Episode #25: How A Fellow Inventor Turned A Holiday Gift Idea Into A Licensed Invention
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Are you ready for an inventor story?
My guest for today's episode is Karen Bonnici, creator of the Super Blanky® and the Super Towel®. This inventor mom joins Azhelle Wade on today's episode to talk about her journey inventing and licensing the popular product, currently sold at Target. This inspiring and lesson packed story starts at a sewing table and ends on the shelf! Karen shares with us the creative process she went through to conceptualize Super Blanky, her path to protecting her idea, and how she determined if she had a marketable concept in the first place!
Get ready to learn some valuable, actionable advice from a fellow inventor who has done it all! From manufacturing, sales, marketing, and eventually licensing, Karen has learned a lot about bringing a children's product to market and graciously shares her insights in this super valuable episode.
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This episode is brought to you by thetoycoach.com
Check out Super Blanky online by clicking here.
Learn more about the inventor Karen Bonnici by clicking here.
Follow Super Blanky On Social: Instagram | Facebook
Get Steven Key's book One Simple Idea by clicking here.
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Azhelle 00:00
You are listening to Making It in The Toy Industry Episode Number 25
Intro/Outro + Jingle 00:07
Welcome to Making It in The Toy Industry podcast for inventors and entrepreneurs like you know your host Azhelle Wade.
Azhelle 00:17
Hey there toy people Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of Making It in The Toy Industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by thetoycoach.com. For today's episode we are joined by teaching artist entrepreneur mom and inventor Karen Bonnici. Karen is a mom who first created super Blanky in 2011. Super Blanky is a patented design that turns a blanket into a wearable superhero cape without the restriction of a neck band. Super blinking now sells nationwide at Target stores. And Karen is also an avid listener of the Making It in The Toy Industry podcast which makes this Interview extra special to me. Welcome to the show, Karen.
Karen 01:03
Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Thanks for having me. Well, I'm so glad you agreed to come on. I am a fan I've been Yeah, I've been enjoying it. You're you've got some great information that you're sharing and it's really exciting to be see somebody out there. sharing your knowledge. I think that we do we, we, when we're early in a career, we learn and we absorb and then once we know more later, we teach.
Azhelle 01:34
Mmm-hmm. Thank you so much. Yeah.
Karen 01:37
Thank you.
Azhelle 01:38
Now to get started. I would love to know more about your life before Super Blanky more about how you're a teacher and a musician and all of the things that you do.
Karen 01:48
Okay, great. Yeah, so um, so I've made my career for over 23 years as a professional musician, storyteller and teaching artist I have a background in study theater. And when I was a young mother, I was staying home with my kids and decided that I would like to be working, you know, but still have that balance where I could do a little bit about. And I saw a professional storyteller come to my son's school. when he was very young. And having a performance background. I thought, Oh my gosh, first of all, I was just enchanted by her.
Azhelle 02:32
I had no idea that was a job. That's amazing.
Karen 02:37
Yeah. So it's the art of telling stories. I'm not reading books. I'm just speaking stories. So like you would tell the story of the three little pigs so you wouldn't have a book in front of you when you told that story, right? And we tell it we all tell stories every day all day long. We live in stories or our brains are wired for story, but the stories that are Tell are not typical narratives that you would hear. In popular culture. I do a lot of old folk tales, fairy tales, Ghost tales and such. And so I started doing that because I have, you know, like a performance skill set. And, and then I'm a singer. And then a few years after that, I picked up an instrument called the autoharp, and I've been playing that. Well, gosh, no, I've been I've been playing that for 23 years. Wow. But I learned it as an adult so. So anyway, I include that and I have been doing that for a long time and I travel around Michigan and I tell stories and sing songs and do concerts and do teaching forums and clap classes for teachers. I love to teach teachers be in front of adult groups to encourage them how to get their students presenting in the oral tradition or teaching writing activities around the idea of speaking and storytelling. And so yeah, I've been I've been fortunate to kind of carve out a career doing that. So, you know, it's definitely a gig. It's gig work, right? Yeah. And so all my jobs are very unique and different, but it's, it's fulfilling, and it's fun. And I've, I've been able to carve out a niche and in Michigan, and I've traveled sometimes outside of Michigan, but there's, I get a lot of work here that I'm very fortunate for. So
Azhelle 04:34
yeah. So in doing all of that, where did your idea for Super Blanky come from? Was it the kids that you were teaching or was it your kids?
