Podcasts Archives - Manaverse Saga

MVP165: The Secret Lantern – Why Community Is Not a Marketing Strategy at This Game Store

Thomas Traplin — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:20:27 +0000

"For us, community is not a marketing strategy. It is literally part of our operating model." If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to turn a bookstore and game store into a place people never want to leave, this conversation is packed with answers. Dianna runs The Secret Lantern Books and Games in Cedar Park, Texas. She shares the real story behind finding the location, launching the business, learning brick-and-mortar ownership on the fly, and deciding to create more than a store - a community hub where misfits can feel welcome, curious, and brave enough to try something new. We talk about: Why “community” is part of the operating model, not just a slogan How Dianna uses store vibes and customer experience to make newcomers feel safe The scrappy, bootstrapped realities of running a bookstore, game store, and cafe at once Why special orders, recurring programming, and staff connection matter more than chasing every trend How she supports everything from D&D and Warhammer to tarot, embroidery, improv, and friendship meetups We also get into the practical side of running events at scale, from ticket tiers and private games to room bookings, bundles, and the difference a flexible system can make when your calendar is packed. Dianna explains why reducing friction for staff and customers frees the team to focus on the real goal: creating experiences people actually want to repeat. If you care about indie retail, hobby spaces, customer loyalty, or building a business that feels human instead of transactional, this episode is for you. Dianna’s approach is thoughtful, honest, and refreshingly practical. Links https://thesecretlantern.com https://solo.to/thesecretlantern https://eventforge.online/ If you liked this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, help out the show by leaving a five star review on iTunes! Reviews help new listeners discover the show! For more episodes just like this one, check out the rest of the […]

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MVP164: Brass Dragon Games – Building a Game Store Around People, Not Product

Thomas Traplin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:40:57 +0000

Opening a game store is easy to romanticize. Running one is where the real lessons begin. In this episode, I talk with Trey MacCampbell, owner of Brass Dragon Games, about what he’s learned in the first seven months of running a tabletop game store. We cover why rent can’t be your biggest expense, how customers […]

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MVP163: Tariffs, Trade, and the Future of Tabletop

Thomas Traplin — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:06:52 +0000

In this revealing episode, Lynn Potyen from The Game Board and Price Johnson of Cephalofair Games discuss the hidden crisis of tariffs impacting the tabletop games industry. Discover how sudden trade policies and tariff chaos are causing layoffs, delaying products, and threatening the future of the tabletop industry across America. Lynn and Price share practical steps for store owners, game publishers, and businesses at every tier of the industry, as well as consumers to push for transparency and reform. They highlight the importance of grassroots advocacy and collective action through campaigns like We Pay the Tariffs. Links https://www.wepaythetariffs.com/ If you liked this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, help out the show by leaving a five star […]

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MVP162: Mastering Your Store’s Google Business Profile with Bill Hibbler

Thomas Traplin — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:00:27 +0000

“Google Business Profile is where your store’s introduction is made” What would the impact of having 100 extra potential customers walk into your store each month be? People who are interested in the games and products you have to sell. How would that affect your cash flow and bottom line? What about 500? 1000? Unless […]

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MVP161: Q5 – The Secret Shopping Surge After the Holidays

Thomas Traplin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:09:18 +0000

Google calls Q5 a ‘distinct, high-value shopping season,’ and their data is fascinating which is why I wanted to talk about it. But the magic here goes way beyond Google ads. Game stores can use this Q5 behavior across their entire business — events, email, merchandising, community building, all of it. So this episode is […]

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MVP160: Game Store Strategies for Black Friday Weekend

Thomas Traplin — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:43:53 +0000

In the continuation of our holiday series on the podcast (check out the first episode right here), today we're tackling one of the biggest weekends of the year, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is three days, four days technically, of pure intensity. Everyone is running promos, customers are hunting for deals, […]

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MVP159: Is Your FLGS Ready For Q4?

Thomas Traplin — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 16:24:04 +0000

Q4 is make-or-break for local game stores — but without a plan, the holiday rush can feel like chaos. In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I walk you through a simple Holiday Game Plan to help your store maximize sales, get in front of more customers, and stay sane this season. You’ll learn: Why […]

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MVP158: David Finn On The De Minimis Exemption Removal And Its Impact On Tabletop Games

Thomas Traplin — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 16:20:19 +0000

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, we delve into the significant changes in shipping to the US from the rest of the world due to the removal of the de minimis exemption. David Finn, the owner of Giga-Bites Tabletop Gaming Cafe and Bridge Distribution breaks down why this change might actually be good for […]

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MVP157: Cardmill – Scan. Sort. Done. – Behind the Scenes with Jonathan Domanus

Thomas Traplin — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:02:54 +0000

Cardmill—a compact, cost-effective card sorting device designed for everyday players and collectors of trading card games. Get a behind the scenes look at the CardMill and how Jonathan Domanus is working to make professional and efficient card sorters affordable and accessible to TCG collectors and stores around the world. The CardMill Kickstarter launches July 22, […]

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MVP156: SortSwift – The Ultimate TCG Ecosystem

Thomas Traplin — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:33:52 +0000

Mikah, the founder of SortSwift and MTech Cave, comes onto the Manaverse Podcast to talk about his journey from running a phone repair shop to building cutting-edge tools for the collectible card game industry. Mikah shares how his business evolved from selling Magic: The Gathering singles to creating a Kickstarter for card drawers that raised […]

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