Napa Valley Toys’ Sally Connolly on her “under-engineering” approach to design

Sally, it’s great to connect. To kick us off, what was your route into toys?
I fell into it! I’ve always been an entrepreneur and was very successful in another industry in my twenties. I then made the commitment to stay home and raise my boys, which was awesome, but we started getting bored… We started playing with different toys and I felt there was a space for toys that were under-engineered.

So you found most toys had too much going on?
Yes! We found a lot of toys were too hard to get to grips with. Or too loud… Just too much! There was a space for a toy that would help my boys quieten down and calm down before bedtime. That’s when I started playing around with product development. I also saw it as a good opportunity to educate my children about globalisation and the wider world. I also love intellectual property – patents, trademarks, copyrights…

One day, I thought it would be a good idea to see if we could file a patent on an idea for plush with illuminated eyes. We filed a patent and it took about five years…

Wow.
We had some opposition from Glo Worm, who felt they owned the whole space – which I understand. But NightBuddies is different from Glo Worm; it illuminated – it didn’t glow. It’s cloth-covered… It’s a soft sensory experience. So after five years we won the patent – and that’s how I entered the toy industry!

Did you have previous design experience prior to creating NightBuddies?
My prior skillset was entrepreneurial. I wasn’t afraid to think outside of the box – and that’s true today. We have new lines coming out – Huggie Heat Bear, Projection Plushies and Storytime Projection Plush – that speak to that. I’m not afraid to try things and not afraid to fail. My kids are grown up and I’m at a point in my life now where I’m not afraid to take risks – and I feel like my Projection Plushies is the best toy I’ve ever done.

But my approach to design all comes back to under engineering. Kids need simplicity and with Night Buddies, a simple hug activates a three-minute timer – but you’d never know there’s a component inside of it. That activates the surprise of the comforting illumination. It’s simple.

Does simple sell? Or was the ‘less is more’ approach a tough sell in this industry?
It was tough. I’ve been told by many people: “Why are you just doing light-up? Add music, add vibrations, add scents…” I think everyone’s products brings some kind of joy to kids, but I’m focused on driving simplicity and comfort. It’s plush with a purpose – and that doesn’t call for more and more. It actually fits nicely with today’s MESH movement – we’re working to get MESH accredited at the moment.

So yes, it was tough, but I’ve had wins. We signed a bedding license with Franco Manufacturing to incorporate NightBuddies elements into their character bedding. We’re doing a collection of toys around How to Train Your Dragon that’ll be in Target from February – that’s a huge deal for me!

Amazing! Will that be the first licensed range for NightBuddies?
I did Arthur before – that was a real passion project and I learnt a lot through that.

Nice! Now, diving into the current NightBuddies range, what guided your approach to character design?
My boys helped me design the first range actually! My son Austin designed Ally the Turtle and that character is still around. She’s a strong seller. We wanted to look at little animals that felt pure and simple. We also did a range of plush vehicles which didn’t take off but I thought was amazing. That was called NightRides. I want to bring it back – it could be a fun collaboration with Mattel and Hot Wheels.

Nice idea! Now did you find the toy space was welcoming to someone new to the industry, like yourself? How did you get to grips with things?
Being very naive, I stepped in with no connections or experience – and the beginning was pretty brutal. When you’re so small, showing new ideas openly to companies felt insufficient and that drove me to patents.

And then I think it was around 2018/2019 that I first heard about you and Mojo Nation. We spoke and timing didn’t work out for me to do the Pitch but it was a great conversation. Organisations like Mojo and Women in Toys do a lot to help you make some incredibly important connections – it’s brilliant. Things are more organised and transparent now, so that fear factor about showing ideas has gone; you have qualified, organised events to do that. It’s much better now that what it was 15 years ago.

That’s good to hear. Now, after years doing NightBuddies yourself, you recently licensed the brand to Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company. What prompted that move?
A fantastic licensing agent – Marlene Cuesta – approach me about a year and a half ago. She helped me take that decision to license and not manufacture anymore. It was hard to let go, but she saw the vision and put me in-front of Franco Manufacturing and the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company. It’s been a great year and we’re talking to other distributors globally. Next year, I feel Napa Valley Toys will turn a corner with placement in the mass market which will allow me to keep making more toys!

Having explored both paths – licensing and launching a product yourself – what do you feel are some pros and cons of both options?
I did $500k myself FOB and spent so much time just overseeing production – it was crazy. The year I spent developing a new line with factory… I don’t think I slept! But putting that effort in at that stage allowed me to build something that is licensable – so one fed the other.

Both routes are tough. Manufacturing yourself is not for the faint of heart… You need a good team, go to China, know your partners. I went through 20 different factories! I spent a month and a half in China evaluating everything about the factories. I was knocking on Walmart’s door and Target’s door and was lining up the financing… And I’m not one who backs off due to fear, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right time… For me, the key isn’t just being on shelves – it’s to have strong sell through. I’ve spent years building this brand up, so you must be careful… And look, the following year Covid hit. I would’ve been in the middle of a Walmart deal during that… Who knows how that would’ve shaken out. The idea of that scared me. It reinforced the idea that even when you’re manufacturing yourself, there’s still plenty of things out of your control.

I decided my skillsets are better matched for inventing and creating new concepts, which is why the licensing route has been great for me. I don’t want to build up a big infrastructure. I don’t want 20 employees and a warehouse. And look, licensing isn’t a perfect world either… You lose control – and I’m quite picky about how things are done! – but my partners are amazing. I’m blessed in that regard. I’ve been able to stay involved – in a polite way!

Terrific insights. Thanks for that Sally. Now, the name of your company is Napa Valley Toys. Is there anything about Napa that feeds your creativity?
Napa is super inspirational. Everyone here is in the wine industry and there’s some incredible artists here too. There’s a collaborative vibe here, as well as plenty of visionaries. The nature is beautiful here too and that’s very inspiring to me. It’s a special place.

Before we wrap up, how can folks get their hands on NightBuddies?
In the US, they’re available on amazon. We’ve also launched in the UK with Flair.

Sally, this has been fun. I have one last question. You mentioned earlier that it’s been quite a journey with NightBuddies. What helped you keep going with the brand? What spurred you on?
It’s an easy question to answer… It’s the kids! It makes my heart so happy. So far this year I’ve given around $5,000 worth of NightBuddies to boys’ and girls’ clubs. I go in and share the story behind NightBuddies with the kids to try and encourage them to pursue their ideas. I spoke to a first-grade class in LA recently and they were delightful. One girl came up to me, she was holding Ally the Turtle, and said: “You know what, you did a really good job developing this! Most times when people put electronics in plush, they’re too hard!” These kids are so confident! It made my heart so happy.

I want to travel the world giving away NightBuddies and transmitting hope. I’ve trekked into the jungles of the Amazon, meeting with different tribes of kids and was able to give NightBuddies away to kids who don’t even have electricity… That was really cool. It gives me so much joy to share toys with kids.

A lovely note to end on. Thanks again Sally!

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