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In the Search for Success: The Toy Industry Is No Fun

Written by Jorge on . Posted in The Search for Success. Leave a Comment

I’ve always dreamed of becoming successful by creating characters for books, games, and movies. I moved from Perú to the U.S. and, to pay the bills, I worked for Apple, Adobe, and other technology companies. But (as told in Part 1 and Part 2 of my story) I decided to leave my life in Silicon Valley to return to Perú and focus on my dreams.

I’ve tried many things to be successful, but none have worked out. They say the road to success is long and hard… and boy, I made sure to hit every pothole along the way.

I was around 30 years old and I needed to come up with a new plan to achieve success. That’s when I decided I was going to be: a Toy Inventor!

I had recently written a children’s book about shape-shifting characters named the Blobbies, so I decided to invent a toy that transformed, just like them.

I went to RadioShack looking for parts that I could use for my new toy. Then I went to Toys”R”Us and bought toys to open them up and get their parts. One by one, I dismembered the bodies of countless Barbies, Barneys, and Elmos. I shed a tear as I dismembered my beloved quack-quack electronic Ducky. My living room looked like the aftermath of a Sesame Street gang war.

Unfortunately, to create the kind of toy I wanted, I required complex pieces and tools I didn’t have. Ducky had lost its life in vain.

I researched on the internet and found out about resin casting and latex rubber. I went to Michael’s Arts & Crafts and I got all the supplies. I was able to create crude prototypes but, though I had fun, I wasn’t happy with the results.

Then, on my next trip to Michael’s, I had a revelation! There was a whole other section I had not yet explored: the Sewing Section.

I filled my cart with threads, zippers, fabrics, and foam. I brainstormed on a toy design and then used my rudimentary sewing skills to bring my design to life. After a few tries, I was able to sew a Blobbie plush toy that morphed into a teddy bear. And with that, the amazing Blobbiemorphers had been born!

I asked my parents for help improving my franken-prototype. My dad helped me cut new molds and my mom, who can actually sew, put together a set of decent Blobbiemorpher prototypes. Now, all I needed was someone who would want to produce my toy.

With prototypes in hand, I went to toy conventions, I reached out to dozens of toy companies, and I had the honor of being rejected by FAO Schwartz, Mattel, Toys”R”Us and the top toy companies in the world!

It soon became obvious that if I wanted my Blobbiemorphers to become a reality, I would have to produce them myself.

I went to the New York Toy Fair and met with manufacturers from China and Indonesia and gave them my samples. Soon, I received their “counter samples” and price lists.

I still needed a distribution partner and I was struggling to make a deal … but then the Universe gave me hope: I landed a meeting with a large US retail chain … let’s call this chain … hmmm … “Dry’s Electronics”. Well, “Dry’s” loved the Blobbies!

They requested Blobbiemorphers on consignment, but I still needed time and money to manufacture the final toys. So, in the meantime, Dry’s would sell the Blobbies’ books. They just had one request: large POP displays for each of their stores. Unfortunately, custom POP displays were very expensive. The best quote I got was $7,000 for a set. I figured, I had to risk it (Bad Business Decision #64).

A couple of weeks later, my beautiful POP displays were ready! I shipped them to Dry’s and then … they lost them!

They lost my expensive, gorgeous displays and they blamed me for “sending them to the wrong address.” I contacted UPS and got a copy of the shipping receipt with the signature of the receiving person at Dry’s. I sent this proof to Dry’s and they replied: “The guys at the warehouse probably didn’t know what the boxes were and they threw them away. Send a new batch of POP displays”.

Chésu Madre!!! (pardon my spanish). I could not believe this! I told them that I could not afford to create a new set and that they should at least help with half the cost… they stopped responding to my calls. Eventually, they returned my stock of books, most of them broken and in unsellable condition.

After this unpleasant experience, I decided to use my credit cards (I never learn) to order a container of Blobbiemorphers and try to sell them directly to stores at the N.Y. Toy Fair.

