#154: Growing and Licensing an Authentic Brand with April Showers
Have you ever had an idea for a character that you could envision becoming a globally recognized brand? Today, one of the important ingredients to building a licensable brand is authenticity. Building an authentic toy and entertainment brand means that you’ve got to be crystal clear about the reason WHY you created that brand in the first place. You’ve got to dedicate your time and energy to growing AND supporting your community, and meanwhile you’ve got to make sure the whole world knows it’s happening. That’s the topic that we dive into during today’s podcast episode.Our guest today is April Showers, the founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn. This uplifting brand includes unicorn themed clothing, accessories, toys, and more, that feature a diverse array of unicorns with afros and different skin tones. Afro Unicorn products are available at Walmart and Target, this brand has been shared and supported by Gayle King, Viola Davis, and Tiffany Haddish. April supports fellow entrepreneurs to “live the dream!” providing free promotional and educational opportunities through her social platforms, called Small Business Saturday. Dive into this episode to discover HOW April Showers turn an idea into a household name within her community. You’ll hear us talk about the power of manifesting your toy dreams and the focus required to go after them. This podcast episode is essential for anyone looking to build their own toy or entertainment IP because it provides a roadmap of one way you can make that happen. Get ready to take notes, change the way you approach developing your brand, and make sure you support Afro Unicorn products!EPISODE CLIFF NOTESLearn how April went from a real estate agent and insurance agency owner to a licensing success [00:02:15]Find out how upgrading her lifestyle and home helped April to get further in her business. [00:04:48]Learn about the strategic mindset and envisioning process that helped April to get to where she is today. [00:10:33]Find out where the idea and inspiration came for the Afro Unicorns brand. [00:17:06]Learn how and why April originally envisioned Afro Unicorns as being a brand for adults. [00:19:06]Find out the incredible story behind a viral video that put the Afro Unicorns brand in the spotlight. [00:25:08]Learn why April focused so much on building the brand before it was in national retail stores. [00:28:54]Find out the unexpected way April learned all about licensing when she was working on her first licensing deals. [00:33:08]Learn why April is still focused on helping the entrepreneur community. [00:42:11]Find out the best piece of advice April has for other toy industry entrepreneurs. [00:45:11]MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/154Support the show🎓 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