The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media & Events

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Jeff Garb, regional sales manager for the northeast at Diverse Marketing.

For more than 30 years, Garb led his own company — Jeff Garb & Associates — gaining acclaim for servicing the toy and gift industries throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic States. With a team of 15 sales reps, Garb presented new toys, games, and gift products to more than 4,000 retailers, notably driving sales for Toysmith in the region. Garb joined Diverse Marketing last fall.

On the show, Garb discusses how the street he grew up on prompted him to join the industry and how the customer base is unique in the Northeast market. Additionally, Garb and Albritton discuss “force of nature” fads and how to make the best of them; best practices when recruiting and managing a sales team; and the recent changes and challenges to toy sales and how to pivot to best serve customers.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Adventure Media and Events' own Marissa DiBartolo, editor-in-chief of both the Toy Insider and the Pop Insider and senior editor of the Toy Book. DiBartolo manages print and digital content for the Toy Insider and the Pop Insider, including daily product news, reviews, and features, the legendary Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide.

On the show, Albritton and DiBartolo discuss the importance of building connections between toymakers and families and how doing press for toys has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. DiBartolo shares insight from her years of experience demonstrating toys on national TV, including appearances on the TODAY Show, the Steve Harvey Show, ABC World News Now, Fox and Friends, and more.

Additionally, DiBartolo — a newly minted Genius of Play Ambassador — gives a sneak preview of the Toy Insider's forthcoming early look at some of the biggest toy trends of 2021.

It's Genius of Play Week on the "Power Kid Podcast" presented by the Toy Book. This week, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes four committee members representing The Toy Association's Genius of Play initiative and its ongoing mission to provide families with the information and inspiration they need to make play an important part of their kid’s day. This month represents a milestone for the organization as the Genius of Play pulls back the curtain on its newly minted Play Ambassadors — a group of exceptional individuals who are toy experts and champions of the power of play.

In this episode, Albritton is joined by Genius of Play Committee Chair Ashley Mady, head of brand development at Basic Fun! Mady is integral to promoting and developing brands such as Care Bears, K’nex, Pound Puppies, Lite-Brite, Tonka, and Cutetitos. She also serves on the board of trustees at The Toy Foundation and also an advisory board member for Women in Toys.

On the show, Mady explains how playing as a kid helped inform her skill as a toy and game designer and brand creator. She also shares her recent experiences in developing Tonka’s Let’s Go Play! initiative with Shaquille O’Neal and discuss how story and character development affects how kids play. Finally, Albritton and Mady close out Genius of Play Week with a discussion on why play is so important right now.

It's Genius of Play Week on the "Power Kid Podcast" presented by the Toy Book. This week, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes four committee members representing The Toy Association's Genius of Play initiative and its ongoing mission to provide families with the information and inspiration they need to make play an important part of their kid’s day. This month represents a milestone for the organization as the Genius of Play pulls back the curtain on its newly minted Play Ambassadors — a group of exceptional individuals who are toy experts and champions of the power of play.

In this episode, Albritton is joined by Kid@Heart Steve Starobinsky, a noted trend hunter who consistently identifies exciting new products and helps new brands find their voice in the crowded marketplace. On the show, Albritton and Starobinsky discuss how the pandemic has affected and reintroduced play to kids and families along with the often conflicting relationship between play and toy trends. Additionally, the duo explores how the toy industry is opening doors for those outside it to learn more about play.

It's Genius of Play Week on the "Power Kid Podcast" presented by the Toy Book. This week, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes four committee members representing The Toy Association's Genius of Play initiative and its ongoing mission to provide families with the information and inspiration they need to make play an important part of their kid’s day. This month represents a milestone for the organization as the Genius of Play pulls back the curtain on its newly minted Play Ambassadors — a group of exceptional individuals who are toy experts and champions of the power of play.

In this episode, Albritton is joined by Melissa Hunter, YouTube creator, occasional Toy Book contributor, and founder of the Family Video Network. Hunter delves into her interest in play as she unpacks the ways that YouTube has changed the way that kids engage with toys. Additionally, Hunter explores the importance of doll play for kids and adults and what parents can learn from playing alongside their kids.

It's Genius of Play Week on the "Power Kid Podcast" presented by the Toy Book. This week, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes four committee members representing The Toy Association's Genius of Play initiative and its ongoing mission to provide families with the information and inspiration they need to make play an important part of their kid’s day. This month represents a milestone of the for the organization as the Genius of Play pulls back the curtain on its newly minted Play Ambassadors — a group of exceptional individuals who are toy experts and champions of the power of play.

In the first of four episodes, Albritton welcomes Michael Rinzler, executive vice president and partner at Jazwares. Prior to becoming co-president and founding partner of Wicked Cool Toys — which was acquired by Jazwares in 2019 — Rinzler held positions at MGA Entertainment, Mattel, Playmates Toys, and Jakks Pacific. On the show, Rinzler shares the important lessons he has learned in play-centered focus groups. Additionally, he and Albritton discuss the dress-up and roleplay category and the importance of that type of imaginative play.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes back toy industry veteran Nancy Zwiers.

Zwiers' last appearance topped the charts as the most-streamed episode of the "Power Kid Podcast" for 2020, and for the sequel, she's sharing her thoughts on how “Play is natures' way of helping us learn how to survive”

On the show, Albritton and Zwiers dive deep into the inherent biological importance of play and how the most successful brands focus on kids' desires and dreams and trust their play instincts. Finally, Zwiers unpacks her "Funosophy Play Theory" which is an organized chart of play patterns and age ranges rooted in child psychology.

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes University Games founder Bob Moog to the show for a discussion on the state of the games industry.

Since its founding in 1985, University Games has been a staple game company with hits like Murder Mystery Party and 20 Questions. Additionally, Moog leverages popular licenses like Dogman, Pete and Cat, and The World Eric Carle to create great new games while segmenting his business under distinct brand labels, including Megableu, BePuzzled, and Briarpatch.

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes legendary toy designer Eddy Goldfarb and his daughter Lyn to the show.

Eddy Goldfarb is a prolific inventor that holds 300 patents. During the course of his career, nearly 800 of his products — including KerPlunk and Hydro Strike — have been brought to market. He was a 2003 inductee into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame and a 2010 recipient of the TAGIE Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lyn Goldfarb's short documentary, Eddy's World went viral last month after being featured in The New Yorker. The Oscar-eligible short was honored with the Best Short Documentary Award at the Port Townsend Film Festival and a Jury Award for Best Short Documentary at the Raw Science Film Festival.

The "Power Kid Podcast" is back for another year with host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design lining up conversations with some of the biggest names and rising stars in the toy, game, and family entertainment industries.

On the first show of the new year, Albritton welcomes Omer Dekel, vice president of international sales at PMI International. Based in Tel Aviv, the family-owned company is Israel's leader in manufacturing, marketing, and distributing licensed leisure products for kids, including toys, collectibles, publishing, back-to-school items, and more.

Dekel shares the backstory of his early days working in the family business and how the company found success with a sticker album inspired by The Simpsons and grew the business by launching products based on popular emoticons. Additionally, the duo discusses the biggest challenges facing international distribution and PMI's rapid growth into creating products based on top licenses, including Fortnite, WWE, and properties from Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and more.