The global licensing community is powered by an incredible group of professionals whose diverse backgrounds and creative energy drive innovation and excellence. We profile one of these professionals each week, and in this special edition of the People Profile series we are revisiting a former Rising Star Award recipient to shine a spotlight on their subsequent success.

How did you get into licensing (or how did licensing find you)?
Like a lot of people, I fell into licensing. Ross Misher at Brand Central hired me as an assistant, and I quickly fell in love with the creativity of the business and tightknit community around it.

When were you named a Rising Star? Where were you working at the time and what was your title?
It was 2013, I was a licensing manager at Brand Central, and I was working on a lot of exciting projects with Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Mister Rogers, and MasterChef. I had also just been given the green light by Ross to hunt for new digitally native clients for licensing representation, which ultimately led to the signing of Cupcakes and Cashmere.

What was the best piece of advice you received early on in your career?
When I was just starting off in licensing, I remember meeting Jeremy Padawer and Michael Rinzler in the early days of Wicked Cool Toys. They were so excited about the work that they were doing and confident in their value proposition, it was incredibly inspiring. I distinctly remember Jeremy telling me that the key to success is finding something you’re passionate about and giving it your all—stagnation is death. These words have influenced much of my career thus far.

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment since being named a Rising Star?
Being part of a lot of ‘firsts’ for the creator licensing business, from Cupcakes and Cashmere to Something Navy to Ninja. Proving to the community that creators can sustain an eight-figure global licensing business has been one of the more rewarding elements since becoming a Rising Star.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
It’s usually a mix of brand strategy brainstorms, licensee/retailer pitches, and Instagram-worthy dates with our talent and/or their management (perk!). I’m also constantly scanning different social platforms and tracking performance stats with my team to keep an eye on microtrends and creators gaining relevance.

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
My biggest challenge is balancing retailer buying cycles/production and creator relevancy, especially with the current inventory issues. There’s a very specific window in a creator’s career where a product program makes sense, and if you miss it because of long lead timelines, then you’ve missed out on the opportunity. Luckily, with the growth of D2C and pre-sale, we’re able to narrow the window of development and even achieve better margins than traditional wholesale, but having traditional retail distribution is still very important for new audience acquisition and a brand’s longevity.

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
Critical thinking, especially when working with talent. In licensing, there are so many moving pieces, and a good executive should always be conducting their own stress tests.

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
More of a program than a specific deal, but I think what Amazon Fashion is doing with ‘The Drop’ is brilliant. Being able to utilize influencer affiliate data, with a specific product development template that guarantees profitability, is a win for all parties involved. Prior to this program, the barrier of entry was so high for creators to secure proof of concept in their product programs, and now so many more creators have the opportunity to activate the power of their highly engaged audiences.

The last licensed product I bought was…
Patrick Starrr’s One/Size mascara, it’s incredible. (Props to DBA/DBP for that one!)

What words of wisdom would you give to the 2022 Rising Stars?
I’d recommend reading Julia Galef’s The Scout Mindset. At the beginning of your career, you’re so prone to bias, especially when it’s a project that you’re managing, that you just want to get across the finish line. This book shifted my mindset as to what ‘winning’ is in the long term and how incredibly valuable ‘scouts’ are to an organization.

The Rising Star Awards recognizes the next generation of leaders around the world for their commitment, passion, and contributions to their company and the licensing industry. For the first time, the Rising Stars will be recognized and celebrated at the Hall of Fame Gala Luncheon in New York City on December 7th, 2022.