Episode 97

full
Published on:

28th Apr 2021

MVP097: Molly Zeff on Flying Leap Games, Wing It, and What She Learned By Visiting 250+ Game Stores

Molly Zeff, the cofounder of Flying Leap Games is on the Manaverse Podcast to talk about getting into the game publishing business and what she learned by visiting over 250 game stores all over the world.

If you're interested in discovering how to get your game published, Molly shares a number of valuable lessons on how to take a game from concept to manufactured product and then getting that product onto the shelves of retailers and the tables of customers at home.

We also cover some of the common threads that the most successful game stores share and how to incorporate them into your own game business.

Episode Breakdown

2:30 Why did you decide to get into game publishing?

8:20 What was the journey for Wing It to become a tangible product like?

14:30 How did you begin selling the game and get it into the hands of retailers?

29:10 How creating real relationships leads to more business and sales

36:25 After visiting over 275 game stores all over the world, what are the common threads you've seen that the most successful business's share?

37:50-42:32 Gaming builds community

42:50 Without game stores to provide the community, the gaming hobby would barely exist

46:47-52:24 Welcoming all types of gamers means welcoming all types of people

53:10 Games create connections across boundaries including language, the story of the North American Magic player in Japan

56:08 The Wing It conversation club story

59:22-1:05:20 Go out into your local community and outside your four walls

1:07:31-1:11:30 Bring publishers to your game nights virtually

1:12:13 Diversify your offerings to protect your business

1:21:54-1:32:10 What is the best way to create relationships in this business?

1:32:45-1:38:26 Why you need to get your game store online now

1:39:07-1:47:13 Find a mentor and why you should cooperate with your competitors as much as possible

1:48:04 What does success look like for Flying Leap Games

Links Mentioned

Flyingleapgames.com

@penguinsoaring on Twitter

Reach out to Molly at flyingleapgames@gmail.com

BinderPOS

Shopify

Wix

If you want to be part of a community of peers on your business journey to share ideas with and continue learning, you can become a member of the Manaverse Network by going to manaversesaga.com/join. That's where you can get access to all the seminars from the recent 2020 LGS Success Summit as well as additional exclusive members only content, marketing reviews, and training.

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About the Podcast

The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals
Grow your business, sell more games.
The Manaverse Podcast is a podcast created for you, the gamer with aspirations of building your own local game store (LGS), the entrepreneur running an LGS who wants to grow their business, and the player who wants a behind the scenes look into their favourite hobby. If you’re looking for inspiration, new ideas, and interesting perspectives then Tom Traplin has you covered. Learn the business of selling some of the best games in the world including Mtg, Warhammer, Warmachine, Dungeons and Dragons, board games and Euro games from some of the best retailers in the industry. Once a week, Tom talks with some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the game industry and pulls out the strategies, tactics, and systems that make their businesses so effective. With a special focus on Magic: the Gathering, you will learn how to level up your LGS and build a better community with Tom Traplin and the Manaverse Podcast.
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About your host

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Thomas Traplin

Tom Traplin has been involved in the Magic community for the past 18 years in a variety of roles. As a player he played competitively in cities all over North America. As a tournament organizer he's managed hundreds of events and given away thousands of dollars in prizes. As the owner of an LGS he built up a local community and made a living selling Magic cards.

Tom is also the host of the Manaverse Podcast where he interviews some of the best game store entrepreneurs in North America including Pete Hoefling, John Coviello, Lynn Potyen, and many more. He is also a husband, father, business strategist, digital marketer, Dragonball Z fan, and philosopher. Not necessarily in that order.

His mission is to encourage more people to become game store entrepreneurs by giving them the tools and skills they need to succeed.