You've built a career spanning acting, voice work, fashion, entrepreneurship, and fandom. What role has play—and the willingness to keep playing as an adult—had in your creativity and career? 

As a young girl, I had a big imagination. Whenever I played, my imagination would create new worlds, dream-up new ideas, and design new things. I still allow my imagination to run wild as an adult. I like to say that my superpower, which others might see as a weakness, is that I suffer from chronic naïveté. Some people see the word naïve and think it's a bad thing, but I've leaned into it as my strength. When I imagine new ideas, I only see the end goal and not all of the road blocks in-between. Most people would immediately look at the brick walls ahead and allow fear and doubt to hold them back. I fall in love with the end goal. So, when I hit a road block, my focus on the final product is much stronger than my fear. I am not naïve to the realities of business but my childlike imagination has been a huge key to my success. 

Ahsoka Tano has become one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe. When you first voiced her, did you have any sense of what she would come to mean to generations of fans—and what has surprised you most about that journey? 

I voiced Ahsoka Tano for two years before she debuted to the rest of the world. I fell in love with Ahsoka and hoped everyone would grow to love her like I do. However, I had no idea that Ahsoka would grow to become as beloved as she is today. I think the biggest thing that surprised me is that she broke consumer stereotypes regarding female characters. All fans, all genders like Ahsoka. I've sat in many licensing meetings where we were told that men and boys would not buy toys or merchandise for a female character. It's easy to overlook, but Ahsoka blazed a trail and proved the research wrong. Ahsoka sells because everyone loves Ahsoka. She is very rare, but she also proved that a character can overcome gender-based buying patterns.

You didn't just see a gap in the marketplace for female fans—you created Her Universe to fill it. What did that experience teach you about trusting an idea when others may not yet see the opportunity? 

It taught me to see value in the white space. Most people look at something that's never been done before and assume that it's not being done for a reason. I was told that people had tried selling to female fans before and it didn't work because there was no money in it. As a female fan myself, who wanted Star Wars merchandise made for me, I knew that couldn't be true. However, I only had two statistics to back me up. I found out that 85% of all consumer purchases were being made by women, and in 2009, I got the attendance records of the top 5 fandom conventions around the world and discovered that 45% of all attendees were women and girls. I built an entire business off of my gut feeling and those two statistics. I'll never forget the feeling when I was sitting at the licensing show a few years later (the same one that said female fans would not buy sci-fi/fantasy merchandise made for them) and it was announced that they discovered a white space with female fandom and they estimated that it was a 1.3 billion dollar market. I was so proud because I knew that Her Universe was a driving force in unlocking that "new opportunity."

Your new novel, Lucky 22, is inspired by your real-life love story with your husband, David Eckstein. You've brought characters, fashion, and businesses to life—but what was it like turning your own story into a novel, and did anything about the process surprise you? 

This project was exciting because it wasn't part of the plan! My husband is David Eckstein, 2-time World Series Champion and 2006 World Series MVP, and our plan was to release his memoir titled JUST ENOUGH. This year marks the 20th anniversary of my husband becoming the World Series MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals and he truly has one of the greatest underdog stories that has yet to be told. How David and I met is a story straight out of a Hallmark movie. We didn't try for it, but it just happened that way. I got the idea of doing a "His and Hers" book release. The same story told from two different perspectives. To my knowledge, I don't think a husband and wife have released two books on the same day like this. His non-fiction, mine fiction but based on our true love story. The idea worked and we both hit the USA TODAY Best Selling Booklist in the first week of sales. So, I guess the thing that surprised me is the importance of being open to new opportunities that are not part of the original plan.

This year you'll host the TAGIE Awards as we celebrate "The Force of Play" and the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, surrounded by innovators from across the toy and game journey—from inventors with the original spark of an idea to the people who bring those ideas all the way to store shelves. What are you most looking forward to about celebrating with this creative community? 

I am always curious and I thrive in creative environments! I am also a total nerd when it comes to business. I LOVE learning about new categories that are not traditionally the sandboxes I've already been playing in. I am beyond honored to host of the TAGIE Awards! I just love watching people succeed and thrive in what they do and I cannot wait to meet everyone!

What advice would you give someone who has an idea they believe in but is still trying to find the courage—or the opportunity—to bring it to life? 

Do not be discouraged by the word "No." If you truly believe in your idea, the most important information comes right after the word "No." Keep listening! "No because..." "No but..." Now, it's like a game for me to turn that "No" into a "Yes". I find that most people want to say yes, but you must address their concerns before they can give you the answer you're looking for. Most people give up after they hear "No." Don't be one of those people.