The Marmals Method: How to Sell Toys, Test Ideas & Thrive on the Convention Circuit

Summary

B2B Breakthrough Podcast Summary

Episode: The Marmals Method: How to Sell Toys, Test Ideas & Thrive on the Convention Circuit
Host: Sierra Christo
Guest: Jeff Lauber, Creator of Marmals
Release Date: August 5, 2025

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Introduction to Jeff Lauber and Marmals

In this episode of the B2B Breakthrough Podcast, host Sierra Christo welcomes Jeff Lauber, the innovative mind behind Marmals—modular, magnetic art toys designed to inspire creativity in both children and adults.

Sierra Christo (00:40):
"Jeff Lauber is the creative force behind Marmals, an adorable modular toy function fostering imaginative play."

Origin and Development of Marmals

Jeff shares the heartfelt origin story of Marmals, highlighting how his children's playful interactions inspired the creation of a versatile and imaginative toy.

Jeff Lauber (01:43):
"The origin story behind this is it was really designed as a toy for my children... I watch them play with magnetic blocks and coloring everything, coloring the walls, you know, Markers everywhere."

Drawing from his extensive background in industrial design, Jeff transitioned Marmals from a grassroots idea to a beloved product.

Jeff Lauber (02:46):
"Originally designed as a wooden toy, but through a series of missteps, ended up with a vinyl toy that I absolutely love and adore."

Design Philosophy and Modularity

The modularity of Marmals is central to its appeal, allowing users to customize and create unique configurations, fostering individual creativity.

Jeff Lauber (03:49):
"It's about creating your own ideas, creating your own vision of a thing. So with the modularity, you're able to construct it however you see fit and design it to make it your own."

Manufacturing and Supplier Relationships

Jeff emphasizes the importance of collaborative relationships with manufacturers, which have been pivotal in evolving Marmals from concept to production.

Jeff Lauber (04:41):
"I've looked at all these different reference points on Alibaba through the different manufacturers, and to explore all these different options."

He recounts how interactions with suppliers have sparked new ideas and innovations, enhancing the product line.

Jeff Lauber (05:36):
"Conversations with manufacturers lead to new ideas and facets of their manufacturing processes that I probably didn't realize."

Operations as a Solopreneur

Despite managing a growing business single-handedly, Jeff maintains hands-on control over production, working with multiple factories to ensure quality and consistency.

Jeff Lauber (07:30):
"I've got so many factories, probably two dozen, maybe more. I like to have eyes on the process."

Acknowledging the workload, he expresses his desire to expand his team to better handle business logistics.

Jeff Lauber (08:28):
"Still a solopreneur. Yes. That will be changing soon... any help that I can get on that aspect of things would really help push the brand further and faster."

Launching During COVID-19

Jeff launched Marmals officially in late 2020, amidst the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed significant challenges to production and marketing efforts.

Jeff Lauber (09:33):
"Officially, marmals have been on the market for about five years. I ordered all my parts like two weeks before COVID hit."

He navigated supply chain disruptions by pivoting to crowdfunding and wholesale channels to sustain the business.

Jeff Lauber (10:19):
"It was really tricky trying to promote a product that may or may not exist."

Growth and Milestones

Since the Will Meets Way campaign in 2023, Marmals has achieved significant milestones, including recognition from Alibaba and expanded market presence.

Jeff Lauber (11:22):
"Will Meets Way was that first sort of big swing that I took... it really opened my eyes to, like, oh, this is real now."

Trade Shows and Customer Feedback

Trade shows, particularly Comic Cons, have been instrumental for Marmals, providing direct customer interactions and invaluable feedback that drive product improvements.

Jeff Lauber (13:24):
"The trade shows, and especially comic cons, ground me as far as talking directly with the customer, getting immediate feedback."

A memorable feedback story involves a customer who used Marmals to keep her children engaged during a family trip, avoiding screen time.

Jeff Lauber (14:41):
"They made such an impression with her kids that her kids never touched an iPad or a screen the entire trip at Hawaii."

Product Line Expansion and Prototyping

Jeff discusses the expansion of the Marmals line with new characters and the ongoing process of prototyping to refine and introduce innovative products.

