In this episode, we're celebrating the incredible full-circle journey of TCA alum Chrissy Fagerholt of EAP Toys and Games! From her first pitch at our Virtual Event to landing a game in Barnes & Noble and launching her own product line, Chrissy's growth is nothing short of inspiring. This highlight reel pulls together key moments from past episodes and a new interview with fellow TCAer Virginia Lett to show just how far she’s come. If her story sparks something in you, it might be time to start your own toy journey with Toy Creators Academy. Learn more at toycreatorsacademy.com. 

Toy people, I know you’re juggling it all,  building your brand, pitching your ideas, managing costs, and answering emails at 3AM. But what if AI could help you do it smarter? In this episode of Making It in The Toy Industry, I’m sharing 3 powerful ways I’ve used AI to save money, cut my ad costs in half, boost sales with chatbots, and even simulate playtesting with ChatGPT. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, this episode will help you make the most of your time and money and if you’re ready to take it further, join my AI-powered toy bootcamp on Sept 23 at learn.thetoycoach.com/bootcamp.

A spooky-cute monster toy, a $49K Kickstarter goal, and nearly $19K raised… but pledges have stalled. In this episode, I coach Toy Creators Academy alum Michael Harring through what’s working, what’s missing, and how to move forward with a small email list and a big idea. You’ll hear the kind of real strategy and mindset shifts we focus on inside Toy Creators Academy, the ones that turn love into sales and help your toy brand grow with purpose.

For years, international toy sellers had a semi-secret shortcut to ship goods under $800 tariff free. That shortcut? Gone. And if you’re not prepared, your business could feel it fast. As of August 29th, the De Minimis Exemption was officially eliminated for many international shipments to the U.S. Using a mind map, I’ll guide you through the four big areas impacted by this shift: the immediate chaos it’s caused, what strategies and tools are suddenly more valuable, what old tricks are now holding brands back, and who’s rising to the top as this new landscape takes shape.