Karen 04:43
So that's a good question. So my kids are now young adults. Well, well, well into their adulthood. And when they were little, you know, I had a lot of imaginative play in my home. I'm an artist. I'm a handmade artists, right. I was craft things and I'm a musician and you know spoken word artists. I'm just I always lean toward the creative, right so we have a lot of imaginary playing. We had lots of dress up boxes in our house, make costumes for my kids and, and so costumes and we definitely had superhero capes in there that I'd sewn in. And when I just tell you through those, those dress up boxes, I don't they I didn't get rid of them to way after my kids gone to college, because they just seem to always be a source of play for people who would visit. And yeah, this is not a joke, but when my kids came home from college, occasionally we would still get the dress of boxes out, you know, on a goofy night. I'm guaranteeing you this during our current COVID-19 stay at home. I mean, we play with those...
Azhelle 05:52
I don't blame you.
Karen 05:55
If I still have them, but anyway, so Um, so yeah, so there was a lot of Have imaginary and creative dress up play in my home. Then my kids were a little bit older and I wanted to sew some handmade gifts for my nieces and nephews. And I thought, well, I'm going to make them blankets. But I really liked the idea of the capes I used to make for my own kids and I wanted to combine the two ideas. And so at first I sewed blankets and they were double layered fleece so they're nice and thick and kind of heavy. And then a neck band on them. I put a Velcro neck band on it. And the kids my nieces and nephews, open them and they love them. And they were having a lot of fun playing with them. And we had a lot of response. In the restaurant. The kids were actually running around, kind of wearing them and all the way over people saying oh my gosh, it's so fun. It's a superhero cape in a blanket. And then my sister started getting some response from friends and have fun. They weren't But it was that was really bothering me the neck band thing. And I thought, you know, it just it was too heavy of a blanket to wear a neck bandwidth. Because it's a blanket. It's not just a small superhero cape, right. Right. So but I thought, you know, this is a good idea. And I'd actually also in my career for years have done handmade goods and I would consign to stores and then I did a lot of art shows where I would sell my wares and different things I created over the years. I thought, you know, I'm gonna see if I can hand make these and sell these in a craft show booth.
Azhelle 07:40
So that was one of my questions. I wondered if you tried to sell them independently on your own?
Karen 07:45
Yep, So I so then I sold and I sold it. I broke a lot of sewing needles. I'm not a great seamstress. I'm really not. I'm just I can definitely see. So a few curved lines and right you know, some Straight lines, so but I sold and I made a few hundred of them over the time that I was sewing and one of them. And then I thought and really what I was doing then at that point, because I knew that I had an idea once I came, so let me go back. So that neck band that was bothering me, I just put the blanket out on the table and I was thinking, What can I do? And I kept thinking and going through the process and thinking, you know, how could this be worn differently? And I came up with a sleeve idea.
Azhelle 08:31
Wow, I love that.
Karen 08:33
It's a flat pocket, right? So it's a pocket, but the pocket goes sideways. Instead of your hand going down into the pocket, your hand goes sideways into the pocket and comes out the other side.
Azhelle 08:44
I love that when I'm telling people to think about what they have to offer when when someone's trying to come up with a new idea for the toy industry and maybe they've never done anything for toys before. When you think about like your particular skills and what you've been like honing over the years without even noticing you've been home. Something like sewing. Sure, and just watching your kids play is what will allow you to come up with something like Super Blanky. And that's, that's so important. just paying attention to what you already know.
Karen 09:09
Right? And what I was noticing for sure, because the blanket was so big. my nieces and nephews were kind of grabbing hold of it as they were running. And uh huh. I can use the arms here. I gotta do something with you.
Azhelle 09:22
Oh, interesting. So you just saw them holding it up. Wow, that's so funny. Right? So did you start with like little elastic hoops at first?