Jeff Lauber (15:58):
"Launching these characters next month... I have a huge list of pre-orders for the figures."

He actively uses trade shows to test prototypes, valuing real-time feedback to guide product development.

Jeff Lauber (16:45):
"Just seeing people react to prototypes... has market research worth its weight in gold."

Target Demographics

Marmals appeal to a broad audience, from children aged 4 to 14 who use them as construction and art toys, to adults over 24 who appreciate them as desktop fidget toys.

Jeff Lauber (19:01):
"I have kids aged probably 4 to about 14... but then there's a jump to about 24 and up that use this as a desktop fidget toy."

This dual appeal has unexpectedly expanded Marmals' market reach.

Supply Chain Challenges and Innovation

Facing tariffs and rising costs, Jeff turned challenges into opportunities by embracing innovation, such as incorporating domestic production and leveraging 3D printing technology.

Jeff Lauber (20:44):
"The tariff thing, it sucks... but I took that as an opportunity to really try to be innovative with the tools that I had accessible to me."

Balancing Business and Family

As a solopreneur, Jeff juggles business responsibilities with family involvement, drawing motivation from his children’s enthusiasm for Marmals.

Jeff Lauber (23:23):
"There's no balance. It's a lot of work... but when you have a happy customer, that's what matters."

Community and Future Plans

Engaging with the Marmals community at trade shows fosters a sense of camaraderie and drives continuous innovation. Jeff plans to attend numerous Comic Cons, including the upcoming San Diego Comic Con, to further expand his network and gather customer insights.

Jeff Lauber (25:37):
"Talking with the customers, getting that feedback, pushing out a new idea, seeing what happens. That's my life."

Online Presence and Engagement

Jeff encourages his community to share their creative uses of Marmals on social media, fostering a vibrant and interactive online presence that inspires new product ideas.

Jeff Lauber (29:13):
"Every customer that comes to my booth, I always encourage them... just tag Marmals on social media."

He actively integrates customer-generated content into his product development pipeline.

Jeff Lauber (29:52):
"I've gotten a lot of feedback on new characters to create that way."

Conclusion

Jeff Lauber’s journey with Marmals exemplifies resilience, creativity, and the power of community-driven innovation. Through hands-on manufacturing management, active customer engagement, and adapting to global challenges, Marmals has carved a unique niche in the toy industry. As Jeff looks to the future, his commitment to fostering imagination and maintaining strong relationships with both his family and the Marmals community remains evident.

Sierra Christo (30:05):
"We love hearing what an incredible community you've fostered, all of the imagination that you've brought into the product line, and really excited to see what's next."

Find Jeff Lauber and Marmals Online:
Website: Marmals.com
Social Media: @ovemarmals on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook

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This summary encapsulates the insightful conversation between Sierra Christo and Jeff Lauber, highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative strategies that drive Marmals' success in the competitive toy market.

Transcript

[Jeff Lauber]

I've done a lot of shows now, and I found two demographics that really gravitate towards this product. I have kids aged probably 4 to about 14 that use my toy as a construction toy, as an art toy, but then there's a jump to about 24 and up that use this as a desktop fidget toy. That was a market that I wasn't pursuing at all, but here we are.

[Sierra Christo]

Welcome to the B2B Breakthrough Podcast. We're here to bring you all the best knowledge, insights, and strategies from e commerce experts, successful business owners, and the [e-mail] that you'll need to grow your business and achieve your next big breakthrough. I'm your host, Sierra Christo.

Welcome back to B2B Breakthrough. It is a beautiful day here in New York. The sun is shining, and I'm feeling whimsical because we've got a toy maker on the line. Now, if you've been with the Alibaba.com community for a couple years, this guy may look familiar to you. Jeff Lauber is the creative force behind Marmals, an adorable modular toy function fostering imaginative play. He was part of our Will Meets way campaign in 2023, and so we're touching base to see what he's been up to in the past couple years. Jeff, welcome to B2B Breakthrough.

[Jeff Lauber]

Hey, how are you?

[Sierra Christo]

I'm doing great. It's so good to see your face.

