Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tori Garris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tori, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on yet has been a sweet, wholesome kids show called Torbee. I’m a devoted mom of two young kids, and I created Torbee to bring a sense of calm and simplicity to today’s fast-paced world of kids’ entertainment. The idea came from my own search for content that could help bridge the gap between screen time and playtime. When I couldn’t find the right fit, I decided to make it myself.

My background is in children’s entertainment – I’ve played fun roles like an Elf at Navy Pier for their Christmas season, Pinkalicious for a park district in Chicago, and Alice in Wonderland for a princess party company. Now, my passion for creating meaningful content for kids has come full circle. My goal with Torbee is to be a trusted resource that parents, teachers, and caregivers can turn to – something that truly engages and enriches the lives of children.

The other meaningful piece to this project has been the team we’ve built. Starting with our Executive Producer, Bryanna, and Director of Photography, Zach, they came alongside me in the beginning of 2023 and have built this show as passionately as I have. Without them, their skills, and their professionalism, this show would be lightyears behind where it is today. Between the three of us, we’ve built a team of about 30 professionals to bring Torbee to life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up always wanting to be a professional actress with the dream of living in my own studio apartment downtown Chicago, and ultimately New York City. I pursued a professional acting career shortly after high school while I was earning my Associate’s degree at a community college. I did live in a studio apartment in Chicago when I was 20, and I could see the Sears Tower from my little kitchen window! I worked as a professional actress for a few years and ultimately realized that it wasn’t the right path for me at that time, but I wasn’t sure what to do next, so I found my way in the corporate world for awhile.

When my husband and I moved to central Virginia with our son before Covid, I was still in the corporate environment and didn’t have the entertainment industry on my radar whatsoever. It wasn’t until my son and I were watching another kids show on repeat one December afternoon when my office had a Covid outbreak and I had the spark of a moment where I thought, “I could do that!”

While I hadn’t necessarily dreamed of doing kids content, as I started creating this show, it was so comfortable and easy to play the character and I realized I’d already done a handful of roles just like this before! Performing for kids was not new to me – I’d played Pinkalicious for a park district, Alice in Wonderland for a princess party company, and my favorite as an Elf for Navy Pier during Christmas in Chicago – and now you add the dynamic of being a parent myself so the passion for doing everything in a way that kids and parents would both enjoy together came naturally.

The production company I work with, Copper and Cast Productions, produces wholesome kids content. One of the shows we have running currently is the show I started, Torbee. Torbee slows things down in a fast-paced world. Think modern-day Mister Rogers meets Reading Rainbow meets Sesame Street.

We create content that parents can feel confident in by blending the qualities we love about old-school kids shows with a slower pace plus natural settings and visuals but in a new, fresh way for today’s kids.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Definitely the experience of others. Having the opportunity to ask questions of and learn from the mistakes of people who are much further along has been instrumental in getting us to where we are today.

I’m a big believer in the concept that you don’t know what you don’t know. So having conversations with other people to understand what moves they made have been extremely eye-opening.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The development of kids’ brains and minds is more important than making more money. However, it can be a challenge to get larger streaming platforms or companies to agree with that when the extremely fast-paced and oversaturated content is what’s more addicting for kids.

We are passionate about excelling in creating content that fills that gap, and it is one of the biggest driving factors in what we do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.torbee.tv
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torbee.official/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copperandcast/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@torbee