What are your roles and responsibilities in our industry?

I am CEO and owner of McHale Design Inc.

We are a creative agency that specializes in premium branding and packaging for the Toy and Youth Entertainment Industries. We utilize our decades of creative expertise, by evaluating your strategies, key marketing objectives, then skillfully translating them into powerful creative solutions.  We have been helping brands thrive, since 1985!

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

I have always loved toys since as a kid of the 80s, I played with He-Man, Transformers, Star Wars, and many others. I fell in love with the industry during my 10 years at Mattel and wanted to learn as much as possible of how it all worked. 

What is your claim to fame?

My ability to really listen to our client’s goals and give clear feedback to my team to achieve those goals. 

What has been your biggest achievement?

I would have to say becoming the owner of McHale Design since purchased it from Maureen McHale after she retired. She is a legend in this industry and started this agency back in 1985! Great Scott!!

Do you have a mantra that you live by?

Always try to be yourself, because everyone else is already taken!.. Oh and always be willing to learn and stay humble.

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

After working in the video game industry on the creative side at Vivendi Games, the company closed the creative services department. As a result, I started looking for a new opportunity. Luckily, I got an interview at Mattel Toys, and they liked me, so I stayed there for ten years. During my time at Mattel, I got to work on some awesome brands like WWE, Hot Wheels, Batman, Superman, and more!

What are you working on now?

Here at McHale Design where I help lead this amazing team of creative pros who create top-notch work on some of the premier brands in our industry from TMNT, Miraculous, Godzilla vs Kong, Goo Jit-Zu, PlayDay and so many more.

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

I love how it's constantly evolving yet at its core is always FUN and PLAY. Although of course it's still work, it's hard to call it that sometimes when you love what you do.

If you look back at yourself 10 years ago is this where you thought you’d be?  Where did you think you’d be? What changed? What went right?

I always thought that it'd be cool to be a creative director or lead a team of creatives to generate work that is celebrated. As my career progressed, I started thinking bigger but didn’t think being an agency owner was a real possibility. But meeting with Maureen McHale in 2020 and her trusting me with taking the reigns of “her baby” that she started from scratch gave me the confidence to believe this was the right move. You never know what may happen if you work hard and never burn any bridges in this industry. Your reputation is as important as your work in this close-knit industry. So… thank you for believing in me Maureen!

What was your favorite project to date?

Wow, that is a tough one; I would say getting to work on the new TMNT rebrand for Playmates Toys. I have always been a big TMNT fan and love where Nickelodeon is taking such an evergreen brand. They have evolved it for a new generation but managed to keep the spirit of a now legendary brand that everyone loves.

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

I feel there will be more opportunities to integrate digital and physical play and no one has truly found that secret sauce just yet. But many are getting close. The current proliferation of Ai could either be a blessing or a curse but so much is still up in the air. It’s almost like when Video Games first came out in the early 80s, many worried kids wouldn’t play with physical toys anymore, but here we are almost 45 years later going strong. Ai integration will be interesting to watch, and I am excited at the possibilities. 

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

Think of what you could add, what details, and what pride of ownership you could incorporate into your products. Collectors and kids alike, want to show-off their collections proudly, but also feel that they are uniquely theirs. Almost like the NFT craze a few years ago, it was that “its one-of-a-kind” aspect that appealed to so many.

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

I would definitely say, learn Ai, 3D printing, and prototyping would be invaluable skills if you want to break into the Toy Industry. Coming up with fun ideas on paper is one thing, but creating ideas that work and are cost-effective to produce is another. Being able to create actual mock-ups would be ideal to prove-out your ideas in real time. Learning basic video editing would probably be useful as well.

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

I would definitely say, learn Ai, 3D printing, and prototyping would be invaluable skills if you want to break into the Toy Industry. Coming up with fun ideas on paper is one thing, but creating ideas that work and are cost-effective to produce is another. Being able to create actual mock-ups would be ideal to prove-out your ideas in real time. Learning basic video editing would probably be useful as well.

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

What’s your workspace setup like? We have a really fun office here in Long Beach California. It’s bright, colorful and best of all, full of toys! My set-up is basic and I love my stand-up desk so I can switch between sitting and standing anytime. 2 big screens to work on are nice to have as well. : )

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Making our clients happy when we help them develop brands that not only resonate but also generate sales for them. Their testimonials and return business mean the world to us.

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

How to keep our business steady throughout the year. As we all know, Toys is very seasonal so keeping my team busy year-round would be ideal.

What and/or who inspires you?

