Making It in The Toy Industry

Plenty of toy creators find a factory online, send over their idea, and then watch everything stall. In this teaching episode, The Toy Coach (Azhelle Wade) walks through seven challenges that make working with a factory in China hard, and shares how she gets around each one after 16 years in the toy industry and more than 500 toys and games developed with factories across the globe.

In this episode

• Why you never quite know who you are talking to: factory, sourcing agent or trading company, and how a middleman's fee can eat into your margins
• How AI-built factory websites can fool you, and how to vet a factory with non-AI photos, a video call, a quality assurance agency, China's business registry and export records
• Why a factory will always say yes, and how to ask whether they can make every piece of your product in house
• How to protect your idea before you send it: trademark, patent, and an NNN agreement (non-disclosure, non-use, non-circumvention), plus quoting components separately before revealing the core of your idea
• The language barrier, including The Toy Coach's embarrassing long-email story from her early career and how to mark up sample photos so a factory can follow your changes
• Color: why Pantone colors matter, why a screen color is not enough, and why you should never approve production from a screen
• Distance: the firewall, time zone differences and Chinese holidays that can shut down production
• Credibility: why factories need to believe you will place an order, and two ways to get taken seriously
• This week's action item: put the China factory holidays on your calendar

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• Launch Your Toy in 4 Months
• 🧸 THE PLAY PATTERN NEWSLETTER
• Download My China Holiday Calendar

🛒 AFFILIATE LINKS

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Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

The toys on store shelves this holiday season were picked by retail buyers more than a year ago, and many of those conversations started at a show most new toy creators have never heard of. In this episode, Azhelle Wade, The Toy Coach, attends LA Toy Previews for the first time and goes inside The Toy Building in El Segundo, California, where The Toy Association has turned its own lounges into showrooms.

In this episode

• How LA Toy Previews became one of the most important stops in the toy buying calendar, with Greg Ahearn, President and CEO of The Toy Association
• A tour of The Toy Building, now 101% leased, with Kimberly Carcone, EVP of Global Experiences
• What really happens in a September buyer meeting, with Tom Delaney of Blokees
• Why Ty, the company behind Beanie Babies, reports buyer feedback to leadership every single night, with Tania Lundeen of Ty
• Five lessons for getting in front of retail buyers before Toy Fair
• How The Toy Coach and one of her clients landed a retail deal even when showrooms were sold out

Want to lease a showroom in The Toy Building? Visit and click on LA Previews.

Ready to make your toy? Book a discovery call with Azhelle.

Learn the whole process step by step inside Toy Creators Academy.

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Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

For years, Azhelle Wade, The Toy Coach, refused to teach manifestation on Making It In The Toy Industry. She thought it was too “woo woo” for a toy business show. In this episode, she explains what changed her mind, and why she now believes manifestation and hard work are two halves of the same plan.

Azhelle walks through the three habits she has her clients practice to get a toy idea out of their head and onto a store shelf:

• See your toy’s future clearly. That starts with a daily gratitude list of small wins, and the four-square vision board she and her husband draw and hang at home.
• Show up for it every single day. That includes the one consistent habit she recommends to almost every toy creator.
• Protect your time and energy. She opens up the “ideal week” calendar she uses to avoid burnout.

She also shares the night a single idea led her to pitch a toy TV show to a developer at a major studio. And she explains why most toy creators quit manifesting after just a few days, right before the results would have shown up.

Mentioned in this episode:
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero: https://link.amazon/B08r79kHK
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: https://link.amazon/B0a1HlUrZ
Toy Creators Academy: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

Like any good season finale, I'm putting it all on the table.

Episode 10 marks the END of our season all about the Impact of AI on The Toy Industry. In this week's episode we're revisiting everything we covered this season from the environmental and mental impact of AI usage, to it's organizational benefits and need for a human touch.

Then, I'll be sharing the results from my survey on AI Usage in The Toy Industry. So if you're here for the chisme, start poppin' that popcorn now, and turn the volume up because I'm sharing every bit of juicy data from this industry wide survey.

And then FINALLY the moment I've been waiting for all season. I'm introducing you to a tool that utilizes AI to help you find qualified toy stores where your product fits the demographic, the vibe, and the audience to thrive. This new AI sales tool is called The Toy Matchmaker and you don't need to know anything about AI or have a single AI subscription to use it.

🔗 Limited availability for The Toy Matchmaker is opening soon. 

Get on the list: https://thetoymatchmaker.com/

 📅 Free AI Tools for Business Masterclass with me on April 15th: thetoycoach.com/ai

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

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Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

I once told CNN that some AI toys feel like a wolf in sheep’s clothing because it can be hard to tell how much privacy you’re giving up. While I'm a fan of AI use in business, I’ve been skeptical of AI toys for a while.

But in today's interview, the Stickerbox genuinely changed my mind. Instead of using AI to keep kids on a screen, or to get them to develop a relationship with a robot, instead, Stickerbox uses AI to help kids turn their ideas into something physical, creative, and hands-on. In this episode, Arun Gupta, co-founder of Stickerbox, shares how his team built a product that feels more like a tool for creation and not consumption.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Stickerbox
• Toy Creators Academy
  
  

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Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

What if I told you Dan Klitsner discovered AI 30 years ago and used it to invent Bop It?

Well, he didn’t. But I did ask Dan how AI might have influenced the creation of his hit game if it did exist when he was first starting out. Dan’s breakout invention sold over 50 million units, and those numbers put the “song” associated with the game at Diamond status. (Dear music industry, he’s still awaiting his plaque.)