Thankfully, the Blobbiemorphers were very well received! People loved stopping at my company’s booth and everybody smiled while looking at my products. I was able to get several small orders and I also caught the interest of some influential people.

A director from a video game company was very interested in the Blobbies. He even flew me to their headquarters and everything. The director said that they were going to put a million dollars to start the marketing campaign for the Blobbies!!! I was on my way to success!

Once I got back home, I called the director. He never answered. A few days later, I opened a gaming news site and there, in the front page, it said “Video Game Company has dreadful fourth quarter.” The company lost many people… including the director interested in the Blobbies (didn’t I go through this before?).

Then a direct marketing company wanted to make an infomercial for the Blobbies and sell then on TV! Of course, there would be a small one time fee of $25,000. I thought it was a scam, but I confirmed they were a legit company and I decided to get a loan and risk it (Bad Business Decision #76). Well… all I got was a cheesy infomercial that went nowhere … except YouTube.

It seems the company tested the infomercial and the numbers weren’t excellent, so they lost interest in the project. Funny how they had been calling me non-stop before I paid the $25,000 but after, they stopped replying to my e-mails and phone calls…

Then I was approached by Nelvana and other TV/Film companies. They all requested a script and series bible, which I didn’t have. So, I created a script and animation shots for: the Blobbiemovie! Unfortunately, by the time I had everything ready, my contacts had either lost interest or moved on to other companies.

The good thing is that I now have a very nice script, ready to be made into a blockbuster movie. So, Mr Spielberg, if you are feeling generous, feel free to give me call (please leave a message, I screen all my phone calls).

I kept trying everything to spread the word about the Blobbies. I even sent the story of my life and a set of Blobbies to Ellen… but, apparently, the story of the poor Peruvian boy trying to succeed had been done to death.

On a positive note, I was able to sell Blobbiemorphers to stores in the U.S., Europe, and South America. They received a “Toy of the Year Award” and they were featured in Better Homes and Gardens as one of the “Top Holiday Gifts” of 2005. Man! That Christmas I was packing Blobbies non-stop. Everybody would tell me “you are going to be a millionaire next year.” Well, “next year” hasn’t arrived yet!

I was never able to get a large distribution deal, so my profits couldn’t cover my many many bills and/or stop the calls from my dear friends at Discover Cards.

I continued producing and distributing the Blobbiemorphers on my own, but eventually, China decided to place better labor laws (the NERVE!) and voilá! plush prices went up!
Now Blobbiemorphers were too expensive to manufacture … so I decided to put them on hold until the day I get a good distribution deal.

I have more stories to tell… but I think I reached the quota of whining in this article.

At this point, I am thinking how unfair it is that success seems to come so easy for people like Justin Bieber, the Twilight actors, and the Facebook guy.

Giving up on my dreams has never been an option but, when I turned 40, I started to wonder… what if I am not meant to be successful? What if I have all this talent (yes, yes, humility, I know) but in the end I am meant to be a failure?

Should I give up and just “live”… just work/eat/sleep, repeating that cycle with no purpose until I die? For dreamers like me, that is a fate worse than death …

I started reading Steve Jobs’ biography trying to find out if he struggled like me. I read and re-read the pages trying to convince myself that “Yes, Jorge! Steve also struggled! Just like you!” And well…he kind of did. He had several failures, he was removed from his own company, he even had public crying meltdowns…while I’ve never had a public crying meltdown (HA!). Then again, all through his struggles he was a bazillionaire, so … he did beat me on that.

J.K. Rowling may be a better example. After all, she was broke, considered herself a failure, and even contemplated suicide… until she made it big with Harry Potter at 32. And 32 is almost the same as 41, right? Right?