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Likewise.

[Sierra Christo]

All right, well, we'll get into the where are they now? Portion in just a second, but I want to start us off with a little fun fact. So, since September 2023, when we met for Wilmeat's Way, over 9 million new businesses have registered in the U.S. so me and my ego, I like to think that a good chunk of those folks are listening to B2B Breakthrough who are tuning in. And if they're new to the entrepreneurial world, I want to reintroduce them to Marmals. Can you catch us up and give us a little bit of your origin story?

[Jeff Lauber]

Oh, yeah, yeah. So Marmals happen to have one right here because I'm in my shop. As do I. Oh, you've got yours there, too. All right. Wonderful. Yeah. Marmal's Magnetic art Toys. Color them, draw them, doodle them, write notes, wash it off, do it again. But, yeah, the origin story behind this is it was really designed as a toy for my children. You know, I watch them play with magnetic blocks and coloring everything, coloring pages, coloring the walls, you know, Markers everywhere. So what can we build that will sort of facilitate those two ideas, Magnetic Toys and Imagination, and came up with, with this little guy here. Originally designed to be a wooden toy, but through a series of, I'm going to say, missteps, ended up with a vinyl toy that I absolutely love and adore. Started as a very, very much grassroots effort, building the brand, starting at night markets and local markets and seeing where it could go and getting feedback, making adjustments and building the toy from there.

[Sierra Christo]

That's awesome. And you have a background in industrial design, is that right?

[Jeff Lauber]

I do. I've designed everything from ceiling fans to slot machines to chainsaws to furniture to stuff for the Olympics. So I took all of that knowledge of designing and manufacturing and was able to create something for me or for my kids, rather, I guess.

[Sierra Christo]

Yeah. So your kids are a huge inspiration behind this and they've really helped develop the brand.

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah, 100%. My daughter was 2 when I started working on it. My son was 5, my daughter was 2. And we're now six years later, seven years later, and they still play with marbles. And now they're my research and development team. So any idea that I have, I will 3D print and run it by them first before I even start talking to factories, you know, seeing what's a good idea, what's not a great idea, what could be modified, what could be changed. And then, yeah, you're still a huge inspiration behind the product.

[Sierra Christo]

So, you know, as you've designed this as a modular toy, how does that support the selling points of the brand? What is so attractive to your audience in modular play?

[Jeff Lauber]

It's about creating your own ideas, creating your own vision of a thing. So with the modularity, you're able to construct it however you see fit and design it to make it your own. And I think a lot of people take interest in that aspect of my toys.

[Sierra Christo]

And so how. Talking about the manufacturing side of that, I think from the Alibaba perspective, we talk about this a lot. The complexities around working with manufacturers around the world and how to maintain that relationship and keep it collaborative. So how has that supported your journey? You mentioned starting, you know, from a wooden toy space and venturing into vinyl. How has the modularity of it come into play as you've considered alternate ways of manufacturing and tweaking and playing, you know, pun intended, with the design of it?

[Jeff Lauber]

I have explored so many different facets of this design and in different ways to approach the same sort of connection points, whether it be magnets, whether it be Hinges, whether it be loops or Velcro or whatever you want to throw at this thing. Like, I've looked at all of these different reference points on Alibaba through the different manufacturers, and to explore all these different options. But in the end, you know, seeing my kids playing with these magnetic tiles and, you know, the instant gratification of a piece snapping together, it's like, well, that's. That's really where it's at. You know, I can go down this road of building in hinges that, you know, articulate the product, but no, it's. Magnus is where it's at.

[Sierra Christo]

So has your relationship with your suppliers along this journey helped advance the way you're thinking and the overall design from a practical standpoint?

[Jeff Lauber]

I love that question because you. You have these conversations with the manufacturers, and the conversations can often lead to new ideas, to facets of their manufacturing processes that you probably don't realize until you have these bigger conversations. So I will oftentimes look for manufacturers that have new and unique processes, because that gets my brain thinking about, like, oh, if they can do this, then maybe they could do this. And so through that exploration and through those conversations, you learn so much more about the manufacturing process and all these ideas will start to spark and coming up with, you know, a whole new line of toys or offshoots of toys, or not even toys, but just like, oh, my gosh, I could do this now. So that's what I love about having these relationships with the manufacturers.

