#171: The $400 Patron Tier That Built a Game Trilogy

#171: The $400 Patron Tier That Built a Game Trilogy

In this episode, Jason Hsieh talks with Michael Welling, co-founder of Tone Deaf Bards, an indie board game company built on the motto "Games for Anyone." Michael shares how a casual challenge from his business partner Tom grew into three published titles and a pipeline of 30+ games in development. He covers COVID-era delays on their first release, the timing and community-building behind a successful Kickstarter, game balance math, distribution hurdles, and a veteran designer's advice that still guides the company today. If you've ever dreamed of turning a game idea into something real, this episode shows the leap is worth taking.

#170: 57 Years of Toys: One Legend's Incredible Journey

In this episode, Jason sits down with Bruce “Buddy” Paris, founder of Toytronics and a true industry legend with nearly 57 years in the toy business. Bruce walks through a career that spans Ideal Toys, a decade at Mattel during the Hot Wheels and Intellivision era, a stint as Microsoft employee number 250 working alongside Bill Gates, and ultimately a return to the industry that never let him go. Today, he manufactures Wizard of Oz collectibles through Toytronics, perfectly timed with the franchise's explosive resurgence driven by the Wicked movies, the Las Vegas Sphere, and the 125th anniversary of the original book. He also shares his perspective on how retail consolidation and AI have transformed the toy business beyond recognition over five decades. If you love the history of the toy industry and want to hear hard-won wisdom from someone who has truly seen it all, this episode is for you.

#169: He Almost Quit, Then God Gave Him a Game Idea

In this episode, Jason sits down with Rusty Lumpkin, president and designer at Three Nail Games, a faith-driven board game company built from scratch in rural Indiana. Rusty shares how he balanced teaching chemistry and physics, farming, youth ministry, and raising six kids while pursuing his dream of publishing original games. He walks through his growing catalog including Sea of Plunder, Camouflage, Go for the Krill, and Are You More Like?, and teases two exciting upcoming releases. He also opens up about the very real challenges of distribution, building an audience without industry connections, and why face-to-face gaming will always beat the screen. If you are chasing a creative dream with the odds stacked against you, Rusty's story is exactly what you need to hear.

#168: From Vans to LaCorsa: A Designer's Unexpected Pivot

In this episode, Jason sits down with Mark Haskins, the CEO of LaCorsa and former VP of Product Design at Vans, to explore one of the most unexpected career pivots in the toy and game industry. Mark spent 25 years designing footwear before leaving in 2023 to pursue a Formula One inspired racing board game that he had been dreaming about since his car design days at Art Center. They talk through his first Kickstarter failure, the paid ad strategy that launched the business during the pandemic, and how weekly race nights with friends became a low-cost content machine. Mark also previews the LaCorsa mobile app, coming just a couple of months away. If you have ever wondered what it looks like to walk away from a successful career to build something completely your own, this episode will show you exactly that.

#167: From Classroom to Costco: Building a Million-Puzzle Brand

In this episode, Jason Hsieh sits down with Joseph Ogden, founder of Boardwalk Puzzles, to hear one of the most unexpected origin stories in the toy industry. What started as a hand-cut wooden puzzle side project turned into a full-scale US manufacturing operation after a Barnes and Noble buyer called at the start of the pandemic and changed everything. Joseph shares how Boardwalk Puzzles scaled to over a million puzzles a year, why the company refuses to use AI art, and what it takes to compete on quality while manufacturing entirely in the United States. The conversation also covers the fast-growing speed puzzling community, the launch of the new Speedmaster brand, and Joseph's philosophy that building something you love is the best business strategy anyone can follow.