Can your hobby become the next best selling board game? If you've ever dreamed of turning your weekend passion into something both magical and marketable, this episode is for you.

I’m recapping the best insights from my chat with Elizabeth Hargrave, the creator of Wingspan, and trust me, you don’t want to miss what she shared. We dive into why real-life experience is the key to immersive game design, how Elizabeth’s love of birding shaped her hit game, and how the right creative community can give your project a serious boost.

You’ll also hear the pitch strategy that helped her land her very first game deal, plus a fun brainstorm where I turn my salsa dancing hobby into a game concept that might just get your wheels turning too!

What are your hobbies? I personally enjoy dance, specifically latin dance and often I wonder, “What if I could translate salsa dancing into a toy or game?”. Well today, we’re going to explore that possibility. Today my guest shares how she turned her hobby into a best selling board game!

In this episode of Making It in the Toy Industry, I’m joined by Elizabeth Hargrave, award-winning board game designer and co-founder of the Tabletop Game Designers Association. You might know her from her hit game Wingspan, which turned the world of nature and birdwatching into one of the most beloved engine-building games of all time.

Licensing a tabletop game doesn’t require years of experience or a perfectly polished prototype. What it really takes is a strong idea, a strategic approach, and the confidence to put yourself out there.

I’m sitting down with April Mitchell, motivational speaker, licensing expert, and founder of 4A’s Creations, LLC. With years of product development and coaching at inventRight, April has helped countless creators bring their ideas to life. This past year, she licensed 6 tabletop games, and today, she’s sharing how.

You’ll hear how a name like “Pizza Pie” sparked a licensing deal, why having a pipeline of ideas helps you move faster, and how in-person pitches can make all the difference. We’ll also cover how to handle playtesting feedback, collaborate effectively, and keep momentum going with the right systems.

If you’ve got a tabletop game idea, this episode will help you take it from concept to contract.

👉 Hit play and take the first step into making your tabletop game a reality.

It started with a fuzzy little monster from a picture book inspired by Nordic fairy tales. No fame, no movie deal. But when a K-pop star hugged her on Instagram… everything changed.

This week on Making It In The Toy Industry, I’m diving into how Labubu, the “ugly-cute” character from POP MART, went viral and sparked a global toy craze.

One Instagram Story from BLACKPINK’s Lisa led to sold-out stores, TikTok buzz, and $1.6 billion in sales. We’ll unpack how POP MART turned that moment into a worldwide movement. From city-exclusive drops to fashion collabs, this case study is packed with lessons on scarcity, branding, and building community.

Launching a collectible or planning your next drop? This episode will help you build hype, grow your audience, and be ready for your viral moment.

Are you sleeping on the money-making magic of your email list? If you've been pouring all your energy into TikToks, Reels, and likes… hold up. Because while social media might be where the buzz is, your email list is where the buying happens.

In this episode of Making It In The Toy Industry, I’m showing you why email marketing is still one of the most powerful ways to grow your toy or game brand when it’s done right.

You’ll hear highlights from a special masterclass where I share a few of my favorite strategies to turn your list into a sales-driving, brand-building powerhouse. Oh, and yes... we’ll talk about subject lines that actually get clicks.

👉 Hit play, take notes, and let’s level up your email marketing game together!

What if your toy’s price point was the only thing standing between you and a “yes” from a major retailer? You’ve got the product, the mission, and maybe even a booth at Toy Fair—but if buyers are walking by without placing orders, it might not be your toy that’s the problem… it might be the price.

I’m sharing a powerful conversation I had at Toy Fair with Samantha Ong, founder of Joey Dolls — the World’s Most Diverse Asian Doll brand. Before launching her toy line, Samantha was a professional photographer, and now she’s built a brand that's not only beautiful, but mission-driven and retail-ready.

You’ll learn how to use trade shows to gather feedback that helps refine your pricing and packaging strategy, the exact price point that helped Samantha grow her product line, and which packaging details buyers actually care about. We’ll also get into how working with reps and consultants can seriously boost your visibility at trade shows.

Hit play and find out how a smart pricing pivot and trade show prep made all the difference for this toy creator.

Before we dive into one of the most creative plush lines I’ve ever seen, we need to talk about something serious—TARIFFS.

In this episode, I’m kicking things off with an urgent update on the U.S.–China tariff situation and sharing what I’d do if I were launching a toy brand today—and why diversifying manufacturing is essential.

Then, I take you inside my exclusive Toy Fair interview with Lisa Doiron, VP of Global Brand Marketing at Basic Fun.

Lisa introduced me to ThreadZ—a limited-edition plush line made with excess fabrics, designed for Gen Alpha’s love of individuality and “get-it-before-it’s-gone” energy.

You’ll hear why now’s the time to rethink manufacturing, how to make your toy line more flexible, what Gen Alpha really wants, and how to apply a big-brand, small-batch strategy to your own biz.

Hit play now and get inspired by a big-brand strategy you can actually use!

Behind every “yes” in the toy industry, there’s a mountain of “no’s,” countless hours of hustle, and more trial and error than most people expect. At one point, he came close to walking away from it all—until a single line from an episode of Bluey reminded him that making games was exactly what he was meant to do.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jeremy Posner, owner of Shenanigans Toys and Games, the inventor behind Beagle or Bagel, Bears in Barrels, and Piggy Piggy. He’s worked with toy giants like Hasbro and Mattel, won Game Innovator of the Year at the TAGIEs, and been named to the Mojo Nation 100 six times. But here’s the twist: it still took him eight years to consistently meet his royalty goals.

You’ll learn why licensing a game doesn’t mean you’ve made it, what makes a concept truly “sellable,” and how long it actually takes to start seeing returns. Jeremy also shares how he trained his brain to be more creative.

Hit play and steal a few smart moves for your next big creative leap.

Can 3D printing really replace traditional toy manufacturing? One founder says “absolutely” and she’s got the award to prove it.

In this episode, I’m chatting with the amazing Courtney Peebles, founder of Solobo Toys, about how she won a TOTY Award for her hit plush toy, Emotional Baggage, and how rising manufacturing challenges pushed her to transform her business using 3D printed toys.

Courtney shares how 3D printing helped her cut costs, improve margins, and build a profitable direct-to-consumer brand. We’ll also cover how she handled safety testing, embraced sustainable manufacturing, and scaled her business without relying on overseas factories.

If you’ve ever dreamed about taking your toy idea from sketch to shelf without a big factory or warehouse, you need to hear this one! 

Listen now and let Courtney’s story inspire your next step in the toy industry.

“There are no tired brands, just tired marketers.” That quote alone has been living rent-free in my head since this interview. It has challenged me to take a look at my own brand and ask, am I doing everything I can to keep it thriving?

In this episode, Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop and Chairwoman of the Toy Association, shares how she turned around a failing classic brand, and ushered it into a new era of profitability and heart. 

If you’re sitting on a brand that you know has potential but you’ve been feeling stuck on how to help it gain momentum, this episode will certainly give you a new perspective.