Episode #73: Executive Tips To License Your Toy Ideas With Zack Pentecost of Zuru Toys
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Do top toy companies really want to work with inventors? Today’s episode answers that question with a resounding YES!
Our guest today is Zack Pentecost of ZURU Toys. If you don’t know the name ZURU, you most definitely know some of their smash hit toy brands. Like Bunch O Balloons, Fifi The Flossin Sloth, or the Funky Flamingo, many of these toys have been featured on major media outlet like Good Morning America and featured by toy industry publications like The Toy Insider. Inventor, if you’ve been feeling restless because you haven’t heard back from your latest pitch submission, this is the episode for you. Inventors, this episode is filled with nothing but love and appreciation for the way you think and create for the toy industry.
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Connect with Zack on LinkedIn.
Click Here To Access ZURU’s Inventor Submission Portal.
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Azhelle Wade: You are listening to Making It In The Toy Industry episode number 73.
[00:00:04]Hey there toy people, Azhelle Wade here. And welcome back to another episode of the toy coach podcast. Making it in the toy industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by the toy coach.com. On today's episode, we are going to chat with the senior e-commerce manager at zero Zack Pentecost.
[00:00:35] Now, if you don't already know, zero is the New Zealand owned toy company behind major hits like Rainbow Corns Smashers and Bunch O Balloons, which are those balloons where you can fill up a hundred balloons. And at once their packaging is always bright and colorful, their play patterns are truly toyetic.
[00:00:54] And our guests today, Zach has overseen the company's e-commerce strategy from the ground up and he's also worked on nurturing and developing their company and vendor relations pipeline, which makes him the perfect guest for this podcast and person to chat on today's topic. So today we are going to hear directly from a major toy company, why they find immense value from toy inventors.
[00:01:18] Like you guys listening to this podcast and we're going to learn why Zuru likes to work with inventors, how they like to receive paper pitches, and we'll even touch on some inventor success stories. And we're going to get into advice on how toy inventors can keep up with toy trends as they're developing their ideas and to do all of that.
[00:01:37] I know it's a lot, but to do all of that, I would like to welcome my guest, Zach, Pentecost to the show today. Welcome to the shows Zach.
[00:01:46] Zack Pentecost: Great to be here. Thank you for having me on.
[00:01:47]Azhelle Wade: To start off, I want to know what you do as an e-commerce manager. Cause this one that's one of those newest jobs, right? It's the job that used to have interns for, and now it's like a full-on team. But before we get into that, can you just tell any of my listeners who might not already know what zero is?
[00:02:06] What is zero and who is zero? Tell us about zero.
[00:02:09] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, absolutely. So Zuru is now in the top 10 toy manufacturers globally. This has grown significantly in the last 10 years on the back of brands, such as. Bunch of balloons, as you mentioned earlier it shot out that blast the brand and rubber fish, but really in the last four years, we we've seen the most exponential growth due to adding additional brands, full portfolios, such as Rainbow Corns Smashes in a Five Surprise line, which has featured, I believe.
[00:02:35] What is now the best-selling toy in the U S as we recording this, which has Mini Brands. Many brands is absolutely adorable.
[00:02:41]So cute. Yeah. And just a bit of background behind, you know, who started the ruse. It was started by three siblings, actually from New Zealand, which is where I'm taking the cool from now.
[00:02:50] Okay. Who moved to China in the early twenties and really built business from the ground up to where it is today, which is a company with retail presence in over 121 countries. And about, I think maybe 15 offices located around the world now. A lot's happened in the last few years as well.
[00:03:06] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, that's huge. Okay, so you, as the senior e-commerce manager, you came on, was it four years?
[00:03:12] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, it'll be four years in October. So I got started in the toy industry quite quickly after leaving university. I was working in financial services for a bit found that a little bit stale. Wasn't really the pace of I think I was expecting to be at a university. I managed to get in touch with Nick Mowbray, who's our S co CEO and co-founder around potentially joining the team over in China.
[00:03:33]I got offered the job and within a month they'd moved a majority of it to my life of majority of my life, over to China to work Missouri. What was the, what was the innate project manager?
