023
#193: 3 Last-Minute Black Friday Promo Ideas To Increase Q4 Sales
Nov 01, 2023
#192: The Secret To Mastering 1:1 Email in Your Toy Business
Oct 25, 2023
#191: Game-Changing Connections for Toy Inventors at People of Play Week
Oct 18, 2023
#190: The Best and Worst of Toy Fair and Why You Should Attend The LAST Toy Fair in New York
Oct 11, 2023
#189: How To Pitch With Pizzazz at New York Toy Fair with Barry and Jason
Sep 20, 2023
#188: You're Invited To Hasbro's FIRST Ever Women Innovators of Play Event with Tanya Thompson
Sep 06, 2023
#187: Making Change Through Play with TOTY Nominated Dr. Zabina Bahsin
Aug 30, 2023
#186: When A Game You Developed Gets Nominated For a Toy Of The Year Award with Christian Castro
Aug 23, 2023
#185: Dolls That Celebrate Asian Diversity with Samantha Ong
Aug 16, 2023
#184: From Fandom to Fun: The Power of Collaboration in Funko Games' Development Process with Deirdre Cross
Aug 09, 2023
START HERE: Welcome Future Toy Person!
Aug 07, 2023
#183: How To Pitch A Show Idea To Hasbro in 2023 with Brandon Braswell
Aug 02, 2023
#182: The Captivating Timeline Of Barbie: From Ruth Handler To Rebirth (1959-2023)
Jul 26, 2023
#181: Unveiling the Ultimate Barbie Movie Marketing Tactics: Unique Strategies for Viral Success!
Jul 19, 2023
#180: Trailblazing Toy Creators Share The Mission and Story Behind Their Brands [2 of 2]
Jul 05, 2023
#179: Trailblazing Toy Creators Share The Mission and Story Behind Their Brands [1 of 2]
Jun 28, 2023
#178: Playfully Illustrating Polly Pocket Nostalgia with Amy Greenbank
Jun 14, 2023
#177: Reinvigorating a Timeless Brand with Robert Pasin of Radio Flyer
Jun 07, 2023
#176: How To Prepare For Your Next Specialty Toy Trade Show
May 24, 2023
#175: The Impact of Toy Guns: A Tough Conversation
May 17, 2023
#174: Market Research Strategies for Developing Good Toys Kids Will Love with Dr. Amanda Gummer
May 03, 2023
#173: AI-Powered Toy Design [Part 2 of 2] Building a Million-Dollar Toy Line with the Help of AI
Apr 26, 2023
#172: AI-Powered Toy Design [Part 1 of 2] Building a Million-Dollar Toy Line with the Help of AI
Apr 19, 2023
#171: Toy Path QUIZ: Are You a Toy Inventor, Entrepreneur, or Executive?
Apr 12, 2023
#170: A Review of the Future Forecast Report From The Insights Family
Mar 29, 2023
#169: The Art and Science of Successful Toy Biz Email Campaigns
Mar 22, 2023
#168: See How the Bubbles Are Made: South Beach Bubbles Warehouse and Office Tour
Mar 15, 2023
#167: The GREAT Toy and Game Idea Bootcamp - Join Now!