Well, thanks to Google (another company that reached success in, like, 2 minutes!) I found some people who found success later in life: Sam Walton started Walmart at 43, Ian Fleming published James Bond at 44, Henry Ford created his Model T at 45, Taikichiro Mori (Forbes’ world’s richest man) got into investing at 55, Coronel Sanders started KFC at 65, Grandma Moses started painting at 76!!!

So, now that I’ve convinced myself that there is still hope for me, I am ready to continue with my next plan for world domination …

In the Search for Success: From Peru to USA and Back Again

Written by Jorge on . Posted in The Search for Success. Leave a Comment

Most people aspire to find a comfortable job, settle down, and have a pleasant life. But there are some people that must follow their “dreams” and won’t be happy until the moment they achieve “success”.

Unfortunately, I am one of the dreamers.

In my case, “success” means making my stories and characters come to life in books, games, and movies, being able to inspire others, and doing my part to change the world. Oh, and making tons and TONS of money.

I was born and raised in Lima, Perú. I loved watching cartoons and movies, especially sci-fi and fantasy. Spielberg, Cameron, and Lucas inspired me. I was also inspired by my dad, who had his own small company, “Indursa”. He used to say “I rather be the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion” and I agreed. That’s when I decided I was going to be: an Entrepreneur!

So, at age 9 or so, I created my first company: “Tacosa”. It was a wooden box filled with trinkets that I would sell to my friends. My mom, who is a great cook, taught me how to bake … soon I realized that I could also sell cupcakes around the block. At first, people were afraid to buy cupcakes made by a 10 year old, but they were really good (the secret is butter) and I had daily sales … that is until my mom found out that I was using up all her ingredients and, on top of that, I was selling my cupcakes for half the price of the ingredients. As you can see, I was not very good at finances … this would be a bad omen …

By then, my family thought I was a bit … “odd”. I was composing bad music with my Casiotone by 8, I knew all about the big bang theory (the non-tv show one) by 9 and I was trying to improve my telekinesis by 12 (still not that good). On top of that, my social skills were non-existent (a virtue I still possess) and I seriously lacked self-esteem. All I had going for me were my dreams.

At 15, I got my first job at “Mueblelinea” doing pencil drawings for a furniture catalog. I got paid half the minimum wage and I doubled as the receptionist, but I was proud to be earning my own money. My parents only found out that I had a job, two months later, when I arrived late to my own birthday party … then they called the store owner, yelled at her for hiring an underage boy, and made me quit. During those long walks, to and from work, story ideas and characters would incessantly come to my mind. That’s when I decided I was going to be: a Storyteller!

The name of my future company would be: “Pers” and, according to my calculations, I would be famous by the time I reached 20. Yeah, we’ll see …

At 18, I was studying “Electronics Engineering”. I would use this knowledge to make robots, software, and movies better than Tron. Unfortunately, math bored me to no end. This would, years later, inspire me to create “Ice Math Ninja“, but at the time, it just made me quit the university. That’s when I decided I was going to be: an Artist!

Soon, I announced the great news to my family. Let’s just say … they weren’t “thrilled”. In their eyes, I had gone from rich respected successful engineer to poor weirdo starving artist. This was a source of constant stress with my family.

To make things more interesting, I discovered that I started liking my male best friend a bit more than was customary. I tried everything to make this feeling stop, with no success. I had seen the movie “An Early Frost” and I had heard about the “Gay Cancer” (a.k.a. AIDS) since I was little … I really did not want this life for me. And my friend wasn’t too “thrilled” with my brand new feelings either.

I felt alone, buried in problems, with no escape. I started daydreaming about killing myself … and then I would imagine how everyone would feel bad for not treating me better. But suicide was never an option, in part because it seemed wrong, but mainly because I was a wuss.

So, my only option was to go far, far away and start over. A ticket to China was too expensive, so USA seemed like a good alternative. That’s when I decided I was going to be: an Illegal Immigrant! (kidding, kidding, don’t lynch me).

