633: Azhelle Wade | How to Make It in the Toy Industry

You may have a great idea that has the potential to be the next big thing. So how do you get a foot in the door? Azhelle Wade is THE toy coach. For Azhelle toys and teaching go hand in hand and her passion has led her to work at companies like Toys R Us, Madame Alexander, Party City, Horizon Group USA, and Creative Kids.

Azhelle has also been named on 3 US patents, won multiple toy awards, and has a history of building up multi-million dollar brands. She gives back now by helping others make it in the industry by inspiring their brand-building through her podcast The Toy Coach and her online course.

Dive into this episode and you’ll learn how to make it in the toy industry and many others!

Things you will learn in this episode: 
[00:01 - 05:49] Opening Segment  

I introduce today’s guest, Azhelle Wade

Bio

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Azhelle gives us a bit of her background

Wanted her own business since middle school

A love for teaching kids and design 

Getting into toy design

[05:50 - 14:50] How to Make It in the Toy Industry

From college right into the field 

Being specific about your placement and program

Evolving focuses and responsibilities in the toy industry

Figuring out how to take shares from competitors through innovation

Determining the value of an idea before it hits 

Online databases and analytics as an available resource 

Keep your ears on the ground on social media

 How social media has impacted the toy world 

Giving the control to the kids 

Faster reaction speeds 

Where to go to get your ideas off the ground

Listen in to The Toy Coach Podcast for more info 

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[14:51 - 20:18] Get a Foot in the Door Through Relationships 

How the virtual space has forced its way into the toy industry 

The rising expenditure on toys 

Companies already in e-commerce exploded

Changes in operations 

The role relationships play in this business

Placement based on who you know

How to break through with your idea

What investors are looking for 

[20:19 - 34:01] Closing Segment

Who you know, or what you know?

What you know started the success

Opening the doors to the ‘who’

When a connection led to success

Finding support in podcasting

Getting on NBC’s Access Daily through a post

The importance of masterminds and mentorship

Mentorship through leaders and peers

Building the course 

ThE RaNdOm RoUnD

How to engage with Azhelle

Links below 

Final words 

Tweetable Quotes: 

“Relationships are everything… For a lot of people, building their toy businesses, getting placement, has a lot to do with who you know and who you can get a meeting with.” - Azhelle Wade

Resources Mentioned: 

The Toy Coach Podcast

Toy Creators Academy

Connect and engage with Azhelle on LinkedIn and Instagram. Be sure to check out https://www.azhellewade.com/ to learn more about modern marketing strategies. 

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