The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media & Events – Details, episodes & analysis

In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Kevin Daniels, President and Co-Founder of Fun In Motion Toys to the show. Fun In Motion is the four-time Toy of the Year (TOTY) finalist behind mesmerizing toys including Shashibo, Spin Ball, and Wandini.

On the show, Daniels explains how an activity invented by the indigenous people of New Zealand became the inspiration for Fun In Motion Toys' first product. He and Albritton go on to discuss the success of Fun In Motion with independent retailers and the methods used to grab customers' attention. Following the backstory on Shashibo, Daniels shares insight into how the company is leveraging its existing items to break into new product categories.

In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Kyle Cosgrove, Territory Manager at Goliath Games to the show. A sales vet with experience at Crazy Aaron's and Monkey Fish Toys, Cosgrove is focused on expanding Goliath's footprint across independent toy and game stores.

On the show, he and Albritton discuss the skills learned in working toy retail and how those skills still apply today. Cosgrove shares his experiences in selling to kids in-store and how they think differently about product. Additionally, he shares some advice for young people starting out in the toy industry, the current state of games at specialty, and how independent retailers can set themselves up for sales success.

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Evan Katz and Josh Roberts of Very Special Games to the show.

On the show, Katz and Roberts deliver intel on the guerrilla warfare tactics required to self-produce games. They launched their first successful game, Charity Party, on Kickstarter in 2019 and have since built a catalog of games including Ransom Notes, Abducktion, and Puns of Anarchy.

Katz and Roberts unpack their first foray into the gaming world and what they learned early on. From there, Albritton asks them about the importance of involving Kickstarter backers in the process as a consumer sounding board, and how having great factory connections can streamline the manufacturing process.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Jason Mars, owner of Red Planet Group.

Red Planet Group is a premier distributor and marketer of toys throughout Canada. The company supports global toymakers by bringing toys such as Treasure X, Scruff-A-Lives, Little Live Pets, Wubble, and more to Canadian kids and families.

On the show, Albritton delves into Mars' origin story which includes working alongside his father with partners such as Toy Biz and Tiger Electronics. The duo then delves into the nuances of marketing to Canadian families and how they purchase toys. Finally, Mars shares details on the unique logistics and operational issues encountered in the Canadian market and shares some of the new toys that Red Planet Group is working to promote.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Brian Volk-Weiss, CEO of The Nacelle Co. and Comedy Dynamics.

Volk-Weiss is the creator and producer of Netflix's The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us, and has produced Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning comedy albums for the likes of Weird Al Yankovic, Dave Chappelle, and Jerry Seinfeld, and has produced and directed dozens of comedy specials for talent including Tiffany Hadish, Kevin Hart, Jim Gaffigan, Ali Wong, and many more.

His latest project is the new series, A Toy Store Near You, which delves into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on independent toy stores and collectibles retailers around the world. On the podcast, Albritton and Volk-Weiss discuss the similarities between the toy industry and the comedy world, the genesis of the new series, and why A Toy Store Near You is so important in shedding light on small businesses.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with "The Toy Coach" Azhelle Wade. For more than a decade, Wade has held roles at companies including Horizon Group and Blumenthal Lansing Co., and served as a global product development and design manager at Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us. She currently serves as vice president of brand and product at Creative Kids.

In today's show, Albritton and Wade discuss her early focus on serving and learning from kids, and how a cancer scare propelled her into several new ventures. Other topics include the ways that a  manufacturer can bring continuous value to its buyers and the unique aspects of working in the doll and craft categories. Finally, Wade shares the origin story of her 'Making it in the Toy Industry' podcast.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Joe and Jim Seymour of E-Blox.

On the show, the Seymours discuss the origin story of their Illinois-based family business that offers products that balance deep learning with big fun. Kids can use E-Blox sets to engineer fully functional creations, to add lights and sounds to existing block sets, and to tell stories with Story Blox sets. Between the Seymour brothers and their father, Art, the family holds more than 50 patents.

Albritton and the Seymours delve into the importance of getting kids involved and interested in STEAM skills early and what makes E-Blox unique in the competitive world of construction and learning.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Helen Thomas, chief marketing officer at DMAI, the company behind the Animal Island Learning Adventure (AILA) Sit & Play — an intelligent monitor and edutainment system geared toward families with toddlers

On the show, Albritton and Thomas discuss the importance of clearly communicating the benefits of a new technology product as it hits the market. Thomas, the founding CEO of LeapFrog China, explains the various aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) and the technology is integrated into AILA. Finally, Thomas explains how DMAI worked to address parental concerns that have been raised by the use of cloud-connected devices by kids and families.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Aaron Wade, director of public relations at CanspanBMG, a Toronto-based full service digital and social media marketing agency that has worked with brands including Treasure X and Little Live Pets (Moose Toys), Untamed (WowWee), Bunch O Balloons (ZURU), Elf on the Shelf, Laser X (NSI International), and many more.

On the show, Albritton and Wade discuss the subtle differences in toy buying trends between families in the U.S. and Canada while exploring the comparisons and contrasts in promoting brands such as Treasure X versus Elf on the Shelf. Additionally, Wade offers insight into how CanspanBMG's work with companies across sports, technology, education, and retail helps support its toy efforts. Finally, the conversation moves to how toy marketing is changing in light of the ever-changing FTC regulations and the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Christine Osborne, owner of  Wonder Works — an independent toy store with three locations in South Carolina.

Since 1990, Osborne has operated the award-winning store, and over the past three decades, she's seen changes in the market and learned how to adapt through evolving trends and crisis situations.  At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Osborne worked quickly to assemble several programs — including a virtual toy store — to ensure that she was putting toys in the hands of families at a time when play is needed most.

On the show, Osborne discusses how Wonder Works assists customers in finding just the right product, and shares details on what families are searching for right now. Additionally, Albritton and Osborne delve into the virtual toy store experience while serving up a road map for independent retailers across the country to replicate as specialty retail evolves.