Making It in The Toy Industry with The Toy Coach

About Making It in The Toy Industry with The Toy Coach

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!

Publisher

Azhelle Wade | The Toy Coach

Category

business · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Jan 2020

Latest episode

8 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

57 of 313 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   8 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S6E10 | The AI Toy Sales Tool Smart Toy Companies Are Already Using

   Like any good season finale, I'm putting it all on the table. Episode 10 marks the END of our season all about the Impact of AI on The Toy Industry. In this week's episode we're revisiting everything we covered this season from the environmental and mental impact of AI usage, to it's organizational benefits and need for a human touch. Then, I'll be sharing the results from my survey on AI Usage in The Toy Industry. So if you're here for the chisme, start poppin' that popcorn now, and turn the...

2. 

   1 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S6E09 | Why Stickerbox Changed My Mind About AI Toys

   I once told CNN that some AI toys feel like a wolf in sheep’s clothing because it can be hard to tell how much privacy you’re giving up. While I'm a fan of AI use in business, I’ve been skeptical of AI toys for a while. But in today's interview, the Stickerbox genuinely changed my mind. Instead of using AI to keep kids on a screen, or to get them to develop a relationship with a robot, instead, Stickerbox uses AI to help kids turn their ideas into something physical, creative, and hands-on. I...

3. 

   25 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S6E08 | The Inventor of Bop It on AI, Execution, and Creating the Next Classic Toy

   What if I told you Dan Klitsner discovered AI 30 years ago and used it to invent Bop It? Well, he didn’t. But I did ask Dan how AI might have influenced the creation of his hit game if it did exist when he was first starting out. Dan’s breakout invention sold over 50 million units, and those numbers put the “song” associated with the game at Diamond status. (Dear music industry, he’s still awaiting his plaque.) This week on the podcast, I’m sharing a chat with Dan Klitsner, the inventor of Bo...

Inside a recent episode

S6E10 | The AI Toy Sales Tool Smart Toy Companies Are Already Using

Published 8 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] The Toy Matchmaker does not take a commission on your sales. Fair takes up to a 28% commission on first orders, and that commission can really bury you if you're a small brand. The Toy Matchmaker is specifically built for people who want curated, intelligent matches for their products and wants to give a very personalized approach to all of their different relationships between buyers and products. This is a tool that is using AI for pattern matching at scale across data that you would just never have the time to manually process. And then it hands over the creative and the relationship work back to you. […]

Who has been a guest on Making It in The Toy Industry with The Toy Coach

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Pyper Bleu
• [Guest Name]
• Joshua Punin
• Carrie Shaked
• Courtney Smithee

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

139 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

49 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

95

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

93

Contact Making It in The Toy Industry with The Toy Coach

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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