[00:03:43] Azhelle Wade: Oh, wow. So how did you transition from project manager into e-commerce manager?
[00:03:49]Zack Pentecost: Well, the project manager role. Yeah. The time w was actually the e-commerce buildup. So as you mentioned earlier, you know, at the time, a few years ago, it was very much in an interim project or a part-time job. And so that's sort of where I started off. It was managing and venture relations as well as sort of looking at how we can grow our e-commerce pool.
[00:04:07] Folio. And I guess I have a time and, you know, with the unfortunate events of COVID that sort of escalated into the role I am now, which is senior e-commerce manager.
[00:04:16] Azhelle Wade: Oh, I see. So what do you, what do you do as the senior e-commerce manager?
[00:04:20]Zack Pentecost: So that's everything from profitability management optimizing supply chain inefficiencies looking at our content strategy in regards to how we communicate our branding online and, and an array of other things I could go on forever, but we'll leave it at that.
[00:04:33]Azhelle Wade: In COVID, what was the biggest shift you saw with e-commerce? Was it how things were being marketed, with the use of social media or was it just platforms that were driving the most business like Amazon?
[00:04:45] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, it was, it was a notably my amount of my amount of sleep each night went down quite a bit with COVID just because of the e-commerce part. But now I look it's growing on a, on a number of different levels. So Amazon has grown very significantly. I think, you know, you've seen a jump in adoption in the U S of e-commerce. You know what the, I think they were expecting the level of e-commerce adoption. We now have post COVID that we're expecting that to occur in 2030. So really that jump in adoption has been exponential, but that hasn't just been Amazon. That's been DTC. That's been other larger retailers doubling down on their e-commerce presence with things such as clicking collect. So you ordering online and then driving to the store and picking it up. So they, yeah, that was really some of the things that you see in jump as well from some of the other major retailers.
[00:05:30]Azhelle Wade: That's so interesting.
[00:05:31] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. You've also seen a lot of companies, such as ourselves push a lot more effort and spend into their digital placement and their media strategy being more online. We do have additional data points and where you can reach your customers in different ways.
[00:05:46] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. Have you guys refocused a lot of your, marketing, and ad spend into videos that you can use on social media.
[00:05:54] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, well, we admittedly working quite aggressively towards being in that position pre COVID. I think it was more so just the, the icing on the cake for us. So we do use that a lot more, and we are looking a lot more to our digital strategies and where we can be leaders there to drive our overall growth as well.
[00:06:10]Azhelle Wade: So some of the newbies coming into the toy industry are asking what are the new jobs that toy companies are looking for because of the rise of e-commerce and social media. So like the entry-level like, is it video production?
[00:06:24] Is it like. What are the, you know, the opportunities when someone's coming into toy companies now that maybe wasn't there before.
[00:06:32] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, we start to see that a bit more over the next six months, I think from larger companies, such as ourselves in regards to what those new roles look like, you know Yeah, it does. There's the traditional brand manager role start to split up into being, you know focused on brick and mortar versus e-commerce.
[00:06:47]I think Hasbro's recent advertising for their tech top manager is a great example of what roles could look like in a post COVID world for toy manufacturers. So I think those roles will start to become a popup and, and become a lot more prevalent in today's world.
[00:07:02] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. That was like what? The Nerf one is that, is
[00:07:04] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, I think it was, yeah. We've, we've worked a lot on our tech top strategy over the last couple of years, namely with Mini Brands I think it's up to 300,000 followers now on TikTok
[00:07:13]We've got a great in-house team. We've got someone on a team called Lucy. Who's been hitting up our digital strategy there and she's done a fantastic job.
[00:07:19] Azhelle Wade: Oh, that's so awesome. I want to get into the minds of the product creators at Zuru because I see, and I don't know that I don't know that these are inventor products, but I do have to call out Fifi Flossin Sloth and,
[00:07:37] Zack Pentecost: Frankie,
[00:07:37] Azhelle Wade: the Flamingo love the alliteration. And though I just kind of want to hear. What is Zuru's mindset and philosophy on product development? Because it seems like these ideas were really super trend-based. Maybe looking at Fortnite, maybe looking at Tik Tok, dance challenges, like what happened, how those come about.
