In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Kevin Daniels, President and Co-Founder of Fun In Motion Toys to the show. Fun In Motion is the four-time Toy of the Year (TOTY) finalist behind mesmerizing toys including Shashibo, Spin Ball, and Wandini. On the show, Daniels explains how an activity invented by the indigenous people of New Zealand became the inspiration for Fun In Motion Toys' first product. He and Albritton go on to discuss...

In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Kyle Cosgrove, Territory Manager at Goliath Games to the show. A sales vet with experience at Crazy Aaron's and Monkey Fish Toys, Cosgrove is focused on expanding Goliath's footprint across independent toy and game stores. On the show, he and Albritton discuss the skills learned in working toy retail and how those skills still apply today. Cosgrove shares his experiences in selling to kids...

In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Tom Delaney, Executive Vice President of MUKIKIM to the show. A seasoned toy industry veteran, Delaney has held roles at Mattel, The Walt Disney Co., JAKKS Pacific, and ran his own company, Homegrown Toys. On the show, Delaney shares insight into the world of MUKIKM and its 14 unique product lines, including the Rock and Roll It Piano, Spy X, Drench, and this fall's buzzworthy new offering,...

Go Ninja! Go Ninja! Go! In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Pat Linden, Vice President of Marketing at Playmates Toys to the show. Ahead of this week's release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Linden shares insight on his experience working with every iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) since 1998. On the show, Linden discusses his early years in the toy industry in which he worked on the...

In the latest episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Leah Ringelstein, Director of Impact at Zigazoo to the show. Ringelstein is on the front lines of the world's biggest social media network for kids and leverages her background in classroom education and curriculum building in her work. Zigazoo has been designed to be a safe, positive, empowering online community where kids can create videos, enter challenges and win prizes. On the show,...

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design goes LIVE from the show floor at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy in Columbus, Ohio. Check out mini interviews featuring Adam Hocherman (Fat Brain Toy Co.), Karen Hermann (Hand Craft), Julien Amundsen (Fantasma Toys), Chrissy Fagerholt (EAP Toys and Games), Jan Marie Zawitz (Tangle Creations), Dan Hakim (It Coins), and Eric Child (Tubelox). --- Send in a voice message:...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Alan and Christine Blumberg from RGB Sales and Lea Culliton (ex-HABA, ABC Kids Expo) to the show to discuss the launch of The North East Toy Show (NETS). "The Northeast connection to specialty" opens its doors in February 2024 for its inaugural show, and in this episode, the organizers delve into the genesis of the event and what it takes to plan a toy-focused trade show. From there, Albritton...

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Talia Filippelli, founder of Starr Therapy, to the show. Filippelli is a Genius of Play Ambassador, an award-winning “Top Doc,” and has served as an advisor for Sesame Workshop. Most recently, she developed The Genius of Play’s Emotional Wellness Playbook, a free resource that provides parents and caregivers with play-based, screen-free activities that help kids develop emotional intelligence...

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Lauren Derse, CEO of Learning Express Toys & Gifts to the show. Derse leads the largest franchised toy store chain in the U.S. and has vast experience with store ownership and oversight. Learning Express is known for its expert staff, localized selection, and incredible customer service — including gift wrapping, personalization, and the famed birthday boxes. In this episode, Derse delves...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Chris Cote, founder and president of Scentco to the show. On the show, Cote unpacks the exact moment the idea of scented pencils struck him and what he did next. He shares the complexities involved in finding the perfect scent for every product, and how he overcame some early speed bumps in the business.  From there, Cote tells Albritton about how a group of entrepreneurial school kids opened...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Evan Katz and Josh Roberts of Very Special Games to the show. On the show, Katz and Roberts deliver intel on the guerrilla warfare tactics required to self-produce games. They launched their first successful game, Charity Party, on Kickstarter in 2019 and have since built a catalog of games including Ransom Notes, Abducktion, and Puns of Anarchy. Katz and Roberts unpack their first foray into...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Lee Allentuck to the show. Over the course of his career, Allentuck has done it all, from leading Global Gaming at Hasbro to serving as Licensing Market Lead for LEGO to founding Raising Nerd. He currently serves as an Innovation Scout for Blue Marble and Melissa and Doug (where he also works on Inventor Relations) and serves as Head of Content at The Last Gameboard. Allentuck also leads RN...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Jeanie Crone to the show. Crone has a wealth of experience spanning toys, fashion, and education. She previously served as the senior manager of specialty at Schleich, sales manager at Ojo, and Chairman of the Board at the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). She currently manages sales for Bimi Boo, a developer and manufacturer of learning toys, games, puzzles, and more. On...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Project Genius CEO Brandi Pinsker to the show. Project Genius is a Texas-based crew of "thinkers, tinkers, and inventors" that creates brainteasers and games. Pinsker previously served as a buyer at Go! Retail Group's Calendar Club and is an expert in games, puzzles, and gifts. On the show, Albritton and Pinsker discuss the unique aspects of doing business in a mall and what drives sales in...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Steve Wampold to the show. In 2002, Wampold founded Big Mouth Inc. and grew the company to become a leader in the swim and inflatables space where it still enjoys much success today. A few years ago, after selling Big Mouth to a private equity firm, Wampold founded Good Banana, a brand that creates new toys and novelties in a variety of categories. On the show, Wampold and Albritton discuss...

