People of Play’s Mary Couzin on winning the I.D.I.O.T. Award – and a return to inventing?

Mary, thanks for making time! I just re-read your last Mojo interview – which people can see here. I think it’s important to remind folk that you’ve invented games yourself! What was your first one?
Hi Deej! My first successful game was Hollywood’s Reel Schpeel. I co-invented it with a real-estate colleague at the time and we had a great time doing it. We made many ‘top game’ lists in the media, and self produced for many years until we licensed a version of it. Afterwards, there were a few smaller games and of course MANY pitches! I admire inventors greatly for their creativity and persistence… And I love their stories!

How did it come to be on the market? Through what process did you go?
Like all small inventing and self-producing companies back then and now, we went through all the hard bits of playtesting, designing packaging, calling on retailers – you always remember your first sales! – and exhibiting at trade shows. It was exhibiting at trade shows that I met other inventors and formed DiscoverGames.com and then DiscoverGamesAndToys.com, which was a co-op of inventors.

Having a bigger booth with more toys and games meant more buyers and product acquisition execs stopped by to see what we had. It was a great way to meet people in the industry. During this time, I kept my day job, so I took vacation days to exhibit. Helping other inventors led to forming the Inventor Conferences we now host.

Brilliant! Have you any plans to invent again?
Yes, I do plan to invent again someday. Eddy Goldfarb is 103 and still tinkering. That being said, someone recently told me that I am an inventor of events, which is awesome.

Of which, your events continue to go from strength to strength! And you’re now at the beginning of a new era, in partnership with the Toy Association. What can we look forward to from that partnership?
We will be even stronger with the Toy Association resources. It is a new era for the Toy Association as well. They want to reach inventors and consumers and are fully backing us. Very exciting!

It’s a very exciting time. Congratulations! Now… In 2019, you won the I.D.I.O.T. Award. Do you recall the introduction to that? Who gave it, and what kind of thing they said?
Rich Mazel gave a wonderful, humorous and warm introduction. He told a story of catching me taking a catnap in what I thought was a hidden corner during our Inventor Conferences at Navy Pier… And, of course, that we both graduated from Notre Dame.

And at what point during the introduction did you think, ‘Hang on a second… Are they talking about me?!’
Since the stories were unique to me, I caught on early. It never crossed my mind that I would ever, ever even be considered. I didn’t think I was eligible. It had been a long time since I’d invented anything, and anything I invented was not the level of the inventors honoured throughout the years… So it was quite a shock as well as an extraordinary, amazing honour. I still can’t quite believe it.

Do you remember what you said accepting your award?
I remember thanking Simon Skelton and the Committee as well as Rich, but nothing else. I think I was in shock!

Well, I hope you can see how much you deserved it in hindsight! Thank you, Mary. I know how busy you are – particularly at this time of year – so thanks for making time.

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