Making It in The Toy Industry Podcast Por The Toy Coach arte de portada

Making It in The Toy Industry

Making It in The Toy Industry

De: The Toy Coach
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How do I bring my toy ideas to life? How can I pitch my toy concept to top toy companies like Hasbro, Mattel, or Goliath Games? What does it cost to make a prototype, and where can I get one made? Are there toy manufacturing options outside of China?

These are just a few of the questions that will be answered on this weekly podcast, Making It In The Toy Industry. In addition to mini toy masterclasses, and step-by-step guides, each episode is designed to help you take immediate action toward developing, presenting, licensing, and producing your next big toy or game idea.

Learn how to find the right factory, negotiate manufacturing costs, and use successful sales techniques to get your product noticed by major toy companies.

Meet Your Host
Azhelle Wade, aka The Toy Coach, has been in the toy industry since 2010. With 3 toy patents, multiple toy awards, and a track record of managing multi-million-dollar toy lines for companies like Toys R Us, Party City, Madame Alexander, and Creative Kids, Azhelle brings passionate and enthusiastic toy industry expertise to every episode.

Join thousands of toy creators and entrepreneurs who are making their toy dreams real with Making It In The Toy Industry!

© 2026 The Toy Coach
Ciencias Sociales Economía Gestión y Liderazgo Liderazgo
Episodios
  • S6E02 | Is Amazon AI Is Selling Your Products Without Consent? with Angie Chua
    Feb 11 2026

    Amazon’s new “Buy For Me” button sounds helpful… but is it quietly rerouting your customers and sales without your consent? In this episode, I’m joined by Angie Chua of Bobo Design Studio to break down how this Amazon AI feature actually works, how it showed up on her shop without her opting in, and what every small business, maker, and toy brand needs to watch out for.

    If you sell on your own website, Etsy, Shopify, or anywhere online, you need to understand how features like Amazon Buy For Me could impact your margins, your customer data, and the future of your business.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • What the Amazon “Buy For Me” button is and how it’s using AI to complete orders
    • How Angie discovered strange “@buyforme.amazon” emails and what they meant for her shop
    • Why this feature is a potential wolf in sheep’s clothing for indie brands and toy businesses
    • Steps you can take to protect your customer relationships and pricing
    • How to think strategically about marketplaces vs your direct-to-consumer channels


    For the links mentioned in this episode visit: www.thetoycoach.com/602

    Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

    Support the show

    About My NEW Podcast Art:
    The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

    Playcor by Courtney Smithee
    9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
    Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
    The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

    Más Menos
    31 m
  • S6E01 | The Hidden Cost of AI In The Toy Industry
    Feb 4 2026

    With every major advancement in science or technology, there is bound to be pushback. AI is no exception. This season is for toy and game creators navigating AI in the toy industry. In 10 episodes we’ll explore how to use AI while maintaining your taste, trusting your judgement, protecting your IP, and actually saving time.

    This first episode is the foundation for the coming weeks. Before you dive any deeper into AI, let’s get real about the risks of operating it with little to no guardrails.

    In this episode, we’ll talk about:

    • digital amnesia
    • the environmental impact of AI
    • the hidden ways AI is already showing up inside your tool stack
    • AI use cases that dull your brain and personality

    Season 6 begins now.

    Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

    Support the show

    About My NEW Podcast Art:
    The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

    Playcor by Courtney Smithee
    9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
    Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
    The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

    Más Menos
    38 m
  • #300: What I’ve Learned, What’s Changing, and What Comes Next
    Jan 7 2026

    After 299 weeks of toy talk, our 300th episode marks the closing of one chapter and opening another. This little podcast that started as “let’s see what happens” has turned into a full-on resource library for toy inventors, toy entrepreneurs, and creative creatives like you who just can’t shake that pull toward the toy industry.

    In this episode, I'm sharing the biggest lessons from 5+ years of episodes: why most toy ideas don’t fail because they’re “bad,” how confidence actually follows clarity, and why community and the right mentors matter more than “perfect” artwork or prototypes.

    This year I was on national TV with Jimmy Fallon, landed some truly incredible clients, and became a mom for the first time. So with all those big life shifts, it was time to take a reflective look at this podcast as well.

    Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

    Support the show

    About My NEW Podcast Art:
    The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!

    Playcor by Courtney Smithee
    9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
    Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
    The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt

    Más Menos
    22 m
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Más relevante
The podcast is well produced and she knows her material.

But what she TEACHES in her podcast is invaluable for anyone who is in, or trying to get, into the toy business. I highly, highly recommend it if you are thinking about embarking on this journey.

Azhelle is awesome

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