This is my son Max who inspired StinkyKid Max

Hello, StinkyKid Britt here,  and I am excited to share another wonderful comment from one of our fans.  It is about my favorite little stinKer, StinkyKid Max.  Enjoy…

Just saw the Max doll in Nordstrom and bought it for my 1yr old son who loved it! Finally a boy! Just wondering if you have outfits for the doll. Also, where would I be able to purchase a “Britt” doll? Great products! Thank you!

After receiving this comment I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about StinkyKid Max so that you can get to know him better.

StinkyKid Max is named after my son, Max, and the doll looks exactly like him.  He wears a bathing suit because the ‘real’ Max is an amazing swimmer and loves the pool.  When I created the character, Max had a swim suit with sharks on it, hence StinkyKid Max’s outfit.  He is a great soccer player and plays the piano.  Kosher dill pickles are his favorite food and he can eat an entire jar full in one sitting.  All of the characteristics that I created for StinkyKid Max, truly were inspired by my son Max.  As for his ‘leader of good’ quality, the real Max has a heart of gold and always volunteers to help and ‘make right choices’.

Funny story :

I took my son Max to see the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks. In the movie Alvin tells someone that he is so famous that he has his own plush doll.  Max and I turned to each other and laughed.  I knew that he felt very special knowing he has his own plush doll too.

I am very proud to be able to supply boy plush dolls for our little stinKers.  As a mom, whenever I wanted to get a soft ‘lovey’ for my son, it always had to be a stuffed animal or monster or automobile.  I am glad to now provide other moms with another opportunity in plush for our little boys; one they can relate to, look like, and take with them as their best friend everywhere.

If you knew the real Max, my son, he would definitely be your best friend and inspire you to ‘Always be a leader of good’.

Cheers to my buddy StinkyKid Max.

good things happen to good people

Sometimes the  rewards for being a good person do not come from a store, or from financial success; sometimes rewards come from a few simple words.

Here is a true story about how a few simple words made all of my hard work and dedication to building a quality brand worthwhile:

On my website I have a ‘contact us’ form and I get very nice messages about StinkyKids from all of our fans.  But just last week, when I really needed to have some reinforcement for all of my passion and hard work, I received this message:

My daughter has Hannah, and I would like to purchase more stinky kid friends for her friends! I am only finding 5 of the gang on the nordstrom.com website. I went to my local Nordstrom and they did not have any. FAO Schwarz also does not carry them online. Help me find Joey! Nicole in San Diego

As I always respond personally to the messages I receive from the StinkyKids fans, I wrote back to Nicole in San Diego thanking her for her purchase of StinkyKid Hannah and updating her on the re-launch of the dolls.  Later that night, I received this message back from Nicole in San Diego. (this next response is the true reward!!)

Hello Britt! I truly appreciate your personalized response.

My daughter Lillian was given $20 to spend at F.A.O. Schwarz on a trip to New York at Christmastime.

Of all the things to choose from at that huge toy store, she chose Hannah. She has since taken Hannah with her everywhere.

I look forward to your next release, and will be purchasing Julie for Lillian’s best friend Indie until then.

Thank you for a great product with so much personality.

Good things happen to good people!!!  These small words brought me such BIG rewards and has been my gold medal in the marathon to success.  Not only do I have these small words displayed in my office, but everyday, I read Nicole from San Diego message to remind myself that I am doing good and bringing smiles to all of the little stinKers in the world.

Thank you Nicole from San Diego for sharing these small words with me and thank you Lillian for loving the StinkyKids not because a commerical told you to, but because you just loved a high quality, beautiful doll with a great message.

We should all achieve success like this!!!

Place: Harlem, New York at the Alexander Doll Company, Inc. headquarters.

It was a rainy Friday morning, and to most people, this would represent the start of a ‘not so great day’.  But for some people, rain represents good luck, and for me, it was definitely a lucky day!!

I was meeting with the President of the company, along with the VP of Sales, Marketing Manager and Design Director to brainstorm our approach to launching the StinkyKids soft body doll line licensed under the Madame Alexander name.

The meeting was extremely productive but most important, it was fun and refreshing to know that my little stinKer friends and I would be taken care of very well by Madame Alexander.  As I introduced them to the current samples of soft body dolls that I manufactured myself, I, StinkyKid Britt, became the topic of discussion.