This week on the podcast, I’m sharing a chat with Dan Klitsner, the inventor of Bop It. We talk about the upcoming 30 year anniversary, how he’s been celebrating milestones over the years, and we dive into a chat about AI, execution, and what it really takes to create the next classic toy.

We get into how inventors can use AI as a tool, why execution can sometimes become the real invention, and what originality means in a world where ideas are easier than ever to generate.

If you’re a toy inventor, designer, or product creator trying to figure out where AI fits into your process, this episode is for you, my friend!

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Support the show

Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

AI is changing fast, but for the first time in a while I'm feeling that we've hit a moment of "stability". That means NOW is the perfect time to learn to apply the latest AI tools to your toy business.

In this mini reset episode, I break down why so many people are getting mediocre results from AI, and announce a free live masterclass where I'll walk you through the three AI tools + new-ish features that every toy company needs to know: ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

You'll also get a sneak peek at Toy Biz Backup, my upcoming AI support team built specifically to help your toy businesses, and hear an important update about the Toy Coach Showcase at ASTRA 2026.

In this episode you'll hear about:

• Why most people get bad results from AI and what's actually going wrong
• What projects, gems, and skills are (and why they're the new baseline for AI use)
• Why now is finally the right time to commit to learning AI tools
• What's covered in the free AI Tools for Business Masterclass (April 15th, 12 to 1PM ET)
• A sneak peek at Toy Biz Backup, an AI support team built for toy businesses
• The Toy Coach Showcase at ASTRA 2026, only 2 spots left!

Mentioned in This Episode:

• 🎓 Free AI Tools for Business Masterclass (April 15, 12 to 1PM ET) thetoycoach.com/ai
• 🆕 Toy Coach Showcase at ASTRA 2026 (only 2 spots left!) learn.thetoycoach.com/showcase
• 🥊 Higgsfield AI (multi-tool AI platform mentioned) higgsfield.ai

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

1.5 million people left Chat GPT and went running to Claude for all the wrong reasons. Claude isn’t just the more ethical AI tool. It’s THE tool built for serious businesses.

One of the most popular topics of conversation right now is Claude Code. I myself have been obsessing over it lately, finding myself dreaming of code to the point where I wake up thinking I’ve finished a debug.

The bigger question isn’t just HOW to use Claude Code but it’s really, SHOULD you be using it? I’m estimating it’ll take a good 200 hours of use before you start to “get it”, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some pretty cool things along the way.

This week’s episode dives into Claude Code, how I used it, what you can do with it, and how to get started.

🧸 Mentioned In This Video 🧸

🔗 Resources:

• Claude & Claude Code – https://claude.ai
• Claude Max plan (used while building) – https://claude.ai
• The Toy Matchmaker (beta) – https://www.toymatchmaker.com
• Toy Creators Academy – https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com
• The Toy Coach – https://www.thetoycoach.com

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

My friend (and On Brand with Jimmy Fallon co-star) Pyper Bleu is joining me on the podcast today to share her perspective on the effects of AI and the algorithm on retail.

Our conversation starts with Pyper peeling back the curtain on how she built a platform of 400K subscribers on her YouTube channel Lyfe of Pyper, and why she decided to shift offline and open a retail shop — plus she explains how they're so different.

We also get honest about AI in our day-to-day — from using it to soften angry emails (there's humanity in that) to realizing AI-written "thank you" messages feel worse than no reply at all. Pyper shares why she stopped using AI for correspondence and actually got faster, and I open up about using AI to learn rather than just get answers. Plus, Pyper drops a killer tip about packaging that every toy inventor needs to hear.

If you're feeling a little AI overwhelmed, this podcast is your safe space. Cozy up with a warm cup of tea and give it a listen.

💜 Welcome, Toy People! 👋🏽 Thanks for being part of this playful community.

🧸 Mentioned In This Video 🧸

🔗 Resources:
https://pyperbleu.com/

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/

So I finally convinced you that you can’t ignore AI… and you’re ready to implement it in your toy business. Go you. Love that for you. 👏🏾

But before you go trying to haphazardly plug AI into every little task, you need to build your AI foundation.

Your AI foundation is a series of files, records, strategy, and frameworks that you as a business use on a day-to-day basis. You may already have it documented somewhere, living in your head, or is just something your team knows how to execute.

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down exactly:

• What you need to document
• How to pull that information together
• What you’re actually going to use it for
• And how to use it to benefit your process TODAY.

I’m also sharing a tool I made that will help you build this foundation a whole lot faster.

I know I say this all the time, but… DO NOT miss this episode!

Key Moments:

• 01:00 – Why you cannot layer AI on top of messy data and undocumented processes
• 02:00 – Foundation #1: Your Golden Data (sales data, product list, customer profile)
• 11:00 – The brand voice problem that makes AI sound generic (and how to fix it)
• 14:00 – Foundation #3: Your tech stack audit
• 17:00 – Foundation #4: SOPs (yes, you must have them)
• 21:00 – Foundation #5: Folder structure + the “Chief Operations Officer” prompt

Mentioned in This Episode:

• AI Blueprint
  thetoycoach.com/ai
• Toy Coach Showcase
  https://learn.thetoycoach.com/showcase
• Connect With Me
  If you’re ready to implement AI into your business and you want it done for you, email me at: [email protected]

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

Toy Creators Academy 8.0 is launching soon, get on the waitlist: https://www.toycreatorsacademy.com/