Why do Comic-Con attendees provide better market research than focus groups, and how can trade shows become your product development laboratory?
Building a toy business that sparks imagination while navigating supply chain challenges requires persistence, creativity, and direct customer feedback. In this episode of B2B Breakthrough, host Ciara Cristo chats with Jeff Lawber (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflawber/), the creative force behind Marmals (https://www.marmals.com/), an adorable modular magnetic toy fostering imaginative play. Jeff shares his path from industrial designer to toy entrepreneur, revealing how he's built lasting relationships with over two dozen suppliers through Alibaba.com while maintaining his vision as a solopreneur. Learn how trade shows became his testing ground for innovation, why direct customer feedback drives product development, and how he weathered tariff challenges through creative problem-solving and domestic innovation.
Tune in to learn:
- (00:00) Welcome and Marmal Origin Story
- (08:00) Solopreneur Challenges and Manufacturing Relationships
- (14:06) Trade Shows as Product Development Laboratory
- (20:22) Dual Market Demographics and Modular Design
- (22:09) Supply Chain Challenges and Tariff Navigation
- (26:42) Upcoming Product Launches and Comic-Con Circuit
- (30:35) Building Community and Future Vision
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
- Scaling a Purpose-Driven Brand: Inside HoneyBug's Growth Journey
(https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/scaling-a-purpose-driven-brand-inside-honeybugs-growth-journey) - How Mid-Day Squares Disrupted Snacking Through Storytelling (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/not-final-audio-how-mid-day-squares-disrupted-snacking-through-storytelling)
Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Future-proofing your Supply Chain with Kerim Kfuri
(https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/disrupt-or-be-disrupted-future-proofing-your-supply-chain)
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - B2B Breakthrough Podcast
- (00:00:40) - Meet the Toy Maker
- (00:01:14) - Marmal's Magnetic Art Toys: Where Everything Clicks
- (00:04:07) - The Making of 'Magnus'
- (00:05:25) - The Toy Maker's Collaboration With Suppliers
- (00:09:22) - Marmalades: Five Years in the Business
- (00:11:22) - Jeff Lauber on Will Meets Way
- (00:13:07) - Bob Ley on the Toy Trade Show
- (00:14:33) - Have You Received a Feedback Letter From a Customer?
- (00:15:43) - The Toy Line's Marketing
- (00:17:19) - What Do You Need To Know About Prototyping?
- (00:18:49) - How To Market Your Fidget Toy
- (00:20:30) - Challenging the Supply Chain
- (00:23:06) - What does balance look like for a solopreneur?
- (00:24:14) - The 3-D Animation of Kids
- (00:25:29) - Marvel's Chris Jones on Moving Forward
- (00:26:15) - Comic Cons: A Comm
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