Other creatives and other agency owners doing successful things always keep me going. I like to always be learning and aim at constantly remaining a sponge so I can become better myself in leadership, as a person, and in business. There is always something new to learn or a new challenge to meet. 

What excites you?

Where McHale Design will go next. The Future is bright! 

How do you define creativity? 

Executing an idea in any medium so that you can share it with others. Whether it’s in with text, sound, in pen, or digitally. Always be creating!

How do you define innovation? 

Making something brand-new or improving on something that already exists. Hello, wireless air buds anyone? Total game-changers!

Where do you come up with your best ideas?

Driving.

What blocks your creativity?

Stress.

How do you recharge or take a break? 

Going to the gym or playing basketball. Or getting lost in a good book or a first-person adventure video game.

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

I can juggle multiple ideas at once but only tackle one at a time.

What was your favorite toy or game as a child? 

Transformers Jetfire… or the Etch-a-Sketch Animator.

Where were you born?

Hollywood California USA.

What was your life like growing up?

Very normal suburban upbringing. Blue-collar parents who worked hard to provide for me and my 3 siblings. We went to public school and all made something of ourselves thanks to our parent's example.

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

Suburbs of Los Angeles in an area called West Covina/ La Puente in the 80s and 90s. There were some gangs and occasional danger, but my parents did a great job of keeping us busy and out of trouble.

What do you read every day, and why?

I try to read business books and listen to podcasts as often as I can. Especially news and financial podcasts so I have a grasp of what’s going on in the world.

Who are role models for the work you do?

Wow so many, Chris Do, Margo Chase, Draplin,.. I also love what Dan Jansen is doing at Lincoln Design. He has grown it into something unique and exciting.

What is your favorite gadget, app or software for work? 

I enjoy doodling in ProCreate on my iPad with my Apple pencil… just fun to scribble and jot things down quickly.

How do you jumpstart your creativity when you find yourself stalled?

Usually going to a Tradeshow, Comic-Book store or an Art Gallery does the trick.

What was the last thing that made you laugh or cry? 

The new show TULSA KING with Sylvester Stallone… its so hilarious and totally my cup of tea. Can’t wait for season 2.

Are you named after anyone?

My Father.

Do you have a nickname? 

Joe Fields.

Do you have any kiddos?

Yes I have one, a 16-year-old son named Gabriel. He's awesome.

What do you play with your kids?

Videogames of course!

Do you have any pets?

Not at the moment.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Watching old Film Noir movies, I love that genre so much.

What is your favorite way to waste time on your phone? 

Duolingo.

What’s in your fridge?

Hopefully lots of protein and not too many carbs.

Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which one(s)?

Used to play Trumpet and can sing a little bit.

Who are your favorite musicians, singers or musical groups?

Beatles, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen, Zeppelin, Sinatra, The Roots, … just too many to list!

What music are you listening to now? 

My Hip-Hop workout mix.

What music will you always dance to? 

Funk and Salsa.

What’s your favorite cereal? 

Frosted Flakes.

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

Height?

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

Top golf.

What are your favorite books? 

Financial, Business, and Mindset books.

What are your favorite magazines? 

Travel, Art and Sports.

What are your favorite websites? 

eBay, People of Play, Behance, Instagram, etc.

Do you prefer scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings.

What are your favorite TV or streaming shows and what is on your list to watch?

Too long to list out… DM or call me me for details.

Who are your favorite actors?

Deniro, Stallone, Denzel, Judy Dench, DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, Jim Carrey and others.

What are your favorite sports and sports teams?

The LA LAKERS #1 … basketball is my favorite.

What is your favorite night out? 

Dinner & a Movie or Dinner and Live music.

Favorite movie of all time?

Godfather 1 & 2.

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

Shenzhen China.

Do you have any special talents? 

Trivia (Jeopardy anyone?)

What’s your beverage of choice?

Iced coffee black.

Tell us about your hobbies? 

Basketball, working out, Drawing, creating logos, traveling, reading, Comedy Shows and more!

Summer of Winter?

Summer.

Hugs or Kisses?

That depends… Hugs usually or kisses it's my fiancé Sabrina!

What is your eye color?

Brownish green.

Everything would have been different if…

I was 6’6” and could dunk a basketball.

The toy and game industry clearly has….

A bright future that will evolve but never fade.

I’m lucky that….

I have such a loving family and support network.

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

A better leader and businessman.

What’s next? 

Stay tuned and follow us on Instagram or mchaledesign.com!

Thank you, Joe, for taking time to answer our questions thoughtfully and with a sense of play!