[00:07:57] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, well, I've been not actually inventor items. They're all sort of done in house. And I think that's where where's the ruse quite good is that we've got different avenues of our brand portfolio that perhaps cater the different types. So we have our brands such as, you know, sparkle girls X-Shot which are more evergreen and last a bit longer and not as trend based, but you know, there are brands such as our Pets Alive line that have additions such as, you know, Fifi, The Flossin' Sloth and Frankie, the Funky Flamingo, which are a bit more trend driven and a bit more of it.
[00:08:25] They're adorable, but they are a bit more trend-driven and a bit more sort of capturing, you know kid's eyes in that regard.
[00:08:31] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. So when do you work with inventors then? If these weren't your inventors items? When, when have you guys worked with inventors before in the past?
[00:08:40] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. So I think some of our main success stories have actually, you know, built the company to where it is today. So earlier I mentioned brands such as Bunch of Balloons, X-Shot and robo fish. Yeah, I look at bunch of balloons was an inventor in Texas we've licensed the property off him and, you know, really that's been our ability to grow the brand.
[00:08:58] And that's, I think the biggest selling toys or spring and summer toy annually in the U S now has a bunch of balloons. And it has been for, I think, five years straight now, which can often be unheard of. And the toy industry, it shot, we've licensed the border blaster in that space, and that was offer inventor outside of the world.
[00:09:14] And now that's the best selling water blaster and the us and, you know, robo fish back in may have been very early 2000 tens was an adventure ride. And that really got us up on our feet as well.
[00:09:25] Azhelle Wade: Talk to me about Bunch of Balloons. Do you know the history of how they connected with that inventor and how that partnership came to be?
[00:09:35] Zack Pentecost: Yes, I believe it was pre my time I'm working at the company. It was a little while ago. He started a Kickstarter. It did quite well. And so we've reached out to him about potentially licensing the property and working with them to bring that globally.
[00:09:46]We sort of came to an agreement and now you see that product in you know, most countries around the world come around summertime, which is fantastic.
[00:09:54] Azhelle Wade: Any on any other platforms outside of Kickstarter, because I have heard that Kickstarter is not ideal for toys and the people creating toys are looking elsewhere because they don't feel like the audience is really there.
[00:10:07] Zack Pentecost: Yep. We do look at a few others. You know, we're always looking to try and find different ways to try and find that next big thing and work with people to bring to market. You know, that that's really where we've been able to, to our company about our company. So there's a few different places like that, that we're always looking to try and you know, find that next big thing.
[00:10:24] Azhelle Wade: Next question. Okay. So that my listeners know what to expect so they can not be scammed. What is a real message that might come from a toy company that has seen your Kickstarter and says, Ooh, that's interesting. We think we want to license it. What, what would that opening dialogue be so that they know, Oh, this is really how this happens.
[00:10:47] And they don't. I think, Oh, this is a scam. I'm not going to. Cause I honestly I've had friends that have done that. Like they've gotten correspondence from big companies and they're like, Oh no, this isn't real, this isn't, this is, they wouldn't slide into my DMS.
[00:10:58] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. Well, that's, that's, that's kind of the way that we do it as he yeah. We'll find a an alternate messaging Avenue to try and reach out to them on and we'll get in touch with them. But I think LinkedIn's a great way for understanding if it's actually someone from the right company.
[00:11:10] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. Oh yeah. Okay. Good point. Just do some cross reference checking. Make sure they're the right. They're actually have the job they say they do
[00:11:17] Zack Pentecost: Yep. Do your due diligence is I think, yeah.
[00:11:21] Azhelle Wade: fair point fair point. Okay. This is good. This is really good. Do you also notice, like when you see Kickstarter videos, that they're really essentially like what sizzle videos should be?
[00:11:33] If somebody is just pitching an idea to you.
[00:11:36] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. Yeah. I think at the kicks out of videos, they're often a bit more informative, which is fantastic. I think they often do go for a minute to up to two minutes sometimes, which is great. Yeah, I think this is a video is often can arrange between 30 seconds to a minute, which are a bit more on the shorter side of things.
