Making It in The Toy Industry
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!
Making It in The Toy Industry
S6E07 | The Best AI Platforms for Toy Businesses in 2026
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AI is changing fast, but for the first time in a while I'm feeling that we've hit a moment of "stability". That means NOW is the perfect time to learn to apply the latest AI tools to your toy business.
In this mini reset episode, I break down why so many people are getting mediocre results from AI, and announce a free live masterclass where I'll walk you through the three AI tools + new-ish features that every toy company needs to know: ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
You'll also get a sneak peek at Toy Biz Backup, my upcoming AI support team built specifically to help your toy businesses, and hear an important update about the Toy Coach Showcase at ASTRA 2026.
In this episode you'll hear about:
- Why most people get bad results from AI and what's actually going wrong
- What projects, gems, and skills are (and why they're the new baseline for AI use)
- Why now is finally the right time to commit to learning AI tools
- What's covered in the free AI Tools for Business Masterclass (April 15th, 12 to 1PM ET)
- A sneak peek at Toy Biz Backup, an AI support team built for toy businesses
- The Toy Coach Showcase at ASTRA 2026, only 2 spots left!
Mentioned in This Episode:
- 🎓 Free AI Tools for Business Masterclass (April 15, 12 to 1PM ET) thetoycoach.com/ai
- 🆕 Toy Coach Showcase at ASTRA 2026 (only 2 spots left!) learn.thetoycoach.com/showcase
- 🥊 Higgsfield AI (multi-tool AI platform mentioned) higgsfield.ai
About My NEW Podcast Art:
The podcast art for Season 6 of Making It In The Toy Industry features product illustrations of toys and games I helped guide in Toy Creators Academy and TCA Accelerator. Tap the brand name below to check them out!
Playcor by Courtney Smithee
9 to 5 Warriors by Brandon Braswell
Catoms by Kieche O'Connell
The Lunch Room by EAP Toys and Games founder, Chrissy Fagerholt