Gale, the president of Madame Alexander, really loves me (StinkyKid Britt) and as you know I am the star of the first StinkyKids book titled ‘StinkyKids and the Runaway Scissors’.  I was wearing my signature outfit, my favorite pink leotard with blue flowers and purple sandles.  Gale suggested that an accessory should be added to my outfit.  So…

As most little girls, I enjoyed ballet at an early age and loved my tutu.  That memory lead me to answer  ‘Gale, how about I ‘get my tutu on?!’ ’ Before I knew it, I was swept away by the Design Director, Marianne, and brought to a magical room in building which had a number of sewing machines, tons of beautiful fabric and talented individuals ready to make me my very own custom tutu.

Marianne and Gale proceeded to bring out different rolls of fabric to make sure that we picked out the very best one for my tutu.  Once they showed me the pink tool with silver sparkles, I knew right away we found the right one.  I left this magical room and about 20 minutes later, I knew that the rain was luck.

StinkyKid Britt was wearing the most beautiful tutu, which not only made her red hair glow, but made everyone in the room glow with pride in the we made a decision that would take StinkyKid Britt to the top of her class (i.e. most popular StinkyKid).

March 12, 2010, the day StinkyKid Britt ‘got her tutu on’, was a lucky and magical day and I am very grateful to my new friends at Madame Alexander for helping me be the best I can be!!

So from now on, StinkyKid Britt will always have her magical pink and silver sparkle tutu and all of the little stinKers who enjoy their own tutu, will want to have their very own StinkyKid Britt soft body doll to carry with them to all of their performances.

A lucky and magical day!!!

Madame Alexander to Immediately Expand Current Sold-Out StinkyKids® Line at FAO Schwarz, Nordstrom’s and Nordstroms.com for Summer 2010; Will Ship All Retailers Christmas 2010

NEW YORK, NY   March 4, 2010 – Stone America Licensing (www.stoneamerica.com), one of the nation’s leading licensing firms, announced today that Alexander Doll Company (www.alexdoll.com),  creator of Madame Alexander Dolls, has been appointed exclusive manufacturer for StinkyKids® (www.stinkykids.com) soft-bodied dolls.

StinkyKids doll line, recently seen in The Toy Book and ToyBook.com as a featured property for 2010, launched in 4th quarter 2009 and sold out at all 110 Nordstrom stores, at Nordstrom.com, and at FAO Schwarz New York.  Madame Alexander will not only fill their reorders, but expand the program to additional specialty, mid-tier and mass retailers.

“We are thrilled to partner with Madame Alexander to produce StinkyKids dolls,” said Robert Stone, President of Stone America.  “StinkyKids has already proved its success at retail, and with Madame Alexander’s reputation for quality, as well as its excellent retail relationships, we know they are the perfect partner to help us grow this exciting brand, with additional licensed products to include apparel, bedding, social expressions and more.”

StinkyKids are a group of 10 diverse “little stinkers” who learn to make right choices through the mistakes we all make as kids, and who live by the motto “Always Be A Leader Of Good.”  They help encourage positive principles in children’s lives in a playful manner that kids love.

“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Madame Alexander to produce my little stinkers,” said Britt Menzies, CEO of SinkyKids LLC.  “Together with Stone America, we are building the momentum for the brand that I’ve been working towards.  Reaction to the brand, from retailers to consumers, has been nothing but positive.  2010 is going to be an amazing year.”

Stone America is also in negotiations with major publishers to produce the much-anticipated first book, which is now finalized and being requested by retailers.

####

About Madame Alexander

The Alexander Doll Company (ADC) was founded 80 years ago by Madame Beatrice Alexander Behrman, the daughter of Russian immigrants. She was raised over her father’s doll hospital—the first in America—and often played with the dolls waiting to be mended. Her love of dolls led this dynamic woman to creating her own line of dolls.

Madame Alexander infused a sense of excitement and wonderment in her fine quality, handcrafted dolls. She initiated a series of firsts in the toy industry: the first doll based on a licensed character (Scarlett from Gone With the Wind), which led to the creation of dolls based on characters from popular motion pictures; the first to bring feature baby dolls to market; the first to create dolls in honor of living people (Queen Elizabeth, the Dionne Quints). Madame Alexander was also the first to introduce the first full figured fashion doll (Cissy) with haute couture outfits.