[00:11:51] But at the end of the day, I think the items coming through Kickstarter probably do need a bit more detail than sometimes some of the traditional toys as those that come through. So I think it's, it's really conditional in the category and really conditional on what you're pitching. If it's a hundred dollars electronic toy, maybe it needs a minute and a half to two minutes to communicate what motor does, what, but if it's say a new compound where you can really look at it and probably understand what it is in 30 seconds, and it really only needs to be 30 seconds and it says.
[00:12:17]Azhelle Wade: With Kickstarter videos, the product is usually either developed or about to be completely finished.
[00:12:22] So that's why their videos are, are really detailed. Right. But when somebody is pitching a sizzle, oftentimes it's something that they've prototyped, but it's not in production. So that's also why this is a videos tend to be a little bit less specific and a little less detailed. Cause it's not really like, Hey, this thing is manufactured.
[00:12:39] It's more, I tested this concept and I, this can work. I guess my question here is just, do you still like to work with people that have ideas that are not fully figured out, like at the Kickstarter level?
[00:12:54]Zack Pentecost: Just to speak to that. I think sometimes Kickstarters can be raising money to run their first production run, so it can vary between the different campaigns. But just to speak from Zuru's perspective, we often do like to have one a sizzle when pitching, but two understanding that there is a prototype, I think, perhaps on items such as ball games or something like that, where it's a strategy focused one that maybe doesn't need to be a prototype as much, but, you know, looking at an electronic pit or a, you know, a new craft item, I think it is, you probably do need a prototype at the end of the day.
[00:13:24]Azhelle Wade: I agree. A hundred percent.
[00:13:25] Zack Pentecost: A lot of things, I think a condition to one category. So it's, it's tough to give a very direct answer. But yeah.
[00:13:31]Azhelle Wade: Why do you guys love working with inventors so much? I feel like a lot of people see it as a, you know, it's maybe more trouble or more of a challenge than it's worth, because there's so many inventors out there. Like how do you get through all of the, all of the concepts and stuff?
[00:13:47] So I, I would love to just hear more about like why the founders of Zuru why the teams at Zuru really value working with 20 inventors.
[00:13:56] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. And I think that's really benefitted from often in the toy industry. You can have a lot of the founders, you know, very much started from the ground up. And so then working with the inventors. Yeah, from the get go. And I think a lot of them understand such as, you know the owners Zuru they understand how important innovation is to the toy industry.
[00:14:13] They also understand how important of a role inventors play in innovation. Yeah, we've worked with them with a company such as ourselves at our earliest stage. You know, we've worked with them very strategically and constructively to bring new items to life and really get ourselves ahead. Yeah, there's a lot of other toy companies that have been in the same position where through their licensing and work with inventors of being able to go from small companies to multinational toy companies, which is great.
[00:14:38]But it's also just the inventors they're there. Yeah, they very unique people and they creative intellect as well as our matchable passion for creating fun for kids is something that is just really, really tough to beat and I think that's something that we've really enjoyed working with them and why we continue to work with them being on a regular basis is because they are always just at the cutting edge of what's new on innovation.
[00:14:59] Azhelle Wade: Nice. So I know you guys are always looking out for your next big, wow. Like most toy companies are when they work with inventors, but how do you define that? What for you was your last big? Wow.
[00:15:12] Zack Pentecost: Yep. I think our last item was we brought to life. An item called Hairy Slime which is working with an inventors We brought that to life with one of our inventor partners. And I think it's difficult to try and describe well and give definitive sort of parameters around that because a wow, can look very different in categories and sometimes it can be a gut feeling.
[00:15:32]And the gut feeling isn't really understood until you've been in the industry for a little while. You know, you can use different data metrics, but it really is a gut feeling in that regard. And I think the last one that we brought to market was really a case of, we got the sample was sent over us cause we go.
[00:15:47] Yeah, this is on trend. For example, we need to have a bit of a play around with it, and we got it in our hands, we've got an in kids' hands and they just have to be loved it. And I think that's, it's really always a combination of things, but I think from a perspective of how do you know what a wow is? It really does come down to that gut feeling.
