30 Years of Building

Brad Pedersen is an award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, author, and coach. In 2008, he founded and scaled one of Canada’s leading toy companies, eventually merging it to co-found Basic Fun, the company behind the iconic brands: Lite-Brite, Tonka, and Care Bears. 

He exited that venture and went on to co-found Pela, a sustainable smart device protection company that created a completely new product category in the $20B sector, attracting interest and investment from globally renowned icons including Jay-Z.

In 2021, Brad and the team at Pela launched Lomi, the world’s first electronic kitchen composter. The product raised a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign and helped define the emerging Smart Waste category.

In 2023, Brad released his book Startup Santa, sharing hard-earned lessons from his 30-year entrepreneurial journey. From toys to impact-driven ventures, the book explores what it means to move beyond traditional achievement, learning to live a more connected and purposeful life. It also served as the catalyst for launching Full Spectrum, a carefully curated mastermind designed for accomplished business leaders, exploring what it means to build wealth beyond money; by building deeper connections, developing more meaning in the work they do and making greater impact by using their resources as a force for good.

Brad’s life today is shaped by his commitment to his partner Kelly, pursuing personal growth,  deepening his faith, and pursuing vitality through several outdoor pursuits. He is the proud father of two incredible children, Bretton and Megan, who reside in Toronto. Brad and his wife live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, surrounded by lakes, vineyards and mountains where they are intentional about designing an adventurous and fulfilling life. 

The Inflection Point

The backcountry of BC is my favourite place on the planet for recreation.

I was cleaning out my closet on New Year's Day.

Buried in a box I hadn't opened in years.

A journal from 2009.

I sat down and started reading.

2009 was a hard year. I had just bankrupted my first company for the second time ….and was starting over from nothing.

The entries were raw.

Fear.

Scarcity.

Uncertainty.

But there was a list of goals. Bold ones. The kind you only write when you have nothing left to lose.

As I read through that list, I realized I had accomplished almost everything on it.

We had built one of Canada's top toy companies, then merged it to co-found Basic Fun — nine figures in revenue, over a hundred staff, and five offices around the world selling iconic toy brands:

In 2017 I exited the business. Every financial goal I had ever set — hit. An opportunity to live the life I had always dreamed of.

I celebrated my newfound freedom for a short while.

Then something strange happened:

I didn't feel the way I thought I would.

MY F8 VALUES

I believe a truly abundant life is built by investing intentionally across the full spectrum of who we are mean’t to be. This includes our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.

These are the eight values I direct my time, attention and energy toward. The first four are foundational and require daily care. The last four are flexible but still require regular investment. Take a look at the list and sit with your own question: what are the values in my life that require my time and attention?

That is the topic that we explore in Full Spectrum

Explore Full Spectrum

1. Faith

2. Family

3. Fitness

4. Finances

5. reFining

6. Friends

7. Fun

8. Freedom

Startup Santa is the story of how I built and scaled one of Canada's top toy companies — and what that wild, humbling ride taught me about business, resilience, and the kind of life worth building.

It is not a theory book. It is a playbook built from real wins, real losses, and thirty years of scar tissue.

If you want to understand how I think before taking the next step, this is where to start.

STARTUP SANTA

GET YOUR FREE FIRST CHAPTER HERE!
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on Amazon Canada

What People Are Saying…

  • "Learn from someone I consider to be the best at living life full out! Brad Pedersen is an extraordinary individual who embraces the humility, wisdom, and courage needed to be the great leader and success he has become in business and in life.”

    Darren Hardy, Founding Publisher SUCCESS & International Bestselling Author

  • “Brad Pedersen is one of the most mission driven, category creating entrepreneurs I’ve met. Startup Santa is a legendary present founders can give themselves and their friends.”

    Christoper Lochhead 11x #1 bestselling coAuthor of Category Pirates, Play Bigger & Niche Down

  • "You need to read this book. Brad's advice has made me millions. You won't find these frameworks or approaches anywhere else. It's a book that stands above the rest."

    Dan Martell, Founder of SaaS Academy and #1 Walls Street Journal Bestselling Author of Buy Back Your Time

  • I have watched Brad use a combination of imagination, discipline, and continuous learning to not only build several successful businesses but also to build up countless people. Now he is opening up his playbook so that entrepreneurs everywhere can learn and <b>understand the building blocks of a successful life and business</b>. Thank you, Brad!

    Misty Lown, Founder & CEO of More Than Just Great Dancing® and #1 Bestselling Author of One Small Yes

  • "Santa only delivers presents once a year but the Startup Santa has gifts that will keep on giving to you and your business for many years to come! I recommend you unwrap a copy and start reading today!"

    Joey Coleman, Wall Street Journal best selling author of Never Lose a Customer Again

  • "If you were looking for a campfire to sit around and hear sage wisdom on life and business, you'd want to pick the one wth Brad Pedersen. This book delivers that wisdom from a leader with the battle scars to prove it, but with a thoughtful tone. Grab it, find a campfire, and download the wisdom from a legend."

