1 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told you. From House top 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: Kristen and I'm Caroline. And Caroline. I like to think 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: of myself as a pretty savvy media literate consumer, as 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: do I. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not too easily swayed 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: by commercials and such. Super Bowl, you know, the whole 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: commercial hype, care about that. But recently I was on Tumbler, 8 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: I believe it was either Tumbler or Twitter, and I 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: saw a link to a commercial for this product called 10 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: Goldie Blocks that you can now find toys or US 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: and in a bunch of other smaller independent toys works, 12 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: and it is a toy specifically designed to get younger 13 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: girls interested in engineering, and and I clicked over and 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: watched the commercial, and I watched the whole thing, and 15 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: by the end I had goose bumps because not only 16 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: was it very cute, but essentially shows a horde of 17 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: girls rushing into a toy store aisle and really just 18 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: refusing to want to only have princesses to play with 19 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: and they were sick of it. And the background is 20 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: like a children's quire saying we're the champions that might 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: have been what did it for me? But either way 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: I immediately said, too much life. We've got to do 23 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: an interview with Debbie Sterling, who started Goldie Blocks, because 24 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: we had heard about Goldie Blocks from listeners actually a 25 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: while ago when we did an episode about Lego Friends, 26 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: which are the legos that were specifically marketed and developed 27 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: for girls, and so people said, hey, you gotta do 28 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: something on Goldie Blocks and I was like, well, I 29 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: don't know, we don't normally do things on products. But 30 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: after I saw that commercial Caroline, I was sold. Well, uh, 31 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: I mean, Debbie Sterling herself is really interesting and I'll 32 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: leave you know, I'll let her talk about herself in 33 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: the interview, but she she has a typical upbringing. It 34 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: sounded like her upbringing was a lot like mine, where 35 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: she did play with blocks and stuff, but she also 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: was very like artsy, craftsy and you know, had her 37 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: dolls and things. But she went on to major and 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: mechanical engineering It's Stanford where she was really bothered by 39 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: just the fact that there weren't that many other women 40 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: in her program, and um, she started to develop this 41 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: idea after looking at some research and realizing that girls 42 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: really are driven by stories. There, their play is story driven. 43 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: They're playing with a purpose, as she says. And so 44 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: she got started on this this kickstarter campaign. Actually she 45 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: did not go through some big, traditional big box store 46 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: company route. Yeah, it was incredible. This kick started campaign 47 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: was massively successful. They hit their goal and then some, 48 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: which actually allowed them to expand the project beyond what 49 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: she had originally intended, and all the while, it got 50 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 1: so much media attention from places like The Atlantic and Forbes, 51 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: tech Crunch and so forth, because the idea of building 52 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: a toy to excite girls about engineering is so revolutionary. 53 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: Because I go to the toy store fairly regularly to 54 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: you know, get toys for my niece and such, and 55 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: there really is such a pink and blue divide a 56 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: lot of times, where on the boys side it's so 57 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: many cool things like a rector sets and connects and 58 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: neat legos and a million kinds of nerve guns, and 59 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: then the girl's side is very much dolls and princesses. 60 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: And I even asked her at one point, like, well, 61 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: what's so wrong with dolls and princesses? You know, I 62 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: had dolls and princesses. I'm sure many parents are thinking, 63 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: what's so wrong with it? But it's not so much 64 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: a campaign to get rid of princesses, but rather open 65 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: up more options, right. Yeah, absolutely, to to learn to 66 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: play with, love, and appreciate other types of toys. I mean, 67 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: I had a bazillion legos my mother. I'm twenty nine 68 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: years old, and my mother still tells me how expensive 69 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: they were because you had so many. But if only 70 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: I feel like I mean, I love building stuff, and 71 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: I would I would build what was on the box, 72 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: but I would also like build just random castles and stuff. Um, 73 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: and so I mean, yeah, to to get more girls 74 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: into that spatial reasoning, uh, you know, playing with engineering 75 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: engineering as something interesting, fun and accessible. That's that's the goal. Yeah. 76 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 1: And I also wanted to pick her brain about this 77 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: idea of the intersection of gender and toys, because what 78 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: is mind boggling to consider is that kids start really 79 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: forming their gender schema at three years old, if not sooner. 80 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: So absolutely, the types of toys that are put in 81 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: front of us can perhaps make a big difference about 82 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: how we see the world, interact with it, and how 83 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: those early seeds of who we become are planted. So 84 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: what do you say, should we roll this interview with 85 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: Debbie Sterling? Yeah, it's here it Yeah. So this is 86 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: the first time we've done an interview like this on 87 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: the podcast, really focusing on a specific product, but it 88 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: touches on so many different things that we have talked 89 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: about in the past in terms of you know, obviously 90 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,799 Speaker 1: like the gender aspect girls and stem uh, the whole 91 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: Lego Friends debate about gendered toys and all of that. So, UM, 92 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: I just want to talk to you. Um, for people 93 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: who might not know the backstory of Goldie Blocks, can 94 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: you let us know how the idea came about. Sure. 95 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: So I studied engineering at Stanford, and there weren't a 96 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: lot of women in the program, so it was it 97 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: always bothered me as an incredible education and opened a 98 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: lot of doors. And Um, several years after I graduated 99 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: from college, I was talking with a girlfriend and we 100 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: were complaining about the lack of women and engineering, and 101 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: she argued that she became interested in engineering when she 102 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: was a little girl because she had three older brothers. 103 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: She played with her hand me down erector sets and 104 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: legos and Lincoln long and that those toys taught her 105 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: how to build and how stuff fits together, and um, 106 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 1: that was where her passion for engineering was born. And 107 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: at that moment, I just thought, oh my gosh, it's 108 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: not fair. Um, when I was a little girl, I 109 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: grew up with stalls and princesses and decorating and all 110 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: of the typical girly stuff, and UM, I felt like 111 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: I was sort of cheated out of, um building this 112 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: interest in engineering at a young age. And why it 113 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: that that those toys are quote unquote boys toys? And 114 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: so at that moment, I became obsessed with the opportunity 115 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: and challenge of creating a toy experience for little girls 116 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: that would make engineering appealing and relevant for them. Um. Now, 117 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: when I was reading an article about this in The Atlantic, 118 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: it talked about how you spent more than a year 119 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: in that process just for searching what kind of toy 120 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: might do just that foster that interest in engineering. So 121 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: I was wondering, what were some of the more compelling 122 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: insights that you gained into how to attract girls to 123 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: this toy to begin with? Well, there, Rain actually did. 124 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: It was just fascinating. I talked with teachers and parents, 125 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: I talked with nonprofit educator, did after school programs, getting 126 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: kids interest system. I talked to neuroscientists to understand the 127 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: brain and how it works you have a hormone player role. 128 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I really just went pretty wide and deep 129 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: and um some of them those interesting things that I 130 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: learned and I personally observed with little girls with how 131 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: much they loved reading and stories and narratives based play, 132 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: whereas I would I would observe boys playing and it 133 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: was kind of just build it up and knock it down, 134 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: and it was just fun to play things for the 135 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: stake of building, and there didn't have to be a point, 136 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: whereas girls, UM really enjoyed playing when there was a 137 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: purpose or a character involved, or we're doing something for 138 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: this goal and so um, that research really led me 139 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 1: to my AHA moment, which was combining building and reading together. 140 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: So instead of just the building just the math and 141 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 1: science or analytical skill, incorporating the storytelling and verbal element 142 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: instant play as the way to appeal the girls. Um. 143 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,559 Speaker 1: It really was in line with all of the research 144 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: that I was doing, But it wasn't until I started 145 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,959 Speaker 1: prototyping this idea of a story book of Goldie. The 146 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: Goldie blocks the girl engine and you build along with 147 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 1: this character that I really found that kind of firsthand 148 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: girls just getting into it and building along with the character. Yeah, 149 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: I was gonna ask, just for uh sake of our 150 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: listeners if you could give a quick synopsis of Goldie 151 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: Blocks in the Spinning Machine, because there's the story book 152 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: that goes along with it, and it prompts them to 153 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: build these machines with the ribbon. Sure, so the concept 154 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: is instead of an instruction manual um that comes along 155 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: with the building pieces, there's storybooks and the product that 156 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: is on the market right now. It's called Goldie Blocks 157 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: and the Spinning Machine. It is the first story where 158 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: we meet Goldie Blocks the character, and to where she 159 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: lives and meet her petch and Um. In this first story, 160 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: we meet Goldie stog Nacho and he's always chasing his 161 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: tail and in the story, Goldie comes up with an 162 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: idea to build a machine so he can chase his 163 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: tail back her and so throughout the book, Goldie is 164 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how to spin Nacho using a 165 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: wheel and an axle and a pegboard and a crank, 166 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 1: winding the wheel up with ribbon, sticking Nacho on top, 167 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: pulling the ribbon and he spins and as the book progresses, 168 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: her other friends want to spin too, and so step 169 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 1: by step the machine gets increasingly complicated, until the end 170 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,079 Speaker 1: the girls have actually learned how to build a functioning 171 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: belt drive and UM. In the story, it really appeals 172 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: to little girls because it has characters and they identify 173 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: with and the building sets come with a little character 174 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,559 Speaker 1: of figuring. Is so you can really kind of play 175 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: along with Goldie and build the machines that she builds. 176 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: And the machines are sort of functioning and dynamic and 177 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: moving and um, they work, UM and they spin the 178 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: characters and so after the game is done, the girls 179 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: can build all sorts of things that the pieces, but 180 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: the storyline really gives them an entree into the building. Yeah. No, 181 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: it's gonna ask when you've done I guess beta testing 182 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: on this. It sounds like really fun beta testing to do. UM. 183 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: How do girls react to the building slash engineering aspects 184 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: of the game. It's it's pretty cool to watch, I 185 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: have to say. Um. At the very beginning of the book, 186 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: we have the bill of materials and so there we 187 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: identify all of the pieces that come with a kit. 188 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 1: So the girls start learning vocabulary UM words like axles 189 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: and wheels and blocks and pegboard and those storty of things. Um. 190 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: And it's funny to see them kind of learn a 191 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: new word and really own that word and start using 192 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 1: it in daily life, which has been really cool to watch. Um. 193 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: The other kind of amazing moment is when the girls 194 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: fiddled kind of the first thing where they wind the 195 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 1: ribbon up and see how a wheel spins on an 196 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: axle and kind of see the cause and effect of 197 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:05,319 Speaker 1: four in motions. Um. It's really kind of a delightful moment. Uh. 198 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: Over and over again, I've watched girls and their parents 199 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: who aren't engineers kind of experienced U sin saying wow, 200 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: it's about something and it worked. And the more complex 201 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: at guests, obviously, the more fulfilling it is. Until eventually 202 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: I've seen it first and girls really start to build 203 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: their confidence with this stuff. Or maybe they're a little 204 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: trepidacious at first. I've seen a lot of girls, myself included, 205 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: are such perfectionists. We never like to get anything wrong. 206 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: But the truth is with Goldie blocks is fun because 207 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: you can't really do anything wrong. It's more about just 208 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: trial and error and putting stuff together in different ways 209 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: and seeing what happens, and that's really kind of the 210 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: mindset that we're trying to build and reinforce with storyline. UM. Now, 211 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: you mentioned that, you know obviously growing up when when 212 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: you were growing up there there was nothing like Goldie 213 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: Blocks for girls. But did you have any of those 214 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: experiences when you were a kid growing up of building something, 215 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: of kind of having that engineering aha moment for yourself, 216 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: maybe with other kinds of toys just out of curiosity. 217 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: I actually didn't, UM, But I think I was definitely 218 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: always very creative, artistic kid. I loved crafts projects, as 219 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: a lot of girls do, and I do distinctly remember 220 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 1: one incredible Halloween costume that I made with my two 221 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: best friends when we were in second grade. We made 222 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: a Chinese dragon and one with the head, one was 223 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: the body, and one with the tail, and we built 224 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: this whole thing ourselves out of cardboard boxes and materials. 225 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: It was so much fun. So I think that I 226 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: had that kind of creative, crafty building spirit, but I 227 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: never I knew that that's what engineering was, And so 228 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: it wasn't actually until high school, my senior year of 229 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: high school, that I first heard the word engineering in 230 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: my name and the same sentence, a mass teacher sand 231 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: that she thought I should think about majoring in it, 232 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: and I remember thinking that she was crazy. Why would 233 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 1: she ever think that I liked engineering? And so part 234 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: of my goal of Coldie Box to both girls to 235 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,959 Speaker 1: engineering what it is at that younger age and make 236 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: it show how creative and fun it can really be. Yeah, 237 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: And um, I think also in that Atlantic article I 238 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, you you compared, how you know, the lack 239 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: of the limited number I should say, of female engineers 240 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: to that you compared to how there weren't very many 241 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: female doctors a long time ago, when it was disconsidered 242 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: a man's profession. So, I mean, do you think that 243 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: a toy can have the power to have such a 244 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: radical effect in terms of, you know, with this of 245 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: bringing something something closer to at least to gender parity 246 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: in engineering. Well, I I think it is one small 247 00:14:56,040 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: step in a much larger movement. But it's a great up. 248 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: Uh what Goldie Blocks has been able to do, which 249 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: is so incredible. I mean, we have just one toy, 250 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: but I say this every day. It's so much more 251 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: than a toy. Um, it really is a movement and 252 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: by being the founder of Goldie Blocks, I get to 253 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: go out and talk to people like you and share 254 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: my story with the hope that that inspires people to 255 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: maybe rethink what engineering is or or what an engineer 256 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: is supposed to look like, UM, and hopefully kind of 257 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: reframe it in people's minds. Because engineering is such an 258 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: intimidating words, an intimidating concept. I didn't want to touch 259 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: it with a ten foot full when I was growing up, 260 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: and I really discovered a passion for it. So my 261 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: hope with Goldie Blocks, the toy and my personal story 262 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: and all of the stories of our fans that are 263 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: just pouring in, UM, it's becoming a conversation starter and 264 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: hopefully people are starting to think about engineering and talk 265 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: about it in a different way. UM. Well, just speaking 266 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: in general from the about toy is there's been a 267 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: lot of movement away from the you know, the the 268 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: typical pink and blue aisle. UM. I mean, do you 269 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: think that these kinds of changes, like eliminating the pink 270 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: for girls section in the blue for boys toy sections 271 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: can make an impact not just on you know, getting 272 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: more girls interested in engineering and science, but just in 273 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: generally how we grow up mm hmm. Well, you know, 274 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: I think that the pink and blue segregation has gotten 275 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: worse and worse. I think it's worse now than it 276 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: was when I was kids. And I think that what 277 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: I've read is toy companies do it on purpose, because 278 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: they sell toys as much stuff when something is distinctly 279 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: boy versus girl. And so what I think is starting 280 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: to happen is there's a ground swell of consumers. You know, 281 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: I don't like that, and they want more sort of 282 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: gender neutral options, or at least options that don't put 283 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: their kids in a bucket of stereotypes. And so with 284 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: Collie Blocks, even though we keep staying engineering toy for girls, 285 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: engineering tour for girl, uh, I can't tell you how 286 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: many boys loves playing with it, and that makes my day. Um. 287 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 1: We're we thought long and hard about coming up with 288 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 1: a color palette that was bright and modern, had all 289 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: different kinds of scholars. We're working on introducing other characters 290 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: of different ethnicities, and boy characters too. So I don't 291 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: like the idea of propagating this uh uh, this way 292 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:46,400 Speaker 1: that the toy industry kind of split things boy versus girl. Um, 293 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: we're definitely trying to move more gender neutral and really 294 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: encouraging boys to play with our toys too. Yeah. I 295 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: was actually gonna ask you whether you know that there 296 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: are thoughts about making a Goldie Blocks more for for 297 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: boys or just more gender neutral, because I feel like 298 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: when we talk about toys, a lot of the attention 299 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: is focused on, you know, especially the pink princess stuff 300 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 1: for girls. But obviously there's crossover to where boys might 301 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 1: be discouraged from playing with girls toys as well, So 302 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: so we might see a more gender neutral or boy 303 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: oriented Goldie Blocks in the future. Yeah. I mean, honestly, 304 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 1: I have watched many boys play with Goldie Blocks as 305 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: it is in its current state, and they love it because, um, 306 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: it's not It was designed to try and make engineering 307 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:41,679 Speaker 1: appealing to girls, but it does succeed or not, and 308 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 1: it works because it blends the storytelling components. But Goldie 309 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: Blocks is not a toy where you're going to be 310 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: building beauty parlors or salons or putting on makeup. The 311 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: themes that happen are relevant to every kid, boy or girl, 312 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: and the only thing that makes it early, I guess, 313 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: with the main character happens to be a girl, but 314 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: what I hope will start to happen with Goldie Blocks, 315 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: and is already starting to happen, is um hard to 316 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: develop kind of in a way where Harry Potter the 317 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: main character as a boys and girls and bland muscle 318 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: of Harry Potter, I'm hoping to build the same type 319 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: of experience with COLDI blocks. Um. There is a quote 320 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 1: from an article when you're talking to a tech crunch 321 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 1: and he said, we, as in Goalie blocks, are now 322 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: just one tiny box in a sea of pink plastic princesses. 323 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: And just to sort of play Devil's advocate for a moment, 324 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: for parents listening, you might be thinking, well, what's so 325 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: wrong with a sea of pink plastic princesses? What would 326 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 1: you say to to somebody like that. Well, I wouldn't 327 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: say that there's anything wrong with it at all. Um. 328 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: I don't want to be sounding like I'm the anti 329 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 1: princess lady, because I'm not. It's just more that there's 330 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: so much of the same thing out there. And I 331 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: every day I talked to parents who are just sick 332 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 1: of the lack of variety and options and so and 333 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 1: I hear a lot of parents whose daughters are. Yeah, 334 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: they're into the princess stuff, but they also like karate, 335 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: you know, or they love drawing, and um, they have 336 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: other interests. And so my answer to them would just be, 337 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: UM that what I'm trying to deal with with Coldie 338 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: Blocks is just to provide more options to girls and 339 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: in particular give them a play experience that that really 340 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: gets their wheels turning and challenges their minds. Um. And 341 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: it makes kind of being smart cool because we all 342 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: know as a little girl growing up, it's cool to 343 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: be pretty, but I want I want little girls to 344 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:52,159 Speaker 1: also know that it's cool to be smart. Um. Goalie 345 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: Blocks has been phenomenally successful in a very sure amount 346 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: of time. It seems like you you start out from 347 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 1: a kick start and now you're in toys are us congratulations? Um? 348 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: Thank you. Do you think that it's taken off so 349 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: quickly because of that lack of variety issue that you 350 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: bring up, that there's just that we need more basically 351 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: from from toy companies. Yeah, I think so. I think 352 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: it's just really exploded overnight or we erased to keep 353 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: up with the demand every day. And I think it 354 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: is because it really has it's striking a chord with 355 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:35,880 Speaker 1: a lot of parents out there who, uh, maybe kind 356 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: of we're used to going to the toy store every day, 357 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: kind of resigned to the fact that their daughter with 358 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: into the princess stuff. May be hoping that she'd be 359 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: interested in other things, but suddenly realizing how is she 360 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: going to develop other interests when there's nothing else offered 361 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: to her. So I think it's really scratching an itch. Um, well, 362 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 1: what is what's next? Aside froom keeping up with the 363 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: ever increasing demand, What's what's next on the horizon for 364 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: Goldie Blocks? So we are working so hard to expand 365 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: the line. I mean, we have one product out on 366 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: the market right now, Valdi Blocks and the spinning machine, 367 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: and um, it's been our plan all along to develop 368 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: it into a series. So we're quickly working on expanding 369 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: into new stories where Goldie goos on new adventures, we 370 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 1: meet some for new friends. So I was saying, UM, 371 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: showing some ethnic diversity in the brand, bringing in some 372 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: new pieces, new engineering design, new things to build. UM, 373 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: just getting and we're just getting better and better as 374 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: we learned. So we've made a lot of improvements to 375 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: the existing product and working on creating more and the 376 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: other thing that we're about to launch but I'm really 377 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: excited about is during videos, we're going to be showing 378 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: all of the things that you can build with the toy, 379 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: beyond just the ribbon belt drive that we highlight in 380 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: the first product. It's a construction toy and so you 381 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: can put it together in an infinite number of ways, 382 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,159 Speaker 1: and we're really excited about opening that up to the 383 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: community and kind of seeing what are our girls and 384 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: boys are building with the with the set. Yeah, it 385 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: sounds very cool. UM Well, for listeners out there who 386 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: have kids and are probably now wondering where they can 387 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: go to get Goldie Blocks. Where where can people go 388 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: to find out more info to go buy Goldie Blocks 389 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: all of that stuff. So um our website Goldie Blocks 390 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: dot com, g O l z I e V l 391 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: o X dot com is where you can get all 392 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 1: the info. We have a store locator there so you 393 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: can check and see what kind of local mom pop 394 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: stores if you want to support your local stores, those 395 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: are all listed on our website. Um We also sell 396 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: the toy on our website if you want to support 397 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:07,959 Speaker 1: Goldie Blocks, and then online um Amazon dot com carries 398 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: it as well as um, we're also in every choice 399 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 1: rus now across the country, so plenty of options, it 400 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: sounds like it. Um, well, those are all of the 401 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: questions that I had for you. Is there anything that 402 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 1: I didn't touch on specifically that you would like to 403 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: to add any any final words for listeners or anything 404 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: like that. Well, I guess the last thing I didn't 405 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,199 Speaker 1: specifically say it, but I guess I'll just mention it 406 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: as a closing thought is really around the importance and 407 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 1: opportunity for Goldie Blocks to be a role model because 408 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: there are so few female engineers, but we know how 409 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: important role models are for kids and and for adults too. Um, 410 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: I'm really hoping that Goldie can kind of be a 411 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: hero for little girls and boys to really show that 412 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: a little girl can be more more than a princess 413 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: and the old whatever she wants, and show how fun 414 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 1: and cool engineering really is. Well, you're also serving as 415 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: a role model as a female entrepreneur, So UM, I 416 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: really want to thank you for talking to me this afternoon, 417 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: And UM, I know that our listeners are going to 418 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: be really excited to learn more about this because I 419 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: heard about Goldie Blocks from our listeners from people writing 420 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: in saying have you heard about this toy? You have 421 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: to do a podcast about it. So I'm really glad 422 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: that we were able to chat today, So huge thanks 423 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 1: again to Debbie for taking time out to chat with 424 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: me about Goldie Blocks. Things are very busy right now 425 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: in the best possible kind of way for the company. 426 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: And even though, like I said at the top of 427 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 1: the interview, we've never done any kind of product real 428 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: product focused podcast except I guess for the Lego Friends, 429 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: but I was taking a much more critical eye towards 430 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: a product. Um. But since it's something that really struck 431 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: a chord with a lot of listeners and brought up 432 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 1: so many different points that we've talked about in the 433 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: podcast before, and because she's a female entrepreneur who is 434 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: being really successful, UH wanted to chat with her. So 435 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: big thanks to Debbie for that. And keep an eye 436 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: out for Goldie Blocks. I'm kind of curious to play 437 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 1: with Goalie Blocks myself. I'm not gonna lie. Um, So 438 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 1: let us know your thoughts. What did you think about 439 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 1: this idea of creating a toy for girls to really 440 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 1: foster those science, math, engineering, technology kinds of things. Do 441 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: you think that toys like this are important for girls 442 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 1: to see you, girls to have and play with, and 443 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: for boys as well. What us know your thoughts? What 444 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: do you think, Caroline? I think that uh, I know 445 00:26:55,880 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: what I'm getting my niece for Christmas. There there you go. Well, 446 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: you can write to us at mom Stuff Discovery dot com. 447 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,399 Speaker 1: You can also tweet us at mom Stuff podcast or 448 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: leave us a note on Facebook. And we've got a 449 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: couple of notes to share. And now back to our letters. 450 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: Look on, I got a couple of way back letters 451 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: on an episode that we did on Filial Piety. I 452 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: think the episode was called Our Chinese Children More More 453 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: Loyal to their Parents. And even though we did it 454 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: a while ago that sometimes we we don't we can't 455 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:33,480 Speaker 1: get to all of the listener mail lickity split, and 456 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,360 Speaker 1: these were a couple that I wanted to share. Well, 457 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,200 Speaker 1: I've got one here from Hazel, who says I grew 458 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: up with a tiger mom, although she wasn't quite as 459 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,480 Speaker 1: hard for as Amy Chewa, and we actually have a 460 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: great relationship now that I'm an adult. As a Korean, 461 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: the virtue of filial piety has been drummed into me 462 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: ever since I was a kid, but I think it 463 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: only works when the devotion goes both ways. Just as 464 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: Korean children are expected to respect and obey their parents 465 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: in Confucianism, it is also the parents responsibility to do 466 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: everything they can for their children. My parents sacrificed a 467 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: lot during my childhood to make sure I grew up 468 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: with a good education. They've always loved my brother and 469 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 1: me and supported us, even if sometimes we didn't properly 470 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: appreciate everything they did for us. Parental dedication to one's 471 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: children is just as much of a virtue and Confucianism 472 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 1: as filial piety. It is because our parents do so 473 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: much for us that we have a responsibility to be 474 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: grateful towards them and take care of them in their 475 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: old age, just as they did for us during our childhood. Also, 476 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 1: you guys mentioned that many stories in China about filial 477 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: piety are about men, but the most famous Korean story 478 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: about filial piety is about a daughter. It's the story 479 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: of Shim Chong, who sold herself to a bunch of 480 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: men who wanted to use her as a sacrifice to 481 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 1: the sea god. In return, they gave her enough money 482 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: to buy three hundred bags of rice, which she donated 483 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: to the Buddhist temples so they would pray for her 484 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: blind father to regain his eyesight. Basically, she was willing 485 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 1: to kill herself on the off chance that her father 486 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: might be cared by her sacrate life. She's flung into 487 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: the sea but doesn't die. Eventually, she ends up married 488 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: to a prince, but even then she thinks first of 489 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: her father and searches for him far and wide until 490 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: she finally finds him, and then he has miraculously cured 491 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: of his blindness. Not exactly a feminist tale, but even 492 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: in modern time, she has held up as an ideal 493 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: of filial piety in Korea. So thank you for sharing 494 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: the story, Hazel, and I've got one here from Annie, 495 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: and she writes, I would say that although I am 496 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: American born, I do feel that I have more responsibility 497 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: towards my parents. This would be culturally true because I 498 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: think Asian immigrant parents value education above all as a 499 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: means to gain a better life. They would deem their 500 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: success as parents if their children surpassed them in education 501 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: and being able to be fully equipped to make a 502 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: better life for themselves. Although a typical American childhood may 503 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: consists of movies and sleepovers. Asian families tend to be 504 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: very private and are very focused in building up a 505 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: family as kids. I am the first of four children. 506 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: Growing up, I remember us living jammed into a one 507 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: bedroom apartment in Brooklyn and living off food stamps. My 508 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: parents never went on vacations, never ate out, and although 509 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: we never got hugs or literally, I've never heard the 510 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: words I love you. For my parents, I without a 511 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: doubt and know that they do because they sacrifice so much, 512 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 1: working long hours for low wages in order to buy 513 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: us our favorite kinds of foods prepared to the dinner table. 514 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: Our understanding of love is not in words, but in 515 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: the tangible benefits of giving their children the best chances 516 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: at succeeding in life. I'm thankful for the way I've 517 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: been raised and being Asian American, I think it's always 518 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 1: interesting to realize what parts of me are Chinese in 519 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: which are American. There's sometimes so completely opposite. Thanks for 520 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: your podcasts, Anna, and thanks to everybody who's written in. 521 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at Discovery dot com is where you can 522 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,719 Speaker 1: send your letters. You can follow us on Twitter at 523 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 1: mom Stuff podcast, and like us on Facebook and follow 524 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: us on Tumbler as well at stuff mom Never Told 525 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: You dot tumbler dot com. And of course we're on 526 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: you Tube as well. I gonna at you four times 527 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: a week. We should check out our videos. 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