[Sierra Christo]

Are you able to divulge what some of those discoveries were in the process? Is there, like, one that stands out to you as a. We were able to take this jump because I learned this about their capabilities.

[Jeff Lauber]

Yes, yes. Actually, there is a. Another vinyl factory that I was looking at, and their whole process is automated, whereas my original vinyl process was handmade process. And so that got me thinking about the detail that you can achieve in the vinyl is really second to none. And so because of everything's automated and machine driven. And so that got me exploring new techniques using the processes that I already know, but injecting them with this new sort of technology that could be implemented into my line of toys. So it was a very, very much a turning point in my. What I already had understood about the manufacturing process of my product.

[Sierra Christo]

Are you still working with multiple suppliers or have you been able to streamline it under one?

[Jeff Lauber]

Oh, my gosh, I've got so many factories, probably two dozen, maybe more. I like to have eyes on the process. I like to understand how it's built and you know, how it's, how it's created. And so I do like to have my, my fingers in all of that, making sure everything is going smoothly in the way that I see it. And not just sort of a, you know, here's an idea, make it happen. You know, I want, I want all my hands in the mix.

[Sierra Christo]

And so as part of that, it's you managing all of those individual relationships to make sure that it's highly customized. Wow.

[Jeff Lauber]

So it does take some time and it takes, it takes, you know, sometimes a little babysitting, trying to get things the way you want them. But in the end, it's a product that I am, I'm happy to, to release to the public. So I love it. I absolutely 100 wouldn't do anything else right now. I absolutely love what I do.

[Sierra Christo]

That's a lot on your plate though. So are you, are you a solopreneur? What does your operation look like right now?

[Jeff Lauber]

Still a solopreneur. Yes. That will be changing soon. I've grown the business. I'm proud that I've made it this far. But yes, it is time for change. It's time to bring on some new faces, some new folks to help manage day to day logistics and the business side of things, which as a solopreneur, you have to wear all the hats. And I'm a designer. I know how to design things, I know how to manufacture things. But the business side of things is a little. Still new to me and any help that I can get on that aspect of things would, would really help push the brand further and faster.

[Sierra Christo]

Yeah, well, it helps you focus around what, what you gravitate towards more and are most passionate about as well.

[Jeff Lauber]

I would rather be designing toys than, you know, doing spreadsheets.

[Sierra Christo]

Sure. Wouldn't we? All right. I feel that one deeply. How long have you been in business? Can you give us that recap? You know, I know we've been talking about the last couple of years and what growth. We will talk about what that growth has looked like in the last couple years. But all in all, what are we looking at?

[Jeff Lauber]

Officially, marmalades have been on the market for about five years. I ordered all my parts like two weeks before COVID hit. It took quite a while to get those parts in. So, yeah, it was at the end of 2020, I believe is when I officially launched. So it's been almost five years now.

[Sierra Christo]

Yeah, you said five years. And it didn't even occur to me like that's what the landscape looked like five Years ago. You know, we're five years out of the worst of it.

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah, right. Yeah. Covid was a thing, and that definitely impacted the way, you know, I'm a startup, and I'm going to launch during this. During this time, which, I mean, in my defense, it was still like, oh, it might. Maybe something will happen. But, yeah, it was. You know, the world went sideways two weeks after I. I ordered the parts, so.

[Sierra Christo]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, that's a tough time to get something on its feet. But, I mean, here you are. You made it through to tell the tale.

[Jeff Lauber]

It was. Yeah. I think the most difficult aspect was trying to market a product that, you know, I didn't know when it would be released because, you know, everything was. You know, the shipping constraints and manufacturing constraints and everything was shut down or delayed. And so, you know, trying to promote a product that may or may not exist, that was the tricky aspect of things.

[Sierra Christo]

And so at that stage, you know, you know, you were marketing it with a little bit of uncertainty, but where were you? Where were you distributing? How did. How did you bring it to market for consumers?