Karen 09:31
No. Like, I wanted it to be nice and sturdy. So I mean, I knew that that that's certainly an option. Right? But you know, to put them in the corners and stuff but I wanted it to be just wearable and like once I kind of came up with that the long pocket idea. I thought, well, this is just like wearing a coat. Yes, put it on and it's it stays on and so As soon as I came up with that idea, I tested it on my nieces and nephews blankets, and it worked. And then I called an attorney.
Azhelle 10:13
Really? Wait. So as soon as you so you wait, you went to the craft show with it with the design?
Karen 10:18
No, no, no, I actually taught I had the attorney on board before I went to the craft show. Oh, wow. Okay, so I come up with the idea like so. I think it was like, I given the kids the blankets and December. By February, I came up with this design idea. Okay, and I started sewing a couple and then testing the new ones on my nieces and nephews, saw them play in them and I was like, Oh, yeah, this is it. This this is gonna work. So then I called an attorney.
Azhelle 10:48
So I feel like everyone's worry when they start thinking like, Oh, I have a great idea. I want to patent it or I want to get an attorney involved. His cost. Were you did you have any idea what price range you're looking at spending before you even call them. Not exactly, no, but it's actually this attorney friend. I know through the storytelling world, so he had a journey. And he had an attorney work with him on it. She was newer attorney. They both did an amazing job because I have two utility patents not just design patents as well. Yeah, utility patents on my products amazing. But of course, you know, you know, people ask you should I hire an attorney? Should I do it myself? My, my book, you hire the people who are really smart at what they're doing. And um, you know, it worked very well for me. I I'm very glad that I did not try to apply for the application myself. I know people who have done patents themselves and more complicated patents, but you know, the damn process is pretty I don't know. It's it's it's so complicated. And with the attorneys How long did it take?
Karen 12:08
Well, gosh, I mean, I think it was two and a half years before I was only granted a patent. Maybe two years maybe two Yeah. Um, but before at first what we did was we applied for a provisional patent exams gonna ask that Yeah, Attorney gave me really good advice. You know, they're not business people, and they don't want to be your business partner in any way. And but what he told me was you a provisional, you explain what a provisional patent was, and that and that is just this kind of placeholder
Azhelle 12:43
for about a year--
Karen 12:44
yeah, a year and then and then you see if Is there a market for it? I didn't go into licensing, which eventually I did. That discovery of the market really is all about going to licensees and saying hey, are you interested in this This provisional patent right you're my market not the director consumer which is what I first started out
Azhelle 13:09
So when you first started you had your provisional patent but you're working with the lawyers they helped you get that Yeah. Well how did you start launching the product? Did you initially know you were going to go the licensing route or did you think you were gonna go to manufacturing?
Karen 13:21
I didn't even know what licensing was at the time. Okay. Well idea that it was a business had I own had I really known what it was, I would have done that. Okay.
Azhelle 13:34
So you were like, I'm just guessing manufacturing Yes, I guess I guess I have a toy company now. I don't know.
Karen 13:41
100% Azhelle, that's it. I invented something so now I own this and I'm gonna be the one that makes it sells it. But you know, that first year what I did was it really was good market research for me because I stood in front of these, you know, my boots. My art show craft show booth. And I had people giving me direct response. I got to talk to parents and grandparents and moms. Oh, yes. See the experience. And what I was, what I was seeing for sure was, if it was sitting on the shelf, it wasn't going so well, but I would put my own on. Or then I would have a child come over and it right out would put one on, and suddenly I've got 10 moms standing around my booth going, what is that?
Azhelle 14:29
And you probably also figured out like the key words you need to say to sell. Absolutely, yeah, right. What were your words, would you figure out?
Karen 14:37
So um, you know, I would explain that it's a wearable huggable cape that, you know, is all about empowerment and teaching your child to, you know,
Azhelle 14:49
haven't been like imaginative play.
Karen 14:51
Oh, yeah. Because, you know, the role playing thing is so essential for realizing the brain as suggests, you know, it stimulates imagination roleplay and especially like when they're playing the hero, they're, they're solving problems and you know, and when we solve our problems, we expand our ability to other, you know, to look at the world and take in other people's points of view. You know, so if that's what to me, like my blank, it's all about imagination. And that's really where it comes from, is just igniting imagination and children. That's why Gary did it. I created it for my nieces and nephews to have this experience and comfort and then as well have this, you know, imaginative roleplay thing that I think is incredibly essential for a child's development.
