Hefty Cat Studios
Creator Profiles
We are a husband-and-wife creative team that loves writing stories and making silly voices. We started Hefty Cat Studios to make interactive audio adventures for kids to play, learn, and explore.
Cards from this Creator
- The Cat-tastrophe! Deluxe Edition
- ¡La Gató-strofe! Edición de Lujo
"Lisa realized that the adventure could be interactive, and listeners could enjoy exploring the many choices and results a silly adventure could bring"
Creator Q&A
Tell us about yourself
We are a husband-and-wife team based out of the state of Utah where we live with our little family. We got interested in doing audio work when we heard about the first Audio Maker competition that Yoto held.
Lisa has always been a fan of books, and we read one together as a family almost every night.
She has written stories for a murder mystery company in the past and loved the idea of writing a children's story. Jorel has done voice work for language learning programs and has performed on stage in the past, but always loved doing the funny voices for our children's story time. We decided to put our creative powers together for the contest and thought that would be it.
However, when we saw the huge fan reception for our story and the videos of kids laughing at the different voices, we got hooked on making more.
What inspired you to make this title(s)?
This story is very inspired by our kids. They all LOVE cats. Unfortunately, most of our kids are allergic to them. We have stuffed cats, stories of cats, movies about cats, etc. throughout our house because of them.
When we were deciding on what story to write of course they begged us to write one about a cat adventure. Lisa realized that the adventure could be interactive, and listeners could enjoy not just listening, but exploring the many choices and results a silly adventure could bring.
We started small with the first version of this story during the competition, mostly because of the deadline. We had a lot of young listeners try it out over and over again, and their parents would share their experiences. We realized then that there was more this adventure could hold and kids were eager to explore more.
"We think we've made the stakes interesting for the kids, so they feel like their choices matter, and laugh because it’s the right amount of silly"
Who do you imagine listening to your audio?
We think this is fun for the whole family! We've seen siblings working together as they listen, parents and kids taking notes on where they are, and even kids by themselves laughing at what happens next. We think we've made the stakes interesting for the kids so they feel like their choices matter and laugh because it is the right amount of silly.
Is there anything different about making audio for Yoto?
We think making audio for Yoto has been a good experience for us. It has pushed us to learn more and really create something that is a step up from what is normally offered.
Yoto really is the only place where our interactive audio adventure shines with the different pictures and the ability to skip exactly to where you want.
Yoto for our family has been a great way for our youngest kid to try new stories and have a more relaxing time winding down at night.
What’s next?
We have a couple of different story ideas, but we haven't officially started working on a new story yet. We would like to wait and see what people like about the latest story.
New to Yoto?
Our carefully connected speakers put kids in control of their listening, learning and play. No cameras. No microphones. No ads.
Creator FAQs
Who are the Creators?
Our Creators are independent makers of music and spoken word content for children and families. Some have established audiences in other places, while others are beginning their audio publishing journey with Yoto. We put out a public call to join this initiative at the start of 2024.
Each of our creators have their own Creator Profiles where you can read more about them and their cards. Just click on their name on their card store page to find out more.
How can I become a Creator?
If you are just starting out, you might first choose to share your digital content for free in the Open Mic section of our community site Yoto Space, where you can start building an audience and get feedback from friendly enthusiasts.
Learn how to make a great Yoto Card by reading our Yoto Creator Guidelines. Learn about what makes the Yoto format unique, and how to create a really engaging and successful title that children will love.
If you're ready to start selling your content on Yoto, you can register your interest.
Can I learn more about Creator content before purchasing?
Yes, each card has an extended audio preview so you can listen to a representative sample before making a purchase. You can also read more about a card's creator by clicking on their name on the card page.
How is this different from the free audio on Yoto Space?
Open Mic on Yoto Space is where we nurture those creators who may be just starting out or wanting to experiment with a new title. It's a friendly community where they have space to share content for free, build an audience and get feedback. We are delighted to see several creators make the leap from there to become Creators on the Yoto Store, where they can now monetise their work.
What do I do if I don't like a card that I've purchased?
If it simply isn't to your taste, purchases are covered by our usual returns policy. If you believe a title breaks our Creators Content Guidelines, please report it.
Are more Creators cards being added to the collection?
Yes, more titles and more creators will be added over the coming months.