Hi Doug! Thank you for taking time to answer a few questions. Let’s start with talking about what you do in our industry.   

Proud to have been part of the toy industry for over 35 years, with some fantastic organizations. Price Stern Sloan (1992), Landoll Books (1995), Giddy Up (2002), Kahootz (2010) and now Tree Town Toys (2024). My role in each organization has been primarily sales and marketing focused, but since 2002, my role has been expanded as founder and one of the key leaders of the organization with responsibilities including finance, operations, supply chain, and product development. 

What is it about the Toy and Game Industry that you love? 

The people that I’ve been proud to work with are passionate about creating something special. From Blendy Pens, Surprize Ink, Spirograph, Colorforms, Fashion Plates and many other innovative and great products for kids. Also, I very much enjoy the camaraderie of the folks I’m competing with—they have been there for me as I have faced challenges, and we always support each other.  

What is your claim to fame? 

With every company I have been associated with, we have produced products that the retail customers connect with, and also that produce excellent margins for our retail partners, as well as great bottom line results. Proud to say that for every organization I’ve been a partner, we have delivered great financial results. 

What do you feel has been your greatest “win” so far in life? What was your biggest failure?  

My biggest win was partnering with Josh Pokempner back in 2002, and being mentored by him about the right way to run an organization, and how to treat your team.   Failure... I don’t necessarily see it as a failure, but it is disappointing that the sale of Giddy Up and Kahootz didn’t yield the results we wanted at the time of each sale.  

What are you still hoping to accomplish?  

I hope to bring together brilliant people into a group, and to create great product for the retail community and for consumers. The team we have at Tree Town Toys, consists of 8 of the 11 folks that helped us to create Kahootz, and four of them were with me at Giddy Up as well! Having the opportunity to work with a group of people that on average I’ve been with for nearly 20 years is incredible, as we have amazing talent, and expect great things to come.  

Do you have a mantra that you live by? 

Treating your team truly as partners. Listening to their ideas, concerns, and making them a part of the process.  

What keeps you up at night?  

Thinking about “what’s next”!

Why and how did you get into the Toy and Game industry? 

Price Stern Sloan, a really unique company that sold Mad Libs, and other really creative things, gave me a chance by hiring me to be their East Coast Sales manager in 1990—my first Toy Fair in New York was really memorable, and I cant thank the folks that were at that company that welcomed me and helped me to succeed. 

What are you working on now? 

Tree Town Toys is a company that Brent Oeschger and I co-founded, and have been fortunate to attract some of our friends to join in our journey.  We are looking at lots of projects with inventors, creators, licensing partners, and others to launch innovative new products to the retail community. Yes and Know® Books, a trusted 50 year old brand, became available recently and we just relaunched the line to retail. The results are very positive! The program is a joint partnership with Hinkler, based in Melbourne Australia, who owns the brand and is distributing outside USA.  

What has kept you motivated to stay in the toy industry? 

100% the people... from the team members I work with to the retail partners.

If you look back at yourself 10 years ago is this where you thought you’d be? 

I am right where I want to be. Working with some of the most talented people in the industry, and having the opportunity to work with retailers that in many cases, I’ve worked with for 30+ years.  Yes the market has changed, but at its core, the industry is still the same—if you produce great product, it will sell. 

What was your favorite project to date? 

Relaunching the iconic brand Spirograph® in 2010 as a partnership with Hasbro was truly an amazing experience.  Shortly after a successful US launch, Hasbro granted us worldwide rights, and with Firefly Group we had an amazing time bringing this brand back to relevance to the entire world.   

What trends do you see in toys or games that excite or worry you?  

Like all industries, consolidation or the movement for the top 10 companies to control 80-90% of the business, and thousands of small companies competing for place on the shelf, is concerning. However, with specialty toy retailers, I see a base of strong retailers that are succeeding at beating the “big boxes” with providing better services, and we’re proud to be part of the that specialty market. 

What advice can you give to inventors who are presenting new toy or game ideas to you?  

Choose your partners carefully. Be sure they share the same values you do. 

What advice would you give a young adult graduating from high school or college today? 

Do what makes you happy, not what will give you the biggest short-term win. Do what you like to do, and do it with people you respect and admire—it’s the road to true success. 

What advice do you have for people starting in the industry?  