Mar 08, 2023
#166: Tips For Creating Niche Products in the Toy Industry with April Hail
Mar 01, 2023
#165: A Toy Inventor Story of Faith and Determination with Angie Cella
Feb 22, 2023
#164: MESH Toys For Mental, Emotional and Social Health with Rachele Harmuth
Feb 15, 2023
#163: Before You Present Your Product To Buyers Listen To THIS
Feb 08, 2023
#162: The Remarkable Journey of David Vonner: From Marvel Dreamer to Toy Legend
Feb 01, 2023
#161: Father-Daughter Duo Develops Handy Famm, Un-boring Tools For Kids
Jan 25, 2023
#160: Top Tips for Creating a Neighborhood Toy Store with Theresa Duncan
Jan 18, 2023
#159: How AI-Powered Chat GPT Can Generate Toy and Game Concepts
Jan 11, 2023
#158: AI-Assisted Toy Design: Revolutionizing The Toy And Game Industry
Jan 04, 2023
#157: In-Person Interviews with Entrepreneurs At Chicago Toy and Game Week [3 of 3]
Dec 28, 2022
#156: In-Person Interviews with Entrepreneurs At Chicago Toy and Game Week [2 of 3]
Dec 21, 2022
#155: In-Person Interviews with Entrepreneurs At Chicago Toy and Game Week [1 of 3]
Dec 14, 2022
#154: Growing and Licensing an Authentic Brand with April Showers
Dec 07, 2022
#153: A Holiday Gift Guide Preview and What You Need To Get Featured In 2023
Nov 30, 2022
#152: Why This Mission-Driven Doll Line Offers 100+ Custom Skin Tones with Dr. Lisa Williams
Nov 23, 2022
#151: Dealing With Mental Health As A Toy Entrepreneur With Marjorie Spitalnik
Nov 16, 2022
#150: How the Power Pony Was Imagined By Kids For Kids with Mia Monzidelis
Nov 09, 2022
#149: Back In Person! The People Of Play Innovation Conference
Nov 02, 2022
#148: Answering Your Questions About Toy Creators Academy
Oct 26, 2022
#147: This NEW Toy Category is Bursting into the Wellness Game
Oct 19, 2022
#146: How To Stand Out As A New Toy and Game Inventor or Entrepreneur
Oct 12, 2022
#145: How To Take Your Card Game From Boutique Stores to Target with Kiara Imani
Oct 05, 2022
#144: Don’t Miss The First-Of-Its-Kind Toy Trade Show On A Boat
Sep 28, 2022
#143: Making Your Toy Dreams Real At WiT Empowerment Day
Sep 21, 2022
#142: How To Start A Toy Business At 7 Years Old with Zoe Oli
Sep 07, 2022
#141: An Unusual Source of Inspiration For Your Next Toy or Game Package
Aug 31, 2022
#140: Finding Your Toy People With Jeff Lawber & Alan Henry
Aug 24, 2022
#139: The ONE Thing You Need To Do BEFORE You Launch That Toy Kickstarter
Aug 17, 2022
#138: Why You Need A Clear Brand Mission For Your Kids’ Brand
Aug 10, 2022
#137:This Toy Factory Will Help You Develop Your Ideas with Kate Khvorostianova
Aug 03, 2022
#136: When Your Toy Dream Is To Open A Toy Store with Isaac Elliott-Fisher
Jul 27, 2022
#135: When Your Brand Goes Viral with Danielle Murrell Cox of Zuri and Dre
Jul 20, 2022
#134: The Power of Integrating Your Culture Into Your Toy Dreams with Keewa Nurullah
Jul 13, 2022
#133: 3 Ways To Market Your Toy or Game Product For Free
Jul 06, 2022
#132: This Gay-Owned Game Company Started As A Side Hustle with Greg Watson
Jun 29, 2022
#131: Getting Your Game Into Barnes & Noble with Chrissy Fagerholt
Jun 22, 2022
#130: Unlocking Creativity at Science Museum Oklahoma with Azhelle Wade
Jun 15, 2022
#129: Playful and Creative Marketing Ideas with Deanna Seymour
Jun 08, 2022
#128: 9 Tips and Tricks For Toy Creators Attending The Licensing Expo
Jun 01, 2022
#127: Toy Lessons Learned From My First Fashion Company Part 2
May 25, 2022
#126: Toy Lessons Learned From My First Fashion Company Part 1
May 18, 2022
#125 The Impact of Entrepreneurial Resilience with Jeremy Padawer
May 11, 2022
#124: The Effect Of Skimpflation and Shrinkflation On Toy Creators
May 04, 2022
#123: Turning Your Professional Expertise Into An Educational Toy with Julie Dini
Apr 27, 2022
#122: Dealing With Creative Burnout In The Toy Industry
Apr 20, 2022
#121: Sick Day – Changes Coming To The Toy Coach Podcast
Apr 13, 2022
#120: What Makes A Good Toy Logo and A Bad Toy Logo?
