www.thedollpreneurpodcast.com

What if a doll could tell the truth about who we are? We sit down with Dr. Eric Dupree—author of Dolls Beyond Play, cultural anthropologist, and lifelong collector—to uncover how dolls carry stories of identity, memory, and belonging across centuries. From nineteenth-century French fashion dolls that globalized taste to handmade folk pieces stitched from scraps, we trace how design choices around skin tone, features, and body shape both reflect and reshape culture.

Beneath it all is a call to honor folk traditions. Shaker, Amish, African American, and Appalachian dolls hold untold histories of resourcefulness and love, made from what was available to mirror what was desired. These pieces are not merely “mixed media figurative objects” but intimate records of families and communities. When we recognize that the doll most directly reflects its maker, we grant overdue dignity to the hands and lives behind them. Whether you collect for memory, create for meaning, or study for insight, treating dolls as cultural texts opens a fuller view of who we are—and how we want to be seen.

If you care about representation, creative entrepreneurship, or the lived meaning of objects, this conversation reframes dolls as cultural texts worth serious attention. Listen to learn how collectors buy from memory, how makers market with story, and how a small figure can carry a world of human experience.

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find the Dollpreneur Podcast.

Send us a text

Support the show

Thanks for joining us on The Dollpreneur™ Podcast! We hope you enjoyed the episode and feel inspired by our amazing guests and learn something new about the creative people within the doll community.

We would love for you to stay connected so please subscribe to us on Instagram, FB & our Youtube Channel all @thedollpreneurpodcast

You can also subcribe to The Dollpreneur™ Podcast newsletter by visiting our website The Dollpreneur™ Podcast to subscribe.

Until next time, have a Dollpreneur™ Fabulous Day!

www.thedollpreneurprodcast.com

Sometimes, art doesn’t just reflect us — it reaches for the parts of us we’ve hidden, forgotten, or been told to shrink.

In this conversation with, Zimbabwean artist Tina Vincent she shares how her plus-size paper mâché dolls became more than sculptures — they became mirrors of beauty, courage, and wholeness.

These captivating figures celebrate women of color with unapologetic confidence, showcasing diverse body types, skin tones, and attitudes that challenge conventional beauty standards. Rooted in tradition and wrapped in intention, Tina’s faceless figures speak to every woman who’s ever longed to be seen. Their curves tell stories. Their silence holds space. And their presence reminds us: you deserve to take up space — joyfully, fully, and without apology.

Vincent's artistic evolution unfolds beautifully as she shares how she overcame her initial reluctance toward three-dimensional work. What began as preparation for teaching high school sculpture blossomed into a profound artistic expression that resonates with women everywhere. Her deliberate choice to create faceless figures—inspired by Caribbean doll traditions—allows viewers to see themselves reflected in her work, creating an immediate emotional connection that transcends specific identities.

Join us as we talk about art, body love, and why it's perfectly okay to still be obsessed with dolls.

PS: Dollpreneurs (and creatives like us!) need wellness too! Because your art, your ideas, and your business deserve the energy to flow — not the burnout to stop you. Explore Dynamic Wellness — collagen, coffee, and clean supplements that fuel your glow, your health, and your hustle: dynamicwellness.vip

This podcast is sponsored by Vital Health Global and Dynamic Wellness

Send us a text

Support the show

Thanks for joining us on The Dollpreneur™ Podcast! We hope you enjoyed the episode and feel inspired by our amazing guests and learn something new about the creative people within the doll community.

We would love for you to stay connected so please subscribe to us on Instagram, FB & our Youtube Channel all @thedollpreneurpodcast

You can also subcribe to The Dollpreneur™ Podcast newsletter by visiting our website The Dollpreneur™ Podcast to subscribe.

Until next time, have a Dollpreneur™ Fabulous Day!

www.thedollpreneurpodcast.com

When her granddaughter wished she could hear bedtime stories every night, Annette Bentley-Smith turned that heartfelt moment into Storytime Plush Tales. On this episode, Annette shares how she created Kobe—a cuddly, tech-enabled companion that lets loved ones record stories, songs, and messages to comfort children from afar.

From helping her mother during a cancer battle to connecting families facing deployment or illness, Kobe is more than a toy—it’s a bridge across distance and time. Throughout our conversation, Annette also opens up about her journey as a solopreneur, the challenges of bringing an innovative product to market - from manufacturing setbacks and funding constraints to the persistent belief in her vision.

Her mother's wisdom "persistence beats resistance" carries her forward as she continues expanding the Kobe universe with new designs, features, and applications.

Discover how one grandmother’s love sparked an invention bringing families closer—one story at a time.

Send us a text

Support the show

Thanks for joining us on The Dollpreneur™ Podcast! We hope you enjoyed the episode and feel inspired by our amazing guests and learn something new about the creative people within the doll community.

We would love for you to stay connected so please subscribe to us on Instagram, FB & our Youtube Channel all @thedollpreneurpodcast

You can also subcribe to The Dollpreneur™ Podcast newsletter by visiting our website The Dollpreneur™ Podcast to subscribe.

Until next time, have a Dollpreneur™ Fabulous Day!