[Jeff Lauber]

That started off as a crowdfunding project, which got the ball rolling enough to, you know, get production started and everything. But from there, it was really a jump right to the wholesale space in the toy industry. And that sort of got my. My footing, showing that this was a viable product, that people did want it, and encouraged me to. To keep going with it.

[Sierra Christo]

So, I mean, you certainly did. You persevered. You've made it through. You know, there's been a lot of growth since. Since we even last told your story a few years ago. Can you bring us up to speed on what's happened since Will Meets Way? I know we've got some awards under our belt. What are we looking at here?

[Jeff Lauber]

We've got a few things going on. There's a few things I can't talk about yet.

[Sierra Christo]

Okay. Okay. We love a little suspense.

[Jeff Lauber]

A little suspense, yeah, that'll be revealed later this year. But Will Meets Way was very much an aha moment for me, because until then, you know, it was me and just sort of like, oh, let's. Let's try this. Let's see what happens over here. Let's, you know, explore a few different options. But Will Meets Way was that first sort of big swing that I took. And with that, it really opened my eyes to, like, oh, this is real now. This. This just became a real thing. Like, yes, my product is real and people like it, but Alibaba is. Is a Pretty big company, and they took interest in the product. It was like, oh, okay. So that sort of lit the fire to swing bigger and keep going and keep going. Just take those big swings, see what happens. And applying to big trade shows and big comic cons and just seeing what happens, and it really, really set everything in motion as far as the. The journey goes and getting things started for me.

[Sierra Christo]

I love hearing that. I didn't realize how impactful that was on your side. You know, we love telling your story. I think it's such a great product. It's such a great origin story. And, you know, we're big Jeff Lauber fans over here, so I just. I love hearing that it had that effect on your side as well. It's really cool.

[Jeff Lauber]

It did. It really did.

[Sierra Christo]

So can you talk to me a little bit more about what that trade show experience has been like? All the toy shows you've been to? I know you've got a bunch coming up. So what does that impact, especially in your industry? How. How does that really set you up for momentum to make a splash in the toy space?

[Jeff Lauber]

The trade shows, and especially comic cons that I do, they ground me as far as, like, you know, talking directly with the customer, getting immediate feedback. Good or bad, it doesn't matter, but you're getting that feedback. You're getting that. That. Those sort of almost raw emotions of people getting the product and opening it literally right in front of my. My table. And seeing, you know, that. That instant gratification, that reaction from kids and adults that never knew this product existed until, you know, two minutes prior. And just seeing their faces light up with joy. That is the momentum that keeps me going, is when you see those happy faces or you have customers that buy a product one day and then come back the next day and buy another one. They're like, oh, my gosh, you know, they played with this all night. It's that feedback that really helps me personally, you know, through the roller coaster that I mentioned earlier, the ups and the downs, those are huge ups, getting that feedback from customers.

[Sierra Christo]

I imagine it's got to be so validating and gratifying to see that in real time.

[Jeff Lauber]

Absolutely.

[Sierra Christo]

Do you have an example of a piece of feedback that you received, someone that really had a tangible effect on the product over time?

[Jeff Lauber]

There's a couple of really interesting bits of information that have come to me, actually, just this in the last couple of months. One being that I was at a comic Con. There was a lady that bought, I think, three or four marmals it was a Saturday, and the next day she was taking her family to Hawaii. Oh, okay. And I know this because a year later, she came back to my table and she told me her story, and she said that the marbles that she bought the year before, they made such an impression with her kids that her kids never touched an iPad or a screen the entire trip at Hawaii. So they played with them on the plane, they played with them at a hotel, they played with them on the beach. And that, that was like, huh, okay, that's pretty cool. Like, you know, my kids, as soon as they're on the plane, it's like, you know, where's my iPad? But, yeah, but to hear that is like, okay, that's. That had quite an impression for three individuals. And I'm sure a lot of relief from the parents, like, oh, they're not on the screen. Thank you.

[Sierra Christo]

We've talked about how you've been able to expand the line as well. So how have you been able to introduce other elements, other variations of the toy over time? And has that made a splash at any of these shows yet? Have we seen any reactions?