About StinkyKids®

From the creative mind of Britt Menzies, a mom who was inspired by her daughter’s simple request to paint her as a ballerina, StinkyKids is a brand with a fun, unique and fresh approach that teaches life lessons through its products and books featuring the 10 diverse StinkyKids characters. The name “StinkyKids” comes from the phrase “little stinKers,” which Britt used to describe the innocent behavior of her two kids when they were little.

The StinkyKids characters are little stinKers who learn to make right choices through their childhood mistakes and who live by the motto “Always Be A Leader Of Good.” StinkyKids is an innovative brand that appeals to parents for the values it represents and appeals to kids because the characters are real kids getting into real mischief.

Since inception, StinkyKids donates a percentage of its profits to Books, Bears and Bonnets, Inc., (www.booksbearsbonnets.org), a charity founded in honor of Britt’s aunt who died from uterine cancer. Books, Bears and Bonnets, Inc. delivers gift boxes to children and adults fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

About Stone America Licensing

Stone America Licensing, one of the nation’s premier full-service licensing firms, specializes in enhancing brand equity for some of the world’s leading companies, individuals, trademarks and logos. Stone’s unique approach maximizes brand potential through total licensing and merchandising solutions that turn brand equity into profit centers for its clients, while upholding brand integrity. Stone America has extensive experience in branded trademark extension licensing and has been involved in licensing of many Fortune 100 brands. The company’s current client list includes: Laura Ashley, Bed Head TIGI, Nadia Gellar, Paris Blues, International Truck & Engine, Kampgrounds of America, Under the Canopy, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Andy Capp, JLG, University of Oxford, Norman Rockwell, School of Rock, Ne-Yo, Pam Anderson, David & Goliath, Scientific American, Scratch DJ Academy, CON Surfboards, US Speedskating , American Bass Anglers, Mel’s Drive-In, StinkyKids, Me to You, Lexani and the Bold and the Beautiful.

Today reminded me, once again, about a lesson my dad focused on throughout my years as a kid, that, to this day, I still live by, and now instill in my own childrens lives and in my brand.  This lesson that is so dear to me is..

You must have someone’s best interest at heart and people whom you deal with must give you the same resepct. 

Today, I truly believed I had someone’s best interest at heart and was expressing my true appreciation.  But at the end of the day, I learned that maybe it was too early to express my emotions.  So, the lesson learned today is not to hold back my feelings nor give up my dad’s valuable words of wisdom, but to learn when the best time is to express my emotions so that my audience can truly see I have their best interest at heart and want to help make a difference.  I know it will all work out for the best and the roller coaster ride of emotions will end in a high.

With this said, I thought that this would be a good time to share with you a brief description of what StinkyKids is as a brand as it reflects exactly what I experienced today as a StinkyKid myself.  Here goes..enjoy!!! 

Cheers, StinkyKid Britt.

From the creative mind of Britt Menzies, a mom who was inspired by her daughter’s simple request to paint her as a ballerina, StinkyKids is a brand with a fun, unique and fresh approach that teaches life lessons through its products and books featuring the 10 diverse StinkyKids characters.  The name StinkyKids comes from the phrase ‘little stinKers’, which Britt used to describe the innocent behavior of her two kids when they were little. 

The StinkyKids characters are little stinKers who learn to make right choices through their childhood  mistakes and who live by the motto “Always Be A Leader Of Good’.  StinkyKids is an innovative brand that appeals to parents for the values it represents and appeals to kids because the characters are real kids getting into real mischief. 

Since inception, StinkyKids donates a percentage of its profits to Books, Bears, and Bonnets, Inc. (www.booksbearsbonnets.org), a charity founded in honor of Britt’s aunt who died from uterine cancer.  Books, Bears and Bonnets, Inc. delivers gift boxes to children and adults fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Here is a press release that I have finally found the time to share with everyone.  I am so proud and honored to work with Rob and his team at Stone America!!  They are helping make 2010 a new beginning for me and my other StinkyKids pals.  Check out how cool this is……

New York, NY January 5, 2010

Stone America Licensing (www.stoneamerica.com), one of the nation’s leading licensing firms, announced today the company has been appointed exclusive licensing agent by Britt Menzies, creator of StinkyKids (www.stinkykids.com), and Atlanta-based company.

StinkyKids are a group of 10 diverse little stinKers who learn to make right choices through the mistakes that we all make as kids and who live by the motto ‘Always be a leader of good’ and help encourage positvie principles in children’s lives in a playful manner that kids love.