Azhelle 15:48
I honestly I love the comfort aspect of it. It's almost like the weighted blanket for kids. But you know what, now that you say this, I know I didn't say I was gonna ask you about this, but we have I haven't touched on this on my podcast yet. And it's craft fairs. I've done craft fairs for products that I've invented. And I'm curious to know how. how beneficial was that for you? Obviously, you got the feedback you wanted. But monetarily, did you feel like oh, I'm making the money that I want here? Or was that the reason you decided to push into the license licensing route instead?
Karen 16:22
It was paying for my patents. So that was good to pay for me my trademarks and my Yeah, so that was good. You know--
Azhelle 16:30
that's interesting.
Karen 16:31
Yeah. So I self funded, you know, the patents and stuff that worked out very well.
Azhelle 16:36
That's a great business. Oh, that's great. I mean, you came up with the idea. You got your provisional patent while you're protected for that first year with your provisional patent, you're filing for your your full patent and paying for it with the profits you're making with the product. That's perfect.
Karen 16:50
Once I knew I was going to apply for patent, I thought, well, I'm gonna have to sell blankets to cover the cost and, you know, at least do that and then once that's done, done, could see how do I turn a profit with this? So, in the process of all that I started learning about the whole licensing world and what it is and how did you learn about that? So I actually learned a great deal initially from invent, right, which is a one. Yeah. eventbrite.com and a man named Steven Key who wrote several fantastic books about the world of licensing and what it is to do when you've got something that is yours and you own taking it and instead of creating and having to be the end all be all finding somebody else to do it for you and collecting a royalty. So generally, you know, like a lot of people explain, you know, a lot of people think I'm a millionaire because I've invented a product that sells on target shells, right, but um, What I explained is that, you know, licensing essentially it's you can liken it to the author and publisher business. So it's, I found someone interested in a really great job on my manufacturer does an amazing job, making them getting them sold into target. And target does an amazing job selling them, and I get a royalty. So that's the simple, simplest way to describe what licensing is. But yeah.
Azhelle 18:32
And before we started, you said this great quote, which you have to repeat right now. When you walk to your mailbox.
Karen 18:40
Oh, yeah, yeah. It's mailbox money. It is. Yeah, it literally is a mailbox money business. It's past it, you know, become can be passive income. Yeah. I have, you know, a wonderful manufacturer where I do have conversations ongoing with them about What product's going to look like and projecting what else we can do with it. And, um, and the new co license or brands that are branded with my product, right? Super Blanky for me when I first started out, did have just a generic kind of look to it. Mm hmm. But now it is branded and it's co branded with these really amazing brands. I know. Batman. Yes. And Ryan's World we got LOL Surprise this past season. So we've had some amazing brands partner with Super Blanky and and then I was able to find a great partner and prank manufacturing and so yeah, it's it's that's what licensing is, you know, and I've been fortunate to I've had people I've gotten to know along the way who have helped some, you know, just professional People who have been in the business or give me ideas but I found a mentor. His name is Ken Johnson he's the inventor of the phase 10 game and ran his job has become a friend and he was incredibly helpful mentor. That's amazing. Teach me initially about the world of licensing as well so so it's just a very interesting business model again, I knew nothing about I thought yeah, I gotta make blankets myself. I knew that I would potentially you know, eventually want to get into manufacturing and I even did a little bit of that but and so I wasn't only ever sell sewing them myself, I did have I did source of manufacturing. But ultimately, I sell my product is a big box product and I when I see that it I saw it married with these brands. And that's probably when I started really researching and discovering what licensing was looking at the other side of it, like how do I how do I get Batman on my blanket and then I started learning about what that whole licensing was. was about.
Azhelle 21:01
And how did you find you said Franco manufacturing? How did you find them? Did you go to a bunch of different manufacturers before you settled on the one?
Karen 21:08
Well, you know what I did what Steven Key recommends, and the invent right process teaches is you go into the store, and you look on the shelf, and you see who's selling product there.
Azhelle 21:24
Oh, right. I do. I think I did the same thing in my first episode, but more focused on toys.
