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Making It in The Toy Industry
How do I bring my toy ideas to life? How can I pitch my toy concept to top toy companies like Hasbro, Mattel, or Goliath Games? What does it cost to make a prototype, and where can I get one made? Are there toy manufacturing options outside of 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 or game idea.
Learn how to find the right factory, negotiate manufacturing costs, and use successful sales techniques to get your product noticed by major toy companies.
Meet Your Host
Azhelle Wade, aka The Toy Coach, has been in the toy industry since 2010. With 3 toy patents, multiple toy awards, and a track record of managing multi-million-dollar toy lines for companies like Toys R Us, Party City, Madame Alexander, and Creative Kids, Azhelle brings passionate and enthusiastic toy industry expertise to every episode.
Join thousands of toy creators and entrepreneurs who are making their toy dreams real with Making It In The Toy Industry!
Making It in The Toy Industry
Latest Episodes
S6E10 | The AI Toy Sales Tool Smart Toy Companies Are Already Using
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 enviro...
S6E09 | Why Stickerbox Changed My Mind About AI Toys
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 int...
S6E08 | The Inventor of Bop It on AI, Execution, and Creating the Next Classic Toy
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 br...
S6E07 | The Best AI Platforms for Toy Businesses in 2026
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 ...
S6E06 | Should You Learn Claude Code? Build AI Apps for Your Toy Business
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 Cla...
Fan Mail
Great interview! How do you or sign up for toy collectible of the year? Or what is required?
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