This week's episode of Toys & Tech of the Trade was a far departure from our usual episodes as Rich is joined by Corey Gumbs from the Black Podcasters Association and Matt Kaplowitz from Nerd News Today and Trek Untold for a roundtable discussion on content creation, podcast standards, and practices and workflows. We recorded this podcast on location at The Landing At 251, a co-working space in Westbury, NY. Update: It has been over a year since our good friend James Lopez was...

We're back! Rich fires up the mics and shares the latest RAGE Works and Toys & Tech of the Trade updates, including the recent event Rich organized alongside Corey Gumbs from the Black Podcasters Association and Lee Uehara from NYC Podcasters and AAP. This was the first podcast event for the Queens area, and Rich had lots to say about how the event came together and the lessons he learned from the whole process. If you're on the fence about events, whether as an attendee or organizer,...

So what's been going on with Rich, Toys & Tech of the Trade, and RAGE Works? This quick episode answers those questions and updates fans and listeners on what comes next. It was an emotional conversation that hopefully will help others in similar circumstances. Update: James Lopez is finally home and continues to be a force and inspiration for dads everywhere, even in recovery, but he still has a long road to recovery and needs our help. Learn more about James' story here:...

Unlocking the Toys and Tech of Jason Skeesick's Trade: From Soldier to Entrepreneurial Evangelist After a long hiatus, Toys & Tech of the Trade is back, and this week's guest is a man of many talents. Jason Skeesick is a former soldier, content creator, coach, father, and podcaster. He is known for his diverse background, discipline, and self-awareness. “You have to have accountability to the mission that you're on; whether that's in the military, whether that's in school, whether...

2022 Toys & Tech of the Trade Holiday Gift Guide The holidays are upon us, so it is time for the Toys & Tech of the Trade 2022 holiday gift guide. This year is a bit different, and Rich has tons of recommendations that will surely be a hit for the entrepreneur or creatives in your life unless you want to treat yourself, which is never wrong. Update 1: James Lopez is finally home as of August 2022, but he still has a long road to recovery and needs our help. Learn more about...

In a world where profits come before people, Matthew Stibbe strives to be different and lead differently. His conversation with Rich not only touched on his fantastic resume in the gaming and later tech industry and how both of those paths led him to where he is today as CEO of Articulate Marketing. But, of course, it wouldn't be an amazing story without some toys and tech that came along for the ride. Update 1: James Lopez is finally home as of August 2022, but he still has a long road to...

Getting Schooled By Austin Bellino Fellow Underdogs group member Austin Bellino joins Rich for this week's Toys & Tech of the Trade. Austin is not only a fellow podcaster but a world citizen, thanks to his teaching work. Rich and Austin discuss his origin story and how his journey to be a pro baseball player evolved into becoming a teacher. We also dig into his work on the podcast Culture to Grow and how he stays motivated as both a teacher and a creator. Update 1: Rich will be...

Rich recently stopped by the Stuck In My Mind Podcast and had a great conversation with Wil, aka Wize, the show's host. The conversation went so well that Rich wanted to introduce Wize and his work to the Toys & Tech of the Trade audience. Wize truly is a podcasting natural, and there was plenty of podcasting talk and advice for folks looking to get into the podcasting space, plus a bit inside baseball New York talk. Wize is a prime example of a podcasting success story, and the crazy...

This post-Labor Day edition of Toys & Tech of the Trade Rich welcomes Sarah LaValle, owner of Simple Sweet Sites, to the show. Sarah is a web designer and content creator who creates unique white-label websites on the Wix platform. Rich and Sarah discussed her origins, how she went from talented viola player to web designer and entrepreneur, and how that journey shaped her current career path. Suppose you are looking to make that pivot and jump into entrepreneurship. In that case, Sarah's...

Thanks to Lunchclub for allowing Terri and Rich to connect and deliver a tremendous episode of Toys & Tech of the Trade. Terri Huggins is an award-winning journalist, freelance writer, public speaker, fitness instructor, and entrepreneur. In this episode, she shares her story as a freelance writer and a plethora of actionable advice if you want to get into freelance writing. Terri's story is the epitome of following your dreams, and we hope her stories and advice can help aspiring and...

Thanks to Podmatch for connecting us with this week's guest Nicky Billou. Nicky helps entrepreneurs scale their businesses; experts become thought leaders, and much more. In addition to all those great skills, Nicky is a best-selling author with seven published books and two podcasts. So if you want to scale your business, be inspired, and connect with someone who can help you take things to the next level, then Nicky is your man, and this conversation is for you. Nicky ran the gamut this...

Staying Cool With Gradient CEO Vince Romanin This week Rich sits down with Vince Romanin, CEO of Gradient. Gradient is a new company working towards revolutionizing heating and cooling by creating better solutions for the planet. Gradient's solutions will not only be easier for consumers to install and use but will be a middle ground between window-based heating and cooling and more expensive options. As Rich mentioned at the broadcast's start, James Lopez from Fatherhood Is Lit is...