StinkyKids plush line recently seen in the Toy Book and Toy Book.com (www.toybook.com) as a featured property for 2010 has been a huge success at all 110 Nordstrom stores as well as Nordstrom.com (www.nordstrom.com) and FAO Schwarz New York (www.fao.com).   Re orders on sold out inventory are now being fulfilled.

‘We are proud to work alongside Britt to represent the little stinKers’, said Robert Stone, President of Stone America. “StinkyKids is the best kept secret of 2009 and will be the talk of the industry this upcoming year.  With the plush line already a hit at retail, StinkyKids will inevitably give their licensees the opportunity to share in the success of these adorable and highly sought after characters.”

“Stone America’s experience with classic, high-profile brands makes them a natural choice to represent the merchandise licensing for StinkyKids.  I am confident that Stone America will maintain the integrity and values of StinkyKids while helping us bring these incredible characters to a wider audience,” said Britt Menzies, CEO of StinkyKids, LLC.

Well I finally fell asleep the other night and had wonderful dreams about my new adventures.  When I woke up, I actually felt like my life was going to change!!

My meeting was a HUGE success and I will be flying to my home town, New York next week to meet my new ‘GodParents’ (I am referring to them as ‘GodParents’ because they are going to help take care of my little stinKers and make them the best that they can be.  They are actually business partners, more later)

So I thought that today I would share a little bit about the history of my StinkyKids.  Not the part where my daughter Emma asked me to paint her as a ballerina which led to the whole evolution of StinkyKids, but the history of when my drawings became characters with personalities.

When I first started StinkyKids, it was a tee shirt business featuring 6 of my adorable characters.  I had actually painted about 15 characters and laid them all out on my dining room table so that my friends and family could pick their 6 favorite ones.  After tallying up the votes, I had 6 characters, 4 girls and 2 boys, ready to make tee shirts featuring these favorites.

Little did anyone know when they were choosing their favorite characters, that I had named them after my friends and family based on who the character resembled.  So at the end of the voting, here is who made the cut…

StinkyKid Jen, StinkyKid Britt, StinkyKid Max, StinkyKid Johnny, StinkyKid Joey and StinkyKid Julie.

Now, when I named the characters at this point in the evolution of StinkyKids, it was only for inventory tracking purposes.  But, as we all know today, their was a reason why I named them but at that time, the reason was not clear yet.

StinkyKid Jen is named after my best friend.  She and I are very close and have shared many memories together.

We all know who StinkyKid Britt is named after (well you should as it is me, the creator of StinkyKids)

StinkyKid Max is named after my son and he is VERY special to me.  He is my world and is one of the most special kids I have ever met. (along with my daughter Emma)

StinkyKid Johnny is another one of my best friends who is one of the funniest guys and always enjoys a good time with his friends and family. 

StinkyKid Joey is my sister-in-law.  I have known her since I was 18 years old (she was 16) and we have shared so many adventures together that have led us to not only become family members but dear friends. (PS Joey is nickname for Joanne)

StinkyKid Julie, is my niece (Joey’s daughter) who is very special because we waited a long time for her to enter the world and now that she is here, she is an incredible little girl.

Just to set the records straight, I DID paint a StinkyKid Emma, my daughter, the original painting and I DID paint a StinkyKid Mark (my husband), however, they did not make the final cut and both of them were involved in the voting process.

After about 6 months of incredible sales, I added 2 more characters, StinkyKid Skye (named after a little girl in my daughter’s pre-school class) and StinkyKid Billy (named after my  daughter’s pre-school teacher who is a cancer survivor and to honor her, I named this character after her son) 

Then before I was featured on the TODAY SHOW, I added the last two characters, StinkyKid Hannah (named after a girl in my son’s class who loves ballet) and StinkyKid Trey (named after a little stinKer in my daughter’s pre-school, who does not sit still!!)

So there you have it, the history of the 10 lovable characters we now know as the StinkyKids.  Tomorrow, I will share wy we decided to bring these 10 characters to life and where we are today.  I hope to also have news about my new ‘GodParents’ tomorrow too.

Bye!! Love your StinkyKids..they’re so stinKin’ cute.