[Jeff Lauber]

So finally launching these characters next month and after years of promoting them, and the feedback couldn't be any greater. Like, people absolutely love these things. I have a huge list of pre orders for the figures, and it's a good feeling knowing that, you know, I'm still on the right path, that people still appreciate the work that I'm putting out there.

[Sierra Christo]

So you've been able to use the trade show space, the toy shows and fairs and expos as this place place to debut even prototypes, the. The 3D printed ones. So how has that helped your market research? You know, I know we talked about some instantaneous feedback, but what is that reaction to something that is. Is not quite polished and market ready yet? You know, does that, does that impact the. The way that folks are interacting and. And receiving the product?

[Jeff Lauber]

Yes, I. I think so. No. It's funny you mentioned that, because at every show that I go to, every chain show, every Comic Con, every toy show, I've always got my core line of toys and figures and accessories, you know, for sale. However, I always have this, like, one extra thing that I bring to the show just to see, just to get feedback on that market research has been worth its weight in gold. Just having, just seeing, like, how people react to it. You know, it doesn't have to be fancy, it could just be a crude model. But just to see, like, what's the reaction?

[Sierra Christo]

I've talked about prototyping with a couple other guests on the show before as well. And it's such a crucial part of the product development life cycle. And I think this is such an interesting conversation for me every time, because it really does show that you don't need. People don't expect polish all the time. There's a touch of humanity behind something a little bit preliminary, a little bit rough around the edges that makes you feel a part of the experience as well. So as you bring that to the table, do you have any reservations about it from a protection standpoint, or is this really, really feel like a win overall, through and through, to be able to share something with your audience?

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah, I mean, yes, there is a certain reservation to debuting a product, but, you know, if you're comfortable with it and you feel that, you know, you're protected as much as you possibly can be, then go for it. There's a lot of ideas that I'm prototyping that I know aren't, like, groundbreaking. So I don't feel the need to, like, have everyone sign an NDA that approaches my table. But with that said, like, there are a few ideas that I still hold back, and I will until something more concrete is. Is created. Those ideas, I'm gonna. I'm gonna hold off on. On bringing to the table right away. But, yeah, for the little things, accessories and expansion lines and stuff like that, I have no problem with showing the raw, the nitty gritty, the warts for new products coming out.

[Sierra Christo]

It sounds like your audience and the folks who are coming up to you at these shows are so highly engaged and open to sharing feedback. Tell us a little bit about the audience that you're marketing to. Who is your target demographic?

[Jeff Lauber]

I've done a lot of shows now, and I found two demographics that really gravitate towards those products. I have kids aged probably 4 to about 14 that use my toy as a construction toy, as an art toy, something to build, something to create. But then there's a jump to about 24 and up that use this as a desktop fidget toy. And that was a market that I was not intending, I wasn't pursuing at all. But here we are. And I see a lot of parents that will, you know, buy one of these for their kids and then circle back next day or even a few hours later and be like, you know what? This is cool. I need one for my desk. So that's the second demographic that really, really gravitates towards this product.

[Sierra Christo]

I mean, myself included, I'm. I'm sitting here like constantly, you know, for our audio only listeners. I know you're not enjoying this one as much as our YouTube folks, but, you know, it is such a, you know, intuitive and helpful fidget toy to have for, for someone like me who needs to fidget throughout the day.

[Jeff Lauber]

Right.

[Sierra Christo]

And it's just cozy and fun and whimsical to have in your presence. So I think it's a, what, what a fun line of work for you to be in. How cool is that?

[Jeff Lauber]

Not so bad. Play with toys all day, it's not so bad.

[Sierra Christo]

No, I mean, the flip side of that, you know, I'm going to go stark contrast the most fun parts to the most arduous ones, you know. I know, I'm sorry. Listen, it's a B2B podcast. We've got to talk about the less sexy stuff. How have you been conquering and addressing some of these challenges that we're seeing in supply chain, you know, from tariffs and any other challenges that have come up in the past couple of years, in the past, you know, frankly, year itself.

