With every major advancement in science or technology, there is bound to be pushback. AI is no exception. This season is for toy and game creators navigating AI in the toy industry. In 10 episodes we’ll explore how to use AI while maintaining your taste, trusting your judgement, protecting your IP, and actually saving time.

This first episode is the foundation for the coming weeks. Before you dive any deeper into AI, let’s get real about the risks of operating it with little to no guardrails.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• digital amnesia
• the environmental impact of AI
• the hidden ways AI is already showing up inside your tool stack
• AI use cases that dull your brain and personality

Season 6 begins now.

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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

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After 299 weeks of toy talk, our 300th episode marks the closing of one chapter and opening another. This little podcast that started as “let’s see what happens” has turned into a full-on resource library for toy inventors, toy entrepreneurs, and creative creatives like you who just can’t shake that pull toward the toy industry.

In this episode, I'm sharing the biggest lessons from 5+ years of episodes: why most toy ideas don’t fail because they’re “bad,” how confidence actually follows clarity, and why community and the right mentors matter more than “perfect” artwork or prototypes.

This year I was on national TV with Jimmy Fallon, landed some truly incredible clients, and became a mom for the first time. So with all those big life shifts, it was time to take a reflective look at this podcast as well.

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🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.

Before Swift Clicks ever hit the shelves, the team at Make It Real was staring down the brutal math of the craft aisle: rising costs, shrinking margins, and kids who expect faster, cooler results than ever. So how did her team turn that pressure into a Creative Toy of the Year finalist bracelet maker that Swifties can’t stop talking about?

In this episode of Making It in the Toy Industry, I sit down with Gena Lavallee, VP of Global Brands at Make It Real, to reveal the story behind Swift Clicks, the Make It Real Heishi Bracelet Maker. From the “clicky pen” inspiration to the clever refill system, hidden funnel, built-in storage, lefty/righty-friendly design, and even how to actually tie a jeweler’s knot, you’ll hear how Gena’s team transformed a slow, fiddly craft into a fast, inclusive, and insanely satisfying play experience.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Make It Real reinvented a classic bracelet-making play pattern to prioritize speed, ease, and fashion-forward results
• Why the team designed Swift Clicks to work for both right-handed and left-handed makers
• The “razor and razor blade” strategy behind refills—and how Make It Real solved the refill placement problem at retail
• The smart hidden features inside the product—funnel, aligning tool, built-in storage, and more—that most consumers never notice
• How Swiftie culture, influencer content, and viral videos helped turn Swift Clicks into a breakout hit
• What today’s craft brands can learn about pricing, margins, and marketing in a tough category

🔗 Links & Resources

• Vote Swift Clicks Heishi Bracelet Maker for Creative Toy of the Year and People’s Choice at ToyAwards.org (see show notes for direct link)
• Learn more about Make It Real and Swift Clicks at MakeItReal.com
• Watch Azhelle’s full Swift Clicks toy review on The Toy Coach YouTube channel (companion episode airs the same day as this podcast!)

Hit play to join this bracelet-making party and get inspired to rethink your own toy or craft line through the lens of speed, inclusivity, and smart design.

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🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.

Can a $5 squishy toy really outsell the competition and take home a Toy of the Year award? Schylling’s CEO Paul Weingard is betting on it and honestly, the numbers are on his side.

The NeeDoh Nice Cube Swirl isn’t just another sensory stress ball. It’s a Specialty Toy of the Year finalist that’s been an Amazon best seller, is selling out in stores, AND building real emotional connection with kids and adults worldwide. The CEO shared with me that they’ve gotten handwritten letters from kids, therapists, and even college students sharing how this tiny cube helps them relax, reset, and focus. Retailers can’t restock it fast enough and during this interview I’m on a mission to find out why.

Join me in the Schylling office where I sit with Paul Weingard to unpack the exact strategies that turned a simple sensory ball into a branded, collectable empire that’s dominating on Amazon, thriving in toy stores, and blowing up organically online. You’ll learn how they scaled sales without leaning on trends, built retail momentum through independent stores, and created a $5 product that buyers and therapists can’t get enough of.

If landing a TOTY nomination is on your vision board, or you're trying to get retailers to reorder faster than you can ship, this episode will show you what it really takes to turn a small idea into a big win.

Vote for NeeDoh Nice Cube Swirl in the Specialty Toy of the Year category. Voting is open to Toy Association members AND members of the media. Cast your vote for NeeDoh Nice Cube Swirl in the Specialty Toy of the Year category!

If you're in the media (like an industry influencer) and you aren’t registered to vote, contact the toy association at info@toyassociation.org for details.

Listen for these Important Moments:

• [00:01:30] – Find out how Schylling transformed a simple squishy ball into a multi-million dollar brand with over 50 SKUs.
• [00:11:30] – Discover how NeeDoh tapped into the specialty retail channel to test and scale — with 10X reorders in 30 days.
• [00:18:40] – See how organic fan content and surprise use-cases (from therapy to dental offices!) shaped the Nice Cube’s evolution.
• [00:26:05] – Hear how the team designed packaging that sells itself, with irresistible shelf appeal and built-in trial moments.
• [00:33:20] – Unpack what a TOTY nomination really does for sales and why Paul says you need to be ready to airfreight inventory if you win.

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.

They sold out before summer, got emails from retailers and industry outsiders, and scored a back-to-back TOTY nomination… so how did they do it?

In this episode of Making It in the Toy Industry, I talk with Ron Weizman of South Beach Bubbles about the strategy behind their hit product, the Galactic Color Bubble Machine. We cover what it takes to stand out in a saturated market, how packaging and demos drove retail success, and why award wins matter more than you think.

Listen in and see why this toy is taking over the bubble aisle and… don’t forget to vote for it in the Outdoor Toy of the Year category!