Be persistent, things don’t happen overnight... there are some amazing stories of success that came out of despair—just when you think it’s not working, stay the course and keep to your principles—good things happen to good people. 

Do you have a typical workday and how does it play out for you?  

I’m not a workaholic or anything, but I will say I’m always “on”… weekends, nights, being an entrepreneur means that you always are engaged, and thinking about ways you can help your business. 

What’s your workspace setup like?  

Very simple, comfortable. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  

Seeing people that I’ve been proud of working with that continue to have success over course of their career, in part, due the time I was able to be with them. So many of my former team members are killing it in their own space, and I’m very proud to know them and cheer them on! 

What is the most trouble you’ve ever been in?  

I’m pretty boring... I have not really been in any trouble.   😊

What is the worst job you’ve ever had and what did you learn from it? 

Key word is “job.” Over the last several years, I’ve not had “jobs” but rather “missions.”  Early in my career for nearly 10 years, I did work for American Greetings (at the time a $1B company with thousands of employees), and I can’t say I loved all aspects of the positions I had at the time, but I do reflect on the amazing experience it provided me to be able to succeed in the future.

What’s a problem you’re still trying to solve?  

Tariffs

What and/or who inspires you?  

People that have a brilliant idea.

What excites you? 

Seeing a product from inception to shelf, and seeing it sell through!

How do you define creativity?  

Creating an idea or product that has either never been done before, or bringing something back BETTER than it ever was before. 

How do you define innovation?  

Bringing something to market that inspires kids to be creative. 

Where do you come up with your best ideas?  

Middle of the night

What blocks your creativity?   

Naysayers

How do you recharge or take a break?  

Spend time with family and friends

What words describe how you think or how your brain works?  

Been trying to figure that out for years, if you have some insight, please advise. 

Were you obsessed with any toys, games or objects as a kid? 

Not really, I was one of seven growing up and most of the things I played with were handed down by my siblings, and were pretty simple. 

Where were you born?  

Alton IL, just North of St Louis, but grew up in Chicago suburb of Glenview

What was your life like growing up?   

Fantastic, lots of fun with friends, and big family, 7 kids, I’m #6 out of 7!

Where did you grow up and how did that influence who you are today?  

Glenview IL, suburb of Chicago.  I started caddying when I was 12, and really liked it... kind of a Caddy Shack environment, and spent all of my summers being around the golf course. 

What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?   

I think that early in my career I was obsessed with working towards success, and found out over time, that a balanced life with work and home is better way to achieve success. 

What do you read every day, and why? 

I try to stay up with the news of the day, and what is happening in the world. When I read, I generally like to read books about American History, WWII or other real-life experiences. 

Who is the person you most admire?  

My Mother (95) and my Father who passed a few years ago.  They were a great inspiration for me, and I was very fortunate to have them as mentors. 

Who are role models for the work you do?   

I admire lots of people in the industry that have started companies, and made them amazing successes. I could list several people that fit that description, but people like Paul Solomon from Moose, Choon from Rainbow Loom, or the leaders at Spinmaster… what these and others have created is amazing.  

Do you have a nickname?  

My family calls me Chip... they didn’t “like” Doug 😊

Do you have any kiddos?  

Kelly (39), John (35) and Nicole (33). They are all leading good lives, and we’re proud of all of them.

What do you play with your kids?  

We have been known to do puzzle projects around the holiday. 

Are you a dog person or a cat person?  

Dog

Who are your favorite musicians, singers or musical groups? 

I love all kinds of music.  

What music are you listening to now?  

I generally listen to news, not music

What’s the first thing you usually notice about people? 

Whether they are personable, and approachable. 

What is the last time you did something for the first time? 

It’s been a long time... shame on me.

What are your favorite books and/or magazines?  

I like to read about history, and magazines are primarily trade-related to toys!

What are your favorite sports and sports teams? 

Detroit Lions, and Detroit Tigers

Favorite movie of all time? 

It’s a Wonderful Life

What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home? 

China

What’s your beverage of choice? 

That’s easy: wine!     www.casswines.com 

Tell us about your hobbies?  

Golf

Summer of Winter? 

Summer

What do you hope your legacy will be? 

Professionally, it’s about the people that I’ve worked with and that have been such a great success in their own space, with other companies, and in the industry I love.

The toy and game industry clearly has….

been an amazing experience for me, I’m eternally grateful. 

I’m lucky that….

I found the right partners.