Toys & Tech of the Trade host Rich Butler stops by the Tom Marino show to talk podcasting and share a bit of the RAGE Works origin story. The episode was broadcast live on June 9, 2022, on Long Island News Radio 103.9. You can watch it on Tom's YouTube channel as well. Toys, Tech, Awesome People, Stuff, and Services Mentioned in This Episode Disclaimer: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you click and make a purchase via the link, RAGE Works will receive a...

We continue to showcase great communities by kicking off the brand new Long Island Networker's series of episodes. Technically we started the series unofficially with Coach Danny D, but in this week's episode, we welcome the founder of Long Island Networkers, Adam Hurd. Adam brings a lot of variety to this week's episode beyond just networking. Adam is also a financial planner and business advisor running his firm 642 Advising and shares plenty of actionable advice and stories that listeners...

In this week's episode of Toys & Tech Of The Trade, Rich welcomes back Josiesboy. Josiesboy is currently building his brand, Painted In Blue; and shared stories about the brand's origins and his journey as an artist and offered plenty of actionable advice along the way. Josiesboy is proof that persistence, dedication, belief in yourself, and a good support system can make anything possible. Toys, Tech, Awesome People, Stuff, and Services Mentioned in This Episode Disclaimer: Some of...

In this week's episode of Toys & Tech Of The Trade, Rich sits down with Leah Spasova, CEO of LIFESEXPERTS and Instructor and course creator at Bin Burnout and Thrive. Leah is a psychologist specializing in sex and relationships, educator, entrepreneur, animal activist, content creator, and more. This conversation covered the usual spectrum of topics the podcast is known for and tackled the struggles of being a workaholic, the burnout that comes with it, and how its impact is seldomly...

Networking Is Not A Four Letter Word! With the specter of COVID-19 in the rearview to an extent, Rich checked out some local networking events organized by the Long Island Networkers. Unlike the usual networking events, these were informative and worth attending because the approach was different from just walking around and exchanging business cards. Rich shares his thoughts on networking and how it can benefit your business or entrepreneurial endeavor, and you may not even need to leave...

Toys & Tech of the Trade continues to showcase the talented individuals from within Noah Kagan's Underdog community, and this week Rich sits down with Anna Fitzgerald. She has had a unique journey when it comes to her career. Anna is a creative life coach, but that is scratching the surface of her unique talents, including cellist, artist, songwriter, and more. Anna has a Master's Degree in Radio/TV/Film and a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education. Anna educates Rich on what a Flow Coach...

Massive shoutout to Travis from Pod Decks for putting Coach Danny on our radar! This week Rich sits down with Danny DelVecchio, who has leveraged social media, particularly Instagram, as a vehicle to grow his business. Danny makes leveraging social media as a sales tool easy, and more importantly, his tactics apply to practically any business. So if you're looking to level up your conversion rates and rely on social media, this is a conversation you do not want to miss. The views expressed...

Thanks to Noah Kagan, the Underdog community that came together has been a huge source of inspiration for Rich. He wanted to show his appreciation to the group and its members by sharing their stories. We kick off the series with John Hill, aka John Small Mountain. John is an entrepreneur, content creator, author, and martial artist who uses his talents to help others improve their sales techniques and tactics. John advocates approaching sales with empathy and a more human touch versus the...

Toys & Tech of the Trade closes out a crazy 2021 with podcast industry luminary Jay "Pod Vader" Soderberg. Jay has had a stellar career in podcasting. Jay was the leading producer behind ESPN's podcast presence. He was also the man behind Blog Talk Radio's Prime Program, which increased monthly listens on the platform from 1 million per month to over 20 million per month. Jay not only shares stories from these two unforgettable experiences but also provides plenty of actionable advice for...

Toys & Tech of the Trade welcomes international best-selling author, entrepreneur, US Marine, and Firefighter Zachary Green. Zach shares his entrepreneurial journey and all the hardships he had to overcome along the way. His dedication and warrior mindset led him to be elected to the city council and recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. We discuss Zach's book Warrior Entrepreneur: Lessons From The Battlefield To The Boardroom. Lots of amazing stories and...

The 2021 Toys & Tech of the Trade holiday gift guide is here with a variety of great gifts for the entrepreneur, content creator, and podcast in your life but if you need any of these items, then by all means, feel free to gift them for yourself. Everything discussed in this episode has been or is currently being used by Rich for all things RAGE Works. Happy Holidays from all of us Toys & Tech of the Trade and RAGE Works. ALERT!!: New episodes of Toys & Tech of the Trade...

This week we talk crypto and crypto wallets with Adam Lowe. Adam is the Chief Innovation Officer at CompoSecure and the creator of the Arculus card-based cold storage crypto wallet. CompoSecure is the leader in premium financial cards, and the company is now bringing its premium offerings to the crypto space with the Arculus card. The Arculus card hopes to make crypto storage more easily accessible to the masses with its 3-factor authentication process. The simplicity of the Arculus card and...