Apr 06, 2022
#119: Toy Packaging 101 The Elements of A Great Package
Mar 30, 2022
#118: Why You Should Manufacture Your Toy Products in India with Joshua Punin
Mar 23, 2022
#117: The Importance of Play Every Day with Emma Worrollo
Mar 16, 2022
#116: An Incredible First Time Toy Inventor Story with Daniela Valenzuela Bomchil
Mar 09, 2022
#115: Making It Into Retail: Getting Your Product Into Specialty Stores with Nicole Hawthorne
Mar 03, 2022
#114: How To Break Into Toys A Step-By-Step Roadmap
Feb 23, 2022
#113: 10 Unexpected Toy or Game Ideas That Will Inspire You To Make Your Ideas Real
Feb 16, 2022
#112: How To Get Started In The Toy Industry When You Have ZERO Contacts
Feb 09, 2022
#111: 3 Ways Wordle Taught Us That Play Could Go Viral
Feb 02, 2022
#110: Why You Can Only Sell A Toy Idea When It's R.i.T.E. with Dan Klitsner
Jan 26, 2022
#109: Why You Should Attend The TCA Virtual Pitch Event
Jan 19, 2022
#108: Money-Saving Benefits of Automating Your Toy Business with Kelly Goss
Jan 12, 2022
#107: Secrets For Pitching Your Game Ideas To Hasbro with Tanya Thompson
Jan 05, 2022
#106: The Power Of Telling Your Unique Toy Story with Cher Hale
Dec 29, 2021
#105: Minda Harts on Retaining and Nurturing Diverse Talent in 2022
Dec 22, 2021
#104: The Easiest Way To Protect Your Toy Idea That Most People Overlook with Dan Harris
Dec 15, 2021
#103: What You Need to Do Today To Protect Your Toy Brand From Counterfeits
Dec 08, 2021
#102: Innovating The Sales Process In 2021 with Chloe Kershaw of Hape Toys
Dec 01, 2021
#101: Learn Toy History With Toys That Built America
Nov 24, 2021
#100: Special 100th Episode Getting To Know The Toy Coach
Nov 17, 2021
#99: How This Toy and Game Pitch Event Advances Women In Toys
Nov 10, 2021
#98: The Virtual Toy And Game Pitch Event You Should Be Preparing For
Nov 03, 2021
#97: Write Click-Worthy Email Subject Lines For Your Next Toy Pitch
Oct 27, 2021
#96: The California Law to Empower Gender Neutral Toys
Oct 20, 2021
#95: Tips For Finding The Great Toy Or Game Concepts Within You with Christian Castro
Oct 13, 2021
#94: The Superhero That Sparked A Social Movement with Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez creator of La Borinqueña
Oct 08, 2021
#93: Making The Most Of Unexpected Publicity with Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez creator of La Borinqueña
Oct 06, 2021
#92: Breaking Through Barriers in Children’s Book Publishing with Charles George Esperanza
Sep 29, 2021
#91: The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures Meet The Experts with The Toy Coach Azhelle Wade
Sep 22, 2021
#90: Leaving Your Boring Job to Start a Career in The Toy Industry with Erica and Liliana
Sep 15, 2021
#89: 3 Simple Strategies to Becoming A Toy Person
Sep 08, 2021
#88: Virtual Pitch Event Stories from Students of Toy Creators Academy
Sep 01, 2021
#87: Is My Idea Considered A Toy or Children's Product?
