#292: Toy Creators Academy Accelerator Coaching Call with Durratussharaf
You’ve got a product idea that means the world to you… maybe it’s cultural, personal, or rooted in your own childhood traditions. But making it retail-ready without losing your mission? That’s the challenge.
In this episode of Making It in the Toy Industry, I’m coaching Durratussharaf, Toy Creators Academy alum, Accelerator grad, and founder of Dcraftsource, a culturally-inspired craft kit brand built to celebrate every kid and every culture.
It all started with one handmade Ramadan kit for her daughter. And now, her card-making craft kits for Eid, Diwali, Christmas, and birthdays are bringing diverse celebrations into homes, classrooms, and (hopefully soon!) retail stores.
Here’s what we talked about:
The packaging tip that instantly leveled up her product
How crafting can spark deeper cultural connection for kids and families
How she turned one niche seasonal kit into a scalable product line
What’s stopping her from breaking into retail and how she’s moving past it
How her Amazon launch blew up with no big ad spend
If you're trying to figure out how to go from maker to brand, or you're wondering how to bring more authenticity into your product line, this episode will inspire you to stop waiting and start building.
Listen For These Important Moments
[00:04:52] – Durrat reveals how one shift in her packaging design instantly elevated the perceived value of her product.
[00:07:18] – Starting with a single Ramadan craft kit, Durrat shares how she built a full product line simply by keeping the structure the same and swapping out the themes.
[00:10:34] – We explore how hands-on crafting opens the door to powerful conversations about identity, tradition, and cultural pride for kids and families.
[00:21:47] – From hesitation around trade shows to confusion about retail outreach, we uncover what’s been holding Durrat back and how she’s building a smarter path forward.
[00:29:13] – Her Christmas kit hit #1 in Amazon’s new releases category and she did it with no paid ads or big campaigns, just smart positioning and great timing.
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This episode is brought to you by www.thetoycoach.com
Got a toy idea you can’t stop thinking about? Toy Creators Academy gives you the tools, support, and step-by-step plan to make it real, just like it did for Gerardo. Start your journey at toycreatorsacademy.com
Get hands-on with beautifully designed stamp kits that turn cultural celebrations into keepsakes. Shop now at www.dcraftsource.com
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[00:00:00] Azhelle Wade: You are listening to Making It in The Toy Industry, episode number 292.
[00:00:10] Voiceover: Welcome to Making It in The Toy Industry, a podcast for inventors, entrepreneurs, and makers like you. And now your host, Azhelle Wade.
[00:00:22] Azhelle Wade: 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. My guest today is a Toy Creators Academy alumni and an alumni of TCA Accelerator.
[00:00:37] Azhelle Wade: Her name is Durratussharaf, A TCA alumni and a Toy Creators Academy alumni. She allows us to call her Durrat, so thank you for that graciousness as I. Learn to pronounce your name, but Durrat is the mom behind colorful corner of the world where crafts and culture come together. Her brand is called Dcraftsource. Durrat said living far from home.
[00:00:59] Azhelle Wade: She wanted her kid to feel connected to her roots. And what better way to do that than crafting. One stamp led to another, and today here we are at a joyful place where families can celebrate festivals old and new, learn about different cultures, and create beautiful keepsakes along the way. So whether your family celebrates Ramadan, Diwali, or a special holiday of your own.
[00:01:19] Azhelle Wade: There is a seat at our table. The model for Dcraftsource is create crafts, celebrate culture. I love that. You did such a great job building out your mission, Darrah. Thank you. Thank you so much. Ah, so great. We've had so many conversations on this, so it was great to see that. So today's episode is gonna be a coaching call.
[00:01:38] Azhelle Wade: Let's dive in. I don't wanna waste any more time. The very first question I have for you, Durrat, is. What was going on in your life or your career when you first decided to join Toy Creators Academy? And what made you feel like it was the right move at the time?
[00:01:50] Durratussharaf: Okay, so you already know my mission and I wanted to create something hands-on.
[00:01:55] Durratussharaf: Absolutely. DIY because that's what me and my kid we like doing together. Mm. So I already had a very niche product that was very seasonal and I was selling it online and I wanted to get into retail. That's when I met you. I heard your podcast and I knew I wanted to learn so much from you to get my product retail ready.
[00:02:17] Durratussharaf: I love that. What was the first product? So the first product was Eid Ramadan crafting kit, and that was, again pretty seasonal. Yeah. And very niche, right? You helped me understand that I could take one idea and build on it. So just not being in the market for one culture and one season, but to celebrate the global festivals year round.
[00:02:41] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, I love that. And we were struggling so hard to articulate that. And you did that beautifully with the bio that you wrote for the show.
[00:02:47] Durratussharaf: Thank
[00:02:47] Azhelle Wade: you. Yeah, that was great. All
[00:02:49] Durratussharaf: thanks
[00:02:49] Azhelle Wade: to you for job. Go on. All right. Before joining Toy Creators Academy, did you ever doubt whether you were really a toy person or if your ideas were good enough?