Karen 21:29
Yeah, but that's exactly. That's how I found them. That's awesome. Yeah, I found all the key players who are in the textile license character business because I didn't just want to be in textiles. I wanted licensed characters Marais. So I look to see who it was, was doing that. And I called you know, that's when I started communicating with those companies. And
Azhelle 21:52
yeah, and are you still partnering with with the same manufacturer? Yeah, yeah. That's awesome.
Karen 21:58
Yeah, they're doing an amazing job. So Matter of fact, I just acquired the rights to the name super towel. So we just saw that. So now we have super towel so and it's inside of the Ryan's or one of the Ryan's world. I'm BJ Hmm. And it's so cute and fun. And it's it's a great product all together the beach egg. Yeah, I did about what we can do with super towel. It's just launched. But there's a lot of fun there. So yeah, so they've been great with coming on board with my ideas and, and allowing that my idea of supertall to come to fruition so it's awesome.
Azhelle 22:45
And, you know, when I saw Super Blanky, it reminded me of you know, everyone had their own like blanket ideas. And there was that mermaid tail blanket for a long time or there still is, um, they have a lot of issues. With people ripping off their concept, and I'm wondering how are you able to keep control of your IP? so well? Was it that you had a professional do your patent? Do you have them fighting for you every step of the way? Like, how did you protect super Blinky and now supertall. So well?
Karen 23:15
Well, because I have, in fact, utility patents. I don't believe that the I can't say for certain, but I believe are made blankets, you know, I'd seen those on Etsy, you know, craft shows and stuff for a while before they started to hit the marketplace. Right. So in as far as the utility and how they function, I don't, I don't know that there's any sort of utility patents. So that's the thing about my patent. It does protect me. But so you know, but I do want to say that there's also you know, not every product that launches really needs a patent, even if it does have a unique utility on it like mine does. So first of all, patents are expensive, right? And they often don't go anywhere. I talked to dozens and dozens and dozens of inventors, a lot of people reach out to me and ask questions. And I've talked to many people who own patents, very expensive pans, who don't have success who don't have access, and frankly, don't have a marketable idea, right? Oh, there's a lot more, you know, any day of the week, anybody can go and just come up with an idea and apply for a patent and start spending money. But there's so much to do before that and it's it's all about doing market research and really discovering is there an even market for this? This product, which is exactly that what I was doing in that first year when I was hand making them and selling them out of my craft show Bray doing on the street market research man By the time that year was wrapping up, I said, Oh, yeah, I've got something here. And we're read, there are people who want this. So now go forward. But that first provisional patent was really cheap.
Azhelle 25:12
Right now, the only problem is you put all your information there. And if you don't follow through it, you lose all the rights to your invention, and someone could come in and just copy it. Yeah, that's the only problem, though.
Karen 25:23
But if you knew your provisional patent, and then you do market research, right, you're out there in the market. You know, again, I'm not I you know, so I really do recommend Steven Keys book, of course, it's called one simple idea. And he gives you a lot of suggestion about really discovering, going into market research, again, from the perspective of do I want to be out there and making this myself and selling it or even market research? Is there a licensee who would be interested in marketing this for me, so A lot of good advice come and and I, I let me say this, there's a lot of invention, companies, websites out there that are so illegitimate and horrible. And I've also seen people get ripped off by them and it's just heartbreaking. I know, it's part of the reason why I wanted to start this because I feel like when people are especially joining the toy industry, they don't really know where to go. So you type in so toy invention and you get inventions for everything. And you kind of need someone to tell you what's applicable specifically for toys and what you don't really need and things like that. Right? Yeah, right. Yeah. So there's a lot of scam companies out there that are interested in putting something together for you a prototype and you pay them a lot of money and then they say we're going to license your idea for you, but their fail rate is tremendous. So um, yeah. Since you partner with a manufacturer who goes out to find other customers, that's my manufacturers job, they have a whole sales team. That's why it becomes it can become a mailbox money business where they make it, they sell it, they invest their money in it, they find it, you know, the sourcing, they deal with all the manufacturing headaches, and then I go to the mailbox.
Azhelle 27:22
Did you ever consider any other crowdfunding methods to help manufacturers Super Blanky? Or did you ever consider doing a show like Shark Tank? Do you have any thoughts on that route for inventors?
