The Exchanges

Q So at this point, were you guys called Melissa and Doug? I mean, was that your company?

A We actually weren't. Um, our first company name that we called ourselves was Lights, Camera, Interaction. And the reason, uh, the company's called Melissa and Doug, it's funny, because we, from day one, every single product we made, we were signing our names, and we were writing on the back of it. If you have any comments for us, please call us anytime, Melissa and Doug. And so as we started to get more and more products out there, people would call our company, and we would answer the phone, or someone would answer the phone and say, hello, Lights, Camera, Interaction. They would say, oh, I'm sorry, I have the wrong number. I was calling Melissa and Doug. And so one day we said, well, wait, let's just answer the phone and say, hello, Melissa and Doug. And that's how we became Melissa and Doug.

AI assessment note: “We actually weren't. Um, our first company name that we called ourselves was Lights, Camera, Interaction.”

Q So at this point, were you guys called Melissa and Doug? I mean, was that your company?

A We actually weren't. Um, our first company name that we called ourselves was Lights, Camera, Interaction. And the reason, uh, the company's called Melissa and Doug, it's funny, because we, from day one, every single product we made, we were signing our names, and we were writing on the back of it. If you have any comments for us, please call us anytime, Melissa and Doug. And so as we started to get more and more products out there, people would call our company, and we would answer the phone, or someone would answer the phone and say, hello, Lights, Camera, Interaction. They would say, oh, I'm sorry, I have the wrong number. I was calling Melissa and Doug. And so one day we said, well, wait, let's just answer the phone and say, hello, Melissa and Doug. And that's how we became Melissa and Doug.

AI assessment note: “We actually weren't. Um, our first company name that we called ourselves was Lights, Camera, Interaction.”

Q So, um, do you make thousands of copies of it to start to sell it?

A So, we did. I mean, we got our first little lessons in business, um, because, right, you want to make some copies, and you find out, well, we won't make you four copies, we have to make you 5000 copies. And, uh, and we said, what in the world are we going to do with 5000 copies? We made lists of our relatives, and that didn't Get us fully to 5000, and so we literally, uh, bought a little combination television VCR player, put it in the back of my father's station wagon, and we started driving around, knocking on doors of retailers, uh, and the funny thing was, this was right around holiday time when we finished this product, and so all the little, uh, ma and pa toy shops throughout New England, this was their Busiest time of year, and we would walk in there and apologetically carry in our tape player and our TV and put it on their counter and beg them, please, can we just show this to you, please? And I think after enough begging, they figured out the only way to get us out of their store was to take a few of these and present them to their customers. So we would leave very happy that they decided to take a few of these tapes and try to sell them.

AI assessment note: “So, we did. I mean, we got our first little lessons in business”

Q So, um, do you make thousands of copies of it to start to sell it?

A So, we did. I mean, we got our first little lessons in business, um, because, right, you want to make some copies, and you find out, well, we won't make you four copies, we have to make you 5000 copies. And, uh, and we said, what in the world are we going to do with 5000 copies? We made lists of our relatives, and that didn't Get us fully to 5000, and so we literally, uh, bought a little combination television VCR player, put it in the back of my father's station wagon, and we started driving around, knocking on doors of retailers, uh, and the funny thing was, this was right around holiday time when we finished this product, and so all the little, uh, ma and pa toy shops throughout, uh, New England, this was their Busiest time of year, and we would walk in there and apologetically carry in our tape player and our TV and put it on their counter and beg them, please, can we just show this to you, please? And I think after enough begging, they figured out the only way to get us out of their store was to take a few of these and present them to their customers. So we would leave very happy that they decided to take a few of these tapes and try to sell them.

AI assessment note: “So, we did. I mean, we got our first little lessons in business”

Q Wow. So, I'm just curious, like, your reaction at that moment was, was it to go up to him and say, what, what are you doing, man? Like, what's going on? Did you confront him?

A No, we weren't confrontational about it. We were at a huge show, thousands of customers, and when they came to us and they started to tell us that this is what this person was doing, and they assumed that we were part of it or that we knew it was going on, when they found out the truth of what was going on, It was amazing how many customers came up to us and literally in front of us ripped up orders that they had placed with this person who was our agent and said, here, you can show this to them. Now that we understand what's going on, we will absolutely never in our lifetime order anything from that person. And I think that gave a little glimmer of hope to Melissa and myself. While on one hand, we had a little bit of an exposure to the, um, the darker side of the business world. I would say, simultaneously, we had a really nice exposure to, that there are a lot of people out there who will appreciate the loyalty that you have to them, and everything that we've done for them in the first couple of years, and are now saying to us, we don't care, even if he wants to sell it to us for less money than you are, anything, it doesn't matter. We are loyal to you for everything that you've done.

AI assessment note: “No, we weren't confrontational about it.”

Q And, like, how did you even know how to design a puzzle, and where to get it manufactured and produced, and where, where did you even begin?

A I would say for most of the things that have happened along the way, we had no idea. Um, and we learned as we went and we would, almost the way you're asking the question now, we would ask ourselves the question then. So, so wait a second, if we need animals drawn, we need artists, how would we do that? So we went to the library and we'd look at a lot of children's books and we'd look for illustrators that we liked and we would contact illustrators and we'd see who might want to help illustrate this. Um, and Each step of the way was, you know, a new, new phase of learning, but at no point was there ever a magic answer or an easy answer. It was a lot of making mistakes and falling down and, uh, some, some horrible learning experiences along the way.

AI assessment note: “we had no idea. Um, and we learned as we went”

Q Wow. So, I'm just curious, like, your reaction at that moment was, was it to go up to him and say, what, what are you doing, man? Like, what's going on? Did you confront him?

A No, we weren't confrontational about it. We were at a huge show, thousands of customers, and when they came to us and they started to tell us that this is what this person was doing, and they assumed that we were part of it or that we knew it was going on, when they found out the truth of what was going on, It was amazing how many customers came up to us and literally in front of us ripped up orders that they had placed with this person who was our agent and said, here, you can show this to them. Now that we understand what's going on, we will absolutely never in our lifetime order anything from that person. And I think that gave a little glimmer of hope to Melissa and myself. While on one hand, we had a little bit of an exposure to the, um, the darker side of the business world. I would say simultaneously we had a really nice exposure to, that there are a lot of people out there who will appreciate the loyalty that you have to them and everything that we've done for them in the first couple of years and are now saying to us, we don't care, even if he wants to sell it to us for less money than you are, anything, it doesn't matter. We are loyal to you for everything that you've done.

AI assessment note: “No, we weren't confrontational about it.”