In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Blinger creator Angie Cella to the show. In 2014, Cella devised an invention that lets kids easily add sparkle to their hair. Through further development, Kickstarter campaigns, and self-funded experimentation, Cella scored a deal with Wicked Cool Toys at a Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Empowerment Day. Blinger was given a wide release from Wicked Cool Toys — and later, Jazwares — and now Cella has detailed her journey in a new book, Blinger: An Entrepreneur's Faith-Based Journey which was released this month by RosettaBooks. On the show, Cella and Albritton discuss the dream that sparked her into action and some of the challenges and successes that she's experienced along the way. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Adventure Media & Events Podcast Network

Power Kid Podcast: Talking Blinger with Angie Cella

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Doug Putman, the new owner of Toys "R" Us Canada and Babies "R" Us Canada. Putman's latest venture places the iconic retailer into a portfolio that includes Everest Toys, Sunrise Records, Alex Global Products, and FYE. On the show, Albritton asks Putman about his backstory and what drives him to purchase and grow iconic retail chains. Putman shares details on why he believes that brick-and-mortar retail has a bright future for many years to come and how companies can balance a kid-friendly experience with revamped store organization tactics that the toy industry can use to boost sales. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Toys "R" Us Canada Owner Doug Putman Talks Toys, Retail, and Distribution

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Joel Morris and Mike Horn, co-founders of Cubles — sturdy, paperboard characters that are made in the U.S. On the show, Albritton asks the duo about engineering the unique articulation of their Cubles figures and the challenges of creating an environmentally friendly business model. Additionally, the conversation delves into the wide array of marketing opportunities that exist with Cubles, as the brand has already delved into licensing with KISS, Dog Man, and more. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Introducing Cubles with Joel Morris and Mike Horn

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Melissa & Doug's Chief Commercial Officer, David Henderson to the show. Henderson, who previously held roles at Hasbro, Coca-Cola, and Newell Baby brands, joined Melissa & Doug last year as the company entered a new chapter of growth. On the show, Henderson shares his early toy stories, including selling into the famed Sears Wish Book and how he learned to manage brands while aligning manufacturer, retailer, and consumer expectations. Additionally, Albritton asks Henderson to elaborate on the development of Melissa & Doug's growing distribution footprint and how its entry into licensing via a partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products for PAW Patrol and Blue's Clues and You! will drive the company forward. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Melissa & Doug's Dave Henderson Talks Growth, Licensing, and More

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes award-winning producer, director, composer, John Papa to the show. Papa is the co-founder and executive producer at Massimoto Media, a New England-based production outfit that creates commercials, films, and videos for clients including Hasbro, TOMY, Rollplay, and more. Papa was recruited by Hasbro to build and establish its in-house Hasbro Studios where he led its growth across the production of commercials and videos for the company's iconic toy brands. On the show, Albritton and Papa discuss the early days of Hasbro Studios and how the company began its push into content-based entertainment. From there, Papa discusses some of his favorite projects, including the stop-motion animation created for TOMY's line of John Deere Monster Treads and how he and his wife, Katy Magee, collaborate to create compelling content. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Talking Toy Commercials with John Papa of Massimoto Media

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes WowWee's Vice President of Brand Development and Creative Strategy, Sydney Wiseman. Since joining WowWee, Wiseman has helped shape the company's new product portfolio across innovations including Fingerlings, Lucky Fortune, and this year's Got2Glow Fairy Finder. On the show, Wiseman discusses how WowWee infuses robotics and technology into all of its toys, including the Robosapien and MIP, along with new product offerings such as My Squishy Dumplings. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: WowWee's Sydney Wiseman Talks Toys and Robotics

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes The Heart Supply's Johnny Schillereff to the show. Schillereff founded Element Skateboards in 1992 and built a world-renowned brand known for manufacturing high-quality skateboard decks, apparel, and footwear. After reaching more than $200 million in sales, he sold Element in the early 2000s. Now, along with his family, Schillereff has launched a new brand, The Heart Supply, and seeks to #GiveSkateboarding to kids around the world. On the show, Albritton and Schillereff ponder "Are skateboards toys?" and discuss The Heart Supply's new deal with Jakks Pacific and Target and how it will help power the company's mission to give back to kids around the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Skateboarding Legend Johnny Schillereff Talks The Heart Supply's Jakks Pacific, Target Deal

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Hape CEO Peter Handstein to the show. Since its founding in 1986, Hape has become known as a premier designer and manufacturer of high-quality wooden baby and kid's toys. Hape's products are sold in more than 100 countries and are crafted from sustainable materials. On the show, Handstein delves into his backstory in selling outdoor play equipment for use in kindergartens and the similarities between that business and selling toys to consumers. From there, Albritton and Handstein discuss the importance of sustainability, the advances in sustainable manufacturing, and the way that many of the great toy designs are often rooted in need. Finally, the duo discusses of Hape balances capturing trends while delivering classic play patterns simultaneously. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Hape CEO Peter Handstein talks classic play and sustainability