I sold my Commodore Amiga and my CD collection and bought a ticket to USA. I had a Tourist visa and thanks to the “Catholic Charities” I was able to get a temporary work authorization. Now, at the age of 19, I was ready to continue my search for the Peruvian dream!

By this time, my plan was to make my very own comic book. I went to conventions, mailed dozens of letters, and I had the honor of being rejected by DC, Image, Marvel and the top comic book companies in the world!

When I was 22, I met with a company called Defiant at the San Diego Comic-Con. The art director liked my drawings. He told me I wasn’t good enough yet but that I could start working for them as a colorist! I was on my way to success!

Once I got back home, I called the art director. He never answered. A few days later, I grabbed a comic book news magazine and there, in the front page, it said: “Defiant Comics is Out of Business” … and with that, my journey into the world of comics had ended. This would be just one of the many stumbles on my path to success.

During this time, I was also trying to get a better job since I had grown tired of my glamorous life as a waiter at the “Old Spaghetti Factory”. I mailed dozens of resumes and I had the honor to have been rejected by DreamWorks, LucasArt, Pixar, and the top entertainment companies in the world!

A friend that had seen my struggles told me, “Jobs like those don’t happen to normal people like us.” I ignored that comment.

When I was 23, I got my first break. I went to an engineering job fair looking for a design job, hoping I’d stand out as a designer. The plan worked! I was offered 2 jobs, including an internship at Apple!!!

My first day at Apple, I felt like Tom Hanks in “Big”. I had so many ideas, so much to give … unfortunately, I was “the intern” and no one wanted to listen to me. You see … I was hired to meet an intern quota at the “eWorld” team. It didn’t matter to me–I was on my way to success! I bought a new car (this time with working tail lights!), moved into an apartment (no more basement for me!) and … 2 months later I was fired because e-World was shutting down.

Luckily, I was able to get a job in another division at Apple. A year later, I moved to the Claris division and, for a while, I was happy … but then Steve Jobs had a fit and fired half of Claris (I still love you, Steve! R.I.P.).

The good thing is that, with Apple on my resume, I was in high demand and I was soon hired by Adobe.

During all this time, I had to go through the stressful yearly process of renewing my temporary work authorization. Apple and Adobe had tried to get me a permanent authorization, but there was a period of six months that I had remained in the US illegally (when changing from tourist to work status) and that impeded me from getting a Green Card.

And then I received a letter from immigration telling me that I had six months to leave the country.

Thankfully, the Universe figured I had squirmed enough: A new amnesty law passed and my six months of illegality were forgiven! I was able to get my Green Card one month before I was going to be kicked out!

By this time, I became the visual manager of the Creative Suites. I was able to make many innovations, such as the breaking-the-border Splash Screens, the new Photoshop toolbar icons, the PDF icons, and the Adobe Bridge. I was proud that my work was being seen by millions of people around the world.

I now had a good life. I was very self-confident, I was comfortable with my sexuality, I made good money … but I wasn’t happy. My life felt empty.

You see … for dreamers like me, working for someone else is not fulfilling. I felt stuck in the endless cycle of work/eat/sleep … and I had gotten sidetracked in my search for success.

On top of that, my Peruvian genes started to kick in … I felt that life in the Silicon Valley was too … sanitized? Don’t get me wrong, the Bay Area is possibly the best place in the world, but I felt that many people there only cared about working and making money. This included my best friends who were always busy working and rarely had time to do anything “fun”.

In contrast, every time I stayed in Perú, friends and family will show up with drinks in hand and would take me out partying until 6am (sometimes even going straight to work right after!). As you can see … priorities are a bit different here.

With all these things in my mind, I contemplated leaving Adobe to focus on my dreams. I knew this would risky. I would be throwing away my future in the software industry.

In the end, the decision was easy … this was not the life that I wanted to live. So, on March 20th 2003 I created my company: Pers. http://www.pers.com

Soon after, I left Adobe and three years later, I would move back to Perú! The future was now very uncertain, but it had gotten a lot more interesting …