The Bratz dolls were originally developed by Carter Bryant in 2001. He created the prototype for the Bratz dolls cloe as a way to give girls a more diverse set of fashion choices than just Barbie. The prototype included three characters: Yasmin, Cloe and Sasha who were later given different ethnicities and personalities to match their backgrounds and clothes. Bryant then pitched his concept of Bratz to companies like Mattel, but he did not receive any offers for the rights to produce them.
The story does not end there, though. Bryant had connections with the toy company MGA Entertainment and they loved his concept after seeing it at one of their conventions in 2002.
MGA Entertainment was one of the most successful toy companies in America during the 1980s and 1990’s. The company was started by toy maven Michael Godwin who also founded the Toy Manufacturers Association and established the first National Toy Hall of Fame in 1975. MGA Entertainment employed a large staff of experts, graphic designers, sculptors, model makers, animators and sales people to create dolls. Bryant was recruited to become MGA Entertainment’s new CEO with Godwin’s blessing.
Bryant had a goal in mind when he joined MGA Entertainment:
It created his own successful franchise. His final touches on the Bratz dolls included adding glasses for style, giving them tattoos and eyelashes, and designing the doll’s faces to be more cat-like. This helped the dolls become a big hit with young girls with their funky clothes and accessories.
Bryant sold his shares of MGA Entertainment in 2006 to Isaac Larian, who became the company president. The success of Bratz dolls led to a string of popular adventures including Bratz Babyz, Bratz Horse Riders, Bratz Petz and Bratz Kidz. MGA Entertainment also created a movie based on the characters which was released in 2007.
Today, MGA Entertainment has increased their profit margins and is considered one of the largest toy companies in America. They also have their own chain of stores called Shop MGA with more than 400 outlets in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
The success of Bratz dolls is attributed to Bryant’s diligence, his connections with high-ranking officials in the toy industry, his experience and intuition about what young girls wanted from their dolls, and most importantly, his vision for a unique fashion sense in girls.
He believed that it was time for girls to have an alternative choice besides Barbie to carry out playtime as a fashionista like them.
For that reason, he developed the Bratz doll with a unique look and style to match his concept.
Carter Bryant is now CEO of the toy company Playmates Toys and responsible for turning the Playmates brand from a small player into a giant international toy company. Bryant’s success story demonstrates that perseverance, faith in your vision and a little bit of good luck can lead to great achievements in life.
Carter Bryant is currently working on developing his own self-help book called How Bratz Dolls Were Developed . He is known for his intelligence, good looks, personal character and spirit of entrepreneurship which has earned him respect from many people.
Carter Bryant told me that he liked the idea of creating a fashion doll and then turning it into a business. He said, “I have always been interested in fashion and wanted to create something that would appeal to young girls.” He added, “For a very long time, I wanted to make things like this myself. You don’t need millions of dollars to do what you want.” His ideas started at a very young age and by the time he was in his teenage years, he had sold his first toy designs at the Boy’s Club of America’s convention for $100 each.
Bratz dolls were initially turned down by several major toy companies but Bryant pushed for his concept, and his efforts finally paid off with the Bratz dolls. Bryant says that people must never allow initial failures to deter them from achieving their goals:
“When something seems unattainable, don’t get discouraged. You have to be tenacious and determined to pursue your goals. If you have the passion and determination, there are many ways to achieve what you want.” He advised that people should not let their problems interfere with their daily lives or business relationships: “Don’t let anything distract you from your life’s mission. If you do, people will doubt your ability.”
Although Bryant’s first goal was to create a new fashion doll for young girls, it had the potential to become a multi-million dollar business. He realized that his approach would be different from other toy companies as many of them relied on having their own ideas and styles when developing new products. Bryant says that it’s important to see the big picture and not get distracted by details or petty issues: “You can’t let things like what other people think influence you. If you are too worried about what others are thinking about you, then you will never succeed.”
Later on in life, Bryant became an entrepreneur with his own toy company called Playmates Toys which he founded in 1990.
