creative jobs

In this episode of Creating in Color we speak with Sam, an animation production coordinator. We discuss how she got into the industry, where she wants to go and different challenges she faces.

Sam's Socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samg_anim/

Creating in Color is a podcast show casing the creative endeavors of Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Anyone from production, illustration, interior design and technology!

Creating in Color's Socials
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@creatingincolor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creating.in.color/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Create_inColor
Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/creatingincolor

Intro/Outro song by Namikaze
Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/namikaze
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NamiKazeCap

Kaybe's Socials
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaybeitsKaybe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maybeitskaybe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maybeitskaybe
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/maybeitskaybe

Have you ever gone to a product pitch meeting with a less than perfect prototype? Did you ever have an excellent concept fall flat because a prototype failed to capture the hearts of your audience?

In order to present your toy product to potential investors, buyers, or licensors, you will first need to produce a prototype. The quality of the prototype you present is going to have a direct effect on the perceived value of your product. It's important that the quality of your prototype adequately reflects the suggested retail price for you item.

You don't want to find yourself in a meeting with a poorly made prototype that does not speak to your audience. If you don't currently have a resource list of sample makers, then this is the perfect episode for you. In this episode, The Toy Coach breaks down a step by step process to help you find, vet, and hire your perfect sample maker for plush, paper, and plastic products. You will also be introduced to an online resource for quickly printing high quality 3D prototypes.

Whether you have a final design and spec sheet already to go, or if you're still trying to finalize some design elements, this episode is full of useful and actionable information to get you moving in the right direction. Ready to dive in?


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/7

🎓 5 Streamlined Steps To Your Next Playful Product Launch in 1 Interactive Masterclass: learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass

💡 The Great Toy and Game Idea Bootcamp: Visualize, Validate, and Vow to make your toy or game idea real in just 5 days. Register here: learn.thetoycoach.com/bootcamp

After attending The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) as an exhibitor, you'll definitely need a few days to recover. Your back may ache, your feet may be swollen, and your ego may be bruised. While the wins at NYTF are easy to share with family and friends, and celebrate, the losses we tend to keep to ourselves and not confront. So in today's episode, we walk through how to handle 4 less than perfect scenarios you might have experienced at New York Toy Fair, and how to turn them positive.

This episode gives actionable advice and thoughtful motivation for less than perfect scenarios that you might encounter at ANY trade show. Feeling dejected after a buyer's comments? Learn how to get and use constructive criticism. Didn't land a licensing deal?  Last minute booth went unseen? This episode is full of tips, suggestions, and strategies to help you find the silver lining when your trade show does not go as planned.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/6

🎓 5 Streamlined Steps To Your Next Playful Product Launch in 1 Interactive Masterclass: learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass

💡 The Great Toy and Game Idea Bootcamp: Visualize, Validate, and Vow to make your toy or game idea real in just 5 days. Register here: learn.thetoycoach.com/bootcamp

Episode 2: Relationships and Your First Job +Telling Your Creative Story

A conversation with Margaret Sommers, Product Designer at LendingClub in San Francisco, CA.  Margaret discusses managing her personal life and her new professional life while relocating for that first job. She also discusses focusing your portfolio AND your story as a way to win an interview. 

Margaret graduated with a degree in Graphic Design in May 2018 and after a few interviews at various design firms, chose to become a product designer in the financial technology (FinTech) industry.

To see her work visit: margaretsommers.com

The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) is the LARGEST toy show in North America. Over 1,000 exhibitors attend to showcase over a hundred thousand products at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.  With the 2020 fair only days away, The Toy Coach pulls back the curtain to give a little insight on what to expect if you attend this industry event in the future. If you are currently developing or selling a toy or game product, and you have not exhibited at NYTF, then THIS is the perfect episode for you.

Some entrepreneurs, with fully developed toy prototypes have never heard of the New York Toy Fair before, and that's ok! This episode will give you an overview of the trade show, as well as notable industry events that occur throughout the weekend.  If you're serious about turning you product into a successful business venture, you should definitely consider exhibiting at the NYTF, and this podcast episode is a smart place to start.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/5

🎓 5 Streamlined Steps To Your Next Playful Product Launch in 1 Interactive Masterclass: learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass

💡 The Great Toy and Game Idea Bootcamp: Visualize, Validate, and Vow to make your toy or game idea real in just 5 days. Register here: learn.thetoycoach.com/bootcamp

In this episode we’re going to talk about being FIRED and how it isn’t the end of the world, which is very accurate.

Now, I’ve known that I wanted to talk about this topic since before I even started this podcast. Its something I’ve been through three times in my life—once in high school and twice after college. It’s something that everyone will most likely experience at some point in their lives and is one of the hardest things to go through in your career.

Let me let you all in on a little secret… It can sometimes be the best thing to happen to you as well. Join me in today’s episode where I talk about my experiences and how I turned a negative into a positive.

Nuggets of Wisdom:

1) Remember to Breathe & Give Yourself A Head Start. - If you find yourself feeling the walls are closing in on you and you think you're going to get fired, just breathe. Take a few deep breaths and then move forward. When it's clear that you're going to be given your walking papers, start looking for other opportunities, update your resume, LinkedIn, website, portfolio, etc. It doesn't matter if its a month, a week or a single day, any day you can get ahead of it and start searching for your next opportunity is worth it.

2) Don’t Let Yourself Feel Defeated. - Being fired can be a shallow point for anyone, no matter what kind of job you have. Fear can set in quickly and completely derail your drive and passion for doing anything at all. The important thing is to remember that you’re not defeated, you haven’t lost anything but an opportunity that wasn’t right for you. Instead, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward.

3) Losing Your Job Doesn’t Make You A Failure. - Anyone can lose their job at any point in time. When a recession hits, if a company loses a big client, if you accidentally spill coffee on your boss. It can happen to anyone. Don’t look at being fired as a failure, look at it as a learning experience.

4) Don’t Let Your Emotions Get the Better of You. - The first thing that you want to do after being fired is to be emotional. Trust me, I know that all too well. I cried both times I was fired. The important thing is not to let your emotions get the better of you and instead keep them in check. As I mentioned in this episode, I made myself feel those emotions for 30 minutes after I was fired from Focus Lab, after that, I put my best foot forward and worked hard to get where I was going.

5) Being Fired Can Be the Best Thing to Happen to You. - I know it might not feel that way at the moment, but being fired can sometimes be the best thing to happen. In my case (with my last job) it gave me the push I needed to go full-time freelance finally. It's now almost 3 years later, and I’m 100% happier than I ever was at my old job. You have to look for those silver linings with every negative thing that happens to you in life, or else you’re going to become bitter and angry and lose that happiness that abides in all of us. Keep your chin up, the future is always bright my friends.