Aug 25, 2021
#86: Toy Safety 102: The EN-71 Toy Safety Standard with Bill Baxter
Aug 18, 2021
#85: Lessons for Specialty Toy Brands from the 2021 ASTRA Marketplace Show
Aug 11, 2021
#84: How To Use TikTok To Find Your Next Toy Job
Aug 04, 2021
#83: Predicting Retail Market Trends After The Shipping Container Crisis
Jul 28, 2021
#82: The Pillars Of Marketing Your Toy From Scratch with Harold Chizick
Jul 21, 2021
#81: How To Leverage Your Creative Business For Major Publicity
Jul 14, 2021
#80: Building A Multi-Million Dollar Business Through Email With Amy Porterfield
Jul 07, 2021
#79: The 3 BIGGEST Mistakes To Avoid When Working With A Factory
Jun 30, 2021
#78: How To Be A Toy Designer
Jun 23, 2021
#77: Get In Front Of 12,000 Buyers With This Year-Round Toy Trade Show
Jun 16, 2021
#76: The Art of Pitching and Pivoting In Toys and Entertainment
Jun 09, 2021
#75: Lessons And Benefits Of Pitching Your Toy Ideas At The TCA Virtual Toy Pitch Event
Jun 02, 2021
#74: How To Break Into Toys Through Self-Publishing
May 26, 2021
#73: Executive Tips To License Your Toy Ideas With Zack Pentecost of Zuru Toys
May 19, 2021
#72: Working With A Distributor To Get Your Toy or Game In Retail with Greg Watson
May 12, 2021
#71: The Art of Toy Photography with Mitchel Wu
May 05, 2021
#70: 7 Tips To Improve Your Next Virtual Toy Pitch
Apr 28, 2021
#69: Why I Left My Corporate Toy Job To Become The Toy Coach
Apr 21, 2021
#68: One Dad's Secret To A 3 Million Dollar Toy Kickstarter
Apr 14, 2021
#67: Objectively Vetting Your Amazing Toy Ideas
Apr 07, 2021
#66: The Ripple Effect Of Racial Bias In The Toy Industry Part 2 with Jacqueline Vong
Mar 31, 2021
#65: Creating A Hit Kids’ TV Show with Farnaz Esnaashari Creator of Shimmer & Shine
Mar 24, 2021
#64: Selling Your Toy Or Game On Amazon Live
Mar 17, 2021
#63: How To Make A Toy, The 5 Steps of Product Development
Mar 10, 2021
#62: What Buyers Need To See In Your Toy Product Pitch With Marie Nastasi
Mar 03, 2021
#61: Getting To Know Black Women In Toys and Entertainment with Taura Stinson
Feb 26, 2021
#60: Getting To Know Black Women In Toys and Entertainment with Donna Moore
Feb 25, 2021
#59: Getting To Know Black Women In Toys and Entertainment with Chantel Calloway
Feb 24, 2021
#58: Getting To Know Black Women In Toys and Entertainment with Tanya Wright
Feb 23, 2021
#57: Building Your Brand Identity with Albert Lawrence
Feb 17, 2021
#56: How To Be A Game Inventor With Eric Slauson Creator of Tattoo Stories
Feb 09, 2021
#55: Funding Your Toy Business with Terri-Nichelle Bradley of Brown Toy Box
Feb 03, 2021
#54: 5 Biggest Myths About Working In The Toy Industry
Jan 27, 2021
#53: The Importance Of Defining A Vision Statement For Your Toy Business
Jan 20, 2021
#52: The Business of Baby Toys with Brad Reese
Jan 13, 2021
#51: Set Up Your Toy Business For Tax Success with Margie Montes
Jan 06, 2021
#50: Becoming A Children's Book Illustrator and Author with Yesenia Moises
Dec 30, 2020
#49: 7 Lessons For Toy Inventors From Netflix’s Jingle Jangle
Dec 23, 2020
#48: Why The Toy Industry Needs More Toys Designed For Free Play
Dec 16, 2020
#47: Legally Protecting Your Toy Ideas with Stephanie Pottick, Esq
Dec 09, 2020
#46: My 5 Favorite Online Marketing Tactics To Grow Your Toy Business
Dec 02, 2020
#45: How Will COVID-19 Affect The Toy Industry’s Holiday Season?