[00:02:59] Durratussharaf: Yes. Actually that happens, right, as an entrepreneur because you're working just by yourself. With yourself. Yes. And you actually made me think like a brand. Mm-hmm. And not just a maker. Mm-hmm. So essentially what you helped me do is sort of build a product structure. Because I already had, uh, like one product, right?
[00:03:19] Durratussharaf: Yeah. And then we added to it, right? Because the box was the same size. Mm-hmm. Uh, the layout was similar. Yeah. The sourcing process was similar. All we had to do is change the themes.
[00:03:30] Azhelle Wade: Mm-hmm.
[00:03:31] Durratussharaf: So now what we had is we are creating new SKUs. Mm-hmm. Without reinventing the wheel every time. Mm.
[00:03:38] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. Even the layout.
[00:03:39] Azhelle Wade: I love it. Even the layout of your boxes. I wanna get into packaging, but not yet because we did so much with packaging and I see it in the background. What shifted your mindset from thinking that, from seeing yourself as a product versus a brand?
[00:03:51] Durratussharaf: When you are the maker, you just focus on little parts of the product.
[00:03:57] Durratussharaf: And when you see yourself as a brand, you kind of see the bigger picture. Like especially you know, what the retailers are looking for. So what you helped me is, uh, build a brand system that retailers are able to recognize instantly. How did that happen? Was that in the accelerator or in TCA? I think the accelerator.
[00:04:15] Durratussharaf: Yeah. I think it was the one-on-one coaching call Really that really accelerated and elevated the packaging and everything. Oh, that's
[00:04:22] Azhelle Wade: what it's called. Yeah. So it's for what progress did you actually make with Toy Creators Academy? 'cause I am curious if you felt like. That foundation was helpful before you got into the accelerator, or do you think you wish you jumped into Accelerator first?
[00:04:34] Durratussharaf: So the initial first year that I was in the TCAI actually enjoyed being in a cohort of, uh, toy makers because everybody is so eager to share and. Just provide feedback and jump in with ideas and because they've been there. Yeah, it's easier to course correct. So the people definitely helped. But because I was eager to launch the product, I said might as well, you know, accelerate it.
[00:04:58] Durratussharaf: Might as well
[00:04:59] Azhelle Wade: accelerate. I love how it keeps going back to the name of. The of the second program. No, that's great to know. 'cause I did just bring Toy Creators Academy back as a live cohort 'cause I went Evergreen for a while 'cause I was burnt out from the coaching a cohort and I'm so glad to hear that you had a lot of value in the cohort.
[00:05:16] Azhelle Wade: 'cause I too think that there's a lot of value 'cause then. When you went into accelerator, you still stayed friends with all the people in that cohort.
[00:05:23] Durratussharaf: You do. And you constantly learn about, you know, the new happenings in the industry. There is always some post of, you know, there is a trade show here and there and how they learned and the takeaways from it and the.
[00:05:34] Durratussharaf: Connections they made, the networking events, et cetera. Yeah. So that's a great place to be in. Yeah. So I still enjoy my time there.
[00:05:42] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. Yeah. And we're making it so that the alumni can rejoin the seven cohort because we're changing the accelerator. So it's more one-on-one, less group. But then I think Toy Creators Academy is gonna stay that group place.
[00:05:52] Azhelle Wade: 'cause I just think it's special for that. A hundred
[00:05:55] Durratussharaf: percent. Yeah. It's a group of such wonderful, yeah. Enthusiastic people I know. And they're always encouraging.
[00:06:00] Azhelle Wade: Can you give us. An elevator pitch for your Toyer brand product. How would you describe it if you only had 30 seconds in an elevator ride with someone?
[00:06:08] Durratussharaf: My company, the Craft Source is not just any crafting company. It is a celebration of cultural awareness and belonging through hands on DIY crafts. So call me a mom on a mission, but I'm on a mission here to celebrate, create, and craft together.
[00:06:25] Azhelle Wade: Oh, I love that. And it's, it's so great 'cause when you read a buyer psychology behind Ikea, that when people build things with their hands, they appreciate it more.
[00:06:34] Azhelle Wade: So you're helping people appreciate cultures more by making them build things with their hands. Yeah.
[00:06:38] Durratussharaf: And what happens is when you are building things with your hand, that is where the conversations happen. Yeah. So there are two things that essentially bring people to the table to have these conversations about around culture.
[00:06:50] Durratussharaf: Mm-hmm. And customs, et cetera. One is food. Mm-hmm. And the other one is crafts. I happen to be a lousy cook. So crafts It is.
[00:06:58] Azhelle Wade: I wonder if you and Samantha in the future might ha be able to kind of work together or partner in some way where you could offer bundles. 'cause she also creates culture-based products.