[00:16:02] Yeah, I would just validate your, your idea because if you get it through those different steps yeah. Through the validation, looking at best sellers, three focus groups through that gut feeling and you so really, really confident in that principle after the design teams got their their hands on it, then that's when you know, you have a winner.
[00:16:19]Azhelle Wade: So if an inventor gets the opportunity to pitch to you, maybe at a TCA virtual pitch event, we don't know, but when they get an opportunity to pitch to you, what's your process like for reviewing their products? So say they have the pitch, they show you their sizzle. And then, then what.
[00:16:36] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, I will look at it. It really comes through to me. We sort of run it through a few internal tools that we have. Again, they sort of tie into some of those validation metrics that we we talked about earlier. And from there I sort of look at will it work? Will it not? If it doesn't work, then I'll get back to them with feedback.
[00:16:50]If we're interested in looking at it, further that they ended as a review with us, what a senior management team in regards to whether or not we want to license it and add that to our pipeline for the following year
[00:16:58] Azhelle Wade: okay. So what does a great item look like for Zuru.
[00:17:03]Zack Pentecost: When I think for us, when we're looking at licensing now, You're looking for something explosive, something that's going to cut through the noise. You know, kids are attached to the tablets these days, and it's really tough to try and separate yourself from what else is going on and being presented by all of a toy codes, because there's a lot of great stuff that's coming through on a regular basis and the level that's coming from, you know, the smaller guys, the bigger guys it's just increasingly leveling up. So it's a matter of just something that is explosive enough to escape the noise and its category.
[00:17:31] Azhelle Wade: I have to say, when I look and think about your stuff, I feel like it's a little bit. Magical fantasy and fun just because I, like I look at, or I think of a bunch of balloons anyway. And like when all of the balloons get filled up, it gives you the sense of what just happened, like magic, magic just happen.
[00:17:50] And same thing with a Flossin Sloth and the familiar, the Flamingo, it gives you the sense of like like. I guess magic almost like a world in which pets are alive, like right. That's what your pets do. And, and your fish, the fish, like to it's, it's all this magical kind of fantasy world play brought to life.
[00:18:08]And also even the colors, like the fact that everything is so neon, I feel like Zuru colors are very neon and that just lends to this almost psychedelic , mystical white play pattern. Just, it's like fun. It's bright and mystical and magical and fun.
[00:18:25]Zack Pentecost: Uh, Now our design team is absolutely fantastic. And that's what I was mentioning earlier, if and escape the noise and our design team, get our hands on it and add that sort of flare to it. Then we always feel confident it's going to be a home run. And I think that pulls it back to something that really cuts away from the noise.
[00:18:39] Cause Fifi does like you pay a bit on a shelf and you see Flossin Sloth versus maybe a traditional plush beer at the Flossin Sloth going to win every single day of the week,
[00:18:47] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. I mean, he is, it's so
[00:18:49] Zack Pentecost: especially that try me feature. You play around with the Try Me feature. Yeah.
[00:18:52]Azhelle Wade: It's just adorable. The marketing, the grandma dancing to it. I loved it. I loved it. I did.
[00:18:59] Zack Pentecost: He's fun for the family.
[00:19:01]Azhelle Wade: So what is the best way for someone to try to pitch to Zuru? Except for, you know, having a six-figure Kickstarter or going to a TCA virtual pitch event? Like what else can they do?
[00:19:12]Zack Pentecost: We do try our best to try and get back to everyone on their different items. So we do have an inventors portal on our website. So if you go there, you can see one, you have previous success stories and looking at some of the examples that we've had throughout our history and regardless of what's worked for us.
[00:19:26] And then there's also a submission portal where you can fill out a bit more information around you, your idea attach any PDs for example, and that'll come through to our inventor team who will review that in good course.
[00:19:37]Azhelle Wade: So I would love for you to just take me through maybe a past opportunity that you identified in the market. I just feel like this would be a fun. Like peek into your mind for people. I dunno, pick something that you saw maybe a year ago and how you went through the process of identifying maybe some new white space that you already filled.
[00:19:57] Like you're already starting a product that's already here.
