Episode #168: See How the Bubbles Are Made: South Beach Bubbles Warehouse and Office Tour
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Today’s podcast episode is something completely new and different. It’s the first time we’ve done an interview at the manufacturer's office and warehouse to see how the toys are really being made! You will get to see how bubble magic is made at South Beach Bubbles and Toys. Plus, you’ll get to hear some amazing advice and tips from the company’s “bubble dads,” the two friends who founded the business.
In today’s episode, Ron Weizman and Shooki Grasiani, the founders of South Beach Bubbles, give you an insider tour of their new office and warehouse space. They just moved into a space that is double the size of their old one and are still decorating, so don’t judge the lack of art on the walls. However, they have all their manufacturing and business operations up and running in their new space and you get to see it! You will see how the bubbles are mixed and packaged. Plus, you’ll learn some tips about how to find a great business partner, why the company uses their own warehouse, and why they decided to work with Amazon. Plus you’ll get to see how much fun it is to play with their amazing bubbles!
To watch the full video of today’s episode, head over to youtube.com/thetoycoach and subscribe to our channel.
EPISODE CLIFF NOTES
Learn tips for presenting your products on QVC. [00:01:35]
Find out what position South Beach Bubbles is hiring for. [00:03:21]
Learn how Shooki and Ron work together as business partners. [00:05:08]
Find out tips for finding a great business partner. [00:05:50]
Learn why South Beach Bubbles uses positivity in their business and how it helps them. [00:06:42]
Find out the special device that allows South Beach Bubbles to save 33% more space in their warehouses. [00:08:30]
Learn why South Beach Bubbles uses their own warehouses. [00:08:56]
Find out how much the company can produce in one eight-hour shift. [00:10:56]
Learn about the unique story of how the company got started. [00:12:37]
Find out how South Beach Bubbles chose to work with Amazon. [00:15:50]
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This episode is brought to you by www.thetoycoach.com
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Azhelle: You are listening to Making It in The Toy Industry, episode number 168.
Announcer: Welcome to Making It In The Toy Industry, a podcast for inventors and entrepreneurs like you. And now your host, Azhelle Wade.
Azhelle: Hey there, toy people. We are here in the sunny state of Florida at the unofficial after party of the Astra Toy Boat.
Who's hosting it? None other than South Beach Bubbles and Toys. Let's go and see if we can find out how bubbles are made. Come on.
Oh well, hey Ron!
Ron: Welcome to South Beach Bubbles headquarters.
Azhelle: Thank you for having us over. Of course, of course. So excited. Everybody's gonna learn how bubbles are made. I hope. That’s, like my goal for this show, this episode.
So where are we right now?
Ron: So, we are actually in our new warehouse. Uh, we just moved here in January. So this is all new. We haven't had time to put up, uh, any pictures or anything. So we decided right off the the Great Astra Toy Boat Experience. Some people had some, uh, flight, uh, you know, later in the afternoon and the evening.
So said, why don't you just mi casa su casa. So told em, come on in. And, uh, this is us. But yeah, we just moved here. So we're still in the middle of decorating, putting up pictures, but this is, this is our space. Lemme show you.
Azhelle: Yeah. Where were you guys before this?
Ron: We were a couple miles down the road. This, this is actually a 10,000 square foot warehouse, so we doubled the size.
Azhelle: And what do you, you were telling me earlier, what did you think this room is gonna be?
Ron: So we're gonna, we're gonna have, uh, this room as, uh, as a showroom and something fun. Uh, we, we do QVC. I do QVC a few times during a year. We'll have this little studio in here and, uh, we'll have a little, little conference area and make it fun in here.
Azhelle: So, okay. Let's teach us, turn this into a teachable moment. What's, what's a, what would you say is a tip. For somebody that has an opportunity to do a spot on QVC.
Ron: Sure, you need a very good, workable space. Uh, lighting has to be really good. Um, and yeah, I mean, it's just a, you know, a space that you feel comfortable in.
Azhelle: Oh, do you film here or you film there?
Ron: We, we, well, the first time we filmed my house a few times in my backyard. Oh, really? This will probably be on your little studio for QVC. Oh, very cool. We'll make it real fun and, uh, put some, put some artwork in here and Yeah. Well show me.
Azhelle: Yeah, OK, Cool.
Ron: It'll be a cool spot.
Azhelle: Well show me next.
Ron: We'll take, yeah. First. Come on. So ignore the luggage. This is, this is just from the Astra Toy Boat right now. This is, we're gonna be handing out, uh, luggage tags next, next time.
Azhelle: Yeah. This luggage shows your hospitality.