[00:07:08] Azhelle Wade: Correct. And she's expanding beyond the Asian culture. She's adding like Mexican. So I wonder if one day for some promo, maybe for the holiday you could. Say, you know, a special deal for the Ramadan kit, plus the doll that goes with it. I wonder if there could be a combo. Yeah,
[00:07:24] Durratussharaf: yeah,
[00:07:24] Azhelle Wade: yeah,
[00:07:25] Durratussharaf: yeah, for sure. Yeah, for the Diwali and Ramadan, yeah, we could definitely do something like that.
[00:07:30] Durratussharaf: Yeah, that would be so cute.
[00:07:31] Azhelle Wade: Or even her birthday. Your birthday kit, because it could be for your daughter who is Asian American's birthday doll, plus birthday kid. Mm-hmm. Like there could be a fun, I don't know how you'd work that out. It'd probably be somebody buys. Inventory from somebody else and puts it on their site and and ships it out together.
[00:07:47] Azhelle Wade: But that could be something down the line to think about.
[00:07:49] Durratussharaf: Yes, definitely. Yeah. Getting together with Samantha would be a pleasure. I know. She's amazing.
[00:07:53] Azhelle Wade: What has been the hardest part of launching Dcraftsource?
[00:07:57] Durratussharaf: There is always a challenge, right? When you launch, it's because you have thought about, it's.
[00:08:01] Durratussharaf: So much and so hard and for so long. Yeah. That putting it into the world is really scary. Mm. Um, it was about making it retail ready because I already had it online, so it was kind of, there was a soft launch, but I wanted it to be retail and shelf ready. Yeah. And I think that was the biggest challenge for me.
[00:08:20] Durratussharaf: Interesting.
[00:08:20] Azhelle Wade: Let's talk a little bit about that then. 'cause now that goes into packaging. So what was different about your packaging before? Do you have a
[00:08:26] Durratussharaf: before package with you? I don't, but I remember, uh, I can pull
[00:08:31] Azhelle Wade: it up online vividly and share a screen. Do you have it still online?
[00:08:34] Durratussharaf: No. No. I never launched that particular package.
[00:08:37] Durratussharaf: Oh. But I remember showing it to you. Remember I had packed like. Everything in like one little box, because I thought that just putting everything would provide more value and yeah. You told me that empty space is not a bad idea because it sort of adds to the perceived value of the product. So if the packaging, you know, looks and feels premium people Yeah.
[00:09:01] Durratussharaf: Sort of have that idea of, uh, perceived added value. Yes. So,
[00:09:05] Azhelle Wade: yeah, and it's their first impression. I do remember you had a ton of product. Hidden underneath, like the logo, like you had a window for your package that showed some product, but there was a ton of product hidden from behind the window. Because the thing is like if you put a window on a box.
[00:09:22] Azhelle Wade: And people can't see like eight of the markers that are hidden behind where the window isn't. They're not assuming there are eight more markers. They're assuming there are only four markers and four markers. You know, it's so, it's like you either have to expand your window to show everything, or if you cannot, because you need to have a logo and a title and a subline, then you just have to.
[00:09:40] Azhelle Wade: They have left stuff. So you said that was the hardest part, but you did it. I do wanna talk a little bit about how that came to be. I told you you need to work on your packaging and what came next?
[00:09:49] Durratussharaf: So it was, uh, one of the designers under the TCA resource. Yeah. That helped me create the packaging. Is it time to show it off yet?
[00:09:58] Azhelle Wade: Yes. Show the packaging. Ooh. So I connected Durrat to Creative Fold, who is one of our vendors on Toy coach.com as well. And I should say they are an affiliate of ours. If you use them, please let them know. The Toy Coach sent you the creative fold. I just thought that they could handle what she needed. There's a lot of information to explain in RA's product, but I knew she needed someone with a very like clean design aesthetic.
[00:10:22] Azhelle Wade: 'cause we were talking about working together. I just felt like this wasn't quite my project, like my cup of tea and I was like, no, no, no. I think you need to work with them. I was also really busy. So anyway. They took your design. They made it really clear what each kit stands for. You have the Happy Birthday kit, Merry Christmas kit.
[00:10:37] Azhelle Wade: They also made sure that your product was framed in like a beautifully contrasted frame, and because you were in TCA accelerator, you were sending me their work back and forth, and I was helping you comment on it. What I learned in that process is how well I know how to communicate with freelancers. And how it's not something that comes natural to other people.
[00:10:57] Azhelle Wade: And I'm wondering, in the process of working with me, did you find yourself learning like how to communicate what you wanted from them and needing me less?
[00:11:04] Durratussharaf: Yes. Yes, a hundred percent. Because what happens is when you have like a certain. Idea of a product in your mind. Yeah. And then you're dealing with professionals who have done it right, who have the retail experience, designing experience, but then to get through to them with your ideas.
[00:11:20] Durratussharaf: Because again, it was not like one product that I was trying to build. Yeah. It was multiple seasonal products. Yeah. And it all had to be cohesive. It all had to sort of scream my brand. Mm-hmm. So. That is something that you helped me convey to them, and I feel I have a little experience now to deal with people on my own.