    Todd Herman, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Alter Ego Effect & Entrepreneur

  • "This is a terrific read. Some author's give advice; Brad Pedersen distills wisdom for life with his words."

    Dave Liniger Founder, Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of Remax

  • "One of the signs of a true entrepreneur is the ability to get off the canvas when you get knocked down, finish the fight and shake hands with your opponent, learn life’s lessons and get ready for the next battle. Brad is that person. I know because I put him on the canvas and watched him get up and shake my hand. He’s a friend to this day."

    Jay Foreman, Co-Founder and CEO Basic Fun

  • "Scaling even a single business into a multi-million-dollar success is a life-defining achievement—and Brad Pedersen has done it several times. In Start Up Santa, Brad shares lessons from a career of entrepreneurial ingenuity—from bootstrapping in his basement to building a toy empire and ultimately creating a sustainability-driven company. I’ve known Brad for years and always learn something when I talk to him—his hard-earned, valuable lessons in this book can help you unlock your full potential and achieve fulfillment in your life and career.”

    Robert Glazer, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of Elevate and Founder and Chairman of Acceleration Partners

  • “I am a super consumer of counseling, journaling and reading business books so I can design an exponential future. Yet, Startup Santa has taken me on a mental journey of insight and epiphanies unlike any other. I loved playing Monopoly as a kid, but I never knew why until now. I never realized the games and toys I loved as a child would be so informative of who I am and who I was meant to be, both as a consultant, author and entrepreneur. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and go on the journey with Brad Pedersen, the Toymaker from the North“

    Eddie Yoon, Founder and best selling Author of Super Consumers & Category Pirates

  • "Many of my greatest business lessons are a result of Brad’s mistakes. It’s a fresh take in a world where every book on business feels the same. This one is different. Brad has done a masterful job of blending the power and necessity of creativity with the reality of the hard knocks you’re bound to experience when you set out to build something meaningful."

    Matthew Bertulli Co-Founder and CEO of Pela

  • "Brad Pedersen really knows his stuff. If you have decided to be a life long learner, constantly looking to grow and improve, this is your chance to learn directly from a master toy maker!"

    Adam Contos, Retired CEO of RE/MAX and author of Start With A Win

  • “ Startup Santa was a joy to read, as it rekindled fond childhood memories while sharing important lessons. I would highly recommend this book to founders seeking to learn from someone who has experienced firsthand the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial journey. Brad is one of the wisest entrepreneurs I know and I love how he uses timeless toys to share business wisdom through the power of play!”

    Kristi Herold, Founder & CEO of JAM, Best-selling Author of “It Pays to PLAY - How Play Improves Business Culture”

  • "This is a story of how everyone can use their imagination, curiosity and creativity to literally transform the world. Brad Pedersen is the real Start Up Santa and will inspire you to live your best life.”

    Anthony DiMarco, Entrepreneur and High-Performance CEO Coach

  • "There are a gazillion entrepreneurship books out there, but I've never read one that so closely examines the toy industry—in all its creative joys and unrecyclable faults. Brad has shed light on a niche we all know and love, but rarely think hard about. Some of our fondest memories growing up are rooted in the toys we got for Christmas, or our birthday. But it was shocking for me to learn how many of those toys end up in a trash pit just a few months later. If you are an entrepreneur, a builder, or an investor, read this book. It will change the way you think about creating things that really, truly matter."

    Nicolas Cole, 8x Author and Cofounder of Ship 30 for 30, Category Pirates, and Digital Press

  • "There is no single incident that made Brad into the incredible leader he is today. In this story we watch the progression of someone from humble beginnings, who endures significant adversity and because of his deep commitment to family and faith, becomes a highly respected business and thought leader. Brad 's commitment to excellence, adventure and mastery shine through the pages of this uniquely written book.”

    Don Cameron Former Toy Executive Walmart

  • "Learn from Brad's mistakes so that you do not have to learn them on your own. Brad's vulnerability in this book is revealed in several helpful lessons, that if applied to your life, will help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey."

    Harold Chizick - Founder and former CEO of ChizComm

  • "Brad is one of the most dynamic and insightful entrepreneurs I have ever met. The same courage that caused him to launch new products & businesses is on display here as he honestly shares the good (and often painful) lessons he has learned along the way."

    Vijay Krishnan, former Executive at Recipe Brands Unltd, Lead Pastor @ The Well

  • "A literary masterpiece! Brad Pedersen is a thoughtful and inspiring author who shares with us important principles that are critical to building a successful life and business."

    Jody Steinhauer, President & Founder of The Bargains Group, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of Success Mindsets

  • "Brad Pedersen’s own story is unique and has many of the ups and downs that most entrepreneurs encounter when trying to build their business. Brad survived and thrived. His story tells us how with some imagination, curiosity and creativity it’s possible to be transformative. Brad Pedersen is the real Startup Santa and will inspire you to live your best life."

    Tom Kennedy, Chairman Kensington Capital Partners Limited