Ron: Thank you. So this is the office, right? This is my office, uh, getting my, uh, whiteboard put up, uh, here shortly.
And, uh, also some artwork and some, some other things will be coming in here, but, yeah, this is, uh, this is me. I'm typically, typically standing up when I work, I can't sit down, so I,
Azhelle: Ooh,
Ron: I had to be, I had to be standing. Yeah. Oh, that's
Azhelle: Oh that’s so…I think I need this. Yeah, we need this in a Toy Coach studios.
Yeah. Wow. That's really cool.
Ron: I'm a stander. I'm a stander.
Azhelle: Amazon?
Ron: Ikea.
Azhelle: ikea.
Ron: Ok, so, coming right through here, a little sitting area and oh, we have a fun little office here that we've decorated for…
Azhelle: I think this is my office.
Ron: This could definitely be your future home.
Azhelle: No, just kidding.
Ron: What are you doing in there?
Azhelle: I have been working here during the after party.
Thank you so much for your hospitality.
Ron: Of course.
Azhelle: But actually this will be a good time to say, what is South Beach Bubbles looking for?
Ron: So we are looking for, uh, someone in, uh, digital marketing and, um, yeah, if, uh, if you're looking, if you're in the Fort Lauderdale area, Give us, give us a shout.
Azhelle: This could be your new home.
Ron: Yeah, thank you.
Azhelle: Right here. So where are we off to next?
Ron: So, coming down this hallway, we have the executive suite of Mr. Shooki Grasiani. Without, without Shooki, without Shook, there would be no South Beach Bubbles. So
Azhelle: Tell us why. What do you do Shooki?
Shooki: What do I do? Yeah, I, uh, right now I'm preparing a deck for, uh, some important customer.
Eh, what do I do? We, I do the same from that. Yeah. We're having good time, uh, creating, uh, this, uh, giant bubbles new, uh, future bubble product that nobody's seen before. Stay tuned to q2, q3, what's coming up. We're very excited and I think a lot of. Our existing and new customer will be very, very excited, uh, to see what's coming.
Yeah. Uh, yeah. We love what we do. We are passionate about it. Uh, we enjoy every moment we come to the office with, uh, a lot of pleasure. Shorts. Yeah. We love that. We love, we love Mondays. You know, Friday is a, is a sad day actually. You do,
Ron: We look forward to Mondays.
Azhelle: That’s really cute. Oh, and,
Ron: Oh, and we're not wearing shorts today, just cuz we got off a boat.
Yeah. We come to work in shorts.
Azhelle: Do you really?
Shooki: Yeah, we, I used to work for a corporate and I used to wear, you know, like nice shirts and shoes, leather shoes and buttons and, uh, the fact that, uh, we can come to work, you know, with a t-shirt or polo shirt and a shorts. It's, uh, one of the benefits…
Ron: the perks.
Azhelle: But, okay. I have a question because I, I have, we haven't really talked this much business while we were on the boat, so are you sales for South Beach Bubbles?
Ron: So we, we share everything together. Okay.
Azhelle: So everyone wears a bunch of hats. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Ron: We, we are yin and yang as a, as a business partner. So Shooki is more behind the scenes with Okay. Yeah. With more of the digital stuff. And I have the gift and do…
Shooki: I do more digital strategy strategy, Ron is more like…
Azhelle: Product development?
Ron: Gift of gab. Gift of gab.
Oh. So, no. Product development we always, we share together. Okay. Share together. But, um, usually with the key accounts, talking to them. And, you know…
Shooki: Overall operations, you know, like, uh, day to day overseeing like the employees.
Azhelle: And how did this partnership come about? Cause I actually have a lot of toy students in my, um, school that say I wanna launch this business, but I don't…I need a partner. And I don't know how to find one. I don't know who to trust. Like how did this come about?
Ron: So if they are trying to partner, we always suggest. Find a partner that has a different skillset than you. Don't, don't, don't look for someone with your same exact skillset.
Azhelle: Yeah. Yeah. Were you friends before all this?
Ron: Yes.
Shooki: Yeah.
Azhelle: Worked together?
Ron: No, we did not work together. Did not. We didn't together.
Shooki: We did work in the restaurant.
Ron: We did.
Azhelle: You didn’t work together in this industry. I mean, it's just good tips for people like looking for partners. Cause I feel like people are like, oh, let me go online. Let me find somebody I don't know.
But maybe that's not the best way. And, and like you're saying, looking for somebody who has opposite skillset that you can be that yin and yang.
Ron: Correct.
Shooki: And also somebody you know that you're gonna have a good time having a beer with.
Ron: That's exactly it.
Shooki: Yeah. Like, uh, if, if it's somebody that you don't wanna have a beer with, It's not important.
Azhelle: Yeah. So do you also think that like the positivity of your, because you're so happy working together, correlates into your product and into your customers?
Ron: One hundred percent.
Azhelle: Cause we like you guys. Yeah.
Ron: We manifest the positivity and we believe it comes back. Even this Astra Toy Boat, we're we, we open our doors because we would want the same and it, and it's just, it's, it's good man.
Yeah.
Shooki: Also good karma with customers, you know? So, You know, sometimes you do have customers that are not happy.
Azhelle: Yeah.
Shooki: And you can choose, you know, like to fight and, you know, to save a few bucks. So choose the road to do the right thing.
Azhelle: Yeah.
Shooki: And no question ask. You're not happy. No problem. You know, like, uh, we'll compensate, uh, for this.
We even take the, the product back. It doesn't happen that often.
Azhelle: Because everyone's happy. You were telling me about your low return rate. So…
Ron: Yes, very low.
Azhelle: Yeah. And, uh, okay, well thank you. Nice to meet you and be in your office. All right, where are we going?
Ron: Got a little fun little server room in here that, uh, we'll keep samples in and, uh, we have meetings, we just come here and grab 'em and, uh, just little IT stuff.
Azhelle: Not like server?
Ron: Not like server.
Azhelle: Computer server.
Ron: Yeah. Computers.
Azhelle: We were on a cruise, so we are in a different mindset.
Ron: Right. For sure .
Azhelle: And here?
Ron: Yeah, we have a break room where typically that's where we, uh, typically this is where we smell what we are, uh, what our wives made us, uh, for lunch. So who
Azhelle: So who designed your office?
Cuz it's really well designed.
Ron: Thank you. Some of it was here, some of it we, um, the interior design, we actually had my wive's really good friend, uh, come and do a favor for us, and, uh, put a little bit of, uh, love and TLC into it. Yeah, that, that
Azhelle: Yeah, that, that matters.
Ron: I can’t take credit for it.
The warehouse. So this is one of our warehouses and we have storaged here on this side, which is pretty cool.
We have a special forklift, so typically warehouses have, um, forklifts that have 13 foot aisles. Uh, we'll show you the forklift in a little bit. This one is a special, uh, front wheel drive forklift, electric forklift that allows us to do seven and a half foot aisles, which allows us 33% more space.
Azhelle: Wow.
Ron: Yeah, it's weird.
Azhelle: Wait question.
Ron: Yes.
Azhelle: So at what point you, we, we talked earlier, you've been doing this business for over 10 years.
Ron: Yes.
Azhelle: At what point did you decide to, to have your own warehouses?
Ron: Well, the, the thing is we always had to have our own warehouse because our product is made in the USA. So we had an assembly team, which we'll get to.
And that's kind of the reason why.
Azhelle: You never did the distribution.
Ron: We never did the distribution cause we couldn't because it's a blessing and a curse.
Azhelle: Yeah.
Ron: But we consider it a blessing.
Azhelle: No. Like then I feel most people have to switch everything over and they have to change the way that everything functions. You had to do it from the beginning…
Ron: Correct. Correct.
Yeah. So last night a batch was made, uh, we then put it into a tote. We have a filling machine that we, um, we cut, uh, our premium USA bubble machine that is hot off the presses.
Azhelle: What is this machine? Oh my god! It's still warm.
Ron: It is still warm.
Azhelle: It's so warm.
Ron: That's our concentrate. This is our man, Mr. Antoine.
Azhelle: Hi Mr. Antoine.
So Mr. Antoine handles all the machinery here. And, uh, that's, that's his role. And that's when you, when you get your final product. Uh, and, and the beauty of it is, uh, is part's, uh,
Azhelle: So, one of the things I said when we started this video is maybe we'll learn how bubbles are made. Tell what's happening right here
Ron: Sure. So, like I said, last night, there was a batch made and when we go out outside, I can, uh, show you our big vat.
We have a 350 gallon vat where we have, um, we have our mixers, we have, uh, deionized water here. We have a TDS meter here that tests the water because water quality is super important. Yes.
Azhelle: Wow.
Ron: Yes. We test before, we test after and then place it into this, uh, into this two five gallon tote, which then filters it into our filling machine.
We actually have two filling machines. We have a backup filling machine here. We have some new products coming out, so we'll have two machines running simultaneously that is unrelated to this, and we'll have, we'll have that as well. So, yeah. Yeah.
Azhelle: How much can you produce in a day?
Ron: Um, Antoine, can do…how many can we do in a day?
Antoine: 2 fills…
Shooki: About 12,000 in an eight hour shift. Eight hour shift. 12,000.
Azhelle: 12,000?
Ron: Yeah. Yeah. And what we do is once it, once it runs, you want to keep on running it. You don't, you don't want it to stop. So it's a full, it's a full day of running. So once we're, once we're rolling. We're rolling.
Azhelle: Amazing. Yeah. So cool.
Ron: Yeah. Okay. So here we have a lab area that will be a lab area.
We just moved in. And, uh, this will be, well, hopefully have a chemist in here.
Azhelle: Uh, this will be your top secret.
Ron: We are top secret right here. Actually. We're getting outta here. We're getting outta here. This is, this is secret.
Azhelle: This is top secret.
Ron: This is our assembly room here. This is our beautiful employees who work to get the product on the shelves is, this is what we have to do.
Uh, have a little break room here.
Azhelle: So kitchen and a breakroom. Yeah.
Ron: We treat our employees like families, so we want them to be comfortable, uh, like places to, uh, to lounge.
Azhelle: And it's quiet. It's really well…
Ron: Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is. It is. We actually, um, it's funny we have a TV coming up in here, but we were watching a World Cup in there.
Uh, And it was, it was a good time. We, we, we really do, we, um, just ordered a barbecue so we can have barbecues once a month. And, uh,
Azhelle: babe, we might have to…
Ron: Yeah, we, on Friday, every other Fridays. We'll do like juice, juice smoothies and we'll do some, some exercises and stretches…
Azhelle: Healthy. Okay. I do have, I wanna ask a couple questions about email.
We have a quiet moment. Your toy journey? Yes. Tell me a little bit about it.
Ron: Sure.
Azhelle: Where'd you begin?
Ron: So, yeah, so Shooki was actually, uh, working in corporate. He was, um, he did, was a keynote speaker in Spain. He was working for a large corporate, uh, organization and he was doing a keynote speak. He went to a park in Spain and saw these big bubbles being made and these huge bubbles, and he's watching 'em for hours.
So he comes back and his kids were little and they were sitting on the gadgets and he wanted to go outside and he remembered the, uh, you know, in Spain, the giant bubbles and how the crowds were going here. Kids were going crazy and they were outside and him sitting there looking at these, uh, you know, his own kids and they were, they wouldn't get off the gadgets or playing the Wii and they wouldn't get off.
So he started tinkering. He tinkering and he is like, I couldn't find anything like this online. Uh, we had a, I had a family chemical business that, uh, we were in and he's asking me for different things and I'm like, what are you doing? So, uh, one Friday now he came over and he kind of showed me what he was tinkering with and, uh, we would go, To, um, our old warehouse every Sunday from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM for two years.
Not to interrupt our own family time, uh, tinker. Um, our wives thought we were crazy. They still think we're crazy, but yeah.
Azhelle: But you’re paying the bills, so they're like, it's all…
Ron:Yes. Now it's a different, now it's a different, crazy.
Azhelle: Now it's like a, now it's mogul. Crazy.
Ron: Yes, exactly. But at the time, we were crazy.
Um, we, we launched, uh, in January, uh, sorry, July 4th, 2016. Cool. Um, after going to a bunch of local trade shows here in Fort Lauderdale, we would go set up a tent, uh, do a little, uh, do a little test runs, and we'd be the pop most popular booth there. Wow. And it was funny because at the time we thought our target audience would actually be, um, you know, uh, parents, parents of children, but it turned out to be, you know, who? Can you guess?
Azhelle: Parents or children? Yeah. Um, but just children? No. What do you mean?
Ron: Grandparents. Grandparents. Because they can relate. It's a relatable product. They would be at these shows and they would come up to us, and the only question would be like, how many can I put in my luggage? I mean, or how many grandkids do I have?
You know? So it was, yeah, that, that showed us well, like, wow. That there's something, there's something there. And, uh, we were, yeah, we took it from there. And. We, we started from there.
Azhelle: Wow. I I've got a call back cuz you said something that calls back to something I teach a lot, which is Zone of Toy Genius.
Yes. So people, what I say is when you're looking to start out on the industry, look at, um, the category that brings you the most joy, but also look at your unique skills…
Ron: Correct.
Azhelle: …and knowledge that you have that's separate from the toy industry. And you were like, we had a chemical business. Right?
Ron: Right.
Azhelle: And then, and Shooki, he had his kid, that boy. Yes. Oh, and he and
Ron: Oh, and he and was software. He, yes. He brought his skill set and then...
Azhelle: And you combine all of that and that's what can help you succeed in, in it, is really challenging. Like, I mean, COVID did us right.
Ron: Right.
Azhelle: We, we had like 20% plus growth and like, we've actually been doing well since.
Ron: Yes.
Azhelle: But it's a tough industry.
Ron: Correct.
Azhelle: But when you combine it with something, you know, outside of the toy industry, that's way you can make magic and that’s what you guys are doing.
Ron: Oh, a hundred percent.
Azhelle: Oh thank you. Oh, there's more.
Ron: Oh wait, there's more. Oh wait, there's more.
Azhelle: There's more.
Ron: It's about to be bubble season here. So we stock up Amazon and that's what they're, uh, they're we're doing right now.
Yeah. We have, we have Amazon pallets going out right now and I think that might be an Amazon truck. I'm gonna pick up and…
Azhelle: How did you guys make the choice to go into Amazon? Cause some people are nervous, like, like…
Ron: So here's the thing. We actually started on Amazon, um, and we were an Amazon company to begin with.
That's how we, that's how we rolled first. And then we went to an IAPA show in Orlando. Mm-hmm. and just to check it out. And, and we were walking around and someone said, you guys should really look into rep groups. We're like…
Azhelle: What's that?
Ron: What is a rep group? What is that?
Azhelle: Find out on my podcast.
Ron: Yeah. So, we were driving back from Orlando. And, we're like, it was five o'clock and we're like, the only thing that's, the only rep group that could answer the phone right now would be in California. So the first one we saw was Toyology, and Carl picked up the phone and he was our first rep and still is our rep to this day. And we grew from there.
Azhelle: The power of the reps..
Ron: Yes. Uh, we are, yeah. Very diversified, you know, trying to keep it.
Azhelle: So, what is this, what is this giant vat in the middle of your parking lot?
Ron: So last night a batch was made and, uh, we just, uh, cleaned it up. Yes. This is a, a 350 gallon stainless steel vet, with, uh, a special mixer and it's hooked up. That is special where we could say it. Uh, we have to have it at a special turning radius because bubbles are very finicky. So we had it all set up. They did a batch last night and it is now getting processed and putting into, uh, process.
Azhelle: where are they mixed like where is this normally set up?
Ron: It's usually mixed over there. Right by the, uh, right by that, by the machine filling machine is, and you can see they just, so Kyle just tested a batch, right? That's the batch that just came outta this. Right. He just tested it. Oh, nice. We test it regularly to make sure. Uh, water quality is good.
Azhelle: Look at how long those bubbles last.
Oh, yeah. And the pop is so we didn't get a shot of the bubbles. And the pop is beautiful. Let's do it together.
All right. Okay, Ron, before I let you go, where can people connect with you? Find out more about South Beach Bubbles and Toys.
Ron: Of course. They can go on our website, www.southbeachbuubbles.com. We have a list of our retailers there and we also have a little clip of, uh, how we do things here.
Azhelle: Oh, but not as good as this.
Ron: No. Are you kidding?
Azhelle: No. Nowhere near as good. Um, okay, last question I have for you. I love asking my guests this question. What toy or game blew your mind as a kid?
Ron: Uh, believe it or not I was a Lite Brite kid. Lite Brite.
Azhelle: Lite Brite. Yeah. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. Yeah. Have you seen a new jumbo one?
Ron: Yeah, I did. I did. I love Lite Brite.
Azhelle: Oh, that's a good one. I love Lite Brite too. Okay. It was a pleasure interviewing. You can't wait to talk again. Yep.
Well, there you have it, toy people. My interview with Ron Weissman and Shooki Grasiani of South Beach Bubbles and Toys. We've never done an interview like this on the podcast before: one where we actually go to a manufacturer, check out their offices and their warehouse and find out a little bit more about how toys are being made right now.
So I hope you love this episode. I sure did. We got to see behind the scenes, but also get to know some incredible people in this industry. As always, I really appreciate you being here and listening to this podcast. If you love this podcast, but you for some reason haven't left a review, what are you waiting for?
I get a notification on my phone every time new reviews come in and it puts a huge smile on my face and honestly keeps me motivated to keep coming back, week after week with inspirational talks like this interview and my solo podcast episodes that I'm sure inspire you as well. As always, thank you so much for taking the time to be here with me today.
I know there are a ton of podcasts out there, so it truly means the world to me that you tune into this one. Until next week, I'll see you later toy people
Announcer: Thanks for listening to Making It in The Toy Industry Podcast with Azhelle Wade. Head over to thetoycoach.com for more information, tips, and advice.
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