[00:11:40] Azhelle Wade: Oh, I love that. I'm so glad that that worked out. It was fun to get back into like the creative director seat from my perspective. That was nice.
[00:11:47] Durratussharaf: You had some wonderful ideas.
[00:11:49] Azhelle Wade: Oh, thank you. Now, if you could snap your fingers and instantly fix one thing in your business, what would that be? One thing, it could be just overnight.
[00:11:57] Azhelle Wade: So
[00:11:57] Durratussharaf: many things. Yeah. I mean, yeah. It's just because, you know, like I'm the idea person, so I'm like thinking of so many things Yeah. At one time. Yeah. And just streamlining the thought process and the product is like a challenge. And you ask me to do this and come up with one, uh, that is a challenge. But yeah, I could send you a spreadsheet.
[00:12:16] Durratussharaf: I feel like,
[00:12:17] Azhelle Wade: I think, I mean, tell me if I'm wrong. Let me list a couple of things from what I remember working together in TCA. I feel like there was a struggle to connect with retailers to sell the product trade shows, like deciding which to go to and then wondering if you should, you should work with like kind of a sales rep or distributor.
[00:12:35] Azhelle Wade: So are any of those surfacing any ideas of if you could solve one problem? What would that problem be?
[00:12:41] Durratussharaf: Yes. I mean, just uh, be able to pick the right trade shows, be able to make connections, be able to have contact with the sales rep that actually get my product on the shelves. Yeah, that is something that I would, yeah, for sure.
[00:12:57] Azhelle Wade: I think the top of that is definitely the trade shows. So what do you think has been holding you back from that? Because we did talk about an accelerator, you potentially going to Astra and then you didn't Right. At the end of the day. So what held you back from going to that trade show?
[00:13:10] Durratussharaf: For starters, I did not have, uh, the range of products that I have right now.
[00:13:15] Durratussharaf: Okay. That was. One, and I think now I'm ready to display more products. Mm-hmm. And, uh, I'm, I'm ready for more trade shows this year. Okay. Awesome. So 2026, this is, the year is going to be a year of trade shows. Yes, for sure. Fun.
[00:13:31] Azhelle Wade: All right. Have you had a moment lately where you felt stuck or unsure what to do next?
[00:13:36] Durratussharaf: I generally have that like on a regular basis. And again, like as an entrepreneur, I need to like pull myself out. Yeah. And then, uh, there are times when if I'm, I'm really stuck, I go to TCA, the Facebook page and just try to read through the comments and suggestions that people have made. Yeah. And yeah, I kind of zap out of it, uh, really quickly because uh, I need to keep moving on.
[00:13:57] Durratussharaf: Yeah. Retail has been like. A big challenge for me. Yeah. That I am sort of trying to conquer. So hopefully I'm able to do that this year.
[00:14:07] Azhelle Wade: What have you tried in regards to retail and what, what drawbacks have you had from those efforts?
[00:14:11] Durratussharaf: So, none the trade shows. I haven't done any so far. Right. Uh, it's just the outreach, uh, the emails and the phone calls and stuff like that.
[00:14:19] Durratussharaf: Yeah, it's. Especially in the area that I live in. So I wanted to start off from there and now that I have the products in hand, yeah, uh, I'll be able to walk in and show them, uh, show the products to them in person for them to get like a feel of the quality.
[00:14:33] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. Okay. Love that. And you just got these sample, did you just get these?
[00:14:37] Durratussharaf: Uh, I did actually like, uh, a week ago. Wow. Love that. Yeah.
[00:14:42] Azhelle Wade: Okay. Okay, so then let's focus, let's talk about our coaching. What is the one problem you would like to focus on and solve today? And that, what, what would feel like a win for you? What do you want us to like kind of dig into and solve in this call?
[00:14:54] Durratussharaf: Okay. So, uh, essentially getting into retail stores, getting into specialty retail stores. Um. You'll have to help me with that. Yes. How to navigate that path.
[00:15:05] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, definitely. Well, one, I'm definitely gonna say go through just module nine of TCA. Again, watch it. Just go through it and pull some information there.
[00:15:13] Azhelle Wade: Second, I'm gonna say you have to go to trade shows, but I wonder if we should go through the TCA list now of trade shows to talk about, which I think would be best for you. We talked about Astra. I do think for some of your items, Astra will be a fit, but however, the more culturally diverse ones are definitely gonna be a struggle.
[00:15:34] Azhelle Wade: So when is Ramadan and Eid?
[00:15:37] Durratussharaf: Eid is after the 30 days after, uh, when Ramadan ends. Mm-hmm. That is when we celebrate Eid.
[00:15:42] Azhelle Wade: Oh, when is Ramadan?
[00:15:43] Durratussharaf: Ramadan is in February, I think.
[00:15:46] Azhelle Wade: Okay. That's soon. And then the Wally is. October 20. Okay, so
[00:15:52] Durratussharaf: that's right. 2020 first. Yeah.