[00:20:00] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. It's a bit tough, isn't it? Cause really just the market's just being flipped on its head in the last year with, with COVID. Right. So it's, you know, are we seen the increased by spend on toys per household was, you know, increasing quite significantly for a long time. You know, Ice data that I think we did have some exciting things in the pipeline at a higher price point.
[00:20:18]But with COVID would just seen a bit of, yeah, we've had to put a, hold on a few of those things just to recognize that. Yeah, the market might change a little bit over the next year. We want to make sure that those higher, you know, some of those items get the, get the pathway to market that they deserve.
[00:20:31]So there's just been a lot of changes, which is unfortunate because there is a lot of stuff that we are identifying, but it's just a bit tough when the market's changed rapidly. So we're really just trying to make sure we're staying on top of that and keeping up pipeline healthy in that regard.
[00:20:43]You would expect what they, a global pandemic that, you know, consumer shopping on toys would decrease, but it's, it's proven itself again, to be rather recession proof. But you just don't know, right? Like it could, it could have gone completely the other way.
[00:20:55] Azhelle Wade: Do you think it has something to do with the fact that people didn't have to spend on transportation and they couldn't spend on eating out or going out and they, but they still wanted entertainment and toys are the one thing that you can like bring into the home. Right.
[00:21:08] Zack Pentecost: I think the outdoor category increased by 70% last year.
[00:21:12]Yeah. A bunch of balloons had a record year. It was absolutely crazy.
[00:21:16]Azhelle Wade: What do you think is, is going to happen now out of COVID? Like, do you have any personal do you have a vision for where this is going to take us? Have you done kind of like a mind map to figure out what could potentially becoming next? As far as like where sales could go, categories could grow.
[00:21:33] Zack Pentecost: Not too sure in terms of sales and categories. I think there will be that huge shift in regards to digital spend is definitely one to keep an eye out for in regards to how marketing build out their budgets around different areas, such as, you know, new or emerging tools like Tik-Tok will that, you know, will they be focusing on places such as Facebook and YouTube?
[00:21:51]I think that change will be probably one of the most significant ones that's happened in a little while.
[00:21:56]Azhelle Wade: Can you share some of the key things you guys learned through this time in COVID?
[00:22:00]Zack Pentecost: From any specific context,
[00:22:02] Azhelle Wade: I'm thinking like from the digital space like I'm thinking from e-commerce, I'm thinking from digital, maybe even inventory, like how to manage inventory, like any key learnings that you feel were just like huge light bulb moments because of everything that happened.
[00:22:19]Zack Pentecost: I think, yes, specialization, in some of those digital tools is probably been the biggest thing for us as, as looking at some of these areas where I mentioned we might be shifting speeds. So, and making sure that we have in-house experts on that to be best in class. That's really where I think it's been a big shift for us.
[00:22:34] Azhelle Wade: Where do you guys go to find experts? Because , no, one's an expert.
[00:22:37] Zack Pentecost: I think you just got to try and find quick learners the people that are trying to stay on the front end of things. Yeah. I think that's really, it's really great for particularly young people in the industry who have grown up around some of those tools, such as Facebook and Google and YouTube.
[00:22:50] There's a really great opportunity here to, you know, lead in those areas because of that sort of quick learning ability.
[00:22:55] Azhelle Wade: Oh, that's so true. And that's a great point. Anyone listening? Cause there are a lot of people that messaged me. They're like, Oh, Azhelle, I'm trying to get a job in the toy industry. And this is your window in. This is where they need help .
[00:23:04] Zack Pentecost: Like there's opportunities now to get paid for managing and tech talk page. Like that's awesome.
[00:23:08]Azhelle Wade: What's the coolest, or maybe most viral Tik-Tok video that you guys have actually been able to use.
[00:23:14] Zack Pentecost: Yeah. I think. One of them was viral ones recently would have been our X Shot crusher campaign with just to release the new sort of toy target dart blaster. And we had it go out to an influencer there, I think. And they managed to build out this huge drums. Basically it was a hundred thousand dollars glasses attached to the blaster and just shot it.
[00:23:34] And I think it ended up with quite a few million views, just purely out of virality.