Karen 27:35
So I did consider both. First I'll talk about crowdfunding. You know, crowdfunding is something I still consider, because I can still manufacture and and create the blanket myself with like an adult size. I can create supertall I can, you know, potentially build the licensing business myself with some of those people. products. So I do think about that, but just not as of yet. Um, I'm, I'm considering different potential options. So as far as something like Shark Tank goes, You know, I think shark tank is fun. It's a fun entertaining show. I think that that's what you have to know is going into it. It's for purposes of entertainment. And that shows there to, you know, ride home viewers for something fun and entertaining. So, I think I think there's, you know, there's some people who've been able to get some opportunity. And if you're interested simply in doing two things, licensing your product, and getting huge broad awareness on your product. If you happen to get the good fortune of going on the show, you're getting a lot of people to know about your product and you're going to get the licensing deal. Opportunities could be much wider because especially if you're partnering with somebody but you know, so I think it's I think it's a great fun show.
Azhelle 29:10
And because you didn't do Shark Tank and you didn't do crowdfunding, when it hit when Super Blanky hit the stores, I saw, like news reports and things, but how did you get the word out?
Karen 29:19
Um, well, we just I did a little bit of PR. And was, um, you know, and I had initially, Joanne Burton from Detroit News. She was in the news. It's time she's no longer on screen. She does radio show. She's fantastic, wonderful lady. But she was doing a program called mom's a genius. Somebody introduced me to her and said, You should go on this mom's a genius thing is because it was all about moms building at home, you know, businesses growing so I got interviewed for that. And then I thought, Oh, yeah, well Now this is moving on, let me call Joanne and I let her know about it. And then a lot of the other stations nearby wanted to have some conversations with me about it. And, yeah, I recognize I'm very, very fortunate. I again, fortunate to have gotten some good PR, but also fortunate to create what I have, you know, a huge obstacle to invent something, and then have any measure of market success and then have market success initially, but then continued market success. Yes. Well, the market continues to like the product and consumers keep buying it. And that's very exciting. So I recognize that it's a blessing. Blessing. Yeah. All right.
Azhelle 30:47
Well, I want to know what is the future for Super Blanky or maybe the future for you? Are you inventing Anything new?
Karen 30:54
So I do have I always have my little file System that I keep on Evernote. Evernote Yeah, I know Evernote and I always have my invention ideas scrolling through there so I always have new ideas and I write them down but um you know as far as future ideas for Super Blinky what's, what's up is you know, there's still a lot of possibility I am. I might so as far as supertall goes, we just have the first product out right now but I have the opportunity to have other possible products with supertall and to have additional products made for adults to know what my what I what I'm looking for. What I'm would love the opportunity, but it hasn't I haven't been able to open that door yet, is to find a partner who's interested in producing professional And collegiate sports. Super Blanky Yeah. Because it's a great, it would be a great fan blank. Yeah, would have to wear it in the stands as the brain for your team. And what's great about Super Blanky for adults is it really is just a simple square blanket and it folds up and it goes away and there's nothing. It's got the fun playfulness that some of the novelty blankets have. But so it can be fun and kitschy, but it really is just a nice square blanket, so I don't so I actually make and sell adult sized blankets. And I used to just do them in decorative fabric when I was making them. So that's another possibility. So I'm looking, you know, potentially for you know, a partner who wants to expand the supertall
Azhelle 32:53
So that's the future.
Karen 32:54
Yeah, so in the future. Yeah. So I mean, Super Blanky the utility itself, it could be be worn in a nice, beautiful, luxury soft furry blanket. Yes, yeah. It can, you know, my patent apply heated blanket. Actually a weight weighted blanket weighted to Oh, yeah. Oh, it's a weighted blanket and--
Azhelle 33:16
scented. I mean, there's so many options. So many ways this can go. That's right.
Karen 33:21
Yeah, there's lots of, you know, things possibilities still for it. Yeah.
Azhelle 33:28
So finally, what advice would you give to your fellow inventors?
Karen 33:35
Oh, so much take like, another hour, right?
Azhelle 33:40
Could you give like, what about like three major bullet points? Let's give them that. That sounds good. Make your bullet points.