[00:15:53] Azhelle Wade: Okay. So the one advice that I've gotten from other retailers is to look at city census data to figure out what demographic is in what area, and use that information to lead what stores you start going after.
[00:16:07] Azhelle Wade: Now, I know you were starting in Texas, just 'cause that was local to you, but I'm curious if the demographic in Texas matches. The people that would wanna purchase your product.
[00:16:16] Durratussharaf: I, I think especially Houston, Houston is pretty multicultural. Mm-hmm. So I think Houston and some of the specialty stores in Houston might be a good fit.
[00:16:25] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. And I'm wondering like, how can we narrow down to the specialty? Like, can you start by, in Houston finding the neighborhoods that are predominantly, I guess, Muslim? Is that, that's, is it primarily who. That's who celebrates. Yes. Um, Ramadan eat, so the areas Ramadan and eat. Okay. So the areas that are primarily Muslim and then I guess Hindu.
[00:16:43] Azhelle Wade: Right. So it's not just Hindu, it's all Hindu.
[00:16:45] Durratussharaf: Hindu, yeah. Hindu Celebrate the Valley. Yeah. Yeah. So
[00:16:48] Azhelle Wade: then is, is it a wider range that celebrates Diwali or just Hindu?
[00:16:51] Durratussharaf: Actually, again, it's more like a cultural celebration, so it's become pretty inclusive. Oh, okay. So a lot of people do celebrate the Valley and a lot of, uh, people do celebrate e just because, you know, the neighbors are, uh, Hindus or Muslims.
[00:17:05] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Are there neighborhoods in Houston that are predominantly Indian then? And can you identify the toy stores in those neighborhoods? I think that would be my first step. Okay. And then that, that is, yeah. And then from Houston, expand out to other cities, you know, that you can near you. So that it's something drivable so you can make face-to-face interaction and your goal would be to get into like three to five stores so that you can use that credibility so that it'll be easier to make other sales to stores outside of your state even if you can't be there.
[00:17:36] Azhelle Wade: That's what I'm thinking.
[00:17:38] Durratussharaf: So for, uh, right now I was thinking more of, uh, the Merry Christmas and the happy Birthday one. Yeah. Because that would at least help me to get into the stores
[00:17:48] Azhelle Wade: for starters. Well, okay, so now I'm going back to the idea of niche and I'm just feeling like the fact that you are Muslim gives you some personal connection and story to sell and tell with your brand when you get to get your foot in the door.
[00:18:04] Azhelle Wade: So much like Samantha launched Joey Dolls to create a product for her daughter. She started with Chinese and Korean and Japanese dolls, but now she's expanding with the support of her audience to Mexican and going to other cultures, and that was a really thoughtful thing she did over time. So what I am thinking for you is I'm wondering if it's gonna be easier for you to fill a market gap if you go into stores that have a predominant Indian neighborhood or demographic in their area and say, Hey, I have a product specifically for your consumers.
[00:18:35] Azhelle Wade: You show them the whole range, but you highlight Eid, Ramadan, and Diwali and say, these are specifically like your neighborhood is this percentage Indian Multicom. Mm-hmm. They will buy, you know, they'll buy this and then if you wanna expand, we've got Christmas, we've got Happy Birthday. Like I feel like this is how you can start, get your foot in the door.
[00:18:52] Durratussharaf: Mm-hmm. Yeah. What
[00:18:53] Azhelle Wade: are your thoughts? I mean,
[00:18:54] Durratussharaf: this is something primarily I did, right? Because I launched with the Ethan Ramadan first. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right. So yeah, that is definitely something I would, again, reintroduce. To the stores now with, you know, the revamped packaging and all. For sure.
[00:19:07] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. I think that would be the first step, but also now, like when you were describing things, it also sounded to me like there might be an opportunity to build your own online community, much like Samantha with Joey Dolls.
[00:19:20] Azhelle Wade: I don't know if you would have to use, because social media is such a more of a pay to play game than it used to be. Mm-hmm. If you're not gonna create viral content, then you might have to pay to find your people. But what I'm wondering is like, can you find other Indians like you who grew up celebrating everything?
[00:19:35] Azhelle Wade: You know, the buy, um, using targeted ads online to target Indians and show them this product with video of you saying, when I grew up I celebrated everything. I don't know if that's something you'd be comfortable with or if it's like a text video, like maybe it's not your face, but it's text coming up and B roll of kids playing with this.
[00:19:54] Azhelle Wade: Mm-hmm. Like in my family, when we grew up, we celebrated everything. Birthdays and Christmas and the craft source is a company that equally celebrates all holidays or something like that. I guess what I'm thinking here is I'm like, why do you wanna go retail first before online first?
[00:20:09] Durratussharaf: No, because online I am on social media.
[00:20:12] Durratussharaf: Yeah. Like I have a website. Yeah. We are selling on Amazon too. Mm-hmm. So that. Aspect is something that I'm working on as well. Mm-hmm. But since the packaging and everything is retail, yeah. I feel that it deserves the shelf space. Yeah. But also that, yeah, I am kind of, uh, working online, uh, for online sales and towards my website as well.