Voting is open to Toy Association members and media. Not registered? Reach out to info@toyassociation.org for access.

Listen for these Important Moments:

• [00:01:30] – Learn how to pitch your toy in 30 seconds or less, as Ron shares the quick-hit sell for a product that became a TOTY nominee two years in a row.
• [00:03:10] – Thinking of adding tech to your toy? This breakdown of how the Galactic Bubble Machine works will spark ideas for simple, affordable "wow" moments.
• [00:06:03] – Discover how to make your product stand out in a crowded category Ron explains the strategy behind going beyond a standard bubble machine.
• [00:11:04] – Get inspired by the R&D story behind Poppin Colorz, and learn how chemistry, persistence, and a little creative obsession turned into a category-disrupting toy.
• [00:21:08] – Hear how one toy’s demo power translated into real retail impact including sidewalk traffic, trade show buzz, and in-store conversion.

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🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.

What does it really take to make an ESPN-licensed toy? Imagine teaching kids about sports from inside SportsCenter.

That’s exactly what Abacus Brands pulled off after 27...yes, twenty-seven licensing deals, seven TOTY nominations, and one incredibly ambitious idea. For 2025, Abacus Brands teamed up with ESPN and a roster of elite athletes to create the ESPN Virtual Reality Headset. This toy turns a 148 page sports book into a fully immersive experience so kids can learn rules, history, and the why behind the game from inside SportsCenter alongside anchor Arda Öcal. It took 27 separate licensing deals to pull this off, and in my latest episode of Making It in the Toy Industry I sat down with Abacus CEO Steve Rad to talk about working with Disney and ESPN, the wild cost of big name athletes, why Jordan was the one they could not land, and the prototype moment that stopped him in his tracks.

If you are a Toy Association member or in the media, you can (and should) vote for the ESPN VR Headset for Educational Toy of the Year.

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🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.

What started as an inventor's pitch, evolved into a collectible phenomenon. Sky Castle Toys is showing us what happens when you combine viral content with collectibility… and it’s Sticki Rolls.

Sticki Rolls is nominated for Collectible Toy Of The Year, and if you ask me, they should be the ones taking home the TOTY. (sorry Lego!) Sky Castle built a brand, demand, and a community from scratch, and they’re only continuing to grow. Driven by viral content and partnerships with niche artists, the Sticki rolls brand is one of the few toys that can get kids excited about putting down their phones…even if it’s just to cover them with stickers. 😏

In this episode of Making It In The Toy Industry, co-founder of Sticki rolls, Lev Nelson, reveals how this TOTY-nominated toy went from concept to category disrupter in under two years. Sticki Rolls may look simple: “just stickers on a bracelet” but behind this viral collectible is a smart design, strategic marketing, and a product kids can’t stop sharing and sticking to everything and with everyone.

Lev shares how Sticki Rolls launched during the pandemic, innovated manufacturing, survived the shipping crisis, built a global fan base, and YouTube-first marketing engine from scratch. (That now has over a million subscribers, by the way!)

If you were considering giving another company your TOTY vote…you might want to think again after hearing this episode.

Featured in this episode:

• The top-secret rarity system built into every Sticki Rolls bracelet
• The manufacturing challenge that nearly derailed the product
• How Sticki Rolls are designed with parents in mind
• And what I think about this new brand going head-to-head with collectible giants like LEGO, Pokémon, and Magic: The Gathering for their TOTY nomination.

Sticki Rolls earned their spot among the greats and now they need your vote to seal the deal. If this episode inspired you, if this product wowed you, cast your vote for Sticki Rolls in the Collectible Toy of the Year category!

Voting is open to Toy Association members AND members of the media. So if you're in the media and you aren’t registered to vote, contact the toy association at info@toyassociation.org for details.

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.

You’ve heard of the Emmys, the Oscars, and the Grammys... but what about the TOTYs?

In this episode, we’re going to dive into the TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards and why they’re a huge deal if you're in the toy industry. I’m breaking down exactly how to get nominated, how to time your launch for max award potential, and how a TOTY nod can boost your sales, get you press, and even give your SEO a serious lift.

You'll also hear about the glamorous TOTY Gala held during New York Toy Fair, how voting works (yes, there’s a People’s Choice!), and how you can leverage a TOTY finalist spot into a powerful marketing moment.

Featured in this episode:

• How TOTY nominations can increase sales by 30%
• The step-by-step submission and voting timeline
• What it’s really like attending the black-tie gala
• Promotional spotlight opportunities for current finalists

If you’re a TOTY finalist this year (or know someone who is), now’s the time to act. Public voting is open and closes January 7, 2026! Head to this year’s nominee list, find your category, and start rallying your audience.

And if you’re ready to boost your visibility with a TOTY Spotlight feature on the podcast, YouTube channel, and beyond, grab your category-exclusive promo package before it’s gone. Let’s turn that nomination into a win!

Listen for these Important Moments!

• [00:01:41] – Learn what the TOTY Awards are, who runs them, and why they’re the Oscars of the toy world.
• [00:02:02] – Find out exactly how to qualify for a nomination: including timing, crowdfunding rules, and product availability.
• [00:03:09] – Step inside the black-tie TOTY Gala with Azhelle’s firsthand recap from red carpet to Wyclef Jean.
• [00:04:55] – How a TOTY nomination can lead to a 30% sales bump, more press, better SEO, and even job offers.
• [00:07:10] – Get details on my exclusive promo packages for 2026 finalists! (only one per category)

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

🔴 Want to add to the conversation? Join the live premiere of this week's episode on YouTube at 12pm EST to ask follow-up questions, share your thoughts, and chat with other toy people. Click here to join the LIVE YouTube premiere.