Blogs

Creative Problem Solving:  Think Differently! Convergent and Divergent Thinking Both convergent and divergent thinking are instrumental in the brainstorming process. Neither one is more importa...

*Opinion Article - Concepts below are explained with a lack of detail for ease of comprehension* It\'s rare that something has the potential to change everything The wheel The lightbulb The inter...

Working for a company whose headquarters is in another country can have its challenges. The thinking coming out of UBTECH Robotics HQ in China was brilliant, but for the most part not aligned with...

In my opinion, a “learning centered” experience/environment for a team means that entire experiences (planned and unplanned conversations) are team member centered.  The team members ...

THE AMERICA INVENTS ACT: A DECADE OF STOLEN DREAMS - SEPTEMBER 16, 2021   My Bunch O Balloons Invention I quit my corporate job in 2006 to become a full time inventor and entrepreneur. It was ...

Who’s your drummer?   Damn.  Charlie Watts.  In the macabre bingo game that is guessing who from the Rolling Stones would go next, did anyone think Keith would outlive Charlie?&...

Some of the lines that are the most fun to work on, are those to which you feel a personal connection, and in turn inspire creativity when the time is right. This brand and this toy are the direct res...

How is 2021?  Ready to make some changes either in your professional or personal life?  Want to collaborate with others to inspire yourself more? Here are little samplings of some topics to ...

Hey! Hey, you! Struggling to refine your People of Play Profile? Yeah, I get it, I love talking about myself, but when it comes time to put pen to paper…. I scratch no ink. But don’t worr...

Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- Creating a business from scratch is hard enough - but manufacturing the product, distributing it, AND running the company, all after quitting y...

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What is your claim to fame in the industry? I’m the president of Panda Mony Toy Brands, and we created the 2021 Toy of the Year nominated Alter Nation brand of action figures.   What are...

What exactly do you do in the industry? I own and operate All Things Equal, a Miami Beach-based board game company I started in 1997 when I drove around the country for 16 weeks selling my first game...

If there is one thing that Bandai Japan can do better than anyone else on this planet, it\'s making poseable figural model kits. We took the incredible success of Gundam and brought it to licenses fans...

Were you a ‘90s kid? Then you’ll probably probably remember some of these iconic Barbie dolls from the decade.   10. Bead Blast Barbie   Image: Amazon    Rel...

In order to be a winner in thinking differently, it is important to remember some basic guidelines. If you can include these, you’ll have a VICTORY! V stands for Vision:Some people like to...

By Mike Fisher, President, GPI, Inc.For years GPI has offered international freight forwarding as one of our many services. Our freight specialist, Erin Gagne, has been working tirelessly to manage wh...

Q: Can’t call the year? Don’t sweat it. No one can.If you perused the recent public companies’ headlines, you would have read superlatives straight out of a comic book: Crush...

Stars — they’re just like us! As in, they love toys, too! Read on to learn about celebrities’ favorite toys and games, their toy collections, and even who still plays with toys and...

Meet the Founders of The Learning Journey International, LLC A look into the inspiration behind the award-winning, educational product line August 9th, 2021     Names, Past & Curr...

Not everything we work on makes it to market, but we continue to learn and improve our skills. Such was the case with this innovative doll line. A true pleasure to work on and a great team effort. Sho...

Bob Wann is the Chief Play Monster at Play Monster, the ​​makers of 5 Second Rule, Game of Things, Roominate, Lauri, and other branded toys, games, and educational products. Bob has experience lea...

Jim Pressman started at his family business, the Pressman Toy Corporation, in 1971 and then becoming President just 6 years later. His great leadership and unrivaled integrity brought the Pressman T...

Patricia Kislevitz, her husband, Harry, who was already inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame, and their company, Colorforms, were pioneers in multiple ways. They met as art students, and when they decid...

Maxine Clark is the Founder and past Chief Executive Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop. She started the iconic company, brand, and experience in 1997. It is renowned for its unique DIY experience and u...

Spin Master was founded in 1994 by two childhood friends, Ronnen Harary and Anton Rabie, and their classmate, Ben Varadi, soon after graduation from The University of Western Ontario\'s Richard Ivey Sc...

How I Discovered the Wisdom of Fun and Created FunosophyWhen my daughter, Nikki, was born in 1995, I knew I wanted to say “yes” to her as often as possible and minimize the “no’s.” This...

Brain Matters! By Gert Garman, The Head Broad, Broad Perspective, LLC  According to the theory of left-brain or right-brain dominance, each side of the brain controls different types of thin...

“Get out of Your Head and Get into Action”These were the words I heard repeatedly during the entrepreneurial training I undertook at the beginning of my journey with Funosophy, the consulting firm...

MC. How long have you been part of the Toy Industry?   BW. 41 years! Quite frankly, I can’t believe it has been that long. It just goes to show time really does fly when you are havi...