In this video, the CEO of The Game Crafter, JT Smith, joined the Toy Business Unboxed Podcast with Jason Hsieh. They talk about The Game Crafter, building a brand, standing out in a crowded market, and making your personal story a key part of your success. You can watch this video from the following Link/URL:
Toy Business Unboxed Podcast - The Power of Personal Branding with JT Smith, The Willy Wonka of Tabletop Industry
Fri, 03/21/2025 - 18:44
Sat, 03/22/2025 - 16:54
#1
Thank you for sharing...
That was a wonderful Video and it's nice to hear the different "experiences" and the choices that must be made. Some ppl just don't understand how it may take a year or 3-Years to complete a project given everything that goes into it. This has a big impact and HUGE amount of time invested in making something a REALITY.
As JT pointed out, chasing what is "current" and "exciting" at the moment, does not translate to board games because it takes time to bring a game to market especially if you hope to be successful at it.
Other noteworthy content is figuring out what to start with. Compact Games are an excellent start especially if the game has everything that is appealing to the game as such good art and replayability. That means that if you can find a "niche", you may be able to successfully sell a bunch of those games at a lower price point and to a broader audience of gamers.
Truly this is a great reminder that with so many doors to knock on and that there are so many "rejections" or more specifically e-mails gone "unanswered", you start to wonder if anyone is reading whatever it is that we are pitching.
Cons are a good idea but COSTLY for people like me in Canada where I would need to FLY to the USA and pay for a HOTEL and RENT a car or use Uber to get to the convention center. It's just not feasible (at least for me). I have done LOCAL conventions and have attended three (3) conventions as a Game Designer and presenter... But the landscape has changed and "indie" Game Designers have been pushed out by a LOCAL "Restaurant/Bar" who specializes in board games. They now handle all the Board Game Needs for the visitors and no longer is there a place for "indie" Game Designers.
So things change and opportunities are no longer the same. And you do tend to get discouraged and feel like you are on an Island Designing on your own...
Thank you for reminding me that some of the choices I've made are the RIGHT ones. Too bad Mike passed away (RIP), it would have been a much different scene had he been alive today. So for some of the losses and network abilities, I am so sorry that things have not moved forwards as smoothly as possible.
But I feel optimistic on some meetings that I have yet to have. And we'll see how they go in the near future.
Cheers and congratulations to JT, Tavis & TGC Crew for their excellent efforts!