[Jeff Lauber]

The tariff thing, it sucks. There's no way to put it. Yeah, it's a small business. That, that was, that was rough when that, that came around. I remember for the new line of toys coming out, I had everything like I had negotiated with all the factories, I had all the quotes, I had, you know, everything prepped, ready to go, everything primed. And I think that was March. When the tariff thing just started creeping up a little bit, I'm like, oh, well, I'm just gonna wait, you know, it'll hopefully come back down. They kept going up and up and up and up and up. And you know, that really put, put a damper on things because I was stuck. So I was put in a holding pattern for about six weeks until everything sort of eased back off. And when it finally did, I, you know, I pulled the trigger. Like, go, go, go, let's do this. You know, hopefully this still holds out. But yeah, there was, it was really, really, really scary there for a little bit, for about six weeks. And. But with that, the sort of the, the silver lining to all of that was that you really started thinking more about innovation and what can be done domestically or what could be done even in your basement on a 3D printer. And what can I develop? And so I took that as an opportunity to really try to be innovative with the tools that I had accessible to me. And so I did a lot of 3D printing and tried a lot of different ideas and some of them stuck some of them didn't. But that's okay. That's, that's how innovation works. So, you know, happy to take those ideas that worked and move them to the next stage and move them into factory production. So I think, you know, through the tariffs, as bad as it was, it did have a little bit of a shimmer of hope and innovation.

[Sierra Christo]

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What does balance look like for you as a solopreneur? You know, you've mentioned that your kids are an involved part of your R and D team, that your family is involved with the brand. But how are you able to achieve balance when there are so many plates spinning at all times?

[Jeff Lauber]

There's no balance. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of uncertainties. It's a lot of like, what am I doing? A lot of like deep in the weeds trying to figure things out. But in the end, you know, again, going back to the kids that, that see this product for the first time and seeing their faces light up when, when they get one, that's everything. That's, that's why I started, you know, that's why I continued to do what I do. So that's the balance, you know, that's, that's the upswing. So you, you get both. You see the bad, you see the good and there's a lot of sleepless nights worrying about tariffs or manufacturing issues. But in the end, when, when you have a happy customer, that's what, that's what matters.

[Sierra Christo]

Have your happy customers and your captive audience share some of their designs with you. That's something I'm curious about. In the social space especially. Have you been tagged in anything that's really sparked joy for you that you've really enjoyed witnessing?

[Jeff Lauber]

There have been a few instances where kids have taken the initiative to use my figures for stock animation.

[Sierra Christo]

Cute.

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah, they've made some videos and so I'm in Portland. We have a lot of stop animation studios and so I'm aware of sort of the culture surrounding the stop animation scene, but I never really saw this as an outlet for that. But here you are on social media, and then someone tags you in. A video is like, look what I made. And they do some really, really fantastic work. And she's like, okay, I need to pursue that more now, because obviously this is a thing that's happening. So how. How do I push and encourage more of that?

[Sierra Christo]

Is that the kind of reaction that helps spark some of these. These ideas, these 3D printing expeditions?

[Jeff Lauber]

Oh, yeah, yeah. You see what people have created online, they're like, oh, okay. So again, sort of in the same vein as the manufacturers, like, okay, if. If this is happening, then maybe this could happen. So it's. It's definitely inspiration for me to continue to move forward.

[Sierra Christo]

Speaking of moving forward, can you talk to us a little bit about what's. I know you've got some travel ahead of you. What's up next for Marvels?

[Jeff Lauber]

Lots of Comic Cons. The Comic Con space has been really good to me, and next week I'm headed down to San Diego Comic Con. That's kind of the big one. And then, oh, my gosh, so many Comic Cons after that. It's so much hard work, you know, traveling and setting up the booth and finding help and all this. Everything it takes to run a mobile business like that, you know, on the road. But it's so much fun. It's so much fun. Seeing the. Talking with the customers, getting that feedback, pushing out a new idea, seeing what happens. That's my life. That's what I choose to do, and I love every second of it.

[Sierra Christo]

Well, and just chatting with your booth neighbors at all of these events has got to foster some sense of community in the tour space. So how has that community been, you know, helpful for you, either from, you know, a mental standpoint, just having camaraderie, or from an innovation standpoint, what does that. What does that do for you?

