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Innhold levert av Tom Traplin. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Tom Traplin eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.
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1 Sweat and Resilience: Balancing Chronic Migraine with Fitness Goals 35:02
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The healing power of fitness goes far beyond physical benefits—for today’s guest, it’s a form of self-expression and a celebration of what the body can do. In this episode, host Nora McInerny sits down with fitness personality Ivylis Rivera, who shares her deeply personal journey of navigating life with Chronic Migraine while holding onto her passion for movement. Ivylis opens up about the struggle of staying active while facing the fear of triggering a headache or migraine attack and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward—a resilience that carried her through the challenging journey of finding a Chronic Migraine treatment plan that worked for her. Join Nora and Ivylis as they explore the concept of “soft living,” a philosophy Ivylis embraces—staying active, listening to your body, and building trust in oneself. Click here for Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, or visit https://abbv.ie/prescribing_info See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…
The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals
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Innhold levert av Tom Traplin. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Tom Traplin eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.
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.
…
continue reading
158 episoder
Merk alt (u)spilt...
Manage series 2414905
Innhold levert av Tom Traplin. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Tom Traplin eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.
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.
…
continue reading
158 episoder
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1 MVP153: Unlocking Media Coverage For Your Local Game Store 39:26
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In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, we sit down with Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases and expert in small business PR, to dive deep into how local game stores can harness the power of press releases and media outreach to grow their customer base and boost their reputation. Mickie shares why small businesses have exactly the kind of human stories that local journalists love, and how easy (and inexpensive!) it can be to start getting media attention. Whether you're brand new to PR or just looking for simple ways to build stronger community ties, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can use right away. What You'll Learn: What a press release really is — and why most small stores don't need a fancy one How a simple email or phone call can open the door to local media coverage Why human interest stories are your secret PR weapon Tips for building your own “local journalist Rolodex” Easy, creative ideas to make your store’s events and customer stories media-friendly Why consistency in outreach pays off (even if it feels slow at first!) How PR can beat a $10,000 ad campaign for a fraction of the cost Real examples of how small businesses used PR to move the needle in a big way Resources Mentioned: eReleases Website Free PR Masterclass by Mickie Kennedy: ereleases.com/plan Connect with Mickie Kennedy: LinkedIn eReleases…

1 MVP152: What Board Game Retail Really Looks Like in 2025 1:05:00
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In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I’m joined once again by Kylie Prymus, the owner of Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh — one of the oldest game stores in the U.S. We dig into the current state of the board game industry, the tension between CCGs and board games, the role of retail, and the long-term viability of friendly local game stores. We talk about: Why board games might feel like they’re in trouble — but aren’t. How Games Unlimited succeeds without Magic, Pokémon, or miniatures. The downsides of Kickstarter exclusives and FOMO-driven content. The difference between stocking games and selling games. Why community and inclusion mean more than just packed event tables. How to structure your store (physically and culturally) to appeal to casual customers, not just diehard hobbyists. Let's talk about the future of local game stores, what it means to be board game-focused, and how to win without following the traditional FLGS model.…

1 MVP151: Game Stores, Community, and Conventions – The LFG Con Origin Story 42:34
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In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I sit down with Dustin Staats from BGE Tabeltop and Dae from Fire & Dice to talk about their journey as local game store owners and their ambitious plans for their first-ever convention, LFG Con. We dive into their backgrounds, the challenges of organizing a convention from the ground up, and the budgeting hurdles they've had to navigate. They also share what makes LFG Con unique and how they’re working to create an event that stands out. Throughout our conversation, we explore the power of community, the value of collaboration, and the excitement building around the convention. Check out LFG Con everywhere https://www.lfg-con.com/ https://www.instagram.com/lfgconvention/ https://www.youtube.com/@LFGCon https://www.tiktok.com/@lfgconvention…

1 MVP150: The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Industry 10:42
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Today’s episode is called "The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Business." And that lie is some variation of this thought: "You can't be really successful or make a substantial amount of money running a game store." Now, if you've been in this industry for any amount of time, you've probably heard some version of this. Maybe you've even thought it yourself. I’ve been putting together this podcast for over 10 years now, and I can recall several guests more or less saying the same thing. The idea that running a game store or launching a tabletop game is a passion project at best. But here's the truth: that belief is not only false, it's holding back countless game store owners, creators, and entrepreneurs from achieving the success they could be having. Let me caveat this real quick. The folks repeating this belief online mean well. Starting a game store has a notorious and well earned reputation of having a low bar for entry, which means that most would-be store owners are under-funded and under-prepared for the realities of running a retail business. Finding hard numbers on this is tough, but I would estimate that for every game store that exists and has been open for 3 years or more, there are between 10 and 20 stores that didn’t last more than a year or two. And those failed store owners, whatever the cause of the failure, disappear from the conversation, so we have a Survivorship Bias situation in online retailer groups. So the general advice given online when someone asks about starting up their own shop is “Don’t do it.” The advice givers knows how difficult the business is to build and grow, so it’s correct to discourage someone who might not be ready to put off their dream or try something else. I’m not arguing against that. I think recommending a prospective store owner come to the table with more resources and knowledge of the business will only increase their odds of success. This isn’t what I’m talking about in this podcast. I’m referring to the ingrained belief/mindset of game store owners that it’s not possible to become “wealthy” running a game store. One manifestation of this mindset is store owners discouraging would-be store owners from entering the market in the first place, but it also subconsciously limits their own potential. There’s a quote attributed to Henry Ford that encapsulates this really well. “Whether you believe you can or can’t, you’re right.” If you believe, deep down, that the best you can do with your business is to muddle along and provide yourself and your team with a basic level of income, you’re not only wrong, you’re doing yourself and the people who rely on you a disservice. Let’s get into the psychology of this for a moment. There’s a psychological phenomenon called the Pygmalion Effect, where higher expectations lead to an increase in performance. It suggests that when someone, for example, a teacher, manager, or leader, expects a person to perform well, that person is more likely to meet those expectations due to the positive reinforcement and belief in their abilities. The concept is named after Pygmalion, a figure from Greek mythology who sculpted a statue that he fell in love with, which was later brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite. Positive expectations can influence behavior, motivation, and self-esteem, leading to improved outcomes. Well, this applies to more than just the people you have working for you. In many ways, you are your own manager. The things you believe and say get internalized over time, and shape the actions you take in the future. If you believe you’re destined for great things, that you are smart, talented, and capable of making a big impact on the world, you are much more likely to actually make it a reality. There is also the opposite phenomenon known as the Golem Effect. When low expectations are set for an individual, or yourself, performance tends to decline, leading to a negative self-fulfilling prophecy. By operating under the assumption and belief that a game store isn’t a “real business” or can never really become a way to have more than a middle class lifestyle, you’re constructing the Golem one piece at a time. Let's break this down. Why does this belief exist? First, tabletop gaming has always been a community-driven hobby. Most of us are nerds at heart and up until recently, our hobbies were looked at with a side eye by most of society. We banded together to create our own communities of people who share the love and passion for games in the same way that we did. If I had to arm-chair psychoanalyze again, and it’s my show so I get to do what I want, I would say most game stores were created out of a desire to create a safe space to enjoy the things we enjoy, and to allow others who feel the same way to gather. A consequence of this is the business existing and functioning as a business is often secondary. A games store is usually fueled by passion, creativity, and a love for games. But somewhere along the line, passion became synonymous with poverty. As if loving what you do means you shouldn't expect to make money doing it. This is often entangled with the dual problems of: feeling like you have to “serve the community” first with making money becoming second, and the people in your community becoming friends. Having your customers become friends is one of the nicer aspects of running a game store. You are surrounded by people that love the same things you do and want to talk about them all day. It can be great, but it also usually blurs the lines between customer and friend. Friends expect special treatment from you. You’re not a stranger, so they should expect special treatment from you in some ways. But as a business, it can be awkward when a friend expects you to give them a deal. Do you give the friend what they are asking for and sacrifice your margins to maintain the friendship, or do you risk the relationship and tell them no? If your friendships are the top priority of the business, you will lean towards the first option. Integrity is hard. Not keeping it will erode your ability to stay in business, as well as your perception of yourself and what you should be doing to pursue your goals. I’m not saying your relationships with people aren’t important and you should be a ruthless capitalist who only thinks about profit. Relationships have a place in the hierarchy of how you make decisions and run your game store, but they can’t be the deciding factor. The game stores that operate on the thinnest of margins in order to serve the community and make their friends happy almost always inevitably fail. Second, most game store owners' goals are simply too small. I think this is gradually changing as the industry has become much more professional over the last ten years, but there is still the afterimage of the idea of the local game store in people’s minds that shapes their perception of what’s possible. Maybe this is a downside to the moniker “friendly local game store”. Language matters, and the words we use to talk about something simultaneously program our minds in how we think about it. There’s something inherently small about the local game store, and maybe that’s why most store owners aim for moderate success instead of swinging for the fences. At this point, I’ve helped several game stores in my work with their marketing and seen the inner workings of what’s possible in the business. I’ve seen stores go from $0 to over a half a million dollars in yearly revenue in the space of a year. Game stores that have seven figure revenue numbers with 8 figures in sight. Teams of dozens of people making a decent wage. How many Star City Games, Game Nerds, Cool Stuff, Face to Face Games, and Card Kingdoms have to exist before people feel like “yeah, there’s real money to be made in the games business”? The difference between those who struggle and those who succeed often comes down to mindset and strategy. Are you treating your store like a business or a clubhouse? Are you investing in marketing, building an online presence, and diversifying revenue streams? Are you managing your inventory and putting in the work to make it work for you? Or are you stuck in the mindset that "this is just how it is"? Here’s the truth: You can absolutely make a substantial income as a tabletop games store owner. But it first requires the right mindset. If you hold yourself back because you don’t believe it’s really possible, you’re only going to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course, you need a ton of other skills in order to build a business that achieves those ambitions too! You need to embrace modern marketing, understand your customers, and be willing to innovate. You need a great operation with people who can sell, you need to be able to cultivate a strong community. You need organizational skills. You need to be able to spot the winning products and manage inventory correctly. You need to maintain your passion for games and persevere through the inevitable hard times. But without the vision and belief that you can build something great, you’re going to constantly undermine what your game store could be. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more game store owners discover the show. And if you're ready to take your store to the next level and want to talk about how we can help your game store grow with some ridiculously effective digital marketing, head over to manaversesaga.com/mma and let's make it happen. Until next time, keep building, keep growing, and keep gaming.…

1 MVP149: The Future of 2nd Hand Geek: Updates, Features, and Benefits for Game Stores 41:47
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In this special update episode of the Manaverse Podcast, host Tom Traplin sits down with Blake Edward Hawkey, one of the co-founders of 2nd Hand Geek. Together, they discuss the evolution of the platform since its inception, the exciting new features available, and how the marketplace can benefit both players and local game stores. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The story behind 2nd Hand Geek, an eBay-style marketplace for used and new games, miniatures, and other geek culture items. How 2nd Hand Geek differs from platforms like eBay and TCGPlayer by offering a unique community revenue share model that rewards local game stores. An in-depth look at the new features on 2nd Hand Geek, including the innovative "Collection Feature" that helps players manage their collections and track the market value of their armies and miniatures. Details on the platform’s paint standards for miniatures, making it easier to sell and buy painted models with confidence in the quality. Upcoming features such as PayPal integration, secure transactions, and Shopify integration that will allow store owners to easily list their products on the platform. How game stores can benefit from 2nd Hand Geek’s affiliate program, earning 20% of the fees generated from their customer base’s transactions. The vision for the future of 2nd Hand Geek, including plans to become a one-stop shop for all things geek culture. Key Takeaways: 2nd Hand Geek is growing rapidly with over 500 accounts and hundreds of transactions. The team is focused on building out robust features to support further growth. Game store owners can easily sign up and start earning money by referring customers to the platform or listing their own inventory. The QR code and referral link system make it simple for stores to promote the platform and earn a percentage of transactions. The platform aims to support the broader gaming community by making it easier for players to find hard-to-get miniatures and games while also providing a new revenue stream for local stores. Connect with 2nd Hand Geek: Visit 2ndHandGeek.com to sign up for a free account and start listing your items. Join the 2nd Hand Geek community on Discord to share feedback and connect with the team. Interested in getting your store involved? Contact the team for more details on how you can benefit from their referral program and upcoming features. Episode Links: 2nd Hand Geek Website 2nd Hand Geek Discord Manaverse Podcast…

1 MVP148: Local Game Stores Can Save The World 13:34
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How Game Stores Can Change Lives and Build Community In today's episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I dive deep into a topic that's been on my mind a lot lately: the growing loneliness and division many of us are experiencing in the modern world. With nearly a third of adults in the U.S. feeling lonely on a regular basis and our society becoming more polarized, I believe local game stores have a unique opportunity to bridge these gaps and foster genuine human connections. The Loneliness Epidemic Loneliness has become a silent epidemic with significant consequences for our health and well-being. Studies show that social isolation is linked to increased risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression. It's clear that people are craving connection more than ever, but finding meaningful ways to connect can be challenging. That's where game stores come in. My Story: How a Game Store Changed My Life I want to share a bit of my own story to highlight just how powerful these spaces can be. When I was about 12 years old, a kid from down the street introduced me to a local game store called Deja Vu Games. It wasn't much to look at—a small, basement unit with a few folding tables and some shelves of Magic cards. But for me, it was a magical place where I discovered a community of people who shared my passion for games. I spent nearly every day after school at Deja Vu Games, and over time, I met the friends who would shape my life for years to come. These were the people who became my core group, my business partners, and eventually even the ones who helped me meet my wife. The connections I made there were deep and lasting, and they all started with a shared love of games. The Unique Role of Game Stores Game stores are more than just retail spaces; they're community hubs. Unlike most other social environments—like schools, workplaces, or bars—game stores provide a unique space where people from all walks of life can come together over a shared interest. Whether it's playing Magic: The Gathering, hosting a D&D campaign, or participating in a board game night, these activities naturally foster conversation, cooperation, and connection. At a time when many people feel isolated, game stores offer a welcoming environment where new friendships can be formed and old ones can be strengthened. The structure of playing games with others helps remove the awkwardness of meeting someone new, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages more social interaction. Building a Better World, One Game at a Time I genuinely believe that game stores have the potential to make a significant impact on their communities and, by extension, the world. Imagine a future where every community has a friendly, well-run game store that serves as a gathering place for people of all ages and backgrounds. These stores could host a variety of events—game nights, paint nights, puzzle parties, and more—that bring people together, encourage socializing, and help build stronger, more connected communities. By fostering these connections, game stores can help combat the loneliness epidemic and create a more open-minded, cooperative society. It's a small step, but one that could lead to a much happier and healthier world. So, if you're a game store owner or thinking about becoming one, know that you're not just selling games—you're offering a space for connection, joy, and community. And that, to me, is something truly special. Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this post, make sure to check out the full podcast episode. And if you'd like your game store featured on the show, feel free to reach out to me at tom@manaversesaga.com . Together, let's build a better world, one game at a time.…

1 MVP147: Category One Games and How Scott Church Built a Business on "Dead" TCG's 1:00:56
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This interview that you’re about to hear with Scott Church is fascinating. Scott is the owner of Category One Games, an online only store he started way back in the mists of time, also known as 2004. A 20 year old online only store is interesting enough, but Category One Games specializes in dead TCG’s. Games that have been written off and dumped in the clearance sections of stores in the past are the bread and butter of Category One Games and Scott has a thriving business because of them. Since game store owners often look at the products they sell as hot potatoes, Scott’s experience may lead you to reevaluate that common wisdom. Maybe there’s gold in those dead games sitting on your back shelves. We also talk a fair bit about Crystal Commerce and the struggle of working with a legacy system that has a huge amount of potential, and the intricacies of marketing online. Good stuff all around. Speaking of marketing, that’s what we do! We help local game stores get more sales and establish a stronger presence online with digital marketing strategies like email, Google ads, Meta ads, social media, content, and search engine optimization, and we’d love to work with you! If you go to manaversesaga.com/mma and book a free call, we’ll go over your store’s current digital footprint and put together a custom digital marketing strategy plan tailored to your business. We’ll go over the plan together on the call and talk about how we can implement everything for you. If you want to work together, great! If you want to take the plan and try implementing it in house, that’s cool too. Either way, it’s yours to keep. We’ve helped game stores in nearly every stage of the business, from prelaunch all the way to multiple millions in yearly revenue, and we’d love to help your LGS take advantage of the massive opportunities that exist online. Head to manaversesaga.com/mma to get started! Links https://www.categoryonegames.com/ Scott Church on Facebook…

1 MVP146: Millennium Games - Building the Biggest Game Store in the USA 57:28
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Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Travis Severance, the co-owner of Millennium Games in Rochester, New York. Join us as we dive into Travis's incredible journey in the gaming industry, exploring the challenges he's faced and the strategies that have made Millennium Games the largest game store in the USA. In this interview, we cover: Travis's early passion for gaming and how his family's gaming habits influenced him. His unique career path, from professional poker and mortgages to owning a game store. The origin story and growth of Millennium Games, expanding from a small store to a 28,000 square foot gaming haven. The importance of diversity within product categories to handle market fluctuations. Strategies for creating a successful game store, including the significance of customer feedback and community building. The role of game stores in fostering a welcoming environment and adapting communication for new customers. Insights into balancing a strong online presence with the success of a brick-and-mortar store. Personal lessons and the importance of learning from mistakes in the business. Links Mentioned: Millennium Games TV on YouTube Millennium Games and Travis on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MillenniumGames https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009368408612 Millennium Games on Instagram Millennium Games on Twitter/X Millennium Games on Twitch Travis also shares his experiences from industry events like the ACD open house and GenCon trade day, offering invaluable insights for aspiring game store owners and gaming enthusiasts alike. Don't miss this episode if you're looking to learn from one of the best in the business! Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more interviews and insights from the gaming industry. Enjoy the interview!…

1 MVP145: Manapool.com - The Marketplace for Magic Cards 46:00
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Andrew Johnson comes onto the podcast to talk about creating Manapool.com , a marketplace just for Magic cards. Learn about the hottest new marketplace for Magic players and local game store owners to buy and sell Magic singles, and how Andrew and his team of co-founders and building a great solution for the Magic community. Sign up for a Manapool.com account and get 0% seller fees for 6 months plus cash rebates.…

1 MVP144: Michael Bahr on Selling Your Game Store 1:11:27
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Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast! My name is Tom Traplin and I am your host and this is the podcast where we talk about building successful friendly local game stores. Today, we’re talking with Michael Bahr, the mind behind the LGS Net Income newsletter and former owner of Desert Sky Games in Arizona. Michael relatively recently sold DSG to another game store owner, and I say relatively because I’ve been sitting on this recording for way too long, but we dive into what it takes to build a game store into a sellable asset. The processes and systems that you need to have in place to create a business that not only functions without you, but also gives you the opportunity to potentially exit the business profitably and on your own terms. It’s an excellent conversation, and if you want more of a backstage pass look into the operational side of a local game store I definitely recommend signing up for the LGSNI Substack. I’m a member and Michael’s insights into the crunchy, data driven aspects of the business are tremendously valuable. You can go to manaversesaga.com/lgsni to sign up. I’m not affiliated or anything with the newsletter, but I am a big fan, so check it out! Before we jump into the conversation, I’ve also got a fairly big announcement to make as well. As of today, I am officially a co-founding member of the 2nd Hand Geek team! I’m coming on as the CMO for 2nd Hand Geek and together we are going to build a marketplace that truly supports the local game stores that are the heart of the hobbies we all love. If you haven’t heard of 2nd Hand Geek yet, check out my interview with Alan Blakeborough in episode 138 , to find out more about what it’s all about. I am very excited about the future of 2nd Hand Geek and how it will change the way hobbyists buy and sell online, while also giving back and supporting the local game stores that built up those communities of gamers that make everything possible in the first place. Links LGS Net Income MVP138 2ndHandGeek.com…

1 MVP143: Behind the Scenes of Altered TCG: A Conversation with Game Designer Marcus Kearsey 1:02:15
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In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I interview Marcus Kearsey, a game designer for the Altered TCG team. We discuss the unique aspects of Altered TCG, including its non-combat focus, digital integration, and innovative deck-building mechanics. Kearsey shares his journey into game design, the challenges and rewards of developing a new TCG, and how player feedback shapes the game. They delve into the game's lore, art, and future plans, including organized play and competitive aspects. The episode offers a deep dive into the creative process behind Altered TCG. Questions: What initially inspired the concept of Altered, and how has it evolved from its original idea? Can you share insights into the creative process behind the game's unique blend of lore and visual design, especially with influences from Miyazaki and Dixit-like illustrations? What challenges did you face in creating a balanced yet engaging gameplay experience in Altered? Could you elaborate on how the game’s unique rarity system and algorithmically generated cards impact both gameplay and player strategy? How did you approach the lore creation for the six factions in Altered? What inspired their distinct characteristics and stories? Can you delve into the process of integrating the game's lore with its mechanics and card design? What does a typical day look like for you as a game designer on Altered? How do you balance creativity with the technical aspects of game design? In what ways has player feedback shaped the development of Altered? What future expansions or developments can players look forward to in the Altered universe? How do you envision the growth of Altered in the competitive TCG scene? What have been some of the most challenging aspects of developing Altered, and how did you overcome them? Can you share a particularly rewarding moment or milestone in the game’s journey so far? What advice would you give to someone aspiring to enter the field of game design, especially in the TCG genre? How has working on Altered influenced your personal views on game design and storytelling? If you could go back to the beginning of the Altered project, is there anything you would do differently? Check out the Altered TCG Kickstarter campaign! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/equinox-studio/altered-tcg Book a 30 minute strategy session with us to get your game store digital marketing plan created for free. It's yours to keep either way so you have nothing to lose. Go to https://manaversesaga.com/mma to book your call and start off 2024 strong.…

1 MVP142: The Deck Box - Josh Pyle-Carter on 10 Years of Building Halifax's Premier Local Game Store 2:05:22
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Welcome to another exciting episode of our podcast! Today, we dive deep into the world of gaming retail with Joshua Pyle-Carter from The Deck Box. Joshua shares his incredible journey of building a successful gaming store from scratch. We explore how The Deck Box has created a community-centric environment, offering a personalized client service that goes beyond just selling products. You'll hear about the innovative strategies in inventory management, pricing, and staff empowerment that have contributed to the store's success. Joshua also sheds light on the future plans for The Deck Box, including balancing online and in-store sales and maintaining a profitable margin to support community events. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in gaming retail, community building, or just loves a good success story. Tune in for insights and inspiration from a gaming retail expert! Links https://www.thedeckboxhalifax.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DeckBoxHalifax https://www.instagram.com/thedeckboxhalifax/…

1 MVP142: Part 4 - The Deck Box: Pros and Cons of Online Card Sales, and How To Win With a Local First Approach 36:46
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In Part 4 of my interview, Joshua Pyle-Carter digs into the future plans for The Deck Box, with their 10-year anniversary quickly approaching this summer. Josh talks about the balance between online and in-store sales, stressing that each requires a vastly different approach and business model, and why he favours the local first approach for his community. Book a 30 minute strategy session with us to get your game store digital marketing plan created for free. It's yours to keep either way so you have nothing to lose. Go to https://manaversesaga.com/mma to book your call and start off 2024 strong.…

1 MVP142: Part 3 - Innovative Inventory and Pricing Strategies in Games Retail - Learn from The Deck Box 34:54
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This is Part 3 of my interview with Joshua Pyle-Carter from The Deck Box, Halifax's Premier local games store. We delve into inventory management, pricing strategies, and how Josh empowers his staff to make good decisions without requiring his input as the owner. Joshua talks about balancing pricing for different card rarities, adapting to market changes, and setting prices appropriate for the local market, and why he doesn't use platforms like TCGPlayer to set his prices. This one is real crunchy if you're curious about the back end operations of how a local-first game store really functions and cultivates a profitable TCG ecosystem of local customers. Book a 30 minute strategy session with us to get your game store digital marketing plan created for free. It's yours to keep either way so you have nothing to lose. Go to https://manaversesaga.com/mma to book your call and start off 2024 strong.…

1 MVP142: Part 2 - Unlocking Retail Success With Personalized Client Service - Insights from The Deck Box 26:17
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This is Part 2 of my interview with Joshua Pyle-Carter from The Deck Box where we focus on personalized client service as a key factor in his success. Understanding individual customer preferences, especially in complex games like Magic: The Gathering, is crucial and so is guiding customers based on their interests and experience levels, rather than pushing sales. He discusses the benefits of carrying a wide range of products to meet diverse needs and the significance of building trust with customers through genuine recommendations and attentive service. Book a 30 minute strategy session with us to get your game store digital marketing plan created for free. It's yours to keep either way so you have nothing to lose. Go to https://manaversesaga.com/mma to book your call and start off 2024 strong.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP142: Part 1 - Joshua Pyle-Carter on The Deck Box, Clients vs Customers, Being Profitable From Day One, and Building Halifax's Premier Local Game Store 35:15
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This is part 1 of a 4 part interview I did with Josh Pyle-Carter. He’s the owner of The Deck Box, a massively successful and tremendously cool tabletop game store in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In this part of our interview, Josh tells the story of starting his first game store in PEI on a shoestring budget and how being profitable from day 1 was basically his and his partner Rachel’s only option. We talk about the importance of stocking a wide range of magic singles to meet customer needs, the evolution from a small to a larger store, and the emphasis on client relationships over mere transactions. It was a fun conversation that I was able to have in person, at Josh’s new expansion lovingly called the Rules Lawyer, which is something I definitely want to do more of in the future. Enjoy part 1 of Josh’s interview. Links https://www.thedeckboxhalifax.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DeckBoxHalifax https://www.instagram.com/thedeckboxhalifax/…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP141: Altered - The Game Aiming To Change the TCG Industry 41:53
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This episode of the Manaverse Podcast features Eric Dieulangard, the CMO of Equinox. Today we're discussing "Altered," a new trading card game scheduled for release in the summer of 2024, and diving into how the game's innovations fit into the business model of your friendly local game store. Eric elaborates on Altered's unique features, including its integration of digital elements with traditional card gameplay, and the innovative use of QR codes to merge physical and digital collections. He explains how Altered aims to refresh the trading card game industry, emphasizing a new IP, engaging gameplay, and a mix of casual and competitive elements. We also discuss the game's market strategy, retailer support, organized play, and a Kickstarter campaign, highlighting how these elements are designed to benefit both players and retailers. If you've been curious about Altered and wondering what all the hype is about, this interview is a great place to start! Key Points We Discussed: What is Altered and what makes it different from other TCGs on the market today How the game integrates digital elements with traditional card gameplay How the QR code system works Altered's artistic inspiration and intellectual property and building that out in a world of established IPs A little bit of how the game plays The Kickstarter details and retailer pledge The Organized Play program details of Altered and the planned support for stores, as well as the the competitive circuit planned for late 2024/early 2025 Links Altered.gg Altered Discord server Altered FAQ Altered on X/Twitter…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP140: He's Doing $500k/Year In Online Sales, So Why Open A Game Store? 50:14
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Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse podcast! I’m your host, Tom Traplin, and today, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler Brotton, an ambitious entrepreneur charting a unique path in the gaming industry. From starting as an online card trader during the COVID-19 pandemic to his current venture of setting up a brick-and-mortar game store, Tyler shares the ups and downs of his journey, offering a treasure trove of insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. Tyler's journey is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit, showcasing the blend of passion and practicality needed to succeed in the competitive world of game retail. His story offers valuable insights for anyone aspiring to turn their hobby into a thriving business. For more insights and updates on Tyler’s journey, listeners can follow him on Facebook and join his Discord community, Righteous Gaming. Key Points We Discussed: How his journey began with online card sales, focusing on the 'Flesh and Blood' TCG. Tyler's strategies for scaling his online business through the buying and selling of card collections. Tyler opens up about the hurdles of moving from an online business to a physical store, including capitalization, location scouting, and balancing dual operations. We delve into Tyler’s vision for a game store that's more than just a business. Tyler highlights how mentorship has been pivotal in his journey, helping him navigate the complexities of opening a brick and mortar retail location. We discuss strategies for staying relevant in a dynamic market, including product line diversification and keeping a pulse on customer preferences. Tyler shares his long-term goals, painting a picture of growth and expansion in the gaming industry. Links Opening a Tabletop Game Store Facebook Group Friendly Local Game Store by Gary Ray #righteousgaming on Discord Tyler Brotton on Facebook Email Tyler: tbrotton93@gmail.com…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP139: Brendan Carrion on Lorcana Reprints, Restocks, and the Future of the Game 1:12:33
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The launch of Lorcana has been a roller coaster for game stores. The absurdly high demand combined with a very limited supply of product has created a perfect storm for game store owners looking to sell, as well as consumers and collectors looking to buy. Online communities of players/speculators have accused game store owners of scalping and gouging if anything is priced above MSRP, with game store owners justifiably pushing back and defending the market price as the only viable option given the circumstances. Basically, no one is happy about the Lorcana launch and the whole thing has been extremely frustrating for all parties. As of the publishing date of this podcast, restocks of Chapter 1 are just now hitting the shelves of game stores several weeks later than originally promised by Ravensburger, with Rise of the Floodborn just around the corner. As a collectible card game, Lorcana will be scrutinized as an example for years to come. Despite all it's challenges, and they are substantial at this point, there is still massive potential for Lorcana to become a major player in the collectible card game market. And that's what Brendan Carrion and I discuss in today's episode! Let's talk about the future of Lorcana as a collectible card game, it's place in the pantheon, where Ravensburger went wrong with the launch (and where they went right), and speculate on whether Lorcana is the next big thing. Topics Discussed The popularity and anticipation of Disney's Lorcana card game Comparison of Lorcana to Pokemon and its market impact Ravensburger's supply challenges The speculative nature of collectible card games The secondary market for collectible cards and investment perspectives The effect of volatile card prices on game stores and industry ethics The controversy and value of reprinting cards in the collectible market Challenges faced by retailers with pre-orders and customer expectations Ravensburger's cautious approach to printing and market delivery Potential impact of a new Star Wars card game The complexity of card game production and consumer awareness Links Athoriagames.com @athoriagames on Instagram Athoria Games on Facebook @deathbyroleplaying…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP138: 2ndHandGeek.com - The Marketplace That Supports Your FLGS 50:25
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Alan Blakeborough, Founder and CEO of 2ndHandGeek.com, talks about the new online marketplace that supports friendly local game stores. Alan and his team are creating a new competitor to the $9 billion marketplace of eBay, where the fees are competitive and 1% of each transaction gets paid back to the friendly local game store associated with a user's account. We also talk about what he learned along the way as an owner of multiple game stores over the last couple of decades, and how 2ndHandGeek supports store owners with additional income, as well as organized play support. Summary Creating a marketplace for gamers to buy and sell gaming-related items. How 2ndHandGeek works and how it supports local game stores. The growth of the tabletop gaming industry. The International Wargaming League and 2ndHandGeek organized play program 3D printing and its potential in the miniature Wargaming industry. Links 2ndhandgeek.com blake@2ndhandgeek.com Give Blake a call! 864-420-4788…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP137: How To Create Video Content and Why It's One of the Most Powerful Ways To Market Your Game Store 44:03
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Frank Rossi and Jordan Shankman are the featured guests for today's episode of the podcast. Frank and Jordan are the owners of Petrichor Productions in the Greater Atlanta area and they specialize in video production and helping businesses bring their brand story to vibrant life. The Petrichor team recently worked with Jason Mastowski, the owner of Peach State Games in Woodstock, GA, to create a video telling the story of his shop and the amazing community that has formed around Jason's passion and energy. It's a great example of how a well produced video can convey emotion and tell a story that can't really be replicated any other way. Check out the short three minute video they created for Jason below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-TdqzviHho In our interview, the Petrichor guys and I discuss why video is so effective and creating a connection between businesses and potential customers, how you can start creating video content for your game store today without the need for expensive cameras or equipment, and what makes a piece of video content effective. Video is one of the most powerful ways you can market your business, and when paired with social media and digital marketing, it's a great tool for getting new customers into your store or shopping your website. If you're an established game store that offers a great experience to your customers, this is an excellent strategy for taking your marketing to the next level. Find out how the Manaverse Marketing Agency and Petrichor team can blow up your inbox and in store traffic with a killer video marketing package by going to manaversesaga.com/petrichor .…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

Commander players are the ultimate casual Magic player for game stores. Having a thriving and vibrant Commander community is a huge asset since Commander players often spend the most money on the hobby and buy all sorts of cards that conventional Standard or Modern players wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, and are happy paying for them! The more Commander players you can create and attract the better, but there are some barriers to organizing events for this particular community of Magic players. As an event type, Commander is usually as casual as it gets, so traditional event organization doesn't really make much sense. Commander players aren't playing for the competition, or even the prizes most of the time. They're there for the fun and friendly atmosphere and to live out their Timmy/Johnny dreams of hilarious situations and ridiculously improbable combos. Traditional tournament organization doesn't really fit the bill. The second issue is some people find it awkward to show up to a store for the first time and ask a bunch of strangers if they can join their game. Social anxiety is a real thing, and it can keep potential Commander players from ever giving it a shot. So what should you do? Hang out with the founder of LFG Nexus and myself to find out about Commander Nexus and the Kickstarter project launching September 14th! Commander Nexus is a platform being explicitly designed to facilitate Magic's most popular casual format and make it easier than ever for game stores to build a community of Commander players. Find out: What makes the Commander Nexus tick, How you can get early access to the platform, And how you can start growing your Commander community. Get in on the ground floor by clicking here to be notified when the project goes live! Host note: Sheldon Menery, the godfather of Commander recently passed prior to the release of this podcast. Sheldon was a trailblazer in the Magic community, helping to shape the judge program from its earliest days and serving as a level 5 competitive Magic judge until retiring from the program in 2011. A prolific writer and content creator, he shared his insights and expertise through articles, videos, and podcasts, and he was one of the people responsible for the creation and proliferation of the Magic's most popular format. Sheldon left a mark on the Magic community that few will ever be able to match and he will be missed.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP135: The Mind Behind Mindtaker Miniatures 53:25
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Robyn Lowy, the owner of Mindtaker Miniatures in Vancouver, Washington, talks about how she built a truly unique take on the friendly local game store. Find out how Robyn started by buying and selling miniatures online and expanded the business into a fully fledged miniature powerhouse. If you've ever thought about carrying miniature games in your store the business model (pun intended) that Robyn has built is one you should 100% be paying attention to. Links Mentioned https://www.mindtaker.org/ mindtakerminiatures@gmail.com https://facebook.com/mindtakerminis https://www.instagram.com/mindtakermini/ A digital marketing strategy is crucial to your game store's success. In order to grow, you need to get your store in front of new customers and the most effective way to do that is online using strategies like Google ads, email marketing, social media, and content marketing. This is where the Manaverse Marketing Agency comes in. We bring in new customers to your online store and physical store front using a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that we build around your brand and existing operation, and then implement for you. Book a 30 minute strategy session with us to get your game store marketing plan created for free. It's yours to keep either way so you have nothing to lose. Go to manaversesaga.com/mma to book your call and let's take your game store to the next level.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP134: Brendan Carrion on Athoria Games and Marketing in the Modern Age 1:08:45
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Brendan Carrion, email marketer/game designer/podcaster with Athoria Games in Arizona, is on the podcast to talk about the nuts and bolts of marketing a game store and getting new customers, what makes Athoria Games tick, and discuss the state of the gaming industry as a whole. Good times. Don't forget to connect with Brendan here. Links Mentioned https://www.athoriagames.com/ https://www.thecarrion.com/…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP133: Jamison Sacks On 10 Years At Common Ground Games 1:11:01
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We've got Jamison Sacks on the podcast today. Jamison is the owner of Common Ground Games in Dallas. Founded in 2013 by Jamison Sacks & DR Hanson, Common Ground Games brings a premiere retail and gaming space for all of D/FW to enjoy and has well over a thousand five star reviews on Facebook and Google. Links Mentioned https://www.boardgamesdallas.com/ https://www.facebook.com/commongroundgamestore https://www.instagram.com/commongroundgames/ https://www.tiktok.com/@commongroundgames https://twitter.com/commongrounddal…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP132: 95 Game Center and Growing The Business Into An MTG Singles Online Powerhouse 43:37
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We've got Michael McKinney on the podcast today. Michael is the logistics manager of 95 MTG and 95 Game Center in Wilmington and we dig into some really interesting aspects of the way 95 Game Center runs and how it built up the singles side of the business. We talk about the differences between the pay-to-play model versus a free game space, how 95 MTG grew into a Magic singles powerhouse with their own custom built software, how to keep things fresh and interesting for customers, tapping into what your community really wants, and more. Links Mentioned https://95mtg.com/ 95gamecenter.com A digital marketing strategy is crucial to your game store's success. In order to grow, you need to get your store in front of new customers and the most effective way to do that is online using strategies like Google ads, email marketing, social media, and content marketing. This is where the Manaverse Marketing Agency comes in. We bring in new customers to your online store and physical store front using a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that we build around your brand and existing operation, and then implement for you. Book a 30 minute strategy session with us to get your game store marketing plan created for free. It's yours to keep either way so you have nothing to lose. Go to manaversesaga.com/mma to book your call and let's take your game store to the next level.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP131: Is Wizards of the Coast Killing The Golden Goose? 1:35:17
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Daniel Vander Kooy comes onto the Manaverse Podcast and talks about the OGL, whether Wizards of the Coast is killing the golden goose, what's happening in the hobby industry, and how game store owners can prepare. Get a customized digital marketing strategy for your game store by booking a free 45 minute strategy session with us. We will do a deep dive on the six main areas of digital marketing for your game store and identify what's working and what can be improved on, create a customized strategy based on your brand, and show how we can implement everything for you. Book your strategy session at manaversesaga.com/mma…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP130: The Return of Erik Bigglestone, Website Accessibility and ADA Lawsuits, and What Game Store Owners Need to Do To Protect Their Businesses in 2023 1:00:01
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Erik Bigglestone makes his return debut on the Manaverse Podcast to share his experience dealing with an ADA lawsuit last year and talk about ways for game stores to protect their businesses from predatory actors. We discuss how Games of Berkeley was targeted last year for an Accessibility claim out of New York, the pattern of certain plaintiffs and lawyers in serving businesses in the local game store community, why making your website accessible needs to be a high priority for every game store with a website (pretty much everyone in the US at this point) and the solutions that are available right now. Links Mentioned Case Tracker: https://www.pacermonitor.com Games of Berkeley Case: https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/45245700/Toro_v_Evil_Empire_Inc,_dba_Games_of_Berkeley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation Remediation Company #1: https://216digital.com/ Remediation Company #2: https://adasitecompliance.com/ Lawyer that handled Erik's case: https://www.steinllp.com/ https://www.accessibility.com/search?term=mars+khaimov&type=SITE_PAGE&type=LANDING_PAGE&type=BLOG_POST&type=LISTING_PAGE Try Accessibe free for 7 days: manaversesaga.com/ada (affiliate link) See how accessible your website is: https://accessibe.com/accessscan If your shop is based in the US, your game store's website may be a huge liability for you. Recently passed legislation has made the internet a public accommodation and that means that if your website isn't accessible, you're at risk of serious fines from the government and especially lawsuits. Game stores in particular are being targeted by a law firm in New York and if you don't want to be served with a five digit lawsuit, you need a solution. The best option on the market is AccessiBe. AccessiBe is an affordable AI based app that automatically makes your website accessible for all sorts of people and protects you with an accessibility statement and litigation support. It's an all in one win-win solution for game stores that only takes 48 hours to protect your business and make it more accessible to the people that need it. You can grab this deal by signing up for a free 7 day trial by going to manaversesaga.com/ada .…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

Hypothesis: Customer Lifetime Value highly correlates to a high number of positive interactions within the first 100 days, and the likelihood of those interactions is highly correlated to to the quality of the experience in the first 100 seconds. Your game store may not be selling gym memberships, but games and hobbies are still part of your customer's lifestyles so that puts your store in a similar space. Find out what you can learn from a successful Crossfit gym and how the first 100 days of a customer's experience with your store determines the next 3 to 5 years. Get a customized digital marketing strategy for your game store by booking a free 45 minute strategy session with us. We will do a deep dive on the six main areas of digital marketing for your game store and identify what's working and what can be improved on, create a customized strategy based on your brand, and show how we can implement everything for you. Book your strategy session at manaversesaga.com/mma…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP128: Cosmic Games and the Art of Selling Singles and Retro Video Games 51:19
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We've got Adam Scholtz on the podcast. Adam is the owner of Cosmic Games in Bellingham. Cosmic Games is Bellingham's premier source for Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon Trading Card Game, Video Games and more. Links Mentioned for Cosmic Games https://www.cosmicbham.com/ https://www.facebook.com/cosmicbham https://www.instagram.com/cosmicgamesbham/ https://discord.gg/3aAVJj6tWn Friendly Local Game Store (affiliate link) Enrollment is officially open for the April 2023 Digital Marketing Bootcamp! We're taking all the strategies that we use for our clients and teaching the frameworks we use to drive online visitors and foot traffic from Google and social media, build up an email list of paying customers, send campaigns that sell, and run ads on Facebook and Google that generate thousands of dollars in sales each month. Plus we're going to cover two of the hottest topics facing game store owners over the coming months and years. The first being accessibility and making sure you and your business are protected from the slew of ADA related lawsuits impacting the industry. We are going to go over how to make sure your website is accessible and compliant, but also how to protect yourself in the event you get served. The second being the recent advent of AI with the release of Chat GPT and how you can leverage this exciting new tool to make your SEO and content creation more effective and easier than ever. It's going to be 4 weeks, 8 sessions of live over the shoulder training with value-packed 90 minute sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays each week plus a little Q&A at the end of each. In case you need a little more incentive, Bootcamp attendees that go on to become MMA clients in the future will get the price of the Bootcamp discounted on the program! We're keeping the Bootcamp small so the sessions can have the maximum impact, so if you want to be one of the 5 attendees for the next bootcamp and score an early bird discount, now's the time to join us! Go to manaversesaga.com/bootcamp and enroll today.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP127: The Game Chest Is Raising The Bar On The Tabletop Industry 53:21
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We've got Maryam Al-Hammami on the podcast. Maryam is the co-owner of The Game Chest, a four location local game store business in California. Maryam and I discuss what it takes for a game store to grow into a multi-location business, how making the in-store experience welcoming and diversifying your inventory can change everything, why hiring a great team is crucial to long term success, the merits of having your store inside a mall, and more. This is a great conversation for anyone that wants to set their sights on expanding their game store and growing into a seven figure and beyond business. Links Mentioned https://www.instagram.com/thegamechest/ https://linktr.ee/thegamechest https://www.tiktok.com/@thegamechest?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/thegamechestDelamo/ https://www.facebook.com/GameChestIrvineSpectrum/ https://www.facebook.com/thegamechestoc/ https://www.facebook.com/theGameChestArcadia Enrollment is officially open for the April 2023 Digital Marketing Bootcamp! We're taking all the strategies that we use for our clients and teaching the frameworks we use to drive online visitors and foot traffic from Google and social media, build up an email list of paying customers, send campaigns that sell, and run ads on Facebook and Google that generate thousands of dollars in sales each month. Plus we're going to cover two of the hottest topics facing game store owners over the coming months and years. The first being accessibility and making sure you and your business are protected from the slew of ADA related lawsuits impacting the industry. We are going to go over how to make sure your website is accessible and compliant, but also how to protect yourself in the event you get served. The second being the recent advent of AI with the release of Chat GPT and how you can leverage this exciting new tool to make your SEO and content creation more effective and easier than ever. It's going to be 4 weeks, 8 sessions of live over the shoulder training with value-packed 90 minute sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays each week plus a little Q&A at the end of each. In case you need a little more incentive, Bootcamp attendees that go on to become MMA clients in the future will get the price of the Bootcamp discounted on the program! We're keeping the Bootcamp small so the sessions can have the maximum impact, so if you want to be one of the 5 attendees for the next bootcamp and score an early bird discount, now's the time to join us! Go to manaversesaga.com/bootcamp and enroll today.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP126: How David Finn Is Building A Giga Empire - Giga-Bites Tabletop Cafe and Bridge Distribution 1:13:11
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We've got David Finn on the podcast. David is the owner of Giga-Bites Cafe in Marietta, near Atlanta. Giga-Bites Café was founded by David Finn 14 years ago and is the host for a gaming community of thousands, and is Atlanta's best stocked tabletop retail space. David is also the owner of Bridge Distribution specializing in a huge variety of hobby products. Links Mentioned https://giga-bitescafe.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GigaBitesTabletopCafe https://www.facebook.com/davidhorsefinn https://bridgedist.com/ Enrollment is officially open for the April 2023 Digital Marketing Bootcamp! We're taking all the strategies that we use for our clients and teaching the frameworks we use to drive online visitors and foot traffic from Google and social media, build up an email list of paying customers, send campaigns that sell, and run ads on Facebook and Google that generate thousands of dollars in sales each month. Plus we're going to cover two of the hottest topics facing game store owners over the coming months and years. The first being accessibility and making sure you and your business are protected from the slew of ADA related lawsuits impacting the industry. We are going to go over how to make sure your website is accessible and compliant, but also how to protect yourself in the event you get served. The second being the recent advent of AI with the release of Chat GPT and how you can leverage this exciting new tool to make your SEO and content creation more effective and easier than ever. It's going to be 4 weeks, 8 sessions of live over the shoulder training with value-packed 90 minute sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays each week plus a little Q&A at the end of each. In case you need a little more incentive, Bootcamp attendees that go on to become MMA clients in the future will get the price of the Bootcamp discounted on the program! We're keeping the Bootcamp small so the sessions can have the maximum impact, so if you want to be one of the 5 attendees for the next bootcamp and score an early bird discount, now's the time to join us! Go to manaversesaga.com/bootcamp and enroll today.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

We've got Christopher Wood and Deon on the podcast today. Chris is the owner of Modern Table Top Gaming, a WPN Premium store in South Chesterfield, Virginia. MTTG is a fantastically executed game store with an epic sign out front and we dig into what makes the store tick and how they earned the WPN Premium status. https://moderntabletoprva.com/ Check out other episodes of the Manaverse Podcast https://www.manaversesaga.com/podcasts/ The Complete FLGS Digital Marketing Course: By the end of this 21 day step-by-step course, you'll have all the pieces of the digital marketing puzzle put together for your game store. https://www.manaversesaga.com/flgs/ Manaverse Marketing Agency: Book your call to find out if your game store is a good fit for the paid ads and email marketing automation system and learn how we can plug it into your business. https://www.manaversesaga.com/autopilot/ Make Your Site Accessible: Start a 7 day free trial of AccessiBe and make your website accessible in the next 48 hours. https://www.manaversesaga.com/ada/…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP124: Breaking Down the Barriers to Entry for Your LGS with Critical Hit Games 47:13
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We've got Whitman Bottiger, the owner of Critical Hit Games on the the podcast today. Critical Hit Games is a WPN Premium game store in Abingdon, Maryland carrying the classic selection of TCG's, miniatures, RPGs, and board games with a special focus on custom TCG formats. Game stores can be an intimidating environment for customers who've never been to one before, so we discuss how to make your game store more approachable and friendly to newcomers. Tons of nuggets in this episode. Check it out! Links Mentioned In The Show https://crit-hit.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/SmallGameStoreSanctuary Check out other episodes of the Manaverse Podcast https://www.manaversesaga.com/podcasts/ The Complete FLGS Digital Marketing Course: By the end of this 21 day step-by-step course, you'll have all the pieces of the digital marketing puzzle put together for your game store. https://www.manaversesaga.com/flgs/ Manaverse Marketing Agency: Book your call to find out if your game store is a good fit for the paid ads and email marketing automation system and learn how we can plug it into your business. https://www.manaversesaga.com/autopilot/ Make Your Site Accessible: Start a 7 day free trial of AccessiBe and make your website accessible in the next 48 hours. https://www.manaversesaga.com/ada/…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP121: Versus Games and the Secret Sauce 55:18
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I've got D from Versus Games in San Francisco with me on today and one of the most consistent threads in our conversation on what makes Versus Games successful is marketing. We kept coming back to how much D's marketing background shaped the business from the start and how important it is for game stores to have their marketing locked down if they want to grow in the future. As you can probably guess, I couldn't agree more. Over the past year and half, I've been working with game stores to shape their marketing strategies and in that time helped them generate $100's of thousands in sales and add thousands of new subscribers to their email lists. I've seen first hand what kinds of impacts effective digital marketing strategies can have on a business. But the trouble is marketing is a big subject. It takes time and effort to learn all the different tools, and platforms, and principles. And running a game store is a full time job in itself. Sometimes it can feel more like working two jobs at the same time. Especially now, during the busiest shopping season of the year! And while I fully acknowledge the stress and pressure you're under right now leading up to Christmas, marketing your game store is not something you can ignore. My goal is to make it easier for game store owners to leverage digital marketing and grow their businesses. If you just want someone to implement cutting edge digital strategies for your game store, we can do that for you. Head to manaversesaga.com/mma and book a time on the calendar and we'll happily put together a customized plan for you game store. This time next week, you could have the frameworks and systems installed in your business that capture more email subscribers, drive more traffic to your website from Google, and sell directly with email campaigns and paid traffic. The same powerful strategies that the major game retailers use to reach millions of customers every month. But I've also been working on codifying what we do on a 1 to 1 basis with clients and making it more affordable and approachable. This is why I've created the Complete FLGS Digital Marketing Course. It's specifically designed to teach our systems in a way that's easy to implement by breaking everything down and making it step-by-step. In the course I reveal exactly how we structure email campaigns, how we connect all the different platforms so that everything is integrated and automated as possible, how we build ads that sell directly to customers on Google and Facebook, how we improve webpages so they pull in organic traffic, and more. All the techniques we use for our clients to increase their revenue and sell thousands of dollars of product online are in there. Just to give you a quick idea of what kinds of strategies we're talking about, we recently set up Winning Campaign #2 (revealed in Module 5 of the course) in one client's business and in a mere 10 days and $100 in ad spend, generated over $2000 in sales! The course is broken out into 21 days and each day there is a relatively short video walking you through one particular strategy or tool for you to implement in your business. By the end of the 21 days, you'll have all the pieces of the digital marketing puzzle put together for your game store. On top of all that, you also get a bunch of resources along the way to help guide your marketing efforts, and the course includes four 30 minute coaching calls with me to use as you see fit. We can go over your website, review your ads, or simply talk strategy. The coaching calls are yours to make sure you get everything implemented. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced marketer looking to hone your skills, the Complete FLGS Digital Marketing Course has something for everyone. Plus, with lifetime access and regular updates, you'll have all the resources you need to keep your marketing efforts up-to-date and effective. Plus plus, you can save 51% off the price tag if you use the code "2023" to enroll before the end of the year! You can check out the course at manaversesaga.com/flgs With that said, let's dive into the interview! Links https://www.versusgamessf.com/ https://www.facebook.com/VersusGamesSF/ versusgamestore@gmail.com https://twitter.com/Versus_Games_SF…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

We're going across the pond to talk to Patrick ten Hoorn, the owner of Spellenhuis in the Netherlands! Patrick talks about his journey of taking his dream to open a stylish game cafe and turning it into a reality, navigating the choppy waters of the hobby industry, and how he grew the business into multiple locations. Links https://www.spellenhuis.nl/ https://www.facebook.com/Spellenhuis https://twitter.com/spellenhuis https://www.youtube.com/user/Spellenhuis1/videos https://www.instagram.com/spellenhuis/ p.tenhoorn@spellenhuis.nl AccessiBe Black Friday Sale If your shop is based in the US, your game store's website may be a huge liability for you. Recently passed legislation has made the internet a public accommodation and that means that if your website isn't accessible, you're at risk of serious fines from the government and especially lawsuits. Game stores in particular are being targeted by a law firm in New York and if you don't want to be served with a five digit lawsuit, you need a solution. The best option on the market is AccessiBe. AccessiBe is an affordable AI based app that automatically makes your website accessible for all sorts of people and protects you with an accessibility statement and litigation support. It's an all in one win-win solution for game stores that only takes 48 hours to protect your business and make it more accessible to the people that need it, and AccessiBe is running a Thanksgiving sale from Nov 23 to the 29th, so you can save 30% on your license. Right now is a great time to make your website more accessible, protect your business, and save money, all at the same time. You can grab this deal by signing up for a free 7 day trial by going to manaversesaga.com/ada . That's manaversesaga.com/ada .…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP119: Gnome Games and The Gnoshery, Tales From the Head Gnome Pat Fuge 1:38:44
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Today we're talking with Pat Fuge. Pat is the Head Gnome of Gnome Games, Wisconsin’s Family Game store, with locations across the Fox Valley for customers to shop and play in. Pat talks about the early days of Gnome Games and how his approach to planning has helped expand to multiple locations and even venture into the world of gaming cafes. Links https://gnomegames.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GnomeGamesWorld/ Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up fast, and right after that is the busiest shopping season of the year. If you want to make the most of the last two months of 2022, marketing your game store online should be at the top of your list which is why the FLGS Digital Marketing Bootcamp is back starting Nov 7, 2022. We're taking all the strategies that we use for our clients and teaching the frameworks we use to drive online and foot traffic from Google and social media, build up an email list of paying customers, send campaigns that sell, and run ads on Facebook and Google that generate thousands of dollars in sales each month. It's going to be 6 days of live training with a value-packed hour session each day plus a little Q&A at the end. In case you need a little more incentive, Bootcamp attendees that go on to become MMA clients in the future will get the price of the Bootcamp discounted on the program! We're keeping the Bootcamp small so the sessions can have the maximum impact, so if you want to be one of the 10 attendees for the last Bootcamp of the year, now's the time to join us! Go to manaversesaga.com/bootcamp and enroll today.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP118: Rob Gruber The Elf King on Good Times Games 1:02:06
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Today we're talking with Rob Gruber, aka The Elf King. Rob is the owner of Good Times Games in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and he's built an incredible business by becoming somewhat of a local celebrity and personality. Rob plays the game store game a little bit differently and today we're going to talk about his approach to working within a small community and what sets his business apart. Links https://good-times-games.myshopify.com/ Good Times Games on Facebook If your shop is based in the US, your game store's website may be a huge liability for you. Recently passed legislation has made the internet a public accommodation and that means that if your website isn't accessible, you're at risk of serious fines from the government and especially lawsuits. Game stores in particular are being targeted by a law firm in New York and if you don't want to be served with a five digit lawsuit, you need a solution. The best option on the market is AccessiBe. AccessiBe is an affordable AI based app that automatically makes your website accessible for all sorts of people and protects you with an accessibility statement and litigation support. It's an all in one win-win solution for game stores that only takes 48 hours to protect your business and make it more accessible to the people that need it. You can sign up for a free 7 day trial by going to manaversesaga.com/ada and protect your business starting today. Go to manaversesaga.com/ada now. I'm also looking for a few more stores that want to make the end of 2022 their best quarter yet! I'm opening up a few more slots for clients of the Manaverse Marketing Agency this month so if you're either in the start up phase of opening up your game store and want to kick things off with a powerful digital marketing strategy that's been proven to attract customers and drive sales from day 1, or you're an established game store that wants to expand operations and use digital strategies like email marketing and paid advertising to grow rapidly, let's chat! Go to manaversesaga.com/mma and we'll put together a custom Q4 marketing plan for your business and talk about how we can make it happen for you!…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP117: Digital Accessibility Lawsuits Are Here, What You Can Do To Protect Your Game Store 14:04
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Here's what we know If you've been active in the game store owner groups on Facebook you've probably seen the posts recently about game stores and publishers being targeted by a law firm in New York and being sued for lack of ADA compliance. So far they've sued Crafty Games of Washington, Games of Berkeley in California, Black Rowan Games in Tracy, California, GMT Games in Hanford, California, GameScape North in San Rafael, California, GameKastle and more. This is not an exhaustive list by any means but California in particular seems to be a hotspot. But let's back it up a bit. What exactly is accessibility and ADA compliance? Without getting too into the weeds on the legislation, web accessibility is essentially a set of rules, behaviors, code standards, and design guidelines that were created by the W3C and are called the WCAG 2.1. The WCAG 2.1 is a massive 1,000-page guidebook that encapsulates a range of disabilities that go from hindering internet use to making internet use impossible without adjustments. This spectrum actually comprises 20-25% of the general population depending on if we're going with the CDC or WHO. There are many disabilities covered, and the primary categories that require attention are: ● blind people using screen-readers, ● the motor-impaired using only the keyboard to navigate, ● epilepsy, color blindness, ● cognitive and learning disabilities, ● visual impairments, and more. What are the risks of having a non-compliant website? Non-compliance penalties are no joke, as they can go as high as $75,000 even for the first violation. The more you fail to respect the requirements, the higher the penalties will be. As a small business, it is in your interest to ensure that your website is accessible to people with disabilities. Not only will this increase the number of customers you can serve, but it will also protect you from some nasty fines and lawsuits. From what we're seeing, the firm going around and suing game stores is usually looking for settlement amounts in the $20k range and they apparently do this for a living. And part of the shakedown is when they serve game stores the lawsuit, in order to become compliant they suggest working with specific companies they are associated with. So in some cases, not only do they exhort a settlement from the business, they also generate revenue for their associates at the same time. What can you do about it? So you basically have three options. Two of which I recommend and one that's mostly a waste of time. The first one is to go with a web accessibility plugin. These are usually free or very inexpensive and apparently get a website to about 10% of the way there. You probably shouldn't go this route since your business will still be exposed to the risk of lawsuits and fines, and it's not particularly effective on the actual accessibility side of things. The second is to hire a company to make the necessary changes for you. This is the most expensive option, but if you can find a good web developer to work with that can show you what needs to be changed, you can also get your staff to do the work by hand over time. For stores with big websites this can be a major challenge since even just adding alt text to potentially thousands of product images and pages is a ton of work. This kind of work can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 and takes months to accomplish. If you've built out the inventory for your online store you know what I'm talking about. Imagine doing that all over again, or paying someone else to do it. The third solution is something more AI based like AccessiBe. Full disclosure here. I recently worked with a client to figure out how we should protect their new store from these lawsuits and we settled on AccessiBe because it was clearly the best option on the market from our perspective. Since then I've joined their partner program and am going to be recommending their product for clients we work with moving forward. I get a commission when I refer someone to AccessiBe so keep that in mind, but I believe it's by far the best solution on the market right now for protecting your business. You can sign up for AccessiBe and get your website protected today by going to manaversesaga.com/ada Client's that sign up with the Manaverse Marketing Agency also get a special discount on AccessiBe, but I'll talk about that a bit later. AccessiBe is an AI-powered machine-learning software that was developed with the understanding that successfully automating the process creates a simple, immediate, affordable,and compliant solution that serves as a win-win for the business owner and people with disabilities. Without getting too technical, AccessiBe uses AI to analyze your website and automatically generates all the additional meta data that accessibility tools require to process your site. After around 48 hours after installation, the software generates all the necessary changes and when someone visits your website, they can use the widget to convert the site into whatever format they need. Things like increasing the font size, adjusting the contrast, enabling keyboard navigation, to making it completely readable on a screen reader. The tech nerd in me loves the automation aspects of how it works and what's cool about it is that the more websites the AI analyzes, the better it gets at comprehending images and graphics accurately. Once everything is processed, the software checks every 24 hours for new pages on your website and automatically updates them as well. So there's no additional work when new products are added to your store's site. On the compliance side of things, your website gets an accessibility statement which is one of the legal requirements and very important in the case of a lawsuit. And in the eventuality of a lawsuit, AccessiBe also offers a Litigation Support Package, at no extra cost, in the case that your website's compliance is challenged. Along with their personal attention, the package includes professional audits, reports, accessibility mapping, compliance supporting documentation, guidance, and more. Conclusion So basically, AccessiBe should cover all the bases when it comes to accessibility and protecting you from lawsuits, and it's something that every game store owner with a website based in North America should be thinking about right now. I can't speak specifically to those of you listening in Europe but accessibility is still a worthy effort even if there isn't a distinct risk of a frivolous lawsuit coming your way. If you want to get started with AccessiBe right now go to manaversesaga.com/ada and get signed up today. Or reach out to me at tom@manaversesaga.com and let's chat about marketing your game store while also getting a discount on getting your website accessible at the same. If you're currently one of the stores being sued, I definitely recommend you check out AccessiBe as an option. Even in the result of the lawsuit going to court, showing that you're taking steps to become compliant can go a long way. Feel free to send me any questions you've got too.…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP116: Magic 30th Anniversary Beta Packs, Game Cafes vs Game Stores, The Future of the Industry 47:47
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New round table episode! Wizard's new $999 Beta booster pack product, The future of the friendly local game store, Are game cafes the natural evolution of the FLGS? What separates good retail from bad, And more. Matthew Vercant and Pat Fuge join me to discuss the future of the friendly local game store and speculate on the future of Magic: the Gathering. Are lawsuits incoming? Is the game cafe model the only way to succeed in a world of ecommerce? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think is coming over the next 10 years! Just Games Rochester https://www.justgamesrochester.com/ https://facebook.com/justgamesrochester https://instagram.com/justgamesrochester https://twitter.com/justgamesroc sales@justgamesroc.com Gnome Games https://gnomegames.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GnomeGamesWorld/ https://www.facebook.com/GnomeGames If you're in the start up phase of opening up your game store and want to kick things off with a powerful digital marketing strategy that's been proven to attract customers and drive sales from day 1, or you're an established game store that wants to expand operations and use digital strategies like email marketing and paid advertising to grow rapidly, let's chat! Go to manaversesaga.com/mma and we'll put together a custom Q4 marketing plan for your business and talk about how we can make it happen for you!…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP115: Running a Hands Off Game Store with Jason Garvin from Total Escape Games 35:50
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Today we're talking with Jason Garvin. Jason is the manager of Total Escape Games , a premium retailer of tabletop games, carrying a vast array of role-playing games, card games, miniatures games, board games, and more in Broomfield Colorado. Jason is going to give us some insight into the origins of the store, dealing with the day to day operations of running a large retail focused game store, how to manage an almost completely hands off owner of the business. So if you want to understand how to build a game store that runs without you as the owner being there all the time, it's time to pay close attention. I'm opening up a few more slots for clients of the Manaverse Marketing Agency this month so if you're either in the start up phase of opening up your game store and want to kick things off with a powerful digital marketing strategy that's been proven to attract customers and drive sales from day 1, or you're an established game store that wants to expand operations and use digital strategies like email marketing and paid advertising to grow rapidly, let's chat! Go to manaversesaga.com/mma and we'll put together a custom Q4 marketing plan for your business and talk about how we can make it happen for you!…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP114: Is the FLGS Business Model Dead? 11:30
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Hey, welcome back to the Manaverse Podcast! I'm your host Tom Traplin and this is the podcast where we explore what it takes to build a successful friendly local game store. Before we jump into things, Q4 is coming and I'm looking for more game store owners to feature on the podcast, so if you get an email or phone call from me in the near future don't be too surprised. If you want a chance to tell the story of your game store and get featured on the podcast, I would love to talk to you! Send me an email at tom@manaversesaga.com and you could be my next featured guest on the podcast. I'm also looking for a few more stores that want to make the end of 2022 their best quarter yet! I'm opening up a few more slots for clients of the Manaverse Marketing Agency this month so if you're either in the start up phase of opening up your game store and want to kick things off with a powerful digital marketing strategy that's been proven to attract customers and drive sales from day 1, or you're an established game store that wants to expand operations and use digital strategies like email marketing and paid advertising to grow rapidly, let's chat! Go to manaversesaga.com/mma and we'll put together a custom Q4 marketing plan for your business and talk about how we can make it happen for you! So today we're talking about an article recently published by Polygon titled Long live the friendly local tabletop game store . I'm not going to read the whole thing in it's entirety but I definitely recommend you check it out right here .…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP113: The Secrets of Unplugged Gaming's $14K Grand Opening Day 58:46
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Jake Tanner is the owner Unplugged Gaming in Manlius New York. Jake came into the tabletop gaming business from a different angle than most of the game store owners that have been featured on the podcast. Before launching Unplugged Gaming, Jake, along with his business partner, owned and operated a highly lauded digital marketing firm called Digital Hyve that they grew to over 50 employees over a handful of years. Digital Hyve was acquired by the advertising firm Butler/Till last year, which allowed Jake to explore his other passions. Unplugged Gaming launched this past November and on day one they did over $14,000 in sales, since then they have done over $270,000 in in store sales and are on track for a spectacular year one. We're going to dig into the Unplugged Gaming launch strategy and talk about how Jake and company got their business off to a great start. We talked about: The Unplugged Gaming origin story. How Jake built a group of raving fans on Facebook before launching his online store, and how that helped them start the business with a huge amount of momentum and sales. How focusing on SEO early on helped attract a major online influencer and how their deal doubled Unplugged Gaming's traffic. The most important thing a new store owner can do before opening their game store. The one piece of technology that Jake couldn't do without for running his business. How digital marketing can be used to grow and launch a game store in 2022. You can get a digital marketing strategy created for your game store in the next 24 hours that gives you the blueprint for generating new sales and customers on autopilot. All you have to do is go to manaversesaga.com/growmylgs and put your information in and we'll put together a 90 day marketing plan that covers how to optimize your website for organic traffic, how to capture people on an email list that let's you sell to them again and again, what to post on social media so your game store stays top of mind for your customers, and how to run Facebook and Google ads that sell like crazy. If you want to be able to make sales 24 hours a day and reach new customers outside of your existing community, you need to make digital marketing a priority for your business. Kick off your digital marketing by going to manaversesaga.com/growmylgs…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP112: How to Generate Free Traffic From Google That Turns Into Customers and Sales For Your Game Store 26:43
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For most game store owners, SEO is techno jargon. Something that only the biggest ecommerce businesses need to think about. I've also heard variations of the sentiment that it’s impossible to compete with the big players like BGG and Amazon in the search engines. That’s only half true. SEO definitely sounds like the kind of techno jargon you'd hear from a Priest of the Mechanicum, but your website can absolutely compete with places like Amazon when it comes to the search engines. You just need to pick your battlefields. Your game stores' website isn't going to outrank Amazon for a particular keyword in the global sense, but search isn’t just worldwide. Google takes geography into account and someone searching for something in New York isn’t going to get the same results as someone in California or the UK. Your website can definitely rank and get organic search traffic for keywords that matter to your business, it just takes some effort and little strategic thinking, which is luckily something game store owners are good at. Get a quick crash course in the basics of search engine optimization and how to create pages on your game store's website that turn random visitors into paying customers. You can get a digital marketing strategy created for your game store in the next 24 hours that gives you the blueprint for generating new sales and customers on autopilot. All you have to do is go to manaversesaga.com/growmylgs and put your information in and we'll put together a 90 day marketing plan that covers how to optimize your website for organic traffic, how to capture people on an email list that let's you sell to them again and again, what to post on social media so your game store stays top of mind for your customers, and how to run Facebook and Google ads that sell like crazy. Having a digital marketing strategy for your game store is one of the most important moves you can make in 2022. Customers are spending more time online and are expecting to be able to interact and shop at your store in the same way. If you want to be able to make sales 24 hours a day and reach new customers outside of your existing community, you need to make digital marketing a priority for your business. Kick off your digital marketing by going to manaversesaga.com/growmylgs…
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The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

1 MVP111: BGE Tabletop and Dustin Staats on Launching a Game Store in 2022 54:58
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Dustin is the owner and founder of Board Gaming with Education and BGE Tabletop. He has experience teaching English as a second language to a variety of age levels – from kindergarten to university. He also works in the field of education in various capacities. BGE started off as podcast in 2017 and has expanded into a platform for educators to learn how to incorporate games into their curriculum, with a brick and mortar storefront planned for 2022. Links https://www.boardgamingwitheducation.com/ https://bgetabletop.com/ Why We Buy by Paco Underhill https://www.facebook.com/groups/openinggamestore BinderPOS Crystal Commerce Shopify You can get your customized digital marketing plan right now by going to manaversesaga.com/mma to book your free strategy session. Once that's booked we'll do a full assessment of your current digital presence. We'll do a deep dive into each of the six elements of digital marketing for your game store to identify what's working and what's missing. Then we put together a customized strategy for your business, and then when we're on the call we will work together to identify the unique aspects of your brand that set you apart from your competitors, as well as figure out who your ideal customer is and how to attract more of them. At the end of the call you will have a framework for building out a complete digital marketing strategy for your game store and can find out how we can get that all implemented for you over the next 90 days. Make 2022 your best year yet. Book your strategy session today by going to manaversesaga.com/mma…
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