Nov 25, 2020
#44: When Kids Invent Their Own Toys with OctoGifts
Nov 18, 2020
#43: Toy Safety 101 with Bill Baxter
Nov 11, 2020
#42: The Virtual Event That Toy Inventors Need Right Now
Nov 04, 2020
#41: What Keeps Kids’ Attention? with Silly Sparkles The Clown
Oct 28, 2020
#40: How Diverse Is Your Toy Company?
Oct 21, 2020
#39: Navigating The Festival of Licensing with Amanda Cioletti
Oct 14, 2020
#38: Bubbles For A Circular Economy with Paola Dyboski-Bryant
Oct 07, 2020
#37: How To Support Your Entrepreneurial Significant Other with Christian Castro
Sep 30, 2020
#36: Building A Circular Business In The Time Of Corona
Sep 23, 2020
#35: How Can The Toy Industry Be More Sustainable With Leticia Suarez
Sep 16, 2020
#34: Attracting Your Ideal Toy Mentor
Sep 09, 2020
#33: Designing For Free Play with Cas Holman
Sep 02, 2020
#32: The Value Of Partnering With A Passionate Licensing Agent
Aug 26, 2020
#31: What It Takes To Be A Successful & Happy Toy Entrepreneur
Aug 19, 2020
#30: What Does It Take To Be a Successful and Happy Toy Inventor?
Aug 11, 2020
#29: Are You a Toy Inventor or a Toy Entrepreneur?
Aug 05, 2020
#28: Playing The Kickstarter Long Game with Joe Slack
Jul 29, 2020
#27: How Much Are Customers Willing to Pay For Your Toy?
Jul 22, 2020
#26: The Growing Importance Of Social Proof For Your Toy Ideas
Jul 15, 2020
#25: How A Fellow Inventor Turned A Holiday Gift Idea Into A Licensed Invention with Karen Bonnici
Jul 08, 2020
#24: Breaking Into The Specialty Toy Market with Kimberly Mosley CAE, the President of ASTRA
Jul 01, 2020
#23: Licensing Week Virtual, Tips For Toy Inventors
Jun 24, 2020
#22: 8 Kickstarter Secrets To 8X Your Funding Goal with Evi Triantafyllides
Jun 17, 2020
#21: How To Make An Impact With a Big Idea and a Small Budget
Jun 10, 2020
#20: The Ripple Effect of Racial Bias in The Toy Industry
Jun 03, 2020
#19: Changing The Game with Pictionary Creator Rob Angel
May 27, 2020
#18: 3 Virtual Networking Opportunities For Toy People
May 20, 2020
#17: The First EVER Virtual Mentorship Program for Our Industry with Janice Ross and Mary Kay Russell
May 13, 2020
#16: The Benefits of Joining Women In Toys, Licensing & Entertainment
May 06, 2020
#15: Kickstarter Success In The Time of Coronavirus with Marjorie Spitalnik
Apr 29, 2020
#14: The Hard Truths About Kickstarter with Julie Underwood Richardson
Apr 22, 2020
#13: Staying At Home Part 2 Brainstorming and Playtesting Virtually
Apr 15, 2020
#12: Staying At Home Part 1 Problem Solving And Inventing
Apr 08, 2020
#11: Predicting Toy Market Trends After Coronavirus
Apr 01, 2020
#10: The Modern Marketing of Toys With Steve Starobinsky
Mar 25, 2020
#9: Top Toy Companies That You Should Know
Mar 18, 2020
#8: 3 Stages of the Toy Product Development Life Cycle
Mar 11, 2020
#7: Finding Quality Sample Makers For Plush, Paper, and Plastics
Mar 04, 2020
#6: What To Do When You Don’t Achieve Your Toy Fair Goals
Feb 27, 2020
#5: Everything You Need To Know About New York Toy Fair
Feb 20, 2020
#4: Finding The Perfect Factory For Production: Part 2
Feb 12, 2020
#3: Finding The Perfect Factory For Production: Part 1
Feb 05, 2020
#2: How To Make Your Ideas More Toyetic
Jan 30, 2020
#1: Unlocking Your Great Toy Ideas
Jan 18, 2020