[00:20:34] Azhelle Wade: Okay. Another idea, I know I used to live in Jersey City and there was like this huge Diwali celebration there, and what I'm thinking is, I know there are tons of Diwali public celebrations everywhere. Can you. Do some research and find like kind of the, the bigger areas that have these big celebrations and find the toy and craft stores in those areas and sell to them.
[00:20:56] Azhelle Wade: Mm-hmm. With the premise of, well, you know, Diwali is coming up in October. You should have this in your stores by August, September. Because people will be looking for product like this and nobody else has product like this. So I'm wondering if we can go with that angle also.
[00:21:11] Durratussharaf: Yes, for sure. And also there are like a few, uh, products for the valley.
[00:21:16] Durratussharaf: Yeah. But there are toys. Mm-hmm. And, but there are a lot of, um, celebrations that happen around the valley for sure. So maybe if I able to sort of partner with somebody and you know, just do like hands-on workshops and activities. Maybe that something, oh, workshops
[00:21:31] Azhelle Wade: is a very interesting idea. I mean, I do think like, I think that's a great idea.
[00:21:34] Azhelle Wade: Partnerships and workshops are a great idea, but I think it also takes longer in my experience to execute. Like you would come to them now to talk about it for 2026, like they take a very long time to come to fruition. Whereas with retailers, you would go to them like July, August, well July, and then hopefully get it in stores for August to be there.
[00:21:54] Azhelle Wade: Through to when Diwali happens. So yeah, I think it just depends on like what your bandwidth is and what you're ready to focus on. But I really do think that your Eid and your Diwali offerings are the biggest differentiator from what is out there in the market currently for the stamp kits. And I feel like I would be using that as there is nothing like this.
[00:22:16] Azhelle Wade: And then this is my footprint in. And then as I'm in, I would say to a retail buyer, like, oh, you're interested in getting our Diwali kits. If you also get our Christmas kits, you get like free freight, or you get like a box discounted 10% or something like that. I would try to use one to bring in the next one, and then once you have it in their store, then it's up to you to make sure that it sells through so that they wanna keep reordering, but you're just trying to give yourself.
[00:22:40] Azhelle Wade: A chance, what are you thinking?
[00:22:42] Durratussharaf: Yeah, I think it's like marking my territory first. Yeah,
[00:22:46] Azhelle Wade: that's very, very true. And I also just feel like it's such an intense and like big festival that I feel the sales can drive them. Cells. So like the hardest thing when you get into retail is sell through. If your product doesn't sell, they're not gonna want you back.
[00:23:01] Azhelle Wade: Right? So like I'm looking at your line and I'm like, which one has the most likelihood of selling out? Who is gonna be the biggest fans of this, of a holiday out of Happy Birthday, Christmas, Eid, and of Wally? Which of those audiences is gonna be like, I need something.
[00:23:18] Durratussharaf: Yeah. That is actually correct because e then Diwali, that's my specialty.
[00:23:23] Durratussharaf: Oh,
[00:23:23] Azhelle Wade: right. Yes.
[00:23:23] Durratussharaf: Everything else is available in the market. Yes. What I have, uh, been thinking is launching the Christmas and the happy birthday on Amazon. Yes. So, because it's a bigger PLA and uh, just because, you know, they're like keywords and Yeah. Stuff like that that we, uh, can research and add. And the Christmas did pretty well last year.
[00:23:42] Durratussharaf: I was gonna just
[00:23:42] Azhelle Wade: say, yeah. We gotta celebrate that in a minute.
[00:23:45] Durratussharaf: Yeah. Because again, you know, it is, a lot of people celebrate that. Yes. And Amazon is a bigger platform. I do. Right. For B two launch that product. Yeah.
[00:23:53] Azhelle Wade: I think that what Eid and Diwali can do for your brand is build. Authority and trust, and then mm-hmm.
[00:24:00] Azhelle Wade: You'll be able to expand and people will know this brand treats every culture with the same care, and I think that's gonna be the big differentiator. Right. Much like Samantha, like this brand treats every plush with every culture the same way. Like Yeah. Like. That's what you're just kind of proving and then they'll trust you to do more.
[00:24:17] Azhelle Wade: And I think you're so smart. Happy birthday, Merry Christmas. People will be searching that on Amazon. It's, what's your price point on them?
[00:24:23] Durratussharaf: 24.99. Yeah,
[00:24:24] Azhelle Wade: that's a good price point. I mean, if you could go to 20 for like a, a promo for Christmas or birthday this year, the $20 price point is king. I don't know. I don't remember what your margins are, but if it's possible, maybe a short promo.
[00:24:37] Durratussharaf: Okay. Yeah. Um, that is something I will
[00:24:39] Azhelle Wade: look into for sure. Yeah, for sure. Okay, let's flip the script. I wanna celebrate your wins. We touched on it a little bit. Wait, actually, before I do, do you feel complete? Were you helped with the goal?
