Snugshine’s Jonathan Ganley on bringing comfort and character to bedtime with Glimmer the Glowing Unicorn

Jonathan, it’s great to catch up. Talk us through the origins of Snugshine – and do you have a background in toys?
While I’ve never worked directly in the toy industry, I’ve spent my career building and consulting on brands across entertainment, retail, airlines and consumer products. I’ve always been fascinated – okay, maybe a bit geekily obsessed! – with how characters and brands connect emotionally with people, especially kids and families. After years of helping others shape their brands, I had a strong desire to finally walk the walk and build something of my own.

I’d seen friends launching their own brands directly on Amazon and thought: ‘Why not combine that model with what I love most – storytelling, characters and that magical feeling of childhood wonder?’ That’s when I found Sharon, an Amazon expert through and through, but also an incredible product developer with years of experience and instinct in buckets.

We clicked straight away and knew very quickly how well we worked together. I’m a big believer in fate, and honestly, it felt like we were meant to meet. We’re proud to be co-founders of Snugshine, and from day one, it’s been a true partnership. We’ve developed everything together: the characters, the storybooks, the product ideas…

One thing that really unites us is our shared obsession with brand; not just what it looks like, but how it makes people feel. We’re not here to churn out products; we’re here to build a meaningful, character-led brand that families can truly connect with. That’s what drives us every single day.

We’re not some big corporate machine; it’s literally the two of us doing almost everything. Sharon brings incredible product intuition and creative spark, and I bring structure, brand-building and character experience, along with a get-things-done mindset. It’s a true yin-and-yang dynamic, and it works. It can be a rollercoaster literally doing everything, but I love the creative freedom we have to try things, test ideas, and build something with real heart.

Fantastic. And what was the spark that led to the creation of Glimmer the Glowing Unicorn?
We wanted to create something joyful, comforting and imaginative, especially around bedtime – which can be a tricky time for both kids and parents. There are already some great therapeutic brands out there, but many of them can feel a little clinical or overly serious. We saw a chance to do something different: emotionally supportive products that still feel magical, playful and full of character.

We want every child to feel special, and every parent to feel supported, all with our very own Snugshine twist.

Terrific. And talk me through what comes in this set?
Glimmer is our first UK launch – having previously successfully launched another product in the US – and she’s designed as a full day-to-night experience for children. By day, she’s a soft, huggable companion, perfect for cuddles, calm, and imaginative play. By night, she gently glows in the dark with no batteries needed, offering quiet reassurance when the lights go out. That emotional shift from daytime energy to the stillness of bedtime is something we really wanted to support through both story and product.

The set includes Glimmer the Glowing Unicorn herself, alongside a beautifully illustrated picture book – written by us – that tells her empowering story, and a special note from Glimmer to the child. That note isn’t just a keepsake, it’s written in Glimmer’s voice and draws on real moments from her story, helping children feel like Glimmer has stepped out of the book and into their world. It also includes her bedtime mantra: “I am brave, I am strong, with Glimmer here, nothing’s wrong.”

We also include a mini projector torch, which adds two layers of magic to the bedtime routine. First, it lets kids project scenes from the book onto the wall or ceiling, turning their room into part of Glimmer’s world. Second, it gives a gentle boost of light to “recharge” Glimmer’s glow, perfect if a child wakes in the night and needs a little extra comfort.

Every element is designed to work together, to bring comfort, connection, and just the right amount of magic to those everyday family moments, especially at bedtime.

Can you talk us through the development and design process behind Glimmer?
From the very start, we knew we wanted to create a character that brought light, both literally and emotionally, to children at night and was huggable both during the day and at night. The glow-in-the-dark idea came from Sharon, and once we started exploring it, the unicorn just made sense. It was the perfect embodiment of magic, wonder, and comfort. It clicked straight away.

We write all of the stories ourselves, so every word is ours. The books are where the characters truly come to life, and we wanted Glimmer’s story to be as thoughtful and heartfelt as the plush itself. Together, we crafted her personality, story arc, and bedtime mantra to create a full emotional experience for kids that they could come back to night after night.

We were really clear that Glimmer needed to support the full transition from day to night. She’s designed to be with children throughout the day, encouraging play and imagination and then transform at night into a glowing comforter who helps them feel safe and calm. That day-to-night journey is absolutely core to her design.

We worked closely with a brilliant illustrator for the book and created detailed spec sheets for our manufacturers to bring Glimmer to life in plush form. We went through multiple prototypes to get the shape just right and after the first design review, we completely changed the body to make her even more huggable. Comfort was everything.

Then came the glow. We tested different materials and treatments to get that soft, gentle, safe glow that felt magical without using any batteries or hard components. We had Glimmers in our washing machines, lined up on windowsills at night. At times, our homes felt like a magical unicorn runway crossed with a product testing lab! But that’s the care and thought we put into everything because we know these products are going into children’s hands, bedrooms and routines.

