Welcome to the Manaverse Podcast
The Manaverse Podcast is where we explore what it takes to build a successful friendly local game store! Since 2015, I’ve been interviewing a wide variety of game store owners and industry professionals doing some really interesting things in the world of trading cards, minis, games, and more.
If you want to learn how some of the best game retailers in North America have built their businesses and local communities up from the ground floor, you’ve come to the right place!
MVP074: When To Give Up And When To Push Through
Sometimes you reach a point in your business where you begin to question whether or not the whole endeavor is worth the effort. You face a crossroads where you can either choose to quit and walk away, or push through the tough times in hopes that good times are on the...
MVP073: Round Table – The Rise Of D&D And The Impending Doom Of Magic
The first episode of the Round Table is back after 8 months. The whole gang returns to discuss the recent developments in the industry including the rise of D&D. Roleplaying popularity is surging and for the guys, driving sales in store despite being offered on...
MVP072: The Gamer’s Paradox And Dealing With Burnout
Everyone gets burnt out every once in a while. The question is what to do about it when it happens. Even gaming can become exhausting and stressful once you make it your profession, and that's the path a game store owner must walk. So in this return episode of the...
MVP071: Round Table – Distribution… It’s Not Just The Games That Are Analog, It’s The Industry
John Coviello (Little Shop of Magic) and Gary Sproul (The Haunted Game Cafe) join me to discuss every retailer's favorite topic: dealing with distributors and figuring out your supply chain. If you want to run a game store, you need to have games to sell and the only...
MVP070: Round Table – MTG Arena And Counterfeit Games
The round table is back. John Coviello (Little Shop of Magic), Wayne Mittlesteadt (Dueling Grounds), and Gary Sproul (The Haunted Game Cafe) join me to discuss two things: Wotc's new digital offering MTG Arena and the impact of counterfeit games on the industry. In...
MVP069: 3 Growth Hacks For Your Game Store That You Can Implement Today
Learn about the three growth hacks that you can implement in your game business today that can potentially lead to exponential growth. Discover how to build in a viral component into your events and your offers that will make your customers want to bring their friends...
MVP068: The Future Of MTG E-Commerce
Nate Petersen is the owner of Backstage Hobbies and Games, West Michigan's premier vintage Video Game, Board Game, and Trading Card Game store. This episode isn't just a feature on Nate's game store in Michigan. Nate is also the Director of Retail Operations at ION...
MVP067: The New Dueling Grounds
Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast. Wayne Mittelstaedt is back on the podcast for a one on one interview and we're going deep into the trials and tribulations of a major business move. Wayne shares a ton of valuable lessons and insights that he has...
MVP066: How To Build A Winning Team
Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast. We've got a great show for you today because today the whole round table is here to talk about finding and hiring the right people so you can build a team that helps you grow your game business.Wayne Mittlesteadt is...
MVP065: Personal Development And Tools For Success
This is the third episode in the series where we're exploring the question "If a game store wants to grow their game store business today, what should they do?" If you haven't listened to the previous episodes of this series, I recommend you go and do that before...