Karen 33:47
Honestly. Um, I would look into discovering what the licensing world is all about. I would decide whether or not it's for you because It may or may not be you may want to fund and source manufacturing and, and go on Amazon and sell your products. And, you know, some of that still exists for me that the possibility of that to decide what it is that you want to do. Are you a person who has skill sets that are great for inventing but not necessarily running a business?
Azhelle 34:26
Mm hmm.
Karen 34:27
Know that about yourself? Right? So I'd say get to know what the licensing businesses decide whether or not you want to become a professional. maker, business owner manufacturers and do you know, do it all? Yeah. And just to be careful out there of, you know, you don't have to be crazy careful that somebody's going to steal your idea and mission. Yes. ideas. Here's what I would say. ideas don't get stolen unless they're successful. Yes. So I you know, you can talk to your attorney and ask them what they, you know, or read online more about how much I can share about my invention idea, but don't be so scared that you're just gonna sit on it. Yeah. And you never do anything because I'll tell you another I'll tell you a little story. In my craft both two on two different occasions at two different shows, two with two different women came to me and said, Oh my gosh, I made one of these years ago for my nephew. I was like I I sewed like a weird sleeve on the inside of a blanket one time for my nephew and another woman had done it for her grant grandson, right. But it was just her on her sewing these two women on two separate sewing machines and making this and they said but this I never thought it could be a business. I never bring anything Whitman, I'm making a gift. So here's the thing. I've also learned it's true. There is no original idea, right? It's just do you take your idea? And do? Do you have any sort of confidence in yourself to launch and build it into something? So that's what I did different. I came up with an idea. But I had the courage enough, I guess, I would say the courage and the stamina. There's a lot of stamina involved. That is so much rejection and so much so many challenges along the way. But do you have those two things in check so that you can step forward to build?
Azhelle 36:44
Yeah, I always tell people you have to go to now. You know, if you have an idea, go to now do it now. Get it done, because the person that gets it done is a person that's going to move forward.
Karen 36:54
That's right. Yeah. And consistency, right.
Azhelle 36:57
Yes. Right. And yeah, no 100% With like social media, people always say consistency, but it's anything any successful business, it has a consistent owner behind it.
Karen 37:07
Absolutely. Every day, you got to give up, get up and do the grind. And I know I work for myself, I'm self employed and have been for over 23 years and as both this having developed Super Blanky and brought it into the licensing world, and then my professional work as a storyteller musician and teaching artists, but I you know, I'm self employed I and there's nobody who's gonna pay me unless I unless I'm consistent on distantly go out and work for me myself. Right. So I say that's really applicable when it comes to invention is if you've got an idea, be consistent about the pursuit of it if you really believe in it.
Azhelle 37:54
Oh, that's good that you got your three right there.
Karen 37:57
Okay.
Azhelle 37:59
Thank you. So much for coming on the show, Karen. It's been so good having you. It's really great to meet you.
Karen 38:05
Wow, great to meet you.
Azhelle 38:07
Thank you so much for the positive review on iTunes. And I know this episode is gonna hold so much value for my listeners. I hope Stephen loves it. I hope your lawyer loves it. Um, it was really great having you today.
Karen 38:22
Great. It has been my pleasure, really appreciate the opportunity and best wishes to all your listeners and to you as well.
Azhelle 38:31
Thanks so much, Karen.
Karen 38:33
Talk to you soon. Sounds good. Bye. Bye. Bye.
Azhelle 38:36
Well, there you have it toy people. I hope you found this interview with Karen Bonnici. extremely helpful, since she so graciously took us through the process of having a great idea, sewing a few selling a few herself, getting a patent and ultimately licensing her invention with a manufacturer for production. Also make sure you follow Super Blanky on social on Instagram that's @mysuperblanky and on Facebook, it's My Super Blanky now if you would like a breakdown of the major points from this episode, just head over to thetoycoach.com/25. Now if you haven't already left a review for this podcast, please do so now. Head over to iTunes and leave us a rating and a review. I love to read them. And remember, leaving a rating and review is the best way to help fellow inventors and entrepreneurs like yourself, find this podcast. As always, thank you for spending this time with me and until next week. I'll see you later toy people.
Intro/Outro + Jingle 39:52
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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