Absolutely. It sounds like no stone was left unturned!
We’re obsessed with details, from the stars in her eyes and heart-shaped nostrils to the rainbow on one side of her body and a shooting star on the other. We even included a hidden torch pocket, partly because every parent knows the chaos of something going missing at bedtime, and partly because it offered an added sense of security for the child, knowing the torch is always safely tucked away. It’s one of those little details that kills two birds with one stone, and like every element in the set, it’s something we designed ourselves with both kids and parents in mind.

And we didn’t just guess. We researched the category like our lives depended on it, reading thousands of Amazon reviews, spending hours on Etsy and Pinterest, joining parenting Facebook groups… We became full-time product detectives. Combined with Sharon’s deep experience in the category and where to find the clues, that research gave us a strong foundation to design from insight, not assumption.

At its heart, Glimmer is the result of storytelling and deep thought. We didn’t want to just create a plush and a book, we wanted to build a character that grows with a child and a day-to-night experience that adds real joy, calm and magic to family life.

And being new to toys, how have you found navigating the industry?
We’re definitely not from the traditional toy world, so in many ways, we’ve approached things from a different angle. Our route to market is Amazon-first, with Shopify as our brand home and retail partnerships on the horizon. That means I’ve had to learn fast, from safety standards and packaging requirements to all the intricacies of physical product development – and Amazon itself, which is a whole beast of its own!

Thankfully, Sharon knows this world inside out. Her experience in product development and eCommerce has been invaluable. A great example is the torch – it took us six months to find one that was truly safe for children. And honestly, it’s still eye-watering how many products on the market don’t appear to meet basic safety standards. We never cut corners. If it’s going into a child’s hands, we want to be 100% confident that it’s right.

I’ve had exposure to many lovely people in the licensing and consumer products world from the entertainment side, working with content teams to build out franchises, and Sharon has spent years developing and launching products across multiple categories. So together, we’ve brought a mix of different industry awareness and fresh thinking.

We think in stories, in characters, in how children build emotional connections and how parents may need help. We obsess over every touchpoint, from the unboxing experience to the bedtime mantra. That attention to detail helps us stand out, or as we like to say, gives us our “Snugshine twist” as we begin to navigate the more traditional side of the toy industry.

If there’s one message we hope people take away from our journey, it’s this: you don’t need a big team, a massive budget or a traditional path to do something meaningful. It really is possible to build something joyful and impactful with just two people, a big dream, and a touch of Glimmer.

Looking ahead, what other launches are in the pipeline for Snugshine? And do you see different launches tackling different needs?
Absolutely. Glowy the Dog was actually our first character, which we launched in the US. He’s a super-soft, glow-in-the-dark weighted lap pad designed to help with calm, focus, and sensory support. He’s been a huge hit with families across the pond, especially for kids who benefit from a bit of grounding throughout the day.

Glimmer was the natural evolution; still comforting, but more huggable, more magical, and focused on making bedtime feel safe and special, particularly for kids who might be scared of the dark. With Glimmer, we really leaned into creating a full character-led experience that blends story, product, and emotion.

We’re now expanding Glimmer’s world with activity books, colouring books and creative products that kids can enjoy during the day, not just at night and we’re looking to grow her into new categories as her franchise evolves.

And yes… We’ve got a brand-new character coming soon! We can’t share too much just yet, but he’s more energetic than the others and let’s just say, he comes with an even bigger twist. He’s designed for both day and night, and he’s super fun and very, very cute.

Snugshine is now growing into a full universe, a family of characters that each bring something unique, but always stay true to the same core values: happy, fun, magical, comforting, and bright.

Before we wrap up, what fuels your creativity? What helps you have ideas?
Honestly, we’re both just naturally curious, hopeful people. We love helping others, spotting potential and bringing something new into the world. That’s what fuels our creativity, this belief that things can be better, kinder, more magical.

We’re always thinking, imagining, tweaking and testing. It never really switches off but in the best possible way. That drive is something we both share and it’s what brings us together as such a strong creative team. Sharon and I definitely have a different approach to creativity, and I genuinely believe that’s where our worlds unite and we create our twist.

Sharon’s a mum, so she’s constantly tuned in to the real emotional and practical needs of kids and parents. She notices the little details in everyday family life, often ones I’d miss, and brings this brilliant blend of playfulness and practicality to everything we make. I’ve always been drawn to stories and characters, especially ones that connect deeply with people. Together, we bring our different strengths and perspectives into one shared creative vision.

We also get so much energy and inspiration from the people who buy our products. Whether it’s a review that says ‘sleep saviour’ or a message from a parent saying: ‘This was our best Christmas gift this year’, that feedback means everything to us. It reminds us why we’re doing this and it fuels us to keep dreaming, growing, and creating.

And creativity for us isn’t just in the toys, it’s about emotional connection, shared rituals, and everyday magic. It’s about making something that brings joy to a child and makes life a little easier for the parent. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that creativity, care, and a spark of belief can take you a very long way. It’s exactly those things that carry you through all the twists and turns of building your own kids’ brand.

Absolutely. Thanks again Jonathan – and good luck for what’s next!

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