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Anand Dhirmalani to the show. Dhirmalani is an expert in the As Seen On TV space and is collaborating with Albritton on the launch of a new brand: Lil Wish Lanterns. On the show, Dhirmalani shares his journey from Fushigi to Pillow Pets and his recent success with KickerBall. Additionally, he delves into the differences between As Seen on TV and the traditional toy space and how influencers...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Karen Kilpatrick of Kaypin Media and Genius Cat Books to the show. Kilpatrick helps brands and creatives navigate the publishing industry with a focus on creating kids' books. On the show, Kilpatrick explains how telling nighttime stories to her kids sparked the idea for her business. From there, she and Albritton discuss the traditional barriers to publishing and how she helps clients...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Chrissy Fagerholt of EAP Toys & Games to the show. EAP produces a range of games — including You Who?, Friend or Faux, and The Lunch Room Game — that pair a hint of strategy and humor into a play pattern that requires a little luck. On the show, Fagerholt and Albritton discuss the nuances of developing games with friends and finding a definitive reason to make games. Additionally,...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Bill Nichols and Peter Cmiel of Blip Toys to the show. On the show, the Blip Toys duo explains how some decisions they made early in their careers guided them to where they are today. The conversation veers toward the success of the Squinkies collectible line and the Zoom-O Disc Launcher. Nichols also unpacks the deal that found several Toys "R" Us private label toy brands a new home at...

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Nick Christensen of Threepipe Reply to the show. Christensen is a managing partner and head of Amazon at the company, helping clients like TOMY, VTech, and Mookie Toys maximize their Amazon selling strategy. On the show, Albritton and Christensen discuss the effect of Amazon on the traditional “try me” motivator for toy sales and delve into some of Amazon’s best tools for building brands...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Cassidy Smith, president of the Uniche Collective to the show. For 18 years Smith served as vice president of sales and marketing at Hape International. Now, as president of its new specialty division, the Uniche Collective, Smith and his team scour the globe to find and develop products exclusively for savvy specialty customers. On the show, Albritton and Smith discuss the origins of the...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Choon Ng and Jake Minor of Rainbow Loom to the show. Following a quick recap on the backstory of the TOTY and TAGIE-winning Rainbow Loom, Albritton, Ng, and Minor delve into the empowering nature of Rainbow Loom play and the social capital that kids build with it. Rainbow Loom is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and Ng and Minor discuss how they've worked to keep the brand fresh and...

In this week’s episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Steve Markey, vice president of sales and marketing at Hog Wild Toys to the show. For more than two decades, Markey has traversed the toy industry with roles at Wham-O, PlanToys, Green Toys, Crazy Aaron's, and more. On the show, Albritton and Markey discuss how brands can connect people across languages and cultures. Following  a conversation about the early days of the sustainable toy...

The Toy Book presents a special episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” in which host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes The Toy Foundation’s Executive Director Pam Mastrota and Chairman of the Board Andy Weiner to the show. The Toy Foundation operates underneath the umbrella of The Toy Association to provide philanthropic support and vital play experiences to kids and families under stress and in dire situations around the world. Currently, the major focus is on providing toy industry...