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Learning Resources' Senior Product Manager Michael Blaustein to the show. Blaustein's career in electronic toys includes experience at Tiger Electronics and VTech prior to joining Learning Resources and helping to launch award-winning products, including Botley the Coding Robot (2019 TOTY winner: Innovative Toy of the Year) and Coding Critters (2020 TOTY winner: Best Preschool Toy). On the show, Blaustein discusses how his early work answering video game customer hint lines led to work as a video game developer. Additionally, he explains how the Code & Go Robot Mouse opened the door for more innovative learning products and the importance of creating tech toys that don’t utilize a screen. Finally, Albritton and Blaustein discuss Learning Resources' new MagicCoders. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Exploring Electronic Toys with Learning Resources' Michael Blaustein

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Lev Nelson, co-founder of Sky Castle Toys. Over the past decade, Nelson held positions at OzWest and Zing prior to founding Levelhed Creative and co-founding Sather & Fun Toys. Now, Nelson has teamed up with Josh Loerzel for Sky Castle Toys, a new company with a goal to "disrupt complacent toy categories." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Entering the Sky Castle with Lev Nelson

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Lizzy Newsome, owner and curator of Kappa Toys in Las Vegas. Newsome's design-minded stores carry a wide array of hard-to-find international toys and collectibles combined with a carefully curated selection of nostalgic retro classics for kids and adults alike. On the show, Newsome discusses her toy retail journey from Austin to Las Vegas and the differences between being a traditional toy buyer and a toy curator. Additionally, Albritton and Newsome discuss the newly launched Kappa Toys location in the experiential Area15 destination in Las Vegas that showcases glow-in-the-dark, neon, and blacklight reactive toys. Finally, the duo discusses the evolution of brick and mortar toy retail in the post-pandemic age. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Talking Retail with Lizzy Newsome of Kappa Toys

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Patti and Jonathan Becker, the duo behind Anjar Co. and Becker Associates. Anjar and Becker Associates have licensed more than 1,000 products, generating more than $2 billion in sales in more than 85 countries, and in recent months they've been all about Wham-O. On the show, Albritton and the Beckers discuss the history of properties, including Gumby, Barrel of Monkeys, and Fireball Island along with how the licensing industry has changed over the years. Additionally, Patti and Jonathan discuss their recent work building a new licensing program for Wham-O before sharing information on upcoming opportunities and an exclusive announcement. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Licensing and Wham-O with Patti and Jonathan Becker

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Adam Borton, founder of Creating Unique Toys and the newly launched Toy and Game School — a digital education platform is designed to teach students the fundamentals of the toy and game industry. On the show, Albritton and Borton discuss the choice to explore the toy industry in their college studies and the curriculum offered by the Toy and Game School. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Adam Borton Talks Toy and Game School

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Paula Monteiro, head of marketing for Wikitude. Wikitude is the worlds leading augmented reality (AR) software development kit with over 1 billion installs. On the show, Monteiro discusses how her background with the United Nations and education gives her a unique perspective on the kids' space, and how AR has grown rapidly over the past few years. Additionally, she and Albritton discuss the unlimited creative possibilities for AR and delve into Wikitude's work, including the creation of the Black Panther experience at Walmart. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Exploring Augmented Reality with Wikitude's Paula Monteiro

In this week's mega-sized episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Richard Levy, a multi-hyphenate with more than 40 years of experience spanning the entertainment, toy, publishing, and licensing industries. On the show, Levy —who once worked in marketing for Paramount Pictures — shares stories of his early career in the toy industry, including the sale of the electronic Star Bird to Milton Bradley which kicked off a string of hundreds of toys and games that he created or licensed. Among the biggest hits in his back catalog: Furby. Levy was part of the team at Tiger Electronics/Hasbro that brought the pioneering electronic character to market. The cult-favorite toy is currently back on the pop culture radar thanks to a BIG feature in the new Netflix Original Movie, The Mitchells vs. the Machines. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adventuremedia/message

Power Kid Podcast: Richard Levy Talks Furby, Toy and Game Marketing, and More

From the editors behind the Toy Book, the Pop Insider, and the Toy Insider comes a new series of podcasts focusing on toys, pop culture, and entertainment. Series' include The Toy Report — inspired by our weekly news roundup from the Toy Book, the leading trade magazine covering the toy industry; and the Power Kid Podcast, hosted by Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design, which features in-depth interviews and conversations with some of the brightest stars in the toy, game, and family entertainment industries.

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Adventure Media & Events Podcast Network

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