[00:24:49] Durratussharaf: Oh, yes. I am confident now and I'm ready to create more SKUs. Yeah.
[00:24:55] Durratussharaf: Uh, with, uh, yeah, less effort. Yeah. And yeah, more efficiency. Okay. For sure. Okay.
[00:25:00] Azhelle Wade: And the problem with the retailers, do you feel like you have like a starting plan?
[00:25:04] Durratussharaf: I do have a starting plan now. Yeah. I just have to sort of build sort of a CRM and take it from there. Yeah. I guess follow up is the key. It is.
[00:25:13] Durratussharaf: And just showing up.
[00:25:14] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, it is. I know it's hard. I like to automate, follow up as much as possible because it's hard when people don't respond. It emotionally makes you feel like you should just stop. So it's, it's easy to stop. No, really, like I like to pre-schedule things 'cause I'm like, I don't even want to be able to decide to stop 'cause it's already going out.
[00:25:30] Azhelle Wade: You know what I mean? Like, okay. Let's flip the script. Let's talk about your wins. We hinted at one with the Merry Christmas kit. So can you share one win you had recently that made you stop and say, wow, I actually did that?
[00:25:42] Durratussharaf: Yes. So the first time we launched, uh, the Merry Christmas kit on Amazon, that was last year.
[00:25:48] Durratussharaf: Mm-hmm. And it was with the old packaging. Wow. And it did well, uh. Became the number one in the new release, uh, category. So that was a huge win because, uh, I needed the proof of product and here it was crazy. So, and now I'm ready to relaunch it with a revamped packaging. So, yeah, this, this was a big win for me.
[00:26:10] Durratussharaf: And yeah, all thanks to, uh, TCA for.
[00:26:13] Azhelle Wade: Helping me do it. I don't even feel, I'm like, can I claim that? I feel, I was like, wow, dra, when did you even do this? That's what I felt. I didn't even know I helped.
[00:26:22] Durratussharaf: No, you did. Your feedback really helped. Oh, you know, especially about the packaging. Yeah.
[00:26:26] Azhelle Wade: Oh, thank you so much.
[00:26:27] Azhelle Wade: I'm so excited. And who knows what you're gonna do this year, and I hope you also, if you have time. Oh no, you probably don't. 'cause it's already October. To launch the Diwali kit on Amazon too. I'm sure that would fly off the shelves as well.
[00:26:37] Durratussharaf: Yeah. But I think a bit too late for that. Yeah. But yeah, hopefully next year, um, 2026.
[00:26:43] Durratussharaf: Yeah.
[00:26:43] Azhelle Wade: And when is the happy birthday kit gonna be available?
[00:26:45] Durratussharaf: Most likely another two weeks.
[00:26:47] Azhelle Wade: Okay, great. Awesome. So we'll be able to search D Craft stores on Amazon to find your kits.
[00:26:52] Durratussharaf: Yes. The craft source on Amazon.
[00:26:55] Azhelle Wade: And are you gonna have your own site as well?
[00:26:57] Durratussharaf: Yes, I do have a website. Okay. That just has a products right now.
[00:27:01] Durratussharaf: But we'll be soon have, uh, we'll be soon be having blogs and newsletters and everything go going out. That's right. So yeah, that's something that I want to start working on. That's right. That's our,
[00:27:11] Azhelle Wade: that's our content marketing plan. Yes. So what is something you've done in this program that you never thought you'd do before you joined?
[00:27:17] Durratussharaf: Uh, never thought I'd do expand the lines for sure. What, um, I did think about it, but, uh, the interesting aspect was educational angle that, uh, you helped me gain that, you know, you need to educate about the culture and the celebrations and everything. So I think, uh, that was interesting because I thought it was like just.
[00:27:38] Durratussharaf: Fun and crafts until like education angle came in. And now because of the way, uh, the play pattern is, it does help kids build in STEM skills and also it helps them get curious and sort of raising them into like. Curious, compassionate, global citizens, ones that celebrate everything. Can you expand on that a little bit?
[00:28:00] Durratussharaf: How does your play pattern do that? So, because it's like the pattern making, right? Because every stamp, the way, uh, it is made, it helps build fine motor skills. Mm. So you essentially, uh, take the stamp, dunk it in ink, and then create patterns and then color it. So it, uh, does encompass all the stem skills.
[00:28:21] Durratussharaf: Oh,
[00:28:21] Azhelle Wade: I love that. Talking about your brand, tell us who it's for and what makes it so special.
[00:28:26] Durratussharaf: It is, uh, the initial idea was for my daughter to enjoy all the celebrations and, uh, now I want every kid, uh, to celebrate all the global festivals of the world. Aw. So. What that is, why it was special.
[00:28:40] Azhelle Wade: Where did the idea come from?
[00:28:41] Azhelle Wade: What inspired it?
