The value isn’t in what something does.

It’s in what it invites people to do.

THINK OUTSIDE THE TOY BOX™

We’d get a placement and then do nothing with it. Once we realized we were paying thousands to recreate work we already had, it was obvious something was broken. Charlene helped us see what we were missing and how to turn one win into something that actually worked harder for us.

Shannon

Three Ways I Can Help You

1

Why You Get Stuck

You get stuck because you think the way something is introduced is the only way it can be used. Over time, that shuts down curiosity and trains us to stop asking questions. At home or at work, kids or adults, we get stuck in single use thinking.

2

How YOU CAN CHANGE

I help people see what they’re overlooking in plain sight by teaching them to change the question from “what does this do” but “what else could this be.” Whether it is a product or a playroom, everyone needs to think outside the toy box.

3

What I Can Help With

I care about building people who can still think. In a world full of tools, scripts, and shortcuts, that skill matters more than any new thing. Whether a team or a teen, toddler or toy company, creative and critical thinking is more essential than ever.

Most things are designed to launch, not to last.

TOYS ARE THE WAY IN TO A NEW MINDSET

I didn’t take a straight path. I began my career as an attorney, then moved into the world of media and marketing, eventually specializing in kids’ toys and play after becoming a mom. Over more than a decade in that space, I produced 25+events, wrote more than 400 articles, appeared on TV over 200 times, and worked closely with toys as tools, not just products.

But along the way, I saw a play problem.

Toys were being used exactly as directed by PR teams. Kids were learning to ask, “What does it do?” instead of, “What can I do with it?” And once I noticed that pattern, I started seeing it everywhere else too.

Brands were focused on getting things shown, not getting them used. They cared about features more than follow-through, and coverage more than continuity. Parents and kids lost the independent play along the way.

Today, we’re set up to treat things as disposable instead of expandable. At some point, we started confusing sources with skills and outputs with paths. It’s a pattern that cuts across home, work, and everything in between.

That’s when the work I do now came into focus.

How we teach kids to use toys TODAY shapes how adults work TOMORROW.

Play has become about doing instead of learning, and that mindset doesn't stop at childhood. You can see it now in the workforce within one-and-done projects, rigid roles, and work that’s designed to launch, not grow.

The work I do sits in that gap, helping families and teams shift from container thinking to capability thinking.

My work is about rebuilding the thinking OF PLAY AND TOYS.

The Charlene Pop Quiz

MY DAILY Accessory

My fairy hair highlights from my Mom. I might be deep in a strategy conversation or crawling out of the carpool line, but everyone remembers my hair.

A NON-NEGOTIABLE

Dressing my ceramic porch goose for every holiday and season. This is how you build culture, and help people quack up when they visit my home.

PEOPLE DON’T EXPECT THIS

I’ve run seven marathons and competed in collegiate and masters artistic swimming. Apparently, I like structure, suffering, and sequins.

My Favorite Food

Chocolate-covered caramel candy. Bonus if it is homemade and has pecans. If it’s in the house, it will not be there long, and I will find it

CURRENT OBSESSION

Hunting down vintage Chinese Rose Famille at estate sales. I just love the colors, the history, and using them as decor around the house.

The Hill I'll Die On

Toys are a great gift at any age. Play is not a phase you grow out of. There is a toy for every occasion and stage of life. Expect it as my gift.

We stopped treating content, people, and wins like one-off moments and started building on them. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it, and honestly, you start wondering how you ever worked the old way.