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah, going back to the solopreneur thing, that's. It's really important to have those folks at Comic Cons, those booth neighbors, because, you know, I consider these. These folks my. My coworkers. Because, you know, I don't have an office with a bunch of people that I can just, you know, talk with over lunch or something like that. This is. These are the people that know me that know my product, and I know them and I know their product, and it's just a nice community to. To foster this, you know, innovation and new ideas. And, you know, most of them are. Are highly creative people as well, so they're always coming out with. With ideas like, oh, maybe you should do this, or maybe you should do this. And it's like, all right, yeah, that's a good idea. And especially when. When multiple people sort of come to the same conclusion about a product, like, you know, if they both say the same thing, they're like, all right, there's. There's obviously something here that I don't see yet. So that really gets me thinking about the future of the product and new ways to bring something to market.

[Sierra Christo]

Has that conversation drifted into the world of supply chain? I know we always have to bring it back to something a little bit less glamorous, but, you know, as, you know, as you talk with these folks, is there a sense of community? Is there a sense of we're in it together when it comes to facing these headwinds that we talked about earlier?

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, definitely. Most definitely. There's always been conversation about manufacturing the best protocols, how to get things made, where to get things made. There's always conversations about this. And that has definitely fostered new relationships and new ways to sort of view the same thing. So whether that's moving manufacturing to another country or moving it domestically or whatever, there's always different ways to. To navigate the manufacturing system.

[Sierra Christo]

Well, I want to come back to. To what's next. You know, we've talked about the trade shows that are coming up. We've talked a little bit about the minimals. Can you talk to me a little bit about what that. What that trajectory looks like and your timing? When can we expect to see minimals on the market?

[Jeff Lauber]

Hopefully end of August. Yeah, end of August, beginning of September is the timeline for these. These little guys excited about that, excited about some new products coming out later in the year, too, that I can't talk about yet. And then always, there's always going to be a new prototype of something on the table. So, you know, if you. If you swing by to one of the shows that I'm at, come by to the booth, and you'll get to see something new and hopefully innovative that no one's ever seen before.

[Sierra Christo]

So let's solicit a little bit of creativity from your audience as well. You know what. What kind of challenges have you put out there? Can we. Can we challenge the folks to. To submit a fun design or some animation?

[Jeff Lauber]

Every customer that comes to my booth, I always encourage them. If they come up with something crazy, something cool, something creative, just tag me Tag Marmals on social media. And I'm happy to repost because I love, love, love seeing all the creativity and all the new ways of thinking that when you see those people that sort of break that loop and like, oh, look what I created. And that's just like, oh, my gosh, why didn't I? You know? That's so great. I love seeing all the different, cool, creative things that folks have created with my toys.

[Sierra Christo]

And who knows? It could inspire a new expansion pack, so to speak.

[Jeff Lauber]

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I've gotten a lot of feedback on new characters to create that way, so it's definitely, definitely a thing. But I love hearing it, and hopefully I can take some of those ideas and build them into something real one day.

[Sierra Christo]

All right, so we can find you at Comic Con. We can find you at these toy shows. Where can we find you online if we're not in the San Diego area?

[Jeff Lauber]

Marmals.com.

[Sierra Christo]

All right, I like it. And so we can also follow along on the socials to see all of these launches. Can you hit us with some of Those handles?

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah. Ovemarmales pretty much across the board. Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

[Sierra Christo]

Well, we love hearing what an incredible community you've fostered, all of the imagination that you've brought into the product line, and really excited to see what's next.

[Jeff Lauber]

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.

[Sierra Christo]

Well, thank you so much, Jeff, for being on this journey with me today. And, yeah, we'll stay tuned.

[Jeff Lauber]

Wonderful. Thank you for having me.

[Sierra Christo]

B2B Breakthrough is produced by Alibaba.com to find out how Alibaba.com is empowering its customers with the tools, services, and resources they need to grow their business. Visit Alibaba.com and then make sure to search for B2B breakthrough on the Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. Make sure to follow us so you don't miss future episodes. On behalf of the team [e-mail] thanks for listening.