[00:28:43] Durratussharaf: Because I wanted her to learn about my culture and my language and my celebrations. So that was the starting point. Uh, and how else to do it, but, you know, hands-on crafts. So I started DIYing everything, like making cards and stuff like that. And then I put together like a little kit, and then one thing led to another, and then now I have.
[00:29:03] Durratussharaf: Like a few kids. I
[00:29:05] Azhelle Wade: didn't know that. I didn't know that. You started doing it on your own for her.
[00:29:08] Durratussharaf: Yeah, because I wanted her to feel what, um, like feel pride in her identity and learn her language and culture. So that, that was something that I wanted to give her as an immigrant mom, right? Mm-hmm. For somebody that was born here, so for her to, you know, be, for her to belong.
[00:29:25] Azhelle Wade: Oh, what do you want kids and families to feel when they experience your product? Just
[00:29:30] Durratussharaf: the fact that we all are different, but we all belong.
[00:29:34] Azhelle Wade: Oh my gosh. You know, you're, oh, I got chills. Your packaging does that because it all looks so cohesive yet so different.
[00:29:42] Durratussharaf: You're different,
[00:29:42] Azhelle Wade: right? Yeah. It's so, they're all beautifully different.
[00:29:45] Azhelle Wade: Like Happy birthday looks like a cake. Merry Christmas is like green with the white trim and then Eid the beautiful purple. I'm like, I wanna celebrate Eid just because I love that package. Like I don't, am I allowed to celebrate Eid? I guess I'll learn when I get my box. When I get my E box, um, it's a
[00:30:02] Durratussharaf: celebration.
[00:30:02] Durratussharaf: Yeah.
[00:30:03] Azhelle Wade: Yeah.
[00:30:03] Durratussharaf: Everybody gets to celebrate everything.
[00:30:05] Azhelle Wade: So before I ask you where people can find your product, can you give us a quick rundown of what your product includes? So these are stamp craft kits that overall generally include what?
[00:30:16] Durratussharaf: So there are different stamps of, uh, different designs. So every kit is designed, uh, with keeping the significance of the culture in mind.
[00:30:24] Durratussharaf: So there are elements that are important to the culture. Um, and then there are, um, ink. There is an ink pad, which has two colors. There are five color pencils, and there are 12 cards and 12 envelopes. So essentially it's a card making kit because card, uh, making cards. Sending cards and handmade cards with love are the way you connect with everybody.
[00:30:50] Durratussharaf: But even after the cards run out, you're able to use the stamps and the pencils and the ink pads, um, and just add your little festive touches to everything. Yeah, it's around your house.
[00:30:59] Azhelle Wade: It's beautiful. I remember when I was a kid for every holiday trying to run around and get cards with the class. It would've been so much more impactful and special to me to make the cards for the class rather than just going through and writing a quick note or whatever.
[00:31:11] Azhelle Wade: Right. Where can people go to buy Dcraftsource card making stamp kits? So
[00:31:16] Durratussharaf: you can go to my website www.thecraftsource.com, and you can also find me on Amazon.
[00:31:24] Azhelle Wade: Hmm.
[00:31:25] Durratussharaf: Under the craft source.
[00:31:26] Azhelle Wade: Awesome. Thank you so much, rah. And if someone is listening to this podcast today and they're thinking they have an idea, but they're not sure if they should join Toy Creators Academy, what would you tell them?
[00:31:36] Durratussharaf: Stop thinking and just take action. Is, is something that I want to tell them because you know, you, you'll be lost in your thoughts. Uh, you might as well just, uh, come into the group and, uh, share your ideas and how you can take it further. Love that. Thank you so much with the experts of the group.
[00:31:53] Azhelle Wade: Yes.
[00:31:54] Azhelle Wade: Thank you so much, Gerard. Oh, this was a pleasure. But before I let you go, I, I have to ask you my favorite question. What toy or game blew your mind as a kid?
[00:32:04] Durratussharaf: I don't quite have that memory, but I remember, uh, really enjoying making things with my hands. Like just, uh, you know, just crafting and drawing and coloring and painting and all of that.
[00:32:18] Azhelle Wade: And I
[00:32:18] Durratussharaf: think that is what I wanted translated in the products.
[00:32:22] Azhelle Wade: Me too that I make now. I was always a crafter. Always. Thank you so much Jarat, for coming on the show and for allowing us to this thank you coaching session for everyone to hear you. Listener. If you love this podcast and you haven't left a review yet, what are you waiting for?
[00:32:36] Azhelle Wade: Your reviews keep me an amazing guest like Jarat coming back week after week and every time a new one comes in, I get notified on my phone and it puts a huge smile on my face. As always, thank you so much for spending this time with me today. I know your time is valuable and that there are a ton of podcasts out there, so it means the world to me that you tune into this one.
[00:32:53] Azhelle Wade: Until next week, I'll see you later toy people.
[00:32:57] Voiceover: Thanks for listening to the Making It In The Toy Industry Podcast with Azhelle Wade. Head over to the toy coach.com for more information, tips, and advice.
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