[00:23:37]Azhelle Wade: I want to know what these meetings are like. So you got your tick-tock expert and your tick dog's expert comes in and he's like, Zach, we need to do, we need to get an influencer to shoot a thousand darts. I think it's going to go viral. Is that the conversation that's happening?
[00:23:53] Zack Pentecost: I think so. Yeah. And it just, it just absolutely just explodes. I mean, you're sitting there going, wow.
[00:23:59]Azhelle Wade: Well, this has been really great and informative. Oh, where can my listeners connect with you?
[00:24:04]Zack Pentecost: So I'm available on LinkedIn as well as that in being invetor portal that I mentioned earlier on our website that does come through to me and is distributed amongst the team from there in terms of using those other metrics to validate the ideas. So if they've reached out through our inventor portal or over LinkedIn, I'm happy to connect with them.
[00:24:21] Azhelle Wade: Perfect. I will put the links in the show notes. It has been a pleasure talking with you. There were a lot of really great bits of information. I love how you guys are really doing the legwork and connecting with inventors and really rewarding. The people that are stepping out and building out these products on their own by, by licensing, what they've done.
[00:24:40] And you're really helping them grow their businesses to the next level. So this is great.
[00:24:44] Zack Pentecost: Yeah, and it looks, and it's great for us. It's like, I see like companies like ours have been built off the back of, you know, inventor licenses and things like that. You know, we wouldn't be where we are today without and being to licenses. So it's a two-way street in that regard.
[00:24:58] Azhelle Wade: Awesome. It was a pleasure getting to talk to you and get to know you today, Zach.
[00:25:02] Zack Pentecost: Awesome. And I likewise and thank you for being flexible on the timing. I just thought I sat there at six o'clock and I was halfway through an answer and I was, I'm not quite here, here. I don't think I will be until I get into the office that
[00:25:13] Azhelle Wade: we
[00:25:13] tried to do this call at 6:00 AM his time it was a bad plan. Well, thank you so much for being here it was a pleasure talking to you.
[00:25:20]Zack Pentecost: Thanks Azhelle thanks for having me on the show.
[00:25:22]Azhelle Wade: Okay, toy people. Let's break down a few of the key learnings we covered in today's episode, starting with the number one most important piece, Zuru's love and appreciation for inventors in the toy industry.
[00:25:38] Now Zach made it crystal clear by highlighting items like Hairy Slime and Bunch O Balloons that inventor products are deeply valued at Zuru toys. So, if you want to pitch to zero, you can simply apply to attend the toy creators academy, virtual pitch event, or head over to their website and submit through their inventor portal.
[00:26:01] You can find that link at thetoycoach.com/73. One of my favorite tips from today was when Zach shared how zero works hard to invalidate ideas and suggests inventors do the same before pitching. Now, why should you work hard to invalidate your idea? Well, because when you look at it from such a harsh perspective, what makes it through that invalidation process is going to be pure gold. It's all about objectively vetting your ideas. So if you want help walking through the process of objectives, vetting your ideas. I want you to go back to episode number 67.
[00:26:45] I know a lot of you loved that episode. Number 67, which is all about Objectively Vetting Your Amazing Toy Ideas. And in that episode, I dive into exactly how you can do that. You'll find that episode at thetoycoach.com/67, or head over to the show notes of this episode to grab that link and all of the rest we talked about today.
[00:27:10] Now I want to take this time to do a listener spotlight and say hello and thank you to travel mom, 007 travel mom, 007, says Azhelle has industry knowledge and knows how to share this knowledge in easy to understand advice and guidance, super fun to listen to, and you learn a lot.
[00:27:30] Thank you so much for that awesome review travel mom,007. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave us that rating and review. If you love this podcast and you haven't already left a review what are you waiting for? I absolutely love getting the notification on my phone when new reviews come in and you might end up featured as a listener spotlight on the very next episode. As always thank you so much for spending time with me today. I know there are a ton of podcasts out there, so it really means the world to me that you tune into this one. Until next week.
[00:28:09] I'll see you later. Toy people.
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🎓Learn more about how you can develop and pitch your toy idea with Toy Creators Academy® by clicking here to visit toycreatorsacademy.com and join the waitlist.