I absolutely love talking marketing. Both digital marketing, traditional PR, and earned media are the main ways you can create awareness for your business. Before you spend any money developing your toy idea, I want you to have a realistic plan to build awareness around your product before you launch it. And you’ll build that awareness throughout marketing. Without that awareness you can’t collect generate email leads and interests. Without email leads and interest, you can’t generate or grow sales.

Our guest today, Harold Chizick points out telltale signs of marketing agencies that are likely to give you a cookie cutter solution and gives straight forward advice on how important research is in digital marketing. If you’re gearing up to market your toy product or if you could use a few tips to improve your existing strategy, then this is the podcast episode for you. Pop your earbuds in and get ready to take notes!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/82

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

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About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

Getting publicity for your toy business can seem like a daunting task at first. Imposter syndrome is often the culprit preventing many toy entrepreneurs from getting their name and toy products a well-deserved spotlight. Having been featured on NBC’s Access Daily, interviewed by Marie Forleo, and Amy Porterfield, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to teach you about getting media coverage.

By the end of today’s episode, you’ll have the tools you need to start highlighting and pitching your creative business to get major publicity. There are no shortcuts here, no quick wins, but there is a simple process that when done correctly will help you build a business that media outlets and public figures WANT to talk about. 

This episode will highlight the importance of creating a content library of what you know, create, and believe in so that you form a clear identity and perspective that is easy for the masses to relate to. If you’re curious how I manage to land feature after feature and help my students do the same, then listen in to this episode.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/81

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

Amy Porterfield is an online marketing expert and the host of the top-ranked podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. Before building a multi-million-dollar digital course business, Amy worked with mega brands like Harley-Davidson and Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she oversaw the content team and collaborated on ground-breaking online marketing campaigns.

And today, friend of the show Amy Porterfield joins The Toy Coach for a conversation around the importance of list building. In this fun conversation we dive into the mistakes and lessons Amy learned while starting her own online business. Amy shares a bit about a partnership that didn’t work in her favor and admits she avoided list building in her business far longer than she should have. You’ll leave today’s episode feeling inspired to take chances and make mistakes because no one starts out knowing exactly what they’re doing. Not even our expert guest Amy Porterfield.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/80

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

Are you in the process of sourcing with a factory overseas? Or perhaps you’re in the middle of working with a factory to produce your toy product. Or maybe you’ve just been considering reaching out to a factory in China but you haven’t taken the leap just yet. If you answered yes to any of those questions, then today’s episode is a must listen. In today’s episode I walk you through three of the 3 BIGGEST and most common mistakes you need to avoid when you start working with factories. Some of today’s lessons are taken directly from the early days of my toy career, so listen up, learn from my mistakes, and save yourself time and money! 

By The End Of This episode, you will walk away with the knowledge you need to avoid these common mistakes. This knowledge will make your china communications easier, save you money in product development and sample making. All to guarantee that you show up like an experienced product developer the next time you work with a factory to develop your toy idea.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/79

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

Today’s episode is for all of the aspiring professional toy designers out there who have reached out at one time or another for advice on how they can get a job in the toy industry. Perhaps you have a degree in industrial design, graphic design, or illustration, and you’ve recently discovered this podcast and realized—wait a minute. I want to be a toy designer.

Well finally I have the perfect episode for you. By the end of today’s episode, you will have uncovered a few resources to find jobs in the toy industry, you will know what it takes to land an interview at a toy company both big and small, you will know how to make a great first impression and have a clearer understanding of what employer are really looking to see in your toy portfolio.

This episode is your guide to transitioning into the toy industry even if you have no experience in it at all. You will also learn the specific steps I took over my 10 year toy career to over prepare myself for my toy job interviews. If you want to jumpstart your toy career, then this episode is a must listen.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/78

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

If the expense of returning to in-person toy trade shows has you a little worried, then there’s a year-round toy trade show platform that you need to know about. In today’s episode we take a behind the scenes look at Toy Fair Everywhere, a year-round, 24/7 virtual trade show that is changing the way the toy entrepreneurs and buyers connect and do business.
 
The platform functions as a product discovery tool for buyers and a wholesale ecommerce site for sellers. You can make, nurture, and grow new connections inside the platform, and make your entire product catalog available to only those who you are serious vetted buyers.

 What once started as a virtual stand in for New York toy fair during the height of the COVI-19 pandemic, is now a mainstay in the toy industry. This tool will allow you to continue conversations that may start at in-person events, and turn leads into sales. Listen in to today’s episode to learn exactly how this platform works and why it may be ideal for your toy business.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/77

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

For today’s episode of the show, I invited three of my star students of Toy Creators Academy to be guests on the podcast to share their experiences pitching their ideas right to major toy companies.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear understanding of what it takes to pitch your toy ideas in a virtual event, you’ll learn some lessons, and be inspired to take action whether you’re a toy inventor or toy entrepreneur. Today you will meet Ruthie Wallberg, Kieche O’Connell, and Pamela Salmon as they talk about the process of developing, pitching, pivoting, and pitching again.

2 of the 3 students you’ll meet in this podcast episode had no toy experience or no pitching experience before the TCA Virtual pitch event but now they feel confident, and hopeful as they move forward with their ideas. If you are interested in pitching your ideas to toy companies, distributors, or publishers, in the kids’ product space, then I suggest you pop in your earbuds and hit play right away.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/76

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

The first ever Toy Creators Academy virtual pitch event concluded at the end of May 2021. Over a dozen toy companies, reviewed dozens of product pitches in 2 weeks of speed-dating style toy and entertainment pitch meetings. The toy companies that attended this pitch event were connected with new toy entrepreneurs and toy inventors in the toy space, and the students and alumni of Toy Creators Academy who pitched were able to jumpstart their toy network. If you are curious about the TCA Virtual Pitch event, and are considering attending the next one, listen to this episode to find out more about who the event is for and what is required to be eligible to apply for this incredible opportunity. If you are a toy entrepreneur, toy inventor, or one in the making this new virtual pitch event is one you won’t want to miss out on!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/75

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

If you’re wondering how to break into toys, just know this. There are MANY paths into the toy industry. Get ready to hear how a self-published author found herself as the VP at a major toy company leading Marketing and Emerging IP’s. Our guest today is Karen Kilpatrick, an author who has both self-published and traditionally published her work with major companies like Macmillan.
 
In this episode, you’ll learn from Karen’s journey and mistakes, and finally, realize that you don’t need to know where you’re going to get somewhere you love. Discover a path for creatives seeking lucrative self-publishing options that allow you to keep upwards of 70% of profits instead of the typical 5% royalty. If you have ever had an idea for a children’s book, then this is an excellent episode for you to dive into.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/74

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

Do top toy companies really want to work with inventors? Today’s episode answers that question with a resounding YES!
Our guest today is Zack Pentecost of ZURU Toys. If you don’t know the name ZURU, you most definitely know some of their smash hit toy brands. Like Bunch O Balloons, Fifi The Flossin Sloth, or the Funky Flamingo, many of these toys have been featured on major media outlet like Good Morning America and featured by toy industry publications like The Toy Insider. Inventor, if you’ve been feeling restless because you haven’t heard back from your latest pitch submission, this is the episode for you. Inventors, this episode is filled with nothing but love and appreciation for the way you think and create for the toy industry.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/73

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt