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.

“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.

With over 13,000 followers on TikTok and millions of video views, Lost Boy Entertainment is forging a new path for launching a successful game brand. To continue our New York Toy Fair 2025 interview series, I sit down with Cameron Ring, co-founder of Lost Boy Entertainment.

This episode is a great 101 on the power of identifying a market gap, filling a need, and self funding your launch. If you’re considering a show like New York Toy Fair might be the best next step for your brand, listen in on why rushing in too soon could actually hurt your business.

My favorite takeaway from this interview with Cameron revolves around distribution channels, but you’ll have to hit play to find out exactly what was so insightful about that conversation.

In Q4 some toy entrepreneurs are feeling FOMO, wishing that they made a bigger push to get into retail for this season. But don’t worry, your next big opportunity for sales is just around the corner. This week's episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone struggling to get their toy or game products noticed by retailers. If you've been tirelessly pitching with little to no response, this episode is a turning point.

During today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn about how you can use Connection Campaigns, Promotional Campaigns, Abandoned Cart Campaigns, and ReEngagement Campaigns to sell your toy or game product. The key to using email is great subject lines and even better storytelling. If you don’t enjoy writing emails to your customer list…your customer probably doesn’t enjoy reading them! Let’s fix that in 40 minutes with my latest audio masterclass, The Art & Science of Successful Toy Biz Email Campaigns.

Once you make your toy idea a real product, how do you sell it? In today’s podcast episode we sit down and chat with Chloe Kershaw, the National Sales Manager at Hape Toys. Chloe shares the steps she took to eventually cross over into the sales side of the toy industry including her joyfully offering to do the grunt work that her coworkers didn’t want to do. Learn what she thinks the heart of a physical product-based company is and why, and walk away with insights on why you might want to start working with a sales rep for your company.