Not only am I the creator of StinkyKids, but I am a person who believes that things happen for a reason.  And tonight, is another situation that supports my belief.  And tonight is a great time to start my blog that I have been wanting to share with all you little stinKers, in hopes to inspire hard work to allow for your dreams to come true.  Things happen for a reason and here is what happened tonight…

I have been dying to see the movie Julie&Julia for a very long time (well, since it first came out in the theaters) but never was able to find the time.  I knew nothing about the movie except that it stared two of my favorite actresses, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.  But things happen for a reason.

Tonight I decided that I was going to enjoy this movie that I have been looking forward in seeing and it was a good night to do so as I knew I would have trouble falling asleep (as you can see from this entry as it is midnight and I am awake and writing).

I knew I would have trouble falling asleep because tomorrow is a HUGE day for StinkyKids and my family.  Tomorrow is the day that I am close to finalizing a contract that will make all of my hard work, dedication and passion towards these lovable characters known as the StinkyKids become the success that it deserves and the success I always knew in my gut that we would achieve.

As I am watching Julie& Julia, I quickly realize that this movie is so closely related to my story as the creator of StinkyKids.  Julie started cooking and blogging from the sure love of writing and wanting to create.  And Julia did the same from the desire to want more out of her life and wrote a book that was unconventional but she KNEW was going to be a HUGE hit, if someone would just believe in her.  This is so my story!!!  And tomorrow, is my day that just like Julie&Julia, I will celebrate my dedication to create a brand that inspires kids to ‘Always be a leader of good.’

At the end of the movie (sorry to ruin the ending if you have not seen the movie), Julie receives calls from editors, press and fans which changes her life from that moment and Julia receives a copy of her published book after years of only dreaming that day would come.  Things happen for a reason, and there is definitely a reason why tonight, I decided it was time to watch this incredible movie, a movie that would support all of my own hard work and belief in my passion, on the night before the day that will change my life and give StinkyKids the success that these 10 little stinKers will enjoy sharing with their fans.

So, with all of this said, I am now inspired to write my blog and share my journey from this day forward, in making StinkyKids a household name and a brand that celebrates childhood from generation to generation.  StinkyKid Britt’s blog will include an eclectic array of stories from meeting each of the StinkyKids characters, to learning about the new exciting opportunities that StinkyKids achieves, to sharing my own journey as the creator of a brand (which I call the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship) and my hope, is that everyone will get something out of my stories and realize that there was a reason for enjoying the world of StinkyKids and reading my blog.

Love your StinkyKids, they’re so stinKin’ cute!!  Good Night.

My name is StinkyKid Jen.  I thought it would be fun to learn more about me and find out what new adventures I am enjoying with my StinkyKids friends.

I am the princess of the StinkyKids.  I love ballet and my Best Friend (BFF) is StinkyKid Britt. I was adopted as a baby and have very special parents.

I love to dance to all types of music, especially the kind that I can do my special twirls.  One of my favorite foods are strawberries and sharing them with my friends is really fun.

When I grow up, I want to be a mommy who sings and dances in Broadway shows.  I love to perform on stage and hear all of the clapping from my friends and family in the audience.

I am very proud of my ‘Leader Of Good’ quality of healthy mind and body.  I help my friends choose yummy growing foods and teach them new dance steps to keep them exercising.  We have a lot of fun and our parents are proud of us.

Guess what!!  You will get to read about the Stinkykids adventures in our first ever story called – The StinkyKids and the Runaway Scissors.  The story features my friends StinkyKid Max, Hannah, Julie and Britt and they have lots of fun and learn great lessons together.  I cannot wait for you to read it!!

Check back here at www.stinkykids.comto learn more about the first StinkyKids adventure book as well as enjoy hearing from the other StinkyKids characters.  My BFF StinkyKid Britt will be writing next time.

Eat your growing food and have fun!!  And remember to ‘Always Be A Leader Of Good’.

You can read more about StinkyKid Jen on her page.  Just click the link below and enjoy.

http://www.stinkykids.com/category/stinkykids-bios/

The StinkyKids feature is on page 89 which describes our brands mission to expand into many product categories as well as publishing and animation.   We believe that licensing is our goal to take StinkyKids global and continue on our journey of making StinkyKids a household name.

As the article states..’StinkyKids is looking to expand as a property into many licensing opportunities as well as partnering with a company to produce the animated series and book series.  A first espisode has been written and there are 12 more story lines ready to go.’

Here is the link to the on line version of the magazine. 

http://